Scenic Parks Explorer
14 Days
from $3,025
Tour Code: SPE
The best of the great American West awaits you on this 14-day adventure across seven states. You’ll experience the grandeur of sandstone spires, thundering waterfalls and wide-open prairies. You’ll walk in the footsteps of Crazy Horse, Wyatt Earp and ancient herds of buffalo. And you’ll never forget the experience.
At the heart of the journey are some of America’s most breathtaking National Parks. Begin with the stunning rock formations of Zion and Bryce Canyon, and explore the wonders of the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. Immerse yourself in the archaeology and Native American history of Mesa Verde. And, finally, soak up the view from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Visits to the bustling cities of Salt Lake and Denver will give you a break from the endless natural wonders. And you can dust off your boots and rest a spell in the old-west towns of Jackson and Billings.
Stay in our selection of First Class accommodations and enjoy 20 meals including Welcome Reception, 13 Full Breakfasts, 4 Three-Course Dinners, 1 Highlight Dinner with wine, 1 Highlight Cowboy Dinner and 1 Farewell Dinner with wine. To ensure a comfortable travel experience, our motorcoaches are equipped with large panoramic windows, reclining seats, air-conditioning and restroom facilities.
Tour price is per person and is based on two people sharing a twin bedded room. Single rooms are available at a supplement or you can choose to participate in our room share program.
***This tour is operated by our sister company.
Your Tour Price Includes
VIP Door-to-Door TransferTransfers you from your door step to select airports. Start your vacation in style with our outbound VIP Door-to-Door Town Car airport transfer service available on every tour from over 40 cities throughout the USA. Our service will collect your from you home and transfer you to your departure airport. We will arrange a pick-up time from your home that suits you, and your driver will meet you at your front door and assist with your bags before transporting you to the airport with ample time for check-in. |
Loud & ClearThis tour utilizes our personal audio system allowing you to roam and explore sites (within 60 feet) without missing any insight from your Tour Director or local guide. |
TransportationMotor-coach with A/C, panoramic windows, reclining seats & emergency restroom. Airport transfers on arrival and departure days. |
Travel DocumentsTravel wallet, travel planner & map. $100 Frequent Traveler Discount upon return for a future tour. |
Professional Tour DirectorYour tour will be conducted by some of the most experienced Tour Directors in the world. These dedicated professionals will manage the intricate details of your tour and delight you with their anecdotes and stories. Their vast knowledge of the region will enhance your entire travel experience, allowing you to have a vacation that is education, entertaining and fun! |
First Class HotelsHotels are an expensive element of any tour and certainly one of the most important. For our tours we reserve First Class Hotels (or best available) and all hotel rooms feature a private bathroom. You’ll enjoy our selection of hotels such as Radisson, Hilton and Sheraton. |
Local Expert Guides: Yellowstone National Park, Monument Valley & Grand Canyon National ParkLocal Expert Guides in Yellowstone National Park, Monument Valley and Grand Canyon National Park. |
20 MealsWelcome Reception, 13 Full Breakfasts, 4 Three-Course Dinners, 1 Highlight Dinner with wine, 1 Highlight Cowboy Dinner and 1 Farewell Dinner with wine. |
Included Tour Highlights
Visit Zion Canyon National Park & Bryce CanyonZion National Park See the massive and colorful rock formations of Zion Canyon ascending toward the blue sky. Next, on to Bryce Canyon National Park, where sandstone spires reflect vibrant hues from every vista point. We visit the amphitheater of hoodoos, the odd shaped stone monoliths. |
Visit the Crazy Horse Memorial & Mount RushmoreLearn the story behind Mount Rushmore before viewing this incredible sculpture depicting four great American Presidents. Then stop at the Crazy Horse Memorial honoring all Native Americans. |
Orientation tour of Salt Lake City including Temple SquareSalt Lake City, headquarters of the Mormon religion. Our orientation tour includes the Assembly Hall and the Tabernacle, home of the famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir. |
Arches National ParkThis vast National Park preserves more than 2,000 naturally formed sandstone arches created by the force of the elements over thousands of years. Enjoy seeing the arches and various other geologic land formations against the contrasting colors, shapes and textures of the landscape. |
Grand Teton National ParkGrand Teton National Park View soaring peaks and abundant wildlife in Grand Teton National Park. |
Visit Mesa Verde National ParkMesa Verde National Park Visit Mesa Verde National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and learn about the Native American tribes who lived in the canyons’ amazing cliff dwellings. |
Yellowstone National ParkView the geysers, mud pots and bubbling pools in Yellowstone National Park. |
Locally Guided tour of Monument ValleyMonument Valley Join a local guide and explore the giant, world-famous monoliths of Monument Valley aboard open-air vehicles. |
Visit the Buffalo Bill Historical CenterBuffalo Bill Historic Center Learn about Buffalo Bill Cody and his adventures during a visit to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. |
Overnight in the Grand Canyon |
Little Bighorn National MonumentLittle Big Horn National Monument See Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument – site of Custer’s Last Stand. |
Optional Excursions
Optional excursions can be purchased upon arrival.
The list below is a sampling of excursions that may be offered by your tour director.
Salt Lake City - Dinner at the Lion House Pantry with tour of Beehive house & GardensStart your evening viewing the world-renowned gardens surrounding Temple Square, the 35-acre site of the
Mormon religion headquarters. These gardens include 250 flower beds, more than 165,000 bedding plants and over 700 varieties of plants from all over the world arranged in designs from formal French parterres to old-fashioned English cottage gardens. Then, take a stroll back in time to enjoy a delicious dinner at the Lion House Pantry, and an evening tour of the Beehive House, the beautifully restored official residence of Mormon leader Brigham Young, the first Governor of the Utah Territory. (Minimum: 10 passengers) Tour duration: 3.5 hours.
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Grand Canyon - North Canyon Helicopter Flight (25-30 minute)Experience the magnitude of the Grand Canyon and its splendor of ever-changing color in a perspective
incomparable to any other method of seeing this “Wonder of the World.” Your tour takes you over the deepest portion of the Grand Canyon, through the Dragon Corridor, and continues to the North Rim, where you view the incredible geological differences between the North and South Rims. During your return to the South Rim, enjoy breathtaking views of temples, shrines and rock formations sculpted by time while flying above the widest portion of the mighty Colorado River. Subject to weather conditions. Flight duration: 25-30 min. Tour length: 2 hours.
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Salt Lake City - Hot Air Ballooning in Park CityRise early to make the short trip to the resort town of Park City, home to Utah's top ski resorts and host site of the 2002 Winter Olympics skiing and snowboarding events. Then, take off on the opportunity of a lifetime - a one-hour sunrise hot air balloon flight amongst the Wasatch Mountains, one of the most scenic mountain ranges in North America. The peacefulness, serenity and feeling of floating on a magic carpet will leave you breathless. Weather permitting, soar as high as 10,000 feet and even see the Great Salt Lake on the clearest of mornings. Your balloon pilot will orientate you with your amazing surroundings as you soar high above. Back on the ground, you'll be served some light breakfast snacks. Tour duration: 4 hours. (Minimum: 2 passengers). |
Grand Canyon - Ecostar Helicopter Flight (25-30 minute)Fly the EC 130, the “newest and quietest” helicopters in the Grand Canyon with larger windows, and all seats facing forward. Your tour takes you over the deepest portion of the Grand Canyon, through the Dragon Corridor, and continues to the North Rim, where you view the incredible geological differences between the North and South Rims. During your return to the South Rim, enjoy breathtaking views of temples, shrines and rock formations sculpted by time while flying above the widest portion of the mighty Colorado River. Flight duration: 25- 30 min. Tour length: 2 hours. Subject to weather conditions. |
Jackson - Snake River Float Trip through Grand Teton Nat’l ParkThis gentle 10-mile float trip runs entirely within Grand Teton National Park, and covers the most scenic stretch of the Snake River in the Jackson Hole Valley. The Snake River is a lifeline to the park’s bison, elk, moose, beaver, pronghorn, deer, bear and 300 different species of birds, including osprey and eagles. Your experienced guide offers in-depth information on the geology of the Grand Tetons and the habitats of the animals you may see. Although we can’t guarantee multiple animal sightings, your chances of spotting wildlife on the Snake River -- with its lush willows to feed on and deep-water pools for animals to swim in -- are greater here than anywhere else in the park. Operates late May – mid Sep, subject to weather conditions. Tour duration: 4 hours. (Minimum: 12 passengers). |
Grand Canyon - Imperial Helicopter Flight (40-50 minute)Enjoy this tour of the panoramic magnificence of the Eastern Grand Canyon combined with the renowned
beauty of The North Canyon. The spectacular views of the Painted Desert and Colorado River alone make this tour worth its weight in gold. With so much to see and experience, the Eastern Canyon tour is as unique as it is beautiful. Subject to weather conditions. Flight duration: 40-50 min. Tour length: 2 hours. |
Rapid City - Bear Country USANestled amidst towering pines and along rolling meadows over 250 acres just eight miles south of Rapid City, Bear Country U.S.A. offers visitors intimate views of most North American mammals. Take a leisurely three-mile aboard your coach through several enclosures and encounter black bear, elk, reindeer, deer, cougars, bobcats, rocky mountain goats, bighorn sheep, dall sheep and buffalo. You’ll watch these clowns of nature frolic in a pool, climb trees and amble across the road. At this "home of the largest collection of privately owned black bear in the world," you’re guaranteed to see more wildlife than you expected. Tour duration: 2 hours. (Minimum: 22 passengers). |
Grand Canyon - Grand Kingdom Ecostar Helicopter Flight (40-50 minute)Fly the EC 130, the “newest and quietest” helicopters in the Grand Canyon with larger windows, and all seats facing forward. Embark on this 45-50 minute tour of the Eastern Grand Canyon that combines with the renowned beauty of The North Canyon tour. Enjoy spectacular views of the Painted Desert and Colorado River. Subject to weather conditions. Flight duration: 40-50 min. Tour length: 2 hours |
Rapid City - Mt. Rushmore by NightThe most spectacular program at Mount Rushmore is the evening lighting ceremony held in the new amphitheater. Without a doubt, you will find some in the crowd that will be brought to tears and overwhelmed by the breathtaking experience. Often times a special touch is added by inviting veterans to join in the lowering of the flag. An evening you will not forget. (Offered end-May through early-September) |
Grand Canyon - Fixed Wing Aircraft Flight (40-50 minute)The original air tour of the Grand Canyon and the best value! Board an ultra-quiet 19-passenger, climate-controlled de Havilland Twin Otter Vistaliner for a 40-45 minute Grand Discovery flight over the Grand Canyon. This tour covers the most famous and beautiful parts of the Grand Canyon including the Eastern Zuni Corridor, the Confluence and the North Rim and returns through the Western Dragon Corridor. The wings on this aircraft are located over the windows which allows for spectacular panoramic sightseeing and picture taking. Subject to weather conditions. Flight duration: 40-50 min. Tour length: 2 hours. |
Rapid City - Badlands ExcursionBadlands National Park in southwest South Dakota preserves 244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires blended with the largest protected mixed grass prairie in America. Without a doubt, a hidden gem in the national park system, the unique beauty of the Badlands landscape is like no other. Sightseers as well as scholarly scientists are attracted to the area for its astounding beauty and the opportunity to peek into an ancient world. And no trip to the Badlands would be complete without a stop at famous Wall Drug. An establishment which became known for offering free ice water to thirsty travelers in the 1930s is today one of the top roadside attractions in the country. |
Las Vegas - Hoover Dam ExcursionSee two amazing engineering sights when you visit the Hoover Dam -- the spectacular new bypass bridge, the largest concrete arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere just completed in 2010, and the amazing dam that controls the flow of the Colorado River, providing water and power for millions in the hottest, driest areas of the U.S. Travel past Lake Mead for a two-hour stay at the Hoover Dam. Explore the Visitor’s Center museum and movie room. Ride the elevator 530 feet down through the rock wall of Black Canyon and begin a 35-minute guided tour. You'll exit the elevator into a tunnel drilled in the 1930s for construction, and walk out to the viewing platform atop one of the four huge pipes that can transport nearly 90,000 gallons of water each second from Lake Mead to the dam's hydroelectric generators. Visit the balcony for a panoramic view of the power plant and eight of the dam's 17 huge generators. Tour length: 5 hours. |
Moab - Scenic Jetboat Ride on the Colorado River with DinnerBegin the evening with a delicious barbecue dinner with views of Moab’s red rocks and the Colorado River. Then, take a ride aboard a one of the newest and most modern fleet of jet boats for an excursion on one of the most scenic stretches of the river. You will experience calm water sections down river from Moab, with remote canyons and exquisite beauty. View spectacular red rock cliffs, Indian r ins, arches and ancient petroglyphs – a photographer’s and nature lover’s delight! Tour duration: 3 hours. (Minimum: 10 passengers). |




































