Expedition Overview
Expedition Overview
- Take to the trails of your choice in Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, hiking to iconic sites like Delicate Arch and the sandstone spires known as the Needles.
- Step into the past among the Ancestral Puebloan dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park and take a guided tour of the incomparable Cliff Palace.
- Discover Monument Valley from a different perspective on a jeep tour with a Navajo guide, and sit down together over a traditional lunch.
- Encounter lesser known treasures of the American West, from the petroglyphs of Newspaper Rock to the abundant archaeology of Canyons of the Ancients National Monument.
Itinerary
Itinerary
Where Utah meets Colorado, the Earth buckles and splits, leaving a geological masterwork of canyons, mesas, and unexpected sculptures in rock. Venture into this legendary landscape with the traveling companions of your choice, and spend three full days exploring Arches and Canyonlands National Parks on a variety of hikes. Experience the striking rock formations of Monument Valley through the eyes of the Navajo people. Delve into the fascinating history of the ancient people that built civilizations here as you ponder ancient petroglyphs and explore the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park.
Arrive at Grand Junction Regional Airport (GJT) and independently transfer to your hotel. Enjoy the rest of the day to relax or take a walk along lively Main Street, lined with galleries and boutiques.
After breakfast, travel into Utah’s canyon country and head for Island in the Sky, a mesa that rises over a thousand feet above the carved landscape of Canyonlands National Park. Take in spectacular views of the vast canyons below and choose from a variety of hiking trails to breathtaking viewpoints such as the celebrated Mesa Arch. After a picnic lunch and time to explore the park as you wish, continue to Moab and check in to your lodge. Gather for dinner overlooking the Colorado River tonight.
Rise early to explore Arches National Park before most visitors arrive. Spend the day discovering the park as you wish, choosing short or longer hikes that bring you to some of its 2,000 sandstone arches. Stop at a viewpoint along the trail for a picnic with a gorgeous natural backdrop. Enjoy a free evening to stroll through Moab and try out a local restaurant.
Start the day at Newspaper Rock State Historical Monument, where Native Americans etched more than 650 petroglyphs across an immense rock face, recording some 2,000 years of human activity in images. Then explore the Needles, clusters of colorfully striped sandstone spires in the southeast corner of Canyonlands National Park. Experience this otherworldly rock landscape from different angles on your choice of hiking trails, and savor the panorama over a picnic lunch. Head south to the historic town of Bluff, established by Ancestral Puebloans around A.D. 650. Settle into your hotel, known for its southwestern charm, and sit down to dinner with sweeping views of canyon country.
Journey into one of the most iconic landscapes of the American West: Monument Valley. Here on the Navajo Nation Reservation, majestic red mesas and towering buttes jut out from the valley floor. Join a native guide on a jeep tour of the rugged valley and its geological wonders. Gaze up at thousand-foot-tall sandstone buttes made famous by countless Western movies, hear a Navajo perspective on the area’s history, and enjoy a traditional Navajo lunch. After a thrilling day of exploration, return to Bluff and dine at a local restaurant.
Set off on a breathtaking drive through Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, an archaeological mecca of ancient houses, shrines, rock art, and ceremonial structures called kivas. Arrive at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Mesa Verde National Park, a network of Ancestral Puebloan dwellings built into cliff faces and beneath rock overhangs. Learn about the remarkable culture that established these villages between the sixth and the 14th century, and step back in time at the famous Cliff Palace, a 150-room complex full of clues about life in these sandstone villages. This afternoon, travel to the historic railroad town of Durango, and cap off your adventure through canyon country with a farewell dinner.
After breakfast, transfer to the Durango-La Plata County Airport (DRO) and catch your flight home.