Colourful Trails of the Southwest
From CAD $4,997
Guarantee
Group Tour
Easy
Rating
(20 reviews)
Experience Overview
On this tour, each day is a cultural and natural adventure. You’ll stay inside Grand Canyon National Park, explore ancient Puebloan cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park and natural arches near Moab, and ride a 4x4 through Monument Valley’s landscapes with a member of the Navajo Nation.
Highlights
Dining Summary
- 3 Dinner (D)
- 9 Breakfast (B)
- 1 Lunch (L)
Be My Guest
- Grand Canyon National Park: Enjoy a one-of-a-kind experience at Shash Dine Eco Retreat on the Navajo Nation. Meet your hosts Baya and Paul for an under-the-stars, traditional meal of mutton stew, frybread, vegetables, melon, coffee and Navajo tea. Your local dining experience is enhanced by Navajo storytelling by storyteller and award-winning Diné recording artist Eli Secody, whose fun and fascinating stories are steeped in his Dine’ roots. Cap off the evening walking up to a remarkable vista on the very land where Baya can trace her lineage back over 20 generations.
Dive into Culture
- Grand Canyon National Park: The great outdoors is your classroom today when you meet geologist Canyon Tim for an enlightening talk about the Grand Canyon at the South Rim . Having over 30 years of geological experience, Tim’s fascinating talk reveals how this natural marvel was formed millions of years ago and how the different layers that make up the Colorado Plateau are still visible today.
Iconic Experience
- Grand Canyon National Park: One of the seven natural wonders of the world and the second most visited national park in the United States. Explore the Visitor Center and get familiar with the history of the Grand Canyon, grab a coffee at a local café and take a walk along the Rim Trail. Keep your camera on-hand as you explore some of the 278 miles of the Colorado River and adjacent canyonlands at one of the most spectacular examples of erosion anywhere in the world with unmatched vistas along its rim.
- Oak Creek Canyon: Drive through Coconino National Forest on one of the most scenic drives in the U.S., offering a picture perfect view of the surrounding red-rock and Ponderosa Pine forest between Sedona and Flagstaff, Arizona.
- Glen Canyon Dam: Enjoy a walk to the rim of Glen Canyon where you will get the chance to visit Horseshoe Bend.
- Monument Valley: Board a 4x4 vehicle and navigate the iconic red valley landscape guided by a member of the Navajo Nation and Local Specialist.
- Arches National Park: Nature's creations spring to life at Arches National Park, home to the greatest concentration of natural arches in the world. Some 2,000 natural sandstone arches can be found within the boundaries of the national park. On your visit, unlock all the science and history of how these 6,000 natural sandstone arches were formed by rain and wind. Take in the sights of Delicate Arch and Balanced Rock while admiring the ever-changing landscapes as you traverse the park.
- Canyonlands National Park: There’s no better spot to witness the power of the Colorado River carving through rocky red landscapes than at Canyonlands National Park. Take in the views from the Green River Overlook, and be inspired by the vast expanse of high desert canyons at Grand Viewpoint.
- Mesa Verde National Park: There’s no better place to learn about the ancient cliff dwellings of the Ancestral Puebloan people than at Mesa Verde National Park. View the carvings in the sandstone of the canyon walls at the several hundred of these dwellings – astounded by the history presented before you. This UNESCO-listed park also features thousands of well-known preserved archaeological sites. Take in the sites of this protected area as you ride along the Mesa Top Loop and Cliff Palace Loop, where you can see the magnificent Cliff Palace.
- Taos: Visit Taos Pueblo, a UNESCO World's Heritage Center as well as a National Historic Landmark and one the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the country. Best known for is iconic, multi-storied adobe buildings, built roughly 1,000 years ago. About 150 Puebloans live within the pueblo full time. The Taos Tribal Council, which owns the pueblo, does not allow any modern convenience inside the pueblo, such as running water or electricity.
MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®
- Grand Canyon: At Desert Viewpoint Inter-tribal Cultural Heritage Site learn about the 11 Grand Canyon tribal communities. Discover Native crafts watching a carpet weaving demonstration, or you may enjoy traditional song and dance performances. Your visit and donation provide a continuous source of funding for the on-going development of the Cultural Heritage Site while allowing guests to engage directly with Indigenous community members. The experience directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities and Goal 11: Responsible Production and Consumption.
- Monument Valley: Travel to Monument Valley for a cookout lunch with members of the Navajo Nation. Take off-road vehicles to the cookout site where you’ll enjoy a delicious steak and chicken dinner with a chance to try traditional Diné (Navajo) tacos and fry-bread. This experience advances UN Global Goal 10: Reduce Inequalities.
- Monument Valley: Immerse yourself in the landscape of the Navajo people journeying through the desert to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. Get a feel for the land and its people climbing aboard an open-air, all-terrain vehicle to explore the valley with your Navajo guide as you pass its towering sandstone buttes and mesas, many of which have been featured in prominent Western films including John Wayne’s ‘Stagecoach’. Your exclusive Navajo Tribal Park tour with a Navajo guide helps preserve the integrity of the land and culture. Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reducing Inequalities.
- Taos: Explore Taos Pueblo with Local Specialists who call Taos Pueblo home. Gain insight into the history of the pueblo and what it is like to live there today. Your visit supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 10 & 11: Reduced Inequalities & Sustainable Cities and Communities.
Must-see Highlights
- Explore the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, and Taos Pueblo
- Visit Scottsdale, Cameron Trading Post, Horseshoe Bend Lookout, Moab, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Durango, Santa Fe
- Scenic Drive through Sedona's Red Rock Country, Oak Creek Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park's Desert View Drive, Trail of the Ancients National Scenic Byway, the High Road Scenic Byway from Taos to Santa Fe
- View Cliff Palace dwelling at Mesa Verde National Park, Desert Viewpoint
Trafalgar Difference
- Durango: Stay at The Strater Hotel, adorned with beautiful handcrafted woodwork, housing the largest collection of American Victorian walnut antiques. It's Durango's Historic Landmark Hotel, showcasing stories of the old west and mining times.
Trip Details
Product Code: 34362
Tour Type: Group Tour
Accommodation: Deluxe
Transport: Private
Guide Language: English
Travel Styles:
Family, 55+
Tour Operator:
Trafalgar (CA)
Supplier Code: 767.1114A
Starts: Phoenix (AZ), United States Of America
Finishes: Albuquerque, United States Of America
Duration: 10 days
Departures: Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Easy
Includes
Whats Included
- An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
- Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
- All porterage and restaurant gratuities
- All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
- Breakfast daily and up to half of your evening meals
- Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras
- Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing
- All transport and transfers shown
- Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
- Optional Experiences and free time
- On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilized
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $4,997 ($500 /day)
Itinerary
Arrive in sun-kissed Phoenix and transfer to Scottsdale at your leisure. This evening, meet your Travel Director and fellow travelers for a dinner.
Accommodation: Sonesta Suites Scottsdale Gainey Ranch
Meals: Dinner
Your first stop today is in the artists' enclave of Sedona – surrounded by red-rock buttes, steep canyon walls and pine forests. You’ll travel through Oak Creek Canyon next, with its rocky red cliffs, then venture to the UNESCO-listed Grand Canyon National Park, where a Local Specialist will share the canyon’s many geological marvels. Tonight, you’ll have an opportunity to overnight at one of the lodges inside the park.
Accommodation: National Park Lodges Grand Canyon
Meals: Breakfast
Rise early for an optional flightseeing tour over the Grand Canyon and then trace the scenic South Rim of the Grand Canyon along Desert View Drive. Enjoy a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience as you visit Desert View's Pueblo-style Watch tower and support the development of the Desert View Inter-tribal Heritage Center. Later, you’ll stop at Cameron Trading Post. Finally, take a walk to the rim of Glen Canyon to Horseshoe Bend. Finish the day connecting to the soul of the land over a Be My Guest experience on the Navajo Nation, hosted by Diné tribe local Baya, and her husband Paul.
Accommodation: Courtyard by Marriott Page at Lake Powell
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Depart Page for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience tour in Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, then savor an outdoor MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience set among the iconic buttes and mesas, prepared by Diné (Navajo) tribe members who share stories of their people and their deep connection to the land. Then, continue to Moab on a scenic drive where you can sit back and enjoy desert views of the Southwest. The evening is yours to explore Moab's Main Street.
Accommodation: Hyatt Place Moab
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
This morning, discover how the forces of wind and rain have shaped the enchanting landscape of Arches National Park in the stunning formations that they are, with countless perfect photo opportunities. Later, journey to Canyonlands National Park to connect with nature even more. We visit the Island in the Sky - a mesa resting 1,000 feet (305 meters) above the surrounding countryside, offering spectacular views over the dramatic sandstone formations.
Accommodation: Hyatt Place Moab
Meals: Breakfast
Arrive in the UNESCO-listed Mesa Verde National Park to delve into the history and culture of the Ancestral Puebloan people. Explore their beautifully preserved sandstone dwellings. This evening, in Durango, your Stay with Stories is historic Strater Hotel. You’ll have the evening at leisure to explore the historic town of Durango.
Accommodation: Strater
Meals: Breakfast
Enjoy free time in Durango today, or you may take a scenic drive along the Million Dollar Highway from Ouray and Silverton. If you’re lucky, enjoy a truly unforgettable step back in time, on a ride aboard the coal-fired, steam-powered narrow-gauge train (booked independently). The train chugs along rails that were originally laid at the end of the 19th century, winding through a spectacular wilderness which would be inaccessible by car. If you're feeling more adventurous, opt for a white-water rafting trip on the Animas River.
Accommodation: Strater
Meals: Breakfast
The journey continues along the High Road – Santa Fe Scenic Byway, a picturesque route in Northern New Mexico that stretches approximately 56 miles from Santa Fe to Taos. Enjoy a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience as you visit one of the greatest Ancestral Puebloan archaeological sites in the Southwest. Be immersed in the fascinating adobe dwellings and take a walk through Taos Pueblo, a Native American community that has been continuously inhabited for the last 1,000 years. Meet your Taos tribal resident guide and explore the only living Native American community designated both a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and a National Historic Landmark. Later, arrive at the hotel, ideally located two short blocks from Santa Fe’s Historic Plaza.
Accommodation: Hilton Santa Fe Historic Plaza
Meals: Breakfast
Today, you'll have a full free day to explore Santa Fe at your leisure. Perhaps visit the iconic Georgia O'Keeffe Museum on your terms or explore one of the many chocolate shops and art galleries just steps away from your hotel. This evening, savor dinner back at your hotel.
Accommodation: Hilton Santa Fe Historic Plaza
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Your journey through desert landscapes comes to an end. Bid adios to your newfound friends.
Meals: Breakfast
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Tour Operator
Trafalgar (CA)
Family owned and run since 1920, The Travel Corporation (TTC) is the world leader in immersive travel experiences across an extensive range of travel categories. Each year TTC's 40 award winning hospitality and travel brands connect over 1 million happy travellers to the world. We give you access to the 12 DMC’s behind these brands, so you can build your business by capitalizing on the extensive experience, local expertise, and financial assurance of TTC. LOCAL EXPERTISE The world leaders in travel for over 100 years, we offer unparalleled local expertise with a global footprint. Our 12 DMCs, led by experienced in-destination teams, deliver experience rich travel solutions in more than 80 countries. Additionally, our market based teams are on hand to support across our 40 offices worldwide
In Business Since 1931
Reviews
Peter Collins - Traveled, February 2020
Trip was great from start to finish. This my second experience with Trafalgar and both were exceptional. Wonderful trip great memories.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/07/2020
Ted & Barbara Midura - Traveled, January 2020
A Taste of the Southwest. The trip was very well planned out and the schedule was closely followed. We covered 1500 miles and traveled through 4 states seeing National Parks, mountains, reservations and deserts. Our guide, Tasha was knowledgeable and fun to be with. Would have liked more time at the Grand Canyon to explore on our own. Price of the trip was good for the offerings. Accommodations in Moab and Santa Fe were excellent!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 02/23/2020
Trusted Customer - Traveled, January 2020
Very good trip! Itinerary was very good; guide was very knowledgeable; driver was excellent (in some difficult conditions). Hotel and meals were good; I appreciate the awareness of my vegetarian needs and the extra accomodations that were done. Overall all stops were good. I would have appreciated more time in Arches National Park to allow for more hiking and admiring the beauty. Only drawback was problem with adjustments on the first day. With late start from Scottsdale, both the Sedona time and Grand Canyon background lecture were shortened, and that was unnecessary if handled better.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 02/12/2020
Arthur Bepler - Traveled, January 2020
They Did everything well. Just like every other trip we've taken with them. I already have in the above comments..
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 02/25/2020
Faune Rothermel - Traveled, December 2019
Trip well planned. saw a lot of beautiful scenery. TP was excedllent and so was the coach drive. Trip was busy but great scenery
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 01/12/2020
Eloise Kavanaugh - Traveled, November 2019
We had a very good tour director. And an excellent motor coach driver. Both of these made us feel safe and have fun at the same time. The last day the only thing they did was drive us to the airport so it really did not count as a day of the trip to me. That was the only negative thing. I mentioned in the last segment that the last day was only the drive to the airport and it counted as the 9th day of our trip.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/05/2019
James Stack - Traveled, October 2019
Excellent tour director and driver. Well packed itinerary. This was our second Trafalgar trip and we will travel with you again in the future. We enjoyed all the places we visited.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 11/17/2019
Trusted Customer - Traveled, September 2019
Everything, i would recommend again great but you say ends in Albuqerque actualy ends in Santa Fe just go to airport in abq.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/20/2019
Trusted Customer - Traveled, September 2019
fast paced, beautiful scenery! Stayed in very nice hotels, saw highlights of different parks, very good food for included dinners,breakfasts all needed improvement, bus nice and new & clean. saw additional states & sites that had never visited before very orderly
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/08/2019
Kirk Fisher - Traveled, September 2019
Hotels, meals and parks were very good. We would use Trafalgar again. Very nice trip. We enjoyed the great scenic parks.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/12/2019
Ellsworth Wetzel - Traveled, August 2019
Super! Great tour guide, most interesting places to see, nice facilities for over night stays adult refreshments help after a long day loved the vaca! I just did and already hit save and send.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 09/17/2019
James Cull - Traveled, August 2019
Fabulous trip to Canyonlands! Fabulous trip in Colorful Trails of the Southwest. Our tour guide, TASHA, was beyond outstanding and even though she has worked for TRAFALGAR for several years, she bonded with our group wonderfully. This was a great experience for us as we celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. We saw many of the places that we have always wanted to see and several that we did not know about that TRAFALGAR knows are fabulous.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 09/23/2019
Philip Doolen - Traveled, July 2019
Great hotels and a wonderful tour director. Yes. Every very good but the dinners. As in the past, this is the one area that needs improvement.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 08/17/2019
Trusted Customer - Traveled, July 2019
Top of the line tour company -- from itineraries to hotels to tour directors! Trafalgar knows all the must-see places of the areas visited!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 08/15/2019
Richard Kelsay - Traveled, July 2019
The tour when to great places, the Tour director was excellent and the options were great. COMMENT TO TRAFALGAR MANAGEMENT: Over the past few years you've dropped a few tours, such as Rt. 66. I find when telling people about my great Trafalgar Tours and the itinerary people have never heard of Trafalgar or motor coach tours. you need to do a better job marketing your excellent product. My wife and I just completed our 8th tour and are looking to doing at least 1 in 2019 but are running out of places in the USA where you still have trips. The itinerary was great the the hotels we stayed at were top notch and the food at all of the dinners was very good plus the tour guide and coach driver were knowledgeable, friendly and helpful.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 08/17/2019
Trusted Customer - Traveled, May 2019
It was really enjoyable. Our tour director and our driver were very good. The places we stayed and the meals we had we very good. We saw a lot of places. It was all planned out for us. It was just a little too fast paced. Some places we could have spent more time seeing and a couple of things we could have skipped.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/18/2019
Andrea Kelsay - Traveled, April 2019
Had a wonderful well informed travel guide! The hotels were outstanding and the locations were wonderful.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/12/2019
Nancy Mcilvaine - Traveled, May 2019
Tour guide was very knowledgeable and quick to take care of all of our needs. I would like to see name tags have last names as well as first names. As a single, it makes it easier to put names on faces. The first Trafalgar trip I went on, we had a brand new bus with leather seats that our driver kept immaculate inside and out. He really set a high standard. The seats on this bus weren't consistent with being comfortable. Wasn't quite as much to do on this trip. Living in the East with wall to wall people, the spaciousness of this part of the country is remarkable.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/23/2019
Frederick Shatto - Traveled, April 2019
Great tour host and coach driver. Excellent selection of sites to visit and friendly tour mates. One negative was the requirement to stay an extra day to make flight connections. Would have been nice to have had time to walk through the ruins at Mesa Verde.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/19/2019
Janet - Traveled, April 2019
Greatest tour of the Southwest! This is the second time that I have taken this trip because Trafalgar offered the very trip I wanted again—a tour around the Four Corners area of the American Southwest. The tour guide, Tasha, was super in that she blended great people skills with humor and knowledge to present the information needed to appreciate what we were seeing outside the motor coach windows and in person. In a few years I’ll be ready to take this tour again! The tour took me to the places I wanted to visit in the American Southwest and made them fresh and new.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 04/29/2019
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