Bonneville Salt Flats tour: 47 sq miles of white salt flats

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Free cancellationTravelers' pickLikely to sell out

1/10

Duration6h–7h

GroupUp to 13

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

The salt flats stretch so far that mirages shimmer across the horizon.

A guided tour of the Bonneville Salt Flats from Salt Lake City includes hotel pickup, professional guide, and a small-group ride in a comfortable Mercedes Sprinter van. The route covers the otherworldly salt expanse, the 85-foot Tree of Utah sculpture, the Blue Canal engineering landmark, and panoramic views of the Silver Island Mountains and Great Salt Lake. The tour runs 6 to 7 hours and operates on multiple morning and afternoon departures throughout the week.

6h–7h

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Bonneville Salt Flats and landmarks

Travel west along Victory Highway
See white salt pyramids from mining
Visit the Tree of Utah sculpture
View the Blue Canal flood solution
Explore the Bonneville Salt Flats
Stop at panoramic Silver Island Mountains overlook
Return to Salt Lake City

The Experience

What makes the Bonneville Salt Flats feel so strange is the scale—47 square miles of white stretching flat enough to see the curve of the earth. The tour starts with a drive west along the Victory Highway, the nation's historic second transcontinental route, where the landscape shifts from mountain peaks to desert. You'll pass towering white salt pyramids from mining operations before arriving at the flats themselves. Once there, you walk out onto the crystalline surface, photograph the shimmering mirages, and stand where land speed record holders have tested their machines for decades.

The route weaves in three other stops that anchor the region's story. The Tree of Utah is an 85-foot sculpture rising from the desert floor, a symbol of endurance that breaks the monotony of salt and sky. The Blue Canal, a brilliant engineering channel, once protected Salt Lake City from historic flooding—it's a reminder that even this remote landscape shaped the settlement of the valley. From a panoramic overlook, you see the ancient Bonneville Lake basin framed by the Silver Island Mountains, and the Great Salt Lake spreads across the horizon. A professional guide narrates the geology, the speed racing history, and the human effort that built this region, while the Mercedes Sprinter keeps the group small and the ride comfortable.

Hotel pickup and drop-off in Salt Lake City are included, along with bottled water and binoculars for viewing. The tour operates on multiple morning and afternoon departures throughout the week, so you can choose the schedule that fits your trip. Gratuities for the guide are optional.

What’s included

Hotel pickup and drop-off in Salt Lake City.
professional guide in English.
comfortable Mercedes Sprinter van transportation.
bottled water.
binoculars for viewing.
applicable taxes and fees.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Matei Travel

Is this one for you?Book a morning departure if you want the clearest light for photographs across the salt flats and the strongest contrast against the sky; afternoon tours work equally well if your Salt Lake City schedule runs later. The small-group format and fixed itinerary mean the day holds together without you building it—guide, transport, timing and entry are all arranged.