Full day tour from Scottsdale for sure! Good communications from the tour company called Detour Tours. Our driver was Mark. The shuttle bus was very roomy, newer and comfortable. We received our meeting location and needed to be there by 530am and did not return until about 8pm. We went in July, so very hot. I recommend dressing in light clothing, sunscreen, lightweight hiking shoes, and a hat, but also have a lightweight pullover to protect from sun or use on the bus if you get cold. Did this tour with my wife and 15yr old daughter. Bring snacks that won't melt and extra water. Even though the tour provided water, it was warmer.
We stopped for breakfast and our first break at McDonalds, about an hour into our drive. It is nice that breakfast was included, but we would have preferred a local place/busines, as McDonalds is not our thing. It then took about another 2.5+ hours to reach horseshoe bend. Mark did extensive narration on the state, area, and scenary around us on the ride. He is very passionate and knowledgeable.
They pay the entry into Horseshoe Bend which is per vehicle. We had 1 hour to explore on our own. It is about a ten minute walk to the bend along a dirt path. The walk is slightly downhill so allow for about fifteen minutes to walk back. The bend is really nice and allows for great photos. There is a railing area where most people congregate, and you can then walk along an adjacent area of large rocks to get away from everyone and take your own photos. There are no railings in these adjacent areas, so these areas are not for children or people who are afraid of heights.
Our next spot stop was Lower Antelope Canyon, which is only about 10 minutes from Horseshoe Bend. Mark was able to move up our tour time in antelope, which was nice. The walk from the meeting area to the Canyon entry takes about ten minutes. Most of this walk is slightly downhill in sand and/or rocks covered in sand so it could be slippery. The descent into the canyon was 5-6 flights via metal stairs. One of these flights is a tight ladder style. The Canyon is beautiful and unique. You've likely never seen anything like it. Our local guide took 15 of us in. They moved w/ us throughout, pointing out the best photo areas, of which there are many. The floor of the canyon is all sand and rock. There are some very tight skinny areas to maneuver and more shorter flights of stairs throughout the ascent to the top. Some areas required single step movement as the terrain was only the width of a shoe. Some minimal bending and ducking to avoid rocks along the way. The point is you can be out of shape, but you should have good balance and mobility. It takes about 30ish minutes to move through the canyon with enough pace to keep moving, but to also enjoy the scenery and take photos. We had someone in our group who was out of shape and under hydrated so she needed more rest breaks, so it took us closer to an hour.
After Antelope we went to lunch, which is in downtown Page and about 15 minutes away. The restaurant was a local and they have amazimg chicken. Downside is it is quite rundown, with one bathroom, and we had to sit outside. They had misters, which made it tolerable, but the flies, we're a bit extra. So, the the restaurant itself is not very comfortable. Mark gave us the option to eat on the bus but based on the meal, that wasn't a great option, since you will want to wash your hands after eating and use the bathroom bfore the long ride back. Recommendations next time for this company is to use the very nice looking local brewery across the street. After a long day driving and being outside, eating inside in the A/C would have been nice.
From Page we made a quick stop at Glen Canyon damn which was cool to see.
From here buckle up for the long 4 hour ride home. Mark did great. Played good music. Did some narrating where needed but mostly stayed quiet to let everyone rest. Be warned, there our minimal bathroom stops along the way. So if you need to go tell him right away as it could, then very easily be another 30-40+ minutes for the next place to stop. We got beat up by the sun on the right side of the bus, so the cover-up helped with that. There was an amazing sunset to the right and full moon to the left just before coming into Scottsdale, which was a great ending to a long day.
I definitely i would recommend this tour, although, from Scottsdale, it is not for those who can't ride in a vehicle for long periods of time. I wouldn't recommend taking children under 10 or so.