Large Group Tour: Colorado National Parks
From $3,065 / person
ModerateUp to six miles a day on maintained trails, with some real climbs.Is this trip right for you? ›
Day by day
The whole trip at a glance
Chimney Rock National Monument Day 1
(Sun) – Arrive Denver - Colorado Springs
Arrive in Denver by 1:00 pm. After a brief check-in with your tour director and a stop for lunch on your own, enjoy your first taste of adventures to come as you travel south to Colorado Springs for touring of Garden of the Gods. An abundance of plant and animal life can be found throughout its 1,340 acres, as well as the magnificent red sandstone rock formations, for which the Garden is best known. Next, check into your hotel and join the group for a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.
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Corkscrew Gulch, San Juan Mountains Day 2
(Mon) – Royal Gorge - Colorado Springs
After a leisurely morning, travel to Canon City and board the Royal Gorge Route Railroad for a vintage train ride along the legendary Arkansas River deep within the Gorge. Next, travel to Royal Gorge Park & Bridge, where the world's highest suspension bridge towers 1,053 feet above the Arkansas River. Here you will have time to walk out on the bridge, have lunch on your own and explore other sights in the park. In the afternoon, your next stop will be the rare historical treasure, the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. Preserved under a protective red sandstone overhang, we will see authentic Anasazi cliff dwellings built more than 700 years ago. Before returning to the hotel for a good night’s rest, we conclude our day with dinner at a local restaurant.
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Black Canyon of the Gunnison Day 3
(Tue) – Day 3: Pikes Peak - Great Sand Dunes
Start the day with a unique experience as you take a short drive to Manitou Springs for an exciting ride on the world’s highest cog railway, the Pike’s Peak Cog Railway. Located near Denver and Colorado Springs, the world’s highest cog train takes us to the 14,110 foot summit of America’s Mountain, Pikes Peak, Colorado for spectacular panoramic views of the plain and western mountains. After some time for lunch on own, travel south and then west on the way to Great Sand Dunes National Park for sightseeing. After a wonderful day in Colorado, arrive in Alamosa for a one night stay. Dinner included at a local restaurant.
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1 / 6 Day 4
(Wed) – Mesa Verde
After breakfast, travel to nearby Mesa Verde National Park for a day of exploration. Here you will visit cliff dwellings where the mysterious Anasazi once lived. Known as the "Ancient Ones" to the Navajo, the Anasazi lived in the Four Corners area almost a thousand years ago, then suddenly disappeared - leaving their incredibly well-preserved dwellings to intrigue and challenge modern man. This is the nation’s largest archeological preserve with 4,000 sights including 600 cliff dwellings. Spend some time in the Visitors Center with its large collection of ancient artifacts for an introduction to the ancient culture. Visit the most famous ruin sites with a stop for lunch on own. After a fascinating tour of the park, return to Durango with the rest of the day free to explore this fun western town on your own.
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Hoodoos are visible in the foreground of this vista in the Colorado National Monument Day 5
(Thu) – Million Dollar Hwy – Black Canyon of the Gunnison
This morning, enjoy a scenic drive through the Colorado Rockies. Enjoy some time to explore the historic mining town of Silverton, then drive the stunning Million Dollar Highway as you descend from the mountain through Ouray on your way to Montrose for lunch on own. In the afternoon, enjoy sightseeing of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park along the Rim Road with stops at the visitors center and various viewpoints along the road. Later in the afternoon, continue north to Grand Junction. This evening, see the fantastic monoliths of Colorado National Monument. Over the centuries, wind and water have carved sheer, walled canyons, spires, and gorges from the brilliant orange and red sandstone. Overnight in Grand Junction and enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.
OvernightGrand JunctionMealsBreakfast, DinnerDay 6
(Fri) – Glenwood Springs
Take a short drive to Glenwood Springs and arrive at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park for a scenic gondola ride up the mountain and a tour of Fairy Cave followed by an included lunch. The rest of the day is free to explore the wonderful shops and restaurants in town and to visit Glenwood Hot Springs on your own for a soak in the mineral springs.
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1 / 6 Day 7
(Sat) – Rocky Mountain – Westminster
After a leisurely morning, depart Glenwood Springs and continue your journey through the high Rockies of Colorado. Arrive Grand Lake Lodge for lunch on your own with an amazing view. Then enter Rocky Mountain National Park for sightseeing along the famed Trail Ridge Road which crests at over 12,000 feet including many overlooks to experience the subalpine and alpine worlds. In will be an afternoon of mountain roads, wildlife and breathtaking views. A true Colorado Rocky Mountain High! In the late afternoon, stop in Estes Park and then continue to Westminster for overnight and a farewell dinner.
OvernightWestminsterMealsBreakfast, DinnerDay 8
(Sun) – Journey Home
Say farewell to Colorado as you head over to Denver International Airport for your flight home. Transfers on your own using the hotel airport shuttle as needed.
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National Parks of Colorado
8-Days From $3,065pp
From 14,000-foot-high mountain peaks to stunning deep gorges, from whitewater thrills to Ancestral Pueblo ruins, Colorado is full of opportunities to explore and engage your sense of adventure. Starting in the metropolitan areas of Denver and Colorado Springs, this tour travels through the Rocky Mountains and San Juan Mountains, where you’ll explore this area through a myriad of activities.
Enjoy a visit atop Pikes Peak and other attractions near Colorado Springs. Travel back to your youth with the opportunity to slide down gigantic sand dunes in Great Sand Dunes National Park. Explore the ruins of the vast Ancestral Puebloan civilization that inhabited Mesa Verde for thousands of years, as well as Chimney Rock National Monument. Experience the spectacular mountain vistas from the Million Dollar Highway, peer into the depths of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, then end your day enjoying the beauty of the Colorado National Monument. Feel the thrills of whitewater rafting down the rapids of the Colorado River. Finish the tour with the grand finale by visiting Rocky Mountain National Park and explore Trail Ridge Road to its 12,000-foot summit for a grand view of the many mountain peaks and grand valleys below.
Complimentary Trips
- 1 complimentary single trip for a tour escort is included in the price
Contact Us For More Information
Please fill out the form below with as much information as possible, such as the tour or tours you are working on developing, and we'll be in touch. You may also simply call us at 800-970-5864.
Is this trip right for you?
ModerateLevel 2 of 4
- Maintained trails with uneven footing, steps and sustained climbs. Up to six miles across a full day, usually in two or three separate walks.
- Full days out, often above 6,000ft, and canyon country runs over 100°F from June to August. Shade is not guaranteed.
- Not suitable for a wheelchair, a walker or anyone who cannot manage stairs without a rail. Comfortable if you walk regularly.
- Your guide may change or drop a stop for weather, road closures or time. What is walked on the day is their call.
Anything specific — a knee, a hip, a height worry, a wheelchair — is worth one phone call to 800-970-5864. We would rather move you to a different trip than have you on the wrong one.
Tour details
In the price12
- Services of a Southwest Adventure Tours tour director
- Comfortable transportation on a full-size motorcoach
- 7 nights hotel accommodations
- 7 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 5 dinners
- Park entrance fees
- Pikes Peak Cog Railway
- Royal Gorge Bridge and Park
- Royal Gorge Route Railroad
- Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park
- Gratuities for included meals
- Gratuities for included activities
- Baggage handling (one suitcase per person, where available)
Not in the price3
- Items of a personal nature (alcohol, room service, etc.)
- Meals (other than listed in the itinerary)
- Gratuities for the tour director
Park permits
Southwest Adventure Tours is an authorized permittee of the following parks:
- Grand Teton National Park
- Yellowstone National Park
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