Antelope Canyon has been on my bucket list for a long time. Seeing pictures of the gorgeous canyons all over the internet has only made me want to visit more. For various reasons, we’ve never been able to fit a visit in our schedule. Finally, last week, we had the chance to take the family and it was even better than I expected.

First, I’ll give you all of the information you’ll need to know about visiting. Then keep reading until the end to see how I used points to offset a lot of the cost.

Where Is Antelope Canyon

Antelope Canyon is located on the Navajo Indian reservation in northern Arizona just outside the city of Page. The location is definitely what makes visiting the canyon a challenge. Unfortunately, none of the major airlines fly into Page, so it’ll be a drive no matter where you’re coming from.

The closest major airports are Phoenix (PHX) or Las Vegas (LAS). Both airports are about a 4.5 hour drive. If you fly in and rent a car, be sure to use Autoslash to save some money.

Booking A Tour

There are two different canyons you can visit; Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons. Regardless of which on you visit, you will need to book a tour in order to visit the canyon.

We decided to visit the lower Antelope Canyon and booked our tour with Dixie’s Lower Antelope Canyon Tours. Our tour guide Stacy was the absolute best! She made our visit the best it could be! At the time of publishing, the price was ~$60 for adults and ~$30 for children.

I would recommend booking directly with Dixie (or the other companies). I’ve seen tours on other sites but they were always more expensive.

Which Canyon Should I Visit

A lot of people ask what the difference is between Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons. Here’s what I’ve found based on my research and by talking with our tour guide.

Upper Antelope Canyon – The upper canyon is the more popular of the two canyons because of the light beams that can be seen during the spring and summer. While both canyon tours last about the same amount of time, the length of the upper canyon is about half the size of the lower canyon.

The upper canyon doesn’t have any stairs, so this could be a factor for those with mobility restrictions. We had young kids in our group and climbing the stairs wasn’t an issue, so I wouldn’t let that be a deterrent for those visiting with small children.

Lower Antelope Canyon – The lower canyon is located right next to the visitor’s center, so it’s only a 5 minute walk to the entrance. If you visit the upper canyon, your tour company will drive you to the canyon entrance.

The lower canyon is also more narrow along the canyon floor and wider at the top. This will allow more sunshine to enter the canyon and really highlight the color of the canyon walls.

FAQs

How Far In Advance Should I Book My Tour – Antelope Canyon has definitely become more popular lately, so I would recommend booking as soon as you can. Right now tours are operating at 50% capacity, so they’ll fill up even quicker. Dixie had a very generous cancellation policy, so there really isn’t any risk to booking far in advance.

When Should I Visit – The summer time is the most popular because of the light beams that can been seen from about March thru October. Summer is just a popular time for travel, so it will also be more crowded. Keep in mind there can be a line to enter the canyon, so if you go in the summer it can get hot. We visited in December and had an incredible experience.

What Time Of Day Should I Visit – If seeing the light beams is a must, then I would recommend visiting between 10 – 1 to give yourself the best chance of seeing them.

What Should I Bring On The Tour – Right now, they don’t allow you to take backpacks, purses or other bags. Really, the only thing you can bring is water and your camera.

Where To Stay

You’ll find several hotel options from all of the major chains in Page. No matter which hotel points you have, you’ll be able to find a property to stay at. Just book your stay as soon as you can to give yourself the best chance of finding availability.

Hyatt – We stayed at the Hyatt Place which only cost about 12k points per night. Two of my favorite credit cards that earn Hyatt points are the card_name and the card_name.

Marriott – If you like Marriott properties, they have a Courtyard hotel that will run about 30k points per night. There are a couple Marriott credit cards like the card_name that can help you earn points quickly.

Hilton – Hilton also has a couple locations in Page to choose from that will cost approximately 25k points per night. The card_name has a welcome offer can earn you a chunk of points fast.

IHG – There’s a Holiday Inn Express in the middle of town that costs a modest 12k points a night. If IHG is the brand you prefer, I’d recommend the card_name as a way to earn more points for your trip.

Final Thoughts

If Antelope Canyon hasn’t been on your travel bucket list, it should be. It’s unlike any place I’ve ever been and it’s perfect for all ages and abilities. If you ever find yourself near northern Arizona, I’d highly recommend you plan to stop and spend a day or two here and enjoy these incredible sites.

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Just like at Disney World, there are dozens of hotels close to Disneyland to choose from.  You can even stay on property at one of the Disneyland hotels.  There are several properties run by the the large hotel chains, as well as many independent hotels.  You also need to decide if you prefer a hotel with a large number of amenities, like the Great Wolf Lodge, or do you just need a comfortable place to rest your head at night.

Once you decide which type of hotel you’re looking for, it’s time to start saving you money. First, I’ll give you a few suggestions from some of the major hotel chains. Then, I’ll show you how to save money on the smaller chains and independent hotels, including the Disneyland hotels, using your points.  Finally, I’ll show you how to boost your points balance if you’re a little short for your next Disney vacation.

Hyatt Hotels Near Disneyland

Hyatt hotels are some of the best to book using your credit card points.  They offer some of the best value so you typically can get the most bang for your buck here.  One quick way to earn points is with Chase’s World of Hyatt credit card.  Plus, Hyatt is a transfer partner of the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, so the points are pretty easy to come by.

One thing I love about the Hyatt program is that you don’t have to pay any resort fees on award reservation.  This can save you even more money on your lodging!  Keep in mind that Hyatt will move to a peak/off peak pricing structure in 2020 so the points needed will vary some once that goes into affect.  If you have Hyatt points, here are a few hotel options to consider. To be able to travel to such locations, it’s a prerequisite to schedule infopass appointment and the like.

Hyatt House Anaheim Resort – In my opinion, this is one of the best Disneyland hotels your can book with points.  The Hyatt House is a category 4 property and requires only 15,000 points per night.  The hotel is only a short walk away from the Disneyland gates, the rooms have a kitchen and your stay comes with breakfast.

Hyatt Place Anaheim Resort – This is another good option but this hotel is a little further down Harbor Blvd.  The walk will be a little longer or it’s a short Uber ride away.  This is a category 3 hotel so you’ll only need 12,000 points per night here.

Hyatt Regency Orange County – This hotel is even further away so I personally wouldn’t recommend walking from this location.  They do offer a shuttle to Disneyland but I wouldn’t recommend taking it.  We stayed here once and we waited a long time for the shuttle and it was always crowded or full.  I would recommend taking an Uber instead.  To stay here, you’ll only need 12,000 points per night as well.

Disneyland Marriott Hotel Options

Marriott hotel points are some of the easiest to come by.  They are a transfer partner of several credit card and airline point currencies.  While I wouldn’t recommend transferring a large amount of points to the Bonvoy program, this flexibility will come in handy if you are a couple thousand short of getting a free night.  These hotels are also a great option for redeeming one of your free night certificates as well.  If you need extra Bonvoy points, consider looking into the Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless credit card.

Fairfield Inn Anaheim Resort – If you’re looking for location, this is one of the bests.  The Fairfield is located directly across the street from the front gates.  While this hotel doesn’t offer a free breakfast, there is a McDonald’s next door that comes in handy.  To stay here, you’ll need about 35,000 points per night on average.

Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance – This hotel is one of the best for families to stay at.  The Courtyard is located across the street from Disneyland, has larger rooms with bunk beds and a fun water park which is a great combination if you’re traveling with younger kids.  The price reflects the wonderful amenities so you’ll need an average of 50,000 Bonvoy points per night to stay here.

Hilton Hotel Options

Hilton has several hotel options that are close to Disneyland.  The cost per night of these hotels can vary greatly, so I would recommend looking at the cash prices first to see if that’s a better deal.  If you need extra Hilton Honors points to top off your account, take a look at the AMEX Hilton Honors Surpass credit card.

Hilton Anaheim – This property is located across Katella so it’s a short walk to the front gates.  It also has a nice pool to relax by if you plan to take a day off from the park.  You’ll usually need between 30,000 and 50,000 points per night to stay here.

Homewood Suites Anaheim Resort – This hotel is in another good location on Harbor Blvd and is about a 15 minute walk to the front gates.  You’ll also need about 30,000 – 50,000 points per night to stay here.

IHG Disneyland Hotels

There are a couple hotel options close by but there’s only one I really like.  Prices can fluctuate during busy times, so keep that in mind as well.  One thing I really like about the IHG program is that your 4th night is free on award stays if you have the IHG Rewards Club Premier credit card.

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Anaheim – This property is located right across the street from Disneyland and is one of the shortest walks to the front gates.  You stay includes a free breakfast and a decent pool which is great for families.  You can stay here for about 35,000 points per night.

Other Disneyland Hotel Options

There are several other great hotel options that aren’t one of the major chains.  These hotels may have exactly what you’re looking for (I’m looking at your Disney hotels).  With there being so many hotels in the area, sometimes you’ll find a great cash price on a room.  Other times it just makes more sense to pay cash for the room instead of using your points.  If you find yourself in one of these situations, you can still use your points to pay for your hotel rooms.

There are several credit cards that allow you to redeem your points at a fixed rate.  This will allow you to stay at some of these other hotels, take advantage of a great room rate you find and not have to worry about blackout dates.  Here are a few of the most popular credit card options that have this feature.  This will allow you to book your Disneyland hotels with points for free.

Chase Ultimate Rewards – There are a few Chase cards that earn Ultimate Rewards that give you this option. Two of the best cards are the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve.  The Sapphire Preferred card lets you redeem your points at a fixed rate of 1.25 cents per point while the Sapphire Reserve card redeems at a rate of 1.5 cents per point.  Simply book your hotel through the Chase travel portal and it will give you the option to use your points to pay for the room.

Capital One® Venture® Rewards – The Capital One Venture Rewards card (learn how to apply here) has a feature called the Purchase Eraser that allows you to use your points for hotel stays.  The Purchase Eraser allows you to take a statement credit on any travel purchase at a rate of 1 cent per point.  After you book your hotel, log into your Capital One account and choose to use your points to offset the cost of your purchase.  These points can also be used for your park tickets if you purchase them through an agency, like Get Away Today, that classifies your purchases as “travel”.

AMEX Membership Rewards – American Express also gives you the ability to use your points to pay for hotels.  You can earn membership rewards with cards like the AMEX Gold or AMEX Platiunum cards.  However, the redemption rate they give you to do this is pretty poor.  I would strongly recommend using your Membership Rewards points in a different way.

Boosting Your Points Balance

Are you a few points shy of being able to book your Disneyland hotels with points?  One of the best ways to goose your balance is with a credit card welcome bonus.  Here are a few options that give you the most flexibility and can get you there quickly.  If you’re looking for a cobranded credit card for a specific chain, here are the best current hotel credit card offers.

Chase Sapphire Preferred – The Sapphire Preferred card is giving new card members a 60,000 point welcome bonus after spending $4,000 within the first 3 months of opening their account.  This bonus is worth at least $750 towards your hotel costs.  When you have this card, you can combine your points with other cards that earn Ultimate Rewards to earn points faster.

Capital One Venture Rewards – This card is a good option to pay for your hotels, as well as your park tickets if purchased through a qualifying agency.  Right now new card members will get a 50,000 point bonus after spending $3,000 within 3 months (learn how to apply here).  This bonus is worth $500 when redeemed for travel with the Purchase Eraser.

Final Thoughts

We all know Disney vacations can be expensive but don’t let that stop you from going.  Paying for your hotels at Disneyland with points can greatly reduce your costs and make the trip possible.  You can even brag to your friends that you stayed at one of Disney’s hotels for free!  It doesn’t matter what type of hotel you’re looking for, there’s an option for everyone.

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