Western USA National Parks Explorer

Great to see so many places….. BUT…. This was not a cheap trip. The accommodation were basic and old, the bus too cramped and not enough room for your legs let alone your back pack and when you are travelling up to 8 and half hours a day … . 14 in a Ford Transit! The guide was a nice guy but when compared to other guides we have had with Explore, he was very poor at letting us know what was going on or giving us info on the places we visited. Saw so much, had lovely self guided walks in the National Parks, but for the price you pay you would hope for more room when travelling, better places to sleep in and a guide who would accompany you on the walks

The itinerary for the national park element of the tour was great. We chose this tour specifically because there were many opportunities to hike in the parks. Personally, I would have liked Yellowstone National Park to have been an add-on at the end of the trip. Bearing in mind the cost of the trip, much of the accommodation was of poor quality, not what I have come to expect from Explore. We toured in a rather cramped minibus with little leg room and no comfortable space for day packs, bearing in mind that some of the transfers were many hours (our luggage was transported in a trailer towed by the minibus).. There was no dedicated driver, just the tour guide. This meant that the tour guide got very tired and had to sleep in the minibus at some stops where, having been advised of where to walk, we went off on our own. In conclusion, a good itinerary if you want the opportunity to hike in US National Parks. but Explore need to both review the quality of overnight accommodation and transport options. The minibus was too small for a group of 13 people, and the distances too far for one person to guide and drive.

This was a fabulous trip with a great tour leader. The last tour of the season turned out to be a very good option; it was pretty cold at times, but we had lots of sunshine and you don't want it to be too warm when walking! Those considering doing it should be aware that the "optional"tour to Monument Valley is the only way you're going to see it and if you don't you'll be sitting in the van in a car park for 2 and a half hours waiting for everyone else! I guess it's presented as an option in case the tour is not available. I'd also say that the guidelines re. meal prices need updating, they're just not realistic. But overall, I'd highly recommend this trip and you'll be lucky if you have David as your leader.

This was an outstanding trip in every way, with views and sights the rest of the world will struggle to match. The itinerary had to be very full-on in order to achieve everything in the time available, but it was very efficiently and precisely managed by our amazing leader Brianna who worked tirelessly to drive us 2,500 miles in 2 weeks! I loved every day of the trip, we had a fantastic group and despite the time pressures I really did not want it to end!

The last thing I want to do on a tour, is shop for breakfast nearly every day. (We had a lovely breakfast in our hotel only once in 2 weeks). And then there are the other meals for the day. Daily food shopping meant added costs to an already pricey tour. The "Explorers" were rather varied, but did get along fairy well. Our guide Brianna, was very nice.