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(USA) 406 646 1118 x 12 • Email •
Six day Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and more tour
 Price |
$1887.00 per person
All prices are in US currency. |
| Highlights | Smaller more personal tour - average number last year was only five
Off road Monument Valley tour
Horseback riding in Zion
ATV adventure at Bryce
Lot of exposure to Navajo people and their culture
Hike to Horseshoe Bend
Float trip along the Colorado River to the Grand Canyon
Off road tour to Antelope Canyon
Five geyser guarantee! See at least five geysers erupting!
Horseback riding at the Continental Divide
River rafting at Yellowstone
Runs every Monday and Thursday during the summer.
Scroll down for the tour itinerary, or click here.
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Itinerary
There is a new and much better version of this tour!
Day 1 - Las Vegas to Zion National Park - 159 mi / 255.83 km - 2 3/4 hours
Map | We'll pick you up at your Las Vegas Strip hotel at about 6.45 a.m. and travel north up Interstate 15, crossing into the desolate Arizona Strip, before heading up the Virgin River Gorge and into Utah. If you are not staying on the Strip, you will need to get to one of the Strip hotels. If you take a taxi or bus, we will reimburse you a maximum of $10 towards the cost, against your receipt.
The route is picturesque in parts, and we will stop briefly in the Gorge to take pictures. There will be a comfort stop at either the small southern Utah town of St. George, or the even smaller one of Hurricane. |
Day 1 - Zion - About 1 3/4 hours
Map | Zion is Utah's most popular National Park, and its story is one of rock and water.
There is a special treat in store here, as you climb onto horses for a one hour ride up the Virgin River, to the Court Of the Patriarchs. Please do not be concerned if you have not ridden before. Experienced cowboys will show you what to do and lead you on the trail. Note that there is a weight limit of 220 pounds (about 100 kg). If you choose not to go horseback riding you can explore part of Zion on your own.
After riding. we'll take a leisurely drive through the park, stopping frequently to take photographs and enjoy the scenery. The road goes past the Great Arch of Zion, which is a natural photo stop. |
Day 1 - Zion National Park to North Rim of the Grand Canyon - 123 mi / 197.91 km - 2 1/2 hours
Map | After dropping back into Arizona and traveling past scrub land and desert, we'll enter the Kaibab National Forest, as we start climbing up to the North Rim. This part of the Grand Canyon is over 8000 feet, and it can be cold there outside the middle of the summer, so please bring the appropriate clothing. We'll drive through some magnificent groves of Ponderosa pines, and sweeping wide open meadows that are filled with deer at sunrise and sunset, before entering the gates of the Grand Canyon. |
Day 1 - North Rim of the Grand Canyon - 3 to 4 hours
| | Only about 10 percent of the people who go to the Grand Canyon visit the North Rim, which is not as easy to get to as the South.
You will find that the view points are deserted, compared to the South Rim, and we will take you to some of the best areas anywhere in the Canyon.
There will be ample time to take in the scenery, grab yourself a bite to eat, and relax and enjoy the incredible views. |
Day 1 - North Rim of the Grand Canyon to Page - 122 mi / 196.3 km - 2 1/2 hours
Map | After driving back through the Kaibab National Forest, we'll head east at Jacob Lake, and start our drop down to the desert below. Depending on the time of the year, we should pass a number of Navajo roadside stands, and we'll stop to give you a chance to purchase souvenirs. After a relatively short drive along the Vermilion Cliffs, we'll reach Page, on the shores of Lake Powell. |
Day 1 - Page - Rest of the evening
| | There is a lot to see and do in Page. We hope you're not too tired for a short hike to Horseshoe Bend, a spectacular Colorado River overlook, viewed through the canyon walls below. Please bring a good pair of walking shoes with you.
Spend the night in Page. An example of the motel we use can be seen here. An extended continental breakfast is provided tomorrow morning. |
Day 2 - Colorado River - Half Day
| | The Colorado River flows from Lake Powell out of Glen Canyon Dam, towards Lee's Ferry, the official starting point of raft trips through the Grand Canyon. Today you'll be taking a float trip down the river. The adventure begins with an unusual ride down the two mile long Glen Canyon Dam access tunnel. At river level, with the dam soaring almost 600 feet above you, you will board a comfortable, motorized pontoon raft for your journey downstream.
For the next fifteen miles, you will experience one of the most dramatic stretches of river in the western United States. Your experienced guide will tell the story of the area’s soaring sandstone cliffs, crystal blue-green waters, abundant wildlife, exploration by Major John Wesley Powell (after whom Lake Powell is named) and others, and the river's modern role in the Southwest’s water and power delivery system.
A stop to view an impressive set of ancient petroglyphs will offer you a chance to stretch your legs while bearing witness to the area’s former inhabitance by ancient native cultures. If you choose, you may also refresh yourself by wading in the cold, clear river.
The river portion of your trip ends at historic Lees Ferry, gateway to the Grand Canyon. The rafting company will either take you back to Page where your guide will meet you, or the guide will pick you up at Lee's Ferry. |
Day 2 - Page to Monument Valley - 132 mi / 212.39 km - 2 1/2 hours
Map | Travel to Monument Valley. On the way you will start to see the mesas and buttes for which the area is so well known. There will be plenty of time to take photographs, as well as stop to shop and eat at Navajo roadside stands. |
Day 2 - Monument Valley - 1 1/2 to 2 hours
| | Up next is a 1 1/2 to 2 hour tour of Monument Valley, conducted by a Navajo guide. Visitors love to see the buttes, mesas and other sandstone formations that are so prevalent in the Monument Valley area. Monument Valley is actually not really a valley at all, but a relatively flat plain surrounded by red cliffs, with the buttes, as well as the remnants of ancient volcanoes, towering from the earth.
For fans of old western movies, Monument Valley is the epicenter of the west, with many great cowboys and Indians films having been shot in the area. The familiar rock shapes can be seen from many miles away, with the really great scenery to be seen on the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, which straddles the Utah/Arizona border.
Amongst the sites that your tour will likely take in are Anasazi ruins, petroglyphs, movie locations, 1000 foot monoliths, rug weaving and Indian hogans. The famous monuments are visited. |
Day 2 - Return to Page - 132 mi / 212.39 km - 2 1/2 hours
| | We will return to Page, and spend the night at the same motel. |
Day 3 - Antelope Canyon - About 1 1/2 hours
| | First up this morning is an off road tour to Antelope Canyon, one of the most striking slot canyons known to man. A slot canyon is a narrow canyon sliced through a mesa by the forces of nature. Some canyons measure less than a yard across at the top, but drop a hundred feet or more from the rim to the bottom. Slots are cut and scoured by water and wind, with the striations of the sandstone becoming almost incandescent.
From within you will see a palette of colors transmuted by light filtering down from above and bouncing from wall to wall. Antelope Canyon can only be visited using the services of an authorized Navajo Nation guide, and we use Carolene Ekis' Antelope Canyon Tours. |
Day 3 - Page to Bryce Canyon - 154 mi / 247.79 km - 2 3/4 hours
Map | Leaving Page we will drive over the Glen Canyon Dam Wall. If there is time we may stop for a few pictures. A little up the road is a little known dirt road which leads to spectacular views over Lake Powell. If the road is in reasonable condition we will drive up there to take a look at the spectacular golden canyons partially submerged under the blue waters of Lake Powell.
The road to the small town of Kanab leads past Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. Kanab itself has been the setting for many western movies.
From Kanab we will travel along a picturesque Utah back road, through some tiny towns, before arriving at Bryce Canyon. |
Day 3 - Bryce Canyon - About 2 hours
| | Many who have seen both Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon tell us that Bryce is far more spectacular. You will marvel at the weirdly shaped hoodoos, in an amazing array of colorful hues.
It's time to go ATV (all terrain vehicle) riding. After getting a few pointers from an experienced guide, you will hop onto your ATV, to go chasing over 14 miles (22 kilometres) of dirt road through the Dixie National Forest surrounding Bryce Canyon. Please note that you will get dusty! |
Day
| | Bryce is not really a canyon, but a large amphitheatre carved out of a variety of rock types. You will have the opportunity to take a stroll from Sunrise Point to Sunset Point, if you choose, and we will also check out Bryce Point, the most spectacular view at Bryce, and perhaps Inspiration Point, if there is time. |
Day 3 - Bryce Canyon to Salt Lake City - 271 mi / 436.04 km - 4 1/4 hours
Map | From Bryce we will head up to Salt Lake City. |
Day 3 - Salt Lake City
| | Spend the night in downtown Salt Lake City. Examples of the properties we use in Salt Lake can be found here. You are free to wander around, perhaps taking in Temple Square, home of the Mormon Tabernacle. |
Day 4 - Salt Lake City to West Yellowstone - 321 mi / 516.49 km - 5 hours
Map | You will be picked up at your downtown Salt Lake City hotel at about 7 a.m., and head off for West Yellowstone, Montana. The initial route out of Salt Lake touches on the Great Salt Lake, at Willard Bay, before crossing over into Idaho. There is some great scenery along the way, especially as you climb up into the skies, through the Targhee National Forest into Montana. There will be opportunities for you to stop, admire the view, stretch your legs and buy a bite to eat. |
Day 4 - High meadows outside West Yellowstone - About 4 hours
| | Our first major destination is a horse ranch, located in a beautifully high mountain valley (or hole, as old timers called it) just outside West Yellowstone. It's time to go horseback riding! (I'm not into horseback riding ... what do I do?)
Depending on what the group decides, there are a variety of trail options. You can take a steep, high trail through the rugged mountain terrain, traversing the streams that flow down from the nearby Continental Divide, or you stay lower down in the wide, expansive meadows.
In the summer, cattle are often moved from one area to another, and you may have the opportunity to play cowboy! A sack lunch is provided today. |
Day 4 - West Yellowstone
| | You will spend the night at Al's Westward Ho, our preferred motel in West Yellowstone. Al's is the closest motel to Yellowstone, with the park being literally right across the road! |
Day 5 - Yellowstone National Park - All Day
Map | Breakfast is provided to start the day.
The roads that run through Yellowstone make a massive figure of eight. Today we'll be exploring the Upper Loop of Yellowstone. This will be a full and fun day! The route we take will depend on possible road closures in the park, but it will be something like the following.
There is going to be a lot to see and do. We'll head out of West Yellowstone towards Madison Junction, where the Madison, Gibbon and Firehole Rivers meet. Turning left (north) we'll make for Norris Geyser Basin. Along the way we'll stop briefly at Gibbon Falls.
Although not as well known as the other geyser basins, Norris is the most thermally active part of Yellowstone. It is divided into two separate areas: Porcelain Basin and Back Basin. You will have the opportunity to stroll around both, enjoying the pristine beauty. Back Basin is home to Steamboat Geyser, the highest geyser in the world. |
Day
Map | The next stop is Mammoth Hot Springs, headquarters of the park, and home to a fascinating array of weird rock shapes, bright colors and sizzling hot springs. Elk are generally plentiful in this area, wandering around the old park buildings, and, if you're lucky, you might even see a whole herd.
You can stroll down the ever changing terraces at Mammoth, admiring the travertine creations and hot springs. Your guide will be waiting at the bottom with a sack lunch. |
Map | Everyone wants to see a bear in the wild at Yellowstone, and the trip from Mammoth to Tower Falls is one of the best places to do so. The spring can be a great time to go looking for bears, as you have the opportunity of seeing mothers with their new born cubs. Tower Falls is an impressive water fall. |
Map | There is much wildlife to be found in the Lamar Valley, which follows the road from Tower Junction to the north east entrance of the park. This is where the keen wolf watchers are to be found, and we will drive past their spotting locations and ask what they may have seen recently. Grizzly bears also frequent the Lamar area. |
Map | Assuming that it is open, the road from Tower Falls to Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone towers up into the sky as it crosses the Dunraven Pass at almost 9000 feet. We then drop down to Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
The Yellowstone River has carved an impressive canyon through the rocks, over which two falls drop. The Lower Falls is over twice the size of Niagara Falls! It is in this area that you can catch a glimpse of the yellowish tinge to the rocks, from which the Yellowstone River got its name, but at a different location. We'll check out the canyon and falls from a number of different locations. You get so close to the Upper Falls that you almost feel like you can reach out and touch the thundering water. Don't!
After a long, fun-filled day, it is time to return to West Yellowstone. |
Day 5 - West Yellowstone
| | Dinner is once again included in the tour price, after which we will once again spend the night at Al's. |
Day 6 - West Yellowstone to Jackson - 127 mi / 204.34 km - Half day
| | Breakfast is provided again.
From West Yellowstone we will head east, and follow the Madison River, past a nest with a pair of breeding Bald Eagles, towards Madison Junction. Depending on the time of the year, there is often a lot of wildlife in this area. At the Junction we will turn right, or south. |
Day
| | The first major area at which we will stop is the Lower Geyer Basin, home to Fountain Paint Pots. There is a boardwalk system running around and through the basin, and it is a great place to go for a stroll, if the bison haven't got there first! Apart from the paint pots, there is also a selection of other thermal features in the area, including a number of geysers, one or other of which is inevitably erupting. |
| | From there we will travel a short distance to the Midway Geyser Basin. Midway is home to two of the largest hot springs to be found anywhere in the world, as well as Excelsior Geyser, now dormant, but discharging thousands of gallons of water every minute. One of the springs, Grand Prismatic, is an amazing sights, with its incredible array of colors. |
| | The Upper Geyser Basin, home to the legendary Old Faithful, is just up the road, and we will visit there, and wait for the world's most famous geyser to erupt. There will also be time to check out Old Faithful Inn, and maybe even some of the other geysers in the area. |
| | Depending on how long we had to wait for Old Faithful to erupt, there may possibly be an opportunity for a short walk around the Upper Geyser Basin. Apart from Old Faithful, there are a host of other geysers and springs there, like Riverside Geyser and Morning Glory Pool. |
| | The road from Old Faithful to West Thumb, the next geyser basin, crosses over the Continental Divide twice, as it climbs through the forests. West Thumb is located along the shore of the incredibly blue Yellowstone Lake. This stop is a brief one, to enable you to admire the view over the lake. |
Map | From West Thumb it's time to drop south through the bottom part of Yellowstone, over the Rockefeller Parkway, and directly into Grand Teton National Park. Grand Teton does not have the amazing spectacles that Yellowstone does, but it is a beautiful area, and we'll take a leisurely drive through the park, stopping several times to take photographs and admire the views.
The western, touristy town of Jackson is right outside Grand Teton National Park, and we will stop briefly there for you to take a quick look at the town, and eat the sack lunch that we provide today. |
Day 6 - Snake River - About two hours
| | The Snake River has some great rafting waters, and you'll be tackling an eight mile stretch, with the put in just outside Jackson. |
Day 6 - Jackson to Salt Lake City - 303 mi / 487.53 km - 5 1/4 hours
Map | After the fun of the river, it is time to return to Salt Lake City and end the tour. Thanks for joining us! |
| Tour ID | 1063 |
Please note the following...- This tour is subject to a 4.00% per person fuel surcharge.
- This tour runs every Monday and Thursday from the middle of May to the middle of October.
- The entry fees to all parks are included.
- The off road tours at Monument Valley and Antelope Canyon are included.
- Five nights' accommodation is included. Examples of the different motels we use can be seen here.
- Prices are based on double occupancy. A single surcharge of $210 is applicable, or we can try and match singles. If you want to have three or four to a room, you will get a lower price.
- The price includes the services of a guide/driver and transportation.
- The continental breakfasts are the only meals included during the first three days. The following meals are included during the Yellowstone portion: A sack lunch every day, two dinners, two breakfasts.
- The tour itinerary may change at our discretion without notice. Factors that may cause a change include, but are not limited to, the weather, vendors and road conditions.
- Portions of this tour may be subcontracted to other reputable vendors. This will in no way affect your comfort or safety.
- A minimum of two people may be required for a tour to depart. You may also need to book several weeks out to ensure availability.
- Please check with us to ensure this tour is still available prior to making lodging or air bookings.
- Be careful about making any show or air bookings for the date this tour returns. We are not responsible for delays getting back to Salt Lake.
- If there are fewer than six people on the tour, or fewer than six wanting to go rafting in Yellowstone, the Yellowstone rafting may be omitted. Please contact us prior to booking if this is important to you.
- If there are fewer than six people going to Yellowstone we may use the services of a shuttle company to take you part of the way between Salt Lake and Yellowstone. Our vehicle will take you the rest of the way.
- Payment Details: While we would rather you not make a booking until you are sure you want to go, you are welcome to cancel the booking any time up until 31 days prior to the start of the tour, and you will get a full refund. After that time, we will not accept a cancellation and you will have to pay for the tour in full. Trip insurance is available. Half the cost of the tour will be charged to your card any time from 31 days prior to the start of the tour, and the balance will be charged any time from 7 days prior to the start of the tour.
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Please call us at (USA) 406 646 1118 x 12, or mail us for additional information.
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