First Timer’s Salt Lake City 3 Day Itinerary

Last Updated on August 29, 2024 by

If you’re planning a trip to Salt Lake City and only have three days to explore, you’re in for a treat! Utah has got to be one of, if not the most beautiful state in the US. In my opinion, the best part of a Salt Lake City 3 day itinerary is leaving the city. I’ve been inevitably traveling to Utah almost every year since 2021, with the most recent trip prior to this one for Sony Kando.

Every time I fly into Utah, I use Salt Lake City as my base camp for unforgettable day trips because most of Utah’s beauty lies beyond the city limits. Before we hit the open road, let’s talk about Salt Lake City itself. After all, you’ve got to know your starting line before you can appreciate the journey.

Downtown Salt Lake City

I’ve been to Salt Lake City many times over the years, but this was the first time I stayed in downtown SLC, and I have to say it just wasn’t it. To be frank, there’s not much to do. There’s the Museum of Natural History, which is rather impressive I have to say, but it’s on the outskirts of the city. Then there’s the Capitol Building on the other side of the city. It was only here that I felt the city was rather “normal.”

SLC Cherry Blossoms

I was in Salt Lake City during the spring and got to see their Yoshino cherry blossoms at peak. If you’ve been following this page for a while, you’ll know I’m a big cherry blossom chaser in New York City and I share photo guides and tips on it. Like the cherry blossoms in Washington D.C. and NYC, which were gifted from Japan to the US as a sign of friendship, Japan also gifted cherry blossoms to Utah following WWII. However, they weren’t the first ones planted in the capitol; those were planted on Arbor Day in 1931. Unlike the cities on the East Coast, the gifts from Japan here were Kwanzan cherry blossoms instead of Yoshino. The cherry trees were there until 1999 and then replaced by Yoshino cherry trees after a tornado damaged the Kwanzan trees.

Culture Shock

Downtown Salt Lake City was not my vibe whatsoever. It was an immense culture shock to me in more ways than one. It’s not a secret that Utah has the largest Mormon population. Almost 70% of the state’s total population is considered Mormon. When I was at the capitol building I overheard a teenage girl with her friends as they were passing by say that any negative feelings she felt, she would internalize rather than feel them so that she could “give it to God” This was sad to hear because I’m strongly against religious indoctrination during a young person’s formative years.

Not only that, the homeless population was more than I expected and it was pretty obvious that most cases were related to drug use. I’m aware this is a very sensitive subject and requires a lot of nuance. Whenever I see cases of extreme homelessness, it always makes me question the (lack of) resources provided by the city and state governance. That being said, while walking around there were times when I was on heightened alert for my safety. As someone who lives in New York City that’s saying something.

Surprisingly amazing food!

During my Salt Lake City 3 day itinerary, I learned there’s a large Latino population. My friend and I tried to ask which group populated the area the most, but couldn’t get a definitive answer. I’m completely generalizing, but I have a sneaking suspicion that their sazon is why all the food I ate was delicious in a majority-white town.

• Carson Kitchen: reimagined comfort food with elevated dining. The Tempura Green Beans really hit the spot as an appetizer and the Beets & Grains was healthy and filling.
• Eva’s Bakery: delicious boulangerie and bistro.
• Gourmandise: pastries and desserts.
• Capo Gelateria Italiana: REAL gelato! Everything is made with natural ingredients and nothing artificial.

Where to stay in Downtown Salt Lake City

I stayed at two different hotels during my Salt Lake City 3 day itinerary. One was a dingey cheap hotel for my budget, so I will only focus on The Salt Lake Marriott Downtown at City Creek. Conveniently located near Temple Square and Salt Palace Convention Center, this hotel is considered a standard modern hotel perfect for business, pleasuring, or event hosting.

Getting around Salt Lake City

TRAX Public Transportation

Getting around downtown SLC is relatively easy and I like that there’s accessible public transportation from the airport. While it costs $2.50 on the TRAX to and from the airport, no one came to check when I was on it. If you do need to buy tickets you can do so on the Transit app.

For this Salt Lake City 3 day itinerary, I stayed in two sections within the TRAX Free Fare Zone, which means you don’t have to pay for a ticket when riding the rail. I’m curious who pays for that. I hopped on and off when I could, but since it’s central and a lot of the locations I was heading to for the views were on the outskirts, I still had to do a lot of walking. Getting steps in while on a trip is a great form of exercise, but I can see this becoming a big hassle if you live there.

Salt Lake City is walkable, but for a city of 200,000, it seems everyone is driving instead and there are six lanes of traffic which I think is overkill for a city infrastructure. It’s ironic that cities like Las Vegas, LA, and New York City need, and should, have that many lanes, but SLC, which has a much smaller population in comparison is the one to have it. The math ain’t mathing and it’s a journey just to cross the street!

Driving

While public transportation is convenient within the city, the best part of a Salt Lake City 3 day itinerary is leaving it. That means renting a car. After a couple of days downtown, venture out and see the beautiful natural wonders in the SLC vicinity. My plans almost hit a snag when a partnership with a car company fell through at the eleventh hour, almost leaving me stranded in the city. Luckily, this setback turned into an opportunity to try something new. I decided to test out Turo, a peer-to-peer car rental-sharing service app. Think Airbnb, but for cars.

Within 24 hours, I had a rental car booked and ready to go. The process was smooth. After my reservation was approved, I was given the location details to pick up the car, with the keys waiting inside. Just like with a regular rental, take inventory of any scratches, dings, gas level, and mileage before driving off.

If you’re considering Turo, any car rental protection from your travel credit card is typically not valid with this service. You’ll likely need to purchase Turo’s insurance, which can add to the cost. For my one-day rental, it came to $88, which I split with my friend. Despite the added insurance cost, having a car opened up a world of possibilities for exploring Utah’s incredible landscapes.

Bonneville Salt Flats

My favorite place to visit in Utah is the famous Bonneville Salt Flats, one of the most unique features of Utah. This is what is most associated with Salt Lake City, but it’s about a 90-minute drive away. If you want to go here, renting a car is a must. The salt flats are an expanse of hard, white salt crust stretching over 30,000 acres on the western edge of the Great Salt Lake basin. Lake Bonneville once covered one-third of Utah and reached depths of nearly 1000 feet in the region where the Salt Flats now lie. There are two main sections – the Salt Flats Rest Area near milepost 10, and further up on the road is the famous Bonneville Speedway, where amateur racers go to break land speed records.

It’s a beautiful place for photography. My favorite time to go is sunset during the rainy season when the salt flats become a giant mirror. No need to go to Bolivia! For some reason, I thought the wet salt would have been softer, but it was more akin to walking on sharp pebbles. I scraped my foot when I was playing around barefoot during a photoshoot. I recommend bringing a pair of waterproof shoes/boots/sandals, or something you’re willing to throw out after. Also bring a towel that you’re ok with getting dirty.

Pink Lake

While everyone knows about the Salt Flats, the Pink Lake is much less known. Even locals don’t know about it. I’d say this is a true hidden gem in the US! The best part is I had the whole place to myself! I’ve been wanting to see the pink waters for myself for years, and I finally had a chance to.

There are two spots to see the Pink Lake. One of them, Stansbury Island, is on the way to the Bonneville Salt Flats, while the other, Spiral Jetty, is on the other side of the Lake. I didn’t get a chance to visit the Spiral Jetty section, but it looks like it’s the prettier option. The roads are paved and then turn to gravel, but a 4WD car isn’t needed. Be prepared to wash your car after venturing here.

Park City

Lastly, if your 3 day Salt Lake City itinerary allows for it, head to Park City. The town has a lively and colorful past. Founded by prospectors in the late 1860s, silver was mined here until the early 1970s and then became famous as a world-class mountain resort town and venue for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. I have to say Park City was way more of a vibe. Park City has its own lifestyle, and the people there are fashionable, even casually.

While I was in Park City, I did horse meditation with Park City Horse Experience. I’m a lowkey horse girl and I loved being in the presence of horses again! The meditation focuses on the fact that horses, and animals in general, are sentient beings. Afterward, I had dinner at the beautiful Empire Canyon Lodge in the vast Deer Valley Resort. I only had a day in Park City, so I’ll have to go back and spend some more time there exploring.

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