Scenic Parks Explorer

From glitz and glitter to lavish dining, the desert playground of Las Vegas extends a warm welcome. More than a high energy city of tempting nightlife, the soul-stirring surrounding landscapes make up America’s most beloved national parks. Kick off your US National Park tour meeting your Travel Director for a Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant before settling in for your western adventure beginning tomorrow.

There’s no better place to admire the Southwest’s multi-colored landscapes than Zion National Park, where towering cream, pink and red cliffs rise all around you. Drive through the park beneath its soaring red rock walls and stop for lunch at Zion Lodge. Continue north to Bryce Canyon, taking in the changing scenery along the way. This evening, perhaps join Ebenezer’s Barn & Grill and the Bryce Canyon Wranglers for a memorable night of live country music and a delicious BBQ dinner.

Keep your camera close today as you take in the striking landscapes of Bryce Canyon. Feel dwarfed by the rusty red limestone hoodoos that rise from the desert floor toward Utah’s wide skies. Later, in Salt Lake City, uncover the local stories of Utah’s capital as you see Temple Square and learn about the beliefs and history of the Mormon pioneers who settled here. You’ll also get a sense of the city’s modern character, with its lively cafes, boutiques and ever-evolving dining scene. Round off the day with dinner alongside your fellow travelers.

Get ready for a change of scenery on your US National Park tour today, taking in views of Wasatch Range and southeast Idaho as you head north from Salt Lake City to Jackson. Standing in the shadows of the Teton Range’s icy peaks, this mountain town has an Old West look with a modern twist. Get a feel for the outdoor vibe - home to three ski areas and many rugged trails – on your own. Grab dinner this evening in one of the old-timey saloons and steakhouses destined to fuel your adventures through western frontiers.

Grand Teton National Park’s alpine landscapes of eight peaks tower over 12,000 feet above you. Learn how, established in 1929, Grand Teton is home to a 40-mile mountain range straddling Idaho and Wyoming with views of wildlife, glacier-carved lakes and alpine terrain. Inhabited first by Native Americans and later American pioneers, Grand Teton is the perfect place to explore over 200 miles of hiking trails and take in views of the Tetons from the Snake River. Get your bearings choosing to join a gentle Snake River Float Trip in the Park, learning from your guide about the park’s resident wildlife. The promise of Yellowstone’s geothermal wonderland leads to your next destination. Arriving in Yellowstone, stay right in the heart of it all overnighting at one of the lodges in this iconic national park.

See how Yellowstone National Park - one of the world’s oldest national parks with over 500 geysers – is in a league of its own. At the end of your visit, you’ll surely appreciate its vastness, variety of landscapes and terrains, wildlife, vegetation, lakes and geologic wonders like the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. Alongside your Travel Director, marvel at Old Faithful, the thousand-year-old geyser which has been shooting water into the sky every 90 minutes for centuries. Stop at Lake Yellowstone, containing the largest number of wild cutthroat trout in North America, before viewing Artists Point. Savor a quiet moment at this viewpoint to watch the stunning cascade of the Lower Falls. Finish off an epic day of sightseeing with one of the many impressive geyser basins where bubbling mud pots and geysers invite you to stand back and watch the show.

Start your day in Cody with a visit to the Buffalo Bill Center of the West — five museums in one, bringing the spirit of the American West to life through frontier art and artifacts. Later, head east across the plains to Billings where Montana’s ranching heritage takes center stage. At the Billings Depot, enjoy your Be My Guest experience hosted by beef advocate Chaley Harney and Local Chef Stephen Hindman. Learn how the arrival of the railroad transformed the state’s cattle industry, then sit down to a three-course meal crafted from locally sourced beef, paired with beer and wine.

Today travel across Wyoming through the Black Hills of South Dakota, where you will make your way to the base of Crazy Horse Memorial, an iconic monument representing the Oglala Lakota warrior 'Crazy Horse'. Marvel at the colossal carved face as you take in its grandeur from the mountain's base and uncover its fascinating origins from your Local Specialist. Light up your night on an Optional Experience joining Mount Rushmore by Night with a Park Ranger. The sculpture lighting ceremony culminates as the faces of the monument are fully illuminated.

Whether or not you caught the show last night, the must-see sight of Mount Rushmore National Memorial makes a dramatic start to your day with the opportunity to take the perfect picture. View the faces of former American presidents etched into the granite rock-face. Later, you will venture into Badlands National Park to explore 244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires blended with the largest protected mixed grass prairie in America feeling like you’ve entered an ancient world. A special MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience awaits this evening as you meet Lakota Tribe Member Stephen Yellowhawk who shares his passion for his culture over stories of his tribe’s history during a festive evening of singing, dance and music.

Travel south on your US National Park tour through the expansive, rolling prairies of Wyoming to Denver, the Mile High City at 5,280 feet known for its thriving coffeehouse and brewery scene. Along the way, trade tales with your travel companions of all the stunning sights you’ve seen. Cap off the day enjoying dinner at a local restaurant.

Kickoff your day stopping in Vail, an alpine village and one of Colorado's great playgrounds known for its epic powder-filled basins that have attracted skiers since the 1960s. Then discover local organic products and meet local farmers over a one-of-a-kind Be My Guest experience at Field to Fork, a four-season organic farm and boutique fruit stand, growing and celebrating the flavors of every season. You’ll love learning the local secrets of organic farming over a tour from the owners followed by a meal of farm-fresh ingredients. This evening in Moab, opt for an exhilarating Optional Experience flying over Canyonlands National Park during sunset.

Get ready to gasp. Arches National Park is packed with striking natural arches. On your jaw-dropping exploration, learn how these 2,000 natural sandstone arches were formed by rain and wind on this guided reserved visit led by your knowledgeable Travel Director. From one stunning landscape to the next in Canyon Country, see how the power of the Colorado River carves through the rocky red landscape at Canyonlands National Park. Drive onto the Island in the Sky - a mesa resting 1,000 feet (305 meters) above the countryside offering spectacular views over the dramatic sandstone formations. Take your experience to the next level with an Optional Canyonlands by Night light show, complete with a lip-smacking cowboy-style Dutch Oven Dinner and a trip on the Moab Queen II jet boat cruising by the lit-up canyon walls.

Within UNESCO-listed Mesa Verde National Park, admire some of the over 600 ancient cliff dwellings - including the largest in the country, the amazing dwelling known as Cliff Palace - carved in the sandstone of the canyon walls. Established by Teddy Roosevelt in 1906, the Park protects some of the best-preserved Ancestral Puebloan archaeological sites in the United States. Deepen your connection with the first nations of this land heading toward Monument Valley - home to the Navajo Nation and the backdrop of many famous Hollywood Western movies.

Your big day of bucket list sites on your US National Park tour begins in Monument Valley. Enjoy a unique exploration with a Local Specialist driving in an open-air vehicle past its towering sandstone buttes and mesas that rise from the barren landscape on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Continue through the ancestral home of the Navajo, winding along Desert View Drive, surrounded by mesmerizing multi-colored depths. Stop at Desert Intertribal Cultural Heritage and explore the exhibits that highlight the stories, traditions, and knowledge of local tribes. You'll gain a deeper understanding of the profound bond between the 11 Grand Canyon tribal communities and the canyon, along with its surrounding lands. We've saved the best for last: the Grand Canyon. Get a unique perspective from geological expert Canyon Tim who reveals the geological wonders on a private nature talk. Join your fellow travelers for a dinner toasting to America’s National Parks at your accommodations inside Grand Canyon National Park.

Consider an optional helicopter or fixed-wing aircraft flightseeing trip over the canyon. End your journey in Las Vegas where a transfer is provided to Las Vegas International Airport arriving at approximately 3:30 pm, or to the post night hotel for guests extending their stay.