Salt Lake City
Founded in 1847 by Mormon pioneers on the shore of a lake saltier than the sea, Utah's capital lays out avenues 40 metres wide at the foot of a wall of 3,000-metre peaks. In less than an hour's drive, you go from the granite temple to the snowiest ski resorts in the country, to the bison of an island in the Great Salt Lake or to the mining-era villas of Park City.
By PierrickLocal Guide ★8 · 14M+ views on Google MapsBy PierrickLocal Guide ★8 · 14M+ Maps views
🇺🇸 🧂
Salt Lake City · Photo Quang Vuong / Pexels
Things to do in Salt Lake City in 6 days
Day 1
Learn moreMore
A terraced copper building in the foothills above the university, with a dinosaur gallery of skeletons found in Utah, including a unique wall of horned dinosaur skulls.
💡 Buy tickets online and start on the top floor, then work your way down. The museum opens daily from 10 am to 5 pm and until 9 pm on Wednesdays. Combine it with Red Butte Garden, the neighbouring botanical garden. Price: $24.95, about €21, adults; $20.95, about €18, ages 3 to 12.
gillfoto / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)Learn moreMore
The heart of the Latter-day Saints church and of the city grid, with gardens open to all, the 1867 Tabernacle and its organ of over 11,000 pipes, and free Thursday choir rehearsals.
💡 Attend a choir rehearsal, on Thursdays from 7.30 pm to 9.30 pm, or the Music & the Spoken Word broadcast on Sunday morning, free but with tickets booked in advance. The Family History Library helps visitors trace European ancestors who left for America, free of charge. Price: free.
Tamanoeconomico / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)Learn moreMore
Utah's granite Capitol of 1916, set on seismic isolators, overlooks the city, while a short trail climbs Ensign Peak, where Brigham Young surveyed the valley in July 1847.
💡 The Capitol can be visited for free, with guided tours whose times are published on its website. Climb Ensign Peak at the end of the day for the sunset over the Great Salt Lake; the trail is 1.6 km round trip with 120 metres of elevation gain. Price: free.
Beneathtimp / CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Day 2
Learn moreMore
A U-shaped granite canyon leading to Alta and Snowbird, among the snowiest resorts in North America, where a tram climbs to Hidden Peak at 3,353 metres in summer and winter.
💡 In winter, the road is often jammed in the morning and can close because of avalanche risk: take the resort bus from the valley and check road conditions before you set off. The Snowbird tram has prices that vary by season, to be bought online. Price: canyon access free, tram and lift passes extra.
GyozaDumpling / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Day 3
Learn moreMore
A wider, wooded canyon with a 24 km scenic road up to Solitude and Brighton, short trails to Donut Falls and Lake Blanche, and the boardwalk around Silver Lake.
💡 Come on a weekday or before 9 am at weekends, as the trailhead car parks overflow in summer. Dogs and swimming in the streams are prohibited: the canyon supplies the city's drinking water. Price: free.
GyozaDumpling / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Day 4
Learn moreMore
A former 1870s silver town turned Utah's ski capital, with a steep Main Street of saloon facades, two vast ski areas and the Utah Olympic Park built for the 2002 Winter Games.
💡 Park at a park-and-ride and take the town's free buses, which serve Main Street and the base areas. In summer, the chairlifts carry hikers and bikes up the slopes. The Utah Olympic Park museums are free. Price: free access to the town and museums, passes and activities extra.
claralieu / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Day 5
Learn moreMore
The largest island in the Great Salt Lake, reached by an 11 km causeway, home to some 800 bison, pronghorn and bighorn sheep, with a beach where you float effortlessly.
💡 Come at the end of the day for the sunset over the lake, and avoid late May and June, the biting gnat season. Bring fresh water to rinse off after swimming; the beach has showers. The park opens from 6 am to 10 pm. Price: $15, about €13, per vehicle for up to eight people, $3, about €2.60, on foot or by bike.
dconvertini / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Day 6
Learn moreMore
A perfectly flat white salt crust of 12,000 hectares near the Nevada border, a relic of the Ice Age Lake Bonneville, where land speed records have been set since the early 20th century.
💡 Leave the I-80 at the Bonneville Salt Flats rest area or at exit 4, near Wendover, and only drive on the salt where it is allowed: the crust gives way when wet and vehicles get stuck, and driving on it is prohibited in spring. Allow two hours' drive from Salt Lake City, and wash the car afterwards. Price: free.
Mx. Granger / CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)"Book" (hotels) and "via GetYourGuide" (activities) are affiliate links (Booking, GetYourGuide). Prices, times and distances are approximate.
Take this plan everywhere
Download your itinerary (Salt Lake City) as a PDF: day by day, activities, times and where to stay. Matches the length you chose.
Don't feel like organising everything? A local partner travel agent can set it all up for you (flights, hotels, activities). We pass on your preferences and they call you back. Free and with no obligation.
Good to know before you go
🍽️ Must-try food
Burgers and barbecue
brisket and ribs cooked low and slow, done differently in every state.
Clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl
the classic lunch on the San Francisco waterfront.
Mexican food
tacos from a truck in Los Angeles, a Mission burrito in San Francisco.
Pancakes and weekend brunch
a national habit, generous to the point of excess.
Craft beer, and California wine from Napa and Sonoma.
Dishes to look for in the good places: Salt Lake City.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Tipping is not optional: add 15 to 20% in restaurants and bars.
- Prices on menus and in shops exclude sales tax, which is added at the till.
- Do not plan more than four or five hours of driving a day: the distances are larger than they look on the map.
- Never travel without health insurance. A night in hospital can cost thousands of dollars.
- In summer, do not hike down into the Grand Canyon in the heat of the day: the climb back out is where people get into trouble.
Have you thought of…?
The little details that make all the difference once you're there.
Similar itineraries
📄 See the full guide: Salt Lake City, detailed month-by-month weather, budget, what to avoid and FAQ.