Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon Tour from Las Vegas – 2 Days with MaxTour

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Last updated: 12th November 2025

The otherworldly rocks of Antelope Canyon has long been on Garth’s bucket list, whilst Phil has always wanted to see the mighty Grand Canyon. So we decided to book ourselves a 2 day Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon Tour from Las Vegas with MaxTour to finally tick it off our bucket list together – add Zion National Park, Horseshoe Bend and Route 66 towns into the mix, we were both sold!

 

About The Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon Tour from Vegas

Las Vegas isn’t just about neon and casinos, it’s also the perfect base for exploring some of America’s most spectacular natural wonders. We joined MaxTour’s 2 day Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon Tour from Las Vegas, a small group adventure that takes you from the Strip to the sandstone Antelope Canyon, quirky Route 66 towns and the epic Grand Canyon.

If you’ve only got a couple of days spare but want to see the wonders of the Southwest, this tour is the perfect way to do it. Every detail is thoughtfully handled – hotel pickup, snacks, plenty of photo stops and expert guides who keep the long drives fun.

In this post we’ll show you how we spent 2 days with our knowledgeable guide (and driver) Ken. We thought the pace was absolutely spot on, everything ran smoothly and we even had time for bonus photo stops because our small group were prompt with timings when returning to the van.

 

 

Day 1 – Las Vegas > Zion National Park > Horseshoe Bend > Antelope Canyon

1. Las Vegas Hotel Pickup

Day 1 began bright and early with a stress-free start, meeting our guide Ken, who arrived promptly on time at 5.05am. What’s great is there’s no faffing about with taxis or meeting points, MaxTour keep you updated on WhatsApp and email, then collects you directly from your hotel in a comfy high-roof minivan.

From the moment you step inside the van, the comforts begin – big windows, which Garth loved for taking great photos, a USB charger on hand, plus unlimited water, drinks and snacks. Ken kept things friendly and well organised.

It took around 40 minutes to collect the other guests, so by 5.50am we were off on our adventure. Ken gave everyone some quiet time to nap and catch up on some sleep for about an hour, as he took us to our first stop.

We love a small group tour, and our group size was perfectly small with 11 people, a mix of domestic and international guests, including from Taiwan and Chicago. The atmosphere feels personal and relaxed, it’s not like being herded onto a giant coach.

 

 

2. Breakfast & Restroom Break

Our first stop was at 7am for a restroom break at Eagles Landing Travel Plaza, Nevada. Ken opened up the back of the van and offered everyone some breakfast – blueberry and chocolate muffins plus bananas and bottles of water. From this stop it’s 1 hour 30 minute drive to our first major site on the tour – Zion National Park, how exciting!

 

 

3. Zion National Park

After crossing the border from Nevada to Utah at 9.30am it was now time to see the first major site on our 2 day tour – the dramatic and breathtaking Zion National Park. It was our Ken’s favourite national park, and we soon understood why! We both loved Ken’s enthusiasm and knowledge of the park – telling us lots of facts and stories and taking lots of questions from the group. Zion is an incredible sight with its towering red and cream sandstone cliffs, narrow slot canyons and lush river valleys. It was all carved over millions of years by the Virgin River. Ken explained it’s one of the most visited national park in America, with over 5 million visitors a year.

We had an hour to explore, so we took an easy hike along the Pa’rus Trail, which has a concrete path and runs down the side of The Virgin River. It’s a lovely walk seeing the towering rocks and gentle flow of the river – loads of photo spots! Just watch out for visitors on electric bikes.

After our walk, it was back in the van. Garth sat up front in the passenger seat, where guests took it in turns for the very best views from the van. The landscape gets even breathtaking as the road sweeps around the sides of the dramatic gorge, which is 15 miles long. It’s really hard to describe the sheer scale of the red rock cliffs, they are immense, it’s only when you see people stopping their cars to take photos – they look like ants.

Ken also added 3 bonus photo spots inside Zion, which everyone was excited about. Seeing the contrast of cliffs, green cottonwood trees, and blue skies is a photographer’s dream. Garth was in his element!

 

 

4. Restroom Break

Time for a quick restroom break at the White Mountain Trading Post petrol station at 12.35pm.

 

 

5. Kanab, Utah, for Lunch

At 1pm we arrived in Kanab, Utah, where we stopped for 50 minutes to have lunch at Havana Cabana – a Cuban American restaurant. Phil had chicken enchiladas, and Garth had the steak & onions sandwich. Pretty good and very reasonably priced.

 

 

6. Horseshoe Bend

From Kanab it was a 1 hour 30 minute drive to Horseshoe Bend in Arizona. We arrived at 2.05pm and left at 3.15pm. This was our second huge iconic sight of Day 1 of the tour, where we got to spend 1 hour.

It takes 10 minutes to walk the 1 mile path from the car park to the viewpoint. The walk back takes 15 minutes as it’s uphill. Once you arrive, the view suddenly opens up to reveal a breathtaking 1,000-foot drop and one of the most iconic panoramas in the Southwest. It is a spectacular sight where the Colorado River makes a dramatic U-turn around a sandstone cliff. For the best clear shot of the Horseshoe Bend you can photograph it safely from behind the railings, but stand well back from the edge for selfies and photos where there are no railings. We both couldn’t believe how many people were standing and sitting dangerously on the cliffside edge, it was stomach churning stuff. Phil couldn’t watch the various tourists at one point! Sadly, there have been several fatalities from people slipping whilst taking photos and falling to their deaths.

When we arrived at the viewpoint it was quite busy with people, so you have to wait your turn to get a clear shot, just be patient and you will get yours. However, we noticed on the walk back it was much quieter, must be the luck of the draw with the timing.

 

 

7. Restroom Break

Time for a quick restroom break at the ‘Jerky’ Big Lake Trading Post before we head to Antelope Canyon – one of the most spectacular and photogenic natural wonders of the American Southwest.

 

 

8. Lower Antelope Canyon

Now it was time for what Garth had been waiting for years to tick off his bucket list – Lower Antelope Canyon. It’s one of the world’s most spectacular natural wonders – a twisting, narrow slot canyon carved by flash floods and wind over thousands of years. It’s located on Navajo Nation land, and is the sister canyon to Upper Antelope Canyon, both part of Antelope Canyon Navajo Tribal Park. You must be respectful in Lower Antelope Canyon – don’t be loud and you’re not allowed to shoot any moving video as it’s sacred land, which reminded us of visiting Uluru in Australia. You are only allowed take your DSLR camera or phone and a water bottle, anything else has to be left inside the MaxTour van. Bags, tripods or selfie sticks are not allowed.

Lower Antelope Canyon is a maze of swirling sandstone walls, glowing in shades of orange, red, and gold. The canyon is deeper and narrower than the upper section, with metal staircases leading visitors down into its sculpted corridors. Unlike Upper Antelope, which has a flat floor, Lower Antelope involves climbing ladders, squeezing through some very tight spaces, and descending uneven steps – it’s a bit more adventurous and much less crowded.

The canyon takes 1 hour to walk through and you can only enter with a Navajo tribe guide. MaxTour partners with Ken’s Tours, whose guides are fantastic. We had 19 year old Kylie, she really made our experience unforgettable by explaining the canyon’s geology and cultural significance. What is really good is that Kylie made sure everyone was able to get the best photos. She knew exactly where to take all the money shot pictures from and always offered to take photos of individual groups or as she called them, ‘family’.

Kylie even sang us song, that had been written by her grandma and passed down to her from her mother; her voice echoed through the canyon. It was a really moving experience and Phil had a moment.

Lower Antelope Canyon was Garth’s photography dream – every curve and beam of light creates new patterns and textures. The light and shadow interplay give Lower Antelope its almost surreal beauty – perfect for wide-angle shots and abstract compositions. Garth says don’t forget to look up and capture photos up to the sky.

 

 

9. Sunset Bonus Stop – Glen Canyon Dam, Arizona

The schedule for day 1 was running smoothly, so Ken managed to squeeze in another bonus stop. This time watching the sunset at the Glen Canyon Dam near Page in Arizona. Ken’s timing was perfect, we only waited a few minutes and the sun was gone over another epic landscape. We were loving these MaxTour’s bonus stops! We realised bonus stops are all about the group keeping to time.  At each stop, Ken would tell us all what time we needed to be back to the van. Our group was great and really tight with timings. Nobody was ever late.

 

 

10. Dinner and Overnight Hotel

For dinner, we stopped at El Tapatio, a Mexican restaurant just a short drive from our hotel. As you know, all US food portions are massive so we decided to share a chicken fajita with a green salad as our bodies were craving some vegetables, especially after all the Vegas indulgence!

By 7.30pm we arrived at our Days Inn hotel for the night. The room was large and comfortable with an outdoor balcony. We both slept all the way through and had a good nights sleep. Breakfast was simple but good and had the usual breakfast cereals, toast, potato chunks and scrambled egg – the eggs were surprisingly good, really light and fully. Phil found some bacon sprinkles that almost made his hot breakfast into a full English! There’s also orange juice and a coffee machine with take-out cups and lids we used to take with us to the van.

 

 

 

Day 2 – Grand Canyon > Route 66 Towns > Las Vegas

1. Road Trip to Grand Canyon

After breakfast, we’re back on the road at 6.30am. Today was Phil’s turn to be really excited about his bucket list tick – The Grand Canyon. Garth had previously visited when he was younger to the West Rim, however, we were going to the South Rim, where the landscape is greener with forests.

 

 

2. Restroom break

From leaving the hotel it took 1 hour 20 minutes to reach a quick stop for the restrooms, then it was just 30 minutes to the Grand Canyon.

 

 

3. Grand Canyon – South Rim

By 8.30am, we arrived at the South Rim of The Grand Canyon. Wow! Honestly nothing prepares you for that first glimpse and the scale of the Grand Canyon. It’s absolutely epic – stretching for miles in every direction, nearly a mile deep with the Colorado River snaking through the bottom. Those colourful layers of rock tell an incredible story – some are almost 2 billion years old, showing off Earth’s ancient history right before your eyes. The canyon is still slowly changing too, as wind and water continue to carve it wider over time. It’s also a place of deep cultural meaning – 11 Native American tribes are traditionally connected to this landscape, and their history adds another layer to the experience.

Standing here, it’s easy to see why the Grand Canyon is one of the most awe-inspiring natural wonders in the world. But you need to see it for yourself, as no photos do it justice! What was great about MaxTour is Ken made 4 viewpoint stops, with each lookout offering different perspectives and endless photo opportunities, he also told us all to keep an eye out for wild elk as he drove us to each place.

 

 

Navajo Point

Our first stop was at Navajo Point, which is the highest viewpoint on the South Rim. From up here, you get an amazing panoramic view, with the Colorado River winding through the canyon, which you can just about make out in the distance, as there wasn’t much water when we visited. To the far right, you’ll see an historic Desert View Watchtower – a 70 foot stone tower perched right on the canyon’s edge. Built in 1932, it’s modelled on ancient watchtowers to honour the region’s Indigenous heritage.

It’s a brilliant spot, especially when we visited early morning as the sun was still rising, creating long shadows. We just stood there for ages, just taking in the sheer scale of it all.

 

Lipan Point

Ken added a bonus photo stop at Lipan Point, which was his favourite view of the South Rim, and he called it his secret ‘proposal viewpoint’ as two of his friends tied the knot here. Wandering past the safety barriers, Ken introduced us to his secret rocky spot, an obsoletely fantastic viewpoint! For the more adventurous people in our group, Ken took them to a rocky point further out for some very cool photos; however Phil’s knee was playing up so we didn’t want to risk it, so Ken took some alternative photos of us, he really is a great photographer! giving us a 3-2-1 countdown for each photo.

 

Grandview Point

So Grandview Point really lives up to its name, the view here is absolutely massive! You can see layer upon layer of colourful rock stretching for miles, and it’s one of the best places to appreciate just how deep and wide the canyon really is. The lookout sits on a high bend of the South Rim, giving you sweeping views of the Colorado River and the Grandview Trail snaking down below.

 

Yaki Point

The next viewpoint is where we got to spend 1 hour 20 minutes doing whatever we wanted, and it was our personal favourite. Before we got underway Ken suggested taking some scary looking photos as if we are falling off the edge, it’s actually very safe, but it was fun making the illusion!

We took a gentle walk along the Rim Trail just admiring the expansive view and checking out the twisted branches of juniper trees dotted with little blue berries which are actually seed cones. You’ll spot many of these hardy trees all around the South Rim, adding a splash of green to the desert landscape. Just be careful at Yaki Point near the edge as there aren’t many barriers here, so watch your step while snapping those photos!

We followed the trail towards the Yavapai Geology Museum, which is a brilliant stop where you can learn how the canyon’s colourful rock layers formed over nearly 2 billion years. The huge windows there frame one of the most breathtaking views of the canyon. They also have a souvenir shop where we bought a fridge magnet for our collection!

 

Grand Canyon Sign

To end our amazing time, Ken made a very quick bonus photo stop at the Grand Canyon National Park sign. Notice the silver plaque? The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 

 

4. Historic Williams, Arizona, for Lunch

Now it was time to discover some classic Route 66 towns. We stopped for lunch in Williams, a famous Route 66 town known as the “Gateway to the Grand Canyon.” The town is full of rock n roll diners, neon shopfronts and souvenir stores. Ken gave us recommendations for places to eat and ideas to explore the town, for those who wanted to make use of the time to explore instead of eating.

We stopped off at Anna’s Place where they serve American, Mexican and Chinese dishes. We had the fish tacos and ground beef corn tacos and fries, delicious! They kept filling up our Diet Cokes with free refills, we love they do this in the USA! The Anna’s Place building dates back to 1897 when it used to be a Saloon and brothel with 8 rooms for sex workers.

 

 

5. Route 66 Sign & Highway – Bonus Stop

After lunch at Williams Ken stopped at a Route 66 sign for another bonus stop and took some fun photos next to a sign and right in the middle of the road when there were no cars.

 

 

6. Seligman

Next comes a dose of pure Americana as our tour continues into Arizona stopping at Seligman, a quirky Route 66 town that is said to have inspired Disney Pixar’s ‘Cars’ movie.

The streets are lined with neon motel signs, retro diners and vintage cars straight out of Radiator Springs. Don’t miss the small Historic Route 66 Motoporium Museum, packed full of classic motorbikes which Phil loved. Seligman is kitschy, retro and Garth loved all the brilliant photo opportunities here. Phil thought the town was a bit like a time capsule, like a living museum.

 

 

7. Route 66

Because we were doing well on time Ken drove us out of Seligman onto Route 66 and played us Chuck Berry’s classic Route 66 tune to get us in the mood. Ken told us the story of Route 66 and about some signs that became a real hit. We loved spotting these retro Burma-Shave signs along Route 66. These little red signs have cheeky rhyming slogans that once entertained drivers back in the 1930s and 1940s. A fun bit of classic Americana that brings the old highway’s charm to life!

 

 

8. Restroom Break

Ken continues to drive us safely back to Las Vegas with lots of commentary and one last restroom stop at 4.45pm at the White Hills petrol station, Nevada. It takes 1 hour from here to Las Vegas.

 

 

9. Return to Las Vegas

On the way back to Las Vegas, we drove past Boulder City, where Ken told us all about the fascinating history of the town and the building of the Hoover Dam – such an impressive engineering feat. Garth really enjoyed chatting with Ken on the drive back and could tell he’s genuinely passionate about America’s national parks. He loves sharing his knowledge and stories from life as a tour guide, taking great pride and happiness in showing guests these incredible places, often for the very first time.

As night fell, we rolled back into Las Vegas around 6pm, the lights of the Strip glowing on the horizon. Garth sat up front with Ken again, camera in hand, capturing loads of cool night shots as the city came alive in neon and lights.

 

 

Final Thoughts – MaxTour’s Grand Canyon & Antelope Canyon Tour

If you want to see the highlights of America’s Southwest without the stress of driving, MaxTour’s 2 Day Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon Tour from Las Vegas is absolutely perfect. In just two days we ticked off some serious bucket list sights – Zion National Park, quirky Route 66 towns, the jaw-dropping Horseshoe Bend, magical Antelope Canyon, and of course the mighty Grand Canyon South Rim.

We loved how easy MaxTour made everything, from the convenient hotel pick up to our friendly, expert guide Ken, who always knew the best hidden viewpoints for photos. The small group size made it feel relaxed and personal, and the pacing was spot on. Plenty of time at each stop and lots of well-timed restroom breaks, which we really appreciated on such a long road trip!

It’s so much more than a tour of the Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon – it’s a wonderful introduction to the landscapes and stories of the American Southwest, all effortlessly brought together in a seamless itinerary. Every detail is thoughtfully planned, from the hotel pick up to perfectly timed stops. We can’t recommend MaxTour enough for anyone looking for an easy, well-organised and truly unforgettable adventure from Las Vegas.

 

Phil and Garth’s Top 5 Grand Canyon & Antelope Canyon Tour Tips

• Tip #1: Wear sturdy trainers or hiking shoes for Antelope Canyon & Horseshoe Bend, there’s lots of uneven ground.
• Tip #2: Snap lots of photos out of the van windows – as you’ll pass plenty of ‘real America’ moments.
• Tip #3: Desert temperatures vary in October – hot by day, chilly at night. Take and wear layers.
• Tip #4: Keep cash handy for diners, tips & Route 66 shops – not everywhere takes cards.
• Tip #5: Take USB (A) charging cables for your phone to charge in the van.

 

Disclaimer: We were hosted by MaxTour. As always, opinions are our own, and this is not a sponsored post. We only accept offers from companies we want to use and believe in their service or products.

 

Are you ready to go? Book your 2 Day Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon Tour with MaxTour and let the adventure begin.

 

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