Canyon Adventures

Arrive into Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport, pick up your car and head to your hotel. The rest of the day is up to you. Risk it all on blackjack, hit the slots or take in a show at one of the city’s legendary venues. You’re also never far from a good restaurant or buzzing bar in this city.  

Today you’ll have another full day in Las Vegas. Why not drive out to visit the Hoover Dam? This vast structure squats in the middle of the Colorado River and is a genuinely impressive sight. On the other side is gorgeous Lake Mead, where you can enjoy a boat cruise around a series of rocky, secluded bays. 

Las Vegas itself has some superb attractions. Check out the Mob Museum or partake in a Foodie Tour.

You can head out for dinner in the evening, followed by another stint at the tables. This is Vegas, after all. 

Leaving the city’s neon canyons behind you, you’ll venture into the desert surrounding the city. The awe inspiring Zion National Park will be your first stop. Located just over the border in Utah, this 593 km² preserve is a place of craggy red cliffs, verdant forests and tumbling rivers. At the park’s visitor centre you can pick up a map and explore the many trails on offer. 

Just over an hour’s drive to the east is majestic Bryce Canyon, where bizarre red rock spires known as “hoodoos” dot the valley. The colours here are extraordinary - a tableau of pinks, reds, whites and greens.

From Bryce Canyon it’s a scenic four and a half hour drive up to the Moab Valley, which is the home of Arches National Park. These amazing natural structures were formed by erosion over millennia. Off the Delicate Arch hiking trail, you’ll get the chance to see some beautiful Native American petroglyphs etched into the rock. Don’t forget to discover the park’s history as well - the land has been home to many different people in its long history. 

Rise early and take your leave for Canyonlands, which is just an hour’s drive away. This astonishing site has been carved out by the constant flow of the mighty Colorado River – the very same power harnessed by the Hoover Dam. The Island in the Sky area is the most accessible and offers some unmissable views. 

After a two hour drive you’ll reach Mesa Verde National Park. This UNESCO World Heritage site is famous for its cliff dwellings, which were built by the Ancestral Puebloans around the 13th century AD. The highlight is the enormous Cliff Palace, which truly has to be seen to be believed.

Today you’ll visit two of the most iconic destinations in North America. Take breakfast in your hotel before hitting the road, bound for Monument Valley two hours west. This brooding landscape has been the backdrop to countless westerns, its three looming towers of sandstone known as West Mitten Butte, East Mitten Butte and Merrick Butte.

In the early afternoon we’ll drive on through the atmospheric trading post of Cameron and the Navajo Reserve to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Nothing can quite prepare you for the sight you’re about to see. This vast gorge measures an average of 16 km in width and 1.7 km deep.

Today you can enjoy a full day of exploring the Grand Canyon. Be sure to get up before dawn to watch the sunrise over the rim. Along its length you’ll find numerous viewpoints offering unique vistas, including the popular spots of Yavapai Point, Pipe Creek Vista and Hopi Point. Yavapai Tavern is a good spot to grab a bite to eat before hitting the road bound for Las Vegas - a four and a half hour drive away. 

This morning you’ll drive to the airport, drop off your car and connect to your onward flight. Your trip has come to an end, but the memories will last a lifetime.