Yellowstone to The Grand Canyon
America's Favorite National Parks
9 Days | Late May-September
Starting At $Flexible Pricing
This combination tour takes the best from our 7-Day “Yellowstone & The Grand Tetons Tour” and from our 7-Day “Canyonlands of the Southwest” and turns it into one epic adventure 9-Day Featuring the best of The National Parks with Yellowstone on the North and the Grand Canyon & Las Vegas on the South.
Highlights
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We are happy to accommodate Groups who want to add a night or two, or further customize their trip.
GoAndersonGroups Flexible Pricing:
- Customizable Comps
- Net Rates
- Luxury or First Class Hotels & Meals
- Professional Tour Managers are available
Whatever you want, GoAndersonGroups will be happy to structure tour prices to match your needs. Just let us know!
Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrive Salt Lake City
Today, your western adventure begins! Arrive Salt Lake City and meet your local tour director who will be with you for the entire trip. You start with a guided Sightseeing Tour of Salt Lake City. Some of the local attractions you might see include: The Great Salt Lake, State Capitol Building & Governor’s Mansion, Old Mormon Pioneer Trail, This is The Place Monument, Trolley Square, Olympic Stadium & Village, Beehive House, Lion House, Eagle Gate, Temple Gardens & Fountains and more.
Following your tour, a Welcome Dinner is included at a local restaurant before checking into your overnight hotel. (The Hotel RL or similar) (D)
Day 2 – Yellowstone National Park – Old Faithful w/lunch
Leaving the Wasatch Mountains behind, you travel north to Yellowstone National Park. A wonderland of natural beauty and geologic oddities are around each bend, from the steaming geysers and fumaroles to bubbling mud pots. Today ,you will explore the thermal features of the geyser basins including Midway Geyser Basin and Fountain Paint Pots. Then witness an eruption of Old Faithful, the centerpiece of the park. Lunch will be included today in the park. After some free time to explore Old Faithful Village on your own, travel along the beautiful Madison River to West Yellowstone, MT and check in for a two night stay. Dinner is included tonight at a local restaurant. (Gray Wolf Inn & Suites or similar) (B,L,D)
Day 3 – Yellowstone – Wildlife Safari
This morning, you enjoy a tour of the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center where you will gain insight into the lives of Yellowstone’s two top predators. The mission of this center is to educate the public and give them a chance to uniquely experience the grizzly bears and grey wolves. A naturalist on staff will lead a guided tour of the facility, and then there will be free time to wander through the exhibits and enjoy a variety of presentations on bears, wolves, birds of prey and more.
Your ticket also provides entrance into the IMAX Theater located next door which features “Yellowstone,” a unique introspect to the park’s history, wildlife, geothermal activity and spectacular grandeur. Then enjoy some free time to explore West Yellowstone and enjoy an included boxed lunch.
This afternoon, depart on a Yellowstone Wildlife Safari. After breaking into small groups, you will meet your local naturalist guide and return to Yellowstone National Park for an afternoon and evening of exploration. First, travel through Norris Geyser Basin with the chance for some optional hiking. Then make your way to Mammoth Hot Springs for a walk through the colorful terraced formations of calcium carbonate that continues to change and grow. Next travel east into the beautiful Lamar Valley where we’ll enjoy a picnic dinner as the sun begins its slow descent, the best time for wildlife viewing. Your search for wildlife begins in earnest here as you explore Dunraven Pass. Your expert guides will provide high quality optics to help you locate and view a wide variety of wildlife. Keep the cameras ready: elk, bison, moose, wolves and bear frequently make an appearance in these areas at dusk. It will be a late return to West Yellowstone after an unforgettable experience in Yellowstone. (B,L,D)
Day 4 – Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Park
Return to Yellowstone National Park this morning and visit the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, a perfect picture stop with water cascading down and carving ever deeper into the canyon walls. Next, enter scenic Hayden Valley and then travel south along Yellowstone Lake, where you will see an abundance of wildflowers and wildlife, elk, moose, deer, and maybe even a bear! Soon you will be in Grand Teton National Park where you’ll see America’s youngest and most rugged mountains piercing the clouds in majestic splendor.
Stop for postcard photos of Jackson Lake, Mt. Moran, lovely Jenny Lake and more. In the late afternoon, arrive in Jackson after an amazing day in the Tetons! The evening is at leisure to explore this fun western town. (49’er Inn & Suites or similar) (B,L)
Day 5 – Grand Teton – Snake River Float Trip – 2002 Olympic Games Site
This morning you return to Grand Teton National Park for an unforgettable Scenic Float Trip on the Snake River. Your river guide will point out wildlife, explain the geology of the area and tell stories about local history and folklore.
You will then depart the rugged Tetons and travel south to Utah with a stop for lunch on own along the way. Next arrive at Utah Olympic Park near Park City to tour the amazing facility that hosted events for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games and continues to host World Cup events. You will see the Nordic Jumps along with the Bobsled and Luge Track, which is the fastest ice on earth. Continue to Utah’s second largest city, Provo, for an overnight stay. Dinner is included this evening at a local restaurant. (La Quinta Inn or similar) (B,D)
Day 6 – Bryce Canyon National Park – Kanab – Western Themed Dinner
Today, you travel along the westernmost front of the Rocky Mountains to Bryce Canyon National Park, one of the most amazing and fascinating sights on earth. You will stand on the edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau, where before you lays a city of stone cathedral spires, delicately tinted in shades of pink, red, and orange. Lunch is included today. In the late afternoon you travel to the town of Kanab also known as “Little Hollywood” due to the many movies, television shows and commercials filmed in the area. Tonight you enjoy a Western Themed Dinner. (B,L,D)
Day 7 – Cedar Breaks National Park – Lake Powell – Cameron Trading Post
Today, you will visit Cedar Breaks National Monument which maybe one of Utah’s best national park secrets. Hidden within the mountains above Cedar City is the brilliant geology and vibrant environment of Cedar Breaks National Monument. The geologic amphitheater and surrounding environs are home to cool hiking trails, ancient trees, high elevation camping, and over-the-top views along the “Circle of Painted Cliffs.”
Cedar Breaks’ majestic amphitheater is a three-mile-long cirque made up of eroding limestone, shale, and sandstone. Situated on the western edge of the Markagunt Plateau, the raised area of earth located in Southern Utah between Interstate 15 and Highway 89, the monument sits entirely above 10,000 feet. The Amphitheater is like a naturally formed coliseum that plunges 2,000 feet below taking your eyes for a colorful ride through arches, towers, hoodoos, and canyons. Stunning views are common throughout so keep your camera nearby.
Later this afternoon you travel across the Arizona Strip on your way to Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Dam, thee will be a short stop for photos at the Lake and an opportunity to learn how the dam was constructed. From here you turn south in to the Navajo Reservation and the Cameron Trading Post for lodging and dinner. (Grand Canyon Hotel or similar, Cameron, AZ) (B,D)
Day 8 – Grand Canyon National Park – Las Vegas
This morning you visit The Grand Canyon. One of the Wonders of the World. This National Park contains 1.2 million acres of and hosts a large variety of wildlife, geology and history. You will stop at many breathtaking viewpoints along the Rim, and see Grand Canyon Village while on tour. The Colorado River is the main contributor in the creation of the Canyon and can still be carving its way through the rock roughly a mile below.
After lunch on own in the Grand Canyon Village, you continue traveling west on highway that was once Route 66. You motor through Arizona, cross over the Nevada Border and enter Las Vegas. After checking into a downtown hotel for an overnight stay, the remainder of the evening is at leisure to explore all that Las Vegas has to offer. (Monte Carlo Hotel or similar) (B)
Day 9 – Depart for Home
After breakfast, you will depart for the airport. Groups with a late flight out Las Vegas will store luggage and enjoy the day until your airport transfer later (B)
Featured Hotels are subject to availability on the dates you choose.