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Grand Canyon, Arizona

Canyon Country & National Parks fly-drive

15-day tailor-made self-drive from £3,720 pp incl. flights

Summary

Short description

Explore the spectacular national parks of the USA's canyon country

British Airways Sale

The British Airways Sale is now on, The British Airways Sale is now on, with Club World and Club Europe savings to a wide range of destinations. Book by 19 March 2024.

Highlights

  • Get behind the wheel to discover some of America's most striking national parks
  • Take in the unique geology of Zion, Bryce Canyon, Sedona and Monument Valley
  • Explore landscapes of dramatic sandstone crags, plunging river gorges and delicate desert arches
  • Look out to Grand-Canyon views from its spectacular southern rim
  • Revel in the glitz and glamour of a five-star stay in Las Vegas

In Brief

  • 2 Nights Las Vegas
  • 2 Nights Zion National Park
  • 1 Night Bryce Canyon
  • 1 Night Capitol Reef National Park
  • 2 Nights Arches National Park
  • 1 Night Mesa Verde National Park
  • 1 Night Monument Valley
  • 1 Night Grand Canyon
  • 1 Night Sedona
  • 1 Night Scottsdale

About

Recommended for:
Activity adventure | Bucket-list holidays | City | Desert | March holidays | May holidays | Natural world | Self-drive

The high-altitude deserts of south-west USA - some are as high as 9,000ft above sea level – are home to some of the most incredible landscapes on earth. A geological wonderland of twisted rocks, gravity-defying arches, towering spires and plunging canyons characterise its unique and unforgiving terrain. This epic road trip visits some of the region's most spectacular national parks and protected areas as you swap the bright lights of the Las Vegas Strip for Zion's cliff-framed meadows and hanging gardens, Bryce Canyon, with its cavernous amphitheatres and the buttes and mesas of Monument Valley – the famous backdrop to countless Hollywood Westerns. Finally, drop back south to the Grand Canyon's dizzying precipices and the sacred gorges of Sedona. There's also the option to extend your holiday with.a ranch stay on the outskirts of Tucson.

Day by day itinerary

Days 1-2
UK/Las Vegas

Begin your trip in style with included airport lounge access before your flight to Las Vegas. This truly remarkable city rises from the desert like a neon oasis, its world-famous casinos and clubs, flamboyant hotels, top-class restaurants and big-name shows making it one of the world's truly great party towns. It's big, brash, boisterous and an utterly stark contrast to the natural beauty, tranquillity and relative isolation that awaits on the remainder of the holiday. Looking for a bucket-list experience? Take a helicopter flight over the Strip.

Stay: Bellagio, Las Vegas (Deluxe)

Days 3-4
Zion National Park

Collect your hire car this morning, driving northeast through the desert to Utah's Zion National Park. Your hotel is ideally situated right on the edge of the national park, just a stone's throw from its jutting sandstone monoliths and surprisingly verdant valley floors. It's also at the confluence of several hiking trails that wind their way up into the canyon. You'll also well placed for rides on the shuttle bus, which stops at eight major locations throughout the national park. 

Stay: Cliffrose Lodge, Springdale (Superior)

Day 5
Bryce Canyon National Park

Famous for its unique geology, Bryce Canyon is made up of a series of spectacular horseshoe-shaped amphitheatres, carved out of the red rock by centuries of weather erosion. The colourful limestone has been transformed into all manner of bizarre shapes, from slots, canyons and hoodoos to dramatic fins and spires. To make exploring easy, the park's shuttle bus picks up in town for a four-hour circuit of the park. If you prefer to explore on foot, a network of gravity-defying trails descend through fragrant juniper bushes to arrive in the grand amphitheatres below.

Stay: Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon Grand (Standard)

Day 6
Torrey/Capitol Reef National Park

Once called the Land of the Sleeping Rainbow by the region's Native-American tribes, Capitol Reef National Park is certainly one of the most unusual places you'll visit, even among the incredible geological anomalies and landscapes displayed on this journey so far. The park's defining feature, the 100-mile-long Waterpocket Fold, rises above the semi-arid plateau. A seemingly impenetrable cliff, its most scenic portion is Capitol Reef itself, named for its resemblance to Washington's capitol buildings. Take it all in on ambling hikes and dusty 4x4 trails before spending the night in the small town of Torrey, 11 miles west of the park entrance.

Stay: Capitol Reef Resort (Superior)

Days 7-8
Arches National Park / Canyonlands National Park

It's hard to comprehend the forces of nature that sculpted Arches National Park. Over 2,000 structures, from towering spires to precariously balanced rocks, complement the eponymous arches themselves, all creating a remarkable assortment of landforms in a relatively compact area. You'll spend two nights near the town of Moab, from where you can access both the Arches and Canyonland National Parks. At Canyonlands, the scenic drive to the Island in the Sky mesa provides the best views, with overlooks perched 1,000 feet about the surrounding terrain. Your accommodation for the night will be at Red Cliffs Lodge, but for something special, consider an upgrade to Sorrel River Lodge, where spa treatments and rooms complete with handcrafted furnishings look out to views of the Colorado River.

Stay: Red Cliffs Lodge (Superior)

Day 9
Mesa Verde National Park

While Mesa Verde does indeed have some dramatic landscapes, its standout highlight is the ancient homes of the Anasazi, cliff dwellers built into the rocky hillsides more than 1,600 years ago. Since the most popular sites – Cliff Palace, Balcony House, Spruce Tree House and Long House – can only be toured with a guide, it's best to get tickets for these tours as soon as you arrive at the Park. Alternatively, the six-mile Mesa Top Loop takes you on a scenic drive past many of the park's lesser sites, all accompanied by dramatic views, of course.

Stay: Far View Lodge, Mesa Verde National Park (Standard)

Day 10
Monument Valley Tribal Park

Having featured in such film classics as Easy Rider and Forrest Gump, the towering buttes and mesas of Monument Valley form one of the USA's most familiar landscapes, and one of its most spectacular. It's also a region steeped in Native-American history, once as the home of the Ancestral Puebloans and later the Navajo, who called this site the 'Valley Between the Rocks'. Take the 17-mile Valley Drive, which brings you through unending desert landscape to eleven marked stops, each one showcasing fine views of the park's iconic sandstone towers.

Stay: Goulding's Lodge, Utah (Standard)

Day 11
Grand Canyon

At 277 miles long and 6,000 feet deep, the Grand Canyon, a World Heritage site and natural wonder of the world, is a truly remarkable place. Taking the Desert View Drive – a 25-mile route along the canyon's south rim – you'll pause at a series of viewpoints to enjoy magnificent views across the layers of multi-coloured rock, some dating back millions of years, that form the canyon's sheer rock walls. Please note, El Tovar may be closed for renovations in late 2019 or early 2020. During this time, accommodation will be at Maswik North, comprised of cosy cabins and historic lodge buildings just moments from the canyon’s edge.

Stay: El Tovar, Grand Canyon (Deluxe)

Day 12
Sedona

Many say they can feel the special spirits in Sedona, others say it's just the pristine beauty of red rock that makes this such as special place to visit. The town itself is set so far down among the rock formations that as you drive around its quiet streets, red-rock cliffs seem to tower above at almost every angle. Catch the Sedona Trolley for tours of the region and for a complete introduction to this spectacular corner of Arizona desert. Enjoy a stay among the spectacular canyon views of the Orchards Inn, or for an upgrade, opt for the deluxe Amara Resort & Spa.

Stay: Orchards Inn (Superior)

Day 13
Scottsdale/Phoenix

Catch your breath in spa-strewn Scottsdale, just a short hop from Phoenix. With its superb collection of restaurants and shops, along with a seemingly endless supply of perfectly manicured golf courses, it's the ideal spot to relax and prepare for your journey home.

Stay: Royal Palms Resort & Spa, Scottsdale (Deluxe)

Days 14-15
Depart for UK or Tucson ranch stay

Return your hire car to Phoenix airport and board your return flight to the UK. Alternatively, extend your holiday with a ranch stay in the Sonoran Desert on the outskirts of Tucson. With a range of activities included, from horseback rides to mountain biking coupled with the likes of cowboy cookout barbecues, it's the ideal introduction to dude ranch culture. You'll find more details below.

Map

Pricing

Any element of this itinerary can be adjusted to suit your needs. Just contact us to find out more.

Accommodation rating: Superior Deluxe

15-day tailor-made self-drive
from £3,720 pp incl. flights

Superior

Low Season

from £3,720 pp. incl. flights

High Season

from £4,465 pp. incl. flights

Includes: 

  • Complimentary UK airport lounge access 
  • Return International flights from London to Las Vegas and from Phoenix to London
  • 14 nights accommodation in typically 3.5* or 4* (Superior) hotels on a room-only basis
  • 15 days Compact hire car
  • Personalised driving pack

High season: June-September

Terms & Conditions

Prices are per person based on two people sharing a twin/double room; prices are subject to availability and possible change; normal booking conditions apply.

Meet our experts

Speak to a tailor-made specialist on 020 7590 0636

Meet the team

Adjust your itinerary with our recommended extensions

Tanque Verde Ranch, Tucson, Arizona

Tanque Verde Ranch Stay, Tucson

2 or 3-night extension

Get in touch with your inner cowboy as you head just out of Tucson for a stay at Tanque Verde – a traditional dude ranch framed by the red-rock mountains of Arizona's Sonoran Desert.

Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch, Tucson

Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch Stay, Tucson

2 or 3-night extension

Experience the beauty and wildlife of Arizona's Sonoran Desert with a stay at Hacienda del Sol, a luxury guest ranch on the outskirts of Tucson, idyllically located at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountain Range.

Why book with Wexas Travel?

At Wexas, we specialise in bespoke travel experiences. Our itineraries are just samples of what we can arrange, and can be changed depending on your precise needs, finances and ideas by our experienced destination specialists.

Contact one of our consultants on 020 7590 0636 to discuss how we can tailor your holiday.

Learn why Wexas is the leader in creating luxury holidays. What is tailor-made travel?

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Let our travel specialists curate the perfect holiday:

  • Inspirational ideas based on experience
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Every step of the way

Every step of the way

Our services are with you from start to finish:

  • Dedicated personal consultants
  • Free airport lounges on qualifying bookings
  • Care and guidance pre, post and during holiday
  • Full financial security: ABTA & ATOL protected