Mesa Verde Full Day Tour with Cliff Palace and Lunch
Overview
Available languages
8 hours
Mobile ticket
It’s no question that locals and past visitors consider Mesa Verde National Park a must-visit. It allows us a rare opportunity to experience preserved North American history before European contact. Joining a Mild to Wild guide ensures guests will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of authentic Southwestern culture.
Our Full Day Discovery Tour will show off this outdoor museum with plenty of insight into the ancient indigenous culture, the history of the Park, and more. It’s the best way to get the most out of a day at Mesa Verde.
Our tour vehicles are comfortable, air conditioned, and come with speakers to help you hear your guide's interp throughout the drive.
*Please note that Cliff Palace tickets sell out quickly, we recommend booking at least two weeks in advance to ensure we have tickets.
Additional Info
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
You must bring your own car seats for children who require them. CO Car Seat Law states that children up to 8 years old must be in an appropriate car seat.
Sunglasses, hats, sunscreen, and water are recommended.
Dress in layers. Summer is cool in the morning and hot by the afternoon. Bring a warm coat, hat, and gloves for fall, winter, and spring.
Part of the tour may include climbing 10 ft. ladders made of Tree Trunks. Not all travelers are required to participate in this part but this is required in order to exit Cliff Palace
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Mesa Verde National Park
Meet at our Durango Office to shuttle over to Mesa Verde with your guide! The drive is incredibly scenic and takes about 45 minutes while driving past the La Plata Mountains. Once there, you'll visit the top sites along the mesa before your expedition into Cliff Palace. This portion of the tour lasts about 45 minutes, and includes climbing a narrow staircase and series of ladders to reach the dwellings. The rangers will provide some interpretation, while giving you time to wander beneath the largest cliff dwelling in North America. Afterwards we’ll enjoy a delicious lunch at one of the sites or overlooks, before continuing to more ancient villages and sacred kivas to explore. Expect a lot of information along the way! Our guides offer far more insight and knowledge about the sites than visitors going on their own, as posted information and placards are limited throughout the Park. After a stop at a spectacular lookout of the Four Corners Region, we'll shuttle back to Durango!
What‘s Included
Highly Knowledgeable Guide
Bottled water
National Park fees
Lunch
Air-conditioned vehicle
- Skip the long lines
Gratuities
Options
2026 Schedule
Duration: 8 hours Lunch/Snacks
Reviews
283 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Incredible Day
lydiaannj,May 7, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Cat was a great guide; took care of us from pillar to post. She was knowledgeable & entertaining. We saw & learned so much more than if we’d done it by ourselves. Convenient pickup from Durango where we were staying. An incredible day!
incredible day
LydiaAnn J,May 6, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00We were taken great care of from pillar to post by PAT. She had so much info, good stories, and we had interesting conversations. Since we were staying in Durango, we meet up there & didn’t have to drive ourselves. We got to see most of the park, with narration the whole way. Lunch was good. The Cliff Dwelling Tour was amazing, and Pat was nice enough to take pictures from afar of us down there. The tour finished @ museum (exhibits temporarily closed), but we got to see an interesting video. I enjoyed the day very much even w/ the crazy weather. It snowed during lunch, but sun came back out & warmed up for for tour!
Amazing views
MELINDA P,May 4, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00It was a pleasure to have Miles give us the tour. Gave us detailed information about the cliff dwellings and we stopped at all of the sites. We had a stunning time
A knowledgeable and thoughtful tour.
mgmudel,Apr 10, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Miles, our guide, and Tim, our assistant guide were as good as it gets. First they were knowledgeable and communicative. They were also flexible and put the culture in context.
Great tour
Q1008BCannep,Nov 5, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Had a fabulous day with our great tour guide Miles. Miles was very knowledgeable not only about the Pueblo culture but also about all the mountain ranges and vegetation we saw. Parts of Mesa Verde was not open due to the government shutdown but Miles made up for it and we didn’t feel short changed. Miles was a safe driver. We would definitely go again because there’s so much to take in
Close to our history!
Dava Brooke Z,Oct 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I'm so glad we took this adventure with Cat Bray. She brought history to life and brought our group together as friends. This 71 year old appreciates the support that gave me the courage to make it down & back up the ladders so I could fully experience the opportunity together with my husband. Thanks!
Tour with guide: Cat Mesa Verde Cliff Palace
Kathleen S,Oct 29, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Cat, our tour guide was great. Captured great pictures for us too, that we would not have been able to take ourselves. She was so knowledgeable quite impressive. Really enjoyed this! Well worth the price.
Below average tour
Kinal P,Oct 26, 2025
- Review from Viator
2.00Cat- our tour guide was excellent so none of this reflects on her part. Overall - this tour was disappointing for the price and expectations. 1. Government shutdown - passengers should’ve been warned in advance that this tour would be cut short significantly. 2. Food - clearly the tour operators did not communicate with their staff about food preferences. Multiple people in the group did not have their food accommodated even with pre-requests so this is extremely poor service for those with dietary restrictions and allergies. Overall - this tour was not impressive - we missed out on the entire national park without warning, still charged, no food requests. Instead of wasting time at multiple gas station stops this tour company should add Four Corners to the itinerary if there are known issues. Again this is nothing against the tour guide - she was excellent and did her job the best she could. The tour company should seriously be considerate for those who traveled far a national park tour. -Hamish and Kinal Patel
Mesa Verde All Day Van Exploration
ExcitedNYS,Oct 23, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Very satisfying experience with guide Miles. He was very helpful, knowledgeable about the details of Mesa Verde history, listened intently to questions, and managed a vehicle breakdown very safely and effectively. Did this all despite the park challenges related to the govt shutdown.
Our tour guide, Jay was...
Natalie N,Oct 21, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Our tour guide, Jay was very knowledgeable and personable. He took the time to get to know us and made sure we were comfortable and taken care of throughout the day. Would definitely book with this company again.
From US$206.01
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