U.S. National Parks - The Rockies to San Francisco

Upon arrival at Denver International Airport, transfer independently to your hotel and you will meet your Tour Director.

This morning, enjoy a short city tour of the "Mile High City", including the gold-domed State Capitol whose 13th step on the west side of the building is exactly 5,280 feet above sea level - one mile high. A short distance from Denver you'll enter Rocky Mountain National Park where you'll feel like you're on top of the world. Here, 415 square miles encompass and protect spectacular mountain environments. And if you thought the journey to the park was beautiful, just wait until you experience Trail Ridge Road. Known appropriately as the "Highway to the Sky", and offering incomparable views in every direction, Trail Ridge Road winds past countless peaks, through tundra high above the tree line, and crosses the Continental Divide at 12,183 feet. Continue to Cheyenne, Wyoming's capital city that embodies the spirit of the Old West. Considered the nation's railroad capital, Cheyenne is home to a collection of steam engines, including Old Number 4004, the world's largest steam locomotive and one of the eight remaining Big Boys on display throughout the country.

Your journey begins this morning with a visit to Fort Laramie National Historic Site. Originally established as a private fur trading fort, this "grand old post" evolved into the largest and best-known military post on the Northern Plains and witnessed the entire sweeping saga of America's western expansion. Continue through the majestic beauty of South Dakota's Black Hills to Mount Rushmore National Memorial where you'll come face to face with George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, and America's rich heritage.

Today, crossing back into Wyoming en route to Cody, you'll travel through Bighorn National Forest where undisturbed rolling hills, alpine lakes, craggy cliffs, thick pine forests, and the Bighorn Mountains dominate the landscape. Upon arrival in Cody, you'll visit the Buffalo Bill Museum. Celebrating the spirit of the American West, including the culture and art that bring the heritage of Wyoming alive, the Buffalo Bill Museum focus' on the life and times of William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody, the town founder, and a living legend. In the evening enjoy attractions that include rodeos, gunfight reenactments, and cowboy music (seasonal).

Today, take an unforgettable journey into America's first national park and nature's wonderland - Yellowstone National Park. Here, the Earth is in action with geysers, mountain ranges and rivers, waterfalls, and ancient volcanoes. The iconic spots - Old Faithful and Yellowstone Canyon - will be familiar from photographs, but seeing them in person is a humbling experience. They're not just as good as you've heard - they're better. This mountain wildland is also home to eagles, grizzly and black bears, buffalo, elk, and much more, so you're bound to see wildlife wherever you go.

Today’s journey takes you through scenic Southern Idaho to Salt Lake City, the capital of the state of Utah and most populous, known for the Mormon Community. Upon arrival, enjoy views of the State Capitol Building and downtown’s historic Temple Square, home to the 6-spired Salt Lake Temple and domed Tabernacle of the world-famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir, prior to arriving at your hotel.

Heading south this morning, you’ll pass through Provo, home to Brigham Young University, en route to Canyonlands National Park. Today you will see a wilderness of countless canyons and fantastically formed buttes carved by the Colorado River & its tributaries. Rivers divide the park into four districts: the Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze & the Rivers themselves. We will visit some of the most scenic spots on the Island in the Sky mesa which rests on sheer sandstone cliffs over 1,000 feet above the surrounding terrain. Continue on to Moab for your stay tonight.

Today we visit Arches National Park, one of Utah’s Mighty 5. Once in the park, you’ll discover a landscape of contrasting colors landforms, and textures unlike any other in the world. With over 2,000 natural stone arches, in addition to hundreds of soaring pinnacles and giant balanced rocks, this red rock wonderland will amaze you with its formations and inspire you with its most unique scenery. Return to hotel in the late afternoon.

Visit Capitol Reef National Park, a destination of extraordinary natural beauty, established in 1937 to protect a unique geological feature. Continue to spectacular Bryce Canyon, where a tour through a multi-colored world of sandstone spires and pinnacles, “hoodoos”, will dazzle the eye. This evening, weather permitting, be sure to gaze upon the spectacular night sky filled with sparkling stars and brilliant constellations.

Travel today to Zion National Park and see the massive rock formations carved by wind, time, and the Virgin River. This afternoon experience the contrast of Las Vegas, the dazzling “Entertainment Capital of the World,” where round-the-clock shopping, nightly shows, and of course gambling are available. As we stop at the iconic Las Vegas Welcome sign, you may wish to capture a photo memory there.

Day at leisure! Enjoy all that Las Vegas offers; from shopping, over bustling casinos, to Broadway-caliber shows, or simply just stroll the famous Strip.

Having enjoyed glamorous Las Vegas, it will be a sharp contrast this afternoon to enter the quiet and extreme environment of Death Valley. Stop at Zabriskie Point and Furnace Creek Ranch/Visitors Center before continuing across the valley and ascending the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the alpine resort town of Mammoth Lakes. The area gained prominence as a gold mining town in the 19th century and today is renowned for its superior skiing terrain and staggeringly beautiful mountain vistas.

Your journey today brings you to the Tioga Pass (if Tioga Pass is closed routing will be done via Fresno) into the scenic wonderland of Yosemite National Park. Here, you will experience the valley floor and its splendors including the glacial-shaped granite formations of El Capitan, Half Dome, the magnificent Bridal Falls, and Yosemite Falls before you arrive in San Francisco, one of the most beloved cities in America.

Enjoy a morning city tour which includes Union Square, the Civic Center, and Fisherman’s Wharf. Standing on a hilltop, watching the fog swirl in through the Golden Gate, it is easy to understand why many consider San Francisco the most beautiful city in America. Enjoy the afternoon and evening at leisure, perhaps a cable car ride to Fisherman’s Wharf where one may enjoy a “Taste of San Francisco”: local seafood, famous sourdough bread, or decadent Ghiradelli’s Chocolate. Be sure to gaze across the bay to Alcatraz Island where “America’s Most Wanted” such as Al Capone and ”Machine Gun” Kelly were incarcerated.

Transfer independently to the airport for your return flight.