America's Magnificent National Parks - end Rapid City, Small Group

America's Magnificent National Parks - end Rapid City, Small Group

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14 Days From

$9118

America's Magnificent National Parks - end Rapid City, Small Group

14 Days Starting in Phoenix (AZ) and ending in Rapid City

Visiting: Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sedona, Grand Canyon National Park, Monument Valley, Lake Powell, Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, Salt Lake City, Jackson, Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Old Faithful Geyser of California, Cody, Ucross, Devils Tower, Spearfish Canyon, Badlands National Park, Custer State Park, Crazy Horse Memorial, Mt. Rushmore

Tour operator:

Insight Vacations

From: $9118

NB: Prices correct on 21-Sep-2024 but subject to change.

This tour is no longer available, please see similar tours below or send an enquiry

Tour Overview

Explore America's top national parks on this 15-Day guided tour. After an evening in Scottsdale, start your journey in bohemian Sedona, where spiritual seekers and nature lovers alike will revel in its red-hued mountainous landscape. Take a short jaunt to the Grand Canyon, where a Local Expert will show you the wonders of America’s most famed natural beauty. In Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Make Travel Matter and board all-terrain vehicles and ride through the desert with your Navajo guide. Glide through Zion National Park on a private shuttle, before watching the red cliffs and valleys give way to the Rocky Mountains of Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Finally, scale the 563-foot-tall Crazy Horse Memorial and stand face-to-face with the stone carving of the Lakota warrior.

Highlights

  • 5 Dinner with Wine (DW)

  • 13 Breakfast (B)

  • 1 Lunch (L)

  • 1 Dinner (D)

  • Choose between two carefully selected activities

  • Zion National Park: Explore the natural beauty of Zion National Park on a guided hike to the famed Emerald Pools.

  • Zion National Park: Visit the Zion Nature Center at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center - The most well known of Zion’s Earth friendly endeavor. Learn about how the Center was built on a previously disturbed site & utilized outdoor exhibits to take advantage of Zion’s climate or alternatively, take a hike to the Emerald Pools led by your Travel Director.

  • Ucross: Live the American frontier dream with a scenic morning country horseback ride.

  • Ucross: Take a leisurely fishing outing and enjoy the serene surroundings.

  • Our highly-skilled Travel Director will ensure your journey is seamless, serving as your expert guide, consummate organiser, and friend overseas.

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Itinerary

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Day 1: Arrive In Phoenix And Travel To Scottsdale

Location: Phoenix, Scottsdale

Accommodation: Valley Ho, Scottsdale

Accommodation Name: Valley Ho, Scottsdale

Welcome to Arizona, famous for its scenic road trips, towering Monument Valley, and of course the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon. Head to Scottsdale at your leisure to explore Old Scottsdale, a vibrant and unique urban downtown area that introduces you the best of the state. Here, you’ll be surrounded by retro wooden buildings, rodeo inspired artwork and a selection of local stores, all radiating a classic Southwestern flair. Savour a dinner accompanied by wine in the company of your fellow travellers.

Day 2: Sedona And The Wonders Of The Mighty Grand Canyon

Location: Scottsdale, Sedona, Grand Canyon National Park

Accommodation: Grand Canyon National Park Lodge

Accommodation Name: Grand Canyon National Park Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast

Travel through world-renowned Red Country along the Red Rock Scenic Byway, one of only 20 designated All-American Roads nationwide. Explore bohemian Sedona with its shops and galleries, or simply take in the exceptional beauty of Red Rock Country before you make your way to the Grand Canyon. Follow Oak Creek Canyon Scenic Byway through Coconino National Forest, a breathtaking stretch of road recognized by Rand McNally as one of the Top Five Most Scenic Drives in America. On arrival, you can take an optional flightseeing tour over the Grand Canyon. Whether you prefer a helicopter or a fixed-wing plane, you'll enjoy magnificent scenery with aerial views from above. Meet your Local Expert, Tim at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon to discover its wonders. You'll learn all about the origins of the five-million-year-old canyon, its rock formations and the human impact on this natural masterpiece. He'll also talk to you about the local flora and fauna, and where you might be able to spot them.

Day 3: Monument Valley And Lake Powell

Location: Grand Canyon National Park, Monument Valley, Lake Powell

Accommodation: Lake Powell Resorts and Marinas

Accommodation Name: Lake Powell Resorts and Marinas

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 4: Leisurely Lake Powell Relaxed Start

Location: Lake Powell

Accommodation: Lake Powell Resorts and Marinas

Accommodation Name: Lake Powell Resorts and Marinas

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 5: Bryce Canyon National Park

Location: Lake Powell, Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion National Park

Accommodation: Zion National Park Lodge

Accommodation Name: Zion National Park Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast

Journey across a wide-open landscape punctuated by colorful sandstone cliffs, sagebrush-covered flats, and high ridges dotted with piñon pine and juniper. Travel through Bryce Canyon Country on a portion of the Scenic Highway 89, recognized by National Geographic as the No. 1 Driver's Drive in the world. You will be struck by the beauty of Bryce Canyon National Park, an otherworldly landscape of red rock pillars known as hoodoos, pink cliffs, and endless vistas. Follow the Rim Trail from Surprise Point to Bryce Point. Stops will be made at the major viewpoints and there will be time for a leisurely walk along Sunset Point or a more physical hike down the canyon. Either way, you will be spellbound by the beauty and majesty of this dramatic natural landscape.

Day 6: Zion National Park Relaxed Start

Location: Zion National Park

Accommodation: Zion National Park Lodge

Accommodation Name: Zion National Park Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast

After a leisurely breakfast and a Relaxed Start, we will tour Zion National Park aboard a privately chartered tram, with live commentary from a Local Expert to show you the many scenic highlights of the canyon such as the weeping rock, the hanging garden and the fauna and flora of the park. Then choose between a Travel Director guided hike to the Emerald Pools for beautiful scenery of the canyon, waterfalls and green pools surrounded by red sandstone or take a self-guided leisurely stroll along the Virgin River Walk and keep your eye out for wildlife.

Day 7: Salt Lake City

Location: Zion National Park, Salt Lake City

Meals Included: Breakfast

This morning you make your way out of Zion National Park and travel to Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah. In the evening join your fellow travellers for a dinner with wine at the hotel.

Day 8: Jackson And The Tetons

Location: Salt Lake City, Jackson

Accommodation: Elk Country Inn, Jackson Hole

Accommodation Name: Elk Country Inn, Jackson Hole

Meals Included: Breakfast

Before leaving Salt Lake City, take in the State Capitol building. Drive along the scenic Logan Canyon, over the Wasatch Mountain Range, and up to the Bear Lake Summit. Stop for lunch on your own near Bear Lake offering views of beautiful turquoise waters. You will then head north across the Oregon Trail to historic Jackson. Have your cameras ready for the famous elk antlers at the central square, while eager shoppers will find a number of charming traditional boutique galleries to browse. Enjoy the rest of the evening at leisure, with your hotel located only a short walk away from Jackson's Town Square.

Day 9: Yellowstone National Park

Location: Jackson, Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park

Accommodation: Yellowstone National Park Lodges

Accommodation Name: Yellowstone National Park Lodges

Meals Included: Breakfast

Wake up to a mountainous view like no other and witness the striking Grand Tetons thrust skyward 13,775 feet (4,199 m) from the valley floor. This morning, you have the opportunity to partake in an optional scenic float down the Snake River (signed waiver required) inside Grand Teton National Park. In keeping with today’s rustic country charm, you’ll enter Yellowstone, the world’s first National Park. Known for its unique geothermal activity, spectacular landscapes and abundant wildlife, you’ll experience Wyoming in all its glory. Keep an eye out for black bears or wolves. Tonight you’ll stay in the National Park Lodges, allowing you to experience the park after hours, in its natural habitat.

Day 10: Geysers And Colourful Hot Springs

Location: Yellowstone National Park, Old Faithful Geyser of California

Accommodation: Yellowstone National Park Lodges

Accommodation Name: Yellowstone National Park Lodges

Meals Included: Breakfast

Savour the surreal surroundings of Yellowstone with a relaxed start. Walk among the rainbow tinted hot springs and watch the erupting geysers as you take in the history of the park on an informative stroll with your Travel Director. Catch the renowned colourful bubbling mud pots and observe Old Faithful geyser shooting water over 120 feet (37 metres) into the air. In the afternoon, enjoy the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone as you take in stunning natural wonders. While driving through Hayden Valley, famous for its wildlife, keep an eye out for wolves, bears, elk and hundreds of bison. The rest of the evening is at leisure for you to relax.

Day 11: The Ranch At Ucross

Location: Yellowstone National Park, Cody, Ucross

Accommodation: Ranch at UCross, Clearmont

Accommodation Name: Ranch at UCross, Clearmont

Meals Included: Breakfast

Set off on your travels through the stark Shoshone Canyon and Absaroka Rocky Mountains, leading you to the Wild West Town of Cody. Channel your inner showman and learn more about America’s great Western legends at the Buffalo Bill Centre, known for its Western art collection, firearms, and natural history. Travel through the Bighorn National Forest to the Ranch at UCross. Take in the rustic charm as you're hosted at a traditional Wyoming Family ranch. Start off the evening with a cocktail hour in the historic Ranch House bar. After a home-cooked dinner, enjoy a fire pit with live entertainment, including country, folk and bluegrass music.

Day 12: Devils Tower Into The Black Hills

Location: Ucross, Devils Tower, Spearfish Canyon

Accommodation: Spearfish Canyon Lodge

Accommodation Name: Spearfish Canyon Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast

Live the American frontier dream and begin your day with a scenic country horseback ride (waiver required) accompanied by a Ranch Hand. If playing cowboy isn’t your thing, perhaps go fishing or merely relax and take in your beautiful surroundings, the choice is yours. Make your way to Devils Tower, an astounding geological feature that protrudes out of the surrounding Black Hills. This symbolic landmark is considered sacred to the Lakota and other tribes. Experience Spearfish Canyon, a favoured spot among wildlife enthusiasts and one famous for its elvish woodland beauty. The limestone palisades of this creek-carved gorge are more ancient than the Grand Canyon itself.

Day 13: Custer And The Wild, Wild West

Location: Spearfish Canyon, Badlands National Park, Custer State Park

Accommodation: State Game Lodge, Custer State Park

Accommodation Name: State Game Lodge, Custer State Park

Meals Included: Breakfast

A day for those looking to explore the Wild West, try to spot the fastest mammal in North America, the pronghorn antelope as you cross the great high plains to the Black Hills of South Dakota. Our first stop this morning is the Oglala Lakota Living History Museum for a one-of-a-kind MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Visit Badlands National Park in South Dakota, 244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires blended with the largest protected mixed grass prairie in America. A hidden gem in the national park system, the unique beauty of the Badlands landscape is unlike any other.

Day 14: Mountain Monuments Of The Black Hills Relaxed Start

Location: Custer State Park, Crazy Horse Memorial, Mt. Rushmore, Custer State Park

Accommodation: State Game Lodge, Custer State Park

Accommodation Name: State Game Lodge, Custer State Park

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

This morning, see the granite faces of Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Later, you'll experience the Crazy Horse Memorial - the world's largest mountain carving in honour of the Lakota warrior. With exclusive access not available to the general public, guests ascend 563 feet (172 metres) and have the opportunity to face the monument up close. Tonight, celebrate your travels over dinner with your Travel Director and new found friends.

Check out our Q&As

  • Can I join the tour once it has departed?

    We regret that no refunds can be made for absences from a tour, including experiences such as missed meals or sightseeing.

  • How long has the tour company been trading?

    Since 1978.

  • What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?

    Insight Vacations is a founding member of the TreadRight Foundation, a joint initiative created by the brands within The Travel Corporation (TTC) almost 15 years ago to ensure our impact through tourism is positive. Our ethos to #MakeTravelMatter guides our decision-making at every level of our business.

  • Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?

    Yes

  • Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?

    You have two options as a solo traveller. Either choose to be matched with a same sex partner for a room share - at no extra cost. Or choose a room of your own with a reduced or even free private room upgrade on select tours.

  • What policies are in place for Covid-19?

    Please contact us for latest COVID-19 policies

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1 Select your preferred date

Saturday - Friday

May 02, 2026 - May 15, 2026
$10150 $9366

Operator discount: -$784

Saturday - Friday

Jun 06, 2026 - Jun 19, 2026
$9290

Saturday - Friday

Aug 08, 2026 - Aug 21, 2026
$9118

Book with Confidence

  • Low Deposit

    Insight Vacations requires a minimum deposit of 350 USD per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 90 days before departure.

  • Cancellation Policy

    We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of insight vacations charges.

    Up to 91 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.

    At 90 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.

    At 29 days before tour starts: Forfeit 80% of booking price.

    At 1 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.

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