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Jakarta to Utah: Salt Lake City, Arches and Canyonlands

Jakarta → Salt Lake City → Moab

Salt Lake City
"SLC_Skyline_2024.jpg" by Invictus323, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence
Moab, Utah downtown (Moab)
Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Red-rock national parks Best season (general guide): Mar–May, Sep–Oct

South-east Utah has some of the most dramatic desert scenery in North America, and the town of Moab sits between two national parks. This route starts in Salt Lake City and then spends four nights in red-rock country. From Jakarta you'll connect through Asia and a US hub.

How to pace it: Spend days one and two in Salt Lake City: day one, Temple Square; day two, Great Salt Lake and Antelope Island. Then spend days three to six in Moab: day three, drive south to Moab; day four, Arches: Delicate Arch hike; day five, Canyonlands: Island in the Sky and Dead Horse Point; day six, Colorado River or scenic byway.

Salt Lake City is laid out on a wide grid below the Wasatch mountains. Temple Square is the heart of the city, and the State Capitol looks over it. The Great Salt Lake, on the city's edge, is best seen from Antelope Island, where bison roam.

The drive south takes around four hours through canyons and desert. Arches National Park, just outside Moab, has more than two thousand natural stone arches. The walk to Delicate Arch is the most famous, best done at sunset. Entry rules can change by season, so check the National Park Service page before you go.

Canyonlands is vast and quieter. The Island in the Sky district, on a mesa high above the rivers, has viewpoints over deep canyons. Dead Horse Point State Park, nearby, looks down on a bend of the Colorado River.

Spring and autumn are the best seasons, according to the National Park Service. Summer temperatures can exceed 100°F, and winter can bring snow.

Moab itself is a small town with outfitters for rafting, mountain biking and four-wheel-drive trips. Evenings are a good time to sit outside and watch the red cliffs change colour as the sun goes down.

Good to know: A hire car is essential. Start hikes early, carry plenty of water and protect yourself from the sun. Moab's accommodation fills up in spring and autumn, so book ahead.

Suggested outline

  1. Jakarta

    Start

  2. Salt Lake City

    By air · 2 nights suggested

    Temple Square, the State Capitol and the Great Salt Lake on the city's edge.

  3. Moab

    Overland · 4 nights suggested

    Base for Arches and Canyonlands national parks, Dead Horse Point and the Colorado River.

    Delicate Arch
    "Delicatearch.png" by National Park Service Photo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Day by day

  1. Day 1 · Salt Lake City — Arrive; Temple Square· Jakarta → Salt Lake City (by air) — long-haul; may arrive the next calendar day
  2. Day 2 · Salt Lake City — Great Salt Lake and Antelope Island
  3. Day 3 · Moab — Drive south to Moab· Salt Lake City → Moab (overland)
  4. Day 4 · Moab — Arches: Delicate Arch hike
  5. Day 5 · Moab — Canyonlands: Island in the Sky and Dead Horse Point
  6. Day 6 · Moab — Colorado River or scenic byway
  7. Day 7 · Moab — Travel home from Moab· Moab → Jakarta (by air)

A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.

Flights, leg by leg

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Salt Lake City

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Moab

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