Arrive into San Francisco on your scheduled flight, for a two night stay. Make your way to your chosen San Francisco hotel in the popular Fisherman’s Wharf or Union Square areas of San Francisco. Once you’re checked in and settled, this is your time to get out and about. You can explore the city at your leisure with an included 24 hour Hop on Hop off Sightseeing Tour.

San Francisco hotel

Collect your hire car this morning and depart the city towards Yosemite National Park. The journey is only a few hours and the scenery is ever changing, getting more and more dramatic the closer you get to the National Park.

We recommend driving straight into the National Park to maximise your time here and then check into your chosen Yosemite hotel later today. You now have two days to explore the dramatic landscapes of this impressive national park.

Yosemite hotel

This morning fly from San Francisco airport to Las Vegas proceed to your chosen hotel. Welcome to the ‘City of Lights’! Las Vegas has something everyone. From the outrageous live shows to the excitement of casinos, the action never stops from morning to night. This evening, take your time and stroll down Las Vegas Boulevard, also known as ‘the strip’, to enjoy the spectacle offered by each hotel and casino, they all have a distinctly different theme and present wondrous displays.

Platinum Hotel & Spa or similar

Leave the glitz of Las Vegas this morning and head toward beautiful Zion National Park. Driving into Zion you will be greeted by gigantic sandstone monoliths and the sound of the soft rush of the Virgin River. Zion’s famous ‘Narrows’ are narrow stone crevices with colourful stripes formed by years of water and wind erosion; the result is a hiker’s paradise. In the park and along the river there are a variety of trails and paved pathways for explorers of all skill levels. If you’re short on time however, there is a complimentary shuttle system that runs throughout the park. By utilising this, you can also visit Zion’s other major attractions such as the Emerald Pools, Weeping Rock and Angels Landing. Stop at the Visitor Centre for information on guided tours and park history. Continue on to Kanab for an overnight stay.

Las Vegas > Kanab | 205 miles

Best Western Red Hills or similar

Depart Kanab early this morning to see the north side of the Grand Canyon (weather permitting). The North Rim has three developed viewpoints that look across the expanse of the canyon, rather than into its depths. Point Imperial and Cape Royal are reached via a winding scenic drive, the trip to both points can easily take half a day. Point Imperial, the highest point on the North Rim at 8,803 feet, overlooks the Painted Desert and the eastern end of Grand Canyon.

Continue to beautiful Lake Powell in the afternoon. For thousands of years the Colorado River ran through Glen Canyon carving a tremendous canyon through the sandstone. In 1963 the Glen Canyon dam was constructed and took possession of the Colorado River, turning the natural beauty of Glen Canyon into popular Lake Powell, a body of deep blue water surrounded by red cliff walls. Continue to Page for an overnight stay.

Kanab > Page | 180 miles

Lake Powell Resort or similar

Before you depart this morning, be sure to visit the John Wesley Powell Museum to learn more about Lake Powell, before and after the dam construction. You may also wish to visit the magnificent Rainbow Bridge, the largest natural bridge in the world.

Bid farewell to Lake Powell and drive towards Monument Valley. Over the years, Monument Valley has been the setting for more Western movies than any other site in the United States. Unique sandstone formations punctuate the sometimes barren landscape. At dawn and dusk, the park comes to life when the sun transforms this area into a bright canvas, painting the monoliths with light and colour. Be sure to stop by the Visitor Centre & Museum and see the displays and exhibits of the nation’s largest Native American tribe or take a self-guided valley drive.

Page > Monument Valley | 124 miles

Gouldings Lodge or similar

Depart Kayenta this morning and drive towards Canyonlands National Park, with its spectacular rock formations and vivid colours. Here you can view thousands of feet down into the Colorado and Green Rivers, or thousands of feet up to red rock arches, spires and cliffs. Visit The Needles district of the park, regarded as the most colourful section. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can hike 1,500 feet to Needle Point for breathtaking views. Later, continue on to Moab for a two night stay.

Monument Valley > Moab | 244 miles

Red Cliffs Lodge or similar

Today, visit Arches National Park. Here you will encounter over 2,000 natural freestanding sandstone arches. The number varies from day to day, as old arches crumble and new ones form. The most famous of these is Delicate Arch; the best viewing spots of this impressive arch are reached by leaving the car behind and getting out on to a trail. It is well worth the walk to encounter it’s magnificence up close.

Red Cliffs Lodge or similar

Leave Moab behind to explore more amazing natural scenery. Visit Dead Horse Point State Park, a peninsula of stone surrounded by steep cliffs; it’s perhaps Utah’s most spectacular State Park. From the overlook, perched at 6,000 feet above sea level canyon erosion can be viewed on a grand scale.

Continue to Capitol Reef National Park, where most of the park is created from a hundred mile long ridge of rock that has eroded into wildly colourful and varied sandstone formations. Stop at Panorama Point for some excellent photo opportunities and to enjoy the views, then at the Park’s Visitor Centre you can view their displays and maybe hike one of the many trails that depart from there. Later, continue on to Torrey for an overnight stay.

Arches National Park > Torrey | 203 miles

Capitol Reef Resort or similar

This morning, depart Torrey and drive towards Bryce Canyon National Park. Stop for a visit at the Anasazi Indian Village State Park. This ancient Indian village in the heart of Utah’s canyon country was one of the largest Anasazi communities west of the Colorado River. The site is believed to have been occupied from A.D. 1050 to 1200. The Village remains largely un-excavated, but many artefacts have been uncovered and are on display in the newly remodelled museum.

As you continue, drive through Kodachrome Basin State Park. This Park consists of a spectacle of massive sandstone chimneys, ever-changing from gray and white to shades of red with the day’s mood. Numerous rocks and coves offer solitude, quiet and unique desert beauty.

Your next stop is Bryce Canyon National Park. Dramatically different from Zion, Bryce contains ‘amphitheatres’ of colourful eroded rock formations. These spires of rock are called hoodoos. It is their uniqueness that sets Bryce apart from anywhere else. Light reflecting on the hoodoos at different times of day change the colourful scene of the park. A two night stay has been arranged for you in this area.

Torrey > Bryce Canyon | 132 miles

Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon or similar

Today is yours to explore the wonders of Bryce Canyon National Park. From some of the overlooks, you can see more than 100 miles on a clear day. There are also a variety of walking trails in the park that offer an up-close and personal encounter with nature. All of the unusual hoodoos have names that reflect the shape they resemble. Look to the guideposts or the park publications to see if you can identify these unusual formations.

Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon or similar

Depart Bryce Canyon this morning and drive towards Cedar Breaks National Monument, which somewhat resembles Bryce Canyon but in a much smaller scale. Situated at an elevation of 10,000 feet, Cedar Breaks is shaped like a giant coliseum dropping 2,000 feet to its floor. Deep inside the coliseum are stone spires, columns, arches, pinnacles, and intricate canyons in varying shades of red, yellow and purple. During the summer months, the wildflower display here is nothing short of spectacular. Continue to Las Vegas for a two night stay.

Bryce Canyon > Las Vegas | 258 miles

Platinum Hotel & Spa or similar

Today is yours to explore this electrifying city however you choose. Visit the many elaborate hotels, take in a world famous show or shop till you drop in the many premier malls. For a different side of Vegas, be sure to visit Fremont Street, this historic street features shops, restaurants and casinos all centered around a pedestrian street where high above hangs a canopy screen where more than 12 million lights put on a spectacular show.

Platinum Hotel & Spa or similar

Today marks the end of your time in the USA, drive back to Las Vegas airport to drop off your hire car before boarding your overnight flight back to the UK.