Sample group itinerary

Canyon Spirit Rail & Utah's Mighty 5

8 days · Denver to Salt Lake City

This is a sample itinerary — an example of a trip we have built for groups, not a scheduled departure. We build every group trip around your travelers: the dates, length, pace, hotels and activities can all change.

Board the Canyon Spirit in Denver for two days by rail through the Colorado Rockies and down the Colorado River to Moab, then continue by motorcoach through Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon and Zion before finishing in Salt Lake City.

Runs April through November. The rail journey sets the calendar, so this trip starts on a Monday or Tuesday.
This sample includes the Salt Lake Temple Open House, which is open to the public from April 5 to October 1, 2027 only.

The multi-colored cliffs of the Towers of the Virgin in Zion National Park.

Day by day

Day 1
Arrive Denver
Arrive at the Denver Airport and enjoy a group transfer to your hotel in downtown Denver. As time allows, enjoy a short driving tour of this historic western city. This evening, join the group for a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.
Dinner included
Day 2
Canyon Spirit to Glenwood Springs
This morning, transfer to Denver Union Station and board the Canyon Spirit for a rail journey through the Rockies. Enjoy stunning views, regional cuisine, and warm hospitality. From feats of human ingenuity to nature's grandest marvels, encounter the route's most memorable highlights. After a wonderful journey through the mountains of Colorado, arrive in Glenwood Springs, where you will disembark from the train and check into your hotel for overnight. The evening is free to explore this fun and historic town. Wonderful shopping and dining are within walking distance, as are the world-famous hot springs.
Breakfast and lunch included
Day 3
Canyon Spirit to Moab and the Colorado River
Reboard the Canyon Spirit in Glenwood Springs for a journey along the Colorado River. The Colorado Plateau does not disappoint as you travel through scenic Ruby Canyon and the Price River Valley. In the afternoon, arrive in Moab, where you will meet your local Southwest Adventure Tours guide and transfer to your hotel. After some time to settle in, board a large jet boat for the Unwind & Dine cruise on the Colorado River. During the hour-and-a-half cruise you will be surrounded by the valley's two-thousand-foot cliffs, with a glass of wine or a beer and live entertainment as you glide upriver. Back at the private dock, a delicious dinner is waiting for you.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Day 4
Arches and Canyonlands
This morning, enter Arches National Park for sightseeing and short hikes. Hike to Landscape Arch, one of the longest natural arches in the world, stop at the Delicate Arch Viewpoint, and visit the Windows Section and Double Arch. Lunch is included today. After lunch, take a scenic drive to Canyonlands National Park for the Visitor Center, Green River Overlook and Grand View Point, with a chance to hike along the rim of the Island in the Sky. Later in the afternoon, visit Dead Horse Point State Park for one of the most spectacular scenes in the Southwest: Canyonlands stretching to the south and the Colorado River 2,000 feet below. Return to Moab with the evening free to explore and have dinner on your own.
Breakfast and lunch included
Day 5
Capitol Reef, Grand Staircase and Bryce Canyon
Depart Moab for a scenic drive through the San Rafael Swell, then arrive at Capitol Reef National Park to see ancient petroglyphs, beautiful rock formations, deep canyons and pioneer history. Utah's least-visited park is part of a 100-mile-long wrinkle in the earth known as the Waterpocket Fold. Next, drive Scenic Highway 12, designated an All-American Road, up and over Boulder Mountain at more than 9,000 feet, with views of Capitol Reef, the Circle Cliffs and the Henry Mountains. Travel on through Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument and its vast expanses of cream and rose-colored Navajo sandstone. In the late afternoon, arrive at Bryce Canyon National Park for sightseeing. Mormon settler Ebenezer Bryce, for whom the canyon was named, described it as "a hell of a place to lose a cow." Check into your hotel just outside the park, then join the group for western food and entertainment at Ebenezer's Barn and Grill.
Breakfast and dinner included
Day 6
Bryce Canyon to Zion
Depart Bryce Canyon with a scenic drive through Red Canyon on your way to Mt. Carmel Junction, where you will transfer to smaller vehicles for a guided trip into Utah's oldest and most famous national park. The smaller vehicles let you explore East Zion and pass through the Mt. Carmel Highway Tunnel, a stunning entrance to Zion Canyon. Experience massive 2,000-foot formations and towers, Zion Canyon and the Virgin River. Lunch is included today. In the late afternoon, check into your hotel in the artists' town of Springdale, with the evening free to explore on your own.
Breakfast and lunch included
Day 7
Zion to Salt Lake City
Depart the Zion area and travel north, with a stop for lunch on your own along the way. In the afternoon, arrive in Salt Lake City for a driving tour of the "Crossroads of the West": downtown, the State Capitol, and This Is the Place Heritage Park. Then experience the Salt Lake Temple Open House, a once-in-a-generation chance to tour the temple after a five-year renovation. The last time it was open to the public was April 1893, just before its first dedication. After checking into your hotel, join the group for a farewell dinner to share stories of your adventures on the train and through Utah's Mighty 5.
Breakfast and dinner included
Day 8
Depart Salt Lake City
A group transfer to the Salt Lake Airport is provided for your flight home.
Breakfast included