There are a number of tour operators offering tips through Monument Valley, I did my research and chose Monument Valley Safari, in part due to the excellent reviews on Trip Advisor. My wife and I booked the 3.5 hour extended tour starting at 9am via the Trip Advisor website. (Remember you have a pay $20 to get your car in to Monument Valley, even just to park it it for the tour). We sat in the lobby of The View hotel and watched everyone else leave with their tour guides, leaving me slightly concerned there had been a mix up in the booking. However, Norma, our guide, arrived a couple of minutes after 9am and we were excited to learn it was just going to be the three of us on our tour.
Before we left, Norma took the time to ask what aspects of Monument Valley we wanted to focus on, so she tailor her tour. We said, in addition to seeing the key sites around the valley, we were keen to hear of the history of the valley and the people who have lived her for thousands of years. We sat on the viewing benches on the truck - there are three rows and we chose the middle one for the best view.
The initial tour starts on the dusty public road (I was so glad we didn't take our rental car!) and we were impressed at the different views of all the mesas. We had fun not only hearing the names people have given to these mesas (The Mittens, the 3 sisters etc) but also finding our own shapes in these and the different rock formations.
The tour really got interesting when we left the public road and we felt we had the rest of the valley to ourselves. Norma too us to a traditional hogan and we learned, from the woman demonstrating wool carding and spinning, what life was like growing up in a Dine (Navajo) family. A gratuity was suggested and we were happy to give a little extra for the personalised nature of our time in the hogan. Remember, when entering, always to step in to the left and move round clockwise (sunwise).
From there we had many different stops - rock formations, arches, springs - at which Norma would talk about the landscape and show evidence of the presence of the Anasazi people who lived on the land over a thousand years ago. She was informative and friendly and gave us plenty of time to take photos and ask questions.
At some points the truck had to negotiate some sand dunes and Norma did a great job navigating these. In fact the truck ride was part of the excitement of the whole morning!
Norma sang a traditional Dine song at the Big Hogan, which forms a natural amphitheatre - it was beautiful and resonated well against the rocks. My wife and I reciprocated with a Scottish folk song and Norma was delighted to share in our culture too.
Although it was a hot July day, the truck has a shade, and there was never a sense of being overexposed to the sun. We took plenty of iced water and were glad for it.
This tour was excellent value for money, and we were delighted to add a gratuity at the end as an expression of our appreciation for the wonderful tour Norma gave us. Being the only ones on the tour allowed us to feel the valley was ours alone for a few moments in our lives, and that, together with the sense of timelessness and history, was a moving experience.
We were so thankful to have chosen this tour, and to have had Norma as our guide.