Arches National Park Tours

Arches is the park next to Moab: the entrance is about 15 minutes north of downtown, and for 2026 there is no timed-entry reservation, so you can drive in at any time during operating hours (NPS, February 2026). A paved scenic drive runs from the visitor center past Park Avenue and Balanced Rock to the Windows, the Delicate Arch viewpoints and Devils Garden at the far end. You can do all of that in your own car. The tours split by which half of the park you want: the famous arches along the pavement, or the dirt roads at the quiet north end where few rental cars go.

The short answer

For one half day, take the backcountry 4x4. NAVTEC’s tour, in the booking box on this page, starts with fossil dinosaur tracks near Utahraptor State Park, enters the park past Balanced Rock, then leaves the pavement and climbs onto the sandstone ledges and fins of the backcountry. There are optional walks to Tower Arch, at the foot of a bluff where the road ends, and under Eye of the Whale Arch. It takes 4 to 5 hours, costs from $240 a person and is rated 4.8 from 2,060 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor (checked October 2026). Park entry is extra.

Check dates for the Arches 4x4

The reason to book it rather than drive is the part of Arches it reaches. Tower Arch and the Eye of the Whale sit at the end of unpaved, sandy roads in the Klondike Bluffs and Herdina Park areas, where a high-clearance 4x4 and a driver who knows the road make the difference. On the paved drive you see more people; here you see more rock.

Backcountry or the classic viewpoints?

Prices, ratings and review counts from the Viator listings (checked October 2026). The van tour’s from-price was a discounted rate when we checked; operators price by season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.

Adrift’s Jeep tour covers much of the same backcountry from a different gate and adds the Windows and Park Avenue on the way out, in Jeep Wranglers with four passenger seats; the guide rotates everyone through them. The van tour is the one for travelers who would rather walk a little and bump around not at all: the short walks add up to about 1.5 miles, the group stays together, and the park fee is already in the price.

The same operator on GetYourGuide

NAVTEC also sells an Arches backcountry 4x4 on GetYourGuide under the same name, from $240 a person with round-trip hotel transfers from Moab. We have not confirmed that the two listings are the same departure; compare the itinerary, the pickup and the cancellation terms on each before you book. For a longer day, NAVTEC’s Arches 4x4 drive and hiking tour on GetYourGuide adds guided walks, from $337 a person (checked October 2026).

What a tour leaves out

Delicate Arch up close is the obvious one. The arch on Utah’s licence plates is a 3-mile round-trip hike from its own trailhead, and none of the tours above walk to it; the van tour stops at the viewpoint below. Go early or late in the day, carry water, and allow two to three hours. The Fiery Furnace, a maze of sandstone fins, needs either a ranger-guided hike or a self-guided permit reserved online two to seven days ahead. Devils Garden, at the end of the road, has the longest trails in the park and Landscape Arch near its start.

Who each tour suits

The backcountry 4x4 suits a first visit that wants something the scenic drive cannot give, and travelers who do not mind a rough ride; it is not recommended for spinal injuries. The van suits older travelers, a mixed group, or anyone short on time who wants the famous names. If you plan to hike Delicate Arch or Devils Garden anyway, drive the paved road yourself and use a tour for the backcountry.

Where the tours leave from

• NAVTEC Expeditions: 321 N. Main St., Moab, 15 minutes before departure; parking at the office.
• Adrift Adventures: 378 N. Main St., next door to the Comfort Suites; call the day before to reconfirm.
• Moab Tourism Center: 606 S. Main St., at the corner of Kane Creek Blvd, 15 minutes before the tour.

Arches with Canyonlands

Most visitors want both parks. The Arches and Canyonlands tours fit both into a single 4x4 day, and the Canyonlands or Arches guide is for the reader who only has time for one. For the other park on its own, the half-day Island in the Sky tours leave from the same Main Street offices, and the Moab tours page covers the river and the slickrock outside both parks.