Journeys: Discover American Canyonlands
Experience Overview
Sandstone spires, crimson plateaus, and 2,000-year-old rock art—the canyonlands of the American Southwest encompass a geological playground millions of years in the making. Discover the natural treasures of this fascinating region alongside scientists and local experts, embarking on thrilling walks in Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, and Antelope Canyon. Hike past cascading hanging gardens and colourful hoodoos, splash your way through the Narrows slot canyon, and gaze out over incredible abysses carved by the mighty Colorado River.
Highlights
- Witness the awe-inspiring scenery at Zion NP
- Check out 2000-year-old rock art and 250-million-year-old fossils
- Explore Antelope Canyon with a Navajo guide
- Spend the day with an expert from the Grand Canyon Association Field Institute
Trip Details
Product Code: 2586
Tour Type: Small Group
Accommodation: Moderate
Transport: Air-conditioned private vehicle, hiking, walking.
Guide Language: English
Travel Styles:
National Geographic Journey, Extreme Adventures
Tour Operator:
G Adventures
Supplier Code: NUVNG
Starts: Las Vegas, United States
Finishes: Las Vegas, United States
Duration: 8 days
Departures: Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Average
Includes
Activities
- Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Grand Canyon Exclusive, Grand Canyon National Park Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Lowell Observatory Experience, Flagstaff Your G for Good Moment: Native Grill Food Truck Experience
- All national park fees
- Zion National Park visit and guided hike
- Bryce Canyon National Park visit
- Antelope Canyon guided visit
- Horseshoe Bend hike
- Grand Canyon National Park visit
- Route 66 stop
- All transport between destinations and to/from included activities
Accommodation
- Hotels (7 nts).
- 7 breakfasts, 2 lunches
Transport
- Air-conditioned private vehicle, hiking, walking.
Group Leader
- CEO (Chief Experience Officer) throughout, local guides.
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $4,599 ($575 /day)
Itinerary
Day 1: Las Vegas
Arrive at any time.
There are no planned activities today until the evening welcome meeting, so check out the strip or get tickets to a show for this evening.
Day 2: Las Vegas/Zion National Park
Depart for the sandstone slot canyons of Zion, Utah's oldest national park, where monumental cliffs of cream, pink, and red pierce the sky. In the afternoon we get our first glimpse of the park as we hike along The Watchman Trail. This unpaved trail climbs 368 ft (112 m) to a magnificent viewpoint of the Watchman, Temples and Towers, lower Zion Canyon, and the Town of Springdale.
Day 3: Zion National Park
Set out on an unforgettable guided hike to the famed Narrows. Splash, wade, and swim in the cool water of the river that cuts through this stunning slot canyon. Soak up the beauty of the high plateaus, towers, temples, mesas, and some of the planet's tallest sheer sandstone walls.
The canyon is narrow, and the river covers the bottom in many places, which means you will have to wade or swim to proceed. Prepare to get wet but the cool water makes this hike particularly pleasant during the hot summer months. During the cooler months, there are available gear rentals including Gore-Tex dry pants, canyon shoes, and neoprene socks. Hiking poles are available for rent year-round.
Hiking is not permitted when the river is high from runoff or flash flooding. Runoff mostly occurs in April and early May. Late summer thunderstorms can occasionally produce flooding. If the hike is not possible due to weather, it will be replaced with another activity.
Day 4: Zion National Park/Page
This morning, hike through Bryce Canyon National Park, famed for its maze of multi-coloured rock pinnacles called hoodoo. Keep your camera at the ready to snap shots of these spectacular natural towers that cover the canyon floor. Continue on to Page, Arizona, the gateway to Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, and the beautiful Lake Powell.
Day 5: Page/Grand Canyon National Park
Join a local Navajo guide for a thrilling exploration of Antelope Canyon, a stunning natural sandstone cathedral located on Navajo land and accessible only with an authorized guide. Later, go on a short hike to Horseshoe Bend, and stand on steep vermillion cliffs overlooking a spectacular natural bend in the Colorado River. Enjoy lunch at a family-owned Navajo food truck, a G Adventures–supported project, before continuing on to the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon.
Marvel as the Grand Canyon unfolds before you but don't get too close. The land drops almost straight down for more than 1,000m (3,280 ft) into the serpentine canyons below! The gorge is filled with rocky buttes, sheer limestone cliffs, and deep canyons all arrayed in a rainbow of colors. Words defy. This is truly one of the most magnificent sights on earth.
Day 6: Grand Canyon National Park
Spend the day exploring this ancient gorge with an expert from the Grand Canyon Conservancy Field Institute. Set out on foot along the South Rim and gain insights on the unique geology and botany of this geological phenomenon, as well as the local human history. After, view iconic park structures at the Historic Village District, then descend below the canyon rim along the Bright Angel Trail to see 2,000-year-old rock art and 250-million-year-old fossils.
Day 7: Grand Canyon National Park/Las Vegas
Go on a behind-the-scenes tour of Lowell Observatory to see the giant telescopes and learn about the study of astronomy, as well as enjoy a lecture on Mars. Return to Las Vegas, by way of Seligman, Arizona—the birthplace of Route 66. Check out the historic general store and original motels as you discover the legacy of the U.S.'s early transcontinental highway system.
Day 8: Las Vegas
Depart at any time.
Want to spend more time in Sin City? Ask your GCO or Travel Agent about booking post-tour accommodation in the 'Entertainment Capital of the World'.
Similar Tours
Tour Operator
G Adventures
G Adventures is an operator of small-group escorted tours. It is based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada with 28 offices worldwide. It offers more than 700 itineraries in more than 100 countries, and carries 200,000 travelers from 160 countries each year.
In Business Since 1990
Reviews
Geoffrey - Traveled, June 2024
Trip on balance was a positive experience and I would do it again. The key negative was the Golden Nugget hotel which added nothing positive to the trip. The hotel was past its prime, and was too busy and loud. The rest of the accommodations were good.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 07/13/2024
Charles - Traveled, June 2023
· July 12th, 2023 Matthew (CEO) was great. As issues/challenges arose (which they inevitably do) Matthew addressed them, and provided options/alternatives, which he presented to the group and the group came to a consensus. A suggestion for Management/Tour Operator, The "meeting" with a Native American who was to talk about his/her Native American culture, should be given "guardrails" and stay within their "Lane". There are those who do not share the presenter's same political viewpoint as the presenter and the presenter should respect that his/her audience may have differing political viewpoint(s) and stay away from brining politics into their presentation. Again Matthew (CEO) was a great ambassador for the Tour Operator and we would definitely take another tour/trip with Matthew!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 07/12/2023
Lydia - Traveled, September 2022
It was phenomenal! Sights, hikes, people, food, enhanced our journey.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/13/2022
David - Traveled, May 2022
Like many other businesses, they are having some staffing issues. This business was particularly affected by the pandemic as nobody traveled for a year and they had to lay off some people. We had some trouble getting through to them on occasion, but when the time came, they knocked it out of the park. It was a great trip from the beginning to the end. Their Nat Geo tours are a little bit higher end and, in my opinion, worth the money. We had enough time at multiple different locations to go on a very lengthy hikes. That was very nice because sometimes tours over program and you can only get as much accomplished as the slowest person on the tour. The portions of the tour that we did as a group were perfect. Coupled with the adequate time that we had to do our own thing, it made for a wonderful trip. We saw Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Antelope Canyon, the Grand Canyon and did some really cool smaller stops along the way. In each of the parks, we had six or seven hours to accomplish some major hikes. Nice hotels, great recommendations for dinners, wonderful people in our group and our tour guide (Megan) was fantastic. We went out to dinner with the group several nights and it was very pleasant. Some nights we did our own thing. Small groups no larger than 15. We had 13 people total. We brought our 13 and 15-year-old boys and they had a great time as well. I highly recommend.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/09/2022
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