Under Monument Valley's Restricted Arches, Where Private Cars Can't Go
A small-group ride off Monument Valley's loop road to arches, rock amphitheaters and petroglyphs open only to guided visitors.
Monument Valley's 17-mile loop road is open to visitors in their own cars. The ground this tour is built around is not. Navajo Nation Parks says places such as Ear of the Wind can only be reached on a guided tour, and this listing heads there after a stretch of the loop, into what it calls the tribal park's back country restricted areas: natural arches, rock amphitheaters and petroglyphs you can stand right beside.
Navajo Spirit Tours runs it as a shared tour of about two and a half to three hours, departing at 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM. The famous buttes on the loop come first. What follows is ground a private car is not allowed onto.
Departures are 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM, Monument Valley time. A booking needs at least two adults. Children 6 to 12 book at a child rate, and children 5 and under ride free.
Monument Valley Group Tour by Navajo Spirit ToursAbout 2.5 to 3 hours on part of the loop road and in the guide-only back country, in groups of up to 12.www.viator.comThe Part of the Valley Your Car Can't Enter
Anyone who pays the park's fees can drive the 17-mile Valley Drive in their own vehicle, though the park warns of rough terrain and deep sand and bars RVs, motorcycles and large SUVs. Leaving that road for the arches and rock amphitheaters off it takes a guide. The park names Ear of the Wind as one of those places. A reviewer of this listing in June 2024 wrote that the guide took them "into the restricted area of the park that you can only enter with a guide."
The operator's own photos for the listing show Sun's Eye, Ear of the Wind after a rainstorm, Moccasin Arch under snow, and the Totem Pole beside the Yei Bi Chei spires. Reviewers also describe stopping at Big Hogan, a domed rock amphitheater. The listing does not fix a list of stops.
Open Air, Red Sand and Wind
The listing books an open-air vehicle for the warm seasons. An enclosed one is by request and by availability only, so ask at booking if you want a roof. On a cold, windy day in March 2025 one group rode in a van, and a reviewer in October 2025 found it "a little too cold for an open air vehicle." The operator says it does not cancel for rain and calls off a tour only when the weather makes it unsafe. The park can make that call too: on September 17, 2026 it closed the scenic drive over a sinkhole and washouts and told tour operators to suspend operations, open-air tours above all. Its own page now says the loop road has reopened.
Dress for dust and wind whatever the season. Reviewers of this listing advise a jacket for the chilly ride into the park and a mask if the wind is up, and one noted that you can get dusty from the traffic. The inclusions list no food or water, so carry your own.
The listing ticks boxes for strollers, service animals and all fitness levels. The operator's own site says nothing about access, and the park describes the valley roads as rough terrain and deep sand, so anyone using a wheelchair or a stroller should check with the operator before booking. Pets stay behind: the park bans dogs at all of its locations.
Stories and Traditional Navajo Music
Traditional Navajo music is on the listing's list of inclusions, and reviews of this tour keep coming back to the flute. One in June 2024 described the guide playing it in an open cave; another, in March 2025, heard songs on the flute under an impressive arch. On its own site the operator says its guides like to perform for guests under Big Hogan.
The listing says its guides grew up locally and do not shy away from spiritual topics you might not hear about on a regular day. The company has run since November 2007 and describes itself as a small family business, with its guides and staff drawn from close family.
Who Can Book, and What Costs Extra
A booking needs at least two adults, so a solo traveler can't complete one alone. The listing asks you to contact the operator directly, and its site says it will try to fit you into an existing group. If a departure falls short of two people, the operator may contact you to move the time or date. Groups cap at 12.
The park's entry fee is not in the tour price: USD 10 per person, per day, and the park does not accept the National Park pass. The operator says it is payable as you enter, and reviewers describe buying it at the Welcome Center before setting out. The tour price already includes the 6% Navajo Nation tax. Gratuities are extra.
The tribal park closes on Thanksgiving, on the day after for Navajo Nation Family Day, on Christmas Day and on New Year's Day. If the booking calendar lets you pick one of those dates, choose another. From March through October the operator's site lists tours Monday to Saturday; from November through February it runs every day. Cancel at least 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
📍 Meet at the Monument Valley Welcome Center, the large round building with a green roof just off US-163 where the road into the park turns off. Tour vehicles collect guests at metal benches out front beside a sign reading Navajo Guided Tour Pickup Location, and one reviewer left their car there. Do not drive on to the Visitor Center: the operator puts it about four miles further in, and if you have passed the fee booth you have gone too far.
Both departure times are Monument Valley time, which follows daylight saving. Off-reservation Arizona does not, so between March and early November a 9:00 AM start reads 8:00 AM on a clock set in Page or Flagstaff. The operator says the guide waits 15 minutes past the start and then has to go.
Arrive early, settle the park fee, and let the loop's buttes come first. The arches are waiting after them.