The Best of The National Parks

You will stay in hotels such as the Ramada Inn, in Rapid City, the Holiday Inn in Cody, the Brandin Iron Inn in West Yellowstone, the Painted Buffalo Inn in Jackson, the Crystal Inn Hotel and Suites in Salt Lake City, the Baymont Inn and Suites in Cortez, the Canyon Plaza Resort in Tusayan, the Best Western Plus in Page, Bryce View Lodge in Bryce Canyon City and the Stratosphere Hotel in Las Vegas. All rooms feature private facilities, air-conditioning where appropriate, TV and telephone. There is a restaurant and bar in most locations and often extra facilities, such as swimming pool and shop. The Stratosphere Hotel in Las Vegas features its own cabaret, casino, restaurants, bars, shops and its ‘Top of the World’ restaurant 800ft above the Strip. Hotels will be confirmed in your final documents.

Please note: At certain times of year Yellowstone may experience snow which may mean that we will need to use a different route.

Day 1: UK/South Dakota

Depart on your scheduled flight to Rapid City in South Dakota. Transfer on arrival to your hotel for a two-night stay.

Day 2: Mount Rushmore/Badlands

The first state you visit is the relatively unknown but beautiful South Dakota. To the west, the famous Black Hills rise out of the prairies, and the delightful countryside is reminiscent of Europe’s Alpine foothills. This morning you drive into the Black Hills to see Mount Rushmore with its famous granite sculptures of Presidents Roosevelt, Lincoln, Washington and Jefferson. The faces are 60ft high and are as grand and enduring as the contributions of the men they represent. A visit will also be made to Crazy Horse Memorial, an even larger sculpture currently being carved in honour of the famous Indian leader. In the afternoon you tour Badlands National Park. It is a strange and beautiful landscape of deep gorges, saw-edged spires and grassy-topped buttes; an eerie world carved out of the prairies by 35 million years of wind and water erosion. The park was also the location for the film ‘Dances with Wolves’.

Day 3: Cody

Today you enjoy a fascinating drive through former ‘wild west’ territory. The first stop will be at Deadwood, famed as the home of Calamity Jane and scene of the legendary Wild Bill Hickok’s murder. Continue into Wyoming through countryside much fought over by General Custer and the Sioux Indians. Arrive at Cody, founded by and named after Buffalo Bill, for an overnight stop. Known as the ‘Cowboy State’, Wyoming stretches from the high plateau of the Great Plains to the Rocky Mountains. Cattle and sheep outnumber people by more than four to one, and Wyoming’s scenic beauty is quite outstanding. Overnight in Cody.

Day 4: Yellowstone National Park

Depart for Yellowstone National Park, and a full day touring its major points of interest. Yellowstone Park is a wonderland of spouting geysers, terraced hot springs, boiling pools and bubbling mud pots. Depending on local conditions you may see the extraordinary Yellowstone Canyon with its waterfall twice the height of Niagara, Mammoth Hot Springs, Midway Geyser Basin and, of course, ‘Old Faithful’, which erupts roughly every 70 minutes. The park is also a wildlife sanctuary with bears, elk and herds of buffalo, which all roam freely in the park. Stops will be made to admire the wildlife. Overnight in West Yellowstone.

Day 5: Jackson

Further time will be spent in Yellowstone Park before driving through neighbouring Grand Teton National Park, a region of soaring peaks, lakes and glaciers. Then on to lively Jackson, a delightful combination of wild west town and ski resort for an overnight stay.

Day 6: Salt Lake City

Drive south through the rich cattle lands of Wyoming. You will pass Bear Lake, and drive through Logan Canyon to the thriving and beautiful Salt Lake City. This is an elegant monument to the early Mormon settlers who founded it. This afternoon, a guided walking tour is included of Temple Square, with its famous Mormon Tabernacle. Accommodation for two nights has been arranged.

Day 7: Salt Lake City

Day free to relax and explore this charming city. An optional excursion will be available to the Great Salt Lake, the second saltiest body of water on the planet. This optional excursion also includes a visit to Park City which was an old silver mining town.

Day 8: Arches National Park

The scenery alters dramatically as you drive through the vast multi-coloured Canyonlands of Utah. You visit Arches National Park where giant windows and graceful arches shaped from primeval red rock gleam in the sun. Then you continue into Colorado to Cortez, which is situated close to Mesa Verde, for a two-night stay.

Day 9: Mesa Verde National Park

Today you visit the Mesa Verde National Park. Native Americans lived and farmed the Mesa Verde until the 14th century, when prolonged drought made farming impossible. Almost 50 cliff-top dwellings are still to be seen, including the delightful Spruce House.

Day 10: Monument Valley

Morning drive to Four Corners, the unique point where four states converge, then continue into Arizona to Monument Valley, the backdrop to so many westerns. Spectacular sandstone buttes tower over the valley floor where Navajo Indians tend their sheep. Continue in the afternoon for your first glimpse of the Grand Canyon. Overnight accommodation is in Tusayan.

Day 11: Grand Canyon

For 217 miles, the canyon is an unsurpassed panorama of strange rock forms and brilliant, constantly changing colours – surely the greatest natural wonder of the world. You stop at the South Rim, where the most spectacular views can be enjoyed. Join an optional plane or helicopter flight over the Canyon to enjoy the breathtaking views. Then drive through the Painted Desert and the huge Navajo Indian Reservation to beautiful Lake Powell. Overnight accommodation in Page.

Day 12: Bryce Canyon

Today we include a full-day tour to one of America’s most remarkable National Parks – Bryce Canyon. Here, nature’s artistry has created an immense amphitheatre of cream and pink-tinted pinnacles, pillars and delicate spires. The changing light throughout the day creates an ever-varying perspective of shape and colour. Overnight accommodation in Bryce Canyon City.

Day 13: Zion National Park

Morning departure for Zion National Park, unique for its sheer cliffs, deep chasms and bizarre rock shapes. Continue to the gambling and entertainment mecca of Las Vegas, for an overnight stay.

Day 14: Las Vegas/UK

Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK.

Day 15: UK

Arrival in the UK.