Highlights of the Canyonlands

Welcome to exciting Las Vegas, also known as “Sin City!” Your Tour Director is on hand late this afternoon to answer any questions.

Cross the desert and the old Mojave gold-strike country, passing through Williams on historic Route 66, and Kaibab National Forest, to arrive in the Grand Canyon by mid-afternoon. Marvel at one of the Natural Wonders of the World as you experience breathtaking views of Grand Canyon National Park. Accommodations this evening are inside the park.

If you miss the sunset over the canyon, sunrise is just as impressive! For a once-in-a lifetime experience, take our optional flightseeing excursion over the heart of the Grand Canyon for incomparable views of flame-colored walls plunging 6,093 feet into the Colorado River. Journey across the Navajo Nation to Monument Valley to experience the American West as it was immortalized on the silver screen. Situated on the Arizona/Utah border, the valley’s scenic desert vistas and iconic buttes have appeared in countless classic Western films. See the massive formations on a memorable 4-wheel-drive tour with a knowledgeable Navajo guide. This evening, join the optional Navajo cookout for dinner, surrounded by the red-rock canyons of Monument Valley.

This morning visit Navajo National Monument. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the monument was established to preserve three cliff dwellings of villages built by prehistoric Ancestral Puebloans that date from 1250 to 1300 AD. At the visitor center, view artifacts and one or all three of the films available. Afterward, see Glen Canyon Dam, holding back the waters of the Colorado River in Lake Powell, the country’s second-largest man-made lake. Later, perhaps take the optional hike to see the beautiful view from Horseshoe Bend Overlook.

This morning, consider joining an expert Navajo guide for an optional tour through the amazing natural wonder of Antelope Canyon or take an optional sightseeing flight that includes a unique perspective of Lake Powell with Glen Canyon Dam, Wahweap Marina, and Tower Butte. Then, travel into Utah along the Grand Staircase to Bryce Canyon National Park. Bryce is famous for its unique geology as erosion has created bizarre shapes, including slot canyons, windows, fins, and spires called “hoodoos.” Tinted with numerous colors, these rocks create a wondrous landscape.

“Zion” is an ancient Hebrew word meaning a place of refuge or sanctuary. Once a refuge for Mormon pioneers, Zion National Park’s striking landscapes of steep canyons and stone towers carved out by rushing streams over millions of years will mesmerize you. You’ll have free time to explore the park and see the Visitor Center and the Human History Museum, take a leisurely hike, or perhaps board a narrated open-air tram ride that will take you to some of the most treasured spots in the park, like the Great White Throne. Depart Zion and head to St. George, where you’ll enjoy an orientation tour of the most important Mormon community in southern Utah.

Travel back to Las Vegas, with a stop at Harry Reid International Airport for those with homebound flights. Please schedule departing flights after 12 noon. The trip ends at the Sahara Las Vegas hotel for those guests with extra nights.