St. George Dinosaurs - Ancient Odysseys

Your Southwest adventure begins in Las Vegas, Nevada, where you’ll meet your friendly Southwest Adventure Tours tour director at the Las Vegas Airport. After getting acquainted with your fellow travelers, board our comfortable touring vehicle and depart the city for an unforgettable journey through the Mojave Desert.

As we travel north, enjoy sweeping desert landscapes and a scenic rest stop along the way before crossing into Utah. The changing terrain sets the tone for the incredible natural beauty ahead. By late afternoon, we arrive in St. George, Utah, where you’ll check in for a relaxing three-night stay.

After a day of travel, unwind and settle in before joining the group for a welcome dinner, the perfect opportunity to get to know your fellow adventurers and kick off the tour experience.

Important Arrival Note:
Please plan to arrive at Las Vegas Airport no later than 1:00 PM to ensure a smooth group departure.

Lodging: The Advenire, Autograph Collection

Today’s adventure takes you to the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm, one of the most important fossil sites in the region. This unique museum preserves thousands of real dinosaur footprints exactly where they were discovered, offering a rare hands-on look into prehistoric life in Southern Utah.

Upon arrival, begin with a guided tour of the on-site laboratory, where you’ll learn how paleontologists prepare, study, and preserve fossils. Next, enter the active quarry for an orientation that includes training and a safety briefing before your excavation begins.

Then it’s time to get hands-on. Spend the next several hours digging in the quarry alongside a professional paleontologist, uncovering fossils at the original discovery site. Expect to get a little dirty as you kneel, sit, and work carefully in the excavation area — the effort is real, but the experience is incredibly rewarding.

After a break for lunch, return to the quarry for additional digging in the afternoon. The day wraps up with clean-up, bagging specimens, and reviewing your take-home fossils, all under the guidance of the paleontologist.

Important Physical Notes:
Participants should be comfortable kneeling and sitting for extended periods. This is an active, hands-on experience, and getting dirty is part of the fun.

Following a fascinating day at the dig site, return to your hotel in St. George with the evening free to relax, dine, or explore the town at your own pace.

Lodging: The Advenire, Autograph Collection

Meals: B, L

This morning, return to the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site for another exciting day of hands-on fossil exploration. You’ll spend additional time working in the active quarry alongside a professional paleontologist, continuing your dinosaur dig experience and building on what you learned the previous day. This extended time in the quarry is the perfect way to fully round out your real dinosaur excavation experience.

After an included lunch, depart for the Warner Valley Dinosaur Track Site, where you’ll explore preserved dinosaur footprints left behind millions of years ago. Walk among the tracks and gain a deeper appreciation for the ancient creatures that once roamed this region.

To cap off the day, head to stunning Snow Canyon State Park, known for its striking red and white sandstone cliffs, lava flows, and scenic desert landscapes. Enjoy time to explore and hike, taking in the natural beauty of one of Southern Utah’s most underrated state parks.

After an incredible day filled with fossils, footprints, and scenery, return to your hotel. The evening is free on your own to relax, dine, or continue exploring St. George at your leisure.

Lodging: The Advenire, Autograph Collection

Meals: B, L

This morning, depart St. George for a scenic drive to Bryce Canyon National Park, one of the most visually striking landscapes in the American Southwest. Spend the day touring and hiking among Bryce Canyon’s famous hoodoos, where vibrant colors and otherworldly rock formations spark the imagination of visitors of all ages.

Long before it became a national park, the Paiute Indians described Bryce Canyon as “red rocks standing like men in a bowl-shaped canyon.” Later, pioneer Ebenezer Bryce, for whom the park is named, famously remarked that it was “a hell of a place to lose a cow.” Today, this unforgettable landscape continues to inspire awe and curiosity.

Enjoy lunch on your own inside or near the park, then continue exploring in the afternoon with opportunities for moderate hiking along scenic viewpoints and trails.

Later in the day, check into your hotel just outside Bryce Canyon National Park, with time to relax and take in the fresh mountain air. This evening, join the group for a memorable night of western-style food and entertainment at Ebenezer’s Barn & Grill, a local favorite that captures the spirit of the Old West.

As night falls, cap off the day with an unforgettable Stargazing Experience led by local astronomers. Bryce Canyon is a designated International Dark Sky Park, making it one of the best places for stargazing in the United States. Using a high-powered telescope, explore planets, galaxies, star clusters, nebulae, and other breathtaking celestial sights as you marvel at the vastness of our universe.

Lodging: Best Western Plus - Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel

Meals: B

This morning, depart Bryce Canyon for a scenic drive to Zion National Park, Utah’s oldest and most iconic national park. As you enter the park, experience towering sandstone formations rising over 2,000 feet, dramatic canyon walls, and the historic Zion–Mount Carmel Tunnel carved directly through the rock.

Spend time exploring Zion Canyon, a lush, green oasis where the Virgin River winds through the canyon floor beneath massive red rock cliffs. The striking contrast between flowing water and towering stone makes Zion one of the most breathtaking landscapes in the Southwest. It’s easy to understand why the local Paiute Indians believed Zion was a sacred place where spirits dwelled and would not enter after dark.

An included lunch allows you to relax and refuel while enjoying the scenery. Afterward, continue taking in the park’s highlights before departing Zion in the afternoon.

Travel across the desert with a scenic rest stop along the way, then arrive this evening in the “Entertainment Capital of the World,” Las Vegas, for your final night. After checking into your hotel, say goodbye to your local tour director. The evening is free to explore everything Las Vegas has to offer, from world-class dining and shows to iconic nightlife and attractions.

Lodging: DoubleTree by Hilton Las Vegas Airport

Meals: B, L

Breakfast is included at your hotel. Transfer to the Las Vegas Airport by the hotel shuttle, for your departure flight home.

Meals: B