Explore Monument Valley with our experienced Navajo tour guides. Step off the tour vehicles and visit many points of interest that have been pointed out by many that have visited the area over many years.

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Description and Itinerary

Tour Routes and Times

Tour times vary across Monument Valley tour companies and listings. Most add time from their location outside the park onto the actual round-trip of the tour. When booking a tour located in the park, the time will be the actual route time identified by the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.

Our tour listings use the Monument Valley Park’s tour identification name for the route used for the tour. The 2.5 Hour Tour Route, named for the approximate time it takes to complete the route without stopping.

Example:

Our “Monument Valley – Back-Country+” tour utilizes the park’s 2.5 hour tour route. After we have departed from the park’s parking lot we start our tour time from the “Valley Drive” entrance.

Some tour companies may post 3.5 hour tours for the same 2.5 hour tour: Time to park entrance 30 minutes, time back to start location 30 minutes = 1 hour added to a 2.5 hour tour.

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Duration

The duration may vary 10 to 20 minutes in some cases due to; traffic congestion, park activities, roads affected by sandy and or muddy conditions, road maintenance, etc. The guide will usually do their best to make the best of the tour route or routes reserved.

We have had parties rush their tour in some cases, by not stepping off the vehicle, wanting to skip stops, etc., this shortens the tour, which is completely ok, you are the customer.

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• Departure Time depends on the solstice. During the year the sunrise time changes, our booking system does the best it can do, but sometimes it make errors, so once in a great while we may have to contact you change your tour time manually.

• Early in the morning for the Sunrise Tour, we depart from the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park Visitor Center parking lot before the sun rises.
• During the Sunrise Tour, our guide will take you off the route at the Totem Pole overlook to see the dunes and Totem Pole spire up close. Then leisurely resume tour on the 2.5 Hour route.

Stops for Sunrise Tours

Stops for the sunrise tour depends on the tour guide’s best knowledge of the best locations to view the sunrise, the list below may not be in order or included due to time constraints.

The Totem Pole & Yeii Be Cheii spires

Artist’s Point (Navajo Code Talker’s Point)

John Ford’s Point

The Big Hogan Arch

The Sun’s Eye Arch

The Ear of the Wind Arch

The Mittens View Point (time permitting)

Stops for the Short Tour (1.5 Hour)

• Step aboard the vehicle and depart from the Monument Valley Park Visitor Center parking lot. And make our way to the first stop – Mitten View Point.
• The Mitten View Point – One of the most picturesque areas taken by people that have been to Monument Valley.
• Along the way you will see the large monolithic formations; Merrick’s Butte, The Elephant Butte and The Camel Butte.
• John Ford’s Point – With the Three Sister’s spires towering overhead, it has been made famous by the director of many western films who also made base camp there while filming.
• Totem Pole and Yei’bi’chei’ Overlook – These spires seem fragile but have been standing for thousands of years. Ask our guide what Yei’bi’chei’ means.
• Artist’s Point (Navajo Code Talker’s Point) – Now renamed Navajo Veteran’s Point, overlooks the north side of Monument Valley, the visitor center can also be seen from there in the distant. It once was a place for painters to setup their easels and paint the landscape by hand.
• North Window – Naturally framing many of the Northern monuments between the two large Elephant and Cly buttes.
• We then make our way back to our departure point a the Visitor Center.

The Back-County: This is an area in Monument Valley that is literally in the back, south of, the entire valley. This area is restricted to private traffic and is only accessible by the residents and certified permitted tour companies. This area, coincidentally contains all of the natural arches in the area, such as; The Big Hogan, The Moccasin, Sun’s Eye, Ear of the Wind arches and Anasazi petroglyphs. This area is not maintained and can be; sandy, muddy, and rough. Though our guides are seasoned, very knowledgeable, and our vehicles 4×4, but in rare instances the area may decide to make our vehicles stuck, help takes time, you may have to be patient and make best of the situation by exploring a little more.

Stops for the Back-Country+ Tour

• To get to the “Back-County” area, we use the first half of the Standard tour route, then after we have completed the “Back-Country”, we go back to the Standard tour route to complete the tour.
• Mitten View Point – One of the most picturesque areas taken by people that have been to Monument Valley
• Along the way you will see the large monolithic formations; Merrick’s Butte, The Elephant Butte and The Camel Butte.
• John Ford’s Point – With the Three Sister’s spires towering overhead, it has been made famous by the director of many western films who also made base camp there while filming.
• Starting the “Back-Country”, you will pause at the Chieftain’s head and the Sleeping Dragon formations for photos and some exploration if you are interested.
• An optional stop, the Yazzie’s residents’ a traditional Navajo home called a Hogan [hoːɣan]. There they display traditional arts and crafts, demonstrate how Navajo used to fabricate rugs, ladies with long hair may also have their hair made into a Navajo styled bun if available.
• We then have to negotiate very sandy roads, so hang on.
• The Big Hogan Arch & Moccasin Arch – Two arches right next to each other. You may walk down into the Big Hogan to experience its size and acoustic attributes. At the Moccasin Arch see its size and beauty that has been used in many photos depicting arches in Monument Valley.
• The Sun’s Eye & Goat Petroglyph – is an arch perched high up in the cliff, it looks down at the valley floor. Also located below the eye, Anasazi glyphs of extinct animals that have been carved into the wall more than a thousand years ago.
• The Ear of The Wind Arch – formed on it’s side, the valley has been listening to the wind for thousands of years. This is the last stop in the Back-Country before backtracking to the main road.
• Totem Pole and Yei’bi’chei’ Overlook – These spires seem fragile but have been standing for thousands of years. Ask our guide what Yei’bi’chei’ means.
• Artist’s Point (Navajo Code Talker’s Point) – Now renamed Navajo Veteran’s Point, overlooks the north side of Monument Valley, the visitor center can also be seen from there in the distant. It once was a place for painters to setup their easels and paint the landscape by hand.
• (Time Permitting) The North Window – Naturally framing many of the Northern monuments between the two large Elephant and Cly buttes.

• As with the sunrise tours, the solstice plays a part in when we depart for tour during the year. Our departure times change so we may come back to the Monument Valley Visitor Center before it gets too dark.
• We leisurely make our way through the valley using the 2.5 hour routes, please read the “2.5 Hour Extended Tour” itinerary above.