Fly Drive USA

Depart the UK on your chosen scheduled flight to Denver. Upon arrival, independently make your way to your hotel. There is a convenient rail service from the airport to Union Station in downtown Denver, providing the quickest and most cost effective option.

We’ve allowed a full day for you to explore the incredible city of Denver, but you may choose to extend your stay, perhaps even explore Colorado on our Rocky Mountain Discovery fly drive if time allows. Denver is one cool city! It has lots of sub-divisions, each with their own character. One of the newest, Dairy Block, is perfect for cool evenings with its plethora of bars and restaurants. If you want souvenirs, there’s lots of shopping both downtown and in the nearby outlet malls. Union Station is an attraction in itself, as is Larimer Square.  For a spot of culture, visit the world-class museums and art districts of the city.

Your scenic rail journey begins! Today you depart Denver and travel onboard the iconic Rocky Mountaineer.  Crossing the Continental Divide you’ll take in the spectacular views of rugged canyons and the Colorado River.  Enjoy a three-course regionally inspired lunch onboard before arriving at the resort town of Glenwood Springs. There will be time to explore and perhaps take a dip in the towns hot springs swimming pool.

Breakfast & lunch on-board Rocky Mountaineer included

This morning you’ll depart Glenwood Springs, by hopping back onboard the Rocky Mountaineer. You’ll cross the Colorado-Utah border with stunning mountain views shining through the windows as you go. Red sandstone landscapes emerge as you approach Moab, the gateway to Utah’s extraordinary Canyonlands. Disembarking, you’ll make your way to your hotel where you spend the next three evenings.

Breakfast on-board Rocky Mountaineer included.

Moab is known as the gateway to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks and we’ve included extra time here so you have a full day to explore each of these natural wonders. Collect your rental car from downtown Moab and head out on your adventure. Arches National Park contains the world’s largest concentration of natural sandstone arches. Although over 2,000 arches are located within the park’s 76,518 acres, the park also contains an astounding variety of other geological formations. Colossal sandstone fins, massive balanced rocks, soaring pinnacles and spires dwarf visitors as they explore the park’s viewpoints and hiking trails. Spend your evening taking in Moab,  which offers a unique combination of small resort town hospitality, beautiful scenery and the cool waters of the Colorado River.

Today you are exploring the next of Utah’s ‘Might Five’ national parks. Canyonlands is the largest national park in Utah (more than 500 square miles), offering awe-inspiring views across the valleys which stretch as far as the eye can see. The Colorado and Green Rivers divide Canyonlands into four districts – Islands in the Sky, The Needles, the Maze and the rivers themselves – each with its own distinct character. The easiest way to see the park is with a visit to the Island in the Sky district, only 32 miles (51.5 kilometres) from Moab. The Island in the Sky offers many places to pull over and enjoy the spectacular views along the paved scenic drive. You may wish to spend this evening closer to the park rather than returning to Moab. Please ask for hotel options.

Today you head south, to the Utah/Arizona state border and the destination of Monument Valley. This is one of the most majestic and most photographed places on earth. Over the years Monument Valley has been the setting for more Western movies than any other site in the USA. This great valley boasts sandstone masterpieces that tower at heights of 400 to 1,000 feet, framed by scenic clouds casting shadows that graciously roam the desert floor. The angle of the sun accents these graceful formations, providing scenery that is simply spellbinding. Your hotel for the evening is located beneath the towering sandstone cliffs.

Travelling east along the state border, brings you to the water wonderland of Lake Powell. This is a reservoir on the Colorado River, but in reality it is a stunningly beautiful location with a variety of activities available for visitors. It is 186 miles long and has 1,960 miles of shoreline, which is longer than the entire west coast of the continental United States. There are 96 major canyons to explore though you’ll need a water craft to see the majority of them. If you’d like to take a boat onto the lake, you can rent one from Page or you can enjoy one of the tour boat cruises available to visitors. Other lake activities include swimming, fishing, scuba diving, snorkelling and water skiing. There are also countless photographic opportunities in the area and you can even take a scenic flight by plane or helicopter over the lake, providing a bird’s eye view of how far some those 96 canyons extend.

Heading back into southern Utah, it is time for another of the states ‘Mighty Five’. In beautiful Bryce Canyon National Park you’ll find forested plateaus interspersed with a striking desert landscape, punctuated by a series of natural amphitheatres displaying colourful rock hoodoos in every shape and size. For the best views of the Canyon, go on the Rim Trail, an 11 mile round trip route which skirts the canyons edge and brings you to Inspiration Point where you can view the Wall of Windows and Majestic Cathedral. Visit the hoodoo rock formations, many of which tower ten stories high, by journeying into the depths of canyon on foot. Under The Rim, Navajo Loop and the Peek-A-Boo Loop Trails are all a great way to find beautiful areas that are often unseen. Looking for a great afternoon drive? Daves Hollow behind the town of Bryce is a great option, or if you’d like a slightly longer trip with a perfect place for a picnic along the way, the trail system just west of Tropic Reservoir is ideal.

We suggest you take in the morning sunrise above the Bryce hoodoos before commencing your short journey to the final ‘Mighty Five’ park of your trip (and by now you will realise how diverse the five really are!). We’ve included two nights as there is so much to do in Zion National Park. Carved by water and time, Zion National Park is a canyon that invites you to participate in the very forces that created it. Zion National Park’s canyons and mesas boast an especially exquisite beauty. Breathtaking Zion Canyon is the centre-piece of this 147,000-acre parkland that protects a spectacular landscape of high plateaus, sheer canyons, and monolithic cliffs. Enjoy hiking in the park, whether it be a relatively easy hike like the Emerald Pools, Weeping Rock or the Riverside Walk, there is incredible scenery all around you. Experienced hikers in search of more adventure may consider the Taylor Creek Trail, Angels Landing, The Narrows, and Kolob Arch. Observation Point and Hidden Canyon beckons visitors who trade a strenuous climb for stunning panoramas on higher ground. It’s not necessary to venture off the road to experience the wonders of Zion National Park. Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is a six-mile road that follows the North Fork of the Virgin River upstream from Canyon Junction through some of Zion’s most outstanding scenery. The Kolob Fingers Road Scenic Byway (five miles one way) in the north-western corner of Zion National Park features the same dramatic desert landscape associated with the main section of the park, towering coloured cliffs, narrow winding canyons, forested plateaus, and wooded trails along twisting side canyons. Your hotel is located within the park, allowing you to experience its renowned sunrises and sunsets.

The scenic splendour continues as you make your way towards Arizona’s most amazing wonder – Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon really does take your breath away with its awesome views. This 5 million year old canyon is a must see with its seemingly never-ending, intricate landscape. The powerful and inspiring vistas have overwhelmed the senses of the millions of people that have visited each year. Carved by the mighty Colorado River, it is 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide and 6000 feet deep and one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The South Rim of the Canyon is the most accessible part of the National Park and we have based you here for the greatest convenience.

Leaving Arizona, you cross the state line into Nevada where the glittering lights of Las Vegas await. A stark contrast to your journey so far, the glitz and glamour of this incredible city are intoxicating. Delicious cuisine, sun drenched pools, world-class evening entertainment and hotels which are attractions in themselves keep you amply entertained. We’d suggest a Maverick Helicopter flight during your stay, offering either aerial views of Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon or high above the Las Vegas Strip.

Today you say goodbye to Nevada, make your way to Las Vegas International Airport and check in for your flight back to the UK.