Iconic National Parks of America
Iconic National Parks of America
Iconic National Parks of America
15 Days Starting in Salt lake and ending in United Kingdom
Visiting: Salt Lake City, Arches National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Durango, Grand Junction, Fort Collins, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Rapid City, Custer State Park, Crazy Horse Memorial, Deadwood, Devils Tower, Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Cody, Yellowstone National Park, West Yellowstone
Tour operator:
Tour code:
WU
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Age range:
18-99
Special diets catered:
Vegetarians
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Interests:
Activities:
From:
$4675 (USD) including Flights from the UKTour Overview
The magnificent Old West conjures up images of cowboys and Indians, lawmen and outlaws, as well as courageous frontiersmen, forging ever westward in search of freedom, independence and greener pastures. No other period has influenced American culture and defined its history as greatly as the Western frontier. Its legendary figures - Wyatt Earp, Calamity Jane, Wild Bill Hickock - are now commemorated in film and fiction.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1
Location: Salt Lake City
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: No Meals
You should arrive at the airport for your direct flight to Salt Lake City, arriving later on the same day.
Day 2
Location: Salt Lake City
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
An orientation tour of Salt Lake City will give you a fascinating insight into its unique history and culture. It dates back to 1847 with the arrival of the Church of the Latter-day Saints (the Mormons), the first settlers in the valley, who travelled far in their search for an isolated area where they could practise their religion. Our journey then commences on a long but fascinating drive that takes us south-east, travelling over the Wasatch Plateau into the remote Price and Green river basins.Â
Day 3
Location: Arches National Park
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
This morning, when the light is at its best, we’ll visit one of our tour’s highlights, Arches National Park. Boasting the world’s largest concentration of natural sandstone arches within a relatively small area, there are around two thousand colossal sandstone arches, soaring spires, monoliths and balanced rock formations, making the landscape utterly unique and a photographer’s paradise.
This Mars-like topography, with its changing colours of oranges and deep reds, is sure to leave an indelible mark on the memory. Spend the afternoon at leisure – your options include a boat trip on the Colorado River or a 4x4 offroad tour.
Day 4
Location: Mesa Verde National Park
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Leaving Moab, we soon cross into Colorado and arrive at Mesa Verde National Park, the only one exclusively devoted to Native American archaeological remains. Marvel at the past dwellings of the Anasazi, an Ancestral Puebloan people who inhabited the area between AD 600 to AD 1300. Their intriguing mud-brick buildings are some of the best preserved in the country, thanks to the dry desert climate and the stunning cliffside location under massive folds of rock – a truly extraordinary sight.
Day 5
Location: Durango
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
We enjoy a real highlight this morning, as we take a ride on the Durango & Silverton Railroad,
one of the USA’s best-loved heritage railways. Running on narrow-gauge tracks originally laid in the 1880s, the locomotives used today date from the 1920s and are completely coalfired and steam-driven. As the railway slowly gains height, the scenery becomes ever more rugged, with the muted greys and pinks of the jagged peaks contrasting beautifully with the dense forests in the deep valleys below.
Our wonderful vintage train follows the Animas River Valley through the San Juan National Forest, until it reaches the charming ex-mining community of Silverton. We re-board our coach headed for the small town of Montrose.
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Day 6
Location: Grand Junction, Fort Collins
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today we continue our journey to northern Colorado to the historic town of Fort Collins, stopping en route for lunch (not included) in the town area of Vail in Eagle County, located in the White River National Forest.
Day 7
Location: Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Rapid City
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
After breakfast we leave Fort Collins and head north to South Dakota, where we will visit Mount Rushmore. The faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln look down over the Black Hills from stony heights to inspire and remind us that even the impossible is possible. You’ll be fascinated by the story of the one man who designed and sculpted this incredible monument and the ingenious techniques used in its construction, all set in the glorious natural beauty of mountains, forests and emerald meadows.
We arrive at Rapid City, the capital of South Dakota. Our hotel tonight is located within walking distance to the downtown area, which is easy to explore on foot.Â
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Day 8
Location: Custer State Park, Crazy Horse Memorial
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today we drive through scenic Custer State Park, home to abundant wildlife, including bighorn sheep, antelope, elk, coyote, prairie dogs, and ‘begging burros’, wild donkeys with a reputation for approaching passing vehicles to ‘ask’ for food. We’ll also visit the Crazy Horse Memorial, still in the process of being sculpted from the mountain cliffs – on a truly vast scale, it will be 172 metres high and 195 metres long when completed.
Day 9
Location: Deadwood, Devils Tower
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Heading east, we pass through legendary Deadwood, the historic gold rush town and a National Historic Landmark, with its wonderfully restored Main Street. Settled by illegal gold rushers in the 1870s, it attracted gunslingers, gamblers and outlaws, including Wild Bill Hickok, who was gunned down here during a poker game. One of the town’s most famous citizens, Calamity Jane, was immortalised in the film of the same name by Doris Day in the song, Deadwood Stage.
Crossing back into the wide-open spaces of Wyoming, we’ll visit the remarkable Devils Tower National Monument. The remains of an ancient volcano rising mystically above the surrounding area, it has been a spiritual icon for many of the Plains tribes and is also instantly recognisable as the aliens’ landing ground in Steven Spielberg’s film, Close Encounters of the Third Kind.Â
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Day 10
Location: Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today we cross into the vast grassy hills of Montana, site of the US Cavalry’s greatest defeat at the hands of Native American tribes. Commanded by the flamboyant Lt Col Custer, the famed US 7th Cavalry suffered huge losses against the combined forces of the Lakota Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes, led by several major war leaders including Crazy Horse. Our local guide will take us through the dramatic events that led up to Custer’s Last Stand. We stay the night in Cody. In the evening, you may wish to experience the Cody Nite Rodeo, which runs on a nightly basis from June till August.
Day 11
Location: Cody, Yellowstone National Park
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
The town of Cody is named after ‘Buffalo Bill’ Cody, US soldier, bison hunter, showman and one of the most colourful figures of the Old West. His career began at age 11 when he worked on the wagon trains, then at 15 he was the youngest rider on the Pony Express. He was also a Union soldier in the Civil War, a famed fighter against the Indians and most notably, the founder of the Wild West Show that ran for 30 years. He was probably the world’s first international showman, dining with heads of state, including Queen Victoria. After a visit to he Buffalo Bill Center of the West, we cross into Yellowstone National Park over the 8,500-foot-high Sylvan Pass.
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Day 12
Location: Yellowstone National Park
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Wilderness is the theme of the day as we head into the park, the USA’s first and finest nature
reserve. The breathtaking scenery is incredibly special – see the stunning Lower Falls, twice the height of Niagara; the awe-inspiring Yellowstone Grand Canyon; wonderful bubbling mud pools, steaming rivers and hot springs, including the most famous geyser of all, Old Faithful. There are opportunities to catch sight of the park’s strikingly diverse wildlife, such as herds of bison and elk, or if you’re lucky, grizzly bears.
Day 13
Location: West Yellowstone, Salt Lake City
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today we continue the journey south through some fascinating landscapes. We take a stop at the city of Idaho Falls, surrounded by the Snake River, as we head back to Salt Lake City. Here we visit Temple Square, forty years in its construction and the Beehive house, one of the two official residences of the first Church leader, Brigham Young.
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Day 14
Location: Salt Lake City
Meals Included: Breakfast
After a leisurely morning we take an early afternoon transfer to the airport for our overnight flight home.
What's Included
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The price of this holiday is per person based on two people sharing a twin room and includes: Scheduled direct flights to Salt Lake City All transfers Thirteen nights' accommodation in three-star hotels Daily breakfast All tours as mentioned Visits to Arches, Mesa Verde;& Yellowstone National Parks, Mt Rushmore, Devils Tower, guided tour of the Little Bighorn Battlefield, city tour of Salt Lake City, Durango & Silverton railway Porterage of one item of luggage per person The services of a Riviera tour managerPlease note: adverse weather conditions may result in some road closures in Yellowstone in early or late season.
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Accommodation
Thirteen nights' accommodation in three-star hotels
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All transfers
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Meals
Daily breakfast
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Visits to Arches, Mesa Verde & Yellowstone National Parks, Mt Rushmore, Devils Tower, guided tour of the Little Bighorn Battlefield, city tour of Salt Lake City, Durango & Silverton railway
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Porterage of one item of luggage per person
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All tours as mentioned
What's Not Included
Check out our Q&As
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Are airport transfers included in this tour?
Yes
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Are all entrance fees included in the price?
Yes
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Are all the relevant entry visa’s included in the price of the tour?
Yes
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Are flights included in this tour?
Yes
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Are children permitted to take part in the tour?
No
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Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?
Yes
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How long has the tour company been trading?
For almost 40 years
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I have reduced mobility; can I still travel?
We want to ensure you make the correct choice before you book your holiday with us. If you have any concerns regarding the suitability of the holiday due to reduced mobility we would encourage you to contact us to discuss these concerns
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Do I require travel insurance?
It is a condition of booking that you carry suitable travel insurance.
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What is my luggage allowance?
You will receive details of your luggage allowance with your final travel documents, which are sent approximately 10 days prior to your date of departure.
Reviews of this Operator
Dates & Availability
Monday - Monday
Apr 28, 2025 - May 12, 2025Monday - Monday
May 12, 2025 - May 26, 2025Monday - Monday
Jun 16, 2025 - Jun 30, 2025Monday - Monday
Sep 15, 2025 - Sep 29, 2025Book with Confidence
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Low Deposit
Riviera Travel requires a minimum deposit of 500 GBP per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 75 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of riviera travel charges.
Up to 75 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 74 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 60 days before tour starts: Forfeit 70% of booking price.
At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 90% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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Terms and Conditions