Antelope Canyon Rules: What You Can and Can't Bring

The short answer: on a Lower Antelope Canyon tour you carry almost nothing. Bags, backpacks, fanny packs and hydration packs aren’t allowed. Nor are hiking sticks, canes, gimbals, selfie sticks, smart glasses that record, or GoPros. Tripods and monopods are banned, and filming isn’t allowed inside Lower. A phone or a handheld camera is fine. (Rules as published by the operators, checked in October 2026.)

The Lower Antelope Canyon list

Ken’s Tours, one of the two Lower Antelope Canyon operators, lists these as not permitted on any Lower tour:

• bags, backpacks, fanny packs and hydration packs
• hiking sticks and canes
• gyro-stabilisers (gimbals) and selfie sticks
• recording eyewear, such as Meta smart glasses
• GoPros
• tripods and monopods, which can damage the canyon walls

Filming is not allowed inside Lower Antelope Canyon.

Upper Antelope Canyon

The Upper operators publish similar rules: no selfie sticks, tripods, strollers or drones. Pets and service animals can’t go on the tours, a rule set by the Navajo Nation. The Navajo Nation also limits time inside Upper to two hours and issues no photography or filming permits for Upper or Lower, because of the number of visitors.

Why the rules are so strict

The slots are narrow and the stairways in Lower are steep, so anything that sticks out slows a group down or knocks the walls. Groups have to keep moving to stay on schedule, and a clear passage matters if a guide ever has to get everyone out quickly. Upper Antelope Canyon’s dedicated photography tours, which once allowed tripods, ended at the end of 2019.

What to wear and bring

• Closed shoes with grip: there is sand everywhere and, in Lower, metal stairs.
• Layers in winter and a hat in summer; you stand in the sun before and after.
• Your phone or a handheld camera on a wrist strap, and small items in your pockets.
• Water for before and after; leave the bottle with your bag in the car if your tour doesn’t allow it in the canyon.
• Cash for tips: guide tips aren’t included, and operators suggest a few dollars per person.

Who these tours don’t suit

The best-selling Lower tour lists itself as not suitable for pregnant women, people with mobility impairments or people with heart problems, because of the stairs and narrow passages. Upper is flatter underfoot but reached by a bumpy truck ride. Antelope Canyon X involves a sandy walk down and back up. If you have young children, check the seat rules: the Canyon X tour requires child seats for children aged 4 and under.

Book your tour

Travelling light is easy once you know the rules. The best-selling Lower tour below includes the $15 Navajo permit and can be cancelled up to 24 hours before. (From $75, checked in October 2026.)

Not sure which canyon to pick? Compare Upper Antelope Canyon and Antelope Canyon X.