Day 1
Fly to Denver
Arrive at Denver International Airport and transfer independently to the hotel where your Tour escort will be available in the lobby.
Hotel: Holiday Inn Cherry Creek
Day 2
Denver – Rocky Mountain National Park – Cheyenne
Enjoy a short city tour of the “Mile High” city before beginning the ascent into the Rocky Mountain National Park. Take the Trail Ridge Road, Known as Rocky Mountain National Park’s “highway to the sky” because it provides travelers with the entire sweep of the grandeur of the Rockies in all directions. Continue to Cheyenne, the rodeo and railroad capital of the Old West!
Hotel: Historic Plains Hotel
Day 3
Cheyenne – Mt. Rushmore National Memorial – Deadwood
Depart Cheyenne this morning for a visit to Fort Laramie. Then enter South Dakota and travel to majestic Mt. Rushmore National Memorial, an epic sculpture where the faces of four American presidents are carved into the mountain. Overnight in the Black Hills town of Deadwood.
Hotel: First Gold
Day 4
Deadwood – Big Horn Mountains – Cody
Return to Wyoming today and see the Big Horn Mountains, which stretch from the plains of Wyoming northward into Montana, en route to the town of Cody. Visit the Buffalo Bill Historic Center (admission included) and see Old West memorabilia. Evening at leisure.
Hotel: Buffalo Bill Village
Day 5
Cody – Yellowstone National Park
A short drive leads to the immense Yellowstone National Park. Enjoy a detailed sightseeing tour of geysers, waterfalls, wildlife and canyons. Highlights will include Yellowstone Lake, Old Faithful, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Canyon’s majestic falls, and the beautiful Hayden Valley.
Hotel: Gray Wolf Inn
Day 6
Yellowstone – Grand Teton National Park – Jackson Hole
This morning’s journey is through the rugged, snow-capped mountains which welcome you to Grand Teton National Park. The so-called “towering Tetons” were formed by a series of earthquakes millions of years ago along a single fault line. Continue to the sophisticated “Crown Jewel” of the Rocky Mountains, Jackson Hole.
Hotel: 49er Inn
Day 7
Jackson Hole – Salt Lake City
Travel through scenic southern Idaho to Salt Lake City in the Mormon State of Utah. See the State Capitol building and visit famed Temple Square and the Tabernacle before arriving at the hotel for the evening.
Hotel: Shilo Inn
Day 8
Salt Lake City/Park City – Bryce Canyon National Park
Continue today to spectacular Bryce Canyon, where a tour through a multi-colored world of sandstone spires and pinnacles will dazzle the eyes. Enjoy the evening at leisure.
Hotel: Best Western Ruby’s Inn
Day 9
Bryce Canyon National Park – Zion National Park – Lake Powell – Navajo Indian Reservation – Grand Canyon National Park
Dramatic rock formations carved by forces of water, wind and time make Zion National Park a must to visit during the morning. Continue to stunning Lake Powell, where blue water laps against towering red rock canyon walls. Lake Powell is the second largest man-made lake in America, and one in a series of lakes formed by the damming of Colorado River. Then cross through the Navajo Indian Reservation on the way to the Grand Canyon National Park. Stop at the South Rim to fully experience this mile-deep canyon.
Hotel: Yavapai Lodge West
Day 10
Grand Canyon National Park – Seligman/Route 66 – Las Vegas
Descend the high Coconino Plateau into the Mojave Desert. Along the way, pass through Seligman, a town built along the famed Route 66 that looks as if it were frozen in time sixty years ago. Onward to Las Vegas, the glittering man-made entertainment capital of the world.
Hotel: Circus Circus
Day 11
Las Vegas – Death Valley National Park – Mammoth Lakes**
Having enjoyed the fast pace of glamorous Las Vegas, it will be a sharp contrast this afternoon to enter the quiet and extreme environment of Death Valley. Stop at Zabriskie Point and Furnace Creek Ranch before continuing across the valley and ascending the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the alpine resort town of Mammoth Lakes**.
Hotel: Mammoth Mountain Inn
Day 12
Mammoth Lakes** – Tioga Pass – Yosemite National Park – San Francisco
A short drive brings you over the Tioga Pass high in the Sierras into the scenic wonderland of Yosemite National Park. Within the park, you will see the majestic, glacial-shaped granite formations of El Capitan and Half Dome, which rise from the valley floor. In the afternoon travel to San Francisco, America’s beloved “City by the Bay.”
Hotel: Holiday Inn Civic Centre
Day 13
San Francisco
The whole day is at leisure in San Francisco. Your Tour escort is on hand to assist with making your plans for the day; perhaps a cable car ride to Fisherman’s Wharf, or a stroll and some shopping around Union Square.
Hotel: Holiday Inn Civic Centre
Day 14
San Francisco – Monterey/Carmel – Pismo Beach
Depart San Francisco this morning for the drive to the Monterey Peninsula, known for its enclave of magnificent homes and lovely beaches. In Monterey, visit Fisherman’s Wharf and famous Cannery Row of John Steinbeck fame. Then tour charming Carmel-by-the-Sea, noted for its quaint houses, upscale art galleries and unique stores. In the afternoon continue the drive south on ’Camino Real’, passing along the Central California Coastal range with its scenic views, and Paso Robles, home of real cowboys and wineries.
Hotel: Oxford Suites Pismo
Day 15
Pismo Beach – Santa Barbara – Los Angeles
Enjoy a beautiful drive down the Pacific coast into Santa Barbara, where palm-lined walkways border white sandy beaches, prompting many to call it the “American Riviera.”
Continue to Ventura and Los Angeles, the “City of Angels,” where you will take a city tour which includes visits to Mann’s Chinese Theater, Sunset Strip, Hollywood and parts of Beverly Hills and Santa Monica. Your tour ends at approximately 7pm. Independent transfer back to the airport for your return flight.
If returning from Los Angeles today a late evening departure flight is required after 9pm.
Day 16
Arrival back home.
**Winter Routing - The Tioga Pass may be closed due to weather or road conditions, in which case you will overnight in Fresno or Visalia and a visit to Mammoth Lakes will not be possible (winter routing applies to all departures between October and May under normal snow conditions).
What's Included
- Return scheduled transatlantic flights from the UK
- Accommodation in hotels described above or similar standard
- Transportation in deluxe air-conditioned Motorcoach throughout the tour
- Service of a professional Tour Director
- Denver City Tour
- Visit Mount Rushmore
- Visit Cheyenne
- Deadwood
- Buffalo Bill Historical Center
- Visit Fort Laramie
- Yellowstone National Park Tour
- Yosemite
- Visit Grand Teton National Park
- Visit Grand Canyon
- Las Vegas
- Portion of Route 66
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