Rose Parade, Grand Canyon & Las Vegas

Rpse Parade, Grand Canyon & Las Vegas

Tours Starts: Los Angeles, CA

Tours Ends: Scottsdale, AZ

Day 1

Arrive in Los Angeles

Welcome to LA! Guests who have booked their air with YMT will be greeted by a representative and transferred from the airport to your nearby hotel. After the informative briefing on the days ahead, you are free to enjoy the evening on your own. Take advantage of the free shuttle that will be available for guests who wish to travel to the nearby Manhattan Beach area for dinner on your own.

Westin LAX or similar

Day 2

Los Angeles Leisure Day

Enjoy this morning at leisure or join one of our fantastic optional tours to the California Science Center or the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, at an additional cost. This evening, you're in for a real treat—YMT's float viewing event with dinner. In this amazing tour held in Pasadena, you'll go behind the scenes to see the floats and flowers up close, with plenty of time to talk to and ask questions of the White Suiters, the Rose Parade volunteers who famously wear white uniforms. Then, enjoy a casual dinner in the official Rose Parade event tent with a presentation about the history and traditions of the Rose Parade presented by the Tournament of Roses Committee. (D)

Westin LAX or similar

Day 3

Los Angeles City Tour

Today we take a guided tour of Los Angeles and Hollywood, seeing many of the can’t-miss highlights of the City of Angels. View the iconic metal curves of the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the ornate TCL Chinese Theatre, the Dolby Theatre—annual home of the Academy Awards—Beverly Hills, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The evening includes a festive New Year’s Eve reception with elegant appetizers and a sparkling cider toast. Ring in the New Year along with all the folks in Times Square at 9 PM local time (midnight in New York City).

Westin LAX or similar

Day 4

131st Tournament of Roses Parade

Witness the 131st Tournament of Roses Parade! Watch in wonder from your comfortable reserved grandstand seats as the resplendent floats covered in millions of leaves and fragrant petals pass by. Watch equestrian units stride along, and listen to marching bands as they make their way down Colorado Boulevard. “America’s New Year’s Celebration” is an institution that you’ll love even more after experiencing it in person.

Westin LAX or similar

Day 5

Travel to Las Vegas

As you leave the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles behind, take a moment to acclimate to the otherworldly desert landscape sprinkled with twisted, spiky, utterly distinctive Joshua trees. Travel through the mesmerizing and colorful Mojave Desert, with a stop in the historic town of Barstow, and on to Las Vegas for a city tour and night of leisure or our available optional activity.

Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino or similar

Day 6

Las Vegas to Grand Canyon via Hoover Dam

Today we continue to the magnificent Grand Canyon National Park, stopping on the way at the world-famous Hoover dam. Take a tour of this Depression-era marvel that is considered one of the 20th century’s biggest engineering achievements, and almost a century later still draws crowds. Your day ends as we arrive in the Grand Canyon, truly a Wonder of the World. You will find that the quiet winter season offers even more breathtaking views and the chance of encounters with wildlife. The sunset is a must-see, and on clear days offers a multitude of orange and purple hues—not to mention possibly snow-capped rock formations as far as the eyes can see.

Yavapai West or similar

Day 7

Grand Canyon National Park

Widely considered the most beautiful National Parks in the country, the Grand Canyon is the complex and breathtaking result of billions of years of geographic tumult. It is a dramatic, dynamic display of earth’s power. Today you'll be able to spend the whole day in the Grand Canyon. Your hotel is located within the park itself, so you will be able to come and go from the South Rim as you wish either by foot or by a free shuttle bus. For a truly spectacular experience, we recommend the optional helicopter ride (at an additional cost).

Yavapai West or similar

Day 8

Sedona and Scottsdale

Travel south to Sedona and Scottsdale, two more of Arizona’s most beautiful destinations. Sedona is distinguished by pine forests, steep canyons, and vibrantly red rocks that rise up spectacularly in sandstone buttes. During a lunch stop, enjoy Sedona at your leisure, or take an exciting optional Jeep tour through beautiful Oak Creek Canyon. Marvel at the massive red rock formations on the way to Scottsdale, your final tour stop.

Hotel Adeline or similar

Day 9

Scottsdale Leisure Day

Today is yours to spend at leisure. For an unforgettable experience, try our optional Sunrise Balloon flight over the Sonoran Desert, available at an additional cost. Easygoing Scottsdale affords guests ample nature exploration opportunities to enjoy during the day and between optional tours. Dinner is on your own, or you may partake in a fun optional Wild West farewell feast—enjoy the hearty food that cowboys and settlers perfected during their time on the range!

Hotel Adeline or similar

Day 10

Depart for Home

It’s time to say goodbye and to travel back home with plenty of memories of the Rose Parade and the Wild West.

Please note that this is a proposed itinerary; the actual itinerary may vary due to season, special events, or weather. Because our tour arrangements are often made a year or more in advance, YMT Vacations reserves the right to alter the itinerary. Itinerary changes are made to improve your vacation experience, as well as respond to any unforeseen circumstances that mandate alterations. By their nature, all tours vacations involve a certain level of physical activity. While YMT tours have been designed with our guests in mind and are not physically demanding, this tour does include walking and periods of standing during the sightseeing visits. You will also encounter steps and some uneven ground along the way, particularly at older, historical sights.