1. Tabernacle Choir Experience + Salt Lake City Tour

For most visitors this is likely the tour you should put at the top of your list…but only if your trip to Utah includes Sunday or Thursday, with Sunday being the best experience.

This 3.5-hour tour combines the top sightseeing attractions of Salt Lake City (see #2 tour below for details) with a stop to hear the world-famous Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square (formerly known as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir) in the longest continuously running network broadcast in the world. It operates only on Sunday morning (a live broadcast concert) and Thursday evening (a rehearsal). The tour is fully narrated, travels a 15 mile loop around the city through historic districts, includes stops where you can explore off the bus and of course a one hour stop to hear the Tabernacle Choir at the historic Tabernacle auditorium at Temple Square (or the Conference Center auditorium during the peak summer tourist season to accommodate large crowds).

The tour bus departs from the Radisson Downtown Salt Lake City Hotel (215 W South Temple, paid parking available for $5-10 across the street in a public parking lot) at 8:30am on Sunday or 5:00pm on Sunday. Be advised that there is no meal stop on the tour, which isn’t a concern on the Sunday tour because it ends at noon; but if you’re taking the Thursday night tour you’ll need to eat either a very early dinner before the tour begins at 5:00pm or a very late dinner when it ends at 8:30pm. Advanced reservations are required, book direct online.

2. “Ultimate Salt Lake City Tour”

This is actually the longest-running sightseeing tour in Salt Lake City, for nearly 50 years. If you’re not in Utah on Sunday morning or Thursday evening to catch the #1 tour above (or if perhaps you don’t care to hear the Tabernacle Choir), then this would be the guided tour to take. It operates daily at 10:00am Monday through Saturday, year-round. **But during the peak tourism season there are additional tours in the afternoon and on Sundays. Check availability by clicking our red button to see what’s running on the dates you’re in Utah.

In 2.5 hours you’ll cover a 15 mile loop that’s a mix of driving and exploring off the bus, including an opportunity to hear the famous pipe organ at Temple Square. Other significant stops include a scenic overlook of the city, a pioneer monument on the mountainside, and a real gem is the Utah state capitol (pictured to the left).

This is by far the most efficient way to get a great overview of Salt Lake City. Many visitors are in town for no more than a single day so this would offer you the best bang for your buck. If you are staying for multiple days then this would be “the best first thing to do.” Reservations are required and can be made online.

3. Trolley Adventure Show-Tour of Salt Lake City

Perhaps you’ve taken trolley tours in other cities before? Well this is NOT that. Its not a hop-on hop-off tour and it’s not a traditional bus tour either. It’s quite unique and as the name says, it’s a combination of a tour and a show (like a play at a theater or something you’d see at Disney World). The vehicle is a colorfully restored trolley streetcar replica and the tour guides are stage actors and musicians who combine elements of their tradecraft (acting out skits, comedy routines, musical performances) with historical information and stories about Salt Lake City. I wouldn’t say 100% of people who do this hybrid sightseeing show experience love it…just maybe 96%. It’s probably the most unique sightseeing tour you’ll ever find.

This “Show-Tour” travels several miles around downtown (not as extensive as the above two tours) and the length is 1.5 hours. The experience is mostly about what happens inside the trolley, you’ll spend more time watching the costumed guides and forget there’s even anything outside the windows to look at. A box of Cracker Jacks and a glass bottled Coca Cola were served as refreshments. This is a seasonal experience that operates May through early October, Monday through Saturday at 10:30am and 1:30pm.

To sum it up in a single phrase, the other sightseeing tours on this list will take you to see and hear about the attractions of Salt Lake City, whereas this Trolley Adventure is unto itself an attraction of Salt Lake City. If Walt Disney made a sightseeing tour, this would probably be it. Reservations are required.

4. Utah Copper Mine Tour

This has been the most popular thing for visitors to see outside of downtown Salt Lake City for decades. The Bingham Canyon Copper Mine is a lot of things: the largest man-made hole on earth, the richest copper mine in history, the world’s first open-pit copper mine, and “the Richest Hole on Earth!” This 3.5 to 4-hour tour departs from downtown Salt Lake City at 1:00 PM and travels about 50 minutes southwest of the city to the Oquirrh Mountains. This is an active mine that operates nonstop so when you enter this open-pit copper mine you’ll see dump trucks the size of two story houses and shovels several stories tall. The observation deck has several pieces of mammoth-sized mining equipment on display for you to stand next to (or inside) for photos. The professional tour guide will narrate everything from the history of the mine to the science and daily operations to fun facts. This is the top sightseeing experience for most visitors who want to get out of the city for a few hours. Reservations are required and seating is very limited so book your tour early.

5. “Mysteries of the Great Salt Lake" Tour by Bus

Known as “America’s Dead Sea” because few lakes in the world, such as the famous Dead Sea, are saltier than Great Salt Lake. It’s also the largest lake in the Western United States. Too salty for fish and too salty to sink in, swimming in this lake gives the sensation of floating on an invisible inner tube!

It’s important to manage expectations for this experience. The science and history of this lake are fascinating, but don’t expect a bustling atmosphere with many swimmers and people lounging on the beach. A lot will depend on the time of year you visit Utah. The lake has a somewhat undeserved reputation for smelling of sulfur and being overrun by tiny (but non-biting) flies; this occurs mainly in the peak of summer heat during July and August, and most of the year the smell is incredibly mild and the flies are absent. It can be quite a beautiful lake most of the year!

The visitor experience that the State of Utah has created at this attraction is quite modest, which makes having your own tour guide with you a very valuable thing. Should you drive yourself to the lake and opt for a self-guided experience then you’re likely to feel a bit underwhelmed. You’ll have a better experience if you take a guided tour…and if you appreciate the tranquil beauty of the desert landscape. While most visitors don’t swim, those who do will find it’s a once-in-a-lifetime, unique experience. If you’re of the mindset, “I just can’t go to Salt Lake City and NOT see the famous Great Salt Lake!” then you’ll find this an enjoyable and worthwhile tour. Departures for this 2-hour tour are daily from downtown at 2:30pm. Make reservations online.