You do NOT get to enter the rooms as I had mistakenly thought. You DO get to get right up to them. The ranger was good, the views of the canyon at that point were superb. The ladders you will climb are VERY sturdy and securely attached to the rock. Do this tour! Then visit the Balcony House!

Mesa Verde Cliff Palace tour was wonderful. Our guide Tony was great fun and really informative. It has to be one of the wonders of the world. It is so well preserved and you can imagine people living there. The tour groups are about 25/30 people, but you never feel rushed or unable to ask a question. Tony suggested we all try and visit a 'living' pueblo, so we did when we went to Taos in New Mexico. What a great idea it was. Thanks Tony

Fascinating experience but definitely less intimate than Balcony House. Ranger assisted tour less infomative then Ranger led and much less intimate. Native Ranger was excellent and helpful to understand the cultural significance of the site. Obviously there was no question he could not answer. Afternoon tour time, if not too hot, would be better for natural light.

If you visit Mesa Verde the only way to get access to a cliff dwelling is on a tour with a park ranger. Otherwise you only see the dwellings from a distance and you really are missing out. I preferred Cliff Palace as it was much larger and more intact. The tour group is larger but you can still get some good pictures. The exit is a bit tricky with tight crevasse you crawl up and some ladders as well.

We got the first tour of the day, it was so peaceful and quiet. The tour is not overly strenuous, as there are a couple of built in times for the group to pause and catch their breath before moving to a different segment of the tour. The ladder climb through a tight squeeze added to the adventure.

My family and I thoroughly enjoyed our tour of Cliff Palace. There are a few ladders and tight spaces, but average folks should navigate them well. The views and history are amazing. The only reason I give this four stars is due to the park service not limiting ages on this tour. It was stressful to watch young children not respect the edge of the high paths, and not respect the ruins themselves. This is a tour for seeing AND learning; reconsider if your child is not able to stand and listen for 10 minutes at a time.

We made reservations in advance for the Cliff Palace tour as were staying in the Mesa Verde lodge. The woman who narrated while on the bus had a PHD in Anthropology (as the bus made it's way to the Cliff Palace) was exceptional. She made sure to take questions and she answered them all. It was wonderful that someone like this made to the time to educate us all. She pointed out stops along the way and then back that we could stop on our own. The ranger giving the tour repeated a lot that was told to us on the bus, but it was fine. The actual walking tour is not difficult, but be aware of your own skills level. The few ladders and steps were not difficult. This is a tour that I feel ALL must experience, as this is the history of our heritage and our country.

We opted to pay for the Cliff Palace tour (roughly an hour in length), which was worth every penny. You cannot descend to the dwellings without paying for the guided tour. People with physical disabilities should check with rangers before purchasing tickets. There are 100 uneven steps down with one ladder and 100 narrow stone steps with three short ladders to ascend up to the parking lot. The heaviest person in our tour group was 300 pounds and in reasonable shape and was able to complete the tour. Ranger Paul who led the tour was outstanding, informative and extremely engaging. After the initial descent, there is a brief stop where visitors are encouraged to sit on a cliff shelf during the ranger presentation; there is limited standing space during the this time. Dwellings themselves were amazing to see and completely worth the effort. We booked the earliest tour available to beat the heat, which worked well. Each tour has a maximum 50 people. Buying tickets in advance is highly recommended.

Took the Cliff Palace Tour with a park ranger that happens every 30 minutes. I highly recommend getting your passes a few months in advanced. amazing stop and scenic view point. The walk way is very well maintained and safe. The walk is minutes from the road. The views are phenomenal