Hop On Hop Off Stop Guide

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A Salt Lake City bus tour is the easiest way to see the whole city in a day — but the real magic of a hop-on hop-off tour is what happens between the rides. Our double-decker and open-top buses loop through 12 stops covering downtown, the foothills, and Salt Lake's most-visited landmarks, returning to each stop throughout the day. That gives you roughly 90 minutes to explore before the next bus rolls in.

So what should you actually do with those 90 minutes? Here's our complete stop-by-stop guide — every attraction marked FREE or PAID, with a suggested plan for each stop and notes on which days things are open. Visiting on a Sunday? Watch for the Sunday tips: several museums close, but every stop still has something worth hopping off for.

JUMP TO A STOP
1Salt Palace 2Planetarium 3Pioneer Park 4Library 5Hogle Zoo 6This Is The Place 7NHMU 8Fort Douglas 9Cathedral 10Capitol 11Pioneer Museum 12Temple Square

STOP 1Salt Palace

You're in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City — the Salt Palace Convention Center, art, and shopping all within a two-block stroll of the bus stop.

  • FREEUtah Museum of Contemporary Art (UMOCA) — Rotating contemporary exhibits right next to the Salt Palace; suggested donation, browse at your own pace. Open Tue–Sat; closed Sun & Mon.
  • FREEVisit Salt Lake Visitor Center — Maps, local tips, and souvenirs inside the Salt Palace complex. Hours vary.
  • FREEGallivan Center — Downtown's outdoor plaza: public art, seasonal events, and premium people-watching. Open daily.
  • PAIDCity Creek Center — Upscale open-air shopping with a retractable roof and a real creek running through it. Free to wander; paid if you shop! Open Mon–Sat; closed Sundays.

Unique bite: Alpha Coffee — the best coffee in downtown Salt Lake, and a veteran-owned local favorite. Grab a cup to carry back to the upper deck.

ON SUNDAYS — UMOCA and City Creek are closed. Head to Gallivan Center, stroll Main Street, or walk two blocks to Temple Square (Stop 12), which is open every day.
YOUR 90 MINUTES — 30 min at UMOCA, 30 min wandering Main Street and City Creek, 20 min at Gallivan Center, and an Alpha Coffee stop before you re-board.

STOP 2Clark Planetarium & Discovery Gateway Children's Museum

Welcome to The Gateway district — space, science, and the best splash pad in the city.

  • FREEClark Planetarium Exhibits — Two floors of hands-on space exhibits, a real moon rock, and a Foucault pendulum. The exhibit floors are completely free. Open daily.
  • PAIDClark Planetarium Dome Shows — Immersive Hansen Dome Theatre shows; most run 25–45 minutes, so check times against your bus. Showtimes daily.
  • PAIDDiscovery Gateway Children’s Museum — Two floors of hands-on play for kids; a full 90 minutes on its own if you're traveling with little ones. Open Wed–Mon; closed Tuesdays.
  • FREEOlympic Legacy Plaza — The dancing snowflake fountain built for the 2002 Winter Games. Consider it a preview of 2034! Open daily.
YOUR 90 MINUTES — Families: go all-in on Discovery Gateway. Everyone else: 45 min of free planetarium exhibits, a dome show if the timing works, then the Olympic fountain.

STOP 3Caputo's Market, Pioneer Park & the Greek Orthodox Church

This is Salt Lake's historic market district — chocolate, cheese, and the city's oldest park.

  • FREEPioneer Park — The original 1847 pioneer fort site. On summer and fall Saturdays it hosts the Downtown Farmers Market, one of the best in the West. Open daily; Farmers Market Saturdays, June–October.
  • FREEHoly Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral — A 1923 Byzantine-style landmark; step inside when open, or admire the domes from the plaza. Exterior viewable daily; interior hours limited.

Unique bite: the Caputo's chocolate counter. Caputo's Market & Deli is nationally known for its craft chocolate selection (and its cheese cave) — ask for a recommendation, and a tasting square or two makes the perfect bus snack. Open daily.

YOUR 90 MINUTES — 40 min in Pioneer Park (all 90 on Farmers Market Saturdays), 25 min at the cathedral, and a Caputo's chocolate stop on the way back to the bus.

STOP 4City Hall / Public Library

Civic Salt Lake: a castle-like city hall and one of the most striking libraries in America. This entire stop can be done for free.

  • FREESalt Lake City Public Library — A sweeping glass architectural icon. Ride the elevator to the rooftop garden for one of the best free views of the valley and the Wasatch Mountains. Open Mon–Sat; closed Sundays.
  • FREECity & County Building / Washington Square — An 1894 Richardsonian-Romanesque landmark surrounded by lawns and monuments. Grounds open daily.
ON SUNDAYS — The library is closed. Enjoy Washington Square's grounds and the exterior architecture, both open every day.
YOUR 90 MINUTES — 45 min in the library (don't skip the rooftop), 25 min around Washington Square, and the balance relaxing on Library Square's lawns and plaza.

STOP 5Utah's Hogle Zoo

Forty-two acres and hundreds of animals at the mouth of Emigration Canyon.

  • PAIDHogle Zoo Admission — Polar bears at Rocky Shores, snow leopards in Asian Highlands, elephants, giraffes, and more. Ninety minutes covers the highlights at a comfortable pace. Rider discount available. Open daily, year-round.
  • PAIDZoo Train & Carousel — Small add-ons kids love; a quick loop on the historic miniature train. Seasonal — weather permitting.
YOUR 90 MINUTES — This one's simple: the zoo is the whole stop. Grab a map at the gate, start with Rocky Shores, and loop back through Asian Highlands to make your return bus.

STOP 6This Is The Place Heritage Park

Stand where the pioneers first looked out over the Salt Lake Valley in 1847.

  • FREEThis Is The Place Monument & Pioneer Center — The iconic 60-foot monument marking the end of the Mormon Trail, plus sweeping valley views. The monument plaza and visitor center are free. Open daily.
  • PAIDHeritage Village — A living-history pioneer village with craftsmen, historic homes, pony rides, and a mini train — easily fills 90 minutes in season. Open Mon–Sat; closed Sundays.
ON SUNDAYS — Heritage Village is closed, but the monument, Pioneer Center, and valley overlook are open: a peaceful, free Sunday visit.
YOUR 90 MINUTES — Free option: the monument, visitor center, and valley overlook (about 40 minutes, paired with a peaceful walk). Full experience: Heritage Village admission — the 90 minutes will fly by.

STOP 7Natural History Museum of Utah / Red Butte Garden

Utah's foothill museum district — dinosaurs on one side, gardens on the other. Pick one; each deserves the full 90 minutes.

  • PAIDNatural History Museum of Utah — The Rio Tinto Center's copper-clad building holds one of the world's great dinosaur collections; the Past Worlds gallery alone is worth the trip. Rider discount available. Open daily (late night Wednesdays).
  • PAIDRed Butte Garden — More than 100 acres of botanical gardens and natural areas with mountain and valley views. Beautiful spring through fall. Rider discount available. Open daily; seasonal hours.
  • FREEBonneville Shoreline Trail — A free foothill walking trail along the ancient Lake Bonneville shoreline. Great views, no admission ticket — but note the trail is pretty bare, with almost no shade, so it's not suitable for a hot day. Bring water and sun protection. Open daily.
YOUR 90 MINUTES — Choose your adventure: dinosaurs (NHMU), flowers (Red Butte), or a free foothill walk with valley views on a cooler day. Trying to do two means rushing both.

STOP 8Fort Douglas Military Museum

An 1862 Army post turned free museum on the University of Utah campus — and one of the best zero-dollar stops on the whole route.

  • FREEFort Douglas Military Museum — Utah's military history from the Civil War era to today, with free admission and outdoor vehicle and artillery displays. Open Tue–Sat, noon–5; closed Sun & Mon.
  • FREEHistoric Parade Grounds & Officers' Row — Stroll the preserved sandstone buildings and parade field of the original fort. Open daily.
  • FREEFort Douglas Post Cemetery — A quiet, historic cemetery dating to the 1860s. Open daily.
  • FREE2002 Olympic Cauldron Park — Near Rice-Eccles Stadium: see the cauldron from the Games that put Salt Lake on the world stage. Open daily.
ON SUNDAYS — The museum is closed Sundays and Mondays, but the parade grounds, Officers' Row, cemetery, and Olympic cauldron make a great free outdoor walk any day.
YOUR 90 MINUTES — 40 min in the museum, 30 min walking Officers' Row and the parade grounds, then the Olympic cauldron on your way back to the stop. The whole stop can be done for $0.

STOP 9Cathedral of the Madeleine

South Temple Street is Salt Lake's mansion row — and home to Utah's most beautiful cathedral interior. Everything here is free.

  • FREECathedral of the Madeleine — A 1909 Romanesque-Gothic cathedral with a jaw-dropping painted interior. Free to visit; quiet respect requested. Open daily; visits between Sunday services.
  • FREESouth Temple Historic District Walk — Stroll past the Kearns Mansion (the Governor's residence), the Alta Club, and the mining-era mansions of "Brigham Street." Open daily.
  • FREEFirst Presbyterian Church — A red sandstone Gothic landmark one block east; a great photo pairing with the cathedral. Exterior viewable daily.
YOUR 90 MINUTES — 30 min inside the cathedral, then a relaxed 45-minute architecture walk along South Temple in either direction. One of the city's best free experiences.

STOP 10Utah State Capitol

A hilltop Capitol with marble halls, Utah's newest museum, and a canyon park hiding just below — every bit of it free.

  • FREECapitol Building — Self-guided visits are free: the rotunda, murals, and marble staircases are open to the public, with free guided tours on weekdays. Building open daily; guided tours weekdays.
  • FREEMuseum of Utah — Utah's brand-new state history museum, opened June 2026 in the North Capitol Building: four world-class galleries of Utah history, culture, and art, all free. Open every day, including Sundays.
  • FREECapitol Grounds & Memorials — Cherry tree promenade (spectacular in early spring), monuments, and manicured gardens. Open daily.
  • FREECouncil Hall — The relocated 1866 territorial capitol building on the south end of the Capitol complex, now home to the Utah Office of Tourism visitor center. Open weekdays; grounds viewable daily.
  • FREEMemory Grove Park — A tucked-away canyon park just below the Capitol: war memorials, ponds, and the shaded City Creek Canyon trail. One of the city's most peaceful walks. Open daily.
ON SUNDAYS — Everything here works on a Sunday. The Museum of Utah is open seven days, and the grounds and Memory Grove never close.
YOUR 90 MINUTES — 40 min in the Capitol, 30 min in the Museum of Utah, then wander the grounds — or trade the wander for a walk down into Memory Grove. In cherry blossom season, start outside.

STOP 11Pioneer Memorial Museum (Daughters of Utah Pioneers)

Four floors of pioneer treasures — one of the largest collections of artifacts on a single subject anywhere. And it's free.

  • FREEPioneer Memorial Museum — Free admission (donations welcome). Covered wagons, period clothing, portraits, and personal artifacts of the 1847–1869 pioneer era, told room by room. Open Mon–Sat; closed Sundays.
ON SUNDAYS — The museum is closed. This is a good stop to skip on Sundays — or ride one stop over to the Capitol and the Museum of Utah, which are open.
YOUR 90 MINUTES — A full, unhurried 75–90 minutes in the museum. It's deeper than it looks, and all four floors reward a slow wander. Completely free.

STOP 12Temple Square / FamilySearch / Church History Museum

Salt Lake City's most-visited destination — and everything here is free. With the Salt Lake Temple Grand Reopening coming in April 2027, there's never been a more exciting time to visit.

  • FREETemple Square Grounds — The gardens, Assembly Hall, and views of the Salt Lake Temple renovation, counting down to the 2027 reopening. Open every day, including Sundays.
  • FREETabernacle — Home of the world-famous Tabernacle Choir; free organ recitals are unforgettable. Recitals Mon–Sat; on Sundays, attend the live Tabernacle Choir broadcast instead.
  • FREEChurch History Museum — Art and artifacts telling the Latter-day Saint story, with free admission. Open Mon–Sat; closed Sundays.
  • FREEFamilySearch Library — The world's largest genealogy library, with free help discovering your own family history. Open Mon–Sat; closed Sundays.
  • FREEConference Center — Free tours of the 21,000-seat hall, including rooftop gardens with city views (when available). Open daily.
ON SUNDAYS — The museums are closed, but Sunday is special here: walk the grounds, and catch the Tabernacle Choir's live "Music & the Spoken Word" broadcast — free and open to the public on Sunday mornings.
YOUR 90 MINUTES — 30 min on the grounds, catch an organ recital if timing allows, then split the rest between the Church History Museum and FamilySearch — or the Conference Center rooftop.

Planning Your Day

A few tips from our drivers and guides. First, you don't have to do all 12 stops in one day — most guests pick three or four stops that fit their interests and save the rest for a return visit (our 48-Hour Bundle exists for exactly this reason). Second, check the day of the week: Sundays are wonderful for Temple Square, the Capitol, and the Museum of Utah, while Tuesday through Saturday unlocks everything on the route. Third, the upper deck of Utah's only double-decker sightseeing bus is an attraction in itself — the ride between the foothill stops delivers views no other Salt Lake City bus tour can match.

Ready to Explore?

Hop on Utah's only double-decker bus and see all 12 stops for yourself. Tickets are sold on board and online, and your wristband is valid all day — hop off, explore for 90 minutes, and hop back on.

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