To see the sights in Salt Lake City requires at least three full days. Because the city is easily the most sophisticated place to stay and eat for hundreds of miles around (with the possible exception of Park City), it’s also a comfortable and convenient hub for exploring the scenery and recreation of Northern Utah.

You could easily spend a day visiting just the Latter-day Saints museums, religious and historical sites, and administrative buildings that front Temple Square. Many people budget in time to perform ancestry research at the Family History Library while here—the church has extensive genealogical records and allows visitors to research family records free of charge.

A second day in Salt Lake City can be divided between visits to the state capitol and the nearby Pioneer Memorial Museum, plus a stop by the Salt Lake Art Center. Add in a picnic at Liberty Park and a visit to the Tracy Aviary, a bird zoo with live falconry displays, and you’ll have a full and varied day.

Depending on the season, skiing or hiking in the Wasatch Mountains directly behind the city should definitely be a part of every traveler’s itinerary. A number of hiking trails begin right in the city: City Creek Canyon and Red Butte Garden and Arboretum, for example, are within reach of almost any downtown hotel. Day trip options include Antelope Island State Park, an island in Great Salt Lake linked to the mainland by a seven-mile causeway, and Park City, a historic mining camp now turned glittering world-class ski resort.