Utah's Mighty Five: Self-Launched Road Trip from Salt Lake City
8 days · Utah, USA
On The Go Tours charges £3,180
No-markup version: ~£664 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, 8-day independent version of On The Go Tours' "Utah's Mighty Five" loop from Salt Lake City. Instead of a guided minibus group tour, you'll rent a compact car (or join a rideshare/van-share), stay in hostels, motels and campgrounds, and hike Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon and Zion at your own pace. All the headline experiences — Delicate Arch at sunrise, Mesa Arch, Goblin Valley, the Burr Trail, Bryce's rim at dawn and the Narrows — are done independently with a $35 America the Beautiful annual parks pass covering all five parks. Costs are approximate, based on budget/backpacker rates and a shared rental car; solo travellers pay more for accommodation unless they camp or use hostel dorms.
Day-by-day
Arrive Salt Lake City — gateway to the Wasatch
Salt Lake City, UT
Fly or arrive into Salt Lake City (SLC). Settle into a downtown hostel or budget motel near Temple Square, pick up your rental car (book well ahead — autumn is peak foliage season and rates spike). Spend the afternoon walking Temple Square and the Utah State Capitol, then drive 20 minutes to Great Salt Lake State Park / Antelope Island for sunset over the flats. Stock up on groceries at a Smith's or Trader Joe's — self-catering breakfasts and trail lunches save a fortune compared to the tour's included meals. Optional: Sunday open-house Temple tours in select 2027 dates.
🚌Flight to SLC; rental car pickup at airport (~£35-45/day for a compact, split between travellers); local driving ~40 miles
🛏Downtown SLC hostel dorm (~£30) or budget motel (~£60 double)
- →Temple Square & Utah State Capitol walk
- →Great Salt Lake / Antelope Island sunset
- →Grocery stock-up for the week
Salt Lake City → Moab via Canyonlands (Island in the Sky)
Moab, UT
Early start — it's ~4.5 hours to Moab without stops. Drive south through the Wasatch Mountains and Price (dinosaur country — optional stop at the Utah Field House of Natural History in Vernal if you detour, or the smaller Prehistoric Museum in Price, ~£5). Turn into Canyonlands National Park's Island in the Sky district (~£0 with your annual pass) for rim hikes to Mesa Arch, Grandview Point and Upheaval Dome. Arrive Moab in the evening; check into a hostel (Lazy Lizard is the classic backpacker spot) or a BLM campground along the Colorado River.
🚌Self-drive ~290 miles / 5 hrs (fuel ~£30-35); Canyonlands entrance covered by America the Beautiful pass (~£28 total for the year)
🛏Moab hostel dorm (~£32) or BLM riverside campsite (~£12)
- →Drive through Wasatch Mountains
- →Island in the Sky rim hikes
- →Mesa Arch, Grandview Point, Upheaval Dome
Arches National Park — full hiking day
Moab, UT
Beat the crowds and the heat: enter Arches at first light for Delicate Arch at sunrise (3-mile round trip, ~2 hrs). Then hit Park Avenue, Balanced Rock, the Windows Section and Double Arch, and finish with the Devils Garden trail out to Landscape Arch and optionally Double O Arch. Late afternoon, drive the Colorado River Scenic Byway (Hwy 128) and stop at the Wolfe Ranch petroglyph panel and dinosaur tracks. If timed-entry permits are in force for Arches, book your slot on recreation.gov two weeks ahead — it's free but essential.
🚌Self-drive ~50 miles within the park (fuel ~£8)
🛏Moab hostel dorm (~£32) or campsite (~£12)
- →Delicate Arch sunrise hike
- →Windows Section & Double Arch
- →Landscape Arch / Devils Garden
- →Colorado River Scenic Byway & petroglyphs
Moab → Torrey via Goblin Valley & Capitol Reef
Torrey, UT
Drive north-west on Hwy 24 (~2.5 hrs) to Goblin Valley State Park (~£12 entry) for an hour or two scrambling among the hoodoos. Continue to Capitol Reef National Park — free entry — for the Scenic Drive, Petroglyph panels, the historic Fruita schoolhouse and orchards, Panoramic Point and Sulphur Creek Overlook. Overnight in Torrey (budget motels and a couple of guesthouses) or camp at Fruita campground (book on recreation.gov; fills fast).
🚌Self-drive ~150 miles / 3 hrs (fuel ~£15); Goblin Valley state fee ~£12
🛏Torrey budget motel/guesthouse (~£55 double) or Fruita campground (~£15)
- →Goblin Valley hoodoo scramble
- →Capitol Reef Scenic Drive & petroglyphs
- →Fruita historic district
- →Sulphur Creek & Panoramic Point
Capitol Reef hikes & Burr Trail → Bryce City
Bryce Canyon City, UT
Morning hike of your choice: Hickman Bridge (easy, 2 miles), Cassidy Arch (steeper, 3.4 miles), Grand Wash or Cohab Canyon. Then take the Burr Trail switchbacks through the Waterpocket Fold and the slot canyons of the Escalante region on Hwy 12 — one of America's great scenic drives — stopping at the Head of the Rocks and Kiva Koffeehouse. Arrive Bryce Canyon City in the late afternoon and do the short Mossy Cave trail or stroll to the rim for sunset. Book a bunk in a Bryce lodge dorm or camp at Ruby's Inn campground.
🚌Self-drive ~130 miles / 3.5 hrs (fuel ~£14)
🛏Bryce Canyon City hostel/lodge dorm (~£35) or Ruby's campground (~£15)
- →Hickman Bridge or Cassidy Arch hike
- →Burr Trail & Hwy 12 scenic drive
- →Mossy Cave trail
- →Bryce rim sunset
Bryce Canyon sunrise → Zion (Springdale)
Springdale / Zion, UT
Get up before dawn and walk to Sunrise or Sunset Point on the Bryce rim — the hoodoo amphitheatre lit up at first light is the highlight of the trip. Either walk the rim trail for an hour or hike the Queen's Garden/Navajo Loop (3 miles, ~£0). Drive Hwy 12/Hwy 89 to Zion (~2.5 hrs), stopping at Red Canyon and Checkerboard Mesa. Enter Zion through the historic tunnel and hike the short Canyon Overlook trail. Stay in Springdale (walkable to the park shuttle) — book early, it's the priciest town on the loop.
🚌Self-drive ~90 miles / 2.5 hrs (fuel ~£12); free Zion shuttle from Springdale
🛏Springdale hostel/budget motel (~£65 double) or Watchman campground in-park (~£15)
- →Bryce Canyon sunrise from the rim
- →Queen's Garden / Navajo Loop
- →Checkerboard Mesa & Zion tunnel
- →Canyon Overlook trail
Zion — Narrows or Angels Landing, then back to Salt Lake City
Zion / Salt Lake City, UT
Full morning in Zion: hike the Virgin River Narrows (rent canyoneering shoes and a dry bag in Springdale, ~£18), or if you win the Angels Landing lottery (apply on recreation.gov weeks ahead, $6 fee) do that instead. Emerald Pools makes an easier alternative. In the afternoon, drive back to Salt Lake City via I-15 (~4.5 hrs) — you'll cross the Hurricane and Wasatch fault lines — and stay downtown for your final night.
🚌Self-drive ~270 miles / 4.5 hrs (fuel ~£28); Narrows gear rental ~£18
🛏Downtown SLC hostel dorm (~£30) or budget motel (~£60 double)
- →Virgin River Narrows hike or Angels Landing
- →Emerald Pools
- →Scenic return drive via I-15
Salt Lake City — depart
Salt Lake City, UT
Return the rental car at SLC airport and fly home. If you have a late flight, squeeze in a wander around the downtown farmer's market or the Natural History Museum of Utah (~£12). Fuel up the car before returning it to avoid the rental company's refuelling premium.
🚌Car return and flight home; fuel top-up ~£15
🛏—
- →Natural History Museum of Utah (optional)
- →Downtown Salt Lake City stroll
Self-launched vs. On The Go Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | On The Go Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£664 | £3,180 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £2,516 per person (79%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more On The Go Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£664
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Utah's Mighty Five: Self-Launched Road Trip from Salt Lake City cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £664 per person for 8 days in Utah, USA. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with On The Go Tours?+
Yes — On The Go Tours charges around £3,180 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £664 — a saving of roughly £2,516 (79%) per person.
How long is the Utah, USA trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Utah, USA.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, hiking, road-trip trip through Utah, USA, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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