Day 9: Durango – Mesa Verde National Park – 4-Corners Monument – Bluff

Spend the morning learning about native history in the impressive Mesa Verde National Park, where well preserved archeological buildings of ancient inhabitants will be toured. The interesting visitor center with attached museum and an informative film adds background information. As we continue our journey we will stop at the Four Corners monument on Navajo land where Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico touch. Spend the night in the small historic Mormon pioneer town of Bluff. Visit an impressive outdoor museum at Fort Bluff today or tomorrow morning explaining the history of Mormon settlement in the canyons.

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

Weather permitting we visit the wild, untouched Valley of the Gods. As we continue our journey we pass by Gooseneck State Park where the San Juan River tightly curves and meanders through the desert. We visit Goulding’s Trading Post, where John Ford and John Wayne stayed while filming the famous movies. Arriving in Monument Valley we’ll stop by the Visitor Center with its large collection of Native art and crafts. You are invited with the Navajo natives for a tour through Monument Valley, dinner and entertainment. We stay at a nearby hotel.

Day 11: Monument Valley – Horseshoe Bend – optional Antelope Canyon tour – Lake Powell – Page

Arriving in Page, we wander to Big Bend, where the Colorado River creates the classic horseshoe shape in the famous sandstone plateau. An optional guided tour is available through the magnificent Antelope Canyon, with walls carved by the power of water and red walls that remind of a fairy-tale world, this canyon is a paradise for photographers. In the afternoon we will visit Glen Canyon Dam and the visitor center or – depending on the weather you can choose to rent a boat to further explore the Navajo canyon and Lake Powell.

Day 12: Page – Grand Canyon National Park South Rim

Today we will drive south to the most famous of all National Parks – the Grand Canyon. We will stop for several shorter walks to beautiful viewpoints and visit the museum and visitor center. Weather dependent we will take a longer hike along the Grand Canyon rim and enjoy the incredible views of the enormous canyon. An optional helicopter flight over the canyon can be arranged in advance. The evening is spent in a Native American trading post, where we spend the night in an elegant hotel.

Day 13: Colorado River – Pipe Springs National Monument – Coral Pink Sand Dunes – Kanab

Cross the Colorado River on a high bridge by Marble Canyon and explore the landscape around Lees Ferry on foot. In Pipe Spring National Monument, a testament to the life of early pioneers, you can see how settlers survived and thrived. We will join in a ranger led tour to learn about the settlement and the Native Americans that lived nearby and whose ancestors still live on a nearby reservation. A walk through the Coral Pink Sand Dunes area offers views of unique, rose colored sand dunes, a beautiful contrast to the frequently snow-covered ground. The night is spent in the town of Kanab, made famous by various wild west movies.

Day 14: Zion National Park – Las Vegas

A beautiful drive on the Mt. Carmel road brings us to Zion National Park, the last of the parks on our tour of the magnificent west. With massive, red and crème cliffs and deep gorges Zion offers a variety of hikes from which you can choose. In the afternoon we will drive back to Las Vegas for our last night together. We say our good-byes at the last dinner together.

Day 15: Las Vegas

Individually travel on or head home. We are happy to help you arrange additional accommodations in Las Vegas and can give you suggestions for shows and events.