Scenic Parks Explorer

Depart the UK on your chosen flight to Las Vegas, Nevada. Upon arrival, you will make your to the Harrahs Hotel, which is located just a short ride away from the airport on the famous Las Vegas Strip. The rest of the day is free for you to explore the ‘Entertainment Capital of the World’.

Today you’ll meet your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a Welcome Reception and then soar 550 feet above the centre of the Las Vegas Strip on the High Roller, the world’s tallest observation wheel. With sweeping 360-degree views of the Las Vegas Valley and The Strip, you’ll take in all the glitz and glamour. 

Zion National Park’s towering cream, pink and red cliffs are the first stop today, before journeying towards the enchanting landscapes of Bryce Canyon. Admire the rusty red limestone spires that rise up surreally from the desert floor to meet Utah’s skies.

Travel north to Utah’s capital to see its Mormon centre – Temple Square – and discover the basic beliefs and history of the Mormon pioneers. This evening, choose to enjoy an optional dinner at the Roof Restaurant, Utah’s premier gourmet dining location.

Imagine a time when brave pioneers travelled West in search of a better life as you cross the Oregon Trail, stopping in Montpelier at the Oregon Trail Center. Enjoy lunch at a covered wagon-themed restaurant before departing to scenic Jackson, which stands in the shadows of the icy peaks of the Teton Range. Enjoy an evening at leisure.

Journey through the alpine terrain of Grand Teton National Park en route to the UNESCO-listed Yellowstone National Park. (When the south entrance is closed due to weather conditions, the itinerary will travel west from Jackson via Idaho and enter Yellowstone National Park through the west entrance.) You’ll spend two nights in the world’s oldest national park at one of its cosy lodges, each with their own unique setting and atmosphere.

Enjoy a full day exploring the natural splendour of one of the world’s oldest national parks. See the rusting walls of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, then join your Travel Director to explore the park’s bubbling hot springs, mud paint pots and Old Faithful as its waters shoot impressively up into the air.

Pay tribute to “Buffalo Bill” in his hometown of Cody, where you’ll visit the Buffalo Bill Center of the West museum complex to gain a deeper understanding of the Spirit of the American West. Then it’s on to Big Sky Country where you connect with locals in an effortlessly delivered authentic encounter with true Western hospitality.

Your day begins with a visit to Little Bighorn, the infamous battlefield where the ill-fated Custer led his men against a battalion of Sioux and Cheyenne warriors. Continue east through the Black Hills to Rapid City.

Venture into the Badlands and Black Hills of South Dakota. Drive through the magnificent natural landscape that paves your way to the base of Crazy Horse Memorial. Admire the colossal carved face of the famed Lakota war chief and learn how your visit makes a difference in by preserving Native American Culture. Visit Mount Rushmore to view the faces of former American presidents etched into the granite rock-face, then meet Stephen Yellowhawk in Rapid City and experience his tribe’s history through dance and song during the farewell dinner.

Travel south through the expansive prairies of Wyoming to Denver, the Mile High City, where you’ll enjoy an evening at leisure. Experience this walkable city which offers spectacular views of the Rocky Mountains, a bustling selection of cafes, restaurants and local brew-pubs and plenty of shopping. Explore Denver’s creative side at the Denver Art Museum, with its famous American Indian art collection, take a visit to Denver Zoo, peruse the flora at Denver Botanical Gardens or see a concert under the stars at Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre.

Ascend into the foothills of the Rockies and cross the Continental Divide en route to the alpine village of Vail, renowned for its epic powder-filled alpine basins that have attracted skiers since the 1960s. In warmer months this is a hub of recreational fun and a delightful village community. Your journey today ends in Moab, where you will settle in for a two night stay.

Your national park journey takes you to Canyon Country, where you’ll see first-hand the power of the Colorado River carving its way through the rocky red landscape at Canyonlands National Park. Next, Arches National Park provides an insightful encounter with thousands of natural sandstone arches formed by rain and wind. You may choose to take a short hike to iconic Delicate Arch view point.

Admire the ancient cliff dwellings of the Ancestral Puebloan people, carved out of the sandstone of the canyon walls at the UNESCO-listed Mesa Verde National Park. Your connection with the first nations of this land continues as you enjoy a cookout dinner in Monument Valley.

Explore the red valley floor of Monument Valley in a special open-air vehicle, accompanied by a local specialist. Visit the land of the Navajo people, stopping at the historic Cameron Trading Post, before arriving at the UNESCO-listed Grand Canyon. Gain a deeper understanding into how this immense Canyon came to be and why, as Theodore Roosevelt once proclaimed, “it is beyond comparison-beyond description”. This evening enjoy a farewell dinner with new-found friends inside the park.

You may want to consider an optional helicopter or fixed-wing aircraft flightseeing trip over the Grand Canyon before hitting the road again. Your journey comes to an end in Las Vegas where your last night is spent at Harrah’s Las Vegas. Following your adventure, you may choose to relax this evening, or end your journey in style with a night out enjoying Sin City.

There may be time for some last-minute shopping or sightseeing before you independently make your way to Las Vegas International airport for your flight back to the UK.