Mesa Verde National Park Cliff Palace Guided Tour
Explore Cliff Palace with ranger-led access and an archaeologist-trained guide
Duration
5+ hrs
Includes
Transport, tickets, park entry
Highlights
Explore Mesa Verde National Park with an archaeologist-trained guide and discover the history of its ancestral Puebloan sites. Visit Cliff Palace with ranger-led access included.
- Explore Cliff Palace, the largest cliff dwelling in North America
- Learn about the Ancestral Puebloans who built and lived in these structures
- Discover key overlooks and major sites with in-depth interpretation
- Visit respectfully by following Leave No Trace principles
Itinerary
- Depart our Durango office at 360 South Camino Del Rio Suite #200 Durango, Co 81301
- Arrive at Mesa Verde approximately 50 minutes later
- Explore Cliff Palace up close with one of the ranger-led tours with a National Park Ranger.
- Arrive back 5 hours later.
What's Included
- Round-trip transportation
- Ranger-led Cliff Palace tour ticket
- Mesa Verde National Park entrance fees
Important details
- Arrive before the prompt 8:30 AM departure
- Complete the required waiver before arrival
- Bring snacks and water; food is not provided
- Wear sturdy shoes or boots and prepare for strenuous hiking at elevations of 7,000–7,500 feet
- Children must walk the full trails and climb all ladders independently
- Infants must be carried in backpacks; adults carrying them must maintain mobility and balance
- Guide gratuity is not included in the listed price; customary tips are $35–$40 per person
Cancellation Policy
Free cancellation up to 72 hours before departure. No refunds within 72 hours of departure, including for illness, emergencies, or no-shows.
Product ID: 82H7VY
FAQs
Plan for a strenuous experience at 7,000–7,500 ft elevation. Choose this tour only if you’re a well-prepared hiker, and consider your health carefully if you have heart or respiratory problems or other physical difficulties.
Children need to walk the full extent of the trails and climb all ladders on their own without difficulty. Carry infants in backpacks, and make sure the adult carrying a child can maintain mobility and balance.
Bring water and snacks, plus a camera, sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, and comfortable but sturdy footwear. Wear appropriate clothing since Colorado’s weather can be unpredictable.
Meeting details
Durango Rivertrippers, 360 South Camino Del Rio Suite #200, Durango, CO 81301
Related locations
Mesa Verde National Park
Admission includedStanding on the rim at Mesa Verde National Park, you look down into sandstone alcoves where entire communities once lived, worked, and gathered centuries ago. The scale of what the ancestral Pueblo people built into these canyon walls is immediately striking. Mesa Verde National Park rewards those who slow down, peer closely at the stonework, and let the silence of the Colorado plateau settle around them.
