These must-know tips for visiting Antelope Canyon in Arizona covers where to stay, what to bring, how much it costs, photography tips, and more!

Antelope Canyon does not disappoint and is a destination that is sought out by people all over the world.The captivating curvatures of these deep slot canyons are derived from many millennia of seeping water into fissures of the Navajo sandstone. It’s inevitable to be in awe when surrounded by these natural, breathtaking walls.

Familiarizing yourself with these must-know tips will allow you to enjoy a stress-free trip to Antelope Canyon!

Tips For Visiting Antelope Canyon In Page, Arizona

There Are Two Canyons (Upper & Lower)

The Upper Canyon is undoubtedly the tourists’ favorite. With it being ground level, and less than a 2% incline; it is the easiest to access with the least effort. The majority of photos you’ve seen of this notorious attraction are of the Upper Canyon. It is the deepest canyon of all (there are a few more, other than the Upper and Lower Canyons).

The Upper Canyon walls are narrower at the top, with a wider base, providing the perfect formation to create the enchanting, well-known light beams that everyone wants that one photograph of — you know exactly what I’m talking about.

These light beams are what the Upper Canyon are known for; they are immensely surreal and breathtaking and most likely what prompted you to book this trip in the first place! This canyon is typically always crowded and will take approximately 1 – 1.5 hours to tour.

The beauty of the Lower Canyon offers narrower paths where you will be walking and wider at the top — think of a V. These walls provide stunning photography opportunities as well. The Lower Canyon has less tourism however; it has increased in the recent past.

This is the canyon for our adventurous, challenge enthusiasts — in some areas, you will utilize steps and ladders due to the limited space. Less expensive tours are offered in the Lower Canyon. Fewer light beams are seen, however, the sun that does come through creates a sensational glow to the walls. (Note: All of the photos shown here were taken in the Lower Canyon.)

The Lower Canyon will be between a 1 to 2 hour tour, which is dependent on the type of tour you choose.

Both of these beauties are a must see! It is highly recommended to plan for 2 days to see both, the Upper Canyon and the Lower Canyon. Why? Because you will experience the best of both worlds by visiting each canyon around mid morning.

However, visiting both canyons in the same day is doable. It would be most beneficial to visit the Lower Canyon as early as possible to make it to the Upper Canyon by mid-morning to high noon for the those light beams you don’t want to miss.

Read more: Sedona Travel Guide & The Best Hiking Trails

Best Time To Visit Antelope Canyon

The best time to visit Antelope Canyon will be determined by the intention for your travel.

For the aesthetic seekers (let’s be serious…these canyons are indefinitely visually pleasing), the light beams are most prominent between the months of May and September.

The high sun permeates the canyons during June and July, which inevitably makes this time frame the most desirable to visit. This must-see phenomenon is best witnessed at midday, around 11:00 am – 1:30 pm.

If you’re on a budget, it’s best to visit during the off-season. November through January is less crowded, however, you’ll find little to no light beams.

Ultimately, whenever you choose to go, you will, without a doubt, feel the Earthly magic.

Read more: Havasu Falls Travel Tips – Havasupai Reservation, Arizona

Tours Are Required For Both Canyons

Tours are a requirement to visit both the Upper and Lower Canyon and there are many companies that offer similar options with varying times and pricing.

For an Upper Canyon Tour, National Park Express is a reputable company with great reviews and one of the cheaper options, starting at about $125.

For a Lower Canyon tour, with hundreds of positive reviews and personable guides, Scenic Bend is your go-to. You will choose between general tours and combination packages. Their prices vary, with tours starting at about $90.

Several of the guides are native to this Navajo land and are proud to share with you the importance of it through stories and myths — at times in the Navajo language. And if you are fortunate that day, you may be gifted the sound of the flute being played in the canyon. Definitely overwhelming — in a good way!

Read more: Travel Guide to Tucson, Arizona in a Weekend

You Must Book In Advance

The truly beautiful Antelope Canyon is in high demand. Due to tours selling out weeks in advance, it is best to book online prior to visiting. Same day tours are no longer being offered.

You will need to obtain a park permit as well. These permits are generally $8.00 per person and provided by your guide, or already included in the tour price.

For a last-minute Antelope Canyon adventure, it would be advantageous to call the tour company directly to inquire about and possibly purchase a recent cancelation.

Read more: Havasu Falls Camping Guide (Permits, Hiking Trails, Packing Tips)

What You Can & Can’t Bring To Antelope Canyon

The “What You Can Bring” List Is Minimal:

Small Personal Bag – (Make sure that what you want to bring will fit in it.)

Camera – (The camera bag will count as your small personal bag.)

Bottle Of Water – (This is my favorite travel water bottle – it’s stainless steel and insulated so it keeps your water cold!)

Read more: Best Travel Cameras (Top Cameras For Every Budget)

Let’s Talk About “What You Can’t” Bring:

Pretty much everything that is not on the list above…

The following items are prohibited: larger bags, backpacks, purses, and even fanny packs. No monopods or tripods, no selfie sticks. Food and drinks are not allowed other than the one water bottle and a snack that can fit in your small personal bag.

These are in place for your convenience due to the congestion of people during these tours.

What To Wear In Antelope Canyon

SPF (Even in the off season winter months): Neutrogena Clear Face and Olay With SPF30 are the ones I use.

Durable, Closed Toe Shoes: Lightweight, breathable hiking shoes with non-slip soles are my favorite for these kinds of activities.

Sunglasses

Layers

Hat

Eyeglasses (Instead of contacts)

(The last 3 are mainly for protection from the sand.)

Current Mandatory Requirement: Face Mask

Please be mindful of your waste, as there are no trash receptacles in the canyon.

Read more: Packing Tips Every Traveler Needs To Know – How to Pack Like a Pro

Antelope Canyon Tour Cost

There are tours offered by many companies. I mentioned a couple of them previously — however, there are so many to choose from.

The cost of the tours start at about $90 and can go as high as $400+ depending on if you add nearby attractions to your Antelope Canyons adventure — Horseshoe Bend and Lake Powell are the most popular.

The $90 tickets are for admission to the Lower Canyon only. You’ll also find packages that include both canyons for around $155.

For the Upper Canyon, prices start at about $125. National Park Express is a reputable company with great reviews and one of the cheaper options.

The Lower Canyon plus a half day tour of Horseshoe Bend is $160 — or tour both the Upper & Lower + Horseshoe Bend in a private luxury car starting at $450.

Read more: Best Carry-On Luggage (For Every Budget)

Photography Tips For Antelope Canyon

Soooo, you can’t bring a tripod. Let’s talk about what to do from here.

The features of current DSLR and mirrorless cameras will make your life so much easier when it comes to photographing Antelope Canyon.

The light that comes through the Lower Antelope Canyon during midday makes it easier to capture the detail of the sandstone with a hand held in manual mode settings.

The ISO is best set to a number 2000 or higher (depending on the type of camera you have). Setting your camera to a higher, more sensitive, ISO will keep your shutter speed fast enough to hand hold your camera.

How fast of a shutter speed that you’re able to hand hold your camera without getting a blurry photo will depend on how still you can hold your hands and body. It is generally recommended to keep your shutter speed at 1/30 of a second or faster, but I personally feel comfortable going to 1/8 of a second using my Sony a7ii which has amazing built-in image stabilization.

The Upper Antelope Canyon will give you best results if you increase the ISO even more, maybe around 4000 or so. Lowering the shutter speed too. As an example, 1/10th of a second with an aperture at f/2.8 on a camera with a built-in image stabilizer.

If your camera has an option to bracket your photos for different exposures (taking the photos one after another) I always have this setting turned on as it allows me to layer up to 3 different exposures of the same image, which will pull out more detail in the shadows and the highlights.

Honestly, you’ll be pleasantly surprised what your smartphone is capable of too!!

Read more: How to Take Amazing Travel Photos as a Solo Traveler

Where To Stay Near Antelope Canyon

When you’re planning this trip you’re going to want to stay, at the very least, one night in Page, Arizona. Although, I recommend staying two to three nights so you can take advantage of experiencing the other attractions in the area, like Horseshoe Bend and Lake Powell.

Check out some of my recommended hotels that range in price for every budget:

Hyatt Place: Everyone knows the Hyatt. The Hyatt Place Page Lake Powell is the place to stay if comfort is your main priority. You’ll find higher quality amenities like a seasonal outdoor swimming pool, good breakfast, and a bar. You can bring the four legged furry family member too! Only 15 minutes away from Antelope Canyon.

Country Inn & Suites: This one is for the those travelers who want to save some money while still having nice amenities. This Country Inn & Suites has beautiful mountain views and a bathtub to relax. You’re about 9 miles away from Antelope Canyon.

The Rodeway Inn: The Rodeway Inn at Lake Powell is a great choice for the money conscious travelers. Featuring a nice garden and balconies, your stay will be well worth the money spent here. It’s located only 7 miles from Antelope Canyon.

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Hotel Review: The Guardsman Hotel, Westminster, London

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The use of external plaster or render goes back nearly 10,000 years. Its potential to effortlessly transform a tired old house into something sleek and sophisticated with a few waves of a plasterer’s arm is undoubtedly alluring. Combined with the use of external insulation this transformation can not only be aesthetic, but comfortable and sustainable too.

The same benefits also apply to new builds but be warned, rendering a house is hard to get right and even harder to keep looking good.

The benefits of rendering a house

Where many materials used for exterior cladding soften and look better with age, render rarely does. The moment it’s finished and perfect is when the render is at its best. However this can be avoided by careful design and specification.

Image credit: Future PLC/David Giles

1. It allows the building to breathe

To achieve your flawless vision you need to start with some physics and understand how your building breathes. The idea of a ‘breathing building’ may sound weird but all buildings absorb and release moisture; this is known as its breathability. This moisture is not from driving rain (although this contributes) but is mostly water vapour that cooking, showering and breathing produces.

This moisture generally moves from inside to outside through the walls of your home. Older buildings, especially without DPCs (Damp Proof Course) are very moisture permeable and rely on this to keep dry. Therefore the render you put on the outside of your house has to match the breathability of your existing walls or you will trap moisture within the structure and create a problem, resulting in looking at how to get rid of damp.

Image credit: Future PLC/Claire Lloyd Davies

2. It’s suitable for older buildings or modern properties

There are traditional and modern lime plasters that work really well with older buildings and more modern cavity walls also benefit from a vapour open (breathable) render to ensure you don’t get damp, and possibly mould, in your home.

If water does get trapped in your walls by a non-breathable render or exterior paint it can cause the top finish to blister and fail which looks like an outbreak of boils!

3. Good detailing ensures no cracking or staining

Getting breathability right is all about specification and is the first step. Next is to ensure you don’t get cracking or staining, this is all about good detailing.

As the temperature swings between day and night, summer and winter, buildings grow and shrink so carefully located expansion joints are needed to allow for movement between sections of render rather than in the render itself. This will stop your beautiful surface cracking.

Perhaps worse than cracking is weathering stains around windows, overhangs and gutters. Preventing this is again about careful detailing especially around windows and doors and ensuring your gutters are working properly.

4. It can improve thermal performance

Image credit: Future PLC/Robert Sanderson

If I’m being honest, I have mixed feelings about the appearance of render. It can be well done, but is often bland. However, I am a huge fan of render with exterior insulation. This is insulation fixed to the exterior of a house that is usually rendered to provide waterproofing.

Given that an average house loses about 40% of its heat through the walls, wrapping them up transforms both air tightness (reducing draughts) and thermal performance. It allows for a sustainable makeover without the expense and inconvenience of internal wall insulation, which means redoing most of the rooms after installation.

5. A professional installer will ensure a perfect finish.

It is important to do your research to understand the basics and crucially find a reputable, skilled installer. I always recommend visiting their previous projects and specifically something that was finished a few years ago as ageing is critical to successful render. When correctly installed and combined with some thoughtful design, external insulation will mean your home can look great, and be comfortable and affordable to heat.

The post The 5 benefits of rendering a house according to Charlie Luxton appeared first on Ideal Home.

Blue, pink and even yellow colours in a nursey are seemingly on their way out of fashion, as black nursery decor is taking off as the stylish, gender-neutral alternative.

With two children under 2 years, Interior designer, Lucy Sear-Barlow, is all too aware that practical function is more important than pretty aesthetics when it comes to researching nursery decorating ideas. However, the Creative Director at  Barlow & Barlow Design, believes that doesn’t mean you have to turn down your decorating style-dial as you look forward to the arrival of your new tiny housemate.

Black nursery decor

Image credit: Pottery Barn

Skandi decorating ideas are always popular and trends such as farmhouse and bold colour schemes are making waves within interior waters. So, it’s no wonder striking black is the go-to colour choice for nursery schemes amongst decorators and designers right now.

‘Whilst I wouldn’t ever use too many big blocks of black in a scheme as it does absorb a lot of light, used sparingly on furniture legs, tablecloths, cushions, and vases it immediately makes schemes feel a bit edgier. It’s a way of giving some immediate attitude to a scheme,’ explains Lucy.

Black is already gardened a following of celebrity parents.  Jools Oliver‘s son Buddy Bear has fun black pom-pom and superhero garlands highlighting a cool Nubie Kids house bed, while Dani Dyer has seriously cute animal prints with black frames on her new baby, Santiago’s wall.

Stacey Solomon‘s son Rex has his favourite animals; pandas as a featured motif in his nursery. The fury, and monochrome friends are teamed with black and white bed linen and a cosy Berber rug.

Lucy Sear-Balow tips for styling the black nursery trend

Lucy recently worked with the Norwegian manufacturer of children’s furniture Stokke to share her top tips for introducing the colour black into our family homes:

1. Use black as an accent colour

We often lean towards black as an accent colour for accessories at home. I have a bit of a penchant for animal print and black accessories work so well with a little bit of leopard print! I also love a gingham or big scale check; however, this can look very twee if done in colour, but a gingham in black immediately looks younger and cooler.

2. Black is a gender-neutral essential

Image credit: Instagram / @winterdaisy

Investing in children’s things that are in gender-neutral nursery shades such as black means that you can reuse everything for each child. Just like your wardrobe you will have to stare at your children’s things for a long time and so investing in smart and timeless colours like black means it will last through many fashion cycles and you will hopefully never tire of looking at it!

3. Style up the storage

With all the kit and caboodle that comes with children, some of it nice to look at and some not, the key to keeping it in some semblance of order is attractive black toy storage solutions.

Image credit: Nubie Kids

For me, the easiest and most achievable way to do this is through baskets. Whether cane, jute, or wicker, they are easy to come by, come in multiple sizes and most importantly suit every style of interior.

As soon as you sweep up the chaos of children’s plastic tat and hide it away in the nice basket suddenly all feels well again, and your house looks ordered and chic.

Furthermore, if you choose something beautifully designed in a timeless colour, such as black, it will look smart in the nursery, living room or kitchen no matter what fashions come and go and how many times you repaint your cabinetry.

The post You’ll never guess the new popular nursery colour that is taking off this year appeared first on Ideal Home.