Mesa Verde National Park Day Trip

Explore Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado's only UNESCO site. Discover ancient Puebloan cliff dwellings and enjoy a guided tour through history!

Day Trip Details

Mesa Verde National Park spans over 207 sq km (80 sq mi) and protects more than 5,000 archeological sites, making it Colorado's sole UNESCO World Heritage Site. This park allows exploration of the ancestral lands of the Ancient Puebloans and the largest cliff dwelling in North America.

Two tour options are available: one focusing on the cliff dwellings and the other on the park's key features. The Cliff Palace tour has limited ticket availability, offering a unique experience.

Both tours start and finish at a central meeting point in Durango and include transport to Mesa Verde National Park, admission to the sites, and a guided experience.

Cliff Palace Tour (5 hours)

This tour primarily targets the cliff dwellings within the park. Following a 1-hour drive to the Visitors Center, we will proceed to Cliff Palace, a dwelling from 1260 CE. Tickets to Cliff Palace and a guided tour by an expert ranger are included, focusing on the preservation of artifacts and insights into the ancient community.

The tour also allows visits to other park highlights and overlooks, offering views of Cliff Palace and the surroundings before returning to Durango.

Mesa Verde Complete Tour (6 hours)

This tour offers a deeper exploration of the Ancestral Puebloans who lived in the area over 700 years ago. It includes visits to Park Point for views at the Four Corners viewpoint, and Far View Village, along with the Spruce Canyon Tree House, where the third-largest cave dwelling is located.

A driving tour on the Mesa Top Loop will provide views of major cliff dwellings, including Cliff Palace, though tickets to the latter are not included. The return to Durango concludes this enriching experience.