Salt Lake City Pass: Is It Worth It in 2026?

Verdict

Worth it for families with a car — a tough sell for short city stays

The Salt Lake Explorer Pass saves real money for the right visitor: a family with a rental car, 4+ days, and an appetite for both the city's museums and the canyon attractions. Hogle Zoo ($26.95), the Snowbird Tram ($52), and the Natural History Museum ($22.95) alone total over $100 — the pass pays for itself on those three. But a downtown-only visitor on a 2-day city break will struggle to hit break-even: the highest-value inclusions are 25–30 miles out, and SLC's most iconic sights are free.

Prices verified August 2026

$99.99 adult / $89.99 child
Price: 365 days from purchase
Validity: 13 venues, 14 attractions
Venues: Non-refundable
Refund: Families with a car, 4+ day visits
Best for

Salt Lake City does not have CityPASS or Go City — the two programmes that dominate the US city pass market. What it has is the Salt Lake Explorer Pass, a regional attraction pass run by Visit Salt Lake (the city's official tourism bureau). At $99.99 per adult, it covers one admission to each of 13 venues across Northern Utah and is valid for 365 days from purchase.

The pass has genuine value for the right visitor. But it comes with a structural reality most listing pages don't name: several of its highest-value inclusions are 25–30 miles from downtown Salt Lake City. This isn't a city pass in the same sense as Chicago CityPASS or the London Explorer Pass. It's a Northern Utah regional pass — and whether that matters depends entirely on your trip.

What the Salt Lake Explorer Pass includes

The pass covers 14 attraction visits across 13 venues. The highest gate-price inclusions are:

Aerial Tram at Snowbird ($52 individually) — a 13-minute scenic ride to 11,000 feet with views across four mountain ranges. The highest-value inclusion on the pass, and the one that determines whether the math works for most visitors.
Utah's Hogle Zoo ($26.95 individually, peak season) — SLC's most-visited paid attraction. Accessible by car or TRAX.
Natural History Museum of Utah ($22.95 individually) — a genuinely world-class natural history museum on the University of Utah campus.
Butterfly Biosphere at Thanksgiving Point (~$18 individually) — Utah's only butterfly conservatory, worth the trip for families. A dedicated day out from downtown rather than a city add-on.
Clark Planetarium — one IMAX or Dome show (~$13 individually) — the three floors of interactive exhibits are free to everyone; the pass only unlocks a theatre show.

The remaining inclusions — Red Butte Garden, Tracy Aviary, This Is The Place Heritage Park, Discovery Gateway Children's Museum, Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, Utah Olympic Park (museum only), and Dreamscapes — range from free-entry alternatives in some seasons to genuinely worthwhile additions depending on your interests.

Does the pass save you money?

At $99.99 per adult, the pass needs to replace roughly $100 in individual tickets to break even. Whether that's achievable depends almost entirely on one question: are you going to Snowbird?

The Aerial Tram is the pass's most expensive inclusion at $52 individually — more than half the break-even threshold in a single attraction. For any visitor who makes the canyon trip, the math gets significantly easier from there.

Downtown-only visitor, no car, 2–3 days. Hogle Zoo, the Natural History Museum, a Clark Planetarium show, and Discovery Gateway are all reachable without a car. Those four together cost about $77 individually — $23 short of break-even. Individual tickets are the right call here.

Visitor with a rental car, 4 days. Add the Snowbird Tram to the same city lineup and the individual total clears $115. The pass saves around $15, or more if you add Red Butte Garden or Tracy Aviary. This is the minimum profile where the pass makes sense.

Family with a car, 4+ days. Hogle Zoo, the Natural History Museum, Discovery Gateway, the Butterfly Biosphere, This Is The Place, the Planetarium show, and the Snowbird Tram comes to around $160 individually. The pass saves roughly $60 per adult — this is where it pays off most clearly.

If the Snowbird Tram isn't on your itinerary — because you're car-free, visiting in winter when the tram is closed, or simply not interested in a canyon day — the remaining inclusions rarely clear the $100 mark for a typical city stay.

The regional catch: this isn't really a Salt Lake City pass

This is the detail that most Explorer Pass reviews gloss over. Of the 13 venues on the pass, four require significant travel time from downtown:

Snowbird Tram — 27 miles up Little Cottonwood Canyon. About 40 minutes by car; no direct public transit from downtown (the ski bus runs in winter only).
Butterfly Biosphere — 25 miles south in Lehi at Thanksgiving Point. About 30 minutes by car.
Utah Olympic Park — 30 miles east in Park City. About 40 minutes by car.
This Is The Place Heritage Park — 5 miles from downtown; technically manageable by TRAX but not walkable.

Visit Salt Lake also offers a Pick 3 pass — choose any three attractions from a curated list, valid for 9 days from first use. It's worth considering for a short city stay where the full Explorer Pass doesn't reach break-even.

If you're staying downtown and relying on public transport, your realistic venue count drops from 13 to about 6. The pass prices itself assuming you'll access the full list. If you can't — or won't — the value proposition shrinks considerably.

Visitors renting a car, or staying longer and building in day-trip days to the canyons, can use the full pass. For a 2-night business-trip extension or a quick family stopover, the regional spread is a genuine constraint.

Things to check before buying

The pass is completely non-refundable. Visit Salt Lake states this explicitly in their FAQ. There is no refund window — not 30 days, not 365 days. If your trip is cancelled, shortened, or if SLC is a last-minute itinerary change, you cannot recover the cost. This is a meaningful difference from the major national programmes and worth factoring into the timing of your purchase.

The Snowbird Tram is seasonal and books up. The tram runs year-round in principle — including during ski season as a scenic ride — but closes for high winds, maintenance, and operational changeovers. Before your trip, confirm it's taking scenic riders at snowbird.com or call (801) 933-2222. Walk-up availability on peak summer weekends is limited; booking ahead is recommended.

Connect Pass vs Explorer Pass — the naming is confusing. Visit Salt Lake has run this pass under multiple names over the years. The Connect Pass, the Explorer Pass, and various sub-passes (Family Faves, Uniquely Salt Lake, Downtown Discovery, Arts and Culture) all exist in parallel. The one reviewed here — 365 days, up to 14 attractions at 13 venues, $99.99 adult — is the Salt Lake Explorer Pass. Third-party sites, Groupon deals (many expired), and older articles still use "Connect Pass" for the same or a slightly different historical version. Check visitsaltlake.com for the current product.

Utah Museum of Fine Arts is free on Wednesdays. If your visit includes a Wednesday, you don't need the pass for UMFA. Similarly, Red Butte Garden is free mid-October through mid-April — pass value drops to zero for that inclusion in the off-season.

Utah Olympic Park adventure courses are not included. The pass covers museum access only at Utah Olympic Park. The zip lines, bobsled ride, and ropes courses — the activities most visitors actually go there for — are separate paid tickets.

Who should buy the Salt Lake Explorer Pass

Buy it if: You're visiting for 4 or more days, you have a rental car (or are willing to rent one for a canyon day), and your itinerary includes both Hogle Zoo and the Snowbird Tram. Add the Natural History Museum and one or two more inclusions and you're comfortably past break-even. Families with children aged 5–12 get the most value — Discovery Gateway, Hogle Zoo, the Butterfly Biosphere, and the Planetarium show are all strong for that age range.

Skip it if: You're in SLC for 2–3 days, you're car-free, or your itinerary centers on Temple Square, the Capitol, the Great Salt Lake, or Salt Flats — none of which are on the pass or cost anything individually. Solo travelers and couples without a car will typically find individual tickets cheaper, and SLC's walkable core has enough free and low-cost content that a $100 attraction pass isn't the right tool for a short visit.

One important note on where to buy: The Explorer Pass is only sold at visitsaltlake.com. It is not available on GetYourGuide, Viator, or any other booking platform. This means no stacking with travel credits, third-party discount codes, or reward points. Buy directly from Visit Salt Lake.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Salt Lake Explorer Pass the same as the Connect Pass?

Yes — Visit Salt Lake rebranded the product. The Connect Pass name still appears on older third-party listings, coupon sites, and Groupon deals (many now expired). The current official product is the Salt Lake Explorer Pass, sold at visitsaltlake.com. The underlying pass — one admission per venue, 365-day validity — is the same.

Can I buy the Salt Lake Explorer Pass on GetYourGuide or Viator?

No. The Explorer Pass is sold exclusively through Visit Salt Lake's own website (visitsaltlake.com). It is not available on GetYourGuide, Viator, Expedia, or any major booking platform. This also means no third-party discount codes, travel credit redemptions, or affiliate tracking apply.

Is the Explorer Pass refundable?

No — the pass is explicitly non-refundable. Unlike CityPASS (which offers a 365-day refund on unused passes) or Go City (30 days on unactivated passes), the Explorer Pass cannot be returned for any reason. If your trip is cancelled or cut short, you lose the full purchase price.

Does the pass include the Snowbird ski lifts?

No. The pass covers the Snowbird Aerial Tram scenic ride only — the 13-minute ride to Hidden Peak (11,000 feet) with 360-degree mountain views. Ski lift access requires a separate day pass or season pass from Snowbird directly. The tram ride itself is seasonal and requires advance booking.

Does the pass work at Temple Square?

Temple Square is free to all visitors — no pass is needed or relevant. It's the most-visited tourist site in Utah, and visiting it costs nothing regardless of whether you have the Explorer Pass.

Does the Clark Planetarium pass include the exhibits?

The interactive exhibit floors at Clark Planetarium are free to everyone — no pass needed. The Explorer Pass covers one IMAX or Dome Theatre show. If you only want to walk the exhibits, the pass adds no value here.

Does the pass cover Utah Olympic Park activities?

Partially. The pass covers museum access at Utah Olympic Park. The adventure course activities — zip lines, bobsled experience, ropes courses — are paid add-ons not included in the pass. Utah Olympic Park is also 30 miles from downtown SLC in Park City; factor in travel time.

Do children under 2 need a pass?

No — children 2 and under get in free at all Explorer Pass attractions except Discovery Gateway Children's Museum, which charges for all ages. You don't need to purchase a pass for a toddler.