Mesa Verde - ranger tours or vendor tours
 

Going to Mesa Verde soon. The company that contracts with the park service to run Far View Lodge also runs tours. They are significantly more expensive than the ranger led tours. Does anyone know why? Are they worth it? I know you can buy them in advance.<BR><BR>Also, does anyone have recommendations on which tour to take with kids, age 4 and 8? <BR><BR>Thanks.

We were in Mesa Verde last week and took the ranger led tours rather than the half-day and full day tours. I noticed that the buses for these tours were not air conditioned and the temp was between 93 and 99. On other bus tours I have taken, there is a good deal of history given and I suspect that must be the case here. My hunch is your kids would be restless. If you have a car, unless you have a serious interest in extensive information about the ancient cultures, I think the ranger-led tours are perfect. <BR><BR>Be sure to read the other posts concerning Mesa Verde.

The tours involve climbing ladders to get in and out of the ruins. The 8 year old shouldn't have a problem but the 4 year old might. One ladder at the Balcony House is 32 feet high.

rqf makes a good point. It may be worth a call to the park to check on age limits for the tours. My son had just turned 5 the first time he did a MV tour, and I don't recall any problems getting up and down ladders. At that time, he was about average in terms of size and physical ability. My husband or I stayed on the rung just below him on the ladders, just in case.

Spruce Tree House doesn't require ladders for the tour. There is one ladder into a reconstructed kiva, but you can tour the ruin without going into the kiva.