Utah's Mighty Five National Parks With Private Guide

After your arrival at Salt Lake City, please pick up your luggage in the baggage claim area, where your driver will be waiting with a sign displaying your name.

Overnight Salt Lake City.

Accommodation: Hilton Salt Lake City Center

Your trip starts today when your guide picks you up from your Salt Lake City hotel for your journey to Canyonlands National Park, a mesmerizing drive through the heart of Utah's red rock country. The road weaves through an almost Martian landscape, adorned with towering sandstone mesas and deep canyons, creating a surreal canvas of nature's artistry. The drive lasts about 4 hours, during which your guide shares plenty of interesting facts and you can decide if you wish to take a break at any given time. Upon reaching Canyonlands, the landscape unfolds into a breathtaking panorama of vast canyons carved by the Colorado River, dividing the park into four districts: Island in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze, and the rivers themselves. Before heading to Moab to check into your hotel and if time permits, a brief detour to Dead Horse Point State Park unveils a cinematic view of the Colorado River's serpentine course, encapsulating the sheer magnitude of the red rock amphitheater. The view from Dead Horse Point epitomizes the sublime beauty of the American Southwest, with immense vertical cliffs and canyons that have been carved by ice, water, and wind.

This is a privately guided tour, which means that you can discuss the starting time every day with your private guide. However, we recommend an 8:00 am start as there is so much to see every day.

Overnight Moab

Accommodation: Hoodoo Moab, Curio Collection by Hilton

Following breakfast, meet your guide again and get ready to visit another one of Utah’s Mighty Five National Parks. Today it is Arches National Park, another amazing drive through the heart of Utah's red rock wonders. The landscape appears to transform itself into a scene of geological marvels, with rusty-hued mesas and buttes standing as sentinels to nature's artistry. The approach to Arches is heralded by the awe-inspiring La Sal Mountains, a dramatic backdrop that accentuates the stark beauty of the desert. Upon entering the park, a kaleidoscope of more than 2,000 natural stone arches unveils itself, each sculpted by eons of wind and water. Delicate Arch, an iconic and graceful formation, frames the horizon like a colossal stone sculpture against the sky. Trails meander through the surreal landscape, inviting exploration beneath towering fins and colossal balanced rocks. Sunset paints the arches with a warm glow, casting a magical ambiance over this geological masterpiece. Depending on how long you wish to explore the park, you also have the option to experience the thrill of the fiery hues of the desert landscape at sunset by taking a 2-hour Sunset Slickrock Hummer tour. Experience the world-famous Hell’s Revenge Trail, which is guaranteed to raise your eyebrows, taking you over impossibly steep terrain and demonstrating what a Hummer can do. It’s well worth it and you should consider timing your day accordingly.

This is a privately guided tour, which means that you can discuss the starting time every day with your private guide. However, we recommend an 8:00 am start as there is so much to see every day.

Overnight Moab

Today is simply another magical day, traversing one of the most captivating landscapes imaginable, as you are travelling along the eastern edge of the San Rafael Swell on scenic Highway 24.

The journey towards Torrey unveils an ever-changing panorama, and a detour to Goblin Valley State Park reveals an enchanting realm of whimsical hoodoos – eerie, mushroom-shaped rock formations that stir the imagination. Your guide normally suggests spending an hour exploring the goblin formations. Continuing towards Torrey, the route leads to Capitol Reef National Park, a hidden gem defined by the Waterpocket Fold, a nearly 100-mile warp in the Earth's crust. The drive winds through orchards, past towering cliffs, and along the Fremont River. Ask your guide about unique stops on the way and remember that you are going to have a full day in the park tomorrow. It’s a good idea to discuss with your guide how to best divide your activities. Your overnight stop is Torrey, nestled against the backdrop of the Wayne Wonderland, which welcomes weary travelers with its small-town charm. A perfect place to reflect on the ethereal landscapes of Goblin Valley and your first glimpse of the geological wonders of Capitol Reef.

This is a privately guided tour, which means that you can discuss the starting time every day with your private guide. However, we recommend an 8:00 am start as there is so much to see every day.

Overnight Torrey

Accommodation: Hotel Red Sands

Capitol Reef is normally less crowded, which means you can enjoy the peace and serenity of 'getting lost' with your guide for a day. Exploring Capitol Reef National Park is an immersion into a geological wonderland. A scenic drive weaves through a labyrinth of towering monoliths, each bearing witness to millions of years of geological evolution. Hiking trails beckon, such as the iconic Hickman Bridge or the surreal Capitol Gorge, where narrow sandstone walls enclose a passage through time. Petroglyphs etched by ancient hands whisper stories of the Fremont people, adding a layer of mystique to the already enchanting landscape. Discuss these possibilities with your guide as it all depends on the time available and the level of your physical ability and spirit of adventure. Come sunset, the cliffs and spires transform into a kaleidoscope of colors and under this celestial theater, stargazers are treated to magnificent vistas as the Milky Way unfurls its luminous tapestry.

This is a privately guided tour, which means that you can discuss the starting time every day with your private guide. However, we recommend an 8:00 am start as there is so much to see every day.

Overnight Torrey.

Today your guide takes you along one of the most beautiful stretches of road in Utah on scenic highway 12 between Capitol Reef National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park, a trip of about 2.5 hours. The drive leads southward, unveiling expansive vistas of the Wayne Wonderland, a landscape characterized by red rock cliffs and sweeping desert panoramas. Arriving at Bryce Canyon National Park you find a surreal realm where crimson hoodoos reach into the azure sky. You can hike to the base of the amphitheater along the paved Navajo Loop trail through the Queen's Garden or enjoy the magnificent canyon from one of the rim viewpoints. It is simply stunning. Continuing eastward along Highway 12, you travel through the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The highway winds through a mosaic of rugged canyons, sculpted cliffs, and expansive plateaus, offering breathtaking vistas at every turn. Approaching the east gate of Zion National Park, the landscape unveils red rock monoliths and the towering cliffs of Checkerboard Mesa announce the gateway to Zion. The 2-hour drive to Zion from Bryce Canyon traverses the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway, where hairpin turns and a tunnel cut through the rock to reveal the canyon's majesty, culminating in the iconic switchbacks, a technical marvel, leading to the valley floor. By now you are, of course, fully aware that one could easily spend more than a couple of days in each of the parks. As you are going to have a full day in the park tomorrow, discuss with your guide how to plan your explorations.

This is a privately guided tour, which means that you can discuss the starting time every day with your private guide. However, we recommend an 8:00 am start as there is so much to see every day.

Overnight Springdale

Accommodation: Cliffrose Springdale, Curio Collection by Hilton

Today you have all day to explore the park with your guide. Zion National Park is etched into the heart of Utah, offering visitors breathtaking experiences and awe-inspiring vistas. The monumental sandstone cliffs of the park soar to dizzying heights, seemingly casting a spell. The Zion-Mount Carmel Highway snakes through the landscape, revealing iconic landmarks such as the Checkerboard Mesa and the awe-inducing switchbacks that descend into the valley. Electing to hike the Narrows offers an experience to walk back through time as you cross and hike through the Virgin River that crafted the beautiful canyons in the park. There are plenty of adrenalin-inducing possibilities but, of course, they are all based on the time available, your physical ability and sense of adventure. Meanwhile, the Emerald Pools trails unveil lush oases amid the arid landscape, where waterfalls cascade down mossy alcoves, creating an oasis in the desert and Weeping Rock invites contemplation amid the park's grandeur. The Court of the Patriarchs, a trio of monolithic peaks named after biblical figures, form their towering presence over the valley, adding an almost sacred aura to the landscape. As the day transitions to night, like Bryce Canyon, Zion turns into a stargazer's paradise. At the end of your day, you might agree that in Zion National Park, every turn in the trail, every looming monolith, and every whisper of the wind seems to narrate a story. Some visitors have called it a pilgrimage through one of nature's most exquisite cathedrals.

This is a privately guided tour, which means that you can discuss the starting time every day with your private guide. However, we recommend an 8:00 am start as there is so much to see every day.

Overnight Springdale

Today your amazing trip exploring Utah’s Mighty Five ends, as you return to Salt Lake City airport. Talk to your guide about any last unique spots enroute that, time permitting, are worth a stop. Approaching Salt Lake City, the iconic Wasatch Range welcomes travelers with its towering peaks, providing a breathtaking backdrop to the cosmopolitan city nestled at its feet. If time allows - before reaching the airport - a detour to the Great Salt Lake presents a surreal experience, where the vast expanse of salt flats and the lake's serene beauty create a poetic finale to this picturesque journey. Otherwise simply sit back and relax as your guide transfers you to Salt Lake City Airport for your departing flight.

This is a privately guided tour, which means that you can discuss the starting time with your private guide. This being the last day of the trip your starting time, however, needs to be based on the time of your scheduled flight departure from Salt Lake City.