Things to Do in Zion

A private guided day in the Narrows — the guide handles route-finding, water-level reads, and gear logistics so you focus on the canyon. Seven hours, private group. Worth the price if the Narrows is the trip's anchor and you want to go deeper than the tourist turnaround.

Good for Day hikersBackpackers

• Free cancellation
• Private guide for the Narrows
• Gear and route logistics handled
• Full-day immersion (7 hours)
• Water-level expertise included

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A guided e-bike ride through Zion Canyon — covers more ground than walking, no shuttle waits. The assist takes the edge off the Pa'rus Trail grades so the scenery does the work. Three to four hours, small group.

Good for Day hikersFamiliesAccessible options

• Free cancellation
• Covers the canyon scenic road by e-bike
• No shuttle wait or parking stress
• Small group, guided
• Suitable for moderate fitness levels

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A self-guided audio tour you play from your phone while driving or riding the shuttle through Zion. Under $17 per person — the lowest-commitment way to get narrated context on the geology, history, and stops without booking a guide. Works for any pace and any gateway.

Good for Budget tripsFamiliesAccessible options

• Free cancellation
• Self-paced audio tour on your phone
• $17 per person — cheapest guided option
• Works with driving or shuttle
• No schedule commitment

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A UTV ride through the East Zion backcountry into a slot canyon — part off-road adventure, part canyoneering. Two and a half hours. The UTV gets you past the trailhead crowds and into terrain you can't reach on foot from the main canyon.

Good for Day hikersFamilies

• Free cancellation
• UTV backcountry access + slot canyon
• 2.5 hours — fits a half-day
• 4.99 rating across 356 reviews
• East Zion — avoids main-canyon crowds

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A half-day slot-canyon canyoneering trip on the east side of Zion — rappels, scrambles, and narrows without the permit lottery or the crowds at the main canyon. Runs from the Orderville side, making it a natural add-on for Kanab-based trips or east-entrance itineraries.

Good for Day hikersBackpackers

• Free cancellation
• Rappelling through a slot canyon
• No Zion permit needed (east-side operator)
• Half-day — fits a multi-park schedule
• Highest-rated canyoneering tour in the area (4.97)

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A short, guided slot-canyon hike through Peek-a-Boo — the Instagram-famous orange walls, no ropes required. Two to three hours, small group. The most accessible slot canyon experience in the Kanab corridor; works for families with older kids and anyone who wants the slot-canyon photos without the rappelling commitment.

Good for FamiliesDay hikersBudget trips

• Free cancellation
• No ropes or rappelling required
• 2-3 hours — fits a half-day
• 761 reviews at 4.97 rating
• Family-friendly for ages 6+

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A private UTV ride to the Coral Pink sand dunes for sunset sandboarding, plus a Peek-a-Boo slot canyon run. Two hours, private group. A different angle on the Kanab corridor — dunes, not just canyons — and the sunset timing makes it a natural second-half-of-the-day add-on after a morning in Zion.

Good for FamiliesDay hikers

• Free cancellation
• Private group — your pace
• Sandboarding at Coral Pink dunes + slot canyon
• Sunset timing — pairs with a morning park day
• 2 hours, $129/person

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From spring through late fall, the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is car-free and the free park shuttle is how you ride it — a string of stops up the canyon floor at the Court of the Patriarchs, Zion Lodge, the Grotto, Big Bend, and the Temple of Sinawava, where the Narrows begins. Hop on and off all day. In winter, when the shuttle pauses, you can drive the road yourself.

• Free shuttle; private cars barred from the canyon in season
• Hop-on, hop-off at the canyon trailheads

Zion's rangers run free talks, guided walks, and evening programs through the busy season, covering the canyon's geology, wildlife, and human history. Kids can pick up a Junior Ranger booklet at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center, complete the activities, and earn a badge. Topics, times, and meeting points shift week to week, so check the current schedule before you go.

• Free talks, guided walks, and evening programs in season
• Junior Ranger booklets at the visitor center

Zion is a certified International Dark Sky Park, and on a clear, moonless night the canyon walls frame a sky thick with stars. The open pullouts along the lower canyon and the higher, darker Kolob Terrace Road are the easiest places to look up once your eyes adjust. Rangers run night-sky programs in the busy season. Aim for a night near the new moon and let the canyon settle dark.

• Certified International Dark Sky Park
• Darkest near a new moon; Kolob Terrace is higher and darker

The Virgin River corridor is the easiest place in Zion to see animals. Mule deer browse the canyon floor at dawn and dusk, wild turkeys cross the meadows, and desert bighorn sheep work the slickrock on the east side near the tunnel. Watch the cliffs and thermals overhead for California condors. Bring binoculars, keep your distance, and the quiet early hours along the river reward patience.

• Mule deer, bighorn sheep, wild turkeys, California condors
• Best at dawn and dusk along the river