National Parks of the Golden West Tour

Welcome to fabulous Las Vegas! Guests whobook their air through YMT will be greeted bya YMT representative and transferred to their hotel. The night is yours to enjoy this city. Just outside your hotel's doorstep await neon lights, the famed Fremont Street Experience, gambling or glamorous shows. The choice is yours!

✦ Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino or similar

Start your tour with the grandest of all parks in the West — the Grand Canyon! Travel via I-40, cross historic Route 66 and stop at the first viewpoints driving into the park before we end the day by the South Rim. The park shuttle system and the lodge's close proximity to the rim make it easy to take it all in at your own pace and allow you to witness sunset and sunrise if you choose-truly a "must see!" The evening and the sunset, making the canyon glow in many hues of red and purple, is yours to enjoy!

✦ Yavapai Lodge West or similar

Rise early to witness an unforgettable sunrise over the canyon, either by walking to the rim on your own or booking an optional tour with sunrise breakfast at the famed El Tovar Lodge. Then, head to Monument Valley. Boasting natural sandstone masterpieces that tower to heights up to 1,000 feet, this sacred valley is owned and operated by the Navajo Nation. After an optional opportunity for a guided valley tour in open air vehicles, continue to Page at Lake Powell for an overnight stay. Supported by the Glen Canyon Dam, Lake Powell is a beautifully situated water reservoir on the Colorado River, surrounded by red rocks.

✦ Super 8 Lake Powell or similar

Depart this morning heading west to Zion National Park. The half-mile deep park floor is lush with foliage, as well as mule deer, wild turkeys, gray foxes and the occasional porcupine. After lunch, continue to Bryce Canyon. Despite its name, Bryce is not a canyon but a collection of giant natural amphitheaters. Its distinctive geological structures, called hoodoos, were formed by frost weathering and stream erosion from the river. Standing at the rim, you are offered spectacular views in red, orange and white that will surely be spellbinding.

✦ Best Western Plus Ruby’s Inn or similar

Traveling northeast you will first pass through Capitol Reef National Park. Then head to Moab, the ideal gateway for a visit to both Arches and Canyon-lands National Park. For the past 150 million years, the more than 2,000 natural sandstone arches of Arches National Park have been sculpted by the natural erosion of wind, water, sun, and frost — creating an unmistakably unique landscape. You will also explore Canyonlands National Park, an outdoor wonderland of enchanting vistas carved by the Colorado and Green rivers.

✦ Fairfield Inn Moab or similar

Relax during a day of leisurely driving through beautiful mountain ranges on your way to Salt Lake City, Utah’s capital and home of the spectacular Temple and Mormon Tabernacle. Upon arrival you will enjoy an included panoramic tour of the city.

✦ Red Lion downtown or similar

Continue west with a stop at the Great Salt Lake. The largest salt water lake in the western hemisphere, its size varies dramatically by several thousand square miles in different weather conditions. Next, admire the Bonneville Salt Flats. This barren white area was once a lake, and is now a famous site for land speed records.

✦ Red Lion Elko or similar

This morning continue to majestic Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in the U.S. with 72 miles of pristine shoreline, and historic Virginia City. Known as the home of the Comstock Lode, the city invites you to wander a bit on the trusty wooden sidewalks and see this real life “Bonanza” before returning to the hotel for a night at leisure in Reno.

✦ John Ascuaga’s Nugget or similar

Entering California, you will spend most of the day visiting one of the crown jewels in the National Park system: Yosemite. This diverse and, with elevations ranging from 2,000 to over 13,000 feet, abounds with spectacular granite cliffs, giant waterfalls, and towering trees.

✦ Best Western Village Inn Fresno or similar

Enjoy panoramic vistas as you explore the sister parks of Kings Canyon and Sequoia National. See the ancient giant Sequoia redwoods, the largest trees in the world, in General Grant Grove, with heights above 300 feet and diameters of more than 20 feet! Enjoy vistas of the forest as your coach meanders through Kings Canyon and stop for a picnic break. Overnight in Bakersfield.

✦ Four Points by Sheraton Bakersfield or similar