Unless your visit coincides with a social event that's open to tourists, the only way to see the mesa-top villages is to take a guided tour of the most impressive one, WALPI (summer Mon-Fri 9am-6pm; winter Mon-Fri 9.30am-4pm; $5). By Hopi standards, Walpi is not in fact that old; it was hastily thrown together in the immediate aftermath of the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, when the people of First Mesa decided to move to a more secure site in the face of possible Spanish or Navajo attack. The spot they chose is absolutely stunning, standing alone at the narrow southernmost tip of the mesa, and connected to the other First Mesa villages by the merest slender neck of stone, with a drop of three hundred feet to either side. It's now home to around 35 people, who do without electricity or running water.
To see Walpi, take Hwy-264 to modern POLACCA , at the foot of First Mesa, then drive a mile up the twisting paved road until it ends in SICHOMOVI . The tours assemble in Sichomovi's small community center, setting off at regular intervals for a half-hour walk to and around Walpi. Depending on the time of year, you'll either be in a group of twenty or so, or on your own, but either way there's plenty of opportunity to ask questions, and to buy pottery, kachina dolls, and fresh-baked piiki , a flatbread made with blue cornflour.
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