This was our first time visiting Salt Lake City, and I was pleasantly surprised at the variety of sightseeing options that the city had. Ashley had to attend a training class during the day, and this left me with four days to visit the museums, historic sites, and the restaurants own my own (and with Ashley in the evenings). Here are my 5 top things to do in Salt Lake City. Stay tuned for a future post with the best places to eat in Salt Lake City.

1. Temple Square

If you have ever thought of visiting Salt Lake City, you have probably heard about Temple Square. It is at the top of the list for most people. It’s for a very good reason why it shows up everywhere and why it’s #1 on our list. Temple Square is a 10 acre plot of scenic land that comprises of the Mormon Temple, Salt Lake Tabernacle, the Beehive house, and the immaculately landscaped parks.

The Mormon history is indeed very rich. It is believed that in 1847, the leader of Mormonism, Brigham Young, lead a caravan of around 200 people to a westward journey. After almost 1.5 years of treacherous journey, the caravan finally reached the land currently known as Salt Lake City where Brigham Young  put down his walking cane at  the very spot and announced where the Mormon Temple is to be built. It took Mormons almost 40 years and a lot of hard labor to build the temple and the result is a truly impressive work of architecture.

While you cannot enter the temple itself, all the surroundings buildings are open to the public. I recommend starting at the visitors center and asking for a free tour of the square. Visit with an open mind and you’ll take back with you an appreciation for a religion that started with just a vision and an open land that has now transformed into the vibrant Salt Lake City. 

Beehive House was one of the official residences of Brigham Young. This is where he lead the expansion of the Mormon faith in Utah and hosted visitors from all over the world who were curious about the faith. When we went, we were lucky to have guides take us thru the different rooms of the massive house. I believe that now it’s a self-guided tour. 

Salt Lake Tabernacle is one of the coolest experiences that we had while visiting the Temple Square. If you’re able to time your trip well, there are free rehearsals by the choir that are open to the public each Thursday. The quality of acoustics at the elliptical shaped Tabernacle are so remarkable that a pin drop can be heard clearly from the stage while sitting 200 feet away. Another treat are the organ recitals that occur each day at noon. Both performances are come and go as you please so there is really no need to lineup in advance. Also, sit wherever you like as there are no bad seats.

Duration: 1 full day. Cost: Free.

2. The Living Room Hiking Trail

No visit to Utah is complete until doing some hiking. The state is blessed to have an amazing array of geographic features. From red rock canyons to granite peaks, this state has it all. You don’t have to venture far from Salt Lake City to experience the outdoors.

One of the best (and easy difficulty level) trails to get to from the city is called The Living Room trail. After parking at the trailhead, you’ll slowly meander thru a path lined with Arrowleaf Balsamroot flowers. With its bright orange-yellow petals, this wildflower can be seen everywhere and truly makes the hike very special. The hike is about a 200 ft. gradual climb that’s about a 1.4 mile round-trip path that will put you in a living room! Yes! a living room with a coffee table and a sofa chair. Confused?!? Well, the coffee table and the chair happens to be made out of granite rocks. The view from up here is breathtaking with the city skyline in front of you and high mountain peaks in the background. 

Duration: 2.5 hours. Cost: Free.

3. Natural History Museum of Utah

If you’re like me, you have probably been to a few natural history museums in your lifetime. What sets the Natural History museum of Utah apart is how excellent of a job it does with guiding the visitor from past worlds where dinosaurs roamed free, to telling us what makes the Great Salt Lake so great, to our ancient ancestors, to what makes life happen, and finally the great sky above us. I really liked how there is only one way to do the museum (from bottom to top). The exhibits are wonderfully detailed and there is even a website where you can type a number shown on several displays and listen to stories about what you’re looking at. Don’t miss to checkout the rooftop patio with 360 degree views of the valley.

Duration: 3 hours. Cost: $14.95

4. Ensign Peak 

If you want to see Salt Lake City as you would from a helicopter but without paying a dime for it, Ensign Peak is for you. Not only do you get to see the beautiful downtown skyline but also the vastness of the great Salt Lake to your right. The best time to do this short 30 minute hike to the top is about an hour before sunset. You get to not only see the sunset happen behind the Antelope Island but also see the shimmering lights turn on in downtown office buildings. Pack a picnic and head down to Ensign Peak for a great time. Also, pack a jacket because it seems to always be windy up there. 

Duration: 2 hours. Cost: Free.

5. Big Cottonwood Canyon 

One of the best scenic drives you can do a short distance away from Salt Lake City is thru the curvy Cottonwood Canyon Road (Utah 190). It’s a steep drive up the route where you’ll pass amazing vistas,  pull-off points, and total greenery (in the summer). There are plenty of hiking and photography opportunities everywhere. Some of the biggest and most famous ski resorts of Utah including Solitude and Brighton are located on this route. It’s surreal to see just how much snow is still on these mountains at the end of May! 

Duration: 3-4 hours. Cost: Free.