Three Week Western USA Road Trip

The Western USA road trips are by far the most popular USA trips, for good reason too. With national parks, cities and activities to die for it is one of the most popular USA leisure destinations. When you combine this with the good time and laugh you will have with the rest of the group, this just might turn out to be the highlight of your travels.

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Full Details

Day 1-2: Los Angeles & San Diego

With the sun on your face, say goodbye to LA and hello to the Southern California city of San Diego – ‘America’s Finest ‘. Laze in grassy Balboa Park or feel sand between your toes at Mission Beach and top up your tan. San Diego has the perfect environment for so many beachfront activities; rollerblading, beach volleyball, boogie boarding and bicycling… you name it! It’s all about the beach: bronzed bodies, big shades and baggy shorts. Explore the original SeaWorld or visit the famous San Diego Zoo, before soaking up a blazing Californian sunset.

Accommodation: Camping included

Day 3-4: Las Vegas

Back to the modern world with a bang – Las Vegas – the greatest show on earth! Cruise “The Strip” in a super-stretch limo, indulge in an all-you-can eat buffet, take in a show or just watch the amazing crowds, and neon signs as the glitzy hotels try to out-do each other with spectacular attractions. And if that’s not enough, take an optional helicopter flight down The Strip or just gamble the night away in one of the world class casinos. Oh and there’s a saying here: what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

Accommodation: 2 en-route hotel nights paid locally

Day 5-6: Grand Canyon National Park

Next we come face to face with the most awe-inspiring national park of them all, the Grand Canyon. Nothing you have ever seen before will prepare you for this spectacular site! Hike from the forest above to the desert below, red rock to white powder, or take an optional helicopter flight above it all and marvel at the brilliant colours. One thing’s for sure though, this place looks incredible from any angle, especially walking along the rim at sunset or sunrise.

Accommodation: Camping included

Day 7: Lake Powell & Cowboy Camp

After a short stop at Lake Powell it’s time to pull up those boots and grab your Stetson, as you’ll be riding high in the saddle on an included horseback ride at our cowboy camp. The true American experience and nothing beats home cooking!

Accommodation: Camping and meals included

Day 8: Monument Valley

We head to the Navajo Tribal Lands of Monument Valley. The only things to pre-date the origins of Native American culture are the towering buttes and mesas which dominate the awe-inspiring landscape. Take the opportunity to experience it close-up with an optional 4×4 ride and a Navajo Indian Reservation visit before setting up camp. What a place for a campfire sing-along.

Accommodation: Camping included

Day 9-11: Moab/Arches National Park

The park’s name says it all. Some 2,000 orange sandstone arches strike their poses. Moab is the perfect base for two days of exploration and adventure in Arches National Park. Endless opportunity awaits; take a sunset stroll to Delicate Arch. mountain bike on the many trails, float down the Colorado on a scenic rafting trip or tackle the terrain high above on a guided jeep tour.

Accommodation: Camping included

Day 12: Bryce Canyon National Park

What’s a hoodoo when it’s at home? Actually, Hoodoos are weird and wonderful rock spires arranged in rows. “Mysterious”, “breathtaking” and “out of this world” are only a few of the descriptions offered by past visitors to Bryce Canyon National Park. For close up views, we allow plenty of time to take advantage of the park’s incredible system of trails. Wherever you walk, you will encounter a kaleidoscope of colours and a fantasy land of rock spires that will leave you searching for your own way to describe this ‘indescribable’ place.

Accommodation: Camping included

Day 13: Zion National Park

You will have plenty of time to discover the Southwest’s great diversity as we visit three National Parks over the next four days. Over in Utah, the call of the wild is just as strong. Negotiate the stunning terrain of Zion National Park first. Trek through colourful canyons or take a duck’s eye view on the tree-lined Virgin River as it meanders below massive, cathedral-like sandstone walls, soaring several thousand feet into the sky.

Accommodation: Camping included

Day 14: Great Basin Desert

Leave the real world behind for a night out in the heart of the Great Basin Desert. Whether ‘intrepid’ is your middle name or you’re a total city slicker, nothing beats hitting the trails for bags of fresh air and freedom.

Accommodation: Camping included

Day 15-16: Yosemite National Park

Prepare to be wowed. Thundering waterfalls, huge granite cliffs shaped by the elements and towering sequoia trees are all perfect camera fodder within this huge wilderness. We have two days to hike, bike or float through this extraordinary landscape.

Accommodation: Camping included

Day 17-18: San Francisco

Next, “Everybody’s Favourite City”, San Francisco, with its endless options. We’ll tour the city and stride across the Golden Gate Bridge, before letting the cable cars carry us through the fabled steep streets. View the Bay and Alcatraz on an optional sunset sail cruise, visit Fisherman’s Wharf, shop in Chinatown and Union Square and sample the famous nightlife too, be it authentic Chinatown eateries, cool bars in North Beach or Haight-Ashbury or dance-floors heaving to hip-hop beats.

Accommodation: 2 en-route hotel nights paid locally

Day 19-20: Pacific Coast & Big Sur

Head up the rugged California coast travelling the Pacific Coast Highway and taking in the sights as the surf spirit takes hold of you! Fasten your seatbelt for blockbusting scenery. Giant redwoods tower overhead while McWay Falls plunges from granite cliffs into the Pacific Ocean far below. Keep an eye out for elephant seals basking on the beaches.

Accommodation: Camping included

Day 21: Los Angeles

Here’s your finale. Back in Tinseltown, a visit to LA’s craziest beach scene, quintessential Venice Beach or a tour of Hollywood Boulevard, the iconic Hollywood sign and Mann’s

Chinese Theatre with its famous Walk of Stars – before the credits role on your blockbuster adventure.

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 fly tonight, please do not book a flight that departs before 21:00 hrs.

Accommodation

All accommodation apart from four nights is included. Along the way we are camping, with all equipment included in comfortable modern tents.

In Vegas you stay in a downtown hotel, where there is a local payment. Waking up with views of national parks take some beating, and certainly beats a motel.

Three Week Western USA Road Trip Frequently Asked Questions

Dates

 2014

• 1 Apr 14 – 01 May 14
• 02 May 14 – 22 May 14
• 23 May 14 – 12 Jun 14
• 06 Jun 14 – 26 Jun 14
• 20 Jun 14 – 10 Jul 14
• 27 Jun 14 – 17 Jul 14
• 04 Jul 14 – 24 Jul 14
• 11 Jul 14 – 31 Jul 14
• 18 Jul 14 – 07 Aug 14
• 25 Jul 14 – 14 Aug 14
• 01 Aug 14 – 21 Aug 14
• 08 Aug 14 – 28 Aug 14
• 15 Aug 14 – 04 Sep 14
• 22 Aug 14 – 11 Sep 14
• 29 Aug 14 – 18 Sep 14
• 05 Sep 14 – 25 Sep 14
• 12 Sep 14 – 02 Oct 14
• 19 Sep 14 – 09 Oct 14
• 03 Oct 14 – 23 Oct 14

2015

• 10 Apr 15 – 30 Apr 15
• 01 May 15 – 21 May 15
• 22 May 15 – 11 Jun 15
• 05 Jun 15 – 25 Jun 15
• 19 Jun 15 – 09 Jul 15
• 26 Jun 15 – 16 Jul 15
• 03 Jul 15 – 23 Jul 15
• 10 Jul 15 – 30 Jul 15
• 17 Jul 15 – 06 Aug 15
• 24 Jul 15 – 13 Aug 15
• 31 Jul 15 – 20 Aug 15
• 07 Aug 15 – 27 Aug 15
• 14 Aug 15 – 03 Sep 15
• 21 Aug 15 – 10 Sep 15
• 28 Aug 15 – 17 Sep 15
• 04 Sep 15 – 24 Sep 15
• 11 Sep 15 – 01 Oct 15
• 18 Sep 15 – 08 Oct 15
• 02 Oct 15 – 22 Oct 15