Itinerary Expand all Day 1 Start Las Vegas. Welcome to the neon city in the Nevada desert. This brash, iconic city offers families the chance to explore the over-the-top casinos, see a show, shop or simply indulge in a spot of people watching. A welcome meeting will be held at approximately 18:00 hrs in the evening with free time afterwards to explore the cityscape at night and see the neon lights in all their glory. Alexis Park (or similar) Optional Activities: Roller coasters US$25-$40 Days 2-3 To Grand Canyon N.P via Route 66 Leaving Las Vegas your first stop is a dtreat the kids to an ice cream from the ose of real Americana as you travel along an original section of Route 66 stopping at the quirky town of Seligman. Pick up some souvenirs for friends back at home and classic Snow Cap Diner before arriving at the mighty Grand Canyon. Your family will never forget the moment they lay eyes on one of the world's greatest natural wonders. For the ultimate thrill ride, take a scenic helicopter flight or a nature walk along the rim for some spectacular views. Did you know that only 5% of visitors to the famous canyon ever venture inside? Get your family hooked on being in the great outdoors with a great hike to Ooh Aah Point or Plateau Point for incredible views looking both up and down. After watching a glorious sunset make sure you head over to the Grand Canyon IMAX Theater for an incredible audio-visual experience and learn all about how the canyon was discovered and how the area has developed. Participatory Camping Campsite varies depending on departure Optional Activities: Helicopter flight US$289 IMAX Theater US$10 Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 4 Navajo guided backroads tour through Monument Valley. You've seen the movie; now it's your chance to run like Forrest Gump on the iconic stretch of road en route to Monument Valley! Discover the hidden secrets of this tribal land and learn more about the Native American culture and way of life on your included Navajo guided backroads tour. Arriving in this iconic landscape will have you thinking that you have stepped right into a Western movie set, with the towering red rock buttes and mesas. There is nothing quite as amazing as a night sky in Monument Valley. The View (or similar) Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 5 Bryce Canyon National Park; walk the Navajo or Queen’s Garden Trail. On the road again, and your next stop is at one of the most photographed places on the Colorado River, Horseshoe Bend. Believe us, it is nothing short of impressive. Next up is Bryce Canyon National Park with its fascinating natural amphitheatre of pink, orange and white sandstone spires, known locally as 'hoodoos'. There are a variety of scenic overlooks and trails that range from easy to moderate in difficulty, so depending on what you and your family are after, there's plenty of choice! The Navajo Trail enables you to hike right in amongst the unique rock formations. Some of you may prefer to hike on the Queens Garden Trail or to remain on the rim and photograph the ever-changing colours as the sun makes its way across the wide-open sky. Transfer to the campsite at Kodachrome Basin State Park, named after a National Geographic Society exhibition which came to the park and was amazed by the changing colours of the sandstone chimneys, creating a beautiful spectacle as the sun crossed the sky. This quiet campsite will allow you to experience true desert life and enjoy some quality time with the family. Kodachrome Basin State Park (or similar) Optional Activities: Western horseback riding US$65-$90 Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 6 To Zion N.P; hike to the Zion Narrows. The next destination is Zion National Park, named by the early Mormon settlers of Utah who thought of it as their 'promised land'. Some of the best hiking in this desert terrain of Southwest USA can be found here in and around the fertile Virgin River Gorge. With an early arrival today and two nights here, you'll have plenty of time to explore after setting up camp. The perfect thing to do today is walk along a section of the Virgin River called 'The Narrows', if weather conditions permit. In The Narrows, dry feet are not an option as you are actually hiking through the Virgin River in between towering walls, and as the day heats up, the cool water and shadows of the canyon can be very pleasant indeed and you and your family can enjoy a quick dip.Zion Canyon Campground (or similar) Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 7 Zion N.P; optional activities including biking, horse riding, hiking to the Emerald Pools or Angels Landing. You have a full day to further explore the delights of Zion National Park. Hire a bike or enjoy some western horseback riding. For the more adventurous, there's the challenging option to ascend 450 metres (1,500 ft.) to experience unbeatable 360 degree panoramic views from the top of Angels Landing. Zion Canyon Campground (or similar) Optional Activities: Western horseback riding US$45-$90 Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 8 Visit Rhyolite ghost town Travel west via Rhyolite ghost town on the Nevada/California border, a former gold rush town that was once prosperous but later abandoned in the 1920s. Check out the remains of this well-preserved ghost town, and feel the spirit of the old gold prospectors in the wild west stirring on the wind as you visit the jailhouse, schoolhouse and train station. Tonight you will overnight in Tonopah.Best Western Hi-Desert Inn (or similar) Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Days 9-11 Travel straight to Yosemite National Park Today you traverse your way from east to west traversing the 3,000 metre-high (10,000 ft.) Tioga Pass over the Sierra Nevada Mountains. You'll travel past the eerie shores of Mono Lake before arriving at Yosemite National Park, which sits nestled in the Sierra Nevadas of Northern California. Here green forest meets towering granite walls. After a visit to see the amazing Giant Sequoia trees, Yosemite Valley beckons. Here you may cycle, take a dip in the Merced River or wander the meadows. Hike the Mist Trail, arguably one of the most outstanding day hikes from Yosemite Valley. The trail has some superb views as you walk across picturesque bridges up towards Vernal Falls, where the spray from the falls will cool you down on a hot summer's day and create rainbows along the trail. Continue walking to reach another beautiful waterfall, Nevada Falls, and return via the John Muir Trail for perfect afternoon views and - if you're lucky - you may even spot Black Bears and coyotes that sometimes roam the surrounding areas. Junior Ranger programs are available at most national parks which gives kids and families the opportunity to uniquely explore and learn about the national parks and how they can help protect them today and into the future.Yosemite Lakes (or similar) Optional Activities: Bike rental US$12-$34 Float trip on the Merced River US$31 Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 12 To San Francisco Make your way through California's historic gold country to the 'City by the Bay', or San Francisco as it's more commonly known! Enjoy a brief orientation tour around the city including a close-up view of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and the chance to walk across it. Completed in 1937, this iconic suspension bridge stretches for 2.7 km (1.7 miles) and is probably the most photographed bridge in the world. Unfortunately, your tour must come to an end but if you decide to stay on, there's plenty to keep you entertained but the best introduction to the city is to jump on a hop-on-hop-off bus tour. If you want to visit Alcatraz on this day, you'll need to book your ticket online in advance with Alcatraz Cruises.This tour ends at our gateway hotel at approximately 17:00 hrs. We can book you post-tour accommodation at our gateway hotel if required. If you are planning to take fly tonight, please do not book a flight that departs before 21:00 hrs. Meals included: Breakfast Lunch
United States British, New Zealand, Swiss and most EU passport holders do not need a visa (and enter the country under the Visa Waiver Program), provided they are in possession of an onward air ticket when entering the USA. Visas for the USA are required by some nationalities and it is always best to check with the relevant embassies. All passengers travelling to and from the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) are required to hold a machine-readable passport (MRP). A MRP has the holder's personal details, e.g. name, date of birth, nationality and their passport number contained in two lines of text at the base of the photo page. This text may be read by machine. The US now charges $14 for the visa waiver program and must be paid by credit card. The US authorities have introduced a mandatory requirement for all passengers travelling under the Visa Waiver Programme to register for an Electronic Travel Authority. As of 21 January 2016, any person who has travelled to Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Syria, Libya, Somalia, or Yemen since March 2011, or have dual nationalities of these countries, may no longer qualify for the VWP. For additional specifics about the VWP please consult the VWP information on the U.S. Embassy London website. More information and all necessary Internet links can be found on our USA visas page.
Camping We use National and State Park campsites and also a wide assortment of private campgrounds. Most will have flush toilets and hot showers, however please be aware that some campgrounds may charge an additional fee of $1-$3 for showers. You will sleep in tents, which 2 people will share. Our camping equipment also includes field kitchens, inflatable sleeping pads, food storage and camp lanterns and chairs. Most campsites have a quiet time from 22:00 hrs to 07:00 hrs. Please respect your fellow campers who are there to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of camping. An essential part of a camping tour is helping out with the day to day camp duties and everyone will assist with the setting up and packing up of the campsite. Your tour leader will provide guidance on what to do, and typically it will only take 15 minutes to set up or break down the tents and camp kitchen. Before you know it you’ll be enjoying ‘home sweet home’ in the great outdoors. Your tour leader will also co-ordinate and assist the group with food shopping, preparing meals and cleaning up. Sharing the camp duties is a great way to bond with your fellow travellers and the group camaraderie is all part of the experience.
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