Magic Mountains to the Wild West

This morning you will board the Rocky Mountaineer train for a two-day journey that will take you from the Colorado Mountains through to the hoodoos of Utah. Day one is spent winding along the Colorado River as it snakes it’s way through canyons and rugged landscapes. The journey crosses the Continental Divide where the train journeys through the Moffat Tunnel, a six-mile stretch of track through the mountain. The first day ends in the resort town of Glenwood Springs where you spend the night before boarding again for another day of changing scenery.  

Board the Rocky Mountaineer for your second day of rail travel, leaving the mountains behind and watching the colours change from lush greens to sandstone cliffs and red rocks. Mount Garfield towers above, the highest point in Book Cliffs whilst the train continues to follow the line of the Colorado River as it enters Utah, where the colours of the red rocks become more and more present. Finally the train approaches Moab, the gateway to Arches National Park, which you should enjoy glimpses of on the way in. Wave the train a fond farewell as your next adventure begins in Moab.

Pick up your rental car this morning, you will need this to explore the vast areas of national parks over the next few days. Head out to Arches Park, join a national parks guide for a walking tour or simply explore the area at your leisure. Canyonlands National Park is even larger, to the south of Moab and offers more spectacular desert landscapes and sights. There are plenty of activities we can organise here. perhaps join a Hummer tour of the red rocks for sunset or sunrise, take a float tour of the Colorado river, or even a white water rafting tour. Jump in the saddle and live the cowboy dream on a guided horse ride through the rocks or  for the more adventurous why not try canyoneering or a rock climbing experience?

Begin your four-hour road trip today as you head south out of Moab towards Monument Valley. The open road awaits with red desert framing the grey tarmac ahead. Drive through small towns such as Monticello and Bluff before passing Alhambra Rock and over the top of the hill for your very first glimpse of Monument Valley. Pull to the side of the road and grab your camera for some great photo opportunities before continuing on into the heart of the Valley. Tonight you will stay in a simple, but charming, accommodation in the heart of the national park, with some of the most spectacular views and breathtaking sunsets. 

Leave Monument Valley behind and head west towards Lake Powell close to the Arizona border. Stop off in the town of Page for lunch and definitely allow time for a guided tour of the famous Antelope Canyon, probably the most famous “slot” canyon in the world. A winding myriad of curved rock with light dancing from it’s surfaces, makes for mesmerizing photo opportunities. This is a tour that must be pre booked well in advance. Take another side trip to the spectacular Horseshoe Bend, just south of town, then cross the Glen Canyon Dam and it’s just a short drive to the very special Amangiri where you will spend your next three nights. During your stay there is much to do, we recommend a day out on the lunar landscaped Lake Powell if you can drag yourselves away from the rather spectacularly set swimming pool that is. 

Leaving Utah behind, head through spectacular scenery on your trip to Zion National Park. Today's jaw dropping drive will take you right through the national park, framed by towering cliffs with unforgettable vistas. Make your way to your hotel, located in the cute village of Springdale, at the West entrance to the national park. With so much to see and do, make sure to spend time exploring Zion National Park, from gentle walks to “Walking the Narrows” a walk through the river winding through the canyons, an incredible experience, or for the more adventurous, maybe some rock climbing or canyoneering.

It’s time to bid a fond farewell to the national parks today as you leave Zion for a drive to the dazzling lights of the USA’s most famous desert city, Las Vegas. Spend your last three nights exploring the iconic Las Vegas Strip, once the stomping ground of stars such as Frank Sinatra and the mobster ‘Bugsy’ Siegel, Las Vegas has transformed itself into the biggest – and arguably, the best – adult playground in the world. If you’re missing your national park fix, why not finish with a breathtaking helicopter flight out to the Grand Canyon, with a landing to soak up the view at the Canyon itself before returning to Vegas at sunset, an epic end to an unforgettable rail and road adventure!