National Parks, Mount Rushmore And Little Bighorn
- Duration: 17 days
- Board Basis: Room Only
- Tour Ref: D2TJUSSUAPLB
Holiday Summary
- Travel Type: Air
- Excursions: 9+
Natural geography offers a fascinating insight into the beginnings of the USA, with landscapes that date back millions of years. On this thrilling holiday you'll explore the vast national parks, hear tales of the Wild West and visit the immense Grand Canyon.
Natural geography offers a fascinating insight into the beginnings of the USA, with landscapes that date back millions of years. On this thrilling holiday you'll explore the vast national parks, hear tales of the Wild West and visit the immense Grand Canyon.
PLEASE NOTE: Price is per person and based on two people sharing a twin/double room. Single room supplements and upgrades are not included.
What's Included
- Just You Tour Manager as your host
- Return flights from Heathrow with United Airlines
- Use of an airport lounge in the UK
- 15 nights in hotels of a great standard plus 1 night in flight
- 17 meals: 15 breakfasts, 1 picnic lunch, 1 dinner
- Specialist Local Guides
- Welcome & farewell drinks
- Overseas transfers & other transportation
- Porterage
- Dedicated Just You representative to greet you at all UK airports
- Mount Rushmore
- Crazy Horse Memorial
- Badlands National Park
- Deadwood
- Little Bighorn Battlefield
- Yellowstone National Park
- Grand Teton National Park
- Arches National Park
- Mesa Verde National Park
- Monument Valley
- Grand Canyon
- Bryce Canyon
- Zion National Park
- The bright lights of Las Vegas
Not Included
Itinerary
- Day 1 UK to Denver
- Today we'll fly to Denver, Colorado.
- Day 2 Rapid City
- South Dakota's Black Hills are an impressive sight and Rapid City, where we'll head today, is nestled on the eastern foothills. En route we'll call at Cheyenne and Fort Laramie, where chief Red Cloud signed the treaty that gave much land to the Sioux. We will arrive in Fort Hays for a Chuckwagon Supper and Cowboy Music Show. The venue is located on the film set of the Oscar-winning 'Dances with Wolves', which starred Kevin Costner.
- Day 3 Mount Rushmore
- Mount Rushmore, with its famous granite sculptures of Presidents Roosevelt, Lincoln, Washington and Jefferson, is our destination today. We'll begin the day with breakfast overlooking the huge carvings, which are one of the definitive monuments of the United States. We'll also take in the Crazy Horse Memorial. Badlands National Park is a strange and beautiful landscape of deep gorges, saw-edged spires and grassy-topped buttes - an eerie world carved out by 35 million years of wind and water erosion. We will visit the park this afternoon.
- Day 4 Deadwood
- Our journey today takes us through the Black Hills into 'Wild West' territory and the city of Deadwood, which was frequented many years ago by the likes of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. We'll continue to Sheridan for an overnight stay.
- Day 5 Little Bighorn Battlefield
- The historic battlefield site of Little Bighorn is where General Custer and the 7th Cavalry were outfought by Crazy Horse. You can see where the soldiers fell (markers were placed only days after the battle), and absorb all the events of that fateful day on our guided tour.
- Day 6 Yellowstone National Park
- The world's oldest national park, Yellowstone is a wonderland of spouting geysers, terraced hot springs, boiling pools and bubbling mud pots. You may see the extraordinary Yellowstone Canyon with its waterfall twice the height of Niagara, the Fountain Paint Pots and, of course, 'Old Faithful', which erupts every 93 minutes, during our visit. The park is also a wildlife sanctuary, with wild bears, elk and herds of buffalo roaming freely.
- Day 7 Grand Teton National Park
- Grand Teton National Park is famed for its beautiful landscapes dominated by snow-capped peaks, serene lakes and mighty glaciers. Take in the vistas before travelling on to the lively town of Jackson.
- Day 8 Salt Lake City
- We'll visit Logan Canyon and Bear Lake for an included picnic lunch. Bear Lake is a natural freshwater lake on the Utah-Idaho border, known as the 'Caribbean of the Rockies' for its unique turquoise-blue colour. Continue to Salt Lake City.
- Day 9 Salt Lake City
- Named after the Great Salt Lake, Salt Lake City was founded by the Mormons. You'll have the day to explore or join our optional excursion to the lake. Once part of the prehistoric Lake Bonneville, today it covers 2,000 square miles and is saltier than the ocean.
- Day 10 Arches National Park
- It's easy to see how Arches National Park was given its name. It's home to the world's greatest concentration of red sandstone arches - natural rock formations carved by the elements over millions of years. We'll discover this and more today.
- Day 11 Mesa Verde National Park
- Mesa Verde National Park is an archaeological masterpiece famed for its cliff dwellings. Cliff Palace, the largest of these homes carved into the rock face, has more than 200 rooms, and we'll see it today.
- Day 12 Monument Valley
- Marking the point where Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Arizona converge, the monument at Four Corners is our first stop of the day. It's then on to Monument Valley, instantly recognisable to film-goers as the setting for many movies thanks to its spectacular and unique rock formations. An optional, narrated four-wheel drive tour will be available today.
- Day 13 Grand Canyon
- Eroded over millions of years by the ebb and flow of the Colorado River, the Grand Canyon is surely one of the world's most intense and absorbing sights. From the South Rim, you'll be able to admire the most incredible and spectacular panoramas, and for a bird's-eye view, why not take an optional flight over the canyon – it's the only way to get a real feel for the immense scale of this astounding natural wonder. We'll continue to Kanab. You may recognise the scenery here, as the town and surrounding desert has often been used as a film set.
- Day 14 Bryce Canyon National Park
- Subtle colours, delicate spires of rock and vast natural amphitheatres are all signatures of the unique geology of Bryce Canyon National Park and we'll discover them today. Set below an ever-changing sky, the colours of the rocks seem to continuously change with the light. Why not join an optional star-gazing tour this evening - with the clear desert skies, this really promises to be a mesmerising experience.
- Day 15 Zion National Park
- Today is a day of exploration of the sheer cliffs, deep chasms and rock formations of Zion National Park. In complete contrast to the sheer natural beauty of Zion are the bright lights of Las Vegas, which is where we'll head next. Why not join your Tour Manager for a tour of the city by night.
- Day 16 Las Vegas to UK
- Enjoy a morning at leisure before your late afternoon flight back to the UK.
- Day 17 UK
- Arrive back in the UK.
Accommodation
- SpringHill Suites Denver Downtown
- SpringHill Suites Denver Downtown is situated in Denver. Hotel facilities include a restaurant and a swimming pool. Bedrooms have private facilities, air-conditioning, hairdryer, mini-fridge, TV and tea/coffee-making facilities.
- Country Inn & Suites By Carlson
- Country Inn & Suites by Carlson, Rapid City is situated in South Dakota close to local attractions such as Badlands National Park, Jewel Cave and Custer State Park. Hotel facilities include a fitness centre, indoor pool, two hot tubs and a breakfast buffet. Bedroom facilities include cable TV, tea and coffee-making facilities, free Wi-Fi, hairdryer, iron & ironing board, refrigerator, telephone and private bathroom facilities.
- Best Western Sheridan Center
- The Best Western Sheridan Center is located in downtown Sheridan, at the base of the Bighorn Mountain Range.
Hotel facilities include a restaurant, bar/lounge, indoor swimming pool, spa and hot tub. Bedrooms have private facilities, TV, coffee/tea-maker, hairdryer and iron.
- The Cody
- The Cody is located in the heart of the American West in Cody.
Hotel facilities include an indoor swimming pool, hot tub and fitness room. Bedrooms have private facilities, microwave, refrigerator, hairdryer, TV and coffee/tea-maker.
- Crosswinds Inn
- Crystal Inn Hotel & Suites
- The Crystal Inn Hotel & Suites is in the middle of downtown Salt Lake City.
Hotel facilities include an indoor swimming pool, hot tub, sauna and fitness room. Bedrooms have private facilities, air-conditioning, microwave, refrigerator, coffee-maker, iron, hairdryer and TV.
- Aarchway Inn
- Guest rooms offer amenities such as a flat screen TV and air conditioning, and free wifi. Hotel amenities include 24 hour front desk, baggage storage, and a sun terrace and a pool
- Baymont by Wyndham Cortez
- Grand Canyon Plaza Hotel
- Grand Canyon Plaza Hotel is situated in Tusayan, within reach of the Grand Canyon.
Hotel facilities include a restaurant and a swimming pool. Bedrooms have private facilities, air-conditioning, hairdryer, complimentary Wi-Fi, tea/coffee-making facilities and a TV.
- La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wynham Kanab
- Tropicana Las Vegas
- Located on the Strip, you will stay at the Tropicana Las Vegas. Hotel facilities include restaurant, bar, casino and pool. Bedrooms have private facilities.
Optional Excursions
- Jackson River Float trip
- Great Salt Lake and City
- Narrated tour of Monument Valley
- Flight over Monument Valley
- Flight over Grand Canyon
- Las Vegas by night
- Western style dinner in Kanab
- Star-gazing experience in Kanab
Pre-bookable excursions: The Las Vegas by night and Great Salt Lake and City can be pre-booked as a package.
Please note: We are not including entry to Four Corners Monument for 2020 departures.