Salt Lake City Travelers Recommend

With three days in Salt Lake City, there’s plenty of time to see all the main attractions in and around the city, from the historic sights and museums to Olympic venues, ski resorts, and the Great Salt Lake. Here are some suggestions for how to make the most out of three days in Salt Lake City.  

Day 1: Salt Lake City Sightseeing

Get a quick introduction to the history of Salt Lake City with a tour of Temple Square, the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (formerly known as the Mormon Church). Explore the gardens, religious buildings, and visitor centers on your own, or opt for a guided tour. You can also enjoy a free organ recital in the Tabernacle (performances occur every day of the week); if you’re visiting on a Sunday, make sure to catch a live performance of the Tabernacle Choir. Afterward, stroll over to the Lion House Pantry, in the former home of Brigham Young, and enjoy some traditional ‘Mormon comfort food.’ 

In the afternoon, take a hop-on hop-off bus tour of the city to see other notable attractions, like the Utah State Capitol, Red Butte Garden, and This is the Place Heritage Park. In the evening, return to the downtown area for dinner or a brewery tour.

Day 2: Natural History and Art

Spend your second day exploring Salt Lake’s vast selection of arts and cultural museums. If you want to learn more about Mormon history, check out the Church History Museum near Temple Square. The museum is dedicated to the Mormon pioneers' trek to Utah and contains artifacts related to church history as well as a collection of art by Mormon artists.  

Alternatively, head to the Natural History Museum of Utah to see life-size dinosaur displays and explore a fascinating archaeological collection, or spend some time admiring the huge collection of American Indian art at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. If you’re visiting with children, spend the day at the Leonardo (a museum dedicated to creativity and innovation), Discovery Gateway, Clark Planetarium, or Utah’s Hogle Zoo for some family-friendly fun. You can also opt to spend the afternoon visiting Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake.  

Day 3: The Wasatch Mountains and Park City

On your final day, head up into the Wasatch Mountains and see why Salt Lake City is one of the country’s top outdoor recreation destinations. Depending on the season, you can ski, snowshoe, hike, mountain bike, or just enjoy the views of the Wasatch Range. For some of the best vistas, take a scenic ride on the Snowbird Aerial Tram to the top of Hidden Peak. 

Next, visit Park City, a former ghost town turned resort town that is home to the annual Sundance Film Festival. You can also take a tour of nearby Utah Olympic Park to see many of the venue’s used in the 2002 Winter Olympics. Visitors can stand on top of the world’s largest ski jump and even book a bobsled ride. Browse the high-end galleries and boutiques on Park City’s Main Street, and enjoy dinner in one of the town’s famed restaurants. 

With just one day in Salt Lake City, you have plenty of time to tour the city’s historic sights, enjoy a trip into the mountains, and experience some of the evening culture. Here’s how to get the most out of Salt Lake City in just one day. 

Morning: Explore Temple Square

Take a crash course in Salt Lake City history with a tour of Temple Square. See the largest Mormon temple in the world and hear the story of how Brigham Young and the Mormon pioneers built a city in the desert. Stroll through the gardens of Temple Square and tour the Salt Lake City Tabernacle, known for its remarkable acoustics and impressive pipe organ. Visit on a Sunday to see a live performance of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir or come any day for the free organ recital offered daily. Enjoy lunch at the Lion House, the former home of Brigham Young. 

Afternoon: Head to the Mountains

No matter how short your trip to Salt Lake City, a trip up into the mountains is a must. Take a scenic ride to Big Cottonwood Canyon and stop for a short hike around Silver Lake. For the best views in the Wasatch Mountains, head up Little Cottonwood Canyon and take the Snowbird Ski Resort Tram to the top of Hidden Peak at 11,000 feet (3,353 meters). Alternatively, hike to the top of Ensign Peak, located just behind the Utah State Capitol, and enjoy panoramic views of the Salt Lake Valley. 

Evening: Brewery Tours and Sporting Events

Salt Lake City is often thought of as a dry city (it's not; the laws have changed). As part of that change, small craft breweries are popping up all over downtown. Visit Salt Lake’s first microbrewery, Squatters Pub, or take a guided brewery tour and learn about Utah’s burgeoning craft-beer scene. Other evening options include watching the sunset over the Great Salt Lake, catching a Utah Jazz basketball game downtown, or heading back to Temple Square to tour the festival holiday lights in winter. City Creek Center, across the street from Temple Square, offers restaurants with plenty of kid-friendly options.

Two days in Salt Lake City gives you enough time to explore the main tourist sights and venture out into the natural beauty that surrounds the city. You learn about the town's history and sample some of the best outdoor recreation spots in the country. Here’s how to make the most of your two-day trip to Salt Lake City. 

Day 1: Salt Lake City Highlights

**Morning:**Get acquainted with the history of Salt Lake City on a quick tour of the headquarters of the Mormon Church at Temple Square. Opt for a guided tour or explore the gardens and museums on your own. Don’t miss the free organ recital offered daily in the Salt Lake Tabernacle. 

**Afternoon:**After lunch in the former home of Brigham Young, the Lion House, head out to Antelope Island on Great Salt Lake. Antelope Island is the lake's largest island and is accessible via a causeway from the mainland. Hike, bike, or horseback ride and see the buffalo that call this island home.   

**Night:**Stay on Antelope Island for sunset to see the colors of the sky reflect off this vast lake. Back in Salt Lake City, explore the dining options downtown. If you visit on a Thursday, listen to a choir rehearsal at the Tabernacle. 

Day 2: The Wasatch Mountains and Park City

**Morning:**If you visit in winter, opt to spend the entire day skiing in one of the nine resorts within an hour’s drive from the city. Alternatively, take a scenic drive up Little or Big Cottonwood Canyons and enjoy a hike or mountain bike ride. 

**Afternoon:**From Big Cottonwood Canyon, make the spectacular drive over Guardsman Pass Scenic Byway (closed in winter) to Park City, a former mining town and home to the Sundance Film Festival. View the venues for the 2002 Winter Olympics, tour the Olympic museum, and even take a bobsled ride at Utah Olympic Park. 

**Night:**Spend the evening browsing the glitzy shops, galleries, and high-end boutiques on Park City’s Main Street. Visit one of the distilleries, breweries, or ski town pubs for happy tour and then choose to have dinner at one of the area restaurants, which range from gourmet bistros to burrito spots and pizza by the slice shops. 

Settled in 1847 by Brigham Young and his band of Mormon pioneers, Salt Lake City is renowned for its Mormon legacy, which forms an important part of Utah’s heritage. Today, Salt Lake City is home to a number of significant Mormon sites. Here’s what you need to know to explore the capital’s Mormon past.

Mormon History

Salt Lake City is the well-known center of Mormonism, the official religion of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS). Temple Square is the site of LDS world headquarters and features the Salt Lake Temple and Assembly Hall. But the Salt Lake Valley’s immigrant history really begins on what is now the Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail, a 1,300-mile (2,092-kilometer) route used by Mormons to escape religious persecution in the 19th century.

Ways to Experience Mormon History in Salt Lake City

• Start your discovery at the Church History Museum, where exhibits chronicle the arrival and settlement of Mormon pioneers in Salt Lake City.

• At the Salt Lake Tabernacle in Temple Square, see the award-winning Mormon Tabernacle Choir perform accompanied by the impressive Tabernacle Organ.

• Sightseeing tours typically visit This Is the Place Heritage Park, which features a re-created pioneer village. 

• Just outside the city, Pioneer Park marks the location of Salt Lake’s first pioneer campsite, while Ensign Peak is a striking lookout where the pioneer leaders first surveyed the city.  

• Hiking parts of the Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail is also a popular choice. Nearby landmarks include Emigration Canyon, the point where the pioneers entered Salt Lake Valley and now a National Historic Landmark.