Southwest National Parks Adventure

Welcome to Las Vegas, a desert oasis of neon lights and a city that needs no introduction. After you check in to your hotel, you'll meet your guide and have a chance to experience the sights and sounds of this wonderland firsthand.

You'll depart Las Vegas early this morning and make your way to Kingman, one of Arizona’s hidden treasures. Once in Kingman, you'll join Route 66 and travel along the longest stretch that remains of this historic route to Seligman. Evidence of the old road can be seen all along Seligman’s main street where motels, cafés, and numerous gift shops beg to be explored. You'll continue to your final destination, Grand Canyon National Park, a natural wonder that you simply have to see to believe. We suggest you spend time discovering the distinct South Rim. This evening, you'll enjoy a welcome dinner with the other smarTours travelers.

You may wish to rise early today to watch the sunrise over the Grand Canyon, this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity should not be missed. The Grand Canyon was carved by the Colorado River and is 227 miles long and up to 18 miles wide. Later in the morning, you will enjoy a guided hike with your Tour Guide and then the afternoon is yours to explore the Grand Canyon at your leisure. Consider an optional helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon this afternoon.

Today you'll journey to another stunning region, Antelope Canyon, the most photographed slot canyon in the world. Formed over hundreds of years of water running through sandstone, Antelope Canyon is both a sacred site for the Navajo and a favorite destination for visitors from around the world. You'll then continue to the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation before you arrive at your final destination, Kayenta.

This morning, you'll see some of the most iconic sandstone buttes of Monument Valley and the heart of the sacred Navajo Nation. Towering sandstone rock formations starting at the valley floor soar to the skies and have been sculpted over time in this American West wonderland. You’ll enjoy a Navajo-guided jeep tour of Monument Valley and a special BBQ lunch at the Navajo Nation Tribal Park before you head to Moab.

Enjoy a full day in Canyonlands National Park where you will see a wilderness of countless canyons, and fantastically formed buttes carved by the Colorado River and its tributaries. Rivers divide the park into four districts: the Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze, and the Rivers themselves. You will have a guided tour of the most scenic spots on the Island in the Sky mesa that rests on sheer sandstone cliffs over 1,000 feet above the surrounding terrain. You may consider an optional Moab Jet Boat Tour later today.

Today you will visit Arches National Park, one of Utah’s Mighty 5. Once in the park, you’ll discover a landscape of contrasting colors, landforms, and textures unlike any other in the world. With over 2,000 natural stone arches, in addition to hundreds of soaring pinnacles and giant balanced rocks, this red rock wonderland will amaze you with its formations and inspire you with its most unique scenery.

Head west today to Utah’s Bryce Canyon National Park. Bryce Canyon consists of a series of horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters where the power of wind, water, and geologic mayhem has etched the pink cliffs & shaped the colorful limestone rock into thousands of spires called “hoodoos”.

You'll continue to Zion National Park, Utah's oldest national park known for its incredible canyons, lush forests, and spectacular views. Explore Zion National Park at your leisure today and follow the paths of ancient native people and gaze at massive sandstone cliffs of cream, pink, and red that soar into the bright blue sky. Afterward, continue on to Las Vegas. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner with your fellow travelers and share stories as you bid farewell to the southwest.

After breakfast, you’ll say goodbye to the new friends, but not the memories you’ve made as you prepare for your journey home.