Salt Lake City is a popular destination for people starting an outdoor vacation in Utah or Wyoming. So whether you’re visiting Salt Lake City or just stopping by on your way to Grand Teton or Arches National Park, these are our favorite things to do in the city.
When To Visit Salt Lake City?
We think the best times to visit Salt Lake City are in the spring and fall. You’ll find nice mild temperatures and the prices will be lower as this isn’t a popular tourist time.
Winter is ski season. If you’re interested in hitting the slopes, there really isn’t a better time of place than Salt Lake in the winter. There are some amazing mountains only a short drive from town. However, if spending your days on the hills isn’t something you’re interested in doing, winter weather and prices may shock. Prices are inflated during ski season. And the weather at the higher altitude can prevent you from spending much time outdoors.
Summer is a popular season to visit Salt Lake City. And as such prices can be higher than normal. You’ll also find higher than normal temperatures. Additionally, Salt Lake City is surrounded on all sides by mountains. In the summer on calm days, smog can settles in the valley and create a problem for visibility and air quality.
How Much Time Should You Spend in Salt Lake City?
We recommend spending two days in Salt Lake City. This town makes for a great base camp for other Utah adventures. There are plenty of things to do in Salt Lake City. However, most people come here to experience the natural wonder of Utah and so we recommend keeping your visit to Salt Lake short so you can save that valuable vacation time and spend in on some of the amazing National Parks in Utah.
Getting There and Around
The Salt Lake City International Airport is the best option for arriving in Salt Lake. Prices into this airport are generally inexpensive compared to other U.S. destinations.
Salt Lake City has an impressive public transportation system – which is extra impressive by American standards. The Trax is the light rail system that operates throughout the city. It is free to use in the downtown area and fee based outside of this area. It’s easy to navigate as well.
Once arriving in Salt Lake City, you actually don’t need a car to get around town. If you’re following our Salt Lake City itinerary, you can see it all by using the Trax. However, some of the best things to do in Salt Lake City lie on the outskirts of town in the more natural areas. So if you are interested in seeing these things, we recommend having a car or planning on paying for taxis or ride shares to these destinations.
However, if you’re using Salt Lake City as a base for your other Utah adventures, you’ll definitely want to rent a car to get to them all. There are tours that operate out of Salt Lake City to all of the best Utah destinations. However, we think the best way to see them is at your own pace.
Top Things To Do In Salt Lake City
Historical Things to Do In Salt Lake City
Temple Square
Cost: FREE
Temple Square is consistently on the top of the lists of things to do in Salt Lake City. Because it is so iconically Salt Lake. At Temple Square you can see some important pieces of the Mormon history and culture. And the best part – they’re all located in the same geographical SQUARE 😉
The Salt Lake Temple is the most beautiful of the buildings here. It is an important active church in the LDS faith. Only active members can enter, but us tourists can admire it from the outside.
The Salt Lake Tabernacle, home of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, is also located here. Additionally, you may take in a concert or practice at the Assembly Hall. Check out the schedule for free performances here. Beehive House, the home of Brigham Young, is another building worth stopping at. If you’re really into genealogy, bring your unanswered questions and visit the Family History Library, the largest genealogy library in the country.
And while you definitely want to make sure you see some of the great historical buildings here, the best part about Temple Square is the grounds. They are beautiful year round.
Time: 2-4 hours
Capitol Hill
Cost: FREE
Not every capitol building is worth visiting. But this one is. Utah’s state capitol is a grand and historical building. The best part of a visit is taking one of the free guided tours. They are really informative and the guides are entertaining.
Time: 1 hour
Things to do with the Family
Natural History Museum of Utah
Cost: $19.95/adult
Utah really is a giant sandbox. And the Museum of Natural History has dug up that sandbox and presented the artifacts to you. From fossils and dinosaurs on display to the amazing history of the original inhabitants, you’ll find fun bits of history for you to interact with in this family oriented museum.
Time: 2-4 hours
Salt Lake City Public Library
Cost: FREE
Exploring a library may not appeal to everyone. I know I’m a librarian and am biased. But the Salt Lake City Public Library is an architectural masterpiece. It is a beautiful open space with amazing views of the city from the rooftop gardens. It’s definitely a great stop if you’re looking to just enjoy the vibes of the town.
Time: 30 minutes
Utah Museum of Fine Arts
Cost: $17.95/adult
Every large city has an art museum. And Salt Lake City is no exception. If you like art, you’ll enjoy wandering the galleries here to see the art from the area and the world.
Time: 1-2 hours
Hogle Zoo
Cost: $19.95/adult
If you’re a lover of zoos, this is a great one. There are so many different types of animals to see here and the exhibits are beautifully laid out. This is a great way to spend the afternoon with the family.
Time: 2-4 hours
Thanksgiving Point
Cost: varies
Thanksgiving Point is a top tourist destination in Salt Lake City for families. This is because it has so many different types of activities all make their home here. You’ll find a movie theater, shops, a petting zoo, a butterfly garden and a gold course. Along with plenty of popular restaurants!
Time: varies
Clark Planetarium
Cost: FREE
Get an out of this world experience right in the heart of Salt Lake City. Visit the planetarium for tours of the night sky along with IMAX presentations of space. There are also plenty of exhibits about the science and history of space to explore here. An educational thing to do in Salt Lake City for the whole family.
Time: 2-4 hours
Things to do Outdoors
Ensign Peak
Cost: FREE
This short and easy hike is one of the most popular things to do in Salt Lake City. This half mile uphill walk will bring you great expansive views of the city. This is a popular hike so don’t expect to be one with nature – instead you’ll be one of many with nature.
Time: 1 hour
Liberty Park
Cost: FREE
This is the largest park and one of the best places to visit in Salt Lake City. You’ll find plenty of bike and walking trails throughout the park in addition to fun places to stop. Some of the best attractions in the park are the aviary, the Chase Mill, a swimming pool and a museum. Rent bikes at outfitters outside of the park and spend the morning biking around and seeing the different attractions in the park.
Time: 1-6 hours
Red Butte Garden
Cost: $14/adult
These are some of the most beautiful gardens we’ve ever visited and one of our favorite things to do in Salt Lake City. These beautifully manicured gardens are at the base of the Wasatch mountains and are a stunning place to visit.
Time: 2-4 hours
Kennecott Mine
Cost: FREE
Who doesn’t love a good World’s Largest – and in Salt Lake city you can see the world’s largest man-made hole. You can visit the visitors center at the mine to learn about the operation there – and maybe even visit in time for viewing a controlled blast. Or you can drive to the top of the mine and get a birds eye view of this big hole.
Time: 2 hours
Things to do outside of Salt Lake City
The Great Salt Lake
Cost: FREE
The Great Salt Lake lies just outside of Salt Lake City. It not only makes the list of the best things to do in Salt Lake City, but it also gives the city its name. You can go boating, fishing and swimming in this lake. Because of the high levels of salt in this lake, swimming here can be fun as your body floats much easier than in fresh water.
Time: 1-5 hours
Antelope Island
Cost: $15/vehicle
Located along the shores of the Great Salt Lake, is antelope island. While the Great Salt Lake is one of the main attractions here, we think the coolest part of this park is the heard of bison that roams free on the island. You can bike or drive around the island and view these majestic creatures, along with a large variety of bird species that come for the fish and brine shrimp in the lake.
Time: 2 hours
Olympic Park
Cost: $10/person
This park was built for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. Now, you can see all of the arenas for these activities and participate in some fun seasonal activities. You’ll find ski jumping year round and fun winter activities like bobsledding and skeleton luging.
Time: varies
Bonneville Salt Flats
Cost: FREE
There are beautiful salt flats just outside of Salt Lake City and this is one of the most popular things to do in Salt Lake City. A short drive outside of town will bring you to these wide open expanses of white salty ground. Here, you can view the never-ending stretches in front of you or you can drive out onto the flats if you bring motorcycles or ORVs.
Time: 1-4 hours
Utah Adventures To Add On To Your Salt Lake City Visit
Arches National Park
Aches National Park has been in our top five favorite National Parks since we first visited over 10 years ago. The amazing natural arches and the red rocks make this a breathtaking and unique park. Check out our guide to the park here to help you add it on to your Salt Lake City vacation.
Canyonlands National Park
Canyonland National Park is a great place to visit for those looking to experience the wide open expanses of Utah. Canyonlands is a great after-city add on to your Salt Lake vacation for those who are looking to cleanse themselves with some time in nature. Check out our 1-day Canyonland itinerary here.
Weekend in Moab
If you are looking to visit Moab, the playground of Utah, check out our post for a great two day Moab itinerary. This is a great addition to your Salt Lake City vacation.
What To Budget For A Salt Lake City Vacation
Salt Lake City can be a pretty budget friendly vacation for a larger metropolitan area.
Hotels here average $190/night. Vacation rentals are even cheaper with the average being $130/night. There are also a ton of camping areas outside of the city in the many parks and public lands. Camp site will range from FREE-$30/night, depending on the site.
Meals should cost around $16 for an average sit-down style meal. There are plenty of hole-in-the-wall restaurants in Salt Lake that are cheap and amazing. We fell in love with some dives when we lived here so definitely try them out. Our rule of thumb: any restaurant with someones first name in the name or a pig on the sign is a winner.
Transportation in Salt Lake City can be incredibly cheap. If you plan on using the Trax system, there are free rides within the main tourist district. So if you want to save in this area, consider spending more on your accommodations to get closer to the attractions. Outside of this, Trax tickets cost $5/day. If you plan to rent your own car, $60/day is the average for a car. Gas in Utah is generally near the US average.
On thing to note about your Salt Lake City vacation budget, in general, the farther from the center of town you travel, the cheaper the restaurants and activities get. So staying in the center of town while exploring the city, will save you on transportation but you may wind up paying more to keep yourself entertained.
Safety
Salt Lake City is a relatively safe area. Petty crime is common in popular tourist areas so make sure to keep your valuables out of sight and your car locked up.
Salt Lake City can get very hot in the summer. So make sure to pack plenty of water when doing outdoor activities and make sure you have plenty of coolant in your car to keep it from overheating.
We hope that this list of our favorite things to do in Salt Lake City has helped you to plan your own vacation. If you have any questions or think we’ve left anything out, please leave a comment below and we’ll be happy to help. We want you to enjoy this amazing city as much as we did when we lived there.
