Interested in Cultural Immersion?
On November 6th we will start taking reservations for the 2026 season.
Here you will find our standard itinerary for the Yei Bi Cheii and Sheep Camp Trip. Both trips consist of 4 days and 3 nights in the canyon.The best way to think about these trips is that they are a lot like backpacking without having to carry your pack. You get to go with your friends to remote locations that have rarely been with no electricity, running water, or cell service where you are going. However, a vehicle will bring in your most basic gear, and there are pit toilets, shade structures, and caches of emergency water at both locations. Footpath Journeys will provide Navajo Tacos on the first night, but groups will be responsible for their own food. In a medical emergency, Footpath Journeys is CPR and First Aid certified, but we highly suggest that at least one member of your team has a more advanced medical background as well as an In-Reach satellite device. All of this means that your group will need to be completely self-sufficient and be prepared to alter plans if necessary. This is the opposite of "glamping".
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With all of that said, a cultural immersion experience with Footpath Journeys is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It is a chance to learn from Lupita, to explore remote areas, and to support the Dine' people who are keeping their culture alive. We have hosted hundreds of groups in our 30 years of experience and are sure that you will have an incredible time.
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For either camp, $3950 pays for a private group of up to 15 people (although 10-12 is ideal) for the 4-day experience. You may also join a Mixed-Group Immersion, for
$325 a person. Please note that there is an additional $8 per person per day, cash only Navajo Nation Permit fee that all individuals will have to pay to enter the canyon.
For groups of 15 to 30 the price is $5500 and may require additional permitting and fees.
Yei Bi Cheii
Itinerary: Day 1
9 AM: Meet in Chinle to go to visitor center, get permits, and drop off gear to be driven into camp. When this is finished, park the cars and begin hiking.
At the rim, Lupita will teach you how to properly enter the canyon in the traditional way and give a formal introduction. Afterwards you will hike down to White House Cliff Dwellings for a talk and pictures. You will arrive at Yei Bi Cheii camp after lunch to set up your tents and cooking area.
When you are done, Lupita will show you the graineries that her great-grandfather built and take you to a wall of petroglyphs and pictographs near camp. She will also take you to the caves where she used to play as a child and tell stories in the shade.
After dinner on your own, the group will gather at the campfire to learn about the Four Elements of the Dine’.
Itinerary: Day 2
Eat breakfast, pack a lunch and hike up the Yei Bi Cheii Trail. This is an ancient trail with steps worn into the sandstone. It is steep and has some exposure but there are handrails that were installed by the National Park Service.
You will explore the rim and visit what is left of the Birthing Hogan to learn about that part of the canyon’s history. Afterwards you will return to camp where Lupita will show you how to grind corn, and teach about it’s importance to the Dine’ people. The goal is to grind enough for a part of a meal in the evening.
Dinner will be on your own. In the evening, gather at the campfire for more stories.
When she was a little girl, Lupita would herd sheep up and down these steps everyday.
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Itinerary: Day 3
In the morning you will explore Ledges Cliff Dwellings and part of Canyon Del Muerto. Groups may choose to picnic in Lupita’s sister’s peach orchard, or explore trails in Canyon Del Muerto.
In the afternoon, you will be participating in several cultural activities. You may use yucca to make shampoo soap for hair washing, put your hair up in a traditional Dine’ knot, play the stick dice game, or make fry-bread.
After dinner, a relative will come to lead a night of songs and dancing. These are traditional songs for when community comes together. It is important that we celebrate this bridging of cultures.
Itinerary: Day 4
After packing up camp and hiking to the rim, Lupita will lead you in a closing prayer to help you properly exit the canyon in the traditional way. At this point the group will say a formal goodbye.
Your gear will have been delivered where your vehicles are, and you will have the opportunity to buy jewelry from Lupita’s friend Acey, and visit casually before you depart.
Packing List
This list is also available as a printable word document here.
Packing List for Canyon de Chelly
This list is divided into three parts: A day pack for short hikes, a duffle for all your camp stuff, and cooking.
DAYPACK (for hiking into the canyon)
______ Bag Lunch for 1st day.
______ 2 Large water bottles
______ Hiking shoes- sometimes you may have to take these off to cross streams. We necessarily recommend sandals because there are also a lot of cactus.
______ Hat
______ Sunscreen
______ Sunglasses
______ Camera
______ Light jacket just in case
______ Small first aid kit with basics (Ibuprofen and other medications)
BACKPACK OR DUFFEL (These items will be transported into the canyon in the back of a truck.)
______ sleeping bag for cold weather (~ 25 – 40F at night)
______ sleeping pad, small pillow
______ tent
______ warm jacket - it may snow or freeze anytime before June.
______ warm hat
______ Light Jacket or Sweater (additional layer for cold evenings)
______ Rain Jacket (waterproof jacket or poncho is REQUIRED)
______ 1 pair of good outdoor pants
______ 1 pair of shorts
______ 1 long sleeve shirt (for sun protection)
______ 2 t-shirts
______ underwear and hiking socks for three days (synthetic recommended)
______ TOILET PAPER, towel, simple toiletries (toothbrush & toothpaste, soap, feminine products)
______ flashlight or headlamp w/extra batteries
______ book/ journal
OPTIONAL:
______ hammock
______ soccer ball/ frisbee
______ small musical instruments
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COOKING:
Your group will need to bring dinner for the second and third night of the trip as well as snacks, breakfasts, and lunches. Navajo Tacos are provided the first night.
There are a lot of items already out at Yei Bi Cheii Camp. These include:
-A Large Three Burner Propane Stove w/ Propane
-Emergency Water
-2 large cast iron skillets
-An entire sent of pots and pans
-Tables, tablecloths, benches, and 8 chairs
-Wash bins for dishes
Your group may also want to bring:
______ 1 small cooler for food
______ A bin for dry food (Rez dogs will chew through mesh bags)
______ A bin for your personal plates, utensils, and cups (our family brings a small cooking bin with a cutting board, wipes, a good knife, some mixing spoons, and other basics)
______ Small stove (Jetboil) for coffee
Other general info:
There is a central shaded gazebo in camp. It’s a great place for everybody to eat and cook.
There are two pit toilets at camp. Please bring toilet paper.
There is a protected stall for solar showers. However, water is scarce. If you bring a solar shower, please use it extremely sparingly. Most families just brings wet wipes to clean the basics.
As mentioned before, water is provided. With that said, for groups coming from nearby, if you want to fill and bring your own 5-gallon container, it always helps.
There is plenty of firewood. With that said, the fire poker stick is one of the most sacred things to the Dine’ people. Don’t ever throw it in the fire.
We highly discourage alcohol and portable speakers. Are we going to search your bag? No. Just remember that Yei Bi Cheii isn’t a party scene. It’s a place to connect with nature.
Finally, while 99% of folks who visit are respectful, make sure that everybody follows Lupita’s rules. This means being mindful of pottery, rock art, and their own safety. Never take anything, or scratch the canyon walls.
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Loading up the vehicles with gear
The 3 Burner Propane Stove
There are lots of pots and pans at camp, including two cast iron skillets
Notice the plastic bins that this group brought for their food and other cooking supplies. These are the best for taking to camp because they are rez-dog proof and are easily transportable.
Cars safely parked at Acey's home
A view of Yei Bi Cheii Camp
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Plenty of space for tents
Water in the gazebo
Stall for solar showers
There are lots of sacred artifacts and rock art around camp. Enjoy, but don't touch or take anything please.
The sacred fire poker- Do Not Burn
Sheep Camp
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Much of the Sheep Camp Itinerary is the same as Yei Bi Cheii. The biggest differences are that you will drive to camp because it is on the rim, and that you will take different hikes. Sheep Camp is an ideal place for school trips and large groups that require more logistics. The hike to Wind Arch (pictured below) is more difficult and remote than the hikes at Yei Bi Cheii. The cultural activities will be the same at both locations.
