Grand Circle Experience
Spend 12 magical days exploring cascading petrified sand dunes, vibrant pine forests, and sunset-red deserts in 7 national parks of the Southwest. Join a small group of no more than 14 guests and a private guide on this 12-day luxury adventure. The Grand Circle of the Southwest National Parks with its hiking, scenic viewpoints, local eateries, hidden gems, and other fantastic experiences await you!
Tour Highlights:
- Zion National Park
- Grand Canyon National Park, North Rim
- Vermillion Cliffs National Monument
- Lake Powell & Glen Canyon Dam
- Float trip down the Colorado River
- Antelope Canyon (slot canyon tour)
- Tour of Monument Valley
- Four Corners Monument
- Mesa Verde National Park
- Durango
- Train trip on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
- Million Dollar Highway over Red Mountain Pass
- Ouray
- Moab
- Arches National Park
- Canyonlands National Park
- Goblin Valley State Park
- Capitol Reef National Park
- Grand Staircase-Escalante Monument
- Scenic Highway 12, All-American Road
- Bryce Canyon National Park
Inclusions:
- Services of a Southwest Adventure Tours tour director – a professional tour guide
- Comfortable transportation
- 11 nights hotel accommodations at 3-star hotels
- 11 breakfasts
- 8 lunches
- 3 dinners
- Fees for tours & activities listed under Tour Highlights above
- Park entrance fees
- Airport transfers (hotel shuttle)
- Gratuities for included meals and activities
- Applicable taxes and fees
Daily Breakdown:
- Day 1: Arrive in Las Vegas
- Day 2: Zion National Park
- Day 3: Grand Canyon North Rim, Vermillion Cliffs, Lake Powell
- Day 4: Colorado River float trip, Antelope Canyon
- Day 5: Monument Valley, Four Corners
- Day 6: Mesa Verde National Park, Durango
- Day 7: Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad trip, Million Dollar Hwy, Ouray
- Day 8: Arches National Park, Moab
- Day 9: Canyonlands National Park, Goblin Valley State Park
- Day 10: Capital Reef National Park, Grand Staircase-Escalante Monument, Hwy 12
- Day 11: Bryce Canyon National Park, return to Las Vegas
Visual Itinerary Video:
Coming soon
Guest Video
Interested in learning more about the Grand Circle Experience? Watch this video that was created by one of our guests that led a tour.
Itinerary:
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Arrive at the Las Vegas Airport anytime today and then transfer by hotel shuttle on your own to a pre-night hotel. Evening free on your own.
Hampton Inn, Airport, Las Vegas, NV
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Your journey will begin when you are met by your guide at the hotel and embark on the journey to Zion National Park. Here, you will explore sites like the Great White Throne, the Court of the Patriarchs, and the beginning of Zion Canyon Narrows. For those more adventurous, possible hiking opportunities include climbing up to Scouts Lookout with jaw-dropping views of Angels Landing above and Zion Canyon below, a longer hike through Zion Canyon Narrows or, for those that prefer easy walking, try the Pa’rus Trail, all time and weather permitting.
La Quinta Inn & Suites, Springdale, UT (L, D)
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Your morning starts with breakfast and a drive up the Zion switchbacks to see a wild world of swirling sandstone, then through the east entrance toward. We pass through Kanab, Utah, marveling at yet more fantastic rock formations along the way. Then, we go up to the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park and visit viewpoints Cape Royal and Point Imperial, then the visitor center for some more incredible views of this natural wonder. Continue your journey to Page, Arizona by crossing the Navajo Bridge spanning the Colorado River, passing by the enormous Vermilion Cliffs, so named for their brilliantly crimson striations of sedimentary rock. Our lodging for the next two nights is on the shores of Lake Powell.
Lake Powell Resort & Marina, Page, AZ (B, L)
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Another dramatic drive, this time down an incline tunnel that brings you to the base of Glen Canyon Dam for a 14-mile float trip down the Colorado River. You’ll be surrounded by deep sandstone canyons, plus a stop to view some fascinating petroglyphs. To top the day off, you'll tour the mesmerizing undulations of Antelope Canyon with a Navajo local as your guide. Enjoy the evening at leisure in Page, Arizona with dinner at one of the local haunts.
Lake Powell Resort & Marina, Page, AZ (B)
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Today you will head to Kayenta, Arizona, for a brief stop before entering Monument Valley in an open-air truck. Admire the gigantic formations up close or towering along the horizon. You'll also visit filming spots for classic Western movies and lesser-frequented outcroppings in the backcountry. Returning to Gouldings Lodge, you'll enjoy scenic, Navajo-inspired fine dining before continuing on to Four-Corners Monument where you will stop to shop and snap a shot at the famous spot where the borders of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah all meet.
Far View Lodge, Mesa Verde National Park, CO (B, L, D)
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Start your day with breakfast at the Metate Room and enjoy the view here at Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. Here, you'll tour the dramatic ruins of ancient Pueblo cliff houses, built into shallow caves and under rock overhangs. Then, stop at viewpoints and a museum along the mesa top before heading to the San Juan Mountains for Durango. This frontier town offers plenty of restaurants and shopping — just the place to enjoy your free evening.
The Strater Hotel, Durango, CO (B, L)
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Score a true frontier experience with a steam engine train ride on the Durango and Silverton Railroad, an impressive track built in 1881 that snakes along the canyons of the Animas River Valley. It'll be lunchtime when you arrive in Silverton, and the Shady Lady, Bent Elbow, and Natalie's – all former bordellos and current restaurants – will be happy to accommodate you (for food that is). Then, trek the twisting turns of the Million Dollar Highway, marvel at the orange-colored towering mountains near Red Mountain Pass, stop in Ouray for some shopping, before the final leg to Moab.
NOTE: if traveling from March 1 to May 1, the train will turn around at Cascade Canyon and return to Durango due to snow.
Lodging – Hyatt Place, Moab, UT (B)
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Spend the morning exploring Arches National Park and its 2,000 natural sandstone arches, where you'll experience several of them firsthand as you hike to Delicate Arch, Landscape Arch, Devil's Garden, and Courthouse Towers. Returning to the hotel, you'll have the afternoon free before an early dinner at a local restaurant, giving us plenty of time to head over to Canyonlands National Park and watch the sun set over the seemingly endless canyons from Grandview Point or similar.
Lodging – Hyatt Place, Moab, UT (B, L, D)
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Today, you're treated to another scenic drive into Canyonlands National Park to see and experience the majestic Mesa Arch in the morning. This is the best time to photograph this formation. You will then enjoy the San Rafael Swell along the way, take a quick look at the other-worldly landscape of Goblin Valley State Park, then on to Capitol Reef National Park, where you'll hike up to Hickman Bridge, enjoy the Grand Wash, and look for Geodes and other activities within this seldomly visited park. Dinner and an enjoyable evening will be experienced at one of the local hotels in this area.
Lodging – Broken Spur Inn, Torrey, UT (B, L)
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After seeing more of the sights in Capital Reef National Park, traverse the Grand Staircase-Escalante Monument via scenic Hwy 12, known as the All-American Road for its iconic vistas. Along Hwy 12, you’ll see deep canyons that have been carved through the landscape before arriving at Bryce Canyon National Park, a Utah treasure filled with unearthly archways and rose-colored hoodoos. You'll spend the late afternoon hiking one of the stunning canyons, then relaxing and dining in rustic elegance at The Lodge at Bryce Canyon Restaurant.
Lodging – Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel, Bryce Canyon, UT (B, L)
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Your last day in the Southwest's fantastic landscape starts with a stellar sendoff of early morning sun lighting up pink cliffs during an unforgettable sunrise over the Bryce Amphitheater. After hiking and exploring more of the canyon, you'll head back to Las Vegas, stopping for lunch at a local joint in Cedar City, Utah, then take a few final views of Zion National Park from the Kolob Fingers section before returning through the Virgin Gorge to Las Vegas. Hotel drop-off by 6:00pm Pacific Standard Time.
Lodging – Hampton Inn Airport, Las Vegas, NV (B, L)
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Transfer to the Las Vegas Airport by hotel shuttle on your own for your departure flight home.
Meals: B
Tour Details:
Not included
- Items of a personal nature, such as alcohol, room service, etc.)
- Any meals not listed
- Airfare
- Optional activities
- Gratuities for the tour director
Arrival / Departure Information
- Arrival Location: McCarran International Airport (LAS)
- Arrival Time: Any time on day 1
- Departure Location: McCarran International Airport (LAS)
- Departure Time: Any time on day 12
Physical Requirements
- Clients should be comfortable walking on uneven terrain for an average of 1 to 3 miles at a time.
- Elevation gain and loss averages between 50 to 300 ft over the course of the areas visited during this tour.
- Touring and overnight locations are above 6,000 to 8,000 ft above sea level
- Deboard and board van each time at a viewpoint – a portable step will be available
- Please let us know if you have any other physical/health limitations or requirements
Note:
Southwest Adventure Tours is an authorized permittee of the following parks:
- Arches National Park
- Bryce Canyon National Park
- Capitol Reef National Park
- Canyonlands National Park
- Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
- Mesa Verde National Park
- Zion National Park
Pricing:
- $4,899.00 Per Person Double Occupancy
- $5,499.00 Per person Single Occupancy
- $4,599.00 Per person Triple Occupancy
- $4,399.00 Per person Quad Occupancy
2024 Departure Dates:
May 13 | June 2 |
June 16 | July 14 |
August 4 | August 18 |
September 1 | September 15 |
September 29 | October 13 |