Grand Circle 12-Day Experience

Your journey begins in the morning on the Las Vegas Strip, where you will be met by your guide and embark on the journey to Zion National Park. Here, you will explore sites like the Great White Throne, the Court of the Patriarchs, and the beginning of Zion Canyon Narrows. For those more adventurous, possible hiking opportunities include climbing up to Scouts Lookout with jaw-dropping views of Angels Landing above and Zion Canyon below, a longer hike through Zion Canyon Narrows or, for those that prefer easy walking, try the Pa’rus Trail, all time and weather permitting.

Your morning starts with breakfast and a drive up the Zion switchbacks to see a wild world of swirling sandstone, then through the east entrance toward. We pass through Kanab, Utah, marveling at yet more fantastic rock formations along the way. Then, we go up to the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park and visit viewpoints Cape Royal and Point Imperial, then the visitor center for some more incredible views of this natural wonder. Continue your journey to Page, Arizona by crossing the Navajo Bridge spanning the Colorado River, passing by the enormous Vermilion Cliffs, so named for their brilliantly crimson striations of sedimentary rock. Our lodging for the next two nights is on the shores of Lake Powell.

Another dramatic drive, this time down an incline tunnel that brings you to the base of Glen Canyon Dam for a 14-mile float trip down the Colorado River. You’ll be surrounded by deep sandstone canyons, plus a stop to view some fascinating petroglyphs. To top the day off, you'll tour the mesmerizing undulations of Antelope Canyon with a Navajo local as your guide. Enjoy the evening at leisure in Page, Arizona with dinner at one of the local haunts.

Today you will head to Kayenta, Arizona, for a brief stop before entering Monument Valley in an open-air truck. Admire the gigantic formations up close or towering along the horizon. You'll also visit filming spots for classic Western movies and lesser-frequented outcroppings in the backcountry. Returning to Gouldings Lodge, you'll enjoy scenic, Navajo-inspired fine dining before continuing on to Four-Corners Monument where you will stop to shop and snap a shot at the famous spot where the borders of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah all meet.

Start your day with breakfast at the Metate Room and enjoy the view here at Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. Here, you'll tour the dramatic ruins of ancient Pueblo cliff houses, built into shallow caves and under rock overhangs. Then, stop at viewpoints and a museum along the mesa top before heading to the San Juan Mountains for Durango. This frontier town offers plenty of restaurants and shopping — just the place to enjoy your free evening.

Score a true frontier experience with a steam engine train ride on the Durango and Silverton Railroad, an impressive track built in 1881 that snakes along the canyons of the Animas River Valley. It'll be lunchtime when you arrive in Silverton, and the Shady Lady, Bent Elbow, and Natalie's – all former bordellos and current restaurants – will be happy to accommodate you (for food that is). Then, trek the twisting turns of the Million Dollar Highway, marvel at the orange-colored towering mountains near Red Mountain Pass, stop in Ouray for some shopping, before the final leg to Moab. NOTE: if traveling from March 1 to May 1, the train will turn around at Cascade Canyon and return to Durango due to snow.

Spend the day exploring Arches National Park and its 2,000 natural sandstone arches, where you'll experience several of them firsthand as you hike to Delicate Arch, Landscape Arch, Devil's Garden, and Courthouse Towers. Returning to the hotel, you'll have the afternoon free before an early dinner at a local restaurant, giving us plenty of time to head over to Canyonlands National Park and watch the sun set over the seemingly endless canyons from Grandview Point or similar.

Today, you're treated to another scenic drive into Canyonlands National Park to see and experience the majestic Mesa Arch in the morning. This is the best time to photograph this formation. You will then enjoy the San Rafael Swell along the way, take a quick look at the other-worldly landscape of Goblin Valley State Park, then on to Capitol Reef National Park, where you'll hike up to Hickman Bridge, enjoy the Grand Wash, and look for Geodes and other activities within this seldom-visited park. Dinner and an enjoyable evening will be experienced at one of the local hotels in this area.

After seeing more of the sights in Capital Reef National Park, traverse the Grand Staircase-Escalante Monument via scenic Hwy 12, known as the All-American Road for its iconic vistas. Along Hwy 12, you’ll see deep canyons that have been carved through the landscape before arriving at Bryce Canyon National Park, a Utah treasure filled with unearthly archways and rose-colored hoodoos. You'll spend the late afternoon hiking one of the stunning canyons, then relaxing and dining in rustic elegance at The Lodge at Bryce Canyon Restaurant.

Your last day in the Southwest's fantastic landscape starts with a stellar sendoff of early morning sun lighting up pink cliffs during an unforgettable sunrise over the Bryce Amphitheater. After hiking and exploring more of the canyon, you'll head back to Las Vegas, stopping for lunch at a local joint in Cedar City, Utah, then take a few final views of Zion National Park from the Kolob Fingers section before returning through the Virgin Gorge to Las Vegas. Hotel drop-off by 6:00pm Pacific Standard Time.

Transfer to the Las Vegas Airport by hotel shuttle on your own for your departure flight home.