Epic Wonders of the National Parks

Depart on your scheduled flight to Denver today. On arrival we'll transfer you to your overnight hotel.

Your adventure begins in earnest today with a journey to Rapid City. On the way we're going to stop at Cheyenne and the former military and trading outpost of Fort Laramie. This is where chief Red Cloud signed the treaty that gave the supposedly worthless Black Hills to the Sioux. Just six years later, Custer discovered gold in the Black Hills, prompting the Gold Rush and ultimately causing the Battle of Little Bighorn.

Your day begins with a visit to Mount Rushmore, with its famous granite sculptures of Presidents Roosevelt, Lincoln, Washington and Jefferson. You're also going to see the Crazy Horse Memorial this morning. The highlights keep on coming today with an afternoon tour of Badlands National Park. Here you'll discover an eerie world which has been carved over millions of years by the forces of nature.

You're heading into 'wild west' territory today with a drive through the Black Hills to Deadwood, a town created on the back of the Gold Rush. The entire city is a national historic landmark, and there's time for you to have a good look around before we head to Sheridan for the night.

The highlight of your day is a visit to the historic battlefield site of the Battle of Little Bighorn. A guided tour gives you the chance to relive Custer's Last Stand and get a fascinating insight into one of the most famous battles in western history.

After your tour today you'll be able to say that you have set foot in the world's first national park. Yellowstone is a wonderland of spouting geysers, hot springs, boiling pools and bubbling mud pots. On your tour you'll see the extraordinary Yellowstone Canyon with its waterfall twice the height of Niagara and, of course, 'Old Faithful', which erupts every 93 minutes. The park is also a wildlife sanctuary with bears, elk, moose and herds of buffalo all roaming freely, so keep your eyes peeled for sightings.

The next national park you'll tick off your list is Grand Teton. Famed for its beautiful landscapes dominated by snow-capped peaks, lakes and glaciers, you can take in these exceptional sights today before we spend the night in Jackson.

Our next destination is Salt Lake City, and our journey here gives us further opportunities to take in stunning scenery. We're going to make a stop at Logan Canyon, whose near-vertical walls of limestone cut through the Bear River Mountains. You'll probably be feeling hungry by now, and our next stop at Bear Lake is where we'll eat our picnic lunch. So find a shady spot by its turquoise waters and tuck in.

You can spend today exploring Salt Lake City, which was founded by the Mormons. For easy access to the city's most important sights, a great place to start is the central Mormon Square. If you like, you can take an optional trip to the Great Salt Lake after which the city is named.

Your next base is Cortez, which we reach via a visit to Arches National Park. When you view what is the world's greatest concentration of red sandstone arches, you'll understand just how it got its name!

Mesa Verde National Park is also within reach from Cortez, and it's where your tour takes you today. This archaeological masterpiece is famed for its cliff dwellings, with Cliff Palace having more than 200 rooms.

Marking the point where Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Arizona converge, the monument at Four Corners is your first stop today. Next is Monument Valley, instantly recognisable as the setting for many western movies. An optional narrated tour is available if you'd like to find out more about this fascinating destination.

As highlights go, the Grand Canyon is hard to beat, and today is the day that you get to see this iconic natural wonder. It's a breathtaking sight however viewed, but an optional flight gives you the thrilling chance to see it from the air.

There are just two more national parks to go now, and today you'll view the spires of rock and vast natural amphitheatres that form the unique geology of Bryce Canyon.

A day of contrasts begins with a tour of Zion National Park, to see sheer cliffs and mesmerising rock formations. Equally enthralling is your destination tonight, the man-made wonder that is Las Vegas, where a night tour is one option.

We'll transfer you to the airport today for your return flight to the UK.

You'll arrive back in the UK today.