Day 1: Arrival in Salt Lake City, UT

Welcome to pedestrian friendly Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah. Our base hotel is downtown next to the Temple area. A new up-scale shopping center with unique architecture is nearby.  Meet your group in the lobby of the hotel in the evening. We will do a short tour of Temple grounds. Travel Dream West invites you to enjoy an appetizers and drink.  You get to know your traveling companions at dinner. Your driver/guide will hand over important travel information and travel documents. One night in Salt Lake City.

Day 2: Park City – Bear Lake – Jackson

Sunday morning in Salt Lake City offers the special opportunity to listen in person to the world famous Tabernacle Choir.  After this inspiring 30 minute concert, we leave the city touring the grounds of the 2002 Winter Olympics, and historic Park City. There is optional shopping nearby in a large outlet mall. Next, we travel along Bear Lake partially in Idaho followed by the scenic Star Valley in winter wonderland of western Wyoming. A highlight is the drive through beautiful Snake River Canyon along Snake River to Jackson, Wyoming, an epic old west town. Check-in for two nights at our hotel in walking distance to the charming Jackson Town Square with its famous antler arches.

Day 3: Grand Teton National Park – Jackson 

Today’s highlight is the Grand Teton National Park. In the morning, a horse-drawn sleigh adventure tour offers a chance to get a close-up look at the wild elk herds outside of Jackson. These beautiful large animals are wintering in the nearby National Elk Refuge in the thousands. We warm up at lunch at one of the fine restaurants in Jackson. Weather permitting, we join a naturalist/ranger for a guided snowshoe walk (no experience needed, just like hiking). We discover animal tracks and with a bit of luck some deer, moose, and coyotes. We spend the evening in quaint western town Jackson Hole with its beautiful galleries and good restaurants.

Day 4: Jackson, Harriman State Park. Island Park/West Yellowstone

This morning our adventure tour start with a drive over the Teton Pass to Idaho. We explore Harriman State Park, that is part of a large waterfowl and wildlife refuge within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.  Enjoy this tranquil snowy wonderland along Henry’s Fork on snow shoes or using shoe-chains. This river is a tributary to the Snake River. Discover rare Trumpeter Swans and other waterfowl wintering in the area. Alternatively, an optional activity is renting a snow mobile for the afternoon visiting the headwaters of the Henry’s Fork.  Check-in at a cozy hotel downtown West Yellowstone, Montana, a quiet walkable town for three nights.

Day 5: Yellowstone National Park Day Tour, Grand Canyon and Norris Geyser

Take a snow coach adventure tour from West Yellowstone into the Yellowstone National Park, inaccessible to regular traffic during this time of year. Look for wildlife, mainly elk and bison, in the snowy Madison River area. Stop at the Norris Geyser Basin, the most active geothermal region within Yellowstone National Park. The many hot springs are turning the landscape into a steaming winter wonderland. Next explore the impressive, colorful Grand Canyon of Yellowstone with the largest water fall in Yellowstone Park , the Lower Falls . It tumbles 308 feet down into the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and can be surrounded by frozen icicles. Return to West Yellowstone for a comfortable night in this well-located town right by the park entrance.

Day 6:  Yellowstone National Park – Old Faithful

This morning, we participate in a small group adventure tour by snow coach to the Yellowstone’s upper Geyser Basin.  Spend a few hours around the famous Old Faithful Geyser and the many colorful hot pools, fumaroles and smaller geysers. Explore the area by snowshoeing, cross country skiing or hiking. There are often wild animals discovered around the heated pools and the Fire Hole River.  Keep an eye out for bison, elk and wolf who frequently are seen in this area this time of year.

Day 7: West Yellowstone to Gardiner, MT

In the morning, we visit the Bear and Wolf Center in West Yellowstone. Here you have the opportunity to come up close with grizzly bears who, in the wild, are hibernating during the winter.  There are also several wolf packs to watch in a natural habitat. We continue our drive to Earthquake Lake where visible signs of the last great earthquake can easily be observed.  A special sight during this adventure day are the bighorn sheep and elk herds that spend the harsh winter days in the valleys. In the evening we arrive in Gardiner, Montana,  a small town located at the north entrance of Yellowstone National Park. Check in for two nights at a lodge with Yellowstone River views.

Day 8: Yellowstone National Park , Mammoth Hot Springs, and Lamar Valley- Chico Hot Springs

Today we explore the area around Mammoth Hot Springs then drive into the wildlife rich Lamar Valley, home to many bison and elk. With some luck we’ll also spot some of the rarer animals, including wolves. Next we head to Chico, where a welcoming resort makes for a comfortable stay, complete with a hot natural mineral spring. Relax and enjoy. Optional activities include a day spa and massage treatment. For those who are more adventurous a mushing class will teach you the basics of guiding a team of sled dogs. After thorough instruction you can choose to take your own team of dogs for a sled ride through the countryside, or hire a seasoned musher (dog sled leader) to take you into the wilderness (today or tomorrow.)

Day 9:  Chico Hot Springs – Bozeman, Montana

Today, we spend a relaxing morning at the natural hot springs and enjoy nature walks. In the afternoon, you can join an optional adventure with dog-sledding. or go for a winter walk in the Big Sky Country of Montana. A drive along beautiful Yellowstone River will end in the city of Bozeman, Montana. Bozeman is a classic university town with  a historic downtown. We  celebrate the highlights of the tour and say good-bye at dinner at an authentic western American restaurant.

Day 10: Bozeman Montana – Flight Home

Our tour ends today. Transfer to airport and flight home, or extend your stay. Depending on your travel date, this tour can be connected with our National Parks Winter Wonderland Tour (15 days) starting in Las Vegas for an all inclusive Western USA experience.