Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Utah's Mighty Five: Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands
9 days from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City through all five Utah national parks, with two nights each at Zion, Capitol Reef and Moab and a sunrise at Mesa Arch.
9 days · Las Vegas to Salt Lake City · up to 12 guests
Looking out over the canyons from a rim viewpoint in Canyonlands National Park Photo: NPS Natural Resources, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Canyonlands_National_Park,_Utah_(35412253216).jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 9 days, 8 nights
- Start and end
- Las Vegas to Salt Lake City
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Walks of 1 to 6 km most days on sand, slickrock and rocky trail, two to four hours on your feet. The harder options climb steadily: Scout Lookout in Zion is about 6 km return with about 360 m of climb, and Delicate Arch about 5 km return with about 150 to 190 m. Bryce sits at 2,400 to 2,800 m, so walks there feel harder than the numbers suggest. Every day has an easier choice, and you can sit any walk out.
- Meals included
- 8 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,070 (estimated price)
- Season
- April to June and September to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- Sunrise at Mesa Arch in Canyonlands, the underside of the arch lit red above the canyons
- Two nights at the gate of Zion: the first shuttles up the canyon, Scout Lookout or the Emerald Pools, and a paddle into the Narrows
- Bryce Canyon in evening light and again at sunrise from Bryce Point, with a walk down among the hoodoos
- Scenic Byway 12 across the Hogback and over Boulder Mountain, with lunch in Boulder
- A full day in Capitol Reef: Hickman Bridge, Fremont petroglyphs, the Fruita orchards and a dark-sky night
- Arches in the afternoon: the Windows, Double Arch and Delicate Arch at sunset
- Dead Horse Point, 600 m above a bend of the Colorado River
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,070 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Las Vegas
Harry Reid International Airport to your hotel in Las Vegas
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Las Vegas
- Drive about 18 min
Fly into Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), a short drive from the Strip, and a driver meets you in the arrivals hall for the transfer to your hotel.
Evening
Plan to land by about 4 pm so you are settled before the evening briefing; the exact time comes with your final itinerary. The afternoon is yours: sleep off the flight, walk the Strip, or look at the fountains in front of the Bellagio. In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group in the hotel to talk through the week: the day-by-day drives, what to pack for the trails, how park entries and the Angels Landing lottery work, and how hot or cold each park is likely to be on your dates. Then we walk to a welcome dinner together. Tomorrow we leave the city after breakfast, so it is an early night for most.
Included
- Pick-up at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
Into Utah and Zion
Las Vegas to Springdale at the gate of Zion National Park
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Springdale
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
We leave Las Vegas after breakfast and drive about 265 km north-east on Interstate 15, through the Virgin River Gorge in the corner of Arizona and into Utah, where the clocks go forward an hour. The desert turns red past St George and Hurricane, and by lunchtime we are in Springdale, the small town at the south gate of Zion, where we stay two nights.
Afternoon
After a sit-down lunch in town we walk into the park. The Pa'rus Trail is a paved, nearly flat path along the Virgin River, with the Watchman behind you and cottonwoods along the water. We ride the shuttle to the Zion Human History Museum for its exhibits and the view up the canyon, so you know what you are looking at tomorrow.
Evening
Before dinner, the Watchman catches the evening light from the bridge at Canyon Junction. Dinner is your choice in Springdale, a short walk from the hotel.
Included
- Drive from Las Vegas to Springdale with your guide
- Sit-down lunch in Springdale
- The Pa'rus Trail along the Virgin River
- Zion Human History Museum
- The Watchman in evening light from Canyon Junction
Free time: Evening free in Springdale
Activity: About 5 km of easy, paved walking.
Zion Canyon on the first shuttles
Up Zion Canyon by park shuttle, from the Grotto to the Temple of Sinawava
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Springdale
Morning
Private cars are kept out of Zion Canyon for most of the year, so we ride the park shuttle, and we are on one of the first buses of the morning while the canyon is cool and the trails are quiet. The day splits two ways. The active group climbs from the Grotto up the West Rim Trail and the 21 tight switchbacks of Walter's Wiggles to Scout Lookout, about 6 km return with about 360 m of climb, where Angels Landing rises above and the canyon floor drops far below. Anyone who won a permit in the lottery can carry on along the chains to Angels Landing with the guide's advice. The easy group walks to the Lower and Middle Emerald Pools under a seeping cliff.
Afternoon
We meet for a sit-down lunch at Zion Lodge, then ride to the Temple of Sinawava for the Riverside Walk, where the canyon narrows to the start of the Narrows. If the river is open and safe, wade in for as far as you like.
Included
- Zion Canyon shuttle from first buses
- Guided walk to Scout Lookout, or to the Lower and Middle Emerald Pools
- Sit-down lunch at Zion Lodge
- The Riverside Walk and a paddle into the Narrows when conditions allow
- Angels Landing day-before lottery entry for guests who want to try
Optional experiences
- Narrows gear rental (water shoes, neoprene socks, walking pole), booked through us
Easier option: The Lower Emerald Pool, about 2 km return on a paved trail, or on to the Middle Pool, about 3.5 km return with a short climb.
More active option: Scout Lookout by Walter's Wiggles, about 6 km return with about 360 m of steady climb, three to four hours; Angels Landing beyond it for anyone holding a permit.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Springdale
Activity: Scout Lookout is the hardest walk of the trip: steep, paved in places, with little shade on the switchbacks. The Narrows close when the river runs high or after storms, and the park posts water-quality advisories; your guide checks that morning. Angels Landing needs a lottery permit, which we cannot promise.
Over the tunnel to Bryce Canyon
Springdale on the Zion to Mount Carmel Highway, then to Bryce Canyon
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Bryce Canyon City
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
We leave Springdale after breakfast and climb the Zion to Mount Carmel Highway in switchbacks to the 1.8 km tunnel through the cliff, completed in 1930. On the far side we stop for the Canyon Overlook Trail, a short walk along a ledge to a view straight down Pine Creek into Zion Canyon, and again at Checkerboard Mesa, cross-hatched like a waffle. The road then runs north on US 89 and east on Scenic Byway 12 through the red rock tunnels of Red Canyon, about two hours of driving in all.
Evening
After a sit-down lunch near the park we walk the rim from Sunset Point to Sunrise Point, then drop below it on the Queen's Garden and Navajo Loop trails among the hoodoos, the orange spires the park is known for. The climb back is the hard part, at about 2,400 m. In the evening we watch the light go from Inspiration Point, then dinner is your choice.
Included
- The Zion to Mount Carmel Highway and tunnel
- Canyon Overlook Trail and Checkerboard Mesa
- Red Canyon on Scenic Byway 12
- Sit-down lunch near Bryce Canyon
- Rim walk from Sunset Point to Sunrise Point
- Queen's Garden and Navajo Loop among the hoodoos
- Evening light at Inspiration Point
Easier option: Stay on the rim: the paved section from Sunset to Sunrise Point is about 1 km and nearly level, with benches.
More active option: Add the Peekaboo Loop below Bryce Point, about 8 km and steeper, with your guide.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: Queen's Garden and Navajo Loop together are about 5 km with about 180 m to climb back to the rim. The Wall Street side of the Navajo Loop closes in winter; we use the Two Bridges side then.
Bryce at sunrise, then Scenic Byway 12
Bryce Canyon to Escalante, Boulder and over Boulder Mountain to Torrey
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Torrey
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
The Bryce amphitheatre faces east, so this is the morning to be up early. We drive the short way to Bryce Point for sunrise, when the first light turns the hoodoos orange one row at a time, and are back for breakfast. Then we take Scenic Byway 12 east, about three hours of driving with stops: down through Tropic into the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, to the Head of the Rocks viewpoint over the slickrock, and across the Hogback, a narrow ridge between Escalante and Boulder with drops on both sides.
Afternoon
Lunch is sit-down in Boulder, then a visit to the Anasazi State Park Museum, where the Coombs Site preserves part of an Ancestral Puebloan village lived in some 800 to 900 years ago; if the museum is closed, we stop instead at a Boulder Mountain viewpoint and the Escalante River trailhead. The road then climbs over Boulder Mountain through aspen and pine, with views east across Capitol Reef, and drops to Torrey, where we stay two nights.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Sunrise at Bryce Point
- Scenic Byway 12 through Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
- Head of the Rocks viewpoint and the Hogback
- Sit-down lunch in Boulder
- Anasazi State Park Museum and the Coombs Site (when open)
- Boulder Mountain viewpoints
Easier option: Skip the sunrise and sleep in; the van leaves after breakfast either way.
Free time: Evening free in Torrey
Activity: Sunrise at Bryce Point is cold for most of the season; bring a warm layer and gloves.
A full day in Capitol Reef
Torrey to Fruita, the Scenic Drive and Capitol Gorge, then back to Torrey
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Torrey
- Drive about 1.5 h
Capitol Reef protects the Waterpocket Fold, a wrinkle in the earth's crust about 160 km long, and most trips only drive through it. We start early on the Hickman Bridge Trail, about 3 km return, climbing to a natural sandstone bridge before the sun is high. On the way back we stop at the petroglyph panel, where Fremont people pecked figures and bighorn sheep into the cliff. In Fruita, the old Mormon settlement on the Fremont River, the orchards are still tended by the park; in season you can pick fruit, and the Gifford Homestead sells small pies.
Afternoon
After a sit-down lunch in Torrey we drive the Scenic Drive south to Capitol Gorge and walk between its walls to the Pioneer Register, where settlers scratched their names in the rock. Late afternoon is free. Capitol Reef is an International Dark Sky Park, and after dark your guide takes anyone who wants to go out to see the stars.
Included
- Hickman Bridge Trail
- Fremont petroglyph panel
- Fruita historic orchards and the Gifford Homestead
- Sit-down lunch in Torrey
- The Scenic Drive and the walk to the Pioneer Register in Capitol Gorge
- Stargazing with your guide
Easier option: Skip Hickman Bridge and spend the morning in Fruita: the petroglyph boardwalk, the schoolhouse and the orchards are all level.
More active option: Climb to Cassidy Arch from Grand Wash, about 5.5 km return with about 200 m of steep climb, in place of Capitol Gorge.
Free time: Late afternoon free
Activity: Hickman Bridge climbs about 120 m on a rocky trail with little shade; the Capitol Gorge walk is flat on gravel.
Through the badlands to Moab and Arches
Torrey to Hanksville and Goblin Valley, then Moab and Arches National Park
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Moab
- Drive about 4 h
We leave Torrey at about 8:30 and follow Highway 24 east along the Fremont River, out of the park and into the grey Mancos shale badlands around Caineville, with the flat-topped buttes standing out of the plain. Past Hanksville we turn off for an hour in Goblin Valley State Park, walking among the squat mushroom-shaped rocks in the valley floor.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down stop on the way, then it is north to Interstate 70 and south to Moab, about three and a half hours of driving in all, where we stay two nights. We enter Arches by the main entrance in the afternoon, with a timed entry booked if the park requires one, and drive in to Balanced Rock and the Windows, where North and South Window frame the sky, and walk under Double Arch.
Evening
As the sun goes down we hike to Delicate Arch, the free-standing arch on the Utah licence plate, and watch it turn red; if the road runs late, we see it from the Lower Viewpoint and move the Windows to tomorrow evening. Dinner tonight is your choice in Moab.
Included
- Highway 24 past the Caineville badlands
- Goblin Valley State Park
- Sit-down lunch on the way
- Arches National Park: Balanced Rock, the Windows and Double Arch
- Delicate Arch at sunset
Easier option: Watch the sunset on Delicate Arch from the Lower Viewpoint, a few minutes' walk from the car park.
More active option: The full Delicate Arch trail, about 5 km return over open slickrock with about 150 to 190 m of climb, back by headlamp.
Free time: Evening free in Moab
Activity: The Delicate Arch trail has no shade and the last stretch runs along a rock ledge. Bring a headlamp; we carry spares. If we reach Moab late, Delicate Arch moves to the Lower Viewpoint and the Windows to day 8.
Sunrise at Mesa Arch, Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point
Moab to Island in the Sky in Canyonlands, Dead Horse Point and back to Moab
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Moab
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
We leave Moab about an hour and a half before sunrise with coffee and a packed breakfast, and drive about 50 minutes up to the Island in the Sky, the high mesa of Canyonlands. A short loop trail leads to Mesa Arch, on the cliff edge, facing east. When the sun clears the La Sal Mountains, it lights the underside of the arch red, with the canyons spread out below. Photographers line up for it, so we arrive while it is still dark to find space. After the crowd leaves we drive to Grand View Point, where the White Rim and the canyons of the Green and Colorado rivers open up, and walk out along it. On the way back we stop at Dead Horse Point State Park, 600 m above a gooseneck bend of the Colorado.
Afternoon
We are back in Moab for a sit-down lunch and a free afternoon: rest, browse Main Street, or book a half-day rafting trip or a 4x4 tour.
Evening
In the late afternoon your guide takes anyone who wants to go back to Arches, about 30 km each way, for Landscape Arch in Devils Garden, then we meet for a farewell dinner.
Included
- Sunrise at Mesa Arch, with a packed breakfast
- Grand View Point in Canyonlands
- Dead Horse Point State Park
- Sit-down lunch in Moab
- Late-afternoon walk to Landscape Arch in Devils Garden, for those who want it
- Farewell dinner in Moab
Optional experiences
- A rafting trip on the Colorado River, a 4x4 tour or a scenic flight in the free afternoon, priced when you book
Easier option: Sit out Landscape Arch and keep the whole afternoon free in Moab.
More active option: Walk the Grand View Point Trail to its end, about 3 km return along the rim.
Free time: Afternoon free in Moab, with rafting or a 4x4 tour if you want one
Activity: The Mesa Arch loop is under 1 km but uneven, and the rim is unfenced. Mornings on the mesa are cold until the sun is up.
Moab to Salt Lake City
Moab north through Price to Salt Lake City International Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 4 h
Afternoon
After breakfast we leave Moab at about 8 am and drive about 380 km north to Salt Lake City, four hours of driving broken by a stop for coffee and a bite to eat (lunch is on you today). The road runs north past the cliffs of the Book Cliffs to Interstate 70, then on US 6 through Price, over Soldier Summit and down Spanish Fork Canyon into the Utah Valley, with the Wasatch Mountains rising beside the road as you near the city. Running the trip one way saves a seven-hour return to Las Vegas, and it means you fly home from a large hub with plenty of connections. We reach Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) at about 12:30 to 1 pm. Book flights leaving after about 3:30 pm. Your guide sees you to departures and checks your flight before saying goodbye.
Evening
If you want to stay on, we can drop you in downtown Salt Lake City instead and book an extra night for you.
Included
- Drive from Moab to Salt Lake City with your guide
- Drop-off at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
Optional experiences
- Extra nights in Salt Lake City, booked on request
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 3:30 pm.
- Las Vegas1 night
- Springdale2 nights
- Bryce Canyon City1 night
- Torrey2 nights
- Moab2 nights
- Salt Lake Cityend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Spring and autumn bring warm days and cool nights. Summer often passes 38°C in Zion and Moab, and July to September brings afternoon storms that can close the Narrows and slot canyons, so we walk early. Bryce, at 2,400 m and above, can have snow into May and again from October. Watch for mule deer in the Fruita orchards and pronghorn in the meadows near Bryce.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want all five Utah national parks, with time to walk in each
- Short hikes with an easier choice every day
- Sunrises and sunsets at the right viewpoints
- A one-way trip, Las Vegas in and Salt Lake City out
- First-time visitors who would rather not handle park entries and permit lotteries themselves
Not for you if you want
- Backpacking or full-day canyoneering: walks here are mostly 1 to 6 km, none longer than about 9 km
- The Grand Canyon: see our Zion and Grand Canyon trip
- Travellers who need step-free access on every trail
- Anyone after nightlife beyond the first night in Las Vegas
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
8 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Las Vegas1 night
- Springdale2 nights
- Bryce Canyon City1 night
- Torrey2 nights
- Moab2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 8 nights: 1 in Las Vegas, 2 in Springdale at the gate of Zion, 1 in Bryce Canyon City by the park entrance, 2 in Torrey for Capitol Reef, 2 in Moab
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
- The Las Vegas resort fee
Transport
- Pick-up at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas and drop-off at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
- Our own air-conditioned vehicle and driver for the group, with a seat for every guest and room for luggage
- Zion Canyon shuttle buses inside Zion
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip, who leads the walks and handles park entries, any timed tickets the parks require and permit lotteries
Activities
- Zion National Park: the Pa'rus Trail, Human History Museum, Scout Lookout or the Lower and Middle Emerald Pools, the Riverside Walk and the Narrows when open
- Angels Landing day-before lottery entry and permit fees for guests who want to try
- The Zion to Mount Carmel Highway and the Canyon Overlook Trail
- Bryce Canyon National Park: the rim walk, Queen's Garden and Navajo Loop, sunrise at Bryce Point
- Scenic Byway 12 and the Anasazi State Park Museum in Boulder (when open)
- Capitol Reef National Park: Hickman Bridge, the petroglyphs, Fruita, the Scenic Drive and Capitol Gorge, stargazing
- Goblin Valley State Park
- Arches National Park, with timed entry where the park requires it: the Windows, Double Arch, Delicate Arch at sunset and Landscape Arch
- Canyonlands National Park: sunrise at Mesa Arch and Grand View Point
- Dead Horse Point State Park
Meals
- Breakfast daily (8), with a packed breakfast at the Mesa Arch sunrise
- Lunch on days 2 to 8 (7)
- Welcome dinner in Las Vegas and farewell dinner in Moab (2)
Not included
- International flights to Las Vegas and home from Salt Lake City
- US visa or ESTA
- Travel insurance
- The National Park Service fee for visitors who are not US residents at Zion and Bryce Canyon (from 2026, USD 100 per person aged 16 and over at each), where it applies
- Dinners on days 2 to 7
- Lunch on day 9
- Drinks, other than water, coffee and tea with included meals
- Tips for your guide and driver
- Optional activities in Moab: rafting, 4x4 tours, scenic flights
- Narrows gear rental
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,070 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the Utah Mighty Five tour price include?
Eight nights in hotels, breakfast daily, lunch on days 2 to 8, a welcome and a farewell dinner, airport transfers in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, our own vehicle and driver, your guide throughout, standard national park entries, Dead Horse Point and Goblin Valley state parks, any timed entries the parks require and every walk. The 2026 non-US-resident fee at Zion and Bryce is extra.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests in one vehicle with a seat for everyone, so the group stays together on the trails and fits around one table at lunch. Coach tours of the parks carry many more.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group for all nine days, leads the walks, chooses the easy or active route with you each morning, and handles park entries, shuttles and permit lotteries. A professional driver does the driving.
How fit do I need to be for the hikes?
Moderate. Most walks are 1 to 6 km. The hardest option, Scout Lookout in Zion, is about 6 km return with about 360 m of climb; Delicate Arch is about 5 km with 150 to 190 m. Bryce is above 2,400 m, so it feels harder. Every walking day has an easier choice, and you can sit any walk out.
I'm travelling solo. Do I have to pay a single supplement?
Only if you want a room of your own, which is from CAD 1,070 more. If you would rather share, tell us when you request to book and we will try to pair you with another solo traveller; we confirm your room and price before anything is charged.
What is the best time to visit Utah's national parks?
April to June and September to October. Days are warm and nights cool. July and August often pass 38°C in Zion and Moab, with afternoon storms that can close the Narrows. Bryce can have snow into May and from October, so pack a warm layer whenever you go.
Do you handle the Arches timed entry and the Angels Landing permit?
Yes. If Arches requires timed entry on your dates, we book it for the group, so you do not have to chase tickets. Angels Landing needs a permit by lottery: we enter the day-before lottery for anyone who wants to try, at no extra cost, but a permit is never guaranteed. Scout Lookout, just below it, needs no permit.
How long are the drives, and why does it end in Salt Lake City?
No day has more than about four hours of driving; the longest are Torrey to Moab and Moab to Salt Lake City. Ending in Salt Lake City saves a seven-hour drive from Moab back to Las Vegas, and its airport has plenty of connections home.
Do I need a visa to visit the US?
Canadian citizens normally do not need a visa for a tourist visit. Travellers from Visa Waiver Program countries need an approved ESTA before flying, and others need a visitor visa. Requirements change, so check your own before you book flights.
How does booking work?
Choose your start date and request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken when you send the request. The small group starts from CAD 6,295 per person sharing, taxes included.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The trip also runs as a private trip for your party only, with your own guide and vehicle, on a date you choose. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the hotels and entries for you.
Does this trip include the Grand Canyon?
No. It stays in Utah to give time to all five national parks. For the Grand Canyon, see our 5-day Zion and Grand Canyon trip from Las Vegas, which pairs well with this one if you have longer.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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