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

• Bags: banned at Lower and on the Canyon X hiking tour. At Upper it depends on the operator: some allow only clear bags with no opaque pouches inside, and others ban every bag.
• Water: one bottle is fine almost everywhere. A clear bottle avoids questions, and one with a strap keeps your hands free.
• Cameras: phones and handheld cameras are fine. Tripods, monopods, selfie sticks, stabilizers and action cams are banned on standard tours. The only tripod tours left are the Canyon X photography tour and Adventurous' night and 3-canyon photo tours.
• Never allowed: drones, pets or service animals, alcohol, weapons, scattering ashes, smoking, and climbing or marking the walls.
• Check-in: arrive 30–45 minutes early, on Arizona time (Phoenix, no daylight saving). If you're late you usually forfeit the tour, with no refund.

Rules checked in October 2026 against operator websites and Navajo Nation Parks & Recreation. Operators change these lists without notice, so recheck your confirmation email before you drive out. Some links on this page are affiliate links: if you book through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend tours that fit the rules described here.

• Photo tours at Upper ended after 2019. Ekis states that, by order of the Navajo Nation, 2019 was the last year of photographic tours in Upper Antelope Canyon. Antelope Canyon Navajo Tours no longer offers its 2-hour Photography Tour.
• No permits. Navajo Nation Parks & Recreation doesn't issue any photography or filming permits for Upper and Lower Antelope because of the high visitor numbers, and it isn't accepting applications. Commercial shoots, styled sessions and filming are off the table.
• Where tripods still work (checked October 2026):
  • The Canyon X photography tour (Taadidiin): 3 hours, ages 8+, a tripod and 1 camera bag allowed. Special-occasion or styled sessions need a Special Use Permit. On GetYourGuide it rates 4.7★ from only 42 reviews.
  • Adventurous' Night Photography Tour in Upper Antelope ($285, ages 21+, starting an hour after sunset) and its 3 Canyon Photography Tour ($385). Third-party listings describe tripods as required on these tours. Book them with Adventurous.
• Expect "no photos on the way out." Some Upper listings forbid shooting on the exit stairs, and Lower bans photos on the ladders.

For handheld settings that work in the dim slots, see our guide to photographing Antelope Canyon. For timing, see light beams: the best months and time slots.

Antelope Canyon (Tsé bighánílíní, "the place where water runs through rocks") is a sacred site inside the Lake Powell Navajo Tribal Park, and Navajo Nation law applies there.

• Don't touch, climb or carve the walls. Breaking these rules can get you escorted out of the canyon with no refund.
• Stay with your guide. Self-guided entry is prohibited, and Navajo Parks sets a two-hour limit inside Upper.
• No alcohol or drugs: possessing or drinking alcohol, or possessing or using illegal drugs, is strictly prohibited on the Navajo Nation.
• Drones are confiscated if flown within tribal park locations. Cremation, littering and rock climbing are also prohibited.
• Be respectful. Ask before photographing guides, especially if one plays the flute or shares a song. Tip in cash: $2–5 per person is a common suggestion.

Lockers are rare, and at least one Lower operator's listing states there's no luggage storage at the venue. Travelers on forums report that the parking lots feel safe, but keep valuables out of sight. Cars in Page can reach dangerous temperatures in summer, so take your phone and camera with you and don't leave power banks or laptops baking on the dashboard. If you're between hotels, ask yours to hold your luggage; see where to stay in Page.