Will start by saying I was SO very happy with the tour of ACX, despite the price. It is $60 which is the cheapest of the three canyons you can tour (between upper, lower, and canyon X). They are all on Navajo nation territory so you legally can only see/explore these places with a certified Navajo tour guide so I opted to do this one since the internet said it's the least crowded and was cheapest as mentioned (the others are like $80-over $100).
Overall, it was so worth it - the tour is only about 40-50 mins in total but our tour guide was so kind and so knowledgeable about the area and Navajo history (he is Navajo of course). He was also an excellent photographer and knew how to recommend where people stand etc to get the best pics! Of note you have to take a short van ride out to the canyon, it's only about 10 mins but you need to come at your selected tour time to catch that van with your group. They assign you a van when you arrive and I think usually 4-5 vans go and tour the canyon at once with a different tour guide for each van.
The lighting and color at this place alone is 5/5 in my book but learning about the history and science of it really takes it above and beyond imo. This is an absolute do not miss spot when coming through Utah/arizona!
Last noted: plenty of parking is available in the lot which is also red sand/dirt. It was VERY windy the day I came and bc of the sand and dust my nose was running a lot. You're not allowed to take a backpack/bag per Navajo laws so pack tissues in your pocket if you're sensitive and take a bottle of water in your hand. Also don't keep your car door open long, the wind will blow sand into it. And don't wear a hat that'll fly off easily haha!
Bathrooms here are portapotties only, go at home right before coming if you can. read more