How to Visit Canyon De Chelly National Monument: One-Day Itinerary

Most people have never heard of Canyon de Chelly National Monument, but it has incredible cliff dwellings, towering red rock walls, and Navajo-run tours that will take you to dwellings and petroglyphs most will never see.

One day is all that is needed to visit Canyon de Chelly National Monument. You can begin the day by taking in the viewpoints along the North Rim, go on a 4-hour tour at the bottom of the canyon, and finish the day with a sunset drive along the South Rim, enjoying viewpoints along the drive and ending at Spider Rock, the best place to watch the sunset. Canyon de Chelly is on the Navajo reservation, and guests can stay and eat at the Thunderbird Ranch. Outside the park, food and lodging are available in the nearby town of Chinle, AZ, just 4 minutes away.

I’m Cheryl, and I have lived in the American West my entire life. My husband and I have written 22 travel itineraries to the national parks and have visited the Four Corners region four times. Canyon de Chelly is a wonderful park that most people skip and is one of the most peaceful and memorable experiences of my travels.

About This Itinerary

This itinerary is written for the first-time visitor who wants to be able to say they’ve done Canyon de Chelly properly. It includes overlooks of both rims, the Welcome Center, and a guided tour. Many of the overlooks are accessible, and there are no long hikes.

It is best to do this trip in the spring or fall, before the weather gets too hot or when monsoon season hits in late July to early September, though the park is open year-round.

Good Things To Know About Canyon de Chelly

• The name “Canyon de Chelly” originates from the Navajo word “Tseyi”, which translates to “deep in the rock” or “rock canyon”. Spanish settlers adopted and corrupted the word, and it eventually became the name “Canyon de Chelly” through English usage.
• Entrance is Free!
• There are no interpretive signs at the viewpoints. If you want to learn more about the canyon, go to the Welcome Center or book a tour.
• I had cell service my entire trip.
• It cools down quite a bit at night. Bring a sweater!
• Bring binoculars. The cliff dwellings are far away!
• The speed limit is 25-45 mph 
• Wild horses roam the park. Look out for wandering cattle too.
• The canyon is not that deep. Maybe 700 feet.

Your One-Day Canyon de Chelly Itinerary

Morning: Start your day with a sunrise along the North Rim

There are two canyons: Canyon de Chelly (South Rim) and Muerto Canyon (North Rim). The North Rim has three overlooks, and you can easily drive this in 30 minutes. We recommend checking them all out, but here’s a brief description of each in case you only want to stop at a few.

• Fortress and Antelope House Overlook is a quarter-mile loop not accessible. You can see the junction of the canyon and it’s really pretty nice. You can also see some cliff dwellings. My husband liked Antelope House best.
• Mummy Cave had cliff wells, but was not accessible. Mummy Cave was awesome because there were a couple of really big structures you could see from pretty close. I think this was probably the best one on the north rim.
• Massacre Cave Overlook, we thought, was lame at first, but then we walked further down the path and saw a couple of small cliff dwellings.  

Head over to the Canyon de Chelly Welcome Center. It’s just a 15-30 minute stop where you can ask questions, see what ranger programs are going on, pick up a souvenir (Matt bought a t-shirt!), fill up on water, use the flushing toilets, and watch the 22-minute movie.

My favorite thing here was the black and white photos of early explorers visiting the canyon. The woven sandal display was also pretty cool.

SOMETHING SPECIAL: You will see wild horses all over this area, both along the rims as well as at the bottom of the canyon. When we were there in the spring, we saw several colts. Adorable!

Mid-morning: Go on a Guided Tour to the bottom of the Canyon. Because this is located on Navajo land, the Navajo Nation makes the rules. Visitors must book a tour and visit the bottom of the canyon. Tours can range from 4 hours to a full day. You can book a group tour or a private tour as well. Rates range from $70-$350 per person and are available from the Thunderbird Resort or Canyon de Chelly Tours. These are given in open-air trucks or jeeps with 4-wheel drive because they drive along the wash at the bottom of the canyon.

We did the 4-hour private tour with Canyon de Chelly Tours, which we thought was the perfect amount of time. It was $200 per person, which was pretty steep, but we really enjoyed our experience. We booked our tour in advance, but same-day tours were available.

Our tour included up-close views of the cliff dwellings that we had been viewing from the canyon above with binoculars. We also saw some of the best petroglyphs we had ever seen.

Three things made this tour incredibly special and memorable.

1. Learning about the Navajo people and their stories. As our guide showed us the petroglyphs, she told us the stories behind them. Many of the petroglyphs in the canyon are newer, and several have pictures of horses and conquistadors. She told us the stories of how the women of her tribe avoided an attack by the nearby Ute warriors by having their children feed their horses hallucinogenic plants. We were able to ask her questions about Navajo beliefs and traditions, and it was one of the most enlightening experiences I’ve had in learning about the native americans.
2. Peaceful and beautiful. Because only the Navajo and people on a private tour are able to enter the canyon, there are few people there. It’s amazing how well I could hear the birds chirping. We visited on a sunny day, and green trees against the towering red rock with the crystal clear blue skies were one of the prettiest things I’ve ever seen. I wish I had brought a camping chair so I could have just sat there and taken it all in.
3. Fun! Our tour was in a jeep with the top off. There was still a little water in the wash, and it was really fun to drive in and out of.

GOOD TO KNOW: In addition to the cost of our tour, we were also required to purchase an $8 permit for each person from the Navajo Nation.

Evening: Drive the South Rim at Sunset

Look up what time the sun will set. You will want to arrive at your final destination, Spider Rock, 45 minutes before the sun goes down. It will probably take you around an hour to get there because there are so many great overlooks along the way. Some of the viewpoints are accessible, but even the ones that aren’t are pretty easy to walk to. We did all of them, and it was a wonderful experience. We recommend doing the same!

• Tunnel Overlook was really pretty and a good intro to the park. There is a trail there that you can’t go down without a Navajo guide.
• Tsegi Overlook reminded me of Capitol Reef National Park. It has a river down at the bottom when it’s spring, and there is water, but I guess it dries up during the year. When we went in April, there was a lot of green below. There were a few Navajo vendors selling their jewelry and crafts, and paintings. I met a nice man named Dan, and he sold me some buffalo earrings. This point is accessible.
• Junction Overlook is the next lookout and it’s also accessible. It’s a little more vast and you can see people living down at the bottom here, but you can’t see the river, so I don’t think it’s quite as pretty. If you walk along the rim a ways, you can see farms below. It’s very peaceful. Just be careful because there is no railing!
• White House Overlook and Trail were closed when we visited. It’s run by the Navajo Parks and Rec, and they hadn’t hired their staff for the year yet.
• There are wild horses around here
• Sliding House Overlook. You have to drive for a few minutes to get to it, but you are rewarded with cliff dwellings and farmland, too. Have to walk a little to get there. Make sure to bring your binoculars because the dwellings are hard to see without them.
• Face Rock Overlook was really cool. It’s on the way to Spider Rock and has a few Cliff Dwellings. There are viewing tubes here to help you find them. It’s also accessible.
• Spider Rock Overlook is by far the best viewpoint. Here you can see a giant spire jutting out of the canyon. The walls glow if you see them at the right time of day. It’s very popular at sunset. When we visited, we shared the viewpoint with 15 other people. They were so in awe, it was a reverent feeling, and we all pretty much enjoyed in silence or whispering to one another. When we were there, about 20 turkey vultures were circling the canyon. They must enjoy the sunsets too!

DID YOU KNOW: People actually live and farm at the bottom of Canyon de Chelly. Only two families live there year-round, but many others live there seasonally. It’s not uncommon for kids to make the daily climb out of the canyon to catch the school bus!

Where to Stay

The ThunderBird Lodge (book here) is the only place to stay in Canyon de Chelly. It’s motel-style lodging with basic amenities.

Our room had a small table, two full beds, a microwave, a fridge, and a TV. It was a bit dated, but it was clean and well-maintained.

It cost us ~$150 a night midweek in April.

There were also nice grounds with cottonwood trees, a cafeteria, and a gift shop. There is also a campground nearby.

Chinle, AZ, just a few minutes outside of the park, had a few chain hotels, including a Best Western (book here) and a Holiday Inn (book here).

Where to Eat

The only place to eat inside the park is the Thunderbird Cafeteria at the Thunderbird Lodge. Entrees were around $10-$15, and they have a couple of different specials that change nightly. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Matt tried their chicken fried steak and potatoes and said it was ok. I didn’t think anything looked good, so I made myself a PB&J. Chinle appeared to have a couple of restaurants, but they all appeared to be run-down.

GOOD TO KNOW: The welcome center had some water bottles and trail mix, and that was about it.

How to Get to Canyon de Chelly

Most people take Highway 191 in Chinle, then turn east on Route 7. The park entrance and Welcome Center are less than 3 miles from Highway 191.

Final Thoughts

Canyon de Chelly was the highlight of my most recent trip to the Four Corners. We loved the views along the South Rim at sunset, and our tour of the bottom of the canyon was so special. We especially liked that it wasn’t crowded and required little preparation.

But this is just one of many great spots to visit in the Four Corners Region. For even more fun, check out Monument Valley, Mesa Verde, Petrified Forest, Chaco Canyon, and Hovenweep!