Moab has an amazing number of tour companies and outfitters that cater to a wide variety of recreational activities. If you visit Moab during peak season, you should have no issue finding a reputable tour company for whatever suits your interest. However, we always recommend booking tours well in advance of your trip. Advance planning ensures that you will not have to scramble at the last minute to find a guide and possibly miss out on a great adventure.
This article features several of our favorite tour companies and outfitters in town that we think are worthy of your consideration when planning your Moab adventure. If you’re looking for even more information on Moab, head over to our article “Moab, Utah: Destination Guide” for additional details on all that makes Moab great!
BEST TOUR GUIDE SERIES: MOAB, UT
To Use or Not to Use
We generally recommend guide services for anyone that is a novice to a particular outdoor recreational activity and is unfamiliar with the area. Specifically, guide services enhance safety and the overall experience. In addition, guides can provide a wealth of knowledge about the area that you may otherwise miss out on.
Some activities, such as hiking in portions of Arches National Park, do not necessarily require guides since the hikes are straightforward. However, there are hikes in other areas around Moab where a guide is a wise choice for a novice hiker, mainly for route finding. Always consider where you plan to hike to determine the need for a guide.
Reputation and Quality
The vast majority of Moab tour companies are reputable and deliver amazing experiences. In fact, each time we’ve hired a Moab guide or outfitter, we’ve had fantastic customer service and wonderful tour guides. Still, you should always read company reviews before hiring a guide and be aware that many require advance or partial payment upfront. We also recommend that you pay close attention to cancellation fees before booking a tour since some guide services have strict and costly cancellation fees. Additionally, you should expect that gratuities will not be included in your guide costs. So, if you receive quality service, please consider tipping appropriately for a job well done.
Best Tour Companies
Moab Cliffs and Canyons
Moab Cliffs and Canyons is an amazing guide service that caters to all types of guided recreational activities. Its particular focus is on canyoneering and rock climbing, but you’ll find an assortment of adventures. Cliffs and Canyons offers canyoneering courses and tours, full day and half day rock climbing tours, and guided hikes. Prices vary depending upon the activity and duration of the experience.
Red River Adventures
No Moab trip is complete without an adventure on the Colorado River. Red River Adventures is a water sport outfitter and guide service located in downtown Moab. They offer a wide variety of guided river trip adventures for a variety of interests. So, if you are in the mood for whitewater rafting, Red River Adventures is a good choice. There are a few other water sports outfitters in Moab, but we feel that Red River Adventures is a good value and offers high quality service.
Rim Tours
Consider Rim Tours if you are looking for a mountain biking guide service to show you around. They offer full day, half day, and multi-day mountain biking tours on some of the best singletrack and slickrock trails around the Moab area. In addition, Rim Tours provides some premium full suspension mountain bikes for these tours. Alternatively, you can use your own bike if you plan to take it with you on your travels to Moab.
Chile Pepper Bike Shop
Chile Pepper Bike Shop is a Moab mountain bike outfitter that has a wide fleet of bike rentals for your trail riding needs. In addition to their rental fleet services, they offer guided tours for some of the area’s most popular mountain biking trails. If you’re looking for something beyond a tour, Chile Pepper also hosts affordable mountain bike skill clinics and private lessons.
Poison Spider Bicycles
Poison Spider Bicycles is our favorite mountain bike outfitter in Moab. We love Poison Spider because of their friendly and knowledgeable staff. They partner with Moab Mountain Bike Instruction and offer Bike School clinics that range in duration (e.g., hourly, full-day, etc.). They also offer tours, but you’ll need to call or email ahead of time to see what is available. If you want to ride on your own, Poison Spider’s rental fleet is affordably priced. For instance, their standard full suspension bikes rentals are about $60 per day. On the other hand, their premium bikes rent for about $100 per day.
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