Western Wonderland

USA Small Group Tours – Utah National Parks and Pacific Coast Travel

Experience the silence of nature, the vast land shaped by rain, wind and time. There is no better place to find peace and relaxation than in our national parks on this tour through Utah, Arizona, Nevada and California.


Look at the tour schedule below and follow our off-the-beaten-path itinerary. These small group tours feature famous national parks but also less-frequented destinations and treasures. Every day of our tour schedule is planned carefully to offer you the most interesting adventures by car and on foot.

Whether we are visiting southern Utah’s national parks or driving the Pacific Coast, your day will always end in a comfortable hotel or cozy log cabin with many amenities. Our air-conditioned passenger van brings you to remote destinations in this region, where our knowledgeable tour guide will walk with you, explaining everything from rock formations to plants, animals and cultural highlights.

To make your reservation, contact us at info@traveldreamwest.com.

California coastline

California’s Coast

 


Top Attractions on our Western Wonderland National Parks and Pacific Coast Travel Tour

Day 10: Valley of Gods – Gooseneck State Park – Monument Valley

Drive through Valley of the Gods, a largely undiscovered version of Monument Valley. Stop by Gooseneck State Park for views of a tight turn of the San Juan River, tributary of the Colorado. Then experience first-hand the wide open landscapes of Monument Valley, filming location for John Wayne westerns. Enjoy Navajo hospitality on a memorable jeep tour, Navajo dinner and entertainment within Monument Valley before heading to your hotel in nearby Mexican Hat.

Monument Valley

Monument Valley

Monument Valley hogan

Monument Valley hogan

Day 11: Monument Valley – Horseshoe Bend – Antelope Canyon (optional) – Lake Powell – Page Area

Drive to Page at Lake Powell. Hike briefly to the well-known Horseshoe Bend of the Colorado River. Participate in an optional, yet highly recommended tour of world famous Antelope Canyon, and/or an optional boat trip on Lake Powell. Overnight and itinerary dependent on season.

Antelope Canyon

Antelope Canyon

Lake Powell

Lake Powell

Day 12: Marble Canyon – Lees Ferry – Pipe Springs NM – Coral Pink Sand Dunes – Kanab

First stop at Marble Canyon. Touch the water of the Colorado River at Lees Ferry. Participate in a guided tour through the Mormon fort at Pipe Springs, N.M. and learn about pioneers and area native peoples. Coral Pink Sand Dunes and a stroll after lunch through the dunes. 2 nights in Kanab. (NOTE: Spring and Fall Itinerary is a bit different, due to the North Rim not being open yet, so we first stay 1 night closer to the South Rim entrance and the 2nd night in Kanab.  Contact us for detailed itineraries for each route.)

Marble Canyon

Marble Canyon

Coral Sand Dunes

Coral Sand Dunes

Day 13: Grand Canyon National Park North Rim

Leave for Grand Canyon National Park, North Rim. Explore the canyon on hikes and walks; enjoy marvelous views and, depending on the weather, perhaps a Grand Canyon sunset. Time permitting, participate in an evening ranger talk at Grand Canyon Lodge. Night in Kanab, Utah. (Spring / Fall different itinerary)

Pipe Springs NM

Pipe Springs NM

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Day 14: Mt Carmel Highway – Zion National Park – Las Vegas

A scenic drive along Mt. Carmel highway leads to Zion National Park, a wonderland of towering cliffs and deep gorges–all colored in shades of cream, orange and red. Walk to an impressive overlook and then take a ranger-led shuttle bus through Zion Canyon and enjoy a hike along the river. In the later afternoon drive back to Las Vegas for the evening and the night.

Mt. Carmel Highway

Mt. Carmel Highway

Zion National Park

Zion National Park

Day 15: Las Vegas – Death Valley National Park – Sierra Nevada – Bishop

Traverse the lowest point of the continent in Death Valley, a rare, hot, and shimmering stretch of desert. Morning walk near Zabriskie Point, and several other scenic stops. Our journey then climbs up to the Sierra Nevada of California to the base of Mt. Whitney, the highest mountain in the continental US. View the Alabama Hills with their famous movie backdrops. Night in Lone Pine, California.

Zabriskie Pt.

Zabriskie Pt.

Alabama Hills

Alabama Hills

Day 16: Keough Hot Springs – Laws – Bodie Ghost Town – Bridgeport

Enjoy a swim in natural hot mineral waters at Keough Hot Springs. Explore historic Laws railroad station and picnic in the shade of old cotton wood trees. Then drive on to Bodie State Park for a special ghost town treat. Spend the night in Bridgeport, a small farming community.

Keough Hot Springs

Keough Hot Springs

Bodie Ghost Town

Bodie Ghost Town

Day 17: Mono Lake – Yosemite National Park – Mariposa

Walk among wondrous Tufa spires at alkaline Mono Lake. Then drive over 9900 feet (3000 meter) high Tioga Pass crossing the Sierra Nevada mountain range to Yosemite Park. Walk and experience views of glacial meadows, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, giant Sequoia trees, and many more famous points of interest in Yosemite. Night in historic Mariposa.

Mono Lake Tufa

Mono Lake Tufa

Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park

Day 18: San Luis Reservoir – San Juan Bautista Mission – John Steinbeck Center – Monterey

Picnic and swim at a warm water reservoir. Step into California’s Spanish colonial history at San Juan Bautista Mission. Enjoy Salinas’s John Steinbeck Center before arriving at the scenic Pacific coast in Monterey, where the sea breeze will dissipate the dust collected in canyons and deserts. Evening at Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey. 2 nights near Monterey.

John Steinbeck Center

John Steinbeck Center

Monterey harbor

Monterey harbor

Day 19: Monterey – 17-mile drive – Carmel Mission – Cabrillo Hwy.

The morning is open for a stroll through the famous Cannery Row, an optional visit to Monterey Bay Aquarium or an optional whale-watching tour. Afternoon drive and walk along 17-mile drive, with a stop at Pebble Beach. Visit to historic Carmel mission’s beautiful gardens. Evening in Monterey.

Seals in Monterey

Seals in Monterey

Pebble Beach

Pebble Beach

Day 20: Highway 1 – Sausalito – San Francisco

Spend the day driving north along the scenic Pacific Coast Highway to San Francisco with a beach stop along the way. In the evening we will cross Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito and enjoy a farewell dinner (not included) at a bayside restaurant.

Pacific Coast sunset

Pacific Coast sunset

Golden Gate Bridge

Golden Gate Bridge

Day 21:

Today, our tour ends. Independent travel or flight back home.

Page 1 – Western Wonderland – National Parks Schedule Day 1 – 9

If you have any questions about our small group tours through the American Wild West please feel free to contact us at info@traveldreamwest.com. Our Western Wonderland USA travel tours leave twice a year and can be reserved for a group as custom adventure travel tour.