NatParkHikerJess
Aug 2021
Monument Valley was the last stop on our long road trip through CO, UT, and northern AZ. It also happened to be our ten year wedding anniversary. We booked a stay at The View (also amazing and reviewed separately) and were thrilled to find out the Navajo Nation was reopening two weeks before our stay and allowing tours at 50% capacity. We immediately booked with Navajo Spirit for a 3 hour, backcountry tour at 1 PM. Please note if coming from elsewhere in AZ in the summer that the Navajo Nation is one hour ahead of other places in AZ like Page or Grand Canyon.
From the moment I started email communication with Miesha, she was very responsive and answered all my questions promptly. Our tour guide was Don and he was absolutely amazing! He was waiting for us when we arrived at the Welcome Center. There is only a max of 6 people on the tour; it ended up just being four of us - my husband and me and a mother/daughter duo who were a lot of fun. I can't say enough kind things about Don. He is definitely a natural storyteller and teacher. We were captivated from the moment we stepped on the truck to the moment we got off by his stories, his songs, his humor, the history he shared with us, and also all the awesome places he showed us to get cool photos!
Monument Valley is absolutely stunning. If you visit, you definitely should take a tour to get out in the backcountry where otherwise you can't go. We also were able to get a weaving demonstration from a Navajo woman and visit some hogans. I recommend taking the open-air truck rather than the enclosed vehicle because you can see SO much more from being in the open-air truck. It was hot the day we went, but we stayed cool with the cover over the truck and the wind when you are driving. It is a bumpy ride but also a fun one.
I would do this tour again and again (and the other tours Navajo Spirit offers). And I plan to when I eventually make it back to this magical place called Monument Valley. It is such a privilege to get to see this land. My thanks and gratitude to the Navajo people for sharing this with us.