Dion and Nelson were our light-hearted and hardworking tour guides on our recent 2-hour sunset horseback tour. We enjoyed tremendous views of Monument Valley as well as interesting and thoughtful stories and explanations of how this area holds deep meaning to the Navajo. Our group was small, and our leaders were patient, funny, and helpful for those of us with next to no horseback riding experience. My husband, who can be difficult to impress, was awestruck by the views and the perspective that comes only with being on a trail, not in a vehicle. If you go, bring a full water bottle and cash for tipping, plus remember to wear your sunscreen and a hat. Special thanks also to Mack and Sideburns, our trusty steeds! We had a little trouble locating the starting point at the stables -- we thought we were supposed to park in the Navajo Visitor Center parking lot and check in at the tour booth at the far end of the parking lot. Turns out that tour booth is for vehicle tours. The folks there advised us to drive down a short gravel road next to the visitor center and park next to the stables that we could see in the distance. Easy enough, but this could have been clearer in the directions; a simple map or drawing would have been very helpful. We also didn't realize we'd have to pay a $10 per person entry fee to the Visitor Center parking lot before even getting to the stables. Maybe that was mentioned in the instructions and I just missed it? Either way, not a deal-breaker for us. read more

We booked a 1-hour horseback riding tour for 1:00 PM. Before it was our turn, another group arrived (most likely booked for the 11:00 AM tour), so the same horses had already been out riding for 2 hours before it was our turn. The horses were given no break - not even a water break, before we were put on the same horses and started our 1-hour tour. The horses we rode walked slowly and appeared tired and dehydrated. We did not see any water in the horses' enclosure. We also noticed that the horses had no shelter from the sun or rain inside the fence area where they were kept. Otherwise, the horses seemed OK, they were fed and our guide was OK. I would have given Sacred Monument Tours better rating if I had observed that the horses had access to water and were given a break between rides before a new group of people went out. read more

Sacred Monument Tours - Tours Near Me - Monument Valley, Arizona

Wow! What a disappointment... we came with such high spirits for this tour. Unfortunately, right off the bat the attendees and the signs were not exactly the most welcoming and to top it all off our tour guide was the absolute most unpleasant guide I have EVER come across IN MY LIFE!! Super dry and rude. I truly believe he did not like his job. *annoyed when teaching us how to maneuver the horse *annoyed when we asked if he could do a picture of the group (4 ppl in total, we asked for a group photo once) *No enthusiasm AT ALL! I have gotten better costumer service at McDonalds.... Monument valley is absolutely stunning but do not waste your time doing a tour with this group. YOU ARE WELCOME! read more

We had a ride with Zeke and Ty as our guides and it was fun. They shared a lot of interesting facts along the way and we enjoyed the conversation. The ride started on time, we liked our horses and were done on time. Thanks guys!! read more

Sacred Monument Tours - Monument Valley Trail Ride - Tours Near Me - Monument Valley, Arizona

We did 2 tours. 1. 2 hours hors ride tours with Ranger. He loves his job, gave us a pleasant tour even when we had mix expertise levels in our group. He shared info about the formations and the importance and meaning for the Navajo. Was alway checking on us and was more than happy to help or take pictures. Our horses ,Tank and Pocahontas, were well behave and easy to guide around. Amazing expirince. 2. 2 hour car ride trough the valley. Terrible, our guide never got out of the car. No information was provided but a few indications given from the car to take pictures. We were expecting info and back story like Ranger shared with us earlier that day. Totally disappointing. 4 stars for the amazing horse back tour. read more

I had a great tour with Logan on Saturday March 16th. We decided on an evening tour from 5-7pm so that we might enjoy the Golden hour. It was really beautiful out at that time and not too cold yet. Logan was great. Very laid back and had useful information about the formations around us and the land we were traveling on. He has been riding since he was 6 years old and I was very impressed that he rode essentially bare back (only on a small blanket)! My horse bandit, was sweet but clearly tired from a long day of giving tours. I did not mind because I was tired too and hadn't been horseback riding since I was a child. He was a great horse for a beginner. My friend and I ended up on this "group" tour by ourselves, which was a nice surprise. I think because it is still winter and essentially their low season, there weren't many other riders. This 2-hour horseback riding tour was the highlight of our trip to Monument Valley. read more

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The tour operator had booked a 2-hour horseback riding tour for us at Sacred Monument and we had to gather at 7:30. The tour was supposed to start at 8:00. However, the guide didn't arrive until 8:15 and the horses weren't saddled until 8:45. At the moment of departure, a very rude and aggressive owner came to tell us that our 8-year-old son was too young for the tour. After waiting for almost an hour and a half, an 8-year-old boy had to get off the horse he was on right away: When I asked the tour operator, it turned out that Sacred Monument had changed the rules, but hadn't informed their customers. It was very unpleasant for my son that his mother was snapped at like that by the rude owner, while the child had no idea what was going on. Moreover, not much value for your money, considering that there is only an hour of horseback riding left. So definitely don't book here!!!! Moreover; they ask you to sign for the safety instructions, but then they don't give you a cap, which you have to sign for. Very bad. Only after insisting did we get a cap. read more

This was definitely one of the coolest things I've done! We went for the 1-hour tour with Dion as our guide, and he was fantastic - super friendly and shared so much about his culture and the area. Even though I hadn't been on a horse in over 40 years and I'm not exactly athletic, it was such an easy and fun ride. The horses totally know what they're doing, which made me feel completely comfortable as a beginner. The views were absolutely incredible, but what really made it special was getting to experience everything this way. Loved every single minute of it! read more

Would highly recommend. We got to see the many buttes and natural formations of the valley. We also stopped by Linda's fry bread (would highly recommend!) read more

We were very pleased with our tour. Joe is very nice, knows a great deal about the valley and shared his knowledge with us. You can tell he loves the valley and he inspired us to love it too. He answered all our questions with with a smile. This tour takes you back off the main road into parts of the valley not everyone gets to see. Because of that we got to see some Anasazi wall art and what is left of one of their dwellings. All the roads in the park are rough and drifted sand covered. Joe drove slow and carefully to make our ride as comfortable as possible. After seeing the roads we are so happy we did not try to take our truck back there. Overall very memorable experience. read more

Do NOT book with this company!!!! We took the 2.5 hour Monument Valley Sacred tour (auto) due to the park being closed to private vehicles. We were supposed to see "all the sites" on the Monument Valley scenic road + a few additional stops outside of the reach of private vehicles. (There is a list on their webpage) Our tour operator was extremely rude and unprofessional from the start. (I believe her name was Loraine) When another customer asked what she had said the name of a formation was, she snapped, "it is right there on the sign". At first I just thought she was trying to be funny, but by the end of the tour I was definitely not amused. She never once attempted to keep us on schedule to hit all the sites and at time was taking pictures for people on other tours or chatting with other tour operators as we waited and wandered about waiting to get back on the road moving. Then she announced we were heading back to our starting point, I asked "Aren't was going to Artist's Point?" She said "that's way on the other side".... well we didn't get to see that or two other sites listed on the itinerary. Upon making the final payment she grumbled outwardly towards us and the two other passengers on our tour about a lack of tip!! I was in disbelief and let her know I was extremely dissatisfied that we did not do the entire scenic drive. Upon our return, I immediately called the Sacred Monument Tours to express my complaint and to request a partial refund. I was met with bitterness and told it was our fault for taking too long at the stops!!! I replied it is was not our job to know the timing or to keep things moving. There were only 4 people on the tour, it would have been no issue keeping us on track if we had been provided instructions on when to re-board for the next stop. At one stop my daughter and I were back in the jeep waiting for the tour operator to return!!!!! Horrible experience and not an opportunity I can recoup. We were visiting from Virginia and Texas and had another event booked later in the day elsewhere, It put such a damper on our time at Monument Valley. :-(. STAY away from this company!!!!! I have filed a dispute through my credit card company and will be blasting this review everywhere! read more

We thoroughly enjoyed our 2-hour ride, led by Dion. He was friendly, respectful and articulate in sharing his culture with us. He took care to make sure we were comfortable with our mounts before we started. Riding through Monument Valley on horseback was an unforgettable experience and Dion was an important part of it. read more

We paid for a Sacred tour, but got more of a scenic tour. We visited all the sites of a Sacred tour, but the tour guide provided no explanation other than the English names of the monuments. The tour guide seemingly did not want to be leading the evening tour. The jeep was in poor shape as compared to some of the other tour company's vehicles. I recommend you look into other tour operators. read more

I called the night before to see if I can get a horseback tour the next day. I know it's low season being cold and in January, so I was hopeful. The young lady that answered said yes for tomorrow and I took it. It was fast and easy. She took my info and I received a text as to the directions of the tour. My family and i arrived exactly at 2:30 for the 3:00 tour. 2 adults and 2 teenagers. We signed some waiver etc. and was ready. We bundled up while our guide Robert got the horses ready. Robert was great and informative. The horse was great and friendly. the tour was fantastic especially the hidden trail area. It was a bit windy and I was on the end and I barely heard what Robert said, but that was ok. I also liked the part where Robert took a few family photos and one great video. It was the only way to see Monument Valley instead of driving all over the place. I loved his stories. Kids had a great time. Will recommend SMT and Robert. thanks for everything. read more

Awesome ride through Monument Valley with a knowledgeable Navajo guide who told stories about the land and its importance to the Navajo people. And he made sure we stayed on our horses! Highly recommend this company. read more

The back country jeep tour was awesome with an awesome guide. The petroglyphs, Arcs, caves, and massive rock formations were amazing! The guide was good and very knowledgeable as well. Plus you can hike a bit in the back country too! The yellow rubicon did well too! read more

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Poor horse condition, dirty and covered of fleas. Dion the guide, a joke . 2 hour ridding convert in 1 and few minutes horse ridding. we lost time and money. The place ( monument valley ) incredible. read more

We were blessed enough to visit Monument Valley on January 26th - 29th, 2010. It was a trip to heal and refresh our minds, souls and hearts after a family loss. The natural landscape makes you feel miniscule and humble. God surrounds you and in the silence, we could hear him speak to us. This awe-inspiring locale was forever burned into our hearts after taking a Sacred Monument Jeep Tour with our extraordinary guide, Fernando Cly. To say we "learned" some things is not close to describing what we were taught during that tour. No one could have given a better tour of the park or the Dine (Dee-Nay), and I say this because Fernando is a native, who grew up within the Monument Valley Tribal Park. He lived in a hogan, he climbed the unreal rock formations as a child and teen. Fernando shared so many personal stories and tribal traditions. To say he knew the park like the back of his hand, would be an understatement. We even drove by his Grandmother's house, who still lives in the tribal park and is the most famous Navajo Rug weaver, Susie Yazzie. The tour began as a mind blowing adventure right from the start because of the landscape. But we had no idea that it would just continue to stupefy us because it continued to become more and more beautiful and startling. At one point, Fernando did something so personal and special for us at Big Hogan, I cried. I won't tell you because it is best that you are surprised. I will never forget it as long as I live. Do the 2 1/2 hour jeep tour, minimum. Tip big. Say your prayers of thanks for the experience. Thank you Fernando, we will never forget you, your people, your land. We cannot wait to see you again! read more

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I was looking for a sunrise horse tour and none of the other tour operators would respond back to even schedule something. I found Sacred Monuments website to be very professional so I asked them if it was doable as their time slots would have been too late. I got a response within hours saying no problem! Fast forward a few months, we show up to the hut in the Tribal Center parking lot and someone came and picked us up right on time in a Jeep. Every single person we interacted with was awesome. Our guide Dub was informative! Our horses Eckert and Sideburns were awesome, I felt at ease the entire time. 1000% would recommend going with these guys over the others. I still haven't heard back from the 2 other tour operators, and Im glad I didn't. read more

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My wife and I booked a 2-hour ride with Sacred Monument Tours 10/5/2023 and had a pleasant ride with two other couples. It's all at a walk, but you see iconic monuments and our tour guide Robert added color by relating stories about the monuments, including about how some got their names and about advertising and music videos shot atop some of them. Gossip and Willy took good care of us. read more

Absolutely wonderful two hour horse riding tour! Our guide was so nice and knowledgeable - would absolutely recommend this tour for anyone visiting the area! read more

Our experience started with a very rude welcome (asking for my PDF reservation and not email confirmation I was showing, while I called the previous morning to book and pay over the phone and had to send an email at the end of the day to finally get a confirmation they were supposed to send right away !) We did the 2 hour horse riding tour with Zik who asked us after 1 hour if we had booked the 1 or 2 hour tour. When we said 2, he tried his best to earn time and delay the way back to the stables without riding any further in the valley. We stopped many times and even stepped off the horses for 10 to 15 minutes for no reason. Our questions about Navajo culture or the buttes formation were answered quite approximately, he was definitely not a professional guide as we would expect paying $220 for 2 riders!! However, we met another couple who did the exact same tour (same price) and they had a completely different experience. They went much further in the valley without stopping at any time, when we stayed very close to the stables. Our tour was a big scam and could have been done in barely an hour at walking pace but we paid the price of 2 hours ! When we contacted Sacred Monument Tours to understand what happened and find an agreement instead of posting this review, their reaction was totally inappropriate and insolent, they said we were lying about the other couple's tour and refused to confess there was a problem with our guide. read more

I will say the people are nice. Very nice. However, please be very careful. I was bucked off a horse during this ride. They chalked it up to the horse was spooked from my jacket. Later, the owner stated the horses haven't been ridden much as they were closed during covid and reopened in August. She explained they have been very slow since and the horses have not been ridden much. Regardless, if a horse can be that spooked over a jacket they should not be putting anyone on that horse. read more

Fantastic adventure. Robert, the tour guide, provided excellent narration not just of the landscape, but insight to life in the Navajo (Dine') Nation. Well organized. read more

Booked a 2 hour horseback riding tour to see Monument Valley. The stable is conveniently located within a walking distance from the View Hotel (past the cabins), The tour guide, Larry is a Navajo. He knows all the great spots to take pictures and also offered to take them. The tour ended up longer than 2 hours. Thank you to Larry for being such a great tour guide and his wife for providing helpful info about the tour. Highly recommended Sacred Monument Tours as your go to tour company for Monument Valley. read more

Our tour was lacking. I had booked a sunset trail ride... the tour ended before sunset. Our guide was unhappy with the late hour as this tour was apparently a new offer from management... Partially my fault as I probably should have realized that the ride ended before sunset, but I didn't think to check as it was advertised as a "sunset tour". My husband and I were put on horses that walked slower than I've ever seen before (and we've been on a lot of trail rides because one of our daughters loves horses). The scenery was spectacular, but there was no added narration. Our guide while relatively friendly just pointed out the names of the different rock formations and that was it. We got a lot of pictures with us on horses, but the pictures didn't seem to be framed properly with the rock formations in the background. At the end of the tour, there as no indication that the tour had ended... we just got off the horses and the guide started putting away the horses and pretty much ignored us after that. The whole thing was strange. I'd still recommend a trail ride or hike through Monument Valley as it is still awesome to be out there. read more

Awesome tour with Sacred Monument Tours--did the mystery tour and to say it was fabulous would be an understatement. We were on the other side of the valley where the Anasazi lived with arches and places I did not think a Jeep could go. The guide shared stories about his life and turned out to be a flutist so I got to hear Native American music in a spiritual place. And I was a solo traveler and they did not charge me extra-- not everyone in the world is part of a pair. Better than the other companies with their open air jeeps that seat 20. read more

Awesome!! Justin was a fantastic guide; he gauged our ride beautifully according to what we could handle - and it was so much fun!! The guys in the stable even watched our dog while we were on our ride. It was an amazing day! read more

A group of us recently visited Monument Valley and had the good luck to be matched up with David Clark of Sacred Monument Tours. I say it was good luck because we hadn't pre-booked anything and took our chances at the tour kiosk in front of the visitor's center. David is knowledgable, funny and entertaining. He showed us Mystery Valley as well as Monument Valley (we sprung for the day-long tour). His little yellow jeep went places that you'd never figure out on your own (which you aren't allowed to try anyway). We saw this incredible area in ways we never could have managed without a guide and it was a pleasure to have someone who was so engaging to show it to us. read more

My wife and I booked the 2 1/2 jeep tour of Monument Valley and we're lucky to get Byron as our guide. Born in the valley and living in a hogan Byron knew his playground inside and out. Sense of humor coupled with a wide knowledge of flora, fauna, geology, history made the trip simply fantastic. Only mistake was not booking a whole day to also take in Mystery Valley. We'll be back to do the whole day trip! Thanks Byron for the flute song and safe traveling song at The Big Hogan. Unforgettable. read more

We booked months in advance for jeep tour. Sacred Monument Tours was short guides day of our tour and the person driving us told us he got a call begging him to take a tour out. This guide told us openly he did not know the name or history of any of the formations. We paid $300 for a jeep with a banging spare tire, seat belts that did not function, no commentary. I do not recommend this company for jeep tour of Monument Valley. One of the few things are guide said was "did you bring a map?" read more

We did the 1 hour horse tour at sunset time and it was fabulous. Lorin help us as we were beginners and with 4 kids. Thank you Lorin for this unforgettable experience. read more