Monument Valley trip help

I am planning to drive out to Monument Valley soon (only 5hr drive from me) and was wondering if those of you that have been there would mind giving any suggestions and/or tips as to what areas are best to shoot from. I plan to arrive the first day around mid-day and then stay in Kenyata for 2 nights. Should give me time to get a couple of sunset shots and some sunrise shots as well.

We stopped by there for a few hours on our way from Page, AZ to Colorado. I don't have much for advice except I'd recommend a truck or SUV for the dirt road inside MV. We took a Saturn Ion and it was doable but pretty rough. Also, if you drive up North on 163 a ways you can get that classic MV shot that you see in the movies. Good luck and I hope you have a great time! I want to stay overnight sometime and get a real attempt at capturing the beauty.

can you stay at the view…get a room on the top floor away from the restaurant. I took photos all night…sunset, night and sunrise. It was awesome. I also recommend having a tour of the place (We used Navajo spirit tours with guide Don Mose). you get to some more areas. Also, that way you can worry about what photos to take and not how to avoid the pot craters (much larger than potholes)

Also make sure to get at least few photos with cars or people still in them so you can show scale because otherwise people won't believe it.
Oh and try some forced perspective. I know it's dumb but I still laugh at all of them.

The tour guides will also take you to some classic places to take photos that are not on the main road. Yes they have been done before but they are pretty cool

I appreciate the info Luxx. I checked the View hotel and it seems to be all booked up for what seems like forever. Are there areas I can access to get shots without using a guide? I probably will use one but most of the tours are 2-3 hrs so I figure I would shoot on my own the rest of the time.

Am going in July, have booked 2 nights in a top floor room of The View Hotel Hope to get evening shots good enough to share here!

It's an otherworldly place no matter where you stay and you'll have more photographic opportunities than you can imagine. If you are coming up from Arizona also consider seeing the valley of the gods...which would be a bit further of a drive. While it isn't as impressive as monument valley when I went I was the only one there which was a pretty amazing experience.

I never did a photo tour but I bet it would be great. You don't need a tour. Of the two photos above the second was a location that you need a guide.

Google searching found this very detailed guide - http://www.jairophoto.​com …hy-guide-monument-valley/

You can do and see alot on your own, we did and yes a high clearance vehicle is advised. Having said that we wished we had taken a tour and next time we go we will.