BYU, Utah, Utah Valley and Weber State in 3 Days: A Wasatch Front Drive Trip
A parent-first plan for seeing BYU, the University of Utah, Utah Valley and Weber State from one hotel in Salt Lake City: official tour sign-ups, visitor parking at every campus, meals between tours, things for siblings and weather by season.
BYU entrance, Provo (Oct 2022). Photo: Tony Webster · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped
Last checked Oct 27, 2026. Every fact comes from the pages listed in Sources at the bottom. Some hotel and tour links are affiliate links (disclosure).
Check before you go. Tour times, sign-up rules, parking and seasonal closures change often, sometimes weekly. Every campus section below links to that school's official visit page and shows when we last checked it. Confirm there before you book or drive. College Visit Guides is not affiliated with or endorsed by any college or university. Names are used only to identify them.
The short version
Trip at a glance
Schools
University of Utah, Salt Lake City · Brigham Young University, Provo · Utah Valley University, Orem · Weber State University, Ogden
Days
3: Utah, then BYU and Utah Valley together, then Weber State on the way to the airport. Arrive the day before.
Fly into
Salt Lake City International (SLC), about 30 minutes from the hotel by car, or by TRAX light rail for $2.50 one way.
Best base
The University Guest House & Conference Center, on the University of Utah campus, about a 14-minute walk from Utah's Welcome Center.
Car or transit
Plan on a car for days 2 and 3: BYU is about 48 miles south of the hotel and Weber State about 37 miles north.
Registration
All four schools take tour registration online. BYU allows up to six guests per prospective student; Utah Valley allows up to eight.
1. Who this guide is for
This plan is for parents with a high schooler, and maybe younger siblings, who want to see four Division I universities along Utah's Wasatch Front in one trip: the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, BYU in Provo, Utah Valley University in Orem and Weber State in Ogden.
Instead of changing hotels, you sleep at the University Guest House every night. It sits in the Historic Fort Douglas section of the University of Utah campus, next to a TRAX light rail stop.
Why this order
Day 1: the University of Utah's general campus tour and admissions info session is a walk from the hotel, so the car can stay parked.
Day 2: BYU's 75-minute tour runs Monday–Friday, on foot or by golf cart. Utah Valley's walking tour, mostly indoors, is about 11 minutes up the road in Orem.
Day 3: Weber State's 90-minute tour in Ogden is about 51 minutes north of the hotel and about 45 minutes from SLC, so it fits on the way home.
Guest limits differ at BYU and Utah Valley
At BYU, each prospective student can bring up to six non-prospective guests. Register other prospective students (a sibling who's also looking, for example) separately; extra guests can take the self-guided walking tour.
At Utah Valley, you can bring up to eight guests; for more, ask about a group tour. Parents may tour without their student.
Tour availability varies by season.
Utah lists separate tour menus by term: fall 2026 runs Aug. 24–Dec. 11, winter Dec. 11–Jan. 8 (general campus tours only) and spring 2027 Jan. 11–May 5, when admitted-student tours are added.
BYU's Museum of Art closes at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 25, and stays closed through that Sunday. It's also closed Dec. 24–27 and Dec. 31–Jan. 3.
Weber State runs weekday tours plus Saturday and evening options, each with its own sign-up; Friday tours can add a rappelling session (Adventure Fridays).
Winter is snowy along the Wasatch Front: Salt Lake City averages about 12–13 inches of snow in each of December and January.
2. The suggested 3-day plan
Drive and walk times are no-traffic estimates from OpenStreetMap routing, using addresses geocoded with OpenStreetMap Nominatim. Interstate 15 traffic between Salt Lake City and Provo can make day 2 longer.
Without a car on arrival day, ride TRAX from the airport: take the Green Line to Court House and transfer to the Red Line toward University. The one-way fare is $2.50.
Arrival day: fly into Salt Lake City and check in on campus
Salt Lake City International (SLC) → University Guest House (110 S. Fort Douglas Blvd.)
Driving (no traffic)
~30 min, 14.9 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Walking & TRAX
TRAX Green Line to Court House, then Red Line ($2.50)
Parking for one vehicle is free for hotel guests.
The free hot and cold continental breakfast runs 6:30–9:30 a.m., so you can eat before tours.
Day 1: University of Utah, on foot from the hotel
Hotel → Welcome Center, Kem and Carolyn Gardner Commons (260 S. Central Campus Dr.)
Driving (no traffic)
Walk
Walking & TRAX
~14 min walk, 0.7 mi
Gardner Commons → Office of Admissions, Student Services Building (201 S. 1460 E.)
Driving (no traffic)
Walk
Walking & TRAX
~7 min walk, 0.3 mi
Gardner Commons → Natural History Museum of Utah (301 Wakara Way)
Driving (no traffic)
~8 min, 2.1 mi
Walking & TRAX
~36 min walk, 1.7 mi
Natural History Museum → hotel
Driving (no traffic)
~5 min, 1.0 mi
Walking & TRAX
~24 min walk, 1.1 mi
Utah's Welcome Center in Gardner Commons is open Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Lunch at the A. Ray Olpin Union (200 S. Central Campus Dr.), which has several dining spots.
Day 2: BYU and Utah Valley University
Hotel → BYU, Hinckley Center visitor lot (Provo)
Driving (no traffic)
~1 hr 4 min, 48.3 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Walking & TRAX
Drive
Hinckley Center → BYU Museum of Art
Driving (no traffic)
Walk
Walking & TRAX
~8 min walk, 0.4 mi
Museum of Art → Creamery on Ninth East
Driving (no traffic)
Walk
Walking & TRAX
~5 min walk, 0.2 mi
BYU → Utah Valley University, Woodbury Business Building (800 W. University Pkwy., Orem)
Driving (no traffic)
~11 min, 4.6 mi
Walking & TRAX
Drive
Utah Valley → hotel
Driving (no traffic)
~56 min, 44.2 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Walking & TRAX
Drive
At BYU, ask the Hinckley Center receptionist for a parking pass to hang on your mirror before the tour.
At Utah Valley, give your license plate number, make and model at check-in so admissions can validate your parking. Arriving more than 15 minutes late may mean rescheduling.
Day 3: Weber State, then fly home
Hotel → Weber State, Outdoor Adventure & Welcome Center (Village Drive, north of Wildcat Village)
Driving (no traffic)
~51 min, 36.9 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Walking & TRAX
Drive
Weber State → George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park (1544 E. Park Blvd.)
Driving (no traffic)
~11 min, 4.9 mi
Walking & TRAX
Drive
Dinosaur Park → Salt Lake City International (SLC)
Driving (no traffic)
~54 min, 36.7 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Walking & TRAX
Drive
Students under 18 must attend Weber State's tour with a parent or guardian.
Weber State is about 45 minutes from SLC if you skip the Dinosaur Park.
3. Campus by campus
Park Building, University of Utah (Aug 2012). Photo: Mangoman88 · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped
The General Campus Tour & Admissions Info Session is open to all visitors. Utah also runs transfer-student and Honors College tours with info sessions.
To register, click a date on the calendar; green dates have space, grey ones are full. Department-specific visits are arranged with the department directly.
Request any ADA accommodations by phone or email with reasonable notice.
Visitor parking
Visitors use MobilePay lots, including Student Services (Lot 33): scan the QR code on the lot sign, or text the lot's code to 25023. Credit card only.
Rates are $2 per half hour, up to $40 a day, enforced Monday–Friday 7 a.m.–8 p.m. From the Guest House you can skip this and walk.
Getting there
About a 14-minute walk from the hotel to the Welcome Center in Gardner Commons.
The hotel is next to the Fort Douglas TRAX stop on the Red Line.
What to know
The Natural History Museum of Utah, about 5 minutes from the hotel by car, is open daily 10 a.m.–5 p.m. and until 9 p.m. on Wednesdays.
Contact
Campus tours: 801-581-8761, option 1, or campusvisits@utah.edu. Welcome Center: Gardner Commons, 260 S. Central Campus Dr., Room 2155.
Last checked Oct 27, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.
Tours are 75 minutes, Monday–Friday, as a walking tour or a golf cart tour with the same content. Golf carts aren't guaranteed, so be ready to walk.
Register on BYU's campus tours page before you go. For questions, accessibility needs, a tour in another language or Saturday tours, call 801-422-1280.
Guests beyond the six-person limit can use BYU's self-guided tour map.
Visitor parking
Tour visitors get one hour in the Hinckley Center visitor lot; ask the Hinckley Center receptionist for a mirror pass before the tour.
If that lot is full or you'll stay longer than an hour, use the Museum of Art visitor lot. The museum says visitor parking is free near its northeast entrance on North Campus Drive.
Getting there
About 1 hour 4 minutes and 48 miles from the hotel by car with no traffic.
What to know
The BYU Museum of Art is always free. It's open Monday, Thursday and Friday 10 a.m.–9 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday 10 a.m.–6 p.m., and closed Sundays. Large bags go in the free coat check.
The new Creamery on Ninth East, about a 5-minute walk from the museum, has ice cream, a grill and a grocery.
Contact
Campus tours: 801-422-1280. Museum of Art information desk: 801-422-8287.
Last checked Oct 27, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.
Walking tours last up to 90 minutes, including a short presentation. Thanks to UVU's connected campus, most of the tour is indoors.
Tours start promptly; arriving more than 15 minutes late may mean rescheduling. Spanish tours are offered when Spanish-speaking guides are available, and a Spanish-language tour runs on the second Wednesday evening of each month.
Some programs, such as nursing and aviation, are taught off the main campus and aren't on the tour. The tour doesn't include a meeting with an academic advisor, but admissions can help you set one up separately.
Visitor parking
Your confirmation email has parking instructions. UVU suggests the Passport Parking stalls in the Admissions Pay Lot (Zone 80114) or the L1 Pay Lot (Zone 80101).
Give your license plate number, make and model at check-in and admissions will validate your parking.
Getting there
About 11 minutes and 4.6 miles from BYU by car, and about 56 minutes back to the hotel with no traffic.
What to know
Most of UVU's dining is in the Sorensen Center, including a Chick-fil-A.
Contact
Office of Admissions: Woodbury Building, WB 128, 800 W. University Pkwy., Orem; 801-863-8706, admissions@uvu.edu. Tour changes: Jonathan Torio, JTorio@uvu.edu, 801-863-4614.
Last checked Oct 27, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.
The 90-minute tour covers facilities, classrooms and labs, with WSU staff and student Ambassadors talking about majors, admissions, financial aid and campus life. Ask to add a campus housing tour.
Students under 18 must attend with a parent or guardian.
Weber State's self-guided tour map starts at the Outdoor Adventure & Welcome Center, which houses the WSU Welcome Center and a 55-foot climbing wall.
Visitor parking
Weekdays 7 a.m.–4 p.m., every car needs a permit or must pay at a meter or the hourly pay lot. A visitor permit is $4 a day, online or at the Information Booth.
The public pay lot near the Student Service Center and Shepherd Union is free after hours and on weekends. You can also park free at the Dee Events Center and ride the free Wildcat Express shuttle to campus.
Getting there
About 51 minutes and 37 miles from the hotel, and about 45 minutes to SLC, with no traffic.
From Salt Lake City (northbound I-15), Weber State's directions use exit 324 near Lagoon, US-89 north to Harrison Blvd., then about 3 miles north to 3950 South and follow signs.
What to know
The George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park in Ogden has 8.5 acres of paved, stroller-friendly trails with dinosaur sculptures, plus a paleontology museum.
Contact
Campus visits: 801-626-6005, campusvisit@weber.edu; 3848 Harrison Blvd., Ogden.
Last checked Oct 27, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.
One hotel for every night means no repacking. Utah is a walk from your room, BYU and Utah Valley are next to each other for day 2, and Weber State is on the way north on your last day.
5. Meals between tours
Hours change, so check before you go.
At the hotel
Eat
University Guest House breakfast
110 S. Fort Douglas Blvd., Salt Lake City
Free hot and cold continental breakfast for guests, 6:30–9:30 a.m.
Several spots in the student union, including Panda Express, Einstein Bros. Bagels, El Tonga Taco, Saffron Valley and INTI Coffee in the lobby. The building is open Monday–Saturday 7 a.m.–10 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.–9 p.m.
About 5 minutes from the hotel by car. Open daily 10 a.m.–5 p.m., until 9 p.m. on Wednesdays. Admission is $24.95 for adults, $22.95 for ages 13–24 and seniors 65+, and $20.95 for ages 3–12; children 2 and under are free. Buy tickets online ahead.
About 11 minutes from Weber State. Open Monday–Saturday 10 a.m.–7 p.m. and Sunday noon–5 p.m. (the outdoor park stays open later). Admission is $12; children under 2 are free.
At Utah, leave the car at the hotel and walk; otherwise MobilePay visitor lots are $2 per half hour, cards only.
At BYU, the Hinckley Center lot gives you one hour; for longer, use the Museum of Art visitor lot.
At Utah Valley, park in the Passport Parking stalls and have your plate number ready at check-in for validation.
At Weber State, buy a $4 day permit online or at the Information Booth, or park free at the Dee Events Center and take the shuttle.
Tour day comfort
BYU tours may switch from golf cart to walking, so wear comfortable shoes.
Utah Valley's tour is mostly indoors, which helps on snowy or hot days.
Weather by season (1991–2020 NOAA normals: Salt Lake City International Airport)
Spring: April averages about 62°F highs and 42°F lows, with about 2.2 inches of precipitation.
Summer: July averages about 94°F highs and 68°F lows, and August about 92°F highs.
Fall: October averages about 66°F highs and 44°F lows; November highs drop to about 51°F, with about 7 inches of snow.
Winter: January averages about 39°F highs and 24°F lows, with about 12.7 inches of snow.
Parent checklist
Register for all four tours online: Utah, BYU (other prospective students register separately), Utah Valley and Weber State.
Book the University Guest House for every night; parking for one car is included.
Bring a credit card for Utah's visitor lots and your license plate number for Utah Valley's parking validation.
If your student is under 18, a parent or guardian must come on Weber State's tour.
After each visit, take five minutes to jot down what stood out to your student.
8. Student-athlete recruiting visits
For families whose student hopes to play a college sport. Rules below are the NCAA's; each school's links were checked Oct 26, 2026.
Coaches arrange the recruiting part of a visit, not the admissions office. The tour sign-ups in this guide are for the regular family visit. An official (school-paid) visit is offered by the school, and contact with coaches follows NCAA rules that vary by division, sport and grade level.
Start with your sport's questionnaire, then email the coaches. The NCAA suggests emailing coaches with your achievements, highlight videos and interest in their program, including your name, position, NCAA ID and graduation year.
Unofficial visit: any campus visit you or your family pay for. You can take as many as you like; in Divisions I and II each one has to come after the first permissible date for your sport.
Official visit: a visit paid for by the school. Each school can offer your student only one. Before a Division I official visit, your student must be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center, be on the school's institutional request list, and the school must have their high school transcripts.
Division I (University of Utah, Brigham Young University, Utah Valley University and Weber State University): on an official visit the school can pay for travel for the student and up to two family members, lodging, up to three meals a day for the student and up to four family members, and up to $60 a person in entertainment, including five home-game tickets. On an unofficial visit there are no free meals, but the school can give up to three home-game tickets. Division I uses recruiting calendars with contact, evaluation, quiet and dead periods; in a dead period, no in-person contact and no visits.
Rules change. Confirm with the coach, or check the NCAA's recruiting page and recruiting calendars, before you plan dates.
Planning around the season
Check each school's athletics schedule (linked above) before you pick dates, so a coach meeting doesn't land on a road trip or game day for your sport.
Our recommendation, not a school rule: ask the coach whether they can line up an admissions session or tour around your meeting. If not, book the regular family tour yourself through the official sign-up links in this guide, and leave time between the two.
Add your dates and how you're getting there, and we'll pull this guide into one plan: tour sign-up links, the hotel base, parking or airport notes, the route and meals.
Coming soon
Planning more college trips?
Visit-season reminders and new trip guides from College Visit Guides. Newsletter coming soon.
Sources
All checked Oct 27, 2026. Tour schedules change constantly, so always confirm on each school's official sign-up page. Photo credits are under each photo and on our About page.
