Day 1: Salt Lake City
Friday - Salt Lake City
Arrival into Salt Lake City and independent transfer to the hotel. This city is Utah’s State Capital and host of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.
Day 2: Moab
Saturday - Salt Lake City > Canyonlands National Park > Moab (277 mi / 445 km)
Continental Breakfast. Morning orientation tour of Salt Lake City including the State Capitol building (no admission), the famed Temple Square and Tabernacle. Upon conclusion of the tour, depart in a southern direction to one of Utah’s natural wonders: Canyonlands National Park, which preserves a colorful landscape eroded into numerous canyons, mesas and buttes by the Colorado river and its tributaries.
Day 3: Montrose (Black Canyon)
Sunday - Moab > Arches National Park > Colorado National Monument > Montrose (184 mi / 296 km)
Continental Breakfast. It is just a very short drive from Moab to yet another magnificent National Park: Arches, a symphony of colors and shapes, created by the forces of nature. Afterwards, head west to return to Colorado for a visit of Colorado National Monument, which preserves one of the grandest landscapes of the American West. Experience sheer-walled, red rock canyons along the twists and turns of 23-mile long Rim Rock Drive, where you may spy bighorn sheep and soaring eagles. Overnight stay in the town of Montrose.
Day 4: Cortez
Monday - Montrose > Black Canyon of the Gunnison > Ouray > Silverton > Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad > Durango > Cortez (178 mi / 286 km)
Continental Breakfast. Start the day with a visit of nearby Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, which owes its name to the fact that sections of the gorge only get 33 minutes of sunlight a day. Its steep cliffs and craggy spire are sure to impress. Next, ride along the famous "Million Dollar Highway," a designated All-American Byway and one of Colorado’s most scenic drives, from Montrose to Silverton. Stop along the way in the must-see town of Ouray, nestled in some of the most rugged and towering peaks of the Rockies, and often referred to as the "Switzerland of America." In early afternoon, arrive in the mining town of Silverton to board the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad to Durango. Take a trip back in time as this coal-fired, steam-powered train chugs along rails that were originally laid at the end of the 19th century, winding through a wilderness inaccessible by car. In Durango, board the coach again for the final stretch to Cortez for an overnight stay.
Day 5: Albuquerque
Tuesday - Cortez > Mesa Verde National Park > Gallup > Albuquerque (307 m / 493 km)
Continental Breakfast. Depart from Cortez for a visit of Mesa Verde National Park, once home of the Ancestral Pueblo Indians, a UNESCO World Heritage Site containing over 600 cliff dwellings, carved out of the sandstone of the canyon walls. Continue south into New Mexico to come to a stop in Gallup, located along historic Route 66 and home to the historic El Rancho Hotel and Motel, once home to notable movie stars such as John Wayne, Ronald Reagan, Humphrey Bogart and many others. In the afternoon head west alongside Route 66 towards Albuquerque.
Day 6: Santa Fe
Wednesday - Albuquerque > Petroglyph National Monument > Turquoise Trail > Santa Fe (85 mi / 137 km)
Continental Breakfast. Start the morning with an orientation tour of the city, including Old Albuquerque. Next, visit the Petroglyph National Monument, one of the largest petroglyph sites in North America, featuring designs and symbols carved onto volcanic rocks by Native Americans and Spanish settlers 400 to 700 years ago. From here, proceed to the Turquoise Trail, a 50-mile long scenic highway linking Albuquerque and Santa Fe through rolling hills with mountain views and quaint historic mining towns. Following the trail, travel north to Madrid, once a ghost town and now a thriving artist enclave. At the end of the Turquoise Trail.
Day 7: Pueblo
Thursday - Santa Fe > Taos > Great Sand Dunes National Park > Pueblo (325 mi / 523 km)
Continental Breakfast. Follow the Rio Grande Gorge north to the Taos region, a thriving artist community. Visit Taos Pueblo, one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the USA and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Explore their unique way of life which has remained unchanged for almost ten centuries. Proceed north into Colorado to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, an enormous sandbox covering about 30 square miles (78 square km) and with sand dunes up to 750 feet (229 m) tall. Overnight stop in Pueblo.
Day 8: Denver
Friday - Pueblo > Garden of the Gods Park > Breckenridge > Denver (235 mi / 378 km)
Continental Breakfast. Head north to take in the majestic scenery of the aptly named Garden of the Gods Park: a giant rock garden of towering red sandstone formations sculpted by rain and wind over millions of years with snow-capped Pikes Peak Mountain in the background. Enjoy the final stretch of scenic mountain views while driving to Breckenridge, a popular ski resort with beautifully preserved Victorian houses. Continue to Denver for the end of the tour.
Day 9:
Saturday - Denver
Continental Breakfast. End of the tour.
