The National Parks Tour of Arizona and Utah

The breathtaking landscapes of Arizona and Utah, Wyoming and South Dakota present visions of the American West.

The National Parks Tour Itinerary

Day 1 London – Denver

Titan’s VIP Home Departure Service® collects you from home, for your journey to London Heathrow Airport for a direct, scheduled British Airways flight to Denver. On arrival, we transfer to our hotel, the Crowne Plaza Denver or Holiday Inn Cherry Creek for the next two nights.

Day 2 Denver

Modern and vibrant, set against a stunning Rocky Mountain backdrop, Denver makes a fine introduction to the American West. A brief orientation tour includes a visit to the gold-domed State Capitol building, one of the steps of which is exactly a mile above sea level, earning Denver its ‘Mile High City’ moniker. The remainder of the day is at leisure for relaxation or independent exploration – perhaps to learn more about Denver’s gold rush heritage at Larimer Square and the Historic Lower Downtown District, or wander around the excellent shops of the 16th Street Mall.

Day 3 Rocky Mountain National Park – Cheyenne

North of Denver, the summer resort of Estes Park is the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, with its towering, snow-streaked peaks reflected in still blue alpine lakes. After some time to appreciate the magnificent scenery, we continue to Cheyenne, the capital of Wyoming, named for the Native American people who occupied this region in times past. Our hotel is the Little America.

Day 4 Fort Laramie – Rapid City

Today we visit the historical Fort Laramie, a site of exceptional historical significance, a 19th century fur-trading station which was acquired by the US Army in 1849 to protect and supply western emigrants. It took on an increasingly important role in settling violent disputes between whites (often gold prospectors) and Native Americans, giving its name to two treaties, in 1851 and 1868. Following a visit, we leave Wyoming for South Dakota and Rapid City, the historic freight centre of the gold rush attractively situated at the foot of the Black Hills. Our base for two nights in Rapid City is the Adoba Eco Hotel.

Day 5 Crazy Horse – Mount Rushmore

This morning we pay a visit to a work in progress since 1948, the Crazy Horse Memorial situated in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The monument is on a scale exceeding even that of the great pyramid, carved into a mountain and considered to be on sacred ground. This depiction of Sioux leader Crazy Horse, with arm outstretched illustrating the phrase ‘My lands are where my dead lie buried’, a tribute to the Native American. This evening we visit one of the world’s most impressive artistic achievements and an icon of the American West. Carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore, the 18m-tall faces of former presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln look serenely on. The monument itself is memorably featured in the climatic chase scene of Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest.

Day 6 Devils Tower – Sheridan

Our journey continues into Wyoming and Devils Tower, a bizarre igneous rock formation that protrudes dramatically out of the prairies that surround the Black Hills. It is perhaps just as famous as the site of the landing spaceship in Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Then, we travel to Sheridan, a pleasant town which owes its prominence to a history of trapping, ranching, mining and railroad building offering modern hospitality with old west charm. Our hotel is the Holiday Inn or Best Western, Sheridan.

Day 7 Cody – West Yellowstone

We continue westward to the town of Cody, named after William F Cody, better known as the pioneering ‘wild west’ showman Buffalo Bill. After lunch at leisure and time for independent exploration of the collection of museums depicting features of the American West, we journey to Yellowstone National Park and to our hotel for the next two nights, the Gray Wolf Inn, perfectly located for exploring this remarkable region.

Day 8 Yellowstone National Park

Enjoy a full day tour of the unforgettable Yellowstone National Park. This high plateau straddles the border of three states and is packed with natural wonders – half of the world’s geothermal features (including the iconic ‘Old Faithful’ geyser) may be found here, along with hundreds of documented species of mammals, birds, fish and reptiles. In the company of an expert local guide we can appreciate the enchanting mountains and waterfalls, marvel at the volcanic ‘sideshows’ and try to shoot the perfect picture of the park’s ‘megafauna’ – characterful wildlife including grizzly bears, wolves and herds of bison.

Day 9 Grand Teton National Park – Jackson Hole

Another memorable day of sightseeing awaits today, as we travel south through Grand Teton National Park, a 1,300km reserve renowned for the tranquil majesty of the snow-capped Teton Range, rising abruptly without foothills. The valley town of Jackson Hole offers a friendly welcome and a comfortable stay at the 49er Inn for the night.

Day 10 Salt Lake City

Today we travel south, crossing the state line between Wyoming and Utah as we journey to Salt Lake City, perhaps best known as the headquarters of the Mormon Church. Mormon pioneers, fleeing persecution in Illinois, settled here more than 150 years ago and helped build an attractive city with much to offer the modern-day traveller. On arrival, we take a short orientation tour before checking in at the Red Lion Salt Lake City.

Day 11 Arches National Park – Moab

Sit back and enjoy the scenery as we follow the mountains, passing beautiful canyons, on our way to Arches National Park. Aptly named and famed for its preservation of over 2,000 natural red sandstone arches spanning 73,000 acres of wilderness, including the beautiful Delicate Arch. We check in to the Aarchway Inn, Holiday Inn Express or Best Western Canyonlands, Moab, a short distance away for the night.

Day 12 Canyonlands National Park – Bryce Canyon National Park

Visits to two remarkable national parks comprise a long but rewarding day. As its name suggests, Canyonlands National Park presents a richly coloured landscape of canyons, mesas and buttes, carved by the Green and Colorado rivers and adorned with petroglyphs by the Ancestral Puebloan Indians. This afternoon we journey west, arriving at Bryce Canyon National Park, named for just one of many canyons which form a series of magnificent horseshoe-shaped natural amphitheatres on the edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. Erosion has created thousands of subtly and beautifully coloured limestone spires, fins, arches and mazes. Our hotel is the Best Western Ruby’s Inn.

Day 13 Bryce Canyon National Park – Zion National Park – Lake Powell

Today we visit Zion National Park, another park renowned for its soaring monoliths and echoing canyons, its enchanting waterfalls and rock colours, and its prolific wildlife and Native American heritage. We spend some time in contemplation of its quiet grandeur and natural marvels including the ‘hanging gardens’ (rock walls bedecked in summer months with flowers) before driving on to the Lake Powell Resort, our hotel in Lake Powell for tonight.

Day 14 Grand Canyon

Crossing into Arizona, our destination this afternoon is an undoubted wonder of the natural world. The Grand Canyon, a colossal, steep-sided gorge carved by the Colorado River, now a tiny silver ribbon a mile below, truly inspires with panoramic views of outstanding beauty from the south rim. This afternoon those that have booked on an optional helicopter or fixed wing flight over the Grand Canyon will have the opportunity to view this extraordinary phenomenon from a different point of view. Overnight at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel in Williams.

Day 15 Grand Canyon – Sedona – Scottsdale

This morning we depart south through Navajo country to Sedona, with its breathtaking red rock vistas, and on to Scottsdale via the ancient five-storey Native American cliff dwelling known as Montezuma Castle. At the heart of the ‘Valley of the Sun’ and the Sonoran Desert, noted for its spectacular sunsets and indigo skies, towering cacti and dramatic rock formations, the city of Scottsdale could hardly be more memorably situated. There is time to discover its thriving artistic and cultural community, exploring the shops and galleries from our centrally-located hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn.

Day 16 Scottsdale – Phoenix – In flight

A truly wonderful journey concludes at Phoenix Airport, for a direct, scheduled overnight British Airways flight to London.

Day 17 London

On arrival at London Heathrow you will be met and guided to your Titan vehicle, for the journey home.