Choosing a Half Day or Full Day Zion Adventure Tour

Choosing a Half Day or Full Day Zion Adventure Tour

It can be challenging to know if a half day or full day experience may be right for your group. With different abilities, appetites for adventure, and expectations, planning for a family or group vacation is daunting. Zion Adventures prides itself in adapting our tours to meet your group’s needs by balancing varying expectations. We have a wide variety of terrain available to help create the experience that’s ideal for your group.

Benefits of Half Day Tours

Short on time? Half day tours are generally four hours in length. Our most popular half day adventures include canyoneering, scenic biking, and front country hiking tours. These experiences are generally mild to moderately strenuous (depending on your group’s selection) and explore some of the most iconic scenery around Zion National Park. 

These tours are ideal for:

• Groups with limited time frames 
• Families with younger children (ages 5 to 12) 
• Those looking for an abbreviated experience 
• Groups traveling through Zion, Bryce Canyon, and/or the Mighty Five

Benefits of Full Day Tours

Full day tours are generally eight hours in length and offer the opportunity for deeper exploration into slot canyons, vertical terrain, or the desert backcountry. Zion Adventures offers full day canyoneering, via ferrata, and climbing tours. With even more route options available, full day tours provide the most flexible experience to suit your group’s unique needs. 

These tours are ideal for: 

• Those looking for a more immersive experience 
• Groups seeking higher levels of challenge
• Families who desire a more relaxed pace 
• Groups who desire to gain technical skills 
• Those looking for in-depth knowledge of Zion’s history, geology, and ecology

With a longer timeframe comes even more freedom. Guides are able to customize your experience even more to meet your needs. None of our tours are cookie-cutter experiences. Instead, we form our trips around your interests and abilities.  ​​

Planning the Ideal Zion Itinerary

The majority of visitors to Zion National Park spend two to three days exploring here. A half day or full day tour can make a great addition to your itinerary and provide insights to help you navigate the park in varying seasons. Below are some of the most common itineraries.

For the Traveler Who Wants It All

Day 1 - Begin your journey in Zion with a moderate trail. The Emerald Pools Trail works well for warmer months, while the Watchman Trail works well for cooler months. Alternatively, enjoy exploring Zion's East Side. Numerous side drainages offer unique opportunities for exploration. 
Day 2 - Sign up for a full day canyoneering tour and explore an amazing slot canyon while learning new skills and being immersed in phenomenal scenery.
Day 3 - Take advantage of our E-bike and Narrows gear rental package to see Zion Canyon firsthand and enjoy the freedom of being independent from the shuttle.

Zion at a Relaxed Pace

Day 1 - Start your time here with a scenic E-bike tour to learn more about Zion’s history, geology, and ecology. Make use of your guide’s expertise to know how to navigate Zion National Park like a pro. 
Day 2 - Utilize the park shuttle to access beautiful trails along Zion Canyon’s Scenic Drive. Great options include Riverside Walk, Weeping Rock, and Emerald Pools. For sunset, drive your own vehicle up the Kolob Terrace Road and enjoy the changing light over this amazing landscape. 
Day 3 - Conclude your journey with a drive up through Zion’s East Side. Explore Canyon Overlook trail or one of the many side drainages which offer glimpses of slot canyons, herds of bighorn sheep, and sculpted sandstone walls. 

Family Friendly Fun

Day 1 - Get the family moving by renting e-bikes to enjoy the Pa’rus bike path and scenic drive. Stop by the visitor’s center to learn about becoming a junior ranger and begin learning about the park. 
Day 2 - Challenge your teamwork skills by booking our family canyoneering day. With obstacles that engage your most adventurous family member while still empowering your youngest traveler, the family canyoneering tour provides a great way for families to explore together. 
Day 3 - Discover the Narrows with appropriate gear for all ages. Check out our rental packages which provide the right protection for every season in Zion. Walking through the water is far more engaging than your average trail making the Narrows a terrific choice for families. 

For the Thrill Seeker

Day 1 - Start your journey with our impressive Via Ferrata tour above a 400’ deep canyon. This breathtaking scenery explores terrain very few people ever see. 
Day 2 - Challenge yourself physically by booking our shuttle to complete the full Narrows from the very top of Zion Canyon. This sixteen mile hike is rated very strenuous and takes place primarily in the riverbed. 
Day 3 - Conclude your time by hiking Angel’s Landing (permit required), one of America’s top rated trails. 

Looking for More Ways to Explore? ​

Zion Adventures offers even more experiences to help round out your time here in Zion. Past visitors have utilized Zion Adventures to create some very unique and memorable experiences. If you’ve got creative ideas for your journey we’re more than happy to help shape your Zion experience. Please give us a call to talk to our team about your plan.

Below are some of the services we offer which visitors frequently utilize: 

• Shuttles - Zion Adventures offers shuttles to several popular trailheads including Chamberlain’s Ranch (Narrows top-down), Lava Point (West Rim Trail), and Lee Pass (Zion Traverse). These shuttles assist visitors in setting up for overnight backpacking trips or longer day hikes. 
• Instructional Courses - Zion National Park does not allow canyon guiding inside its boundary, however many groups are seeking to complete popular canyon routes inside the park. To help with this need, we offer instructional courses with gear rental so visitors can explore these incredible spaces. ​
• Gear Rental - In addition to Narrows gear rental, we offer overnight camping gear for those traveling without the ability to bring along tents, sleeping bags, or other bulky items. We also offer gear rental for winter exploration in Zion including traction devices for feet and snowshoes. 

Author

by Whitney Kavanagh, Guide at Zion Adventures