We are a family of four (13 & 15 year old teens) who are taking a trip across the Southwest. I deliberated a lot about this overnight, given the negative reviews I saw. I even called to cancel, because it was so much money and I wasn’t sure it was going to be a good experience. I spoke with someone who assured me it was great and the negative review was someone who didn’t arrive to the tour on time and left early, so they missed the tour part. After being talked back into the overnight, we enjoyed the first part of the tour immensely (tour, meal and entertainment). This was the sunset tour that I had tried to change our reservation to and it is excellent and worth the $150 to have an afternoon/evening seeing the sights and hearing about Navajo culture.
Sadly, this where the accolades end. When we arrived at our hogan, it felt very confusing. Our guide seemed surprised we wanted to sleep in a hogan given how how it was outside. He let us in to the hogan, which was a souvenir shop and didn’t really have room for us and all the merchandise on display. He then suggested sleeping under the stars, which was what the other two groups planned to do. As a mom, the concept of sleeping outside in the desert when the “desert comes alive with life” was NOT appealing. We chose to sleep in the little shack where they sell things that barely has a roof but offered some protection from the elements. It was a horrible, sleepless night. The tarp covering the shed flapped all night long (imagine someone shaking a grocery bag by your ear all night) and sand constantly blowing in your face. Multiple times that night a dog belonging to a neighbor got into a fight with a wild horse and barked all night long. Our guide meanwhile, slept on a cot! I was so jealous and the entire night we weren’t sleeping I debated asking him to take us back so we could sleep in the car.
Yet, we persevered.... while it was a beautiful sunrise, the breakfast was just so so (fruit and banana bread or cereal), then we drove straight back to the hotel.
DO NOT spend an extra $150 for this “experience”! It ruined our next day, as instead of sightseeing we were all cranky and exhausted, so we barely saw Sedona. I am SO disappointed, particularly since I had tried to cancel this part of the tour and been talked out of it. Trust ME, not worth the loss of sleep!!!