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Insight Vacations

American Parks Trail

End Denver, Classic Group

This tour has other variations available

Everyday Price From

$7,576

9 days

No Countries

Overview

Experience the rugged and wild West during this 9-Day tour. Start in Salt Lake City, and then head to Jackson & the Grand Tetons. The adventure continues to Yellowstone National Park where you will walk beside the rainbow-hued hot springs and watch Old Faithful spew water more than 120 feet into the air. In Cody, see a firearms collection at the Buffalo Bill Center. Travel to Devils Tower, a butte of igneous rock jutting from the craggy Black Hills mountains. Here, you’ll learn about the Western legends Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. Then head to Mount Rushmore National Memorial, where the visages of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt are carved into the mountainside. And ascend 563 feet to the top of Crazy Horse Memorial, named for the Lakota warrior, and stand face-to-face with the world’s largest mountain carving.

Locations Visited

Salt Lake City, Jackson, Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Old Faithful Geyser of California, Cody, Ucross, Devils Tower, Spearfish Canyon, Badlands National Park, Custer State Park, Crazy Horse Memorial, Mt. Rushmore, Denver

Countries Visited

United States

Travel Style

Discovery

Accommodations

8 nights included

Age Requirements

Minimum age 5

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Itinerary

COLLAPSE ALL EXPAND ALL

Day 1

Arrive Salt Lake City

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.

  • Accommodation

    Marriott Downtown at City Creek


  • Meals

    Dinner

Highlights

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Salt Lake City Dinner

At 18:00, join your Travel Director for a dinner with wine where you'll have the chance to mingle with fellow guests.

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. 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 within walking distance of Jackson's Town Square.

  • Accommodation

    Elk Country Inn


  • Meals

    Breakfast

Highlights

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Visit 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.

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.

  • Accommodation

    Yellowstone National Park Lodges


  • Meals

    Breakfast

Highlights

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Yellowstone National Park Visit

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.

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Visit 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.  

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.

  • Accommodation

    Yellowstone National Park Lodges


  • Meals

    Breakfast

Highlights

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See Upper Geyser Basin in 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.

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.

  • Accommodation

    Ranch at UCross


  • Meals

    Breakfast

    Dinner

Highlights

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Cody Buffalo Bill Center Visit

Explore the award-winning Buffalo Bill Center of the West, known for its excellent Western art collection and natural history.

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Dinner at UCross Ranch

Savour a hearty ranch-style dinner prepared by your local hosts.

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Drive Through Shoshone National Forest

Travel out of Yellowstone NP through Shoshone Canyon and Absaroka Rocky Mountains to the Wild West Town of Cody.

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 National Monument, 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.

  • Accommodation

    Spearfish Canyon Lodge


  • Meals

    Breakfast

Highlights

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See the Devils Tower in the 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.

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Horseback Riding at UCross Ranch

Live the American frontier dream with a scenic morning country horseback ride.

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Fishing at UCross

Take a leisurely fishing outing and enjoy the serene surroundings.

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.

  • Accommodation

    State Game Lodge


  • Meals

    Breakfast

Highlights

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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. 

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Visit 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. 

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Oglala Lakota Living History Village

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 experience advances United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 10 & 11: Reduced Inequalities & Sustainable Cities and Communities.

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 172 m (563 ft) for the opportunity to face the monument up close. Tonight, celebrate your travels over dinner with your Travel Director and newfound friends.

  • Accommodation

    State Game Lodge


  • Meals

    Breakfast

    Dinner

Highlights

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Visit Crazy Horse Memorial in the 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.

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See Mount Rushmore National Memorial at the Black Hills

View iconic Mount Rushmore National Memorial where carvings of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt overlook the landscape.

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Dinner in Custer

Toast to the finale of your trip at a dinner served at your lodge in Custer State Park.

Your journey comes to end today. Say goodbye to your travel companions.

  • Meals

    Breakfast

Highlights

Well-being

  • 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.

What's Included

On Road Team

  • Our highly-skilled Travel Director will ensure your journey is seamless, serving as your expert guide, consummate organiser, and friend overseas. 

Porterage

  • We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.

Gratuities

  • 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.

  • 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.

Vox Headsets

  • Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.

Touchpoints

  • From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.

Wifi

  • Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).

Dates & Prices

Versions of this Tour

We have pre-selected the best options based on your search, however please feel free to adjust them to suit your desires. Please note that changes here will affect availabilty, pricing and trip itinerary.


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From Price

American Parks Trail - End Denver, Classic Group

$7,576

American Parks Trail with Rocky Mountaineer Option, Classic Group

$8,386

American Parks Trail - End Rapid City, Small Group

$9,308

American Parks Trail - End Denver, Small Group

$9,308

American Parks Trail - End Rapid City, Classic Group

$7,876

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Special Offers

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Terms & Conditions

Trip Notes: 

  • Please note that airfare to and from your start/end destinations is not included in the cost of your trip. 
  • Call 1300 321 962 for great deals from Australia to & from all start/end cities for your selected itinerary. 
  • Internal flights as specified on individual trip itineraries are included as part of the trip price. 

Terms & Conditions: 

  • Prices listed are land only & do not include airfare to and from the start/end of the tour. 
  • Prices listed are per person, based on twin share. If you’re travelling solo, we can pair you with a same-sex roommate at no extra cost or you can upgrade to a single for an additional cost, subject to availability. Please note solo room share is not available on all trips. 
  • For departure points and stay longer accommodation options call 1300 321 962 for more details. 
  • 'Exclusive Costco Member Price' is available upon member login.  
  • 'Price with Current Deals' reflects applicable promotions. Promotions and savings vary by itinerary, are not valid on all tours/departure dates and are subject to availability. All discounts are for new bookings only, subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Call or request a quote for complete details. 
  • All discounts are for new bookings only, subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Call or request a quote for complete details. 
  • Trip prices and information are correct at the time of the products going live, however are subject to confirmation - please confirm all details at time of quote and booking.