Monument Valley Jeep Tours

A jeep tour is how you get off the public road and into the arches. The open-air 4x4 below runs the restricted backcountry with a Navajo guide, and it is the most-reviewed trip on the valley floor: 4.8 stars across more than two thousand travelers. Here is exactly what it reaches and what it leaves out.

Daniel Begay, Monument Valley tour guide and Navajo cultural specialist Checked with Daniel Begay, Monument Valley guide & Navajo cultural specialist
An open-air 4x4 jeep climbing a red sand track between the sandstone buttes of Monument Valley

What does a Monument Valley jeep tour include?

A Navajo-guided jeep tour runs about two and a half hours in an open-air 4x4, reaching backcountry the 17-mile self-drive loop is closed to: Moccasin Arch, Big Hogan, Sun's Eye and the Totem Pole, with a live guide and often traditional Navajo music. 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 backcountry jeep tour with a Navajo guide

One jeep tour stands out for access and reviews. If you can only do a single guided trip in the valley and you want to cover ground, this is the one to hold a seat on early, because it carries a "likely to sell out" note in peak season. For a stop-by-stop sense of the trip, read what a day on the jeep tour is really like.

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What a jeep tour reaches that the self-drive road does not

This is the whole reason to take a 4x4 with a guide instead of driving the loop. The self-drive road is a fixed 17-mile circuit past the famous overlooks. A guided jeep tour turns off it, onto Navajo land that needs a permit and a local driver, and that is where the arches and hogans are. If reaching those is the point of your visit, the backcountry jeep tour is the direct way to do it.

FeatureSelf-drive loopGuided jeep tour
The Mittens, John Ford PointYesYes
Moccasin Arch, Sun's Eye, Big HoganNo (backcountry)Yes
Navajo guide & storiesNoYes
Open-air vehicleYour own carYes (warm seasons)
Road condition handled for youYou drive the washboardYes

Jeep tour questions

Are Monument Valley jeep tours worth it over driving yourself?

If you only want the classic overlooks, driving the loop yourself is fine. A jeep tour earns its price when you want the backcountry: the arches, Big Hogan and Sun's Eye are on restricted Navajo land you cannot reach in your own car. The open-air 4x4 also handles the rough dirt road for you, which matters in a low rental car.

How long is a Monument Valley jeep tour?

The main backcountry jeep tour runs about two and a half hours. Longer highlights and sunset versions run three to three and a half hours; you can see those on the backcountry tours and sunrise and sunset tours pages.

Is the park entrance fee included in the jeep tour?

Usually not. Most jeep tours are priced for the guided trip only, and you pay the Tribal Park entrance, about $10 per person, at the gate. Check the listing's inclusions for your date.

Do jeep tours run in winter?

Yes, though the vehicle may switch from open-air to an enclosed SUV in cold weather, and park hours are shorter (roughly 8am to 5pm). The red rock under a dusting of snow is one of the best times to photograph the valley.

Daniel Begay, Monument Valley tour guide and Navajo cultural specialist

About this pick

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

See the backcountry with a Navajo guide

The open-air 4x4 reaches the arches and hogans the loop road never does. Hold a date early in peak season.

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