WESTERN NATIONAL PARK & CANYONS

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DAY 1 - Phoenix  

 

Meet your Champlain Tours leader at the Burlington, Vermont airport for your included round-trip flight.  Arrive at the Phoenix Airport today and transfer to your hotel in Phoenix. This evening, enjoy a welcome dinner with your group in Phoenix.  The Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort is your home for the next 2 nights!

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DAY 2 - Sedona - Grand Canyon  

 

The day is yours to enjoy some leisure time.  Really, this is a bonus day as we like to arrive a day early to avoid any possible interruptions with flights.

 

At 6 pm, meet your local guide and travel companions for a welcome drink.

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This morning, depart the Valley of the Sun and travel north to the beautiful town of Sedona. View the amazing
red rock country surrounding this artistic town and enjoy some free time to explore the many shops and art galleries. Then depart Sedona and travel through beautiful Oak Creek Canyon on your way north and enjoy lunch on own along the way.

 

This afternoon enjoy touring the Grand Canyon National Park, *A UNESCO World Heritage Site. This 1.2 million acre national park hosts a vast variety of wildlife and scenic wonders. Learn about the geology and history of the canyon while taking in its breathtaking beauty at all the best view points along the South Rim including Grand Canyon Village. The Colorado River is the main contributor in the creation of the vast canyon and can still be seen carving its way through the rock roughly a mile below.

 

After time to visit many of the scenic points, check into your hotel located just outside the park. This evening, enjoy dinner with your group. 

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DAY 3 - Phoenix-Sedona-Grand Canyon National Park 

 

Grand Canyon National Park, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The spectacular beauty of this famous attraction draws more than 5 million visitors a year from around the globe. Spend the next two nights inside the park. This evening, be sure to watch the spectacular sunset. 

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In Sedona, there is an optional excursion with a knowledgeable local guide for a 4-wheel adventure in the American Southwest. Be surrounded by the stunning views of Sedona’s iconic red rock formations on an adventure through spectacular scenery and unsurpassed panoramic views of the desert canyon landscapes.

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DAY 4 - Grand Canyon National Park

 

If you missed the sunset, the sunrise is just as impressive!  Today is free to explore everything the canyon has to offer.  You may want to enjoy an optional flightseeing over the Grand Canyon—definitely the thrill of a lifetime, or set out to explore the Grand Canyon and learn about its geology and how the canyon was carved. You may wish to join a Ranger talk in the Amphitheater, venture down part of Bright Angel Trail, or visit the geology museum. 

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Grand Canyon National Park spans 278 miles of the Colorado River on the ancestral homeland of 11 Associated Tribes. Marvel at one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World as you experience the dramatic views across one of the most spectacular examples of landscapes carved by water and wind found anywhere in the world—unmatched in the incomparable vistas it offers visitors on the rim.

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DAY 5 - Grand Canyon National Park-Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park-Lake Powell 

 

Head to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, where the weathering action of wind and water has carved the famous sandstone spires and towers that rise hundreds of feet above the valley floor. On a  4-wheel-drive backcountry tour with a knowledgeable Navajo guide. Then enjoy a traditional  Navajo Fry Bread tasting. On to Lake Powell for a 2-night stay, with free time to relax or maybe stroll along Wahweap Marina.

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Join a Navajo Guide on a 4-wheel backcountry tour to explore the area’s oddly shaped red-sandstone monoliths, buttes, and mesas—the setting for some of John Ford’s most memorable and classic western films. Hear fascinating stories of legends and folklore that bring this remarkable region to life and enjoy authentic Navajo fry bread in the ancient tradition.

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DAY 6 - Lake Powell - Antelope Canyon

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This morning, explore  Antelope Slot Canyon with a local Navajo guide. Be mesmerized by an amazing fantasy world of stone, created by wind and water. Learn the history of this amazing canyon and be sure to take advantage of the incredible photo opportunities.

 

The mysterious and haunting beauty of Antelope Canyon (also known as "Corkscrew Canyon") awaits the adventurous traveler who seeks to discover one of the most spectacular attractions of the Lake Powell area. A tour to this awe-inspiring sculpture set in stone is a must for amateur and professional photographers alike. Then have some free time for lunch on own. End your day back at the Lake Powell Resort and join the group for dinner.

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The rest of the day is free in Lake Powell, where sparkling blue water laps against towering red-rock canyon walls and sandy beaches. 

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DAY 7 - Lake Powell-Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah 

 

Depart from the splendid views of Lake Powell and travel Utah’s scenic backroads to spectacular Bryce Canyon National Park.  The hues and intricate shapes of Bryce Canyon carry even the most mature adult away into a fairyland fantasy. The Paiute Indians used a word to describe Bryce that translates into, "red rocks standing like men in a bowl-shaped canyon." Mormon settler Ebenezer Bryce, for whom the canyon was named, described it as "a hell of a place to lose a cow."

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Explore Bryce Canyon’s fantastically sculpted rock formations called Hoodoos that resemble castle towers, cathedral spires, and squatting goblins. As the light changes throughout the day, the canyons glow between distinct oranges, reds, and yellows creating a striking background for photographic masterpieces. And stars? The Bryce area is one of the best places for stargazing thanks to its remote location and lack of pollution. On some nights, more than 7,500 stars are visible!

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Check into your hotel located just outside the park, evening free for dinner on own.

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DAY 8 -  Bryce Canyon National Park-Zion National Park-Las Vegas, Nevada  

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Today, see nearby Zion National Park, a spectacle of massive stone formations whose colors change with the light of the day and the season. To the Mormon pioneers, it was a haven of beauty resembling natural temples and cathedrals. Meaning a place of peace and refuge known to nourish the soul, Zion’s sandstone walls rise thousands of feet above the valleys and cliffs high above the canyon floor’s lush greenery and snaking Virgin River. Here, Native people and pioneers first gazed skyward at soaring cliffs of cream, pink, and red piercing the brilliant blue sky.

 

Enjoy a boxed picnic lunch on the front lawn of Zion Lodge with free time to explore before continuing to Las Vegas for a brief orientation tour. This evening, your local guide hosts a farewell dinner. 

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DAY 9 - Journey Home 

This morning, transfer to the Las Vegas Airport for your return flight home. As you travel home,

remember all the wonderful memories and friends you have met on your fabulous vacation!

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