Salt Lake City is the capital and largest city in Utah. Although I had visited Salt Lake City once when I was young, the city has really grown since that time and has a lot to offer, especially for families. I liked that there was a diverse amount of activities to do in Salt Lake City as well. From winter sports, museums, and hiking, there is something for everyone when spending two days in Salt Lake City.
US Ghost Adventures is an awesome company that offers a variety of guided tours and haunted experiences across different cities in the United States. Visitors can learn the compelling history and stories of the paranormal and the city’s darker side. Make sure to check out the variety of tours offered in Salt Lake City here. They are very affordable too!
Disclaimer: Special thanks to the Salt Lake City Tourism Board for hosting me at several attractions on my trip to Salt Lake City! As always, all thoughts and opinions remain my own. This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission at no cost to you!
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History of Salt Lake City
The Salt Lake City area was originally established by the Shoshone and Paiute people until the first European explorer came to the area in 1825. Many pioneers including the infamous Donner Party traveled through the area when venturing to the west.
In 1847, the first settlers arrived and began to establish a permanent settlement. Bringham Young, the president of the Latter-Day Saints (Mormons), decided on settling in this area. Many Native Americans were killed during this time due to an outbreak of measles.
Throughout the late 1800s, the Mormons began to build up the Salt Lake City area and it began to turn into the city we know today. In 1869, the First Transcontinental Railroad was completed near Salt Lake City, which brought an even larger flow of people to the area. 1896, saw Salt Lake City officially become the capital of Utah.
In the 1900s, the area grew due to the gold rush and streetcar system in the city. Salt Lake City hosted the Winter Olympics in 2002 and with that saw a rise in tourism to the area. Present-day, Salt Lake City is a popular winter sports destination and continues to be a big center for the Mormon population.
When to Spend Two Days in Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City is a great place to visit any time of the year, it just depends on the experience you want. If you are into winter sports like skiing and snowboarding, spend two days in Salt Lake City during the wintertime. Summertime in Salt Lake City has more opportunities for hiking and lake activities.
How to Get to Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City has one major airport -Salt Lake City International Airport. Located just north of Downtown, the airport gets flights from all over the United States, Mexico, and Canada. It also has a few other international seasonal routes. SLCIA is a Delta hub, so you will most likely find the best deal on Delta flights. Flights typically run around $200 from California.
Transportation in Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City is a very spread out city with many things to do in the suburbs. I recommend getting a car for the flexibility. Autoslash typically has some great prices.
If you don’t want to rent a car, you can always take a guided sightseeing tour by bus.
Where to Stay in Salt Lake City
TripAdvisor is a great place to start your hotel search. Search for the best Salt Lake City hotels here!
There are so many awesome areas to stay in Salt Lake City. No matter where you stay, everything is pretty close together. To save some money and not have to worry about paying for parking Downtown, we opted to stay at the Hampton Inn West Valley, located about 15 minutes from Downtown. Staying by the airport is also affordable and convenient.
The following are some other popular Salt Lake City hotels.
- Holiday Inn Express Downtown
- Hyatt House Downtown
- Home2Suits Salt Lake City East
- Springhill Suites Salt Lake City Airport
- Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City Attractions Pass
When visiting Salt Lake City, I highly recommend getting the Salt Lake Attractions Pass. With this pass, you get admission to 16 attractions across Salt Lake City. You can get the pass for 1, 2, or 3 days. This is good for one admission to each of the attractions. The final price saves you at least 50% or more on the admissions of places, depending on the number of places you can get to in one day.
I really liked that I could track the different attractions on my phone as well as read information about them. It was a very convenient way to see a ton of things during two days in Salt Lake City. I also liked that I did not have to worry about paying at each stop, it was already taken care of ahead of time.
There is also a ski pass and a brewery pass you can get if you are interested in those types of activities as well. The Ski pass starts at 3 days for $142/day. The brewery pass is $20 for a day.
Families might be interested in this Salt Lake Family Faves Pass.
Pricing
The following is the cost of each Salt Lake Attractions Pass for adults.
1 Day: $36
2 Days: $54
3 Days: $66
365 Days: $96
What to do During Two Days in Salt Lake City
Day 1
Visit the Utah State Capitol
Cost: Free
Hours: Mon-Thurs: 7am-8pm, Fri-Sun: 7am-6pm
No stop during two days in Salt Lake City is complete without a visit to the state capitol building. Tours are every hour from 10am-3pm Monday through Friday. Tours take about 45 minutes. You can also opt to do a self-guided tour and explore it yourself. Inside of the building, visitors can view various artwork including various murals and statues, view gallery floors, and of course, check out the dome.
Salt Lake City Tabernacle
Cost: Free
After visiting the capitol building, swing by the Tabernacle to see if any performances or practices are going on. The Salt Lake City Tabernacle is also known as the Mormon Tabernacle. This is known as a conference center and as the space where the Mormon Tabernacle Choir rehearses and performs. Visitors can watch practices every Thursday at 7:30pm. You can also watch Oregon Recitals Monday through Saturday at 12pm or Sundays at 2pm.
East High School
Cost: Free
High School Musical fans! Did you know that East High is a real place and its mascot really is the Wildcats? You can stop by East High and snap a few poses in front of the school.
Rice-Eccles Stadium
Cost: Free
Rice-Eccles Stadium is home to the University of Utah team. In front of the stadium is a nice exhibit about the 2002 Winter Olympics. You can see the Olympic Torch from the games here as well.
Lunch at Roctaco
Cost: $$
Hours: Mon-Thurs: 11am-9pm, Fri-Sat: 11am-10pm, Closed Sun
Want Mexican food with a twist? Roctaco serves tacos but with unique combinations. I really enjoyed the Jimmy Churri (beef with cheese and chimichurri sauce) and the Chancho (pork with a raspberry sauce). It is the perfect place to grab lunch during two days in Salt Lake City
Utah Museum of Fine Arts**
Cost: $16
Hours: Tues, Thus-Sun: 10am-5pm, Wed: 10am-8pm
The Utah Museum of Fine Arts has a mix of local art and a ton of European art from the 1300s-1800s. In total, the museum contains over 13,000 pieces. It is the perfect place for art lovers to add to two days in Salt Lake City. Every third Saturday of the month, entrance is free to the museum. I was really excited to see some of the Pieter Brueghel the Younger artwork.
Dinner at Pago
Cost: $$
Hours: Mon-Fri: 5pm-9pm, Sat-Sun: 10am-2pm, 5pm-9pm
Pago was the best place I ate during two days in Salt Lake City. This restaurant has a constantly changing menu due to its use of local, freshly sourced ingredients. All of the food is handcrafted and they have a spectacular wine menu as well. At the time, I opted for a Sage Ricotta pasta dish.
Day 2
Tracy Aviary**
Cost: $13
Hours: 9am-5pm
The Tracy Aviary is an 8 acre complex that is home to an assortment of 400 birds. Guests can visit the exhibits, watch live bird shows, or opt to help feed the birds. Plan to spend around an hour walking around viewing the exhibits when adding this to your two days in Salt Lake City.
Lunch at Gourmandise
Cost: $$
Hours: Mon-Thurs: 8am-10pm, Fri-Sat: 8am-11pm, Sun: 9am-2pm
Looking for another place to eat during your two days in Salt Lake City? Gourmandise is another yummy stop! They offer delicious brunch on the weekends, as well as lunch and dinner. This French bakery offers a variety of dishes such as soups and sandwiches. If you visit for dinner, the steak or the pork are delicious options.
Natural History Museum of Utah**
Cost: $20
Hours: Thurs-Tues: 10am-5pm, Wed: 10am-9pm
The Natural History Museum of Utah might have been the best museum I visited during two days in Salt Lake City. This museum contains several floors of diverse exhibits. From dinosaurs and fossils to information about the original Native American settlers, this museum provided a good overview of the natural history of the area. I recommend this museum over the Museum of Ancient Life.
Red Butte Garden**
Cost: $14
Hours: 9am-5pm, Varies in the summertime
Right next door to the Natural History Museum of Utah is the Red Butte Garden. These botanical gardens are a great place to take a stroll around. Although not as picturesque in the wintertime, in the spring and summer a ton of the flowers are in bloom. In total, there are 21 acres and 5 miles of trails.
Dinner at Bohemian Brewery
Cost: $$
Hours: Sun: 10am-9pm, Mon-Fri: 11am-10pm, Sat: 10am-10pm
End your second of two days in Salt Lake City with dinner at the Bohemian Brewery. This delicious restaurant has all kinds of German beers and food. I recommend sharing a few plates to get a taste for the food, especially since the entrees are large.
Other Breweries
Cost: $
Hours: Varies by Brewery
Salt Lake City has an endless amount of breweries scattered around town. After dinner, pick another brewery or two to stop at for a drink. Two of my favorites included Epic Brewing Company and Templin Family Brewing. Both of them had a great assortment of beers and lots of my favorite -sours!
Alternatively, you can book a guided brewery tour!
More Than Two Days in Salt Lake City?
If you have more than two days in Salt Lake City, there are a ton of other things you can do.
Go Skiing at Brighton Resort
Cost: $55 and up
There are a ton of ski resorts in the Salt Lake City area, but Brighton Resort is the perfect place for beginners. A beginner lift ticket costs $55 and you get access to two lifts. In total, they have 6 lifts with 66 different trails. It is the perfect way to spend a day if you have more than two days in Salt Lake City.
The Leonardo**
Cost: $5
Hours: Wed-Sun: 12pm-7pm
The Leonardo is a fun hands-on science museum for families to visit during two days in Salt Lake City. They have a ton of hands-on activities relating to the areas Leonardo Da Vinci specialized in such as flight/engineering and art.
Thanksgiving Point Museum of Ancient Life**
Cost: $24
Hours: Mon-Sat: 10am-8pm
This museum focuses on prehistoric life such as dinosaurs and other aquatic animals. They had some really awesome fossils and skeletons from those times. It is a bit of a drive from Downtown, so plan on visiting one of the other museums in the area as well. If you are short on time, head to the Natural History Museum instead.
Eat at Curry Up Now
Cost: $$
Hours: Sun-Thurs: 11am-9pm, Fri-Sat: 11am-10pm
**Note as of 2023, Curry Up Now is Closed.
If you are looking for some delicious Indian food with a twist, opt to have lunch at Curry Up Now. This was the perfect lunch stop during two days in Salt Lake City. They have an assortment of curries and traditional Indian street food but they also have burritos but with Indian dishes as the filling. Everything I tried was delicious.
Eat at Laziz Kitchen
Cost: $$
Hours: Mon-Thurs: 11am-9pm, Fri: 11am-10pm, Sat: 10am-10pm, Sun: 10am-8pm
Laziz Kitchen offers a variety of delicious small plate Mediterranean dishes. Their falafel is some of the best falafel I have ever had. It is a fun place to go with a group during two days in Salt Lake City. There are several locations in the SLC area.
Eat at Slackwater SLC
Cost: $$
Hours: Mon-Thurs: 11am-10pm, Fri-Sat: 11am-11pm, Sun: 10am-9pm
One of the best stops places for pizza lovers is Slackwater SLC. They have a ton of delicious and fun pizza options such as “cardiac arrest” and “from the earth.” Not only are their pizzas fun, they also have an extensive beer list with over 50 types of beer!
Day Trip to Golden Spike National Historical Park
Cost: $20 or free with an America the Beautiful Pass
Hours: 9am-5pm
Golden Spike National Historical Park commemorated the spot where the transcontinental railroad finally met in 1869 at Promontory Point. You will want to spend a couple of hours exploring the park. During the summertime, they sometimes even have reenactments from the period.
When visiting Golden Spike NHP visitors have the chance to watch a film about the history of the area, visit the small museum, see the replicated final plank laid, see the replicated steam engine trains, and go on a couple of hiking trails to see scenic spots. It is a fun stop to add to two days in Salt Lake City if you have the time.
Day Trip to Park City
Cost: Free and up
Another fun thing to add to a Salt Lake City itinerary is a day trip to Park City. Park City is mainly known for its snow sports, but there is plenty more to do there than that! Visitors can stop at the Park City Museum to learn about the history of the area.
For those that love whiskey and bourbon, a stop at High West Distillery makes for a fun time as well. Utah Olympic Park, where several of the Olympic events were held, is also close by.
Other Things Included on the Salt Lake Attractions Pass
**This Means this attraction is included on the Salt Lake Attractions Pass. Other places included on the pass are as follows.
- Clark Planetarium Dome Theater and Imax Theater
- Utah Museum of Contemporary Art
- The Children’s Museum of Utah
- Museum of Natural Curiosity
- Snowbird Tram
- Ashton Gardens
- This is the Place Heritage Park
- Utah’s Hogle Zoo
- Utah Olympic Park
Total Costs for Spending Two Days in Salt Lake City
Airfare: $210/person (but second person free with our companion pass)
Hotel: $207 total or $103.50/person
Rental Car: $117 total or $58.50/person (check out Discover Cars for the best car rentals!)
Total Cost: $534 total or $267/person
Other Things to do in Utah
If you have more than two days in Salt Lake City and want other places to visit in Utah, take a road trip to Utah’s “Mighty 5” National Parks. Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion National Parks are all awesome places to visit, especially people who love the outdoors. Also nearby Salt Lake City, you can head to Golden Spike National Historical Park to see where the western and eastern Railroads met. Colorado and Idaho are also close and have a ton of fun places to visit.
