8 to 9 hours (Approx.)

Mobile Ticket

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Overview

Why settle for one park when you can explore two? This combo features tours through Zion and Bryce Canyon, two incredible Utah parks that sit right next to one another! Witness natural wonders like Zion’s Temple of Sinawava and Bryce’s mysterious hoodoos. Stand atop incredible overlooks. Uncover the fascinating human history behind each park. Plus, if you’re in the mood, embark on breathtaking hikes you’ll never forget!

Purchase one tour per car, not per person.

After booking, you can check your email before downloading the Tour Guide App by Action, entering your unique password, and accessing your tour. The preceding steps require good internet/Wi-Fi access. Simply follow the audio instructions and the route from there.

New, extra validity — now, it’s yours for an entire year! Use multiple times over multiple trips!

**March to late November: Driving on Zion scenic drive is prohibited. Use the audio stories on the shuttle bus. Driving is allowed when the Shuttle closes down.**

Description

Stop At: Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, USA

Named after the Mormon Pioneer Ebenezer Bryce, Bryce Canyon became a National Park in 1924. Bryce is famous for its unique geology, which consists of a series of horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters carved from the eastern edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau in southern Utah. Named after the Mormon Pioneer Ebenezer Bryce, Bryce Canyon became a National Park in 1924. Bryce is famous for its unique geology, which consists of a series of horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters carved from the eastern edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau in southern Utah. The erosional force has shaped the colorful limestone rock of the Claron Formation into bizarre shapes, including slot canyons, windows, fins, and spires called hoodoos. Tinted with colors too numerous and subtle to name, these whimsically arranged rocks create a wondrous landscape of mazes, offering some of the most exciting and memorable walks and hikes imaginable.

NOTE: This 45+mile-long tour covers the essentials of Zion and Bryce Canyon Bundle in 8-9 hours

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Bryce Canyon Visitor Center, Utah

Embark on this epic adventure through Bryce Canyon National Park just before the Visitor Center. As we begin the drive, we'll learn about how the canyon got its namesake and about the original Paitue people who called this land home.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Fairyland Point, Rim Trail, Bryce Canyon City, UT 84764, USA

Our first detour is at the breathtaking Fairyland Point. This overlook offers a great sneak peek at everything Bryce Canyon contains: sweeping vistas, sheer cliffs, and, of course, the world-famous hoodoos!

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Sunrise Point, Utah

Our next stop is one of the most famous in the entire park: Sunrise Point. From this vantage point, we'll see unique, picturesque rock formations spread out in front of us and a plethora of natural trails leading into the vast, alient landscape.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Bryce Amphitheater, Bryce Amphitheater, Utah 84764, USA

Our self-guided driving tour continues around the famous Bryce Amphitheatre! The canyon curves around in the shape of a giant semicircle and dips far below our feet.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Sunset Point, Sunset Point, Utah 84764, USA

Our drive brings us to another striking vista point overlooking the Bryce Amphitheatre: Sunset Point. Here, as we gaze out over the implausible shapes below us, we'll learn about the science behind their formations and understand what, exactly, makes a hoodoo. We'll explore the impact of geology and erosion over a monumental time scale, hoping to understand how such a incredible landscape came into existence.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Inspiration Point, Utah

We continue our self-guided tour deeper into Bryce Canyon, towards Inspiration Point. As we drive, we learn about the Paiute people and their mythologies. They had their own explanation for the uniqueness of this landscape and the origins of Bryce's famous hoodoos.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Bryce Point, Utah

This brings us to Bryce Point, which offers one of the most scenic vistas of the full amphitheater. Bryce Point is also famous for its extraordinary sunrises. From here you can watch the tops of hoodoos set alight as if by fire from the first rays of the rising sun. Like fire, the orange light quickly spreads driving shadows from all but the deepest recesses of the amphitheater. As we drive here, we'll learn about the Mormon settlers who followed the Paitue and tried to eke out a living in this unforgiving climate.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Paria View, Bryce Point Road, Utah 84764

Our self-guided tour continues to Paria View, where we see the effects of a centuries-old glacier. As the earth warmed about 12,000 years ago, the last ice age came to an end. As the enormous glaciers which covered the American continent melted, all that new water had to go somewhere. Answer: down the canyon!

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Swamp Canyon Overlook, Bryce Canyon City, UT 84764, USA

Now our drive takes us into the lesser-trafficked part of the park. As we drive to Swamp Canyon Overlook, we'll learn about a famous local: Butch Cassidy! We'll learn all about Butch, Sundance, and the difference between fact and fiction as we continue the self-guided tour.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Farview Point, Bryce Canyon City, UT 84764, USA

Our next stop is at Farview Point. It’s not just the elevation that allows for such incredible views here -- the land here also offers something becoming increasingly rare in today’s world. Can you guess what it is? Clean air! That's helped along by the abundance of bristlecone pines here, which are the Earth's oldest trees.

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Natural Bridge, Bryce Canyon National Park, UT, USA

The self-guided tour passes by Natural Bridge next, which features unusual arches and formations -- in case we weren't already amazed by the hoodoos of the amphitheatre!

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Bryce Canyon Road, Bryce Cyn Rd, Utah, USA

At Agua Canyon two prominent hoodoos command attention. On the left, is the taller of the two towers, "The Hunter." To the right, the "Rabbit". Neither look anything like a hunter or rabbit though! As we drive on, we'll learn about rabbits, deer, and other wildlife of Bryce. We'll also understand what tricks they use to survive the scorching hot summers and deeply freezing winters.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Ponderosa Canyon, Route 63, Bryce Canyon National Park, Bryce, Utah

This brings us to Ponderosa Point, from which you can see the park’s iconic junipers sprawling out into the distance. We're now driving into the deepest recesses of Bryce Canyon National Park.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Black Birch Canyon, Black Birch Canyon, Utah 84741, USA

Our self-guided drive continues towards Black Birch Canyon Overlook. As we drive, we'll learn all about the night sky and opportunities for amateaur astronomy while you're here. The stargazing at Bryce is unparalleled.

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Rainbow Point, Southern End of Highway 63, Utah

Finally, we reach the farthest overlooks inside Bryce Canyon: Rainbow and Yovimpa. From here, you can see nearly everything in Bryce Canyon -- the quintessential hoodoos, the verdant basin, the sheer cliffs. You can even see that you're on the top step of the incredibly massive "Grand Staircase" -- a geologic structure "stepping down" all the way to the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Red Canyon, Red Canyon, Utah 84759, USA

That arch up ahead and its twin a little ways down the road are the Red Canyon Arches. These might look a little like natural arches, but they’re actually made by people. Workers tunneled through solid rock here in 1914 to make room for the road. Since then, these have become a sort of gateway to the beautiful expanse of Bryce Canyon.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Zion National Park, Utah

Zion National Park is a southwest Utah nature preserve distinguished by Zion Canyon’s steep red cliffs. Zion Canyon Scenic Drive cuts through its main section, leading to forest trails along the Virgin River. The river flows to the Emerald Pools, which have waterfalls and a hanging garden. Also along the river, partly through deep chasms, is Zion Narrows wading hike.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Springdale Visitor Center, 1101 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale, Utah 84767

Welcome to Zion National Park! This raw landscape has it all: staggering mountain peaks, stunning natural pools, and gorgeous vistas. We’ll explore it all today.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Zion Canyon Visitor Center, 118 Lion Blvd, Springdale, Utah 84767

Continue straight. Just before the bridge, you’ll see a path on the left. That’s the start of the Pa’rus Trail. And just after the bridge is another path -- the Watchman Trail. Both are popular hikes with great views at the end.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Zion Human History Museum, Zion National Park Rd, Springdale, UT 84767, USA

While we don’t know too much about those Ice Age hunters, newer residents left their stories behind. Around 300 BCE, people started settling down here and farming. They grew squash and corn, and gradually learned how to better cultivate the land and survive the unforgiving climate. One group, the Fremont, cultivated a drought- and cold-resistant species of corn which could thrive even at high altitudes.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Canyon Junction Bridge, Zion – Mount Carmel Hwy Hurricane, Hurricane, UT 84737, USA

We’re almost at Canyon Junction Bridge. There’s a lot going on there:

First, it’s a great sunset spot. Be sure to come back here later.

Second, there are great views of the Watchman and other mountains. If you find parking, take it and listen to the Learn More stories about the peaks.

Third, this is where the road splits:

Turn left if you want to drive along the Scenic Road and visit the Narrows, Angel’s Landing, or the Emerald Pools.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, Utah

Whew, what a view! Those three mountains are the iconic Court of the Patriarchs. And who are these patriarchs?

Well, a local Christian minister named them after three figures from the Bible: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, from left to right.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Zion National Park Lodge, 1 Zion lodge, Springdale, UT 84767, USA

The park service works hard to keep this place as natural and untouched as possible… while simultaneously handling over 4 million visitors each year. But that wasn’t the case in the early 1900s. No one knew about this place and that meant no revenue... and that meant… development.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Emerald Pools, Utah

First, bring lots of water! You may think you’ve got enough… but you probably don’t. This might seem obvious, but Utah’s heat is unforgiving, and heat-stroke or sun-stroke can easily ruin a fun vacation.

Second, make sure you don’t overtax yourself! Hiking around here is going to be more difficult than you might be used to, thanks to the elevation. Be sure you don’t embark on journeys you’re not certain you’ll be able to finish.

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Angel's Landing, West Rim Trail, Utah

This park has a ton of great trails, but Angel’s Landing stands in a league of its own. Those who complete the hike describe it as a breathtaking experience like no other, offering impossible views and a major adrenaline rush.

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: The Grotto Picnic Area, Springdale, UT 84767, USA

his spot offers picnic tables, restrooms, and fire grates. But the surrounding trails are the main attraction!

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Weeping Rock Trail, 1 Zion Park Blvd., Utah

A continuous stream of water trickles down its face from a stream far above

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Big Bend Viewpoint, Springdale, UT 84767, USA

As we round the Big Bend of the Virgin River, we’ll approach the last viewpoint on this drive. Stop there for magnificent views of the Great White Throne and the towering peak of Angel’s Landing.

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Temple of Sinawava, Zion Canyon Scenic Dr, Springdale, UT 84779, USA

To see the Narrows, you’ll want to follow the paved Riverwalk all the way to the end. It’s a flat, easy walk, full of beautiful greenery and towering natural skyscrapers. But before you set off, let’s talk about the Temple of Sinawava.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: The East Temple, The East Temple, Utah 84737, USA

That towering summit ahead is the East Temple, standing at 1,700 feet. Notice how the cliff isn’t all one color? You’ve probably seen this on the other rock faces as well. That’s because these cliffs are actually made of rock from a bunch of different eras in the earth’s history.

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Zion scenic drive viewpoint 2, Apple Valley, UT 84737, USA

At the next hairpin turn, you’ll see a pull off. If there’s room, stop there for some incredible views. While stopped, click on Learn More to hear why the Mormons called this place Zion.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: The Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel, Zion – Mount Carmel Hwy, Hurricane, UT 84737, USA

Make sure to turn on those headlights -- because the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel is just ahead! Once inside, you might be tempted to stop and take photos, but you’ll have to resist the urge: stopping is strictly prohibited.

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Canyon Overlook Trail, Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel, East Entrance, Utah

The Canyon Overlook Trail is one of East Zion’s finest -- even though it’s short and easy. Why? Simple -- the spectacular views from the top.

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Altar of Sacrifice, Altar of Sacrifice, Utah 84737, USA

If you look closely at the Altar of Sacrifice, you’ll notice that it’s got streaks of rusty red running down the sides. Early Mormon pioneers saw this and thought it looked like blood spilling from a sacrificial altar. Of course, there’s a much less gruesome explanation.

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Checkerboard Mesa, Zion-Mount Carmel Hwy., 1 mi west of the East Entrance, Utah

Look at that mesa rising into the sky. Notice anything peculiar? As you get closer, you should be able to make out a strange grid of criss-crossed lines all over it. It looks a bit like a checkerboard, which is how it gets the name Checkerboard Mesa!

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: East Entrance Ranger Station, Orderville, UT 84758, USA

We’re at the East Ranger Station, which means we’ve reached the end of our tour. I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about the formation of this majestic place and all the people who’ve lived here over the millennia. If you’re planning to visit other parks in the southwest, such as Bryce, Arches, or Monument Valley, be sure to check out my other tours.

Duration: 10 minutes

Schedule

What's Included

What To Bring

Additional Info

Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
How to access: Once you book a tour, you’ll get a confirmation email and an instructions email. Follow the instructions right away: • Download the app • Enter the password • Download the tour • MUST DO while in strong wifi/cellular
How to start the tour: Once onsite, open the Action's Tour Guide App: • If there is just one tour, launch it. • If there are multiple tour versions, launch the one with your planned starting point and direction. • Go to the starting point. (Note: no one will meet you at the start. This tour is self-guided). • The audio will begin automatically at the starting point. If you face audio issues, visit the FAQ. • Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
Amazing savings: • Driving Tours: Save money by purchasing a single tour for the entire vehicle, avoiding individual fees per person like on a bus tour. Connect your phone to the car speakers to share the audio.
Flexibility and Convenience: • Use the tour app anytime, on any day, and over multiple days. It's perfect for tailoring your exploration and revisiting your favorite spots on future trips. • Start and pause the tour whenever you like, taking breaks and exploring side excursions at your own pace, free from the constraints of a group.
Comprehensive Tour Experience: •The app provides a full itinerary, travel tips, narrated audio stories, scripts, images, videos, and recommendations for additional activities. • Enjoy a private experience without the crowds, ideal for personalized stops and photo opportunities.
Ease of Use and Accessibility: • The app is hands-free and activates stories via GPS, offering support through call, chat, or email. • There is no need for a continuous cell or Wi-Fi connection as the GPS map works offline.
Memorable Keepsakes: • Utilize the app’s images to create a photo book or share on social media, ensuring you have high-quality, crowd-free memories from your trip.
Preparation: • After booking, download the app and the tour using a strong Wi-Fi connection. • Review the tour at home before your trip for a better experience.
Starting the Tour: • Open the app upon arrival at your destination. • Select the appropriate tour based on your starting point. • Head to the starting location; the audio will begin automatically. • Follow the suggested route and adhere to the speed limit for an optimal experience. • By following these instructions and taking advantage of the app's features, users can enjoy a personalized, flexible, and in-depth exploration of their destination at their own pace and convenience.