Monument Valley: Navajo-Guided Backcountry Tour
Access exclusive Monument Valley backcountry highlights with Navajo guides in rugged safari vehicles.
From$80/ personincl. taxes and fees
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Access exclusive Monument Valley backcountry highlights with Navajo guides in rugged safari vehicles.
Discover what we've curated for you
2.5 hrs
Guided tour, Navajo musical show
Go beyond the scenic loop road and into the restricted backcountry of Monument Valley on a 2.5-hour Navajo-guided safari. This 28-mile route takes you past the iconic buttes most visitors photograph from a distance and then deep into areas of Monument Valley that are accessible only with an authorized Navajo guide, where ancient petroglyphs, natural arches, and sacred formations wait off the beaten path.
For anyone who wants to experience Monument Valley as more than a photo stop on a road trip, this backcountry tour reveals the landscapes, stories, and living culture that make this one of the most extraordinary places on earth.
Arrive 15 minutes early at The View Hotel or 30 minutes early at the KOA Campground office. The tour uses open-air safari vehicles during spring, summer, and fall, and enclosed vehicles during cold weather and for private tours. The ride covers rugged desert terrain and can be bumpy. Dress in layers and wear enclosed shoes.
Bring a hat, sunscreen, and water. Cash is recommended for purchasing handmade jewelry, food, and crafts from Navajo vendors at stops along the route. Monument Valley operates on Mountain Daylight Time from March to early November, which is one hour ahead of Arizona time.
This is a typical itinerary for this backcountry safari tour. The order of stops may vary based on guide discretion and conditions on the day.
Your guide meets the group at the departure point and you board the safari vehicle for the drive into the heart of Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. The route covers 28 miles of rugged desert terrain, with frequent stops for photos, stories, and cultural demonstrations.
The tour begins with views of the two most recognizable formations in Monument Valley. Rising roughly 1,000 feet from the desert floor, the Mittens have appeared in countless films, paintings, and photographs. Your guide shares the Navajo stories behind their shapes and explains the geological forces that carved them from the surrounding plateau over millions of years.
From the Mittens, the route passes the Three Sisters spires and the Sleeping Dragon formation. Your guide points out how the shifting light transforms the color and character of these buttes throughout the day, and why certain formations hold specific spiritual significance in Navajo tradition.
One of the most famous viewpoints in Monument Valley, John Ford Point is named for the director who used this exact vista as a backdrop in classic Westerns like Stagecoach. The panoramic view from this overlook stretches across the valley floor to distant mesas and buttes. Navajo vendors sell handmade jewelry and traditional food at this stop, and there are opportunities to photograph a Navajo rider on horseback silhouetted against the skyline.
The tour stops at a traditional Navajo Hogan, a round, earth-covered dwelling that has been the center of Navajo family life for generations. You step inside to see the structure and its east-facing doorway, built to welcome the rising sun. A local artisan demonstrates the traditional process of rug weaving, explaining the patterns and their meanings. Handmade items are available for purchase with cash.
Inside the restricted backcountry, the tour stops at the Big Hogan, a massive natural arch that forms an acoustic amphitheater in the sandstone. Your guide performs a live Navajo flute or vocal piece here, and the sound resonates off the rock walls in a way that makes this one of the most memorable moments of the tour. Nearby, you will also see Moccasin Arch.
Deeper in the backcountry, you reach the Sun's Eye, Monument Valley's second largest arch, where sunlight beams through the opening and illuminates the sandstone in vivid orange and gold. Your guide leads you to nearby Anasazi petroglyphs and ruins, carved and built by the ancient Puebloan people who inhabited this area centuries before the Navajo.
The Ear of the Wind is a distinctive arch set against a steep sand dune in the backcountry. Your guide explains its name and significance, and you can walk up to the base for a close look at the formation and the sweeping views of Monument Valley behind it.
The tour passes the Totem Pole, a slender sandstone spire that rises nearly 400 feet, and the North Window, a natural frame that offers one of the most photographed perspectives in Monument Valley. Your guide helps position you for photos before the vehicle turns back toward the departure point.
Pass-by highlights include: Mitchell Mesa, Merrick Butte, Elephant and Camel Buttes, and Chief's Head formation.
Customers will receive a full refund or credit with 72 hours notice of cancellation. Customers will also receive a full refund or credit in case of operator cancellation due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. No-shows will be charged the full price.
KOA Campground, Milepost 2, Hwy 163, Oljato-Monument Valley, UT 84536. Pickup is also available from The View Hotel inside Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.
Monument Valley is one of those places that looks exactly like you imagined it would, and then, once you are actually standing among the buttes, turns out to be something far more powerful than any photograph can convey. The sandstone towers rise up to 1,000 feet from the desert floor, casting long shadows across red earth that stretches to the horizon in every direction. Most visitors see Monument Valley from the 17-mile loop road or from the overlook at The View Hotel. This backcountry tour takes you past those familiar landmarks and into the restricted interior, where the formations are larger, the silence is deeper, and the stories your Navajo guide shares have a weight that comes from standing on the land where they happened.
What sets this tour apart from a self-drive through Monument Valley is access. The backcountry areas, including the Sun's Eye Arch, Ear of the Wind, Big Hogan, and ancient Anasazi petroglyph sites, are closed to the public and can only be visited with an authorized Navajo guide. Your guide does more than navigate the terrain. At the Big Hogan, the tour pauses for a live Navajo flute performance that echoes off the rock walls. At a family Hogan, a local artisan demonstrates traditional rug weaving and shares the patterns that carry meaning across generations. These are not staged performances. They are moments of cultural exchange rooted in the daily life of the Navajo people who still call Monument Valley home.
This tour is well suited for families, photographers, and anyone visiting Monument Valley who wants to go deeper than the roadside viewpoints allow. The open-air safari vehicles handle the rugged terrain comfortably, and the 2.5-hour duration gives you enough time to absorb the landscape without feeling rushed. For first-time visitors, this is the single best way to experience Monument Valley in a half day.
The guides here really shine, with Travis mentioned repeatedly for his deep knowledge of Navajo history and culture. Multiple visitors describe him playing traditional flute and sharing personal stories that transform the tour into something spiritually meaningful. Other guides like Carol, Dorothy, Marjorie, and Sandrea also earn praise for their warmth and expertise. The tours take you into backcountry areas inaccessible in private vehicles, including ancient petroglyphs and formations like the Ear of the Wind. The experience consistently exceeds expectations according to visitors, who describe it as extraordinary and worth the journey. Guides go beyond typical touring, teaching about traditions, language preservation, and Navajo customs while handling the rough terrain expertly. A couple reviewers mentioned office communication could be better and organization before departure felt disorganized, though they emphasize the actual tour more than made up for it. Bringing cash is recommended for purchasing handmade items at demonstration stops along the way.
Travis was fantastic and his Dad joining us was a bonus!! Great tour!
Carol Voll
March 30, 2026
Travis was fantastic and his Dad joining us was a bonus!! Great tour!
Carol Voll
March 30, 2026