National Parks of the Southwest

Today, we depart for Phoenix, Arizona. As guests’ arrival times may vary, some may wish to explore Arizona’s capital city, if time permits. This afternoon, we check in at our hotel (note: check-in time is 
4:00 p.m.), where this evening we meet our Odysseys Unlimited Tour Director and fellow travelers at a briefing about the journey ahead followed by dinner together.

For Land-Only Guests: Guests arranging their own flights should arrive at the Phoenix airport no later than 2:00 p.m. This will allow adequate time for transfer and check-in prior to our welcome briefing.

Overnight: Hilton Phoenix Tapatio Cliffs Resort

Meals: D

Today, we spend some time exploring Phoenix, Arizona’s capital and most populous city. Settled in 1867 as an agricultural community, the city is nestled between the Salt and Gila rivers, allowing the townspeople to create a canal system that led to a thriving farming community. Anchoring Phoenix’s economy to this day are cotton, cattle, citrus, climate, and copper – colloquially known as the “Five C’s.” We start the day with a visit to the acclaimed Desert Botanical Garden, a 140-acre tribute to the flora of the Sonoran Desert. With more than 4,000 species of plants, including almost 500 that are rare and endangered, the Botanical Garden features nature paths and walking trails showcasing the beauty of the desert environment. We continue on to Old Town Scottsdale, the historic core of Scottsdale. Situated just outside of Phoenix, Old Town Scottsdale offers a plethora of boutique shopping, charming local restaurants, exciting bars, and a selection of art galleries. We have time to stroll through this walkable, Old West-accented neighborhood, browse the shops, and enjoy lunch on our own. Then, we return to our hotel in Phoenix where the remainder of the day is at leisure to enjoy the outdoor pool and other amenities. Dinner tonight is on our own.

Overnight: Hilton Phoenix Tapatio Cliffs Resort

Meals: B

This morning we depart Phoenix and head north to Sedona, known for the red rock sandstone found only in this area. Originally a rural ranching community, Sedona was overlooked for years until the motion picture industry shot movies such as Broken Arrow, Johnny Guitar, and Mystery Ranch in the area, ultimately attracting travelers. Well over 50 movies have been filmed here over the years. Sedona now ranks as a popular destination for artists, photographers, hikers, and mountain bikers due to its range of towering red sandstone formations. We have time for lunch on our own and to do some exploring before we encounter this dazzling landscape in style, as we take a Pink Jeep tour for an educational off-road excursion.Winding over dirt roads, we enjoy stunning panoramic views and learn about the region’s cultural and geological history on this guided tour to Honanki Heritage Site, a 700-year-old Sinaguan cliff dwelling. Then, we continue on to Williams and our hotel, just a few blocks from historic Route 66 and a short distance from the Grand Canyon. Dinner is included tonight.

Please note: In the interest of safety, on days of excessive heat, we may partake in a shorter excursion with Pink Jeep in which we would not visit the ruins, but rather would participate in a fully vehicle-based excursion. Please also note that Pink Jeep tours are rugged off-road excursions that cross rocky, winding, and dusty terrain; please be prepared for a particularly bumpy ride on this day.

Overnight: Grand Canyon Railway Hotel

Meals: B, D

Today promises to be one of outstanding scenic beauty as we visit one of the country’s most well-known natural landmarks: the Grand Canyon. A UNESCO site, the Grand Canyon stretches nearly 300 miles in length, ranges between 4 and 18 miles across, and measures about 6,000 feet deep. We see truly awe-inspiring vistas: banded layers of rock rise to plateaus and bluffs thousands of feet overhead, while the mighty Colorado River rushes one mile below. We learn about the canyon’s history and geological significance, then have time for lunch on our own and an afternoon at leisure to appreciate the magnitude and beauty of the six-million-year-old canyon as we wish. Our hotel sits in Grand Canyon Village, directly on the rim of the canyon itself. We are at leisure for dinner this evening and have time tonight on our own to enjoy this special locale as we wish.

Please note: Finding restaurant reservations in Grand Canyon Village could prove to be challenging if left to the last minute. We highly encourage you to make dinner reservations prior to departing for your tour using the following website: www.grandcanyonlodges.com/dine. For those wishing to dine at El Tovar Restaurant or the Arizona Steakhouse, dinner reservations are required ahead of time. Reservations can be made up to 60 days in advance through the website noted above. It is important to note that the restaurant at Phantom Ranch is not accessible to those staying at Grand Canyon Village, so please refrain from making any bookings at Phantom Ranch.

Overnight: Kachina Lodge

Meals: B

Today we travel on to Page, Arizona, originally founded to house those who worked on the nearby Glen Canyon Dam. Today, roughly three million recreation enthusiasts visit Page every year, drawn by the cliffs, hiking trails, and of course, vast Lake Powell, formed by the creation of the massive dam. We arrive in Page early this afternoon and have time for lunch on our own. Then, we visit the sinuous and spectacular Upper Antelope Canyon, recognized for its smooth, wavy walls of red-orange sandstone and for the stunning beams of sunlight that pierce the canyon from above. Known to local Native American tribes as “the place where water runs through the rocks,” it is one of the most photographed slot canyons in the world. Over time, rain and flash floods eroded the sandstone and carved the canyon’s walls into the fascinating shapes and surfaces we see today. At some points during our walk, we can touch both sides of the canyon at once — and a glance upwards reveals walls stretching to heights of some 120 feet. After our exploration here, we head to our lakeside hotel, where we enjoy dinner together tonight. 

Please note: Our drive to Upper Antelope Canyon involves traveling on a dusty, unpaved road – please be prepared for a rather bumpy ride.

Overnight: Lake Powell Resort

Meals: B, D

Our long but incredibly scenic day of travel starts with a rousing motorized rafting excursion on the smooth waters of the Colorado River. Controlled by a series of dams and reservoirs, the Colorado provides hydroelectric power, irrigation, and municipal water supply to nearly 40 million people in the western U.S. Today we will both motor and drift between soaring sandstone cliffs on either side. Along the way we search the canyon walls for Native American petroglyphs in the shape of bighorns, geometric patterns, and hunting scenes. We also keep a look out for local wildlife including bighorn sheep, eagles, condors, and chuckwallas (a large lizard native to the area). After our morning rafting excursion, we continue on to southern Utah and Bryce Canyon National Park, stopping for lunch along the way. Upon arrival, we enjoy dinner together tonight. 

Overnight: Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel

Meals: B, L, D

Despite its name, Bryce isn’t truly a canyon at all, but rather a series of natural cliffs and horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters carved into the region’s plateaus, comprising 35,835 acres in all. The result: a stunning array of hoodoos, natural stone pillars and spires reminiscent of a child’s drip sandcastle, as we see today. Thousands of these delicate red, orange, and white natural stone pillars — originally formed by frost weathering and stream erosion — stand side by side along the canyon’s ridgelines, lending a dramatic atmosphere to this remote location. The Paiute Indians, early settlers of this area, believed these hoodoo spires to be people frozen in stone by the mischievous spirit Coyote. In the park’s visitor center, we see a film about this unusual geology, then have the day free to explore at our own pace. Our full day of natural splendor concludes with dinner together tonight. 

Overnight: Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel

Meals: B, D

We depart this morning for another celebrated Utah destination, Zion National Park, arriving at our hotel located in the town of Springdale just outside the gates of the park. Springdale is host to ample entertainment opportunities, including restaurants, art galleries, and shopping, along with views of the towering red cliffs of Zion. Upon our midday arrival, we have time for lunch on our own, then begin our exploration of Zion National Park, so named for the 15-mile-long, 2,500-feet-deep Zion Canyon cutting through the park’s western half. During our visit to the Zion National Park Visitor Center, we learn about this unique region encompassing four separate biomes: desert, riparian (or riverbank), woodland, and coniferous forest. After our first taste of Zion’s wonders this afternoon, we dine tonight at a local restaurant.

Overnight: Hampton Inn & Suites Springdale/Zion National Park

Meals: B, D

Today we spend our time amid the wondrous natural world of Zion National Park, representing some 150 million years of geological history. Zion was originally a desert millions of years ago, but continuous winds blew one dune on top of another until the sands reached a height of more than 2,000 feet — and built the red rock landscape we see today. Despite its modest size of just 232 square miles, Zion counts as one of the most diverse national parks in the United States, comprising deserts and forests, rivers and canyons, buttes and natural arches. The park sits at the intersection of numerous ecosystems and boasts more than 900 plant species not found anywhere else in Utah. Wildlife can also be found in abundance here; the ringtail cat, gray fox, beaver, mountain lion, mule deer, and more have made this park their home. And unlike at other parks, we view Zion from the bottom looking up. This morning we make our way back into Zion National Park, then have ample free time for exploration and lunch and dinner on our own.

Overnight: Hampton Inn & Suites Springdale/Zion National Park

Meals: B

This morning, we depart for Las Vegas, stopping en route in the small city of St. George, Utah. This town of 80,000 contains the winter home of Mormon leader Brigham Young and sits in a unique geographical area where the Mojave Desert, Colorado Plateau, and Great Basin converge in a stunning setting. We have time to explore and have lunch on our own before we continue our journey to Las Vegas. We arrive late this afternoon and have time to freshen up before we gather to toast our Southwestern sojourn at a farewell dinner this evening.

Overnight: The Westin Las Vegas Hotel & Spa

Meals: B, D

This morning we transfer to the Las Vegas airport for our flights home. 

Meals: B