Risk & safety
Our tours are outdoor activities in remote desert terrain, and that carries real risk. Expect uneven and rocky ground, exposure to sun and heat, temperature swings of 30 degrees or more in a single day, travel on unpaved and sometimes rough roads, and areas with limited or no cell service. Slips, trips, and falls are the ordinary hazards of being out here. Participation is at your own risk.
What we do about it: we guide under permits from the National Park Service and the BLM, we carry water and first aid, we watch the forecast for your date, and we adjust the route and the pace to the group actually in front of us. If conditions turn genuinely unsafe, safety decides the day, not the schedule.
What we need from you:
- Tell us in advance about any condition that heat, altitude, or exertion could affect, including heart or lung conditions, pregnancy, recent surgery, mobility limits, seizure history, severe allergies.
- Wear footwear you can actually walk on rock in, and bring layers.
- Follow your guide's direction at overlooks, on ledges, and around drop-offs. Some of the best spots here have no railing.
- Share this page with every adult in your party so nobody arrives without knowing what the day involves.
Minors are the responsibility of their accompanying adult at all times.
Payment terms
One group price
Our tours are priced per group, not per person. The tier price is the price for your whole party. There is no per-person math and no per-head surcharge hiding at the end.
How you pay
We send a secure Square invoice. You pay it online with a card, and payment is handled entirely by Square. we never see or store your card details. The invoice is the written record of your booking: your tour, date, group size, and total. Read it when it arrives and tell us if anything is wrong.
Tax
Prices shown on this site are pre-tax. Utah sales tax of 9.35% is added at checkout, on the invoice, and nowhere else.
Deposits
For tours booked well in advance, we can set up a deposit schedule on the invoice rather than asking for the full amount up front. Just say the word and we will structure it that way.
If you are not ready to choose a tour but want to lock a date, a $95 date hold secures your date and time. It is untaxed, it comes straight off your tour price when you book, and it is refunded if we cannot find you the right day, or automatically if we never hear back from you.
Your booking is confirmed when
We have your date, your group size, and your payment or deposit on the invoice. Until then a date is held only informally, and we will tell you plainly if someone else is asking about the same day.
What happens next
Once you book, you get an invoice from us with your tour, date, and group size on it. That invoice is the written record of your booking, so give it a look and tell us if anything is off.
Before your tour we will confirm your pickup location and your start time. The day before, we reach out with the weather and any last details. The morning of, your guide texts you a quick hello so you know exactly who is coming.
After the tour we send you a digital photo album of the day.
What's included
One group price covers your whole party. There is no per-person math and no line-item surprises.
- Door-to-door transport from your lodging
- Your private guide, and only your group in the vehicle
- Nice snacks and cold drinks, plus a water jug (bottled water available too)
- All land use, park entry, and permit fees
- A digital photo album shared after your tour
- Full day tours include a custom picnic lunch made to order
Also along for the ride, without being asked for: a printed Polaroid, sunblock, bug spray in season, trekking poles, binoculars, and chilled towels when it is warm.
What to bring
Footwear
Whatever you hike comfortably in. For some people that is boots, for some it is flip flops. Trust your instinct, and ask us if you are unsure.
Layers
The desert swings hard, especially in spring. It is genuinely normal to want a beanie and gloves early or late and a t-shirt in the middle of the day. Bring both ends of that and you will be glad you did.
The short list
- Sunglasses and a hat
- A charged phone or camera
- Any medications you need
Everything else is handled.
Lunch
Full day tours include a custom picnic lunch made to order. We ask about preferences a couple of days before your tour; if we do not hear back, we bring a good standard variety so nobody goes hungry.
On half day and extended half day tours, lunch is an optional add-on at $30 per person by pre-order.
Allergies & health
Tell us about allergies, dietary needs, injuries, mobility considerations, or anything else we should plan around. Small things count. We would much rather know in advance than improvise on the trail.
You can reply to any email from us, or call or text (435) 633-1145.
Kids
Kids are welcome and there is no minimum age. We tailor the pace and the stops to who is actually in the vehicle.
Children 2 and under are free and do not count toward your guest total. Do still tell us how many are coming so we can plan seating and snacks.
If you need a car seat, reach out and we will sort it out with you.
Pickup
By default we pick you up outside the lobby or main entrance of your lodging at the planned time. That works with zero effort on your part.
If you are staying somewhere with multiple buildings, send us your room or unit number so your guide is not wandering a parking lot.
If you have not settled your lodging yet, that is fine. Just let us know before the trip so we know where to find you.
Changes, cancellations & refunds
Plans move. Tell us as early as you can and we will do our best to shift your date rather than cancel it, since a private tour is easier to move than a shared one.
The specific cancellation and refund terms that apply to your booking are stated in writing on your invoice. If you want them spelled out before you book, just ask and we will send them over.
Date-hold deposits are refundable: if we cannot find you the right day, or if we never hear back from you, the deposit comes back automatically.
Weather
Moab weather is dramatic and usually workable. Rain here tends to be brief, and an overcast day is often the best light you will get all trip. We watch the forecast for your date and reach out the day before with what to expect and what to wear.
If conditions turn genuinely unsafe, we will talk with you about moving the day or adjusting the route. Safety drives that call, not the schedule.
Questions
Reply to any email from us, or reach us directly:
tours@sandandstars.com
(435) 633-1145, call or text
Ready to go? Book a tour, or hold a date while we help you choose.