Monument Valley from the Grand Canyon: route, 2026 fees, Valley Drive and tours

Monument Valley is not part of the Grand Canyon, and it is not a national park. It is a Navajo Tribal Park, run by the Navajo Nation on its own land along the Arizona–Utah state line, with its own fee, its own opening hours and, for much of the year, its own clock. From the South Rim it is a long but simple drive east through Desert View, Cameron, Tuba City and Kayenta. This guide covers the route, what you pay in 2026, what you can see on your own and what needs a Navajo guide, and whether to do it as a day trip or with a night nearby.

Fees, hours and drive times below are as of October 2026 and come from the Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation website and the other sources listed at the end. Check the park's own page before you go: hours change several times a year.

The short answer

• Distance: about 181 miles (291 km) from Grand Canyon Village, roughly 3 hours 20 minutes without stops.
• Entry (as of October 2026): $10 per person per day plus $15 per vehicle. National park passes are not accepted.
• Valley Drive: a 17-mile (27 km) unpaved loop you can drive yourself, in about two to four hours.
• Guide needed: for everything off the Valley Drive, including Mystery Valley and Hunts Mesa.
• Clock: from March to early November, Monument Valley is one hour ahead of the Grand Canyon.
• Day trip or overnight: a day trip is possible but leaves little time; a night near the valley works better.

The route from the South Rim

The most direct way is to leave the park by the East Entrance. From Grand Canyon Village, Desert View Drive runs 23 miles (37 km) east along the rim to Desert View and the Watchtower, so the first hour doubles as a tour of the eastern viewpoints; see our guide to the South Rim viewpoints. Beyond the East Entrance, AZ-64 drops off the plateau to Cameron on US-89.

Distances and times: National Park Service, Visit Arizona and Travel in USA, as of October 2026. Services are thin between towns, so fill up in Cameron, Tuba City or Kayenta.

Stops worth considering on the way are the old 1911 suspension bridge over the Little Colorado River at Cameron and the Moenkopi dinosaur tracks just south of Tuba City. On US-163 north of Kayenta, the long straight approach to the valley is the view from the film Forrest Gump, and many drivers pull over there; stay well off the carriageway.

The time difference

Arizona does not use daylight saving time, but the Navajo Nation does. Monument Valley follows Navajo Nation time, so:

• From 8 March to 1 November 2026, the valley is one hour ahead of the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff and Page. 9 am in Monument Valley is 8 am at the South Rim.
• In winter, the clocks match.

Phones can jump between time zones on the drive. Park hours and tour times in Monument Valley are local Navajo time; if you book a tour from Page, confirm which time it uses.

Entry fee in 2026

As of October 2026, the Navajo Nation lists an entry fee of $10 per person per day and a vehicle fee of $15 for Monument Valley. In 2023 the fee was $8 per person with no separate vehicle charge, so a car with four people now pays about $55 instead of $32, according to Travelers Today.

• National park passes do not work here. The America the Beautiful pass, and the $100 nonresident fee you may have paid at the Grand Canyon, have nothing to do with Navajo Tribal Parks. See Grand Canyon entrance fees in 2026 for those.
• Buy online or at the gate. The park sells entry through its online booking page, and you can also pay on arrival. Cards are accepted at the booth.
• Arrive early. The booth tends to queue between about 8 and 10 am in busy months.

Opening hours

The park publishes seasonal hours in local time. As of October 2026:

Summer hours (from May to September) are longer. The park is closed on Thanksgiving Day (26 November 2026), Christmas Day and New Year's Day, and the drive can close without warning after heavy rain, especially during the July–September monsoon.

The Valley Drive

The Valley Drive is the 17-mile (27 km) loop of dirt road that leaves from the visitor centre and runs among the buttes. The last 13 miles are a one-way loop. It is the only part of the valley you may drive without a guide, and most people take two to four hours including stops.

The numbered stops run from the Mittens and Merrick Butte, Elephant Butte and the Three Sisters to John Ford's Point, Camel Butte, Rain God Mesa, the Totem Pole viewpoints, Artist's Point, North Window and the Thumb. At North Window, a short path of about a third of a mile (500 m) leads to a closer view.

Your vehicle. The road is unpaved, with rocky stretches and deep sand. The park recommends an SUV or truck, does not admit motorcycles, RVs or camper vans on the drive, and says you enter at your own risk. A normal car can often manage in dry weather if driven slowly, but check your rental agreement for unpaved roads before you go.

Walking. The Wildcat Trail starts near the visitor centre and is open from 8 am to 5 pm; sign in and out at the visitor centre. Hiking anywhere else needs a guide or a backcountry permit.

Guided tours

Most of Monument Valley is open only with a licensed Navajo guide. The tracks off the Valley Drive, the arches and petroglyph sites to the south, Mystery Valley and Hunts Mesa can only be visited on a tour. The park lists more than 20 Navajo-owned operators, offering:

• Vehicle tours in open trucks or vans, from short loops to half-day trips into the closed areas.
• Horse rides from the valley floor.
• Sunrise and sunset tours, which are the main reason to sleep nearby, and fill early in summer.

You can book an operator in advance from the park's list or find guides on arrival at the lower parking area by the visitor centre. Ask whether the tour price includes the park entry fee: the park's page does not say.

Rules to know: dogs are not allowed in Navajo Tribal Parks, drones are banned on Navajo Nation land, and commercial photography, filming or weddings need a special use permit.

Day trip or overnight?

A return day trip from the South Rim means about seven hours of driving. With the winter last entry at 2.30 pm local time, which is 1.30 pm at the Grand Canyon until 1 November, you need to leave the rim by about 9 am Arizona time to drive the loop. It works, but the light on the buttes is best early and late, and you would see neither.

A night near the valley makes more sense, and it fits the usual loop of northern Arizona: the South Rim, then Monument Valley, then Page.

Combining with Page

Monument Valley to Page is about 125 miles (201 km), roughly 2 hours 15 minutes via US-163, US-160 and US-98, filling up in Kayenta on the way. A common three-night plan:

1. Day 1: the South Rim at sunrise, Desert View Drive, then east to Monument Valley in the afternoon. Sunset at the valley.
2. Day 2: early Valley Drive or a guided tour, then west to Page. Remember the clock goes back an hour in summer.
3. Day 3: Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend; see our guide to Page, Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend. Then south on US-89 to Flagstaff.

If you are starting further away, our guides from Las Vegas and Phoenix help with the first leg.

Where to stay

Near the valley. The View is the only hotel inside the tribal park, with rooms facing the Mittens. Goulding's Lodge, about 2 miles (3 km) west of the park on the Utah side, has rooms, cabins, a campground and a restaurant. Kayenta, about 30 miles (48 km) south, has the most hotels in the area and is on the way to both the Grand Canyon and Page. All three fill early in summer.

Before you set off. For the night before, Tusayan, at the South Entrance, is the closest base: you can be at the rim for sunrise and on Desert View Drive soon after. If your loop ends in Flagstaff, it is the natural place for the last night. Our guide to where to stay for the Grand Canyon and Route 66 compares Tusayan, Williams and Flagstaff, and Tusayan, Williams or Flagstaff helps you choose between them.