Day 1: Arrival in Las Vegas

Welcome to Las Vegas, the entertainment capitol of the world, complete with world-class contemporary architecture, shopping and shows. Our tour begins on the Las Vegas strip where the team of Travel Dream West welcomes you with a dinner, meet in the lobby of our hotel at 6pm. Your tour guide and driver will introduced themselves and go over tour information and itinerary, handing out your detailed winter tour documentation, complete with daily maps.

Day 2: Las Vegas – Valley of Fire State Park – Red Canyon – Bryce

Depart Las Vegas in the morning, heading towards Utah. A stop at the Valley of Fire State Park offers a hike through impressive red cliffs. View detailed Petroglyphs, signs of the ancient cultures which lived in this region. An evening stroll through Red Canyon will give you the first glimpse of the one-of-a-kind sandstone formations that await us in Bryce Canyon. We head on to the entrance of Bryce Canyon National Park where a comfortable hotel welcomes us for our two nights in this area.

Day 3: Bryce Canyon National Park

Today’s highlights are all found within the fascinating Bryce Canyon National Park with its many bizarre, colorful rock formations. The peaceful, snowy winter landscape provides a unique contrast to the red, pink, white and brown spires of the canyon as seen from Sunset Point, Sunrise Point, Bryce Point and Inspiration Point. On foot or snow shoes we will wander along the rim of the canyon. A stop at the informational visitor center offers insight into the canyon’s natural history with a video and various exhibits.  For many nature enthusiasts Bryce Canyon counts as the most beautiful of all USA National Parks, and during this season it is truly transformed into a winter wonderland.

Day 4: Bryce – Kodachrome State Park – Escalante Petrified Forest State Park – Calf Creek Falls – Torrey

A drive on the picturesque All-American Highway 12 leads us along the Escalante National Monument. Along with many white powdered landscapes where we will stop for photographs we will also visit the Kodachrome Basin State Park with colorful, interesting formations of sandstone, before heading on to an area of fossils with million year old tree trunks. In the afternoon, if the weather allows, we drive over 9600 feet high Boulder Mountain Pass. From here you enjoy a breathtaking view over an open, undeveloped land including Capitol Reef’s Waterpocket Fold, the vast expanse of Escalante National Monument with thousands of canyons and the Henry Mountains where wild buffalo still roam. Spend the night in the small town of Torrey in a hotel with views across the red stone landscape.

Day 5: Torrey – Capitol Reef National Park – Goblin Valley State Park – Sego Canyon – Moab

Today’s program centers around Capitol Reef National Park with its gigantic cliffs. A two hour hike through this wonderland will provide solitude and incredible views – with no other tourists in sight. Then we head on to Goblin Valley State Park where we can wander around unique rock formations. If the roads are clear Sego Canyon will welcome us with pictographs, proof of ancient cultures. Spend the next two nights in a comfortable hotel in Moab, Utah.

Day 6: Moab – Day tour to Canyonlands and Arches National Parks

In the morning we will visit Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park with expansive views across the Colorado Plateau. In the afternoon we will explore one of the most beautiful of all national parks, Arches, with its many graceful sandstone formations. In contrast to the summer crowds of the main tourist season this park offers peaceful, majestic landscapes in winter that are a special highlight for photographers.

Day 7: Moab – Durango Cascade Train – Silverton – Durango

An early morning drive brings us to the historic mining town, Durango for a ride on the Durango & Silverton narrow, gauge train through the wintry expanses of Cascade, Canyon. Back in Durango we will check in at our nice hotel, right downtown. In Durango you might want to visit a unique, train museum and later explore interesting galleries, shops.

Day 8: Durango – Silverton – San Juan Mountains (Rocky Mountains)

Durango and Silverton are both historic mining towns located within the Rocky Mountains.  Today we drive over  Molas Pass with an elevation of 10,910 feet, with fantastic views of the high San Juan Rock Mountain peaks around us.  We visit and explore Silverton (depending on weather) where you can choose to sign up for an optional snow mobile tour. Evening in Durango.