United States
Utah (UT)
Monument Valley
Things to Do in Monument Valley
Simpson's Trailhandler Tours
See all things to do

Simpson's Trailhandler Tours

See all things to do
See all things to do
Simpson's Trailhandler Tours
4.5
Full view
About
Simpson's Trailhandler Tours is a Navajo owned and operated tour company that offers scenic and cultural tours into the beautiful lands of the Navajo people, Monument Valley and Mystery Valley. We offer guests from all around the world guided jeep tours, hiking tours, Hogan overnight tours/Camping overnight tours and photography tours into areas you can only access with one of our local guides. Our goal is to share the beauty of the Navajo lands and introduce our guests to the culture and traditions of the native people.
Monument Valley, Utah
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2023
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours and Tickets by Simpson's Trailhandler Tours
Travelers talk about
“”
(22 reviews)
“”
(5 reviews)
“”
(9 reviews)
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
369 reviews
Excellent
312
Very good
32
Average
7
Poor
6
Terrible
12
Jeanette L
2 contributions
Great Tour!
Dec 2019 • Family
Our tour guide, Wayne, met us in the lobby of the View Hotel for our Sunset Tour. We then embarked on a 2hr+ trip into Monument Valley. Wayne was very knowledgeable about the valley, he not only told us the names of all the buttes and mesas but also about the plants and animals that live in Valley. We were treated to Wayne singing a Navajo (Dine) song in a natural amphitheater that you can only reach with a tour operator. It was a lovely way to spend New Year's Eve day.
Written January 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephenie R
We are glad you chose to spend your New Year's Eve with us. Wayne is a great guide who has incredible knowledge of the valley. I am glad he was able to share that with you.
Written January 6, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
CA Plein Air Painter
1 contribution
Best Sunset Tour of Monument Valley back roads
Apr 2022
We booked a sunset tour for artists to take reference photos for future paintings. The tour we got was beyond our wildest expectations. Richie, was our guide and he was terrific. The late light of the day playing across the Monuments and red sand was gorgeous. Richie timed our locations to see and stop at perfectly. The truck bed bench seating allowed us to take photographs the entire tour. During the tour Richie answered all of our questions and over his mic let us know what we were seeing and interesting facts. I would highly recommend this tour company!
Written April 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JordanM_DC
Washington DC, DC2 contributions
Monument Valley Sunset Tour-- Great Experience!
Jul 2022
My wife and I were thoroughly thrilled by our Sunset Jeep Tour of Monument Valley with Simpson’s Trailhandler Tours. The scenery was downright magical and we were filled with appreciation for our fantastic guide, Wayne. We enjoyed his incredibly kind and soft spoken demeanor and benefitted from his connection to and knowledge of the area. It felt special that he was open and forthcoming about his own life story, including pointing out his own home.

Throughout the tour, Wayne highlighted all the rock formations and explained their names and stories. Mostly matter-of-fact, he nonetheless amused us with jokes and delighted us when he, himself, would crack a smile. Furthermore, he was generous with taking photos for us and knew all the best angles and techniques to capture incredible shots.

Traveling some of the bumpy roads on your own to see the incredible sites in Monument Valley would be stressful and limiting. But, with a guide, you can go closer in on otherwise restricted routes and they’ll handle the driving. For that reason alone, taking a jeep tour is the best way to experience and see more of the area. And, on top of that, it really is fun to be jostled around a bit in the passenger cab– like on an amusement park ride– as the wind cuts through and cools you off from the desert heat.

As the sun was setting, we loved that the temperature was going down, and the rock formations were cast in fantastic light and shadow. And with a range of colors in the sky draping the scene, we were dumbfounded by the beauty of Monument Valley. To us, it seemed, the Sunset Tour was the perfect choice to take in the experience. We couldn’t have been happier with our time thanks to Wayne and Simpson’s Trailhandler Tours.
Written August 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Czech7985
16 contributions
Interesting tour but be sure to keep your hat tied on!
Sep 2021
As part of our SW National parks bus tour (group tour) one of our activities was a Monument Valley and Jeep Tour along with a "Navaho Lunch". We were met by the open air jeeps which were essentially trucks outfitted with seats where the truck bed would be. There are canopies on the jeeps but no windshield or side guards but there are seat belts. When the jeeps get up to 40-50 mph be prepared to have your hair blown about and your hats blown off, if you don't have them fastened on. One man in our group, lost his name tag!
The Navaho Lunch was fry bread with a scoop of a a bean mixture, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, onions and salsa along with a can of your choice of numerous sodas. There were only 2 picnic tables and they had a tarp set out for people to sit upon. No shade and many of us chose to stand near the jeeps in whatever shade they provided. The day was hot!
Your description of what you were seeing depended on the driver of your jeep. Our jeep driver (they were all Navaho) wasn't the most informative. There was one stop near a natural "auditorium" and the drivers did a Native chant and played a flute like instrument. It was an interesting tour which lasted over 2.5 hrs.
You also got to see how some of the Navahos live as we passed by the home of our driver. Some of his family still live in hogans. they also still herd sheep. I was not aware that Monument Valley is under the jurisdiction of the Navaho tribe.
Written September 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gary L
Virgin, UT69 contributions
A simply wonderful tour led by exceptional people
Mar 2022
Based on recommendations from friends from Texas who recently went, my wife and I did the Simpson’s Trailhandlers Sunset Tour yesterday. We’ve been to Monument Valley several times over the years and each time drove the loop road that is open to the public but have never had the opportunity to photograph the interior of the park during the golden hour. First of all, I can’t say enough about our tour guide Richard. He is very friendly and personable and has a seemingly encyclopedic knowledge of the valley. Much of the tour was along roads that aren’t open to the public, so we got to see Monument Valley from a very different perspective from previous visits. We learned some of the culture and history of the park, including many of the movies filmed there as we marveled at the gorgeous landscape. During a couple of stops along the tour, Richard played the flute beautifully and also has an excellent singing voice. I didn’t think to ask if he’s recorded any of his music but if he has, I would buy it. The sound of both his flute and voice is incredibly soothing. He also entertained us with brief imitations of John Wayne and Elvis. Of course the best part of the tour was Monument Valley. As a landscape photographer, I appreciated his knowledge on where to set up for great photo compositions. The owner/partner of the tour company (Ralph Olson) is a first class professional. Very customer oriented. He did far more than I expected to accommodate us to make sure the tour would be a memorable experience. I highly recommend this tour.
Written March 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gonda R
7 contributions
45th Wedding Anniversary Trip
Sep 2022 • Couples
We did Simpson Trail Handler Tour, Cal was our tour guide. It is obvious that he truly cares for his heritage, and his customers. He takes great pride in telling us all about the monuments and surroundings area. He took us on the Monument Tour and since we were with him we got to go beyond the normal route. It was our 45 Anniversary trip and as Cal made one of his tour stops where there is a hole in the rock and you go in and look up to see the sky, it was beautiful!! Then he played the flute that he played a Native American song and it was so moving ❤️ Then he ask if he could sing a song and he sang in his language and then the next part of the song he translated it into English and he was singing Happy Anniversary to us and May we have peace and safety on on journey home❤️❤️🥰🥰it made our hearts happy and I got very emotional because he took the time and effort to go out of his way to do this! We will always remember this trip and we have a photos of a very beautiful sweet touching moment in our lives. So Cal we give you 10 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
You were the best ! We thank you! We hope you and your family are blessed as you made us feel🙏🏻❤️🥰
Thank you!!
Written September 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
oilguy57
Tucson, AZ160 contributions
Helped me check off a big bucket list item!
Oct 2021
We took a private Sunset Tour of Monument Valley, combined with the Dreamcatcher dinner and cultural program. There was a little confusion over when we were supposed to meet our guide, but we got underway without issues. Our guide Ferrison Cody was excellent. He explained not only the sights in Monument Valley, but also life for the Navajo and the history of the area and the tribe. Visitors can drive the scenic drive in their own vehicles, but by taking a guided tour you have access to areas that are not open to the public. We were one of the last vehicles to leave the valley...as the last rays of the setting sun were hitting the monuments. At the dinner, Cody was very attentive and made sure we got our Navajo Tacos before the large group of college students. The dinner and program, around a campfire, under a sky full of stars was a nice end to the day. Highly recommend taking a tour with Simpson's Trailhandler Tours.
Written October 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BW A
27 contributions
Fantastic Sunset Tour with Simpson's
Sep 2021 • Family
We had a wonderful experience with Simpson's Trailhandler Tours - we did a sunset tour and dinner. Our tour guide Jamie was great - met us at the View Hotel, drove us through Monument Valley and then performed at the dinner they prepared for us. Dinner and dance was amazing.
Written September 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tomonori55
Harrison, NY1 contribution
Excellent tour
Aug 2022 • Family
We were the only customers of the tour on that day, and the guide drove slower for our little kid. He took us to and explained the famous sites one after another concisely and took enough time for us at the place we showed our interests. He also sang several songs and allowed us to record them so that we could enjoy them after the trip. We were really satisfied with his kindness.
Written September 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mazzei2023
1 contribution
Perfect family adventure
Jun 2023 • Family
Staff was extremely family centered and friendly. Guides went out of their way to point out the history of the area and their culture. Also gave wonderful tips and recommendations for the area. The horses were clearly well loved and cared for. They made our son feel extremely comfortable as it was his first time riding.100% recommend them
Written June 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2
…
Showing results 1-10 of 311

Simpson's Trailhandler Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Simpson's Trailhandler Tours Information

Excellent Reviews

201

Very Good Reviews

23

Simpson's Trailhandler Tours Photos

132