The Wonders of the US National Parks

Your tour manager will meet you when you arrive in Denver, the gateway to the Rockies and the Great Plains of the American West, and together you'll journey north into Wyoming to stay in state capital, Cheyenne.

Continue heading north, today, stopping in historic Fort Laramie - a historic Oregon Trail landmark - and passing into South Dakota. Here the Black Hills formed the background to one of North America’s most famous gold rushes, and you'll spend two nights in charming, small-town-feel, Rapid City.

Head into the hills to see two of America’s most iconic monuments. First is Mount Rushmore, with its four giant presidential faces, followed by the Crazy Horse Memorial, the towering tribute to the Sioux leader that was started in 1948 and that still remains incomplete to this day. Afterwards, you'll travel back to Rapid City through beautiful Custer State Park.

Discover Deadwood, "wildest of the Wild West towns" and stomping ground of Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok, before travelling through the High Plains to stay in the classic western town of Sheridan beneath the Bighorn Mountains.

Visit the site of Custer’s famous Last Stand against Crazy Horse and his warriors in 1876, then head on to Buffalo Bill's hometown, Cody, Wyoming. Here rodeo shows, lively saloons and a fantastic museum funded by Buffalo Bill's estate ensure that the town's colourful past is never forgotten.

See Mother Nature in all her glory as you journey into majestic Yellowstone to explore its lakes, canyons and bubbling cauldrons and geysers. See the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River, which roars through a 24-mile-long gash in an ancient plateau, and visit the park headquarters at Mammoth Hot Springs.

Today you'll continue south through Yellowstone, hopefully witnessing an eruption of Old Faithful as you pass, and head through equally breathtaking Grand Teton National Park to Jackson, in its forest setting, for a two-night stay.

Spend a day enjoy this charming western town, its shops and stores, restaurants and bars arrayed along its wooden boardwalks.

Head south into Utah on to Salt Lake City, at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains and hometown of the Mormon Church whose multi-spired Temple and adjacent Tabernacle lie at its heart. Stay overnight in this friendly, easy-going place.

Drive further south across stunning Utah, passing from desert scrubland into wooded hills as you head to Bryce Canyon, where millions of years of erosion by ice and water have left hundreds of towering red, yellow and orange pinnacles pointing skywards. Spend two nights in these spectacular surroundings.

Your fascinating day begins with a morning in otherworldly Bryce Canyon, before an afternoon spent in beautiful Zion National Park, where forests and plunging waterfalls make a lush contrast to Bryce's weather-worn stone.

Head through yet more spectacular scenery, passing the shores of Lake Powell, as you journey to Monument Valley. Here you'll see the towering red sandstone mesas rising from the desert floor that have become one of the most iconic of all American images.

Stay overnight in nearby Kayenta.

Take in the beauty of Monument Valley, see its sandstone formations up close and learn about the lives of the local Navajo people on today's tour of the Park. Later, head west into Arizona, to the edge of the vast astonishing abyss of the Grand Canyon.

Why not take an unforgettable flight over the Grand Canyon, this morning, before you begin your last cross-country journey - to Las Vegas?

The last day of your tour is left free so you can rest and relax in your hotel, head out to explore Las Vegas's famous Strip and some of the city's incredible distractions. And, this evening, why not take to the skies again on our optional night-time helicopter flight, or enjoy an optional dinner and entertainment from the stars of the nostalgic The Rat Pack is Back show?

This morning our coach will transfer you to Los Angeles airport to catch your overnight flight home.

Arrive home, early this morning, at the end of a wonderful adventure.