Best of the Canyonlands

Scenic Drive along Desert View Drive along parts of Route 66

Deluxe coach travel

Selected hotel dinners plus a locally hosted meal

Vail: Welcome to one of Colorado's great playgrounds. While the winter attracts the ski crowds, the summer draws in guests to the European-style Vail Village. Surrounded by towering Rocky Mountain peaks, the pedestrian village offers a unique mix of shops, restaurants, pubs and cafes. Feel the friendly local vibe that makes Vail cosmopolitan and unpretentious.

Arches National Park: Nature's creations spring to life at Arches National Park, home to the greatest concentration of natural arches in the world. Some 2,000 natural sandstone arches can be found within the boundaries of the national park. On your visit, unlock all the science and history of how these 6,000 natural sandstone arches were formed by rain and wind. Take in the sights of Delicate Arch and Balanced Rock while admiring the ever-changing landscapes as you traverse the park. 

Canyonlands National Park: There’s no better spot to witness the power of the Colorado River carving through rocky red landscapes than at Canyonlands National Park. Take in the views from the Green River Overlook, and be inspired by the vast expanse of high desert canyons at Grand Viewpoint.    

Mesa Verde National Park: There’s no better place to learn about the ancient cliff dwellings of the Ancestral Puebloan people than at Mesa Verde National Park. View the carvings in the sandstone of the canyon walls at the several hundred of these dwellings – astounded by the history presented before you. This UNESCO-listed park also features thousands of well-known preserved archaeological sites. Take in the sites of this protected area as you ride along the Mesa Top Loop and Cliff Palace Loop, where you can see the magnificent Cliff Palace.

Grand Canyon National Park: The great outdoors is your classroom today when you meet geologist Canyon Tim for an enlightening talk about the Grand Canyon at the South Rim . Having over 30 years of geological experience, Tim’s fascinating talk reveals how this natural marvel was formed millions of years ago and how the different layers that make up the Colorado Plateau are still visible today.

Grand Canyon National Park: One of the seven natural wonders of the world and the second most visited national park in the United States. Explore the Visitor Center and get familiar with the history of the Grand Canyon, grab a coffee at a local cafe and take a walk along the Rim Trail. Keep your camera on-hand as you explore some of the 278 miles of the Colorado River and adjacent canyonlands at one of the most spectacular examples of erosion anywhere in the world with unmatched vistas along its rim.

Las Vegas: Go sightseeing in the largest city in Nevada and one of the world's greatest resort cities, Las Vegas. 

Palisade: Unlock the local secrets of the land over a meet-and-greet at Field to Fork, an organic fruit and vegetable farm that cultivates 10 acres for vegetable production in addition to a fruit orchard of rare heritage stone and pomme fruit. Welcomed by owners Jessica and Scott, you’ll learn about the farm, its history and Jessica and Scott’s passion and expertise for organic farming. Then, take a walking tour of the farm discovering horticulture and how they grow organic fruits and vegetables, including a greenhouse and barn tour. Cap off your experience with a meal of crudité, salad, pizza topped with local ingredients and dessert featuring local seasonal fruit.

Monument Valley: Explore an iconic part of the Western USA on this Stays with Stories experience. Feel like you’re stepping back in time to when the lodge was founded in the 1920's. Then imagine you’re stepping onto a movie set -- Goulding's Lodge was made famous by Hollywood movies filmed here. In addition to waking up to watch the daybreak over Monument Valley, you’ll also love how the hotel has supported the local Diné (Navajo) community. 

Monument Valley: Immerse yourself in the landscape of the Navajo people journeying through the desert to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. Get a feel for the land and its people climbing aboard an open-air, all-terrain vehicle to explore the valley with your Navajo guide as you pass its towering sandstone buttes and mesas, many of which have been featured in prominent Western films including John Wayne’s ‘Stagecoach’. Your exclusive Navajo Tribal Park tour with a Navajo guide helps preserve the integrity of the land and culture. Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities.