Overview
Itinerary
Welcome to Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah. Situated between Wasatch Range and the Great Salt Lake, this mountainous city is perfect for lovers of the outdoors, with a strong focus on skiing and hiking. Savour a dinner accompanied by wine in the company of your fellow travellers. (DW) Stay: Sheraton Salt Lake City
Before leaving Salt Lake City, take in the State Capitol building. Drive along the scenic Logan Canyon, over the Wasatch Mountain Range, and up to the Bear Lake. Stop for lunch near Bear Lake offering views of beautiful turquoise waters. Then, head north across the Oregon Trail to historic Jackson. Have your cameras ready for the famous elk antlers at central square, while eager shoppers will find a number of charming traditional boutique galleries to browse.
Enjoy the rest of the evening at leisure, with your hotel located only a short walk away from Jackson's Town Square. (B) Stay: Elk Country Inn, Jackson Hole
Wake up to a mountainous view like no other and witness the striking Grand Tetons thrust skyward 13,775 Ft (4,199 m) from the valley floor. This morning, you have the opportunity to partake in an optional scenic float down the Snake River inside Grand Teton National Park. In keeping with today's rustic country charm, you'll enter Yellowstone, the world's first National Park. Known for its unique geothermal activity, spectacular landscapes and abundant wildlife, you'll experience Wyoming in all its glory. Keep an eye out for black bears or wolves.
Tonight you'll stay in one of Yellowstone's National Park Lodges, allowing you to experience the park after hours, in its natural habitat. (B) Stay: Yellowstone National Park Lodges
Savour the surreal surroundings of Yellowstone with a relaxed start. Walk among the rainbow tinted hot springs and watch the erupting geysers as you take in the history of the park on an informative stroll with your Travel Director. Catch the renowned colourful bubbling mud pots and observe Old Faithful geyser shooting water over 120 feet (37 metres) into the air.
In the afternoon, enjoy the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone as you take in stunning natural wonders. While driving through Hayden Valley, famous for its wildlife, keep an eye out for wolves, bears, elk and hundreds of bison. The rest of the evening is at leisure for you to relax. (B)
Set off on your travels through the stark Shoshone Canyon and Absaroka Rocky Mountains, leading you to the Wild West Town of Cody. Channel your inner showman and learn more about America's great Western legends at the Buffalo Bill Centre, known for its Western art collection, firearms, and natural history. Travel through the Bighorn National Forest to the Ranch at UCross. Take in the rustic charm as you're hosted at a traditional Wyoming Family ranch. Start off the evening with a cocktail hour in the historic Ranch House bar.
After a home-cooked dinner, enjoy a fire pit with live entertainment, including country, folk and bluegrass music. (B/DW) Stay: Ranch at UCross, Clearmont
Live the American frontier dream and begin your day with a scenic country horseback ride accompanied by a Ranch Hand. If playing cowboy isn't your thing, perhaps go fishing, or merely relax and take in your beautiful surroundings, the choice is yours. Make your way to Devils Tower, an astounding geological feature that protrudes out of the surrounding Black Hills. You'll learn why this symbolic landmark is considered sacred to the Lakota and other local tribes.
Experience Spearfish Canyon, a favoured spot among wildlife enthusiasts, and one famous for its elvish woodland beauty. The limestone palisades of this creek-carved gorge are more ancient than the Grand Canyon itself. (B) Stay: Spearfish Canyon Lodge
A day for those looking to explore the Wild West, try to spot the fastest mammal in North America, the pronghorn antelope as you cross the great high plains to the Black Hills of South Dakota. Our first stop this morning is the Oglala Lakota Living History Museum for a one-of-a-kind MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience.
Visit Badlands National Park in South Dakota, 244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires blended with the largest protected mixed grass prairie in America. A hidden gem in the national park system, the unique beauty of the Badlands landscape is unlike any other. (B) Stay: State Game Lodge, Custer State Park
This morning, see the granite faces of Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
Later, you'll experience the Crazy Horse Memorial - the world's largest mountain carving in honour of the Lakota warrior. With exclusive access not available to the general public, guests ascend 563 feet (172 metres) and have the opportunity to face the monument up close.
Tonight, celebrate your travels over dinner with your Travel Director and new found friends. (B/DW)
Your journey comes to an end today. A transfer is available to Denver International Airport, arrival at the airport will be at approximately 16:30. Guests have the option to end the tour in Denver or Rapid City at time of booking. (B)
Welcome to Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah. Situated between Wasatch Range and the Great Salt Lake, this mountainous city is perfect for lovers of the outdoors, with a strong focus on skiing and hiking. Savour a dinner accompanied by wine in the company of your fellow travellers. (DW) Stay: Sheraton Salt Lake City
Before leaving Salt Lake City, take in the State Capitol building. Drive along the scenic Logan Canyon, over the Wasatch Mountain Range, and up to the Bear Lake. Stop for lunch near Bear Lake offering views of beautiful turquoise waters. Then, head north across the Oregon Trail to historic Jackson. Have your cameras ready for the famous elk antlers at central square, while eager shoppers will find a number of charming traditional boutique galleries to browse.
Enjoy the rest of the evening at leisure, with your hotel located only a short walk away from Jackson's Town Square. (B) Stay: Elk Country Inn, Jackson Hole
Wake up to a mountainous view like no other and witness the striking Grand Tetons thrust skyward 13,775 Ft (4,199 m) from the valley floor. This morning, you have the opportunity to partake in an optional scenic float down the Snake River inside Grand Teton National Park. In keeping with today's rustic country charm, you'll enter Yellowstone, the world's first National Park. Known for its unique geothermal activity, spectacular landscapes and abundant wildlife, you'll experience Wyoming in all its glory. Keep an eye out for black bears or wolves.
Tonight you'll stay in one of Yellowstone's National Park Lodges, allowing you to experience the park after hours, in its natural habitat. (B) Stay: Yellowstone National Park Lodges
Savour the surreal surroundings of Yellowstone with a relaxed start. Walk among the rainbow tinted hot springs and watch the erupting geysers as you take in the history of the park on an informative stroll with your Travel Director. Catch the renowned colourful bubbling mud pots and observe Old Faithful geyser shooting water over 120 feet (37 metres) into the air.
In the afternoon, enjoy the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone as you take in stunning natural wonders. While driving through Hayden Valley, famous for its wildlife, keep an eye out for wolves, bears, elk and hundreds of bison. The rest of the evening is at leisure for you to relax. (B)
Set off on your travels through the stark Shoshone Canyon and Absaroka Rocky Mountains, leading you to the Wild West Town of Cody. Channel your inner showman and learn more about America's great Western legends at the Buffalo Bill Centre, known for its Western art collection, firearms, and natural history. Travel through the Bighorn National Forest to the Ranch at UCross. Take in the rustic charm as you're hosted at a traditional Wyoming Family ranch. Start off the evening with a cocktail hour in the historic Ranch House bar.
After a home-cooked dinner, enjoy a fire pit with live entertainment, including country, folk and bluegrass music. (B/DW) Stay: Ranch at UCross, Clearmont
Live the American frontier dream and begin your day with a scenic country horseback ride accompanied by a Ranch Hand. If playing cowboy isn't your thing, perhaps go fishing, or merely relax and take in your beautiful surroundings, the choice is yours. Make your way to Devils Tower, an astounding geological feature that protrudes out of the surrounding Black Hills. You'll learn why this symbolic landmark is considered sacred to the Lakota and other local tribes.
Experience Spearfish Canyon, a favoured spot among wildlife enthusiasts, and one famous for its elvish woodland beauty. The limestone palisades of this creek-carved gorge are more ancient than the Grand Canyon itself. (B) Stay: Spearfish Canyon Lodge
A day for those looking to explore the Wild West, try to spot the fastest mammal in North America, the pronghorn antelope as you cross the great high plains to the Black Hills of South Dakota. Our first stop this morning is the Oglala Lakota Living History Museum for a one-of-a-kind MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience.
Visit Badlands National Park in South Dakota, 244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires blended with the largest protected mixed grass prairie in America. A hidden gem in the national park system, the unique beauty of the Badlands landscape is unlike any other. (B) Stay: State Game Lodge, Custer State Park
This morning, see the granite faces of Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
Later, you'll experience the Crazy Horse Memorial - the world's largest mountain carving in honour of the Lakota warrior. With exclusive access not available to the general public, guests ascend 563 feet (172 metres) and have the opportunity to face the monument up close.
Tonight, celebrate your travels over dinner with your Travel Director and new found friends. (B/DW)
Your journey comes to an end today. A transfer is available to Denver International Airport, arrival at the airport will be at approximately 16:30. Guests have the option to end the tour in Denver or Rapid City at time of booking. (B)
Trip Inclusions
- Jackson: Historic Jackson, where the majestic peaks of the Teton Range act as your constant backdrop. Feel like you've stepped back in time as you walk through the town's famous landmark arch of tangled elk antlers. Spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the town's boutiques and stores, which blend the Old West and the modern West harmoniously.
- Yellowstone National Park: The world's first National Park, Yellowstone spans 2,219,789 acres and even has its own Grand Canyon. The park is home to half of the world's hydrothermal features, more than 10,000, of which over 300 are geysers. Yellowstone is also a wildlife paradise. Some 1,700 species of plants and 400 species of birds, fish and mammals live in the park, including bison, wolves, bears, elk and moose.
- Grand Teton National Park: Travel through a mountainous landscape like no other. Witness the striking Grand Tetons thrust skyward 6,562 feet (2,000 meters) from the valley floor and keenly watch for exciting wildlife that call these mountains home. Including the grizzly bear, bald eagles, moose, bison, and elk.
- Yellowstone National Park: Catch the renowned colourful bubbling mud pots and observe Old Faithful geyser shooting water over 120 feet (37 metres) into the air. The Upper Geyser Basin boasts the highest concentration of spouting geysers, hot springs and steaming fumaroles in the world.
- Cody: Explore the award-winning Buffalo Bill Center of the West, known for its excellent Western art collection and natural history.
- Yellowstone National Park: Travel out of Yellowstone NP through Shoshone Canyon and Absaroka Rocky Mountains to the Wild West Town of Cody.
- Black Hills: View the awe-inspiring Devils Tower National Monument, a butte that protrudes from the landscape and is considered sacred by the Lakota and other tribes.
- Custer State Park: Continue venturing through the Black Hills to arrive at Custer State Park. Renowned for its beautiful landscape and abundance of wildlife. Home to a famous herd of 1,500 free roaming bison, accompanied by elk, mule deer, white tailed deer, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, mountain lions and feral burros.
- Badlands National Park: Steep yourself in all that is the Badlands National Park in South Dakota. Preserved here are 244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires, blended with the largest protected mixed grass prairie in America. The unique beauty of this landscape is like no other. Sightseers as well as scholarly scientists are attracted to the area for its astounding beauty and the opportunity to gaze into an ancient world.
- Black Hills: View iconic Mount Rushmore National Memorial where carvings of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt overlook the landscape.
- Black Hills: Visit Crazy Horse Memorial, which is dedicated to protecting and preserving the culture, tradition and living heritage of the Native American people. A special Insight Experience awaits as you are taken up to stand face-to-face with this impressive sculpture. Measuring 641 feet (195 metres) long and 563 feet (172 metres) high, the piece takes the record as the world's largest mountain carving.
Choose between two carefully selected activities
- Ucross: Live the American frontier dream with a scenic morning country horseback ride.
- Ucross: Take a leisurely fishing outing and enjoy the serene surroundings.
- Philip: Discover the past, present, and future of the Lakota people at the Oglala Lakota Living History Village. Walk the trails through displays of 19th-century living quarters. Local artists present culture and tradition through their crafts and storytelling. Your visit contributes to the sustainability and resilience of the Lakota community.
- Our highly-skilled Travel Director will ensure your journey is seamless, serving as your expert guide, consummate organiser, and friend overseas.
- We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
- Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
- Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.
- From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
- Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
- Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
- Salt Lake City: At 18:00, join your Travel Director for a dinner with wine where you'll have the chance to mingle with fellow guests.
- Ucross: Savour a hearty ranch style dinner prepared by your local hosts.
- Custer: Toast to the finale of your trip at a dinner served at your lodge in Custer State Park.
- Dining Summary: 3 Dinners with Wine (DW), 8 Breakfasts (B)
- Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxurious, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom. Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards. Physical distancing measures have been implemented on our customized luxury coaches.
- Experience enhanced hygiene protocols to align with the latest guidance following COVID-19. All Travel Directors and Drivers have completed training in enhanced well-being and hygiene protocols.
- We only work with establishments we are confident will consistently adhere to our high well-being standards, which include hotels, restaurants and sight-seeing venues.
- Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.
- Itinerary and inclusions are subject to change
- Price is for land, cruise and internal flights as specified. Flights not specified are not included
- Jackson: Historic Jackson, where the majestic peaks of the Teton Range act as your constant backdrop. Feel like you've stepped back in time as you walk through the town's famous landmark arch of tangled elk antlers. Spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the town's boutiques and stores, which blend the Old West and the modern West harmoniously.
- Yellowstone National Park: The world's first National Park, Yellowstone spans 2,219,789 acres and even has its own Grand Canyon. The park is home to half of the world's hydrothermal features, more than 10,000, of which over 300 are geysers. Yellowstone is also a wildlife paradise. Some 1,700 species of plants and 400 species of birds, fish and mammals live in the park, including bison, wolves, bears, elk and moose.
- Grand Teton National Park: Travel through a mountainous landscape like no other. Witness the striking Grand Tetons thrust skyward 6,562 feet (2,000 meters) from the valley floor and keenly watch for exciting wildlife that call these mountains home. Including the grizzly bear, bald eagles, moose, bison, and elk.
- Yellowstone National Park: Catch the renowned colourful bubbling mud pots and observe Old Faithful geyser shooting water over 120 feet (37 metres) into the air. The Upper Geyser Basin boasts the highest concentration of spouting geysers, hot springs and steaming fumaroles in the world.
- Cody: Explore the award-winning Buffalo Bill Center of the West, known for its excellent Western art collection and natural history.
- Yellowstone National Park: Travel out of Yellowstone NP through Shoshone Canyon and Absaroka Rocky Mountains to the Wild West Town of Cody.
- Black Hills: View the awe-inspiring Devils Tower National Monument, a butte that protrudes from the landscape and is considered sacred by the Lakota and other tribes.
- Custer State Park: Continue venturing through the Black Hills to arrive at Custer State Park. Renowned for its beautiful landscape and abundance of wildlife. Home to a famous herd of 1,500 free roaming bison, accompanied by elk, mule deer, white tailed deer, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, mountain lions and feral burros.
- Badlands National Park: Steep yourself in all that is the Badlands National Park in South Dakota. Preserved here are 244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires, blended with the largest protected mixed grass prairie in America. The unique beauty of this landscape is like no other. Sightseers as well as scholarly scientists are attracted to the area for its astounding beauty and the opportunity to gaze into an ancient world.
- Black Hills: View iconic Mount Rushmore National Memorial where carvings of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt overlook the landscape.
- Black Hills: Visit Crazy Horse Memorial, which is dedicated to protecting and preserving the culture, tradition and living heritage of the Native American people. A special Insight Experience awaits as you are taken up to stand face-to-face with this impressive sculpture. Measuring 641 feet (195 metres) long and 563 feet (172 metres) high, the piece takes the record as the world's largest mountain carving.
Choose between two carefully selected activities
- Ucross: Live the American frontier dream with a scenic morning country horseback ride.
- Ucross: Take a leisurely fishing outing and enjoy the serene surroundings.
- Philip: Discover the past, present, and future of the Lakota people at the Oglala Lakota Living History Village. Walk the trails through displays of 19th-century living quarters. Local artists present culture and tradition through their crafts and storytelling. Your visit contributes to the sustainability and resilience of the Lakota community.
- Our highly-skilled Travel Director will ensure your journey is seamless, serving as your expert guide, consummate organiser, and friend overseas.
- We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
- Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
- Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.
- From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
- Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
- Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
- Salt Lake City: At 18:00, join your Travel Director for a dinner with wine where you'll have the chance to mingle with fellow guests.
- Ucross: Savour a hearty ranch style dinner prepared by your local hosts.
- Custer: Toast to the finale of your trip at a dinner served at your lodge in Custer State Park.
- Dining Summary: 3 Dinners with Wine (DW), 8 Breakfasts (B)
- Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxurious, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom. Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards. Physical distancing measures have been implemented on our customized luxury coaches.
- Experience enhanced hygiene protocols to align with the latest guidance following COVID-19. All Travel Directors and Drivers have completed training in enhanced well-being and hygiene protocols.
- We only work with establishments we are confident will consistently adhere to our high well-being standards, which include hotels, restaurants and sight-seeing venues.
- Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.
- Itinerary and inclusions are subject to change
- Price is for land, cruise and internal flights as specified. Flights not specified are not included
Trip Reviews (6) Most Recent 'American Parks Trail' Reviews
Having said that, this trip probably exceeded our expectations. The coach itself was extremely comfortable, plenty of leg room, on board wi-fi and a recharge power points for each seat. Our tour director appeared to have a good knowledge of local history and culture which he shared with the group and prior experience about how to get the best out of each location in the limited time that you have available.There were 33 passengers on tour, 50% Americans ( mainly east coast retirees) and 50% Australians (again mainly retirees). There is a lot of coach travel on this tour with a couple of days of extended mileage. To get the best out of the trip you need to have a good level of fitness. Whilst there is full porterage of your bags, the accommodation did not always have lifts and there are steps to be climbed at some locations. At a couple of overnight stops you do need to walk outdoors from the accommodation to dining areas.
If you are looking for big cities and shopping this tour is not for you. We looked forward to seeing some of the other American Icons away from cities , more of the US National Parks and staying in Rustic Lodges and we were well satisfied.
We did not realise that this tour was stage 3 of an extended West Coast tour that had started in San Francisco. So a few passengers had booked on all 3 stages; several more on the final two stages and others like us joined up for the final stage 3. We in fact, had completed the second stage that included Grand Canyon, Bryce and Zion National Parks back in 2010.
We flew from LA airport to Salt Lake City two days in advance of the tour date and would have been otherwise disappointed with the tour's itinerary / commentary of this town. We booked on both a City local tour and a lake local tour before departing Australia ; we were also able to easily walk to Temple Square and also attend the free Mormon Tabernacle Choir Concert on the Thursday evening. We also chose to depart the tour in Denver rather than Rapid City. The Insight coach provided this connection and this gave us better options for ongoing flights to New York. We stayed in a hotel close to the airport for a flight the following morning - note Insight Vacations' warning about booking flight times that are too early.
We chose a tour in early May because we wanted to see snow capped mountains. The south gate into Yellowstone had only just opened for the season, a couple of roads in the park were still closed because of a late snow fall but that was the risk we were prepared to take with this early date. We did not want to experience summer school holiday crowds and traffic jams especially in Yellowstone! The snow covered Grand Tetons were magnificent - it had been a heavy snowfall winter. There was heavy snow still on the ground in the southern parts of Yellowstone, some lakes were still frozen, the waterfalls and mountain streams were raging. It was also still cool enough to enjoy walking geyser trails at Yellowstone and the board walk at Mt Rushmore and for fireplaces to be enjoyed in lodge foyers.
We saw plenty of bison, elk, deer, prairie dog and were lucky enough to spot a grizzly bear ambling out of the lake ! There were 2 optional excursions for the tour - we did not book the river float as we had been very satisfied with our memories of a Colorado River Float on another tour. We would recommend the Bison Safari and Cookout optional though ( do not be put off - this is not rough road touring ! )
We were very happy with all the accommodation. We had not anticipated the scale of these lodges. There are many rooms ; not luxury, but all have interesting character décor, good linen, satisfactory bathrooms and pleasant foyers. Meals were usually limited to the accommodation's large dining rooms with a seasonal staff who, in May, were fairly new to the job! While the "no bookings system at Yellowstone" is not always ideal, it is all part of the experience and will make you appreciate even more the wonderful dinner later on at the more intimate U Cross Ranch. Take on board the fact that Americans often have to book a long time in advance to stay at some of these lodges. We were fortunate that our dates enabled us to stay at all the "onsite accommodation" and I would suggest that future travellers read the fine print carefully for accommodation on their chosen dates as a couple of local events impose some limitations.
Custer State Park and the Buffalo Bill Museum were our unexpected favourite destinations on this tour. Eating dinner looking out on the Grand Tetons at twilight is a special memory we will never forget.
This is the first time we have booked with Global Journeys - the savings, in addition to Insight's early payment and past traveller discounts were attractive. All our communication and payments were made online. The process was efficient and I felt confident with the company even without a face to face meeting.
Brochure
Insight Vacations North & South America (2025-26)
Brochure
Insight Vacations North & South America (2025-26)
Availability
USD
A definite departure means minimum numbers have been reached for this departure to operate. Your Global Journeys Travel Advisor will check the availability of your departure date when you enquire. Additional savings may apply. T&C’s apply.
Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Pricing and trip details are correct at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by Insight Vacations. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from Insight Vacations. These should be treated as indicative only. Cabin inclusions, upholsteries and room layout may differ to the image(s) shown depending on the ship selected and your sailing dates.
Similar Tours
10 Days Las Vegas Las Vegas
Operated By: Insight Vacations
10 Days Las Vegas Las Vegas
Operated By: Insight Vacations
10 Days Washington DC Nashville
Operated By: Insight Vacations
15 Days Phoenix Denver
Operated By: Insight Vacations
