Hardware Ranch Elk Refuge Adventure
A horse-drawn sleigh into a herd of several hundred wintering elk.
7.5 hoursMax 14
From
$99 per adult
Salt Lake City Highlights Driving Tour
The whole valley in three hours, with stops at the Capitol and the overlooks.
- 3 hours
- Maximum 14 guests
- Hotel pickup included
- Instant online booking
Want to experience Salt Lake City but don’t have a lot of time? This is a great tour to see some of what is waiting for you in Salt Lake City! Learn about the history of the valley, the unique and eclectic people that call this area home and experience the architecture and outdoor space found in Utah’s Capital City. From its history of the Mormon Pioneers to a mining boomtown with its red light districts, Salt Lake City has always had a multi-cultural and storied history that will come alive during this 3 hour excursion. Join us. Your Adventure Awaits!
This is the best introduction to the city we offer, and the one to take first. In three hours you get your bearings on the whole valley: how the city sits between the Wasatch and the Oquirrh mountains, how the street grid works, and what is up on the benches that you cannot see from downtown.
It is also the easiest way to plan the rest of your stay. Along the way your guide will point out the museums, canyons, neighborhoods and trailheads that are worth going back to on your own time, and can tell you which of our other tours pairs best with the days you have left. Most guests finish this one with a list.
The tour includes pickup and drop-off in downtown Salt Lake City. Enjoy a more personal experience with our small-group tours (minimum of two guests required)
Your day, hour by hour
This tour runs 2 different schedules. Pick the one that matches your dates.
Morning Departure9:30 AM
9:30 AM
to 10:00 AM Hotel pick-ups
10:00 AM
Explore downtown Salt Lake City
12:00 PM
Organ recital at Temple Square (30 minutes, not available on Sundays)
12:30 PM
Hotel drop-offs
Afternoon Departure1:30 PM
1:30 PM
to 2:00 PM Hotel pick-ups
2:00 PM
Explore downtown Salt Lake City
4:00 PM
Walking tour of Temple Square
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 drive covers
Temple Square and the downtown core
The origin point of the entire street grid, and the reason every address in the valley is a coordinate. Your guide will explain the 1847 plat, the 132-foot street widths, and how to read a Salt Lake City address, which is the single most useful thing anyone can teach you here.
The Utah State Capitol
A 1916 Renaissance Revival building on the bench above the city, and the best free view in Salt Lake City. From the south steps you get the downtown grid, the Oquirrh Mountains, and on a clear day the Great Salt Lake beyond.
The University of Utah and the Olympic sites
Rice-Eccles Stadium, where the 2002 opening and closing ceremonies were held, and the Olympic cauldron beside it. This is also where the drive climbs onto the east bench and the geography of the valley becomes obvious: the flat terraces you’re driving across are old shorelines of Lake Bonneville, cut when the water stood hundreds of feet above where you’re standing.
The railroad and industrial city
The Union Pacific and Rio Grande depots, the warehouse district, and the story of what happened here between the pioneers and the Olympics. Salt Lake City was a mining boomtown as much as a religious capital, with everything that came with it, and this is the half of the history most tours skip.
The residential city
The Avenues, South Temple's mansion row built with silver money, and the neighborhoods that make this a place people live rather than a set of monuments.
What to bring
Very little. You’re in a vehicle with short walking stops on level ground.
- Shoes
- Comfortable ones for the photo stops.
- Sunglasses
- The light off the valley is bright at 4,226 feet in any season.
- A layer
- The Capitol grounds and the bench overlooks are windier and cooler than downtown.
- Water
- Provided. In summer, drink more of it than you feel like. Dry air at altitude is deceptive.
- Winter
- A coat, and shoes with grip for the stops. Nothing more technical than that.
How it works
Three hours, door to door, with pickup and drop-off at selected downtown Salt Lake City hotels included in the price. There are morning and afternoon departures, which makes this the easiest tour on our list to slot around a flight, a conference session or a longer tour on the same day.
The vehicle takes a maximum of fourteen. Solo travelers are welcome to book; we just can’t run a departure for a single guest, so if nobody else takes your date we’ll move you to another departure or refund you. Your guide, transport, bottled water, and all applicable taxes and fees are included at $59 per adult and $55 per child.
The tour is not wheelchair accessible, though it involves considerably less walking than any other tour we run. If you have specific mobility needs, contact us before booking and we’ll tell you whether the stops will work for you.
Photos
Before you book
- This driving tour visits This Is The Place Monument, the 2002 Olympic Games venues, historic Fort Douglas, Pioneer Park, the Cathedral of the Madeleine, the Utah State Capitol, Temple Square and the Conference Center, the Union Pacific Depot, the Governor’s Mansion and Library Square
- The tour includes pickup and drop-off in downtown Salt Lake City. Enjoy a more personal experience with our small-group tours (minimum of two guests required)
- 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
Salt Lake City Highlights Driving Tour: your questions answered
How long is the Salt Lake City driving tour?
Three hours door to door, including hotel pickup and drop-off from selected downtown Salt Lake City hotels. Morning and afternoon departures are available, which makes it easy to fit around a flight or a full-day tour on another day.
What is the difference between the driving tour and the walking tour?
Coverage versus depth. The driving tour reaches the State Capitol, the University of Utah, the Olympic sites and the bench overlooks, the whole valley in three hours. The walking tour covers a three-mile downtown loop in much more detail, on foot, for $44. If you want to understand the city quickly, take the drive; if you want the stories, take the walk.
Is hotel pickup included?
Yes, from selected hotels in downtown Salt Lake City, at both ends of the tour. Tell us where you’re staying when you book and we’ll confirm whether you’re on the pickup list.
Do we get out of the vehicle?
Yes, at several stops including the Utah State Capitol and the valley overlooks. The walking involved is short and on level ground, which is what makes this a workable option for guests who can’t manage the walking tour.
Is it wheelchair accessible?
No, though it involves far less walking than any other tour we run. If you have particular mobility requirements, contact us before booking and we’ll tell you plainly whether the vehicle and the stops will work for you rather than guess.
Is this a good tour in bad weather?
It is the best one we have for it. Three hours in a heated or air-conditioned vehicle beats a walking tour in a 98°F July afternoon or a January cold snap, and the stops are short enough that you are never out in it for long. The drive also climbs onto the bench, where the view back down over the valley is remarkable in any weather.
Is it suitable for children?
Yes, and the three-hour length suits younger children better than our full-day tours. The child fare is $55. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
What is included in the price?
A professional local guide, comfortable transport, bottled water, all applicable taxes and fees, and hotel pickup and drop-off from selected downtown hotels. There is nothing further to pay on the day.
Can I get my money back if I have to cancel?
In full, if you add the Trip Protection Plan when you book. It is an optional waiver rather than an insurance policy, it costs 10% of your cart total, and it buys you the right to cancel for any reason up to 11:59 PM on the day before the tour and be refunded everything we collected for the tour and for any add-ons we sold you. Only the 10% fee is kept. Two limits are worth knowing: the box has to be ticked at checkout, since it cannot be added later, and it does not extend to things we did not sell you, such as park passes or flights booked elsewhere. Our terms set it out in full.
Pair this with
The tours our guides most often suggest alongside this one, and why.
Salt Lake City Walking Tour
The same downtown at walking pace, in far more detail, for $44.
Great Salt Lake and Antelope Island
A morning drive tour pairs neatly with an afternoon-and-sunset island departure.
Salt Lake City Museum Tour
Goes inside the buildings this tour drives past.
Read before you go
Longer background on where this tour goes, written by the people who run it.
One day in Salt Lake City: how to spend it well
Most visitors get one day here, usually side-on to a conference or a ski trip. Here is how to use it, from the people who drive this valley for a living.
7 min read
Still have a question about the Salt Lake City Highlights Driving Tour?
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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