Day 1(Saturday) – Fly to Salt Lake City, UT: Today, your adventure begins with your flight to Salt Lake City. Upon arrival at the Salt Lake International Airport, tour members who purchased their airline tickets from YMT Vacations will be met in the baggage claims area and transferred to the hotel. Take the evening at your leisure, or join an early evening optional tour available featuring a family genealogy search. Overnight in the Salt Lake City area.
Day 2(Sunday) – City Tour of Salt Lake City, UT and visit to Kennecott Open Pit Copper Mine: In the morning, take a comprehensive city tour of Salt Lake City, including the Mormon Square, the Beehive House, the Delta Center, the Salt Palace Convention Center, the State Capitol Building, and much more! Just outside of Salt Lake City you will witness the Great Salt Lake, nestled at the base of the beautiful Lakeside and Terrace Mountains. After, you’ll drive high into the Oquirrh Mountains for a visit to the largest excavation project in North America: The Kennecott Copper Mine. Enormous in size, the mine is one of a handfull of sights that can be seen on Earth from space. You’ll see first-hand the mammoth operation from the observation platform, and then enjoy an informative video of the detailed operations. Overnight again in the Salt Lake City area.
Day 3(Monday) – Salt Lake City, UT to Winnemucca, NV: “Westward ho the wagons,” crossing the Silver Zone Pass (elevation 5940 feet) into Nevada. This travel day will be the perfect start of your great sightseeing adventure to the national parks of the West.
Day 4(Tuesday) – Transfer day from Winnemucca, NV to Carson City, NV: This travel day will give you your first views of the mighty Sierra Nevada Mountain Range as you approach Nevada’s capitol, Carson City. This city is located along the eastern front of the Sierra Nevada and has the Carson River flowing through its southeast corner. The rest of the day is yours to explore the picturesque town with hidden surprises for the history buff. Overnight in the Carson City area.
Day 5(Wednesday) – Carson City, NV to Lake Tahoe and Virginia City, NV: Today will be your day to see nearby majestic Lake Tahoe, one the most beautiful mountain lakes in America. Afterwards, you will have time to explore the fantastic downtown casinos and shops which make up this close-knit mountain community. Then it’s on to Virginia City, one of the great gold-rush towns of the 19th century. Originally named “Virginny Town,” the richly abundant gold and silver deposits quickly made Virginia City one of the most important settlements between Denver and San Francisco in the mid to late 1800s, enticing its fair share of notable residents, such as Mark Twain and Dan DeQuille. As you witness the well-preserved original houses and saloons, you’re sure to feel like a part of a story of the old west.
Day 6(Thursday) – Carson City, NV to Fresno, CA via Yosemite National Park: Travel to the heart of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range for a visit to Yosemite National Park and Yosemite Village. Most of your day will be spent enjoying the magnificent scenery, waterfalls, forests, lakes, giant domes, pinnacles, and mountains of Yosemite National Park. Your overnight stop is Fresno, CA, just slightly northwest of Sequoia National Park.
Day 7(Friday) – Fresno, CA to Bakersfield, CA via King’s Canyon/Sequoia National Park: The morning will bring outstanding vistas and panoramas as you travel south to King’s Canyon/Sequoia National Park. Sequoia is the second-oldest national park in the U. S. and home to the giant Sequoia redwood trees whose ancestors were North America’s dominant tree, living even before the dinosaurs. Some of the trees you’ll see have grown to over 300 feet - a truly awesome view close up.
Day 8(Saturday) – Bakersfield, CA to Las Vegas, NV and City Tour of Las Vegas: Today is a travel day to Las Vegas; your short journey begins as you depart your hotel and travel through ever-changing landscape, the mesmerizing and colorful desert. Once in Las Vegas, you’ll take a tour of the spectacular cityscape that is unique to this desert city. Witness the mesmerizing decor and themes of the megaresorts along the Las Vegas Strip, then get a chance to enjoy the Freemont Street Experience in the Downtown area. Overnight in Las Vegas, NV.
Day 9(Sunday) – Las Vegas Leisure Day: The day is yours to enjoy “the Entertainment Capital of the World” at your leisure. Explore an exciting megaresort or two along the Las Vegas Strip, head into any one of the many shopping meccas in Las Vegas, re-visit the quaint downtown area, or simply relax in the proximity of your hotel. A wide assortment of gambling, dining, shopping, and entertainment opportunities awaits you, all you have to do is decide what to do first! Overnight in Las Vegas, NV.
Day 10(Monday) – Las Vegas, NV to St. George, UT via Zion National Park: Carved 225 million years ago by the Virgin River, Zion National Park offers an extraordinary and unique landscape. Pillars, domes, and rock needles assume the shape of cathedrals, statues, and monuments - all under a play of colors that vary according to the time of day and season of the year. Zion Canyon Drive will give you the best views of these natural wonders. Overnight in the St. George area.
Day 11(Tuesday) – Bryce Canyon National Park: Bryce Canyon National Park is one of the most beautiful national parks in America. Its huge rock formations are almost as astonishing as those of the Grand Canyon; witness the astonishing Hoodoos, the result of countless years of erosion from frost wedging and rainfall. You’re sure to remember the vivid display of glittery rocks and sculpted cliff faces in a striking array of yellow, orange, and deep red hues.
Day 12(Wednesday) – Scenic Travel Day from St. George, UT to Moab, UT: Today you travel further into national park territory as you make your way to Moab, UT. Along the way, you will enjoy the natural beauty of the state of Utah; this southern part of Utah boasts some of the most breathtaking scenery in the United States. Overnight in the Moab, UT area.
Day 13(Thursday) – Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park: Over the last 150 million years, the famous arches of Arches National Park have been carved by the natural erosion of wind, water, sun, and frost, making for an unmistakably unique landscape. You will see all the most famous landmarks, including Landscape Arch, Park Avenue Corridor, The Three Gossips, and elegant Delicate Arch before you stop for lunch (on your own). In the afternoon, it’s on to your final park, Canyonlands National Park. This outdoor wonderland, carved by the Colorado River and its supporting tributaries, boasts a multitude of trading posts, Indian lore, and awesome views that most will agree cannot easily be put into words or completely captured on film.
Day 14(Friday) – Moab, UT to Salt Lake City, UT: This morning you will return to Salt Lake City through more of Utah’s beautiful country side. Overnight in the Salt Lake City area.
Day 15(Saturday) – Depart for Home: On your trip home you will want to relive this grand adventure of natural beauty and exciting cities just experienced on your YMT National Parks of the West vacation.
|
Travel Protection Plans
Print Itinerary
I can not say enough good things about our driver/guide. He made the tour. He was eternally pleasant, always available, even gave everyone his cell phone number in case of problems and was so on top of everything. I was amazed at how he took care of everyone.
- B Brouillette, OROur tour through the Southwest National Parks was excellent, and we will always remember it! Our accommodations, the itinerary, our excellent Bus Driver and Guide, the Parks, the interesting places of interest—all were excellent! We were blessed with good weather, and the Parks were spectacular. We hope that you are able to continue to keep the value-oriented tours that you provide because we plan on taking more tours in the future. Thank you for a wonderful, wonderful vacation.
- G & B Licata, NY