Guided or self-guided campus tour: Which visit is right for you?

A student tours families around campus.

Want to see campus and get a feel for Colorado State University? You’re not alone. Visiting colleges is an important part of the college search process, and can help you make your decision in a myriad of ways. How big is the campus? What do the learning spaces look like for my future major? And, even the decisions we can’t put into words as easily: Does it “feel” right? Can I see myself here?

We want you to get those answers, too, and we want to make it easy. There are a few ways to explore CSU, each catering to what you need and how you want to explore. Read on to find the visit that’s perfect for you.

Information Session and Tour

Our guided information sessions and tours are what we’d call the “standard” visit. This is how many future Rams and their families see campus for the first time. You’ll start out in the historic Admissions building, meeting some of our admissions counselors, learning about the admissions process, requirements, and CSU itself. Then you’ll take a tour led by one of our very own students. You’ll see a lot of campus, get a little history, hear stories along the way, and have ample opportunities to ask questions.

This tour might be right for you if …

  • You’ve never visited CSU before and you’ve applied OR you are thinking about applying
  • You don’t want to have to think about what’s important to see/what to not miss on your tour
  • You don’t want to rely on technology to guide you
  • You prefer to be in a group setting with other families
  • You have application or admissions questions
  • You want to meet with admissions counselors and staff dedicated to helping you navigate college admissions
  • You might need assistance or accommodations during your visit

Sign up

Tours are offered Mondays through Saturdays.

Self-Guided Tour

While our self-guided tour is fairly self-explanatory, it might be a fit for you if you’ve already taken a guided tour, or if you come when Admissions is closed or not offering information sessions and tours (which isn’t often). The self-guided tour requires a smartphone with location services enabled on your Google map. It will take you to the same locations you’d see on a guided tour, but allows you to set your pace, take detours, and skip the information session.

This tour might be right for you if …

  • You like to set your own pace
  • You prefer quieter tours with only people you know
  • You’re visiting during a holiday or period when guided tours are not being offered
  • You’ve been to campus before but would like a semi-guided experience to refresh you as you explore
  • You don’t want to sit through an information session or ask application questions
  • You plan to take a few detours or eat lunch on campus during your tour

Sign up

Self-guided tours are an option any day of the week.

No matter which visit experience you choose, know that the Office of Admissions is here to help, and we want you to have a fun, easy time as you see our amazing campus. If you’re not quite ready to visit us in person, you can also use our interactive, 360-degree virtual tour.

And, don’t worry … we know what a pain parking can be, so we covered that, too: Both tour experiences offer free parking for prospective students. You’ll get a digital parking pass when you sign up for your tour.

Ready to see Colorado State up close?

We're ready to make your visit everything you need, with a bunch of bonus moments weaved in.

Prairie Smallwood

Prairie Smallwood is a writer and content creator for the Office of Admissions at Colorado State University. She is passionate about education and exploration, and knows that going to college can be both an adventure and an overwhelming experience. She aims to create content that helps students through that journey — the wonderful, the scary, and everything in between.