Red Rocks & Painted Canyons

Grand Canyon Bryce and Zion National Parks Glen Canyon Rafting Lake Powell

Discover what life is like inside the awe-inspiring canyons of the west, where you will stay right in the heart of our magnificent National Parks. See ancient cliff dwellings, home to one of the world's oldest civilizations, and explore "cities" of red-rock stones and painted pinnacles, where unique animals roam.

		Watch the sunrise over the Grand Canyon
		Take a jeep or boat adventure to Antelope Canyon
		Raft through Glen Canyon on the scenic Colorado River
		Saddle up for a cowboy ride by mule or
		horse in Bryce Canyon
		Be a National Park "insider" in Zion

Day 1: Arrive Scottsdale, Arizona
Day 2: Cliff Dwellings at Montezuma Castle
Day 3: Hike into the Grand Canyon
Day 4: Antelope Canyon Adventure
Day 5: Rafting in Glen Canyon / Western Show
Day 6: Trail Ride in Bryce Canyon
Day 7: Be A National Park "Insider" in Zion
Day 8: Journey Home from Las Vegas
 

Optional: Aerial Sightseeing / Grand Canyon & Monument Valley

Day 1: Arrive Scottsdale, Arizona
Tour begins: Fairmont Scottsdale Princess at 5:30 PM. Welcome to the Southwest! Enjoy a private Tauck transfer to your luxury resort this afternoon; three swimming pools, tennis courts and a golf course offer lots of great choices for your entire family. Join us for a welcome barbecue tonight. Meals D

Day 2: Cliff Dwellings at Montezuma Castle
See the ancient homes of prehistoric Sinagua Indians at Montezuma Castle National Monument; these five-story "high rise apartments" were built into the cliffs more than 600 years ago! Journey to Sedona, surrounded by towering red rock formations, on your way to the Grand Canyon. Stop at the Museum of Northern Arizona to learn about life in the canyonlands. Over one mile deep and 277 miles long, the Grand Canyon was sculpted by wind and water. See it close-up as you spend the night in a lodge at the Canyon's rim, enjoying its quiet serenity after the crowds depart. Meals BD

Day 3: Hike into the Grand Canyon
Spend the morning at your leisure, perhaps watching the sunrise on a guided early morning hike, looking for mule deer, squirrels and cactus as you explore the canyon rim. Enjoy a tour of the East Rim with a park guide as you depart the Grand Canyon this afternoon en route to Page, Arizona, stopping at Moran Point, Lipan Point and Desert View Lookout; each offers a different

perspective of the canyon. Spend the next two nights in a lodge overlooking the canyons of Lake Powell. Meals BD

Day 4: Antelope Canyon Adventure
Discover the secret worlds of Lake Powell by land or by water this morning. Take a scenic journey by boat or 4-wheel drive jeep to the world-famous Antelope Canyon of the Navajo Nation; an awe-inspiring sculpture of stone, it was carved from rugged sandstone by a millennium of rain

and wind. Spend the afternoon as you wish; your resort offers a variety of water sports! Meals BD

Day 5: Rafting in Glen Canyon / Western Show
Take a float trip on the Colorado River on a pontoon raft through Glen Canyon today; you may be able to spot a variety of wildlife living amidst the colorful sandstone canyons. Enjoy real western entertainment during lunch in Kanab, Utah, this afternoon, the setting for some of the most famous cowboy movies ever made. Continue on to Bryce Canyon National Park, a land of pines and pinnacles. Travel the rim road, where before you lies a city of "rock candy" cathedral spires tinted with shades of pink, red and orange; it is one of Mother Nature's true masterpieces! Stay in the heart of the park tonight at Bryce Canyon Lodge, listed on the National Historic Register. Enjoy a dazzling light show from sunrise to sunset, as the changing light plays upon the rocks of the canyon! Meals BLD

Day 6: Cowboy Trail Ride in Bryce Canyon
Wake up to a changing palette of brilliant colors in the canyon this morning; get a closer look at the whimsical "hoodoos" and intricately carved pillars of rock just a short walk from your lodge. Weather permitting, saddle up for an exciting trail ride on a horse or a mule with a cowboy who points out hidden sights in this geologic fantasyland; Bryce Canyon is home to an ever-changing diversity of naturally-carved amphitheaters, rocky spires, gravity-defying bridges, balanced rocks and sculpted limestone cliffs. Leave for Zion National Park this afternoon; your sought-after "in the park" accommodations promise memorable experiences, day and night! Meals BLD

Day 7: Be A National Park "Insider" in Zion
Spend the morning as you wish,"reading the rocks" in Zion National Park's cliff-and-canyon landscape or taking a hike through narrow pink-colored gorges and dramatic canyons – eight different rock strata, deposited over 200 million years, can be found here; see creamy-pink Navajo Sandstone cliffs that reach up to 2,200 feet in height! Change gears this afternoon as you travel to the bright city lights of Las Vegas. Settle into Caesar's Palace, located right in the heart of the "Strip" before joining us for a special farewell dinner tonight. Meals BD

Day 8: Journey Home from Las Vegas
Tour ends: Las Vegas. Fly out anytime; checkout time is 12:00 noon. Since individuals leave at different times, a transfer to the airport is not included. Allow a minimum of two hours for flight check-in. Meals B