Join us for an extraordinary guided tour of Canyon de Chelly National Monument conducted by an authorized Diné guide! Our journey starts at the historic Thunderbird Lodge located in Chinle, Arizona. The lodge is the only hotel located at the Canyon and is Diné owned and operated.
We will check-in to the lodge the afternoon of Thursday, September the 18th and enjoy a Welcome Dinner together. Due to Canyon de Chelly's remoteness it is required to arrive Thursday afternoon and spend the evening at the lodge.
Our all-day tour of Canyon de Chelly starts early the following morning of Friday, September the 19th. We will meet our Diné guide at the lodge and depart for the Canyon in 6-wheel drive, open-air Pinzgauer vehicles. The Canyon has been home to human occupation for more than 5,000 years.
Canyon Tour Itinerary
8:30 am: Meet our guide at the lodge, board the tour vehicles, and depart for Canyon de Chelly. This tour will take us to incredible Ancestral Puebloan sites such as: Kokopelli Cave, Petroglyph Rock, First Ruin, Junction Ruin, Ceremonial Cave, Ledge Ruin, White House Ruin, and Mummy Cave. Mummy Cave is a partially restored Ancestral Puebloan apartment complex constructed under an arching overhang. Our journey also includes a visit to Antelope House Ruin, colored pictographs of antelope created at the beginning of the last century are side-by-side with creations from the Ancestral Puebloans.
During our excursion we will enjoy boxed lunches provided by Thunderbird Lodge Restaurant. Please note, lunch is included with the VVAC tour fee.
4:00pm: Return to Thunderbird Lodge.
6:00pm: Dinner at Thunderbird Lodge Restaurant. The restaurant serves Native American dishes, as well as continental and vegetarian cuisine.
Additional Information
The Experience Canyon de Chelly Tour price includes: tour fee, gratuity, tax, park fee, and a boxed lunch. It also includes all-day transportation for the Canyon tour.
The two-night stay at the Thunderbird Lodge is an additional expense. VVAC has a discount group room rate. Single occupany is $113.75 per night, which includes tax and breakfast vouchers. Double occupancy is $133.90 per night, which includes tax and breakfast vouchers. The breakfast vouchers are valid for breakfast items from the lodge's restaurant menu. Please note, upon registering for the trip the hotel discount code will be made available.
Transportation to drive up to the Thunderbird Lodge and travel back home from the lodge is not provided. Also, dinners at Thunderbird Lodge Restaurant are an additional expense.
The trip leaders are Monica Buckle, VVAC's Executive Director and Richard McGaugh, VVAC Docent and Hike Leader. Richard is also an Interpretative Ranger at Walnut Canyon National Monument and Wupatki/Sunset Crater National Monuments. He also serves as a VIP Docent at the Museum of Northern Arizona.
For further information and to register please visit the link below. Due to demand this trip is only available to VVAC members. VVAC is restricted to 14 participants max for this trip.
https://verdevalleyarchaeology.doubleknot.com/event/canyon-de-chelly-trip/3107330