Salt Lake City Walking Tour
Temple Square, Pioneer Park and the stories behind them, on foot, in three hours.
3 hours
From
$44 per adult
Park City & Olympic Heritage Excursion
The 2002 Winter Games venues, then free time on a silver-mining Main Street.
- 8 hours
- Maximum 14 guests
- Hotel pickup included
- Instant online booking
Immerse yourself in Utah's captivating Winter Olympic history on this full-day tour! Journey from Salt Lake City to explore the venues that hosted the world's best athletes in 2002. Stand beside the iconic cauldron, a lasting symbol of the games, and envision the excitement of the opening and closing ceremonies held at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Travel to Park City, home to the renowned Utah Olympic Park. Take a fascinating 60-minute tour, delving into the park's history and significance in the Games. Ascend to the top of the park for breathtaking panoramic views that will leave you speechless.
Embark on a scenic exploration of Park City. Uncover the town's fascinating past, from its mining roots to its transformation into a world-class ski destination. Stroll down the charming pedestrian Main Street, bustling with shops, restaurants, and historic buildings. Savor a delicious lunch on your own and soak in the mountain ambiance.
The afternoon winds down with a scenic drive past Deer Valley Resort, another prominent venue of the 2002 Winter Olympics. Relax and unwind on the return journey to Salt Lake City, where you'll be conveniently dropped off at your hotel by approximately 4:30 PM.
This tour is perfect for winter sports enthusiasts, history buffs, and anyone seeking a unique and unforgettable Utah experience. Don't miss this opportunity to relive the magic of the 2002 Winter Olympic Game and explore the captivating legacy of Utah's winter sports scene!
Your day, hour by hour
Itinerary8:30 AM
8:30 AM
Hotel Pickup in Salt Lake City
9:00 AM
Depart downtown Salt Lake City - Visit Olympic Cauldron and Rice-Eccles Stadium
10:00 AM
Arrive at Utah Olympic Park and explore
11:00 AM
Utah Olympic Park Tour & Experience
12:30 PM
Driving Tour of Downtown Park City
1:00 PM
Free Time for Lunch and Exploring Downtown Park City
3:00 PM
Driving Tour of Deer Valley and Return to Salt Lake City
4:30 PM
Hotel Drop Offs
What’s included
- Professional Local Tour Guide
- Comfortable Transportation
- Bottled Water
- Applicable Taxes and Fees
- Hotel pickup and drop-off (selected hotels only)
What the day covers
The Olympic Cauldron and Rice-Eccles Stadium
The cauldron that burned through the 2002 Winter Games stands beside the stadium on the University of Utah campus. It is a short stop and it works better than it sounds, because your guide can put you at the exact point where the ceremonies happened and explain what the Games did to this city, which is a much bigger story than the fortnight itself.
Utah Olympic Park
At Kimball Junction outside Park City, is the centerpiece and gets two and a half hours. You arrive at 10:00 with time to explore on your own before the guided tour at 11:00. Six ski jumps, including the K120, and the sliding track used for bobsled, luge and skeleton. It is a working training center (the US ski jumping and Nordic combined teams are based here), so what you see depends on the day, but there’s very often somebody in the air. There is a viewing platform at the top of the jumps with a view down the in-run that reliably makes people go quiet, and two museums on site covering the 2002 Games and the history of skiing in Utah.
Historic Main Street, Park City
Silver was found here in 1868 and by the 1890s this was one of the richest mining districts in the American West. The fortune that built the Silver King mine is the same money that later bankrolled a good deal of California. The street survived, and it’s now a walkable few blocks of preserved buildings: the 1926 Egyptian Theater, the old City Hall that’s now the Park City Museum, and a dense run of restaurants and galleries. You get free time here for lunch and exploring.
Deer Valley and the drive home
The afternoon includes a scenic loop past Deer Valley Resort, another 2002 venue that held slalom, freestyle moguls and aerials, before dropping back down Parley's Canyon into the valley.
What to wear and bring
Park City sits at about 7,000 feet, nearly 3,000 feet higher than downtown Salt Lake City. That is a real difference, not a technicality: it will be noticeably cooler, the sun will be stronger, and if you’ve just flown in you may feel the altitude on the stairs at Olympic Park.
- Shoes
- Comfortable walking ones for Main Street, which is on a hill and is longer than it looks.
- Sun
- Sunglasses and sunscreen.
- Layers
- One more than the valley forecast suggests.
- Summer
- A light jacket for the top of Olympic Park, where it’s windy.
- Winter
- Proper boots with grip, because the Main Street pavements ice up, plus a warm coat, hat and gloves.
- Lunch money
- The one thing to plan for. Lunch isn’t included on this tour and you get two hours of free time on a street full of good, and not cheap, restaurants. Budget accordingly, or pick up something inexpensive. There are sandwich places as well as white-tablecloth ones.
Drive time and how the eight hours break down
Downtown Salt Lake City to Park City is about 32 miles, up Parley's Canyon on I-80, and takes 40 to 50 minutes in normal conditions. It is one of the easier mountain approaches in Utah and the scenery starts almost immediately.
The day runs 8:30 AM to roughly 4:30 PM. Hotel pickup at 8:30, the downtown Olympic sites (the cauldron and Rice-Eccles Stadium) from 9:00, arrival at Utah Olympic Park at 10:00 with an hour to explore before the 60-minute guided tour at 11:00, a driving orientation of Park City at 12:30, then free time on Main Street from 1:00 to 3:00, and the Deer Valley loop and return from 3:00 with drop-offs at 4:30.
One thing to be clear about, because some listings get it wrong: the day is eight hours. The guided tour at Utah Olympic Park runs 60 minutes, and that’s the number a few booking sites have mistakenly published as the length of the whole excursion. Plan for a full day out.
Photos
Before you book
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 travelers
- Enjoy a more personal experience with our small group tours (Minimum of two guests required)
- English, Spanish, Dutch, German, and French
Park City & Olympic Heritage Excursion: your questions answered
How long is the Park City tour, really?
Eight hours, 8:30 AM pickup to about 4:30 PM drop-off. Some listings quote "1.5 hours", which isn’t the length of the day. The guided tour at Utah Olympic Park runs 60 minutes; the rest of the day is the downtown Olympic sites, Park City and Deer Valley. Plan for a full day out.
How far is Park City from Salt Lake City?
About 32 miles east, up Parley's Canyon on I-80. The drive is 40 to 50 minutes in normal conditions and can be longer during a winter storm. Park City sits at roughly 7,000 feet, nearly 3,000 feet above downtown Salt Lake City, so expect it to be cooler.
Will we see ski jumpers training?
Often, but it’s never guaranteed. Utah Olympic Park is a working training center and schedules move. Summer is the most reliable time, because jumpers train onto a water ramp and land in a pool, which is both frequent and far more watchable than snow training. Ask your guide on the day.
Is lunch included?
No. You get two hours of free time on Park City Main Street specifically so you can choose your own, and the range runs from sandwich counters to some of the best restaurants in Utah. Bring money for it. Bottled water, guide, transport, taxes and hotel pickup are all included in the fare.
Can we go inside the Olympic venues?
You visit Utah Olympic Park with your guide on a 60-minute tour, which includes the viewing areas at the jumps and the two on-site museums covering the 2002 Games and Utah ski history. Riding the bobsled or the zip line are separate paid activities the park sells directly and aren’t part of this tour.
Does this tour include skiing?
No. This is a sightseeing and heritage tour of Park City and the Olympic venues. It doesn’t include lift tickets, equipment or mountain time. If you want to be on snow, contact us and we’ll point you at the right arrangement rather than sell you the wrong tour.
Is it suitable for children?
Yes, and it’s one of the better family picks on this list: the ski jumps and the sliding track land well with most children, and Main Street has room to move. It is a full eight-hour day, so factor that in for the very young. Children pay a reduced fare and must be accompanied by an adult.
Pair this with
The tours our guides most often suggest alongside this one, and why.
Snowbird Summer Excursion Day Tour
The other side of the Wasatch, and the only tour that takes a tram to 11,000 feet.
Salt Lake Antelope Island Dark Sky Experience
Finishes at 4:30 PM, which leaves you free for an 8:00 PM stargazing pickup.
Salt Lake City Museum Tour
The indoor option if the mountain weather turns on your Park City day.
Still have a question about the Park City & Olympic Heritage Excursion?
Ask us anything the FAQ above did not cover: pickup points, fitness level, what to wear in November. We answer within one business day.
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