Monument Valley Horseback Tours

A horse changes the pace of the valley floor. You move at the speed the Navajo have crossed this ground for generations, low among the buttes rather than behind a windshield. The ride below is Navajo-led and the most-reviewed one on horseback here: 4.5 stars across more than a thousand travelers. Here is what it reaches, who can join, and what it leaves out.

Checked with Daniel Begay, Monument Valley guide & Navajo cultural specialist

What does a Monument Valley horseback tour include?

A Navajo-guided horseback tour puts you on a horse matched to your skill, with saddle and a helmet by request, and a Native guide sharing the valley's history as you ride the floor past Eagle Mesa, Sleeping Bear, Sitting Hen and the Mittens. The listing does not state a fixed length, so it varies with the ride you choose. It does not include the Tribal Park entrance fee, about $10 per person, which you pay at the gate. Book it on the operator's official GetYourGuide listing, where the live price shows for your date.

The Navajo-guided horseback tour on the valley floor

One horseback tour carries the reviews and the access. If you want to see the buttes from the saddle with a Native guide rather than from a vehicle, this is the ride to hold a seat on early, because it carries a "likely to sell out" note in peak season.

Most reviewed horseback ride · Likely to sell out A rider on horseback with a Navajo guide crossing the red desert floor beneath Monument Valley's buttes

A rider on horseback with a Navajo guide crossing the red desert floor beneath Monument Valley's buttes

Best for seeing the valley floor from the saddle with a Native guide, at all skill levels

Horseback Adventure Tour with a Navajo Guide

4.5 across 1,037 GetYourGuide reviews

Horse matched to your skill with saddle and a helmet by request, plus a Native guide sharing the valley's history as you ride
Rides the valley floor past Eagle Mesa, Bear & Rabbit, Sleeping Bear, Sitting Hen and the Mittens
Meets at D/D MTA Horse Tours near the KOA campground; free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Tribal Park entry (about $10pp) is paid separately at the gate

Live price on the listing shown for your date and currency at booking

Check live availability & prices on GetYourGuide →

Not suitable for children under 8 or pregnant riders. Long pants and a signed waiver are required. The rating is DD MTA Horse Tours' current GetYourGuide figure.

Pick a date

What a horseback tour reaches, and how it differs from a jeep

The horseback tour and the 4x4 answer two different questions. A horse keeps you on the open valley floor, close to the sand and the sage, moving the way people have crossed this land for generations. It does not head into the restricted backcountry, so if arches like Sun's Eye and Big Hogan are the goal, that is a backcountry tour job. What the saddle gives you instead is quiet and closeness to the ground the guide is talking about. If riding past Eagle Mesa and the Mittens with a Native guide is the picture in your head, the Horseback Adventure Tour is the direct way to book it.

What you get	Horseback tour	Guided jeep tour
Eagle Mesa, Sleeping Bear, the Mittens	Yes, from the saddle	Yes, from the 4x4
Restricted backcountry arches	No (valley floor)	Yes
Native guide & stories	Yes	Yes
Included gear	Horse, saddle, helmet by request	Open-air vehicle
Rider limits	Age 8+, no pregnant riders, long pants	No infants under 1, no late pregnancy

Horseback tour questions

Are Monument Valley horseback tours worth it?

If you want the buttes photographed from every overlook, a vehicle covers more ground. A horseback tour earns its place when the point is the feel of the valley floor: low, slow, and close to the ground a Navajo guide is describing. The 4.5-star rating across more than a thousand riders tells you most people leave glad they did it that way rather than from behind glass.

How long is a Monument Valley horseback tour?

The listing does not state a fixed length, so plan for it to vary with the ride you book and confirm the timing at checkout. If you want a set-duration guided trip instead, the sunrise and sunset tours run about three hours around golden hour, and our Monument Valley guides cover how to fit a ride into a day at the park.

Is the park entrance fee included in the horseback tour?

No. The horseback tour is priced for the guided ride only, and you pay the Tribal Park entrance, about $10 per person, at the gate. Check the listing's inclusions for your date before you travel.

Who can ride, and what should I wear?

Horses are matched to all skill levels, so first-time riders are welcome, but the ride is not suitable for children under 8 or for pregnant riders. Long pants are required, closed shoes are wise for the stirrups, and every rider signs a waiver before mounting. A helmet is provided by request, so ask when you book.

About this pick

Written by Daniel Begay, a Monument Valley guide and Navajo cultural specialist. The rating, stops and inclusions here are taken from the operator's current GetYourGuide listing and checked against the ride's own rules. We earn a disclosed commission if you book through our link, at no extra cost to you.