Solo travel · Salt Lake City · United States
Solo travel in Salt Lake City
How to enjoy Salt Lake City at your own pace.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Intothewoods29 ( talk ), Public domain
Quick answer
Salt Lake City is straightforward for solo travellers: light rail from the airport, free downtown sights, sociable brewery taprooms and a large outdoor community for hiking and skiing. Many solo travellers base themselves in Sugar House.
Key facts
- Base
- Sugar House
- Getting around
- Tram
- Emergency number
- 911 (police, fire, ambulance)
- Language
- English
Solo travel tips
- Join a group ski lesson or guided hike to meet people.
- Sugar House and downtown have the best concentration of bars and cafés for solo evenings.
- Carry water and tell someone your route before hiking in the foothills or canyons.
- TRAX is convenient during the day; use ride-hailing late at night.
- Use normal city precautions around the Rio Grande area and Pioneer Park at night.
Where to stay
$$ · Best for food lovers, nightlife, solo travellers and budget
Sugar House
About 6 km south-east of downtown, Sugar House centres on Highland Drive and 2100 South, with independent shops, restaurants, bars and the large Sugar House Park. The S-Line streetcar links it to TRAX, and Liberty Park is a short drive north.
- Good
- Lively local restaurant and bar scene; Parks and trails; Better value than downtown
- Watch out
- Few hotels; 20 minutes from downtown by transit
- Nearby
- Sugar House Park, Liberty Park, Highland Drive
Great on your own
Religious site · Downtown
Temple Square
Ask a volunteer guide for a short tour, and step inside the Tabernacle to hear a pin drop demonstrate its acoustics.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
Nature · Cottonwood Canyons
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.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Iconic
- Active
- Views
- Outdoors
- Nature
Museum · Downtown
FamilySearch Library
Create a free FamilySearch account and enter what you know about your grandparents before you go to save time.
- Time needed
- 1–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
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Architecture · Capitol Hill and Marmalade
Utah State Capitol
Walk up through Memory Grove Park and City Creek, then continue to Ensign Peak for the best view.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Views
- Rainy day
Museum · University and East Bench
Natural History Museum of Utah
Combine it with Red Butte Garden next door; both have hillside views.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
- History
Historic site · University and East Bench
This Is the Place Heritage Park
Visit in summer when the village is most active; the monument area alone is a quick stop.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- History
- Outdoors
Meeting people
- Downtown Farmers Market — Saturday market in Pioneer Park from about June to October, with produce from Utah farms, food stalls and crafts.
- Brewery taprooms — Salt Lake has a growing craft beer scene, with taprooms in the Granary District, Sugar House and downtown.
- Downtown — Cocktail bars, music venues and theatres around Main Street, Pierpont Avenue and the Eccles Theater.
- Granary District — Breweries, distillery tasting rooms and food trucks in converted warehouses south-west of downtown.
Sensible precautions
Salt Lake City is generally comfortable for visitors; use normal precautions around Pioneer Park and parts of downtown at night. The bigger risks are environmental: altitude and dry heat in summer, winter driving and avalanche danger in the canyons, and periodic poor air quality during winter inversions or summer wildfire smoke.
- Emergency number
- 911 (police, fire, ambulance)
- Staying connected
- Good coverage across the valley; signal is patchy in the canyons and on rural roads.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Salt Lake City good for solo travellers?
Salt Lake City is straightforward for solo travellers: light rail from the airport, free downtown sights, sociable brewery taprooms and a large outdoor community for hiking and skiing.
+Where should solo travellers stay in Salt Lake City?
Sugar House: Walkable district of local shops, breweries and a big park.