Monument Valley: 2.5-Hour Scenic Tour & Navajo Hogan Visit

What Most Visitors Miss: Arches, Petroglyphs & a Working Hogan

You spend 2.5 hours in Monument Valley's restricted area with a resident Navajo guide, visiting arches, petroglyphs, and a working Hogan where traditional rug weaving is demonstrated. The tour includes bottled water and covers the major formations plus the smaller details (windows, ancient rock art, and the stories behind them) that make the landscape coherent instead of just scenic. Pickup and timing depend on your location. Confirm those details when you book.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Monument Valley and Navajo culture

• Visit Big Indian and Sleeping Dragon
• See arches: Big Hogan, Moccasin Arch
• View Sun’s Eye and Ear of the Wind
• Observe ancient Anasazi petroglyphs
• Visit Hogan with Susie Yazzie’s family
• Watch traditional Navajo rug weaving
• Learn about Navajo artifacts

The experience

What if the Monument Valley you've seen in photos is only half the story? The tour runs 2.5 hours through the restricted area of Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, and it's designed by people who actually live here: one of thirty-two tour companies with residents in the park. That matters because the guide knows which light hits which formation, where the petroglyphs catch the sun, and why the Hogan visit isn't a performance but a real stop at Susie Yazzie's family home, where they still weave rugs the way they have for generations.

You'll see the formations everyone knows (Big Indian, Sleeping Dragon), but also the arches most tours skip: Big Hogan, Moccasin Arch, Sun's Eye, Ear of the Wind. The petroglyphs are on the canyon walls below Sun's Eye, ancient Anasazi marks that the guide can place in time and context instead of just pointing at. The Hogan visit includes a demonstration of traditional Navajo rug weaving and a walk through artifacts like the baby cradleboard, which sounds like a museum moment until you're standing in someone's home and they're explaining why the patterns matter. Bottled water is included, and the pace is steady but not rushed. You're in a vehicle most of the time, stopping to walk short sections and take photos.

The whole thing is built around the fact that you don't have to navigate the park yourself or wonder which turn leads somewhere worth stopping. The guide does that, and because they live here, they're not reading from a script. If weather shifts or light changes, they adjust. If you have a question about something you're seeing, they can answer it instead of moving to the next marked viewpoint.

What’s included

Your 2.5-hour tour includes entry to the restricted area of Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, visits to Big Indian, Sleeping Dragon, and four arches (Big Hogan, Moccasin Arch, Sun's Eye, Ear of the Wind), views of ancient Anasazi petroglyphs on the canyon walls, a stop at a Hogan where you'll see traditional Navajo rug weaving and learn about artifacts like the baby cradleboard, and bottled water throughout the day.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day8 departure times: the first at 08:00, the last at 17:00

AgesAdult (13 to 59 years) · Senior (60 and older) · Youth (8 to 12 years) · Child (3 to 7 years): free · Infant (1 to 2 years): free

GroupUp to 24

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 11 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPets welcomeNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Navajo Guided Tours Services

Is this one for you?Book this if you want the full Monument Valley experience (arches, petroglyphs, and Navajo culture) without arranging your own transport or figuring out which stops matter. The resident guide handles the route and the context, leaving you to focus on the landscape and the story.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (8 to 12 years); Child (3 to 7 years): free; Infant (1 to 2 years): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How long is the Monument Valley tour?

2.5 hours, mostly in a vehicle with short stops for photos and walking.

What's included in the tour?

Access to the restricted area, visits to arches and petroglyphs, a Hogan visit with rug weaving demonstration, and bottled water.

Are animals allowed?

Service animals are allowed. Other pets can join the tour as well.

Is the tour suitable for people with mobility concerns?

It's suitable for most fitness levels, but it's not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries or poor cardiovascular health due to the vehicle terrain.

Can infants come on the tour?

Yes. Infants can ride in a pram or stroller, or sit on an adult's lap.

Who are the guides?

Navajo residents of Monument Valley who work for one of the thirty-two tour companies based in the park.

What's the difference between this tour and the Scenic Express?

This tour includes everything in the Scenic Express plus the arches, petroglyphs, and the Hogan visit with rug weaving.