Day Trips
6 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 98% of travelers
98% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$139
per adult
Mesa Verde Tours
Mesa Verde Tours
5
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Full view
About
Mesa Verde Tours offers premium guided tours of our favorite national park, Mesa Verde! We have a comprehensive Full Day Tour, informative Half Day Tours, and Private Tours that are completely customized. Our guides are park experts with a passion for the history and culture of the area. Experience the best of Mesa Verde and discover the magic of the largest and best preserved cliff dwellings in the US
Tours and Tickets by Mesa Verde Tours
Day Trips
8–9 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$195
per adult
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
5.0
169 reviews
Excellent
157
Very good
9
Average
1
Poor
0
Terrible
2
Lucinda W
2 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
Very enjoyable and educational tour, just right for older people. The only reason I give it four stars instead of five was because we ran out of time and skipped the Welcome Center/Gift Shop, where I had hoped to buy some things. We went on the Mild 2 Wild half day tour (which isn't listed as an option, but I wanted to give them credit)
Written June 10, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jcarst
Lincoln, NE31 contributions
Jul 2013 • Couples
We toured all three of the cliff dwelling houses. It was such a spiritual experience to walk through homes that are over 1000 years old and wonder how the Indians lived and survived in those mountains. The park has excellent tours and knowledgable park rangers. Something that everyone should take the time to see.
Written July 22, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
14clubs
Palatine, IL140 contributions
Oct 2011 • Couples
The Mesa Verde National Park is a huge property and although the entrance is 35 miles from Durango, there's still another 1/2 hour or more before you get to the visitor center and even more to get to the museum and the actual ancient sites. Joining a tour is the best way to go and Mesa Verde Tours is the way to do it.
I booked directly with Mesa Verde Tours by calling them and all questions were answered during the booking and all needed information was related. They pick you up, drop you off, bring lunch, snacks and plenty of water. With the altitude and low humidity, the water becomes quite important.
Our guide, Ed, knew where to go in the park to see as much as possible for a one day trip, including outlooks and overlooks that if you were driving yourself, might miss. Also with a driver/guide/narrator, you learm much more about the history than reading a pamphlet. He was also very accommodating to everyone and their needs and interests. The tour was organized, yet had some flexibility so it never felt as though we were rushed or hurried.
If you're going to Mesa Verde and have one day, this is the way to maximize your time and minimize your stress.
I booked directly with Mesa Verde Tours by calling them and all questions were answered during the booking and all needed information was related. They pick you up, drop you off, bring lunch, snacks and plenty of water. With the altitude and low humidity, the water becomes quite important.
Our guide, Ed, knew where to go in the park to see as much as possible for a one day trip, including outlooks and overlooks that if you were driving yourself, might miss. Also with a driver/guide/narrator, you learm much more about the history than reading a pamphlet. He was also very accommodating to everyone and their needs and interests. The tour was organized, yet had some flexibility so it never felt as though we were rushed or hurried.
If you're going to Mesa Verde and have one day, this is the way to maximize your time and minimize your stress.
Written October 21, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Patty W
Ogden, UT951 contributions
Aug 2013 • Couples
We did the ranger led tour of Cliff Palace and also Balcony House. Although they were both very interesting, I felt Cliff Palace had a little more to see and there were more things intact there. It was quite strenuous climbing up the ladder. The biggest problem was it was very hot so you need plenty of water. The altitude was 7,000 feet so your body has to work a little harder to negotiate the ruins. It is really worth doing both, but if you had to choose one, I would pick Cliff Palace. It costs $3.00 for each tour.
Written August 31, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Steve B
Decatur, GA599 contributions
Oct 2011 • Couples
My partner and I booked Mesa Verde Tours on the recommendation of our terrific conciege at Wyndham Resort in Durango, Pat. We were not disappointed! We also had Aaron as our guide, and he was punctual, friendly and incredibly knowledgeable. There were only four of us in the van, so the ride to Mesa Verde was quite comfortable. What we did not expect but was the absolutely terrific discussion/question-and-answer session that made the ride to Mesa Verde fly by in an instant. By the time we pulled into the National Park, I felt I had a pretty good background to better understand the ancient Puebloans. I really can't imagine NOT having taken a tour to truly enjoy and appreciate the amazing ruins. For example, at our very first stop (the Pithouse, about 700AD), a large tour busarrived just before us. When we entered the site, those tourists were clearly on their own, a few were taking pictures and some were reading the slightly informative placards placed around the dig. Literally within five minutes they were all gone; our stop there lasted at least 20 (greatly enjoyable) minutes thanks to the fascinating information provided by Aaron. He also fielded numerous questions with ease and made the sight come alive-our appetite was thoroughly whetted for the next stop. Every stop we made was absolutely wonderful! The remarkable feats these ancients achieved are even more greatly appreciated when you have a greater understanding of their lives. While the beauty and wonder of the cliff dwellings (that most people have seen in photos) is magical to behold, the "timeline" tour given by Aaron, following a 700-year history of the ancient Puebloans, made the pithouses and other much older sites equally fascinating. We were picked up by Aaron spot-on at 830am and arrived back at our hotel at 6pm- the day seemed to have flown by. Mesa Verde Tours provided ample water, sodas and snacks during our trip, and restroom breaks were plentiful. Our lunch was an enormous deli sandwich with choice of chips and cookies for dessert. If you are visiting Durango (or anywhere nearby!) you owe it to yourself to see the Park with Mesa Verde Tours. I've only posted a few pix since there are already so many here - rest assured that after the tour with Aaron, I have vivid pictures of life among the ancient Puebloans in my mind to which no camera could do justice.
Written October 29, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cameraman612
Washington, DC89 contributions
Sep 2011 • Couples
We toured Mesa Verde with Mesa Verde Tours. While we were generally satisfied with the tour, and Sharon, our tour guide, was very knowledgeable, there are a number of things that prospective customers should be aware of:
1) The company is not well organized. We were picked up almost ½ hour late. Sharon’s excuse was that the sandwiches were not ready on time, but the company should have allowed for that possibility and left enough time in the schedule. Sharon’s response was “It’s not my fault”, which was not very satisfying. Another example: one of the people on our tour had to be picked up at a hostel, and Sharon did not know that its location had changed. As a result, we spent another 15-20 minutes driving around Durango until she found it. Sharon’s response was “Well, you get a bonus tour of Durango”. Also not very satisfying. By the time we left for Mesa Verde, we were almost an hour late.
2) The equipment is not up to the task. There were 12 of us crammed into a 13 seat van, of the kind that you might find in an airport or hotel shuttle service. However, while this kind of van might be fine for a 30 minute ride to the airport, it was very uncomfortable for a full day of travel. In addition, the seats provided very little back support, and my back hurt most of the next day. My suggestion is that if the passenger seat in the front is open, grab it.
3) Another problem with the van was that it had no sound system to allow Sharon to drive and talk effectively at the same time. As a result, she was constantly turning around and shouting her comments over her shoulder. This was disconcerting when she was driving along winding cliff-side roads with no guard rail; I would have preferred that she had been able to keep her eyes on the road. And despite her best efforts, the folks in the back of the van still complained that they couldn’t hear. My suggestion is that even if the tour offers to meet you at your hotel, meet it a the train station and try to get a seat near the front of the van.
4) Finally, don’t believe what you are told about schedule. When we booked the tour, were told that we would be back by 4:00. However, that was not at all realistic. Sharon told us that they never finished by then, and that she expected we would be back closer to 6:00. When one of the passengers complained that she had a dinner to get to, Sharon seemed to rush the end of the tour and booked it back to Durango. We still didn’t get back until 5:30.
The bottom line is that we were not sorry we took the tour; it was very informative, and once we got under way, Sharon was a very good guide. But the tour company leaves a lot to be desired.
1) The company is not well organized. We were picked up almost ½ hour late. Sharon’s excuse was that the sandwiches were not ready on time, but the company should have allowed for that possibility and left enough time in the schedule. Sharon’s response was “It’s not my fault”, which was not very satisfying. Another example: one of the people on our tour had to be picked up at a hostel, and Sharon did not know that its location had changed. As a result, we spent another 15-20 minutes driving around Durango until she found it. Sharon’s response was “Well, you get a bonus tour of Durango”. Also not very satisfying. By the time we left for Mesa Verde, we were almost an hour late.
2) The equipment is not up to the task. There were 12 of us crammed into a 13 seat van, of the kind that you might find in an airport or hotel shuttle service. However, while this kind of van might be fine for a 30 minute ride to the airport, it was very uncomfortable for a full day of travel. In addition, the seats provided very little back support, and my back hurt most of the next day. My suggestion is that if the passenger seat in the front is open, grab it.
3) Another problem with the van was that it had no sound system to allow Sharon to drive and talk effectively at the same time. As a result, she was constantly turning around and shouting her comments over her shoulder. This was disconcerting when she was driving along winding cliff-side roads with no guard rail; I would have preferred that she had been able to keep her eyes on the road. And despite her best efforts, the folks in the back of the van still complained that they couldn’t hear. My suggestion is that even if the tour offers to meet you at your hotel, meet it a the train station and try to get a seat near the front of the van.
4) Finally, don’t believe what you are told about schedule. When we booked the tour, were told that we would be back by 4:00. However, that was not at all realistic. Sharon told us that they never finished by then, and that she expected we would be back closer to 6:00. When one of the passengers complained that she had a dinner to get to, Sharon seemed to rush the end of the tour and booked it back to Durango. We still didn’t get back until 5:30.
The bottom line is that we were not sorry we took the tour; it was very informative, and once we got under way, Sharon was a very good guide. But the tour company leaves a lot to be desired.
Written September 26, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
After reading the description of your tour experience, a number of issues obviously stood out to me.
I would like to extend to you my sincere apology as to your overall tour experience.
Mesa Verde Tours goal, whether guests board the group tour or have a private excursion, is to provide personable, comfortable and educational experience taking in the most amazing sites of the Four Corners region.
The group tour you had joined typically is constrained to an 11 guest maximum. At times some of our 3rd party reservation generators, due to their web based systems, will present unanticipated boarding’s. This can complicate our scheduling. The number of destinations and guests we service did necessitate extra boarding’s to Mesa Verde NP a couple of dates this summer. This would not be our normal operating procedure. From the comments you made, I believe, it was through one of these entities you had made your reservation.
The 15 passenger vans we utilize for the excursions need to service a great variety of road way surfaces. Some destinations we offer require the higher clearance of these vehicles. To compensate for the bench seating we normally allow for a bit more elbow room than you had experienced by the crowding of the vehicle.
The Full Day Group Tour is scheduled to depart Durango by 8:30 am and return 5:30-5:45 pm. The misinformation given to you by the 3rd party reservation generator has been in the process of being redacted through the summer. The winter tour we offer does return earlier and the information from that tour inadvertently was released to some summer guests. We typically encourage our guests into a Private Tour if their itinerary deviates from the preplanned schedule. With the case of yourselves and the guests who had made the early dinner reservations our 3rd party generators may not offer or may not have presented the option, your reservationist had only one of our products available for sale, the most popular, the value priced Group Tour.
The inclusive tours we offer do present the guides with challenges first of the morning, from coordinating through the deli to picking up guests from across the region, small delays can effect the whole of the guest experience. Tardiness therefore is not an option. We train our guides to anticipate fluctuations in the schedule and allow for a few extra minutes from the departure of the garage to the start of the pick up times. As you experienced, the best of anticipation can soon be swallowed by issues effecting the progression of the tour.
The emphasis of our tour is departing the vehicles, taking in the archeological site while being educated about the Ancestral Puebloan culture through the archeology of the site. The intrusion of noise while driving whether inside or outside can be disturbing. We have in the past experimented with different sound systems from the issues between mouth piece to the speaker system, issues with certain guests being blasted by sound to those who had reverberation all experiments failed terribly. Through the tour debrief, I reminded Sharon to use the rear view mirror to “see” her guests and the front windshield to amplify her voice if necessary. Beyond the safety concerns her guests and we would also share, talking to the floor will not allow any one to hear her better.
I do appreciate your comments as we seek to provide our guests with educated, professional and charming guides, your comments allow us to target specific areas of concern.
If you would wish to speak with me personally please give me a call directly at 970.247.8533 or you can reach me by email at mesaverdetours@hotmail.com.
Robert Payton
Manager of Operations
Mesa Verde Tours
970.247.8533
Written October 7, 2011
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Go527118
Leesville, South Carolina20 contributions
Oct 2019
I toured Mesa Verde last week. The Rangers are very knowledgeable and give a good explanation of what is known about the ancestral Pueblo an people who built these dwellings, both on the Mesa and in the alcoves below. The rebuilt pit house at the Step House makes it easy to see how they lived in the early period. I really do not understand why they moved down below. This place is magical and it brings the story of these ancient people and how they lived.
Written October 9, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JenniferJ45150
97 contributions
Jun 2017
We drove from Durango the day before we planned to visit to get our tickets for the Cliff Palace and Balcony House tours. We were able to get tickets for 9 and 11a.m. Ranger Dennis greeted us at the park entrance and was AMAZING. He talked to our kids and welcomed us to the park. Ranger Drew led our Cliff Palace tour and he truly LOVES the ruins. We were the first tour of the day and he wanted everyone to appreciate the beauty of what has been left for us to appreciate. The ranger who led the Balcony House tour was also very passionate. -We just can't remember his name :) The Balcony House tour does involve more climbing and crawling, but it is worth it. We went with our children ages 17, 13, and 9 and I asked them if we were to visit again would they do both tours or just one and they all agreed that they would recommend both. There is quite a bit of repetition in the tours, but the sites are beautiful.
Written June 28, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RON F
2 contributions
Nov 2011 • Couples
First of all Aaron was a very knowlegeable and friendly guide. We had a great time and new respect for the Puebloan Native Americans. The sandwiches were good and we always had plenty of water. This is a tour I would encourage all ages to take. Can't wait to go again. Pat at the Wyndam Hotel encouraged us to take this tour.
Written November 18, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jean P
State College, PA43 contributions
Aug 2011
We did the full day Mesa Verde tour with our 6 and 9 year old boys and had a terrific time. Aaron was great, and shared a lot more information than did the National Park guide. We appreciated the choice of two ranger-led tours within the park, as well as the abundant cold water and big lunch Aaron provided. The site is amazing, and well worth the trip. Our boys enjoyed it as much as we did and we are disappointed that we can't fit in another tour with Mesa Verde and Aaron before our vacation is over.
Written August 25, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lindsay S
San Francisco, California
Is there a weight liimt for the tours? I couldn't find anything online.
Written October 4, 2023
Do you have to have a formal tour to visit? Or can you walk the trails and see things on your own?
Written June 20, 2021
You can absolutely go on your own year round.
Our tours are for people who wish to get that deeper knowledge and insight to the complexity of the Ancestral Puebloan culture with an expert.
Written April 4, 2022
Best time of the year to tour July-October?
Written June 3, 2019
Es posible para personas de 70 años hacer la excursión. Es con caminadas Fuertes.
Written May 28, 2019
How much hiking is involved and are the ladders fairly accessible? I have some back issues and want to be sure I could navigate the trails, etc.
Written July 27, 2018
The ladders are sturdy but a couple of them may be quite steep up. There are different trails - most are not that bad. I’m more concerned with the ladders.
Written August 1, 2018
Are there any tours appropriate for two adults travelling with a 4 year old? no ladders please.
Written June 7, 2017
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