Wonders of American West
10 days, Priced from US$2325
USA & Canada, Departs from Denver, finishes at Las Vegas
Tour code AWSW
Included Premium Highlights
- Drive to the Island in the Sky at Canyonlands National Park
- Admire the sandstone arches and drive along spectacular Scenic Drive at Arches National Park
- Descend into a canyon for a visit to the Spruce Tree House cliff dwelling in Mesa Verde
- Board all-terrain vehicles for a guided sunset tour of the valley floor at Monument Valley
- Take in the breathtaking views of Lake Powell as you ferry across the lake
- Take in the magnificent scenery of Capitol Reef National Park
- Walk along Sunset Point and marvel at the hoodoos at Bryce Canyon National Park
- Enjoy all the major sights of Zion National Park on your private Zion Canyon Shuttle
- Journey along the Grand Canyon's Cape Royal Scenic Drive
Included Personal Insights
- Learn about the Ancestral Puebloans at the Anasazi Heritage Center in Dolores
- Experience an informative presentation at Lake Powell about the wildlife of the Colorado Plateau
Included Additional Excursions & Sights
- Explore the pedestrian streets of the alpine village of Vail
- Journey along Colorado's Interstate 70 with the best views of the Rocky Mountains
- Travel down Upper Colorado River Scenic Byway, past iconic Castle Rock
- Meander along scenic Highway 211 with superb views of earth-etched canyons
- Travel along the Trail of the Ancients, through the Ute Reservation
- Marvel at the breathtaking views over Bullfrog Marina and Lake Powell from your hotel
- Journey through Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument along the All American Road, Scenic Byway 12
- Drive along Zion National Park Scenic Byway, one of the top 10 US Scenic Drives
- Travel through the stunning Virgin River Gorge with steep overhanging limestone walls
Included First Class Services
- Escorted by a professional Tour Director
- Luxury air-conditioned 40 seat coach with extended legroom and onboard restroom
- Insight Hotels include all service charges, taxes and porterage
- Insight Traveller document wallet, Welcome on Tour book with map and information pack
- Airport transfer service on the first and last day of your tour
Included Quality Dining
- Highlight Dinners of local cuisine in Moab and Monument Valley (HD)
- 9 Full Breakfasts (B) and 3 three-course table d'hote Dinners or Buffets (D)
ITINERARY
Day 1 - ARRIVE DENVER |
Welcome to Denver! On arrival at Denver International Airport, your airport transfer service takes you to your tour hotel. Join us at 6 p.m. for a Welcome Drink at the hotel. Hotel: Denver Marriott City Center |
Day 2 - DENVER - MOAB |
Stop at the resort of Vail and wander the pedestrian-only streets of this quaint alpine village. Continue west through the breathtaking Rocky Mountains, enter the state of Utah and take in the spectacular red rock scenery of Castle Valley. Settle in at your ranch-style lodge, superbly located under lofty red rock cliffs on the banks of the Colorado River. Tonight enjoy a Cowboy BBQ with all the fixin's. Hotel: Red Cliffs Lodge (B,HD) |
Day 3 - CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK |
Explore Canyonlands National Park and stop at the Island in the Sky, a mesa resting 1000 feet above the surrounding terrain and offering the best views of Canyonlands' spectacular landscape of canyons, mesas and buttes. Back at the lodge, the afternoon is at leisure. A variety of optional activities will be available, including an exciting sunset jetboat ride on the mighty Colorado River. (B) |
Day 4 - MOAB - MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK |
Start the day with a visit to Arches National Park, the greatest concentration of natural arches in the world. Head south and re-enter Colorado. In Dolores, explore the Anasazi Heritage Center and learn about the history and culture of the Puebloans. End the day at Mesa Verde National Park, where your inside-the-park lodge offers sweeping vistas reaching into three states. Tonight, enjoy a gourmet dinner inspired by Native American flavours. Hotel: Far View Lodge (B, D) |
Day 5 - MESA VERDE - MONUMENT VALLEY |
Enjoy an in-depth visit of fascinating Mesa Verde. Descend into a canyon for a guided visit to the impressive Spruce Tree House, an amazing dwelling built into a natural alcove containing 130 rooms and eight kivas. Continue to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park and board all-terrain vehicles for a guided tour of the valley floor, used as a backdrop for many western films. Visit some of the legendary sites where these movies were made, as well as restricted areas with rock windows and arches of unique shapes and sizes. Finish your evening with a Navajo cookout amidst the giant buttes and mesas of this unique landscape, while listening to Navajo storytelling and music. Hotel: The View Hotel (B, HD) |
Day 6 - MONUMENT VALLEY - LAKE POWELL |
Wake up this morning to the backdrop of Monument Valley right outside your window. Perhaps take a leisurely stroll on a portion of the Wildcat Trail adjacent to the hotel. Be prepared for a dramatic change of scenery as you head to Lake Powell, the second largest man-made lake in the United States. Board a ferry at Hall's Crossing and cross the lake to Bullfrog Marina and your lodge, where the views from your room overlooking Bullfrog Bay will take your breath away. This evening, enjoy an interpretive presentation about the diverse ecosystem of the Colorado Platea. Hotel: Defiance House Lodge (Guaranteed Lake View Rooms) (B) |
Day 7 - LAKE POWELL - BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK |
Magnificent scenery awaits you at Capitol Reef National Park, best known for its Waterpocket Fold, a 100-mile-long warp in the earth's crust. Then journey along one of the most beautiful roads in the world, Scenic Byway 12, winding through stunning Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Arrive at Bryce Canyon National Park and travel the length of this great natural amphitheatre. Learn how wind, erosion and iron oxidation created the extraordinary formations called hoodoos. Experience Bryce Canyon at sunset, when the light is at its best for picture-taking. Hotel: Bryce Canyon National Park Lodge (B,D) |
Day 8 - BRYCE CANYON - GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK |
Enjoy a last look at Bryce Canyon's orange and red rock formations glowing in the early morning light before heading to Zion National Park, one of the most scenic canyons in the United States. Here join a guided tour by private shuttle and view the park's best sites. Later head south into Arizona to the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park and the historic Grand Canyon Lodge. This evening watch the colours change by the minute as the sun sets on the canyon. Hotel: Grand Canyon Lodge (B) |
Day 9 - GRAND CANYON SIGHTSEEING |
If you thought last night's sunset was great, don't miss sunrise for a completely different experience! After a leisurely breakfast, journey along the winding Cape Royal Scenic Drive to Point Imperial and Cape Royal for dazzling panoramas over the Grand Canyon. This afternoon is free; perhaps take a self-guided nature walk along one of the many trails, or simply relax at the lodge. This evening join us for a farewell dinner in the lodge's magnificent dining room with superb views over the canyon. (B,D) |
Day 10 - GRAND CANYON - DEPART LAS VEGAS |
Your tour ends with a departure transfer to Las Vegas International Airport and the hotel on the famous Strip for passengers extending their stay in Las Vegas. Please do not schedule flights before 5:30 p.m. (B)
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