Day 1 Salt Lake City
Day 2 Salt Lake City-Canyonland National Park-Moab (224 miles)
Day 3 Moab-Arches National Park-Grand Junction-Montrose (215 miles)
Day 4 Montrose-Gunnison National Forest-Ouray-Silverton-Durango-Cortez (2055 miles)
Day 5 Cortez-Mesa Verde National Park-Gallup-Albuquerque (269 miles)
Day 6 Albuquerque-Santa Fe (56 miles)
Day 7 Santa Fe-Taos-Great Sand Dunes National Park-Puebla (1519 miles)
Day 8 Puebla-Colorado Springs-Denver (1486 miles)
Day 9 Denver
Day 1:
Salt Lake City
Independent transfer to the hotel Crystal Inn and Suites.
Day 2:
Salt Lake City-Canyonland National Park-Moab (224 miles)
Breakfast: Included|Lunch: Excluded|Dinner: Excluded
Morning orientation tour of Salt Lake City
including the State Capitol building, 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.
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Salt Lake City, UT
Utah's gorgeous capital city sits amidst the mountains of the American Southwest on the shores of the breathtaking Great Salt Lake. The city is steeped in history and architecture in addition to wondrous vistas and scenery.
Utah State Capitol (Outside Visit)
The home of all of the governmental processes for the state of Utah, the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City. The building is done in the ornate neoclassical revival style, purposefully reminiscent of the nation capitol in DC.
Temple Square
Approximately ten acres in size, Temple Square is the center of religious activity for the Church of Latter Day Saints, housing the Temple and Tabernacle that are central to the religion.
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Canyonland National Park, UT
Canyonlands National Park is known for its dramatic desert landscape carved by the Colorado River. Island in the Sky is a huge, flat-topped mesa with panoramic overlooks. Whitewater rapids flow through Cataract Canyon.
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Moab, UT
Moab is a city in Grand County, in eastern Utah, in the western United States. The population was 5,046 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat and largest city in Grand County. Moab attracts a large number of tourists every year, mostly visitors to the nearby Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.
Day 3:
Moab-Arches National Park-Grand Junction-Montrose (215 miles)
Breakfast: Included|Lunch: Excluded|Dinner: Excluded
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.
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Arches National Park, UT
Arches National Park is home to the breathtaking scenery of natural stone arches, like the Delicate Arch and Fiery Furnace. It is close to Moab and Canyonlands National Park.
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Grand Junction, CO
A home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Mesa County, Colorado, United States.
Colorado National Monument
The Colorado National Monument is a park full of deep valleys and red-walled canyons, once thought to be impassable to humans. The park is full of vast open spaces, highlighting the immense size of the wilderness in the western U.S.
Opening Hours: Mon - Sun 8:00am - 6:00pm
Day 4:
Montrose-Gunnison National Forest-Ouray-Silverton-Durango-Cortez (2055 miles)
Breakfast: Included|Lunch: Excluded|Dinner: Excluded
Visit of nearby Black Canyon of the
Gunnison National Park. Next, ride along
the famous "Million Dollar Highway," stop along the way in the must-see town of Ouray. 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.
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Gunnison National Forest, CO
A U.S. National Forest covering 1,672,136 acres. The forest was created by Theodore Roosevelt on June 13, 1905 as the Cochetopa Forest Reserve, and named after explorer John W. Gunnison.
Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park
Beautiful Black Canyon in western Colorado is a natural wonder. Black Canyon has been carved by the Gunnison River into one of the steepest canyons in North America. The breathtaking scenery includes the Painted Wall, Colorado's steepest cliff.
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Silverton, OR
Silverton is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States. It is situated along the 45th parallel about 12 miles northeast of Salem, in the eastern margins of the broad alluvial plain of the Willamette Valley.
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Durango, CO
The county seat and the most populous municipality of La Plata County, Colorado, United States. It is home to Fort Lewis College.
Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
This National and Civil Engineering Historic Landmark is a narrow-gauge heritage railroad and museum that runs between the Colorado towns of Durango and Silverton. It has been running steam trains continuously since 1881 and has become a popular tourist attraction.
Day 5:
Cortez-Mesa Verde National Park-Gallup-Albuquerque (269 miles)
Breakfast: Included|Lunch: Excluded|Dinner: Excluded
Depart from Cortez for a visit of Mesa
Verde National Park.
Continue south into New Mexico to come to a stop in Gallup. In the afternoon head west alongside Route 66 towards Albuquerque.
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Mesa Verde National Park, CO
A National Park and World Heritage Site located in Montezuma County, Colorado, which protects some of the best preserved Ancestral Puebloan archaeological sites in the United States.
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Gallup, NM
Gallup is the county seat of McKinley County and the most populous city between Flagstaff and Albuquerque, along the historic U.S. Route 66. A substantial percentage of its population is Native American, with residents from the Navajo, Hopi, and Zuni tribes.
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Albuquerque, NM
The most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Albuquerque is home to the University of New Mexico, also the home of the International Balloon Fiesta, the world's largest such gathering of hot-air balloons from around the globe. The event takes place during October.
Day 6:
Albuquerque-Santa Fe (56 miles)
Breakfast: Included|Lunch: Excluded|Dinner: Excluded
Start the morning with an orientation
tour of the city, including Nob Hill and Old Albuquerque. Next,
visit the Petroglyph National Monument. 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, arrive
in enchanting Santa Fe
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Albuquerque, NM
The most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Albuquerque is home to the University of New Mexico, also the home of the International Balloon Fiesta, the world's largest such gathering of hot-air balloons from around the globe. The event takes place during October.
Petroglyph National Monument
Petroglyph National Monument protects a variety of cultural and natural resources including five volcanic cones, hundreds of archeological sites and thousands of carvings by Ancestral Pueblo peoples and early Spanish settlers. The monument stretches 17 miles and is a living museum of cultural and natural resource in Albuquerque.
Day 7:
Santa Fe-Taos-Great Sand Dunes National Park-Puebla (1519 miles)
Breakfast: Included|Lunch: Excluded|Dinner: Excluded
Follow the Rio Grande Gorge north to
the Taos region, a thriving artist community. Visit Taos Pueblo. 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. Overnight stop in Pueblo.
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Taos, NM
Taos Pueblo
This ancient Native American settlement has been standing for more than one thousand years, and has been occupied almost continuously over that millennia. Its long history has earned it a place on the National Register of Historic Places.
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Great Sand Dunes National Park, CO
Nestled right into the base of the Rocky Mountains in southern Colorado, the Great Sand Dunes National Park features the tallest dunes in North America, which rise about 750 feet above the surrounding San Luis Valley.
Day 8:
Puebla-Colorado Springs-Denver (1486 miles)
Breakfast: Included|Lunch: Excluded|Dinner: Excluded
Head north to take in the majestic
scenery of the aptly named Garden of the Gods Park. Enjoy the final stretch of
scenic mountain views while driving to Breckenridge, a popular
ski resort with beautifully preserved Victorian houses. Continue
to Denver.
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Colorado Springs, CO
A home rule municipality that is the largest city by area in Colorado, covers 194.9 square miles (505 km2). It's situated on Fountain Creek and is located 60 miles (97 km) south of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver.
Garden of the Gods
This lovely spot, set aside among red sandstone rocks, provides amazing views of famous Pikes Peak off in the distance. It is the best location in the region to view the sunset in the distance.
Opening Hours: Mon - Sun 8:00am - 7:00pm
Day 9:
Denver
Breakfast: Included|Lunch: Excluded|Dinner: Excluded
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