Western USA National Parks Explorer

Arrive in San Francisco. Hugging the shores of San Francisco Bay, the city has a fascinating mix of culture, commerce and character that cannot fail to charm.



Due to the number of evening flights into San Francisco, your Leader plans to do the welcome meeting on the morning of day two, and will leave a message in reception with details on timings and everything else that you'll need for the day. There are no activities planned today, so you are free to arrive at any time. If you would like to receive a complimentary airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into San Francisco International Airport (SFO), which is a 30 minute drive from the hotel. This transfer will be done by shuttle bus, and you will receive a voucher containing instructions on how to take the transfer prior to departure.



If your flight arrives earlier in the day, our centrally-located hotel is near the city's famous cable car stops which can take us to the palm-lined Union Square, or to Fisherman's Wharf with its views over Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Today is spent exploring some of the city's highlights as we wander its famous streets, taking in the delightful Victorian architecture of Alamo Square and the colourful eccentricity of Haight Ashbury, San Francisco's once thriving 'hippie district' of the 1960s. We'll also drive up into the elegant Twin Peaks district of the city to enjoy some of the stunning views across the city and the bay (weather dependant), before moving on to the Golden Gate Bridge and finally the eclectic bustle and resident sea lions of Fisherman's Wharf. The afternoon has then been left free to continue exploring at your own leisure, perhaps paying a visit to Lombard Street and Coit Tower, before returning by the city's famous cable cars back to Market Street. This evening there is the option to walk to Chinatown, discovering the labyrinthine chaos of the largest Chinatown outside of Asia.

This morning we leave San Francisco behind and drive east, heading through the fertile landscapes of Stanislaus County towards Yosemite National Park, passing the highly productive agricultural region of the Central Valley, where numerous orchards and vineyards line the roads. As we climb into the Sierra Nevada, we begin to witness the fabulous natural beauty of Yosemite National Park, a region which in 1864 became the first protected land in the world. As we arrive in the valley, the towering presence of the two most demanding peaks of the park will be visible - Half Dome (the sheerest cliff in North America) and the vast granite bulk of El Capitan (twice the size of the Rock of Gibraltar) - both of which attract serious rock climbers from all over the world. The central valley is a mere 20km long by 5km wide but is hemmed in on either side by dramatic 2km-high sheer cliffs, its cascading waterfalls and skyline of jagged pinnacles and smooth domed granite presenting an awe-inspiring backdrop. We spend some time visiting various viewpoints in the valley this afternoon, depending on the seasonality and which roads are open. We may take a walk to the bases of Yosemite Falls and Bridalveil Falls, before continuing to follow the course of the Merced river to our final destination in Mariposa, just outside the park boundaries.

Covering over 3000 sq km, more than 90% of Yosemite is designated wilderness area and today we will take the opportunity to explore it in a little more depth. Away from the main tourist areas of the Yosemite Valley the park is filled with a wide variety of options to make the most of its natural charms. Trails lead from the valley floor to a range of spectacular viewpoints, passing breath-taking views of Half Dome and the High Sierras or taking in impressive cascades en route. As well as some of the most beautiful mountain landscapes on earth, the park is filled with a variety of wildlife too, including hummingbirds, deer and of course the ever present black bears, ensuring you a captivating encounter whatever you choose to do. There are a number of possibilities available, and your Tour Leader will recommend a range of challenging to easy hikes so that you can choose the option that interests you the most. If you're not a hiker, a relaxing day along the riverbanks of the valley floor is also a beautiful way to enjoy the national park, and there are shuttles running through the valley to various different trailheads, allowing all levels of hikers to access the difficulty of trail that they wish. As always, these can be affected by the weather but with such a wide variety of beautiful experiences on offer, our visit is sure to be memorable.

Leaving the park this morning we plan to drive to Bakersfield via Mariposa Grove, a grove of giant Sequoia trees with some excellent walking trails. One of the most famous trees in the park has a hollowed out base over the route of the path, allowing us to literally walk right through the tree. After enjoying our time here, we head off to the town of Bakersfield at the base of the Southern Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Starting early to avoid the heat, we descend into Death Valley today, one of the lowest and hottest places on earth. We then journey into the heart of one of the most remarkable settings on earth, where the marbled rocks, salt pans and black mountains provide us with an incredible backdrop. In marked contrast we end our day in Las Vegas, America's extraordinary desert playground, where exploding volcanoes share centre stage with Venetian canals and ancient pyramids. This evening we have some free time to explore this unique city.

This morning we will head to Zion National Park to get there just after lunch. Zion itself was established as a national park in 1919 and can boast an impressive array of natural credentials, encompassing some 8 geological formations, 4 major vegetation zones and a landscape that has been carved and honed by the Virgin River over a million years. This afternoon we will perhaps take a walk along the Watchman's Trail or one of the park's other trails. The position of the park, at the meeting of the Colorado Plateau, the Great Basin and the Mohave Desert means the region is rich in a vast diversity of flora and fauna that range from desert bush to Ponderosa Pine, cottonwood to red birch. Wildlife includes elk and mule deer, coyotes and black bear and turkey vultures and majestic golden eagles. We will be staying overnight in nearby Springdale.

This morning we will continue to explore this magnificent creation, first paying a visit to the impressive visitor centre before taking the park's shuttle bus to the start of the walks. There are so many possibilities to explore here that it is not possible to do them all - your Tour Leader will outline the options to you taking into account the conditions on the day. Walks range from approximately 5-13km in length, and some are predominantly flat while others have elevation gains of up to 600m. You may wish to walk up to Angel's Landing, to take the meandering hike up to one of the most spectacular viewpoints in Zion, a challenging journey of some four hours that affords us some quite breath-taking views down across the valley. Alternatively those looking for more arduous treks might like to try the hike up to Observation Point (approximately 5hrs return). There are also plenty of easier options for people to enjoy. Later, we drive to Bryce Canyon, travelling via Buffalo and Mt Carmel Junction.

Bryce is without doubt one of the natural highlights of the journey, as we enter a world of surreal formations of multi-coloured sandstone that are steeped in the legend of the Paiute Indian legend has it that the sandstone 'hoodoo's' of Bryce are in fact the petrified followers of the Coyote God, turned to stone as they stood listening to his angry tirade. The reality is somewhat less dramatic, with water playing the main part in the creation of these remarkable landscapes; the constant freezing and thawing and the violent summer storms causing the soft rocks to erode and split into the towering pillars that litter the floor of its great amphitheatre. This morning we see Bryce at its most radiant, in the golden hues of sunrise as we drive up to Sunrise Point to watch the dawn break across the landscape. This afternoon we will explore something of the myriad colours and shapes of this fairytale realm, hiking along the Navajo Loop, or taking in the grandeur of the Queen's Garden. As you look out across the pink, orange and red spires it is easy to sympathise with Ebenezer Bryce, a Mormon farmer who is best remembered for the profound words. 'Well it's a hell of a place to lose a cow!' In the afternoon we drive to Capitol Reef National Park, where we can stop and take a short hike. Capitol Reef encompasses a landscape of coloured sandstone cliffs, twisting canyons, monoliths and spires. From here we then drive to Moab, the largest town in south-eastern Utah.

Located a short distance from Moab is Arches National Park, home to the world's largest concentration of natural sandstone arches. With over 2000 arches, giant sandstone fins, balancing rocks and towering spires, the park provides a unique setting for today's hike. We take in the Devil's Garden, a strenuous four-hour trek that takes us through a landscape littered with arches. We also enjoy a more gentle walk around The Windows Loop (approximately 1.5 hours), and we'll walk to Delicate Arch for sunset (2 hours). Probably one of the most photographed arches in the American southwest, Delicate Arch, with its backdrop of the snow-capped peaks of La Sal, provides the perfect setting for our late afternoon hike. There will be some flexibility in the itinerary today, with some time free in Moab either in the morning or afternoon before the sunset hike. After our walk we then head back to Moab for the evening.

Today we drive to the town of Page, via the Navajo Reservation, the biggest in the country, founded in 1888 to provide a protected region for the Navajo people. The Navajo Nation constitutes the largest tribe left in the United States, the last survivors of a people who were decimated by the arrival of the white man and his rapacious quest for land and gold. Monument Valley, our highlight destination today, lies within the heart of this vast tribal area and in spite of its familiarity through the exposure by Hollywood, nothing can truly prepare you for the sheer grandeur and spectacle of this incredible setting. Isolated monoliths, sandstone pinnacles and towering spires rocket skywards, as much as 1000m above the desert floor. As the only way to experience Monument Valley's dramatic backcountry, we offer you the chance to take an optional guided jeep tour of the valley with a Navajo guide, affording a closer exploration of this compelling land before we head on to our night stop in Page. As we continue through Native lands towards Page, the warm embrace of the late afternoon colours alters the landscape's appearance as the sun dips towards the horizon.

This morning we have the option to visit the famous Antelope Canyon, a beautiful peach-gold coloured canyon formed by the force of flash floods coming from the plains above, or otherwise spend time at the enormous Lake Powell, with its scenic azure waters. Later on we take a short walk to Horseshoe Bend, with its lookout point over the eponymous river bend, before continuing our journey towards the southern rim of the Grand Canyon, arriving this afternoon. Once described by Theodore Roosevelt as 'the one great sight every American should see', the canyon extends some 277 miles from east to west, from the western edge of the Navajo Reservation, to the Nevada border around Lake Mead. Reaching a depth of 1600m the canyon's floor is littered with some of the oldest rocks on the planet and as we take in the views from Yavapai Point, we gaze out across a land that has taken over 2 billion years to create.

Today has been left free to make the most of this natural wonder at your own pace. You may want to follow the path down from the South Rim into the canyon itself, walking down to Indian Gardens and maybe even heading out to Plateau Point for some incredible views down onto the Colorado River below. Those not wishing to undertake the walk in and out of the canyon might prefer to take a helicopter flight over the canyon, or make use of the park's shuttle service to explore something of the rim, enjoying the vast panoramas from the crest of this remarkable setting. Sunsets at the Grand Canyon present an altogether unforgettable experience, with the possibility of condors circling on the thermals above to add to the majesty of the moment.

Today we drive along one of the most historic highway in America, the famous Route 66, a road that during its lifetime has been called the 'Main Street of America' and the 'Mother Road'. Over 200,000 people travelled this route during the 1930s to escape the Dust Bowl of the Depression years and hopefully find a new life in California. A shadow of its former self, the road nonetheless is rich in Americana and its architecture still affords us a rare insight into a time long past and we will travel via the town of Williams before reaching our final destination amidst the bright lights of Las Vegas. Vegas presents us with America in all its flamboyant excess, a desert city that is surely one of the most surreal and extravagant destinations anywhere on earth, let alone the United States. The rest of the afternoon and evening is free to explore this unique location, where you can watch exploding volcanoes and pirate battles, cruise the canals of Venice and take a rollercoaster ride across the New York skyline. Still the most breathtaking view over the city is to be had from the top of the 1149ft Stratosphere Tower, the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States and you can follow this up with an evening in the gaming rooms and slots of the world famous Caesar's Palace.

The trip ends after breakfast at our hotel in Las Vegas.



There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart from Las Vegas at any time. If you would like to receive a complimentary airport transfer today, you'll need to depart from Las Vegas International Airport (LAS), which is a 15 minute drive away.

This morning we drive along one of the most historic highways in America, the famous Route 66. A shadow of its former self, the road is nonetheless still rich in the Americana of its glory days, when it used to be known as the 'Main Street' of America. Our drive back to Las Vegas takes us through the towns of Kingman and Seligman, home to the wonderfully eccentric 'Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-in'. On arrival in Vegas we then have a final free evening to make the most of one of America's most notorious cities.

The trip ends after breakfast at our hotel in Las Vegas.



There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart from Las Vegas at any time. If you would like an airport transfer today, you'll need to depart from Las Vegas International Airport (LAS), which is a 15 minute drive away.