3 days in Salt Lake City

Day by day

1. Day 1: Temple Square and Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square

   Temple Square, Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square and FamilySearch Library, then Downtown in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Temple Square

      The 4-hectare headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds the granite Salt Lake Temple, completed in 1893, the domed Tabernacle with its famous organ, visitors' exhibits and gardens.

   2. Late morning

      Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square

      Arrive early for the Sunday broadcast; doors close before it begins and do not reopen until it ends.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Fry sauce

      Local burger drive-ins across the valley; ask for it if it does not arrive automatically.

   4. Afternoon

      FamilySearch Library

      Next to Temple Square, the world's largest genealogy library has billions of digitised records and volunteers who help visitors trace their ancestry for free.

   5. Evening

      Downtown

      Cocktail bars, music venues and theatres around Main Street, Pierpont Avenue and the Eccles Theater.

2. Day 2: Little Cottonwood Canyon: Snowbird and Alta and Utah State Capitol

   Little Cottonwood Canyon: Snowbird and Alta, Utah State Capitol and Natural History Museum of Utah, then Granary District in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Little Cottonwood Canyon: Snowbird and Alta

      In winter, check road conditions before driving; the canyon road can close for avalanche control and requires suitable tyres in storms. Ski buses run from the valley.

   2. Late morning

      Utah State Capitol

      Completed in 1916, the domed Capitol sits on a hill above downtown with views down State Street and across the valley.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Pastrami burger

      Long-running burger chains and diners across the valley.

   4. Afternoon

      Natural History Museum of Utah

      Combine it with Red Butte Garden next door; both have hillside views.

   5. Evening

      Granary District

      Breweries, distillery tasting rooms and food trucks in converted warehouses south-west of downtown.

3. Day 3: Red Butte Garden and This Is the Place Heritage Park

   Red Butte Garden, This Is the Place Heritage Park and Utah Museum of Fine Arts, then Sugar House in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Red Butte Garden

      The University of Utah's botanical garden covers terraced themed gardens and natural foothill trails in the mouth of Red Butte Canyon.

   2. Late morning

      This Is the Place Heritage Park

      Visit in summer when the village is most active; the monument area alone is a quick stop.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Utah scones

      Diners and scone shops in the valley, usually at breakfast.

   4. Afternoon

      Utah Museum of Fine Arts

      The university's art museum, in the Marcia and John Price Museum Building, covers world art from antiquity to the present, with strong collections of American Western landscapes and contemporary work.

   5. Evening

      Sugar House

      Neighbourhood bars and pubs along Highland Drive.

Before you go

If it rains

• Swap in Cathedral of the Madeleine (Downtown): Visit on a sunny afternoon for the windows, and check the cathedral's choir schedule for free concerts.
• Swap in Beehive House (Downtown): It is one block east of Temple Square on South Temple; combine it with the Eagle Gate arch across the street.
• Swap in Clark Planetarium (Downtown): The exhibit floors are free; pay only if you want a dome or IMAX show.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, Downtown keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, The Avenues ($$) suits couples, quiet stays and culture. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 17–25 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.3 hours in December to 15.1 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

More or fewer days

• One day in Salt Lake City
• 2 days in Salt Lake City

Questions travellers ask