Canyons and Navajo Lands

Visit three awe-inspiring national parks in Southwest USA

This eight-day tour to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas visits the best national parks and Native American lands in Southwest USA. Travel along the Grand Staircase taking in the red sandstone cliffs of Zion National Park and the supernatural hoodoos of Bryce Canyon National Park. Enjoy a two-night stop at the Grand Canyon, an unrivalled natural wonder. Visit the spiritual heart of the Navajo Nation, Monument Valley, where a Navajo guide takes us on a 4×4 journey into the backcountry to learn how the landscape shaped Native American myths and hear Navajo legends.

People, Places & Planet

We work hard to create trips that have a positive impact on the people and places we visit and look after the planet we explore. Learn more about our sustainable travel ethos and practice here and find out about the work of the Exodus Travels Foundation here.

Some sustainable travel highlights of this trip include:

People

How this trip helps improve life for local communities.

• Local guides keep you well informed about local traditions and cultural-social sensitivities.
• This trip brings income and opportunity to the destination community through the inclusion of locally owned hotels, restaurants, and other enterprises, and by championing locally produced food wherever possible.
• The group goes on a guided backroads tour in Monument Valley, which is run by members of the Navajo Nation so this provides income for local families.
• Read more about our other initiatives here.

Places

How this trip helps protect and conserve local landscapes and nature.

• By travelling in a small group, we ‘tread lightly’ to minimise our impact on local resources and the environment.
• We work with our partners on the ground to proactively reduce waste; this includes eliminating all single-use plastic water bottles by providing refills for reusable bottles.
• The payment of entrance fees to natural reserves generates income used to upkeep and develop these important sites. In this trip, we visit the Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks.
• Our trips adhere to ABTA’s industry-leading animal welfare guidelines to ensure the best possible practices regarding working animals and wildlife viewing. Our animal welfare policy can be found here.
• We rewild 1,075sqft (100sqm) per passenger to compensate for all trip and flight emissions.
• Read about our commitment to nature protection and restoration here, including our rewilding commitment for every customer who travels with us.

Planet

How we seek to keep the carbon footprint of this trip low.

• Accommodation and restaurants in the itinerary use locally sourced food which has not been transported long distances.
• Our local partner is a member of the San Francisco Green Business Program, which recognises businesses, non-profit organisations, and institutions that meet high environmental standards.
• Read about our climate action here, including our carbon reduction and compensation commitments.

Tips for sustainable travel on this trip

• Leave no trace: We do all we can to ensure we leave no rubbish in the wild and beautiful places we visit; we ask that you do the same. If there are no recycling facilities in-country, consider bringing recyclable materials home with you.
• Plastic waste reduction: Please bring a reusable water bottle on this trip, also consider avoiding single-use hotel toiletries, which generate a large amount of plastic waste.

Visa

USA

Travellers from the UK and most EU countries can enter the US under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) provided they have registered for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) – which costs US$21 – and are in possession of an onward air ticket and machine-readable passport when entering the US. Visas are required for some nationalities and requirements often change; it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas and fulfil any requirements for this trip. We recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/americas/united-states-america
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/united-states
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/usa/entry-requirements

Please note, regulations stipulate that any person who has travelled to Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen since March 2011 (or has dual nationality of Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria) may no longer qualify for the VWP. In addition, if you have travelled to Cuba since 12 January 2021, you will not be eligible for the VWP and should instead apply for a visa to travel to, or transit via, the USA.

Vaccination

USA

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for polio, tetanus and rabies. Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Eating and Drinking

There are two breakfasts included on this trip.

Most meals will be taken in local restaurants.

To help you budget for these meals, average costs are:

• Hotel breakfasts: US$12-US$17
• Lunches: US$15-US$20
• Dinners: US$20-US$35, not including alcoholic beverages

Drinks cost on average:

• Wine: US$7-10 per glass
• Beer: US$5-8 per bottle

A tip of approximately 17%-20% is added to group meals in North American restaurants. Applicable taxes will also be added to all listed menu prices.

Your tour leader may offer your group the option to operate a lunch-only food kitty; this has proven a popular alternative to three daily restaurant meals. Leaders will explain this option on your tour, and the whole group will have to agree for this system to run.

Vegetarians and vegans can be well catered for on this trip, please inform us before departure of any special dietary requests so our local team can be well prepared. We do all we can to accommodate various other dietary requirements but in certain parts of North America certain food types can be limited.

Weather

The West has very dry weather and blue, sunny skies in spring, summer and autumn. However, temperatures vary greatly depending on the elevation. Generally, the higher the elevation, the cooler the temperature. Spring and autumn have perfect hiking days in the deserts and cooler days at higher elevations. In summer, Bryce and the Grand Canyon offer pleasant temperatures ideal for hiking whereas some of the deserts might experience hotter temperatures. On warmer days, the leader will opt for early morning and late afternoon walks, leaving time for mid-day rest. Please note, the hottest time of day in the deserts is 3pm. Most nights will be mild to warm. In summer, prepare for afternoon thunderstorms. Spring has stunning displays of desert wildflowers, summer has mountain wildflowers and in autumn the tree colours are beautiful.

Is this trip for you?

This tour has been graded Activity Level 2 (Leisurely/Moderate).

This walking tour is designed for active adults and offers a well-paced mix of walks for all fitness levels. Most walks are of moderate difficulty and up to four hours’ long. For the more adventurous, there are often optional moderate-to-strenuous hikes up to eight hours’ long. Your tour leader will organise these for you and you can pay locally in cash. Find the main optional activities under each day’s description in the itinerary, along with guideline prices. It may not be possible to do all optional activities listed on each tour.

Although each tour follows an itinerary, there is a certain amount of flexibility and from time to time your tour leader may suggest changes. This may be due to road conditions, weather or a visit to a special attraction or event that happens to be in progress. Flexibility is key and often a side diversion will be a highlight of the tour. Hikes and optional activities cannot be guaranteed and may vary depending on ability, group interest, weather and time of year.

Angels Landing hike in Zion National Park

During the itinerary, we have time in Zion National Park, where one of the more strenuous and popular hikes is Angels Landing. In response to concerns about congestion on the trail, the National Park Service announced that everyone who hikes Angels Landing needs a permit. Permits cannot be booked by a tour operator, so all guests who wish to attempt this hike are responsible for applying.

Permits are released via a lottery system; unfortunately, there is no guarantee of securing a permit.

The lottery system comes in two forms:

1. Seasonal Lottery: You can apply for a permit one to three months before your trekking date
2. Day-Before Lottery: You can apply for a permit the day before your planned hike

Zion is renowned for hiking and there are many excellent trails with wonderful views, such as the Watchman Trail or The Narrows. Our group takes these alternative trails. Anyone who is successful in securing their permit can hike Angels Landing while the group completes an alternative trail. For more on Angels Landing permits, such as application dates and prices, visit the National Park Service page here.