Moab is one of those places where two days just scratches the surface, and two weeks lets you dig into everything—arches, canyons, state parks, petroglyphs, river adventures, off-roading, shopping, and (most importantly) all the food. Here’s my 2-week Moab itinerary packed with details from my trip (plus a few extras you’ll thank me for).
If you’re mapping out your days, my post on Best Sunrise and Sunset Spots in Moab Utah pairs perfectly with this longer itinerary.
Lunch: Stop at Vessel Kitchen in Salt Lake City before the drive south. The Andrelipe Bowl was massive—shredded chicken, cilantro lime slaw, mango salsa, cotija cheese, avocado, Peruvian green sauce. Flavor bomb.
Scenic Drive: The 4-hour drive to Moab is gorgeous. Expect mountain ranges, desert plateaus, and red cliffs as you get closer.
Dinner: Antica Forma. The pistachio pesto pizza with shaved fennel sausage was the winner. Appetizer: Girella—mozzarella wrapped with basil, pesto, peppers, artichokes. Fresh and light.
Stay: Hoodoo Hilton casita (downtown, private parking, kitchen, pool).
Breakfast: Cactus Jacks—biscuits & gravy and French toast crusted in cornflakes with fresh berries + maple syrup.
Morning: Park Avenue and Courthouse Towers for dramatic canyon walls.
Late Morning: Balanced Rock (easy loop), Garden of Eden (wide views).
Afternoon: Sand Dune Arch (shady slot with soft sand), Skyline Arch, then Devils Garden for Landscape Arch (1.9 mi RT, sandy, but worth it).
Sunset: Hike to Delicate Arch (3 mi RT, 500 ft climb, strenuous). Go an hour before sunset for photos and space to breathe.
Dinner: Desert Bistro—bread with rosemary honey butter florets (I could’ve eaten them like candy), beef tenderloin, agnolotti stuffed with truffled mushrooms, and a dessert trio.
Breakfast: Love Muffin Cafe—bacon sunrise panini with apricot aji amarillo jam + fresh-squeezed OJ.
Morning: Shopping:
The Sundry (jewelry, bought three necklaces).
Moab Made (locally crafted goods).
Desert Sol (modern western vibe).
Moab Rock Shop (fossils, rocks, messy but amazing).
Lunch: Moab Food Truck Park—sushi truck (spring rolls + sesame salad) and Miss Gelato (white chocolate raspberry + salted caramel).
Afternoon: Murals: “Greetings from Moab” at Bowen Motel, Delicate Arch mural at McStiff’s Plaza, ram’s head at Moab Brewery. Add the Moab Museum for local history & geology.
Dinner: Thai Bella—seasonal cucumber salad (organic cucumbers from Moab Homegrown Farm), Khao Soi noodle soup, and Massaman Curry.
Morning: Mesa Arch (0.7 mi RT, easy, best at sunrise).
Midday: Upheaval Dome (0.8–1.8 mi RT, short but steep, crater mystery). “Short but not sweet.” Rain dulled the colors for me, but still stunning.
Afternoon: Green River Overlook (0.2 mi, wide view of the river carving the desert), Grand View Point (0.25 mi paved + optional rim trail), Buck Canyon Overlook (steps from the car).
Dinner: Moab Brewery—giant pretzel with beer cheese + house-made root beer float.
Morning: Hike West Rim Trail (2–3 mi of quieter overlooks). Add Bighorn Overlook spur (2 mi RT) for one of the best canyon photos.
Lunch: Picnic at the overlook.
Afternoon: East Rim Trail for more panoramas of the Colorado.
Evening: Sunset at the main Dead Horse overlook (river U-turn glowing in golden light).
Dinner: Pasta Jay’s—Tortellone Alfredo, garlic bread trio, and Green Chili Ravioli.
Breakfast: Cactus Jacks (yes, round two).
Morning Hike: Corona Arch + Bowtie Arch (3 mi RT). Includes a ladder and chain section—more adventurous but easier than Delicate Arch.
Afternoon: Drive Potash Road: stop at petroglyph panels, dinosaur tracks, Jug Handle Arch.
Dinner: Antica Forma—yes, again. That pistachio pizza deserves repeat visits.
Breakfast: Grab pastries from Love Muffin.
Morning: Drive Highway 128 along the Colorado River. Stop at Fisher Towers (hike if you want, 4.5 mi RT), Castle Valley Overlook, and river pullouts.
Lunch: Red Cliffs Lodge—riverside dining + wine tasting + Western movie museum.
Afternoon: Half-day rafting trip on the Colorado River (calm float trips available if you don’t want rapids).
Dinner: Moab Diner—comfort food classics.
For more ideas between park days, see my guide to Must Eats in Moab: Where to Fuel Up Between Hikes.
Morning: Windows Section: North Window, South Window, Turret Arch (1 mi loop). Do the primitive loop for a less crowded angle.
Afternoon: Double Arch (0.5 mi RT, massive and 3D-looking).
Evening: Salt Valley Overlook for a quick sunset stop.
Dinner: Desert Bistro (finish with their dessert trio).
Day Trip: Drive 1.5 hours south.
Stops: Newspaper Rock (ancient petroglyphs), Wooden Shoe Arch Overlook, Big Spring Canyon Overlook.
Optional Hike: Slickrock Trail (2.4 mi RT, moderate, incredible Needles views).
Dinner Back in Moab: Thai Bella or a quick food truck stop.
Morning: Moab Giants Dinosaur Park—life-sized dino sculptures + 3D theater.
Afternoon: Rent a Jeep or ATV for Hell’s Revenge or Fins & Things—classic Moab off-roading routes.
Dinner: Pasta Jay’s—Garlic bread + dip trio (pesto + Alfredo combo is killer).
By this point, you’ll be ready for a break. Make today about enjoying Moab without rushing.
Morning: Sleep in. Make coffee in your casita kitchen and sit on the patio.
Late Morning: Lounge at the Hoodoo Hilton pool (casita pool if you’re in one, or the lush main pool with desert landscaping).
Lunch: Poolside snacks or head across the street to the Food Truck Park.
Afternoon: Treat yourself to a spa session if you’re staying somewhere like Sorrel River Ranch, or just wander downtown shops one last time.
Dinner: Upscale at Desert Bistro or casual at Moab Brewery, depending on your mood.
Evening: Stroll through downtown Moab at dusk when the cliffs glow red.
Morning: Drive Kane Creek Boulevard for more petroglyphs. Optional: short hike to Hunter Canyon (2 mi RT).
Lunch: Food Truck Park (third round—you’ll want it).
Afternoon: Relax back at your resort, or hit one last downtown shop (I’d go back to Moab Made).
Dinner: 98 Center Moab—Asian fusion with creative cocktails/mocktails.
Morning: Sleep in or enjoy the Hoodoo Hilton pool.
Afternoon: Return to Dead Horse Point for rim trail hikes or photography.
Evening: Stay after dark. As a certified International Dark Sky Park, Dead Horse has some of the best Milky Way viewing in Utah. Bring a blanket and just lay back under the stars.
Breakfast: Love Muffin Cafe one last time—grab pastries for the drive.
Souvenirs: Redstone T-Shirt Co. or Moab Made for last-minute gifts.
Optional Scenic Stop: Salt Valley Overlook on your way out of Arches.
This 2-week Moab itinerary gives you the full experience…means no rushing, no skipping. You’ll see both districts of Canyonlands, all the major arches, Dead Horse Point, side trips to petroglyphs and Fisher Towers, plus time for rafting, Jeeping, and even rest days at the pool.
This isn’t just a highlight reel—it’s the full Moab experience. And after two weeks, you’ll leave knowing you didn’t just visit—you lived it. If you want even more hike-by-hike detail, check out my Top 3 Arches in Moab You Can’t Miss before your trip.
There are two kinds of travelers: people who plan a trip and then figure out where to eat, and people who book a restaurant and then build the rest of the itinerary around it.I am the second kind. I will not apologize for this.
The reservation gets locked in first. The hotel search happens within the same 24 hours. The flights get compared around the restaurant’s hours of operation. The rest of the trip exists to fill the days before and after the table I actually came for.
If this sounds unhinged, I completely understand. It has also resulted in some of the best meals of my life, so I’m going to keep doing it.
Drop a 🍽️ if you plan your trips around food too.
Let’s talk about when to actually book that Dubai trip you’ve been pinning for two years. I get asked this constantly, so here’s the honest breakdown: October through April is your window. Anything outside that and you’re basically touring in a sauna!
October and November give you warm days and cooler nights, which is basically the sweet spot for wandering around without melting. December through February is peak season: gorgeous weather. March and April are the quiet insider pick, right before summer heat shows up and ruins everyone’s plans.
Saving this for later? That’s what it’s here for. Full breakdown linked in bio.
If you’re chasing energy, beaches, nightlife, and nonstop luxury, Dubai takes the crown. If you’re craving culture, iconic architecture, and meaningful landmarks at a slower pace, Abu Dhabi shines.🤍
My advice? Base yourself in Dubai and do Abu Dhabi as a day trip! The perfect balance of excitement and culture in the UAE.
Want the full breakdown? Check out my Dubai and Abu Dhabi guide for tips, itineraries, and must-sees!
I do not like seafood. 🐟 So when I booked a tasting menu at a restaurant built around aquarium walls at Atlantis The Palm, I was nervous.
Ossiano sits underwater fish gliding past the whole meal, moody lighting, the kind of room that makes you lower your voice without meaning to. It’s not cheap, and it’s not trying to be. You’re paying for the entire experience.
Here’s the honest part: they have a vegetarian tasting menu, and I assumed it would be an afterthought. It ended up in my top five meals of all time. Course after course, the same care and precision as the seafood-forward menu everyone comes for. They even swapped in a steak for the main and it still felt cohesive with everything around it.
By course four you’re full. They bring out three more breads anyway. I ate all of it. No regrets.
Small detail that stuck with me my dress was black, so they swapped my napkin from white to black without me asking. That’s the kind of thing that tells you everything about a place.
Full breakdown of the menu, the vegetarian option, and what to expect linked in bio.
Dubai is all skyline until you drive an hour into the dunes and it goes completely silent. Bab Al Shams was that shift for us: slower, quieter, more intentional than anything we did in the city.
If you want nightlife or walkable everything, this isn’t your stop. But if you want a night that feels like a reset, it delivers, polished service, food I’m still thinking about, and a setting that never tries too hard.
Full review (and whether it’s worth adding to your Dubai itinerary) is linked in bio. 🏜️
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