In 2002, Utah hosted the Winter Olympics at venues primarily in Salt Lake City and Park City. The games were a spectacle with the world watching, very different from how things were in 1847 when pioneers arrived to settle the area. On this tour, we’ll delve into these stories and everything in between, from the first peoples to live in Utah to the tech of Silicon Slopes. This tour includes both Utah’s capitol city and its ski capitol. By the end of the tour, you may even want to move here.
At your hotel
This tour can begin and end in either Salt Lake City or Park City, depending on your preference and where you're staying.
We'll begin in Historic Park City, home to the Sundance Film Festival and the largest ski area in the United States. While in Park City, you'll learn about its mining heritage and unique charm. We'll drive down Main Street and see other historic sites related to this history.
Before leaving Park City, we'll visit Utah Olympic Park, which is an official US Olympic Team training venue. At the park, you'll see the ski jumps and slick track from the 2002 games. If we're lucky, we may get to see someone on the track doing a run in bobsleigh, luge, or skeleton. At the park, we'll visit the 2002 Winter Olympic Games museum and Alf Engen Ski Museum for a glimpse into Utah's ski industry and more. If you would like and it is available, you may even take your turn riding in a bobsled on the track. This can be available all year.
Located at the place where Brigham Young and around 50,000 other Mormon Pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley, this monument is the largest of its kind in the western United States celebrating Utah's settlement. We'll see the monument and get an introduction to the history and culture of Utah.
We'll drive by Rice-Eccles Stadium and the Olympic cauldron, Liberty Park, and Trolley Square. We'll also drive down South Temple Street where we'll see the Salt Lake Masonic Temple, the Cathedral of the Madeleine, the First Presbyterian Church, the Governor's Mansion, and the Enos Wall Mansion.
We'll get lunch at Salt Lake's favorite Mexican restaurant's City Creek Center food court location.
The heart of Salt Lake City and the headquarters for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. On Historic Temple Square, you'll take a tour of the Assembly Hall and Salt Lake Tabernacle and learn the history of and purpose of the Salt Lake Temple. We'll also see the 21,000-seat Conference Center, Joseph Smith Memorial Building, Beehive House, and more.
On Capitol Hill, we'll go inside the magnificent Utah State Capitol Building, one of the largest and most beautiful in the country. At the capitol, you'll learn about Utah's history with women's rights and about some of its icons. You'll also see Council Hall and other monuments on the capitol's grounds.
We'll continue up the hill from the capitol building to Ensign Peak. If the weather is good, we'll go on a short walk up to Vista Mound at Ensign Peak Park for amazing views of the Salt Lake Valley.
After Ensign Peak, we'll drive through the city for a few more sights as time permits on route back to your hotel or other desired drop-off location.
At your hotel
Guide fee
Hotel pick-up and drop-off in Salt Lake City or Park City
Transportation and fuel (during the tour)
Bottled water
Lunch
Admissions (as necessary)
Souvenirs
Additional Personal Expenses
Optional activities
For larger groups, an additional fee will be charged to rent a vehicle large enough for the group unless the group provides the vehicle.
I'm happy to be a step-on guide for larger groups.
Comfortable walking shoes are recommended as we will be getting out and walking at several points along the tour. You will also want a light jacket or sweater as temperatures can be very different in Park City from Salt Lake City.
I will have complimentary bottled water and snacks in the car.
Please note that times are estimates. Depending on availability and other factors, times and even access to locations on the itinerary are subject to change.
Also, I can tailor this tour to your requests including specific interests (art, architecture, religious heritage, military history, sports, etc.), mobility issues, etc. Please contact me to customize this tour for you.
This depends on the weather and time of year. If you're traveling in Utah in the summer, you'll want to be prepared for hot temperatures for when outside including at This Is the Place Monument, on Temple Square, and when we hike up to the overlook on Ensign Peak. For winter, you'll want layers that you can remove when inside. I try to send a message a few days before the tour to let you know the expected forecast.
For shoes, where something comfortable to walk in.
The tour will continue as planned unless extreme driving conditions exist in Parley's Canyon that would not allow for safe or timely travel between Salt Lake City and Park City. Bringing an umbrella and rain jacket or coat will help keep you dry. Of course, per your request, we can also leave outdoor activities to a minimum during the tour.
Yes. I've taken guests of all capabilities to many of these sites. Most are equipped with accessible ramps and other features. I take the tour at your pace, so if a member of your group is slower than average or has health complications that impede their movement such as heart disease or severe asthma, we will take breaks or can even limit the amount of time we walk. We can adjust the tour to your needs and capabilities. Please note that there is room in my vehicle for walkers and other walking aids, we would need to rent a larger vehicle if other movement aids are necessary. Also, at Temple Square, we should be able to borrow a manual wheelchair for guests who struggle with walking or standing for prolonged periods of time.
If you or any member of your party has mobility issues or health concerns that may affect the tour, please inform me at the time of or prior to booking.
Temple Square is private property of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They do not permit outside tour guides to lead groups or provide information such as a private tour while on the premises. They provide complimentary tours to guests from around the world in several languages through full-time sister missionaries who have been trained to give the tours. They are very open to any questions you have. If you have additional questions after their tour, feel free to ask me. After we leave the property, I can provide additional insight or information they may leave out due to time constraints or topic of the question.