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Tour Calendar
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Tour scheduled to run on blue dates.
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Los Angeles To Las Vegas, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Bryce Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Seven Day Tour
 Price | $1830.00 per person
Order here
All prices are in US currency. |
| Highlights | The bright lights of Las Vegas
Old Faithful and the animals and mysteries of Yellowstone
A lot of exposure to the Navajo (Indian) people and their culture
Options of taking a Grand Canyon helicopter tour, a Colorado River raft trip, an ATV trip at Bryce, horseback riding at Bryce
Navajo led off road tours at Monument Valley and Antelope Canyon
The hoodoos at Bryce
Hike to Horseshoe Bend
Stop at Hoover Dam
The Grand Canyon and more ...
Fly from Yellowstone back to Salt Lake
Scroll down for the tour itinerary, or click here.
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| Available Options | Grand Canyon helicopter tour: +$159.00
Colorado River flat water float trip: +$95.00
Bryce Canyon ATV (quad bike) rides: +$63.00
Bryce Canyon horseback riding: +$63.00
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| Similar Tours | You may also enjoy the following similar tours...
Los Angeles' best Yellowstone tour!
Los Angeles To Las Vegas, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Bryce Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Eight Day Tour
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Itinerary
Day 1 - Los Angeles to Las Vegas bus - 275 mi / 442.48 km - About 5 hours, 20 minutes
Map | Please get yourself to one of the pick up locations in Los Angeles. Alternatively, we can provide a shuttle for you from your hotel to the point where the bus leaves from downtown LA. Please order that option when you order the tour. You will see it on the next page. Note that there is a two person minimum so you will be charged for two if you are traveling by yourself.
If you are going to make your own way to where the bus departs from, the pick up locations are:
7.20 a.m. Downtown Los Angeles: On the corner of 8th and Maple (with the entrance on the Maple side)
767 Maple Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90014
7.45 a.m. East Los Angeles: 5201 E Olympic Blvd (Futura Travel office)
Los Angeles, CA 90022
There are actually three departures during the day. If you do not let us know in the comments section which one you want, we will assume it is the first. The other two are:
1:00pm Downtown Los Angeles, CA
1:30pm East Los Angeles, CA
6:30pm Downtown Los Angeles, CA
7:00pm East Los Angeles, CA
Please note that on Tuesdays and Wednesdays the earliest departure is not available, and the 1 p.m. bus will be the first on those two days.
You will head east across Los Angeles, before picking up Interstate 15, and driving north across the San Bernardino mountains, and through the desert. As you drop down the hill into Vegas the casinos and mega hotels start coming into view. Travel time to Vegas is between five and 5 1/2 hours.
As you will notice from the itinerary, today's trip is unescorted. What this means is that there is no tour guide with you, only the bus driver. |
| | Depending on where you are staying you will be dropped off either at your hotel, or the one immediately next door to it.
You are on your own for the rest of the day. There is the option of taking a helicopter tour of the Strip, if you choose. This is a great way to see Vegas!
The most convenient way to get around Las Vegas is on the Deuce, which is a very reasonably priced bus service that runs up and down the Strip, all the way to downtown. |
Day 2
| | Like all our tours, this is a small group trip. The vehicle used generally has between nine and 13 seats. Our guides are skilled in the geology, customs, traditions, history and people of the areas through which you travel – feel free to ask all and any questions!
This tour departs Vegas at about 6.15 a.m |
Day 2 - Las Vegas to Hoover Dam - 33 mi / 53.1 km - About 45 minutes
Map | We'll leave the bright lights of Vegas in the rear view mirror as we depart town. The route to the Grand Canyon takes us past Lake Mead and over Hoover Dam. |
Day 2 - Hoover Dam - About 15 minutes
| | Hoover Dam is a man made marvel, and we will stop there to take photographs and admire the views. Please note that national security concerns may sometimes prevent us from going over the dam wall, and, if that is the case, we will need to take an alternate route. |
Day 2 - Hoover Dam to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon - 244 mi / 392.6 km - About 4 1/4 hours
Map | Leaving Hoover Dam we travel through the desert, before arriving in the small Arizona town of Kingman, where we pick up the freeway towards the Grand Canyon. At Williams, Arizona, we head north for about 50 miles (80 kilometres), towards the South Rim. |
Day 2 - Grand Canyon - 277 mi / 445.69 km - About half an hour
| | A tiny town called Tusayan borders the Grand Canyon, and the small local airport is just to the south of Tusayan. We will stop there to allow those of you who want to take an optional helicopter tour to do so.
Although expensive, a helicopter is really the best way to see as much of the Grand Canyon as possible in a short period of time. The tour being offered is the North Canyon helicopter tour. You fly over the deepest and widest parts of the Grand Canyon, through the Dragon Corridor, and on to the North Rim, where you can view the geological differences between the two rims. On the way back to the South Rim you will take in breathtaking views of temples, shrines and other rock formations. The tour is about half an hour long, and it must be ordered ahead of time, preferably when you order the main tour itself.
If you choose not to do the helicopter tour your guide will generally take you into the Grand Canyon earlier, although this does depend on traffic and weather conditions. |
Day 2 - Grand Canyon to Page - 139 mi / 223.65 km - About 5 hours, 30 minutes
Map | At the Grand Canyon we will take you to several of the main viewpoints, including Mather Point and Bright Angel Lodge. Your skilled guide will give you an overview of the layout of the South Rim, and then leave you on your own to explore for a while.
You can stroll around the Canyon, take pictures, admire the views, buy souvenirs, or get something to eat. |
| | The route we take out of the Grand Canyon travels along the seldom seen east part of the South Rim. There are several photo stops along the way.
On the way we will stop at the Desert View Watchtower, a unique building designed by the legendary architect, Mary Colter, using rocks brought up from the bottom of the Canyon. The inside of the tower is full of artwork by Hopi (Indian) artists. |
| | We will start dropping down from the South Rim, to the desert that is Navajo Nation land below. On the way we pass the Cameron Trading Post, one of the best purveyors of southwestern souvenirs and native American art and jewelry. If there is time we will stop here briefly.
Climbing up to a plateau once again, we start to approach Page, on the shores of Lake Powell. In the summer months, after checking in at your hotel we invite you to join our guide for a hike to Horseshoe Bend. When there is less daylight we may do Horseshoe Bend some other time.
Horseshoe Bend is one of the west's best kept secrets. The hike there is about 20 minutes each way, up and down a hill, and at times the ground below is made up of loose sand. The views of the Colorado River far below, seen through the precipitous canyon walls, are spectacular. |
| | You are on your own for dinner. Remember that tomorrow morning there is a free breakfast included in the tour price. |
Day 3 - Colorado River float trip - About 5 hours, 30 minutes
| | The Colorado River flows from Lake Powell out of Glen Canyon Dam, towards Lee's Ferry, the official starting point of raft trips through the Grand Canyon. This morning you have the option of taking a float trip down the river. If you choose not to do so, you can sleep in, laze at the pool, or explore Page.
The adventure begins with an unusual ride down the two mile long Glen Canyon Dam access tunnel. At river level, with the dam soaring almost 600 feet above you, you will board a comfortable, motorized pontoon raft for your journey downstream.
For the next fifteen miles, you will experience one of the most dramatic stretches of river in the western United States. Your experienced guide will tell the story of the area’s soaring sandstone cliffs, crystal blue-green waters, abundant wildlife, exploration by Major John Wesley Powell (after whom Lake Powell is named) and others, and the river's modern role in the Southwest’s water and power delivery system.
A stop to view an impressive set of ancient petroglyphs will offer you a chance to stretch your legs while bearing witness to the area’s former inhabitance by ancient native cultures. If you choose, you may also refresh yourself by wading in the cold, clear river.
The river portion of your trip ends at historic Lees Ferry, gateway to the Grand Canyon, from where you will be taken back to Page. |
Day 3 - Page to Monument Valley - 132 mi / 212.39 km - About 2 1/4 hours
Map | Leaving Page we head east, across the Navajo Reservation. Every now and again you will see small Indian dwellings scattered across the harsh landscape.
As we approach the tiny Navajo town of Kayenta, the mesas and buttes for which the area is so well known start coming into view. Soon you can just about picture yourself in a scene from an old Western movie as we travel towards Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, as it is officially known. |
Day 3 - Monument Valley tour - About two hours
| | Up next is a two hour tour of Monument Valley, conducted by a Navajo guide, in an off road vehicle. Visitors love to see the buttes, mesas and other sandstone formations that are so prevalent in the Monument Valley area. Monument Valley is actually not really a valley at all, but a relatively flat plain surrounded by red cliffs, with the buttes, as well as the remnants of ancient volcanoes, towering from the earth.
For fans of old western movies, Monument Valley is the epicenter of the west, with many great cowboys and Indians films having been shot in the area. The familiar rock shapes can be seen from many miles away, with the really great scenery to be seen on the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, which straddles the Utah/Arizona border.
Amongst the sites that your tour will likely take in are movie locations, 1000 foot monoliths, rug weaving, and, of course, the famous monuments are visited. |
Day 3 - Monument Valley to Page - 132 mi / 212.39 km - About 2 1/4 hours
Map | We leave Monument Valley, going through the small settlement of Kayenta, before heading west over the Navajo Reservation, to Page. |
| | You are once again on your own for dinner. We'll see you tomorrow after an early breakfast. |
Day 4 - Antelope Canyon tour - About 1 1/2 hours
| | You will be touring Antelope Canyon, in a specially converted off road vehicle, led by a Navajo guide.
Antelope Canyon is one of the most striking slot canyons known to man. A slot canyon is a narrow canyon sliced through a mesa by the forces of nature. Some canyons measure less than a yard across at the top, but drop a hundred feet or more from the rim to the bottom. Slots are cut and scoured by water and wind, with the striations of the sandstone becoming almost incandescent. |
Day 4 - Antelope Canyon
| | From within you will see a palette of colors transmuted by light filtering down from above and bouncing from wall to wall. Antelope Canyon can only be visited using the services of an authorized Navajo Nation guide. |
Day 4 - Page to Bryce Canyon - 154 mi / 247.79 km - About three hours
Map | Leaving Page we will drive over the Glen Canyon Dam Wall. A short distance up the road is a little known dirt trail which leads to spectacular views over Lake Powell. If the road is in reasonable condition we will drive up there to take a very brief look at the spectacular golden canyons partially submerged under the blue waters of Lake Powell.
The road to the small town of Kanab leads past Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. Kanab itself has been the setting for many western movies.
From Kanab we will travel along a picturesque Utah back road, through some tiny towns, before arriving at Bryce Canyon. |
Day 4 - Bryce Canyon - About 3 1/2 hours
| | Many who have seen both Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon tell us that Bryce is far more spectacular. You will marvel at the weirdly shaped hoodoos, in an amazing array of colorful hues.
Bryce is not really a canyon, but a large amphitheater carved out of a variety of rock types. You will be taken to the three main overlooks, and will have time to walk around and explore these. |
| | At Bryce you have a choice of spending additional time in the park, going for a horseback ride, or heading out for an ATV (all terrain vehicle) ride. There is only time to do one of the three. Both of the rides take about an hour.
If you choose an ATV ride, you will first get a few pointers from an experienced guide, and then hop onto your ATV, to go chasing over 14 miles (22 kilometres) of dirt road through the Dixie National Forest surrounding Bryce Canyon. Please note that you will get dusty!
The horseback riding is more sedate, but also a lot of fun. You will visit an area of Bryce Canyon viewed only by this horseback ride. The trail follows a 3 1/2 mile loop through the Dixie National Forest to the rim of Bryce Canyon. From the rim you will view the hidden Water Canyon Amphitheater, before returning.
Please be aware that both itineraries may change, and that one or both activities may be unavailable at certain times of the year due to weather or lack of daylight or time. Both of the rides need to be booked ahead of time, preferably when you book the tour itself. The prices can be seen elsewhere on this page. |
| | Please note that depending on the routes we are running today some tours will now go directly to Salt Lake City, and not travel through Zion to Las Vegas. If you do proceed on to Salt Lake now, the route will take you through the small town of Panguitch, up over a mountain range, and north up Interstate 15 to Salt Lake.
The alternative route to Zion is laid out below.
We will let you know the itinerary ahead of time, and, whatever happens, you will be taking the shuttle from Salt Lake to Yellowstone tomorrow. |
Day 4 - Bryce Canyon to Zion - 88 mi / 141.59 km - About 2 3/4 hours
| | We will take a particularly scenic Utah back road, following first the Sevier River and then the Virgin River, towards Zion National Park.
Zion's story is one of rock and water, with plenty of both to be seen. The relatively soft and porous Navajo Sandstone is often layered over impregnable Kayenta Shale, and the interaction of this rock with the water has created myriad amazing shapes and patterns.
We will enter Zion at the less used east entrance, and take in the striking rock formations, with trees actually growing in the rocks. You will see how massive sand dunes have been cemented into rock over the millennia.
After traveling through an amazing tunnel that was blasted into the Navajo sandstone almost a century ago, we descend down a precipitous switchback road, to discover the Great Arch of Zion, a gigantic work in progress. |
Day 4 - Zion to Las Vegas - 159 mi / 255.83 km - About 2 3/4 hours
Map | From Zion we will wind our way to Interstate 15 and the main road back to Vegas. The route takes us through the small southern Utah town of St. George and down the picturesque Virgin River Gorge.
We will pass through Mesquite, a casino town on the Arizona Nevada border, before traveling across the desert and back to the bright lights of Las Vegas. |
Day 5 - Flight from Vegas to Salt Lake City - About 1 hours, 5 minutes
| | If you have not traveled directly from Bryce Canyon to Salt Lake City yesterday, you will have an early morning flight today, after spending the night in Vegas. You will get to Salt Lake in time for the 10 a.m. ride to Yellowstone.
We will tell you your exact schedule long beforehand. |
Day 5 - Salt Lake City to West Yellowstone - 321 mi / 516.49 km - About 6 hours, 55 minutes
Map | You will take a shuttle through northern Utah, into Idaho, and eventually Montana, before arriving in West Yellowstone. There are stops at several towns along the way. The vehicle is generally a mini bus.
Please note that today is an unescorted part of the tour. What this means is that although you obviously have a bus driver with you at all times, there is no tour guide providing a running commentary the way there is when you are in Yellowstone. |
| | You will be dropped off at our pizzeria/Internet cafe, which is the closest building to Yellowstone! |
| | We will take you to Al's Westward Ho, the motel at which you are staying. This is right next to our Cafe. We also offer lodging that is a little cheaper, in our log cabin. This is clean, comfortable and affordable accommodation, which is a little less than half a mile from the main road running through town (about a 10 minute walk), and almost a mile (16 minutes) from our Cafe.
After checking in you can explore the town, take a walk through the forest into Yellowstone, go to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center (a must see) or check out a movie at the IMAX.
Supper at the Cafe is included in the tour price. You will spend the night at Al's or in our log cabin. |
Day 6
| | A sack lunch is provided today. Please remember to pick it up at our Cafe, next door to where you are staying, before heading into the park. |
Day 6 - Yellowstone upper loop tour - About 8 hours, 15 minutes
Map | The route that the tour takes will depend on possible road closures in the park, as well as the time of year, but it will be something like the following ... |
Map | There is going to be a lot to see and do. We'll head out of West Yellowstone towards Madison Junction, where the Firehole and Gibbon Rivers meet to form the Madision River. Turning left (north) we'll make for Norris Geyser Basin. Along the way we'll stop briefly at Gibbon Falls.
Although not as well known as the other geyser basins, Norris is the most thermally active part of Yellowstone. It is divided into two separate areas: Porcelain Basin and Back Basin. |
Map | The next stop is Mammoth Hot Springs, headquarters of the park, and home to a fascinating array of weird rock shapes, bright colors and sizzling hot springs. Elk are generally plentiful in this area, wandering around the old park buildings, and, if you're lucky, you might even see a whole herd.
You can stroll through the ever changing terraces at Mammoth, admiring the travertine creations and hot springs. |
Map | Leaving Mammoth we will travel towards Tower Roosevelt, which is where the road to the park's north east entrance, through the Lamar Valley, is. There is almost always wildlife to be seen in this area, even bears! |
| | At Tower Junction we will branch off the main upper loop road, and head through the Lamar Valley, towards the north east entrance to Yellowstone. This is a particularly beautiful part of the park, and where the keen wolf watchers are generally to be found. |
| | Everyone wants to see a bear in the wild at Yellowstone, and the trip from Tower Junction to Tower Falls is one of the best places to do so. The spring can be a great time to go looking for bears, as you have the opportunity of seeing mothers with their new born cubs. Tower Falls is an impressive water fall. |
Map | Assuming that it is open, the road from Tower Falls to Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone towers up into the sky as it crosses the Dunraven Pass at almost 9000 feet. We then drop down to Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is normally visited on our Lower Yellowstone Loop tour, and not this tour. Depending on the number of people on this tour who have not seen it, and how late it is, we may take the opportunity of checking out the area. The Yellowstone River has carved an impressive canyon through the rocks, over which two falls drop. The Lower Falls is over twice the size of Niagara Falls! It is in this area that you can catch a glimpse of the yellowish tinge to the rocks, from which the Yellowstone River got its name, but at a different location. We'll check out the canyon and falls from a number of different locations. You get so close to the Upper Falls that you almost feel like you can reach out and touch the thundering water. Don't!
If there is time, other areas along the route that we may visit include Obsidian Cliff, Virginia Cascade and Undine Falls.
After a long, fun-filled day, it is time to return to West Yellowstone. |
| | You are on your own for dinner and will spend the night in the same place. |
Day 7
| | A sack lunch is included today, which you can enjoy on the road. Please pop in to our Cafe to pick it up before you leave. |
Day 7 - Yellowstone lower loop tour - About 8 hours, 15 minutes
Map | The roads running through Yellowstone make up a massive figure of eight. The lower loop of the figure of eight comprises most of the thermal features that are to be seen in Yellowstone, including, of course, Old Faithful!
From West Yellowstone we'll follow the Madison River to Madison Junction, where we'll turn right, or south. Depending on the time of the year, this area is often teeming with wildlife. With any luck you will see bison, elk, Trumpeter Swans and other animals and birds. A special treat in the spring is the baby bison calves. |
Map | At Madison Junction we will turn right, or south, and follow the Firehole River which runs through the thermal areas of Yellowstone northward. The Firehole is famous amongst anglers for its pristine beauty and selection of brown, brook and rainbow trout.
The first main thermal area we will be visiting is the Lower Geyser Basin, and Fountain Paint Pots. There is a boardwalk system running around and through the Fountain Paint Pots area, and it is a great place to go for a stroll, if the bison haven't got there first! Apart from the paint pots, there is also a selection of other thermal features in the area, including a number of geysers, one or other of which almost always seems to be erupting. |
| | The next stop is the Midway Geyser Basin, home to Grand Prismatic Spring - one of the largest anywhere in the world - as well as Excelsior Geyser, now dormant, but discharging thousands of gallons of water every minute. |
Map | It is a short drive to the Upper Geyser Basin, home of Old Faithful, the world's best known and most reliable gusher. There is also so much more to the area than just Old Faithful. Old Faithful Inn, a wonderful old building - recently renovated - is located there - and a system of boardwalks will take you around the various other geysers in the area. |
Map | The road from Old Faithful passes over the Continental Divide twice, on its way to West Thumb, a geyser basin right on the shores of the incredibly blue Yellowstone Lake. |
Map | Yellowstone Lake is off to the east as we make the trip up to Fishing Bridge. From there we head through the Hayden Valley, following the Yellowstone River, up to Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. On the way we will pass Mud Volcano.
The Hayden Valley is known for its wildlife, particularly large herds of bison at certain times of the year. It is also an excellent location to look for grizzly bears, especially in the spring and early summer when they may be preying on newborn bison and elk cubs. |
| | The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is an unexpected treat amongst the thermal wonders. The Yellowstone River has carved an impressive canyon through the rocks, over which two falls drop. The Lower Falls is over twice the size of Niagara Falls! It is in this area that you can catch a glimpse of the yellowish tinge to the rocks, from which the Yellowstone River got its name, but at a different location. We'll check out the canyon and falls from a number of different locations. You get so close to the Upper Falls that you almost feel like you can reach out and touch the thundering water. Don't! |
| | It is now time to go back to West Yellowstone. |
| | We'll have a snack pack waiting for you at our Cafe, to take on the plane. |
Day 7 - Flight back to Salt Lake - About 1 hours, 15 minutes
| | After your day in the park we will take you to the airport for a flight back to Salt Lake City, where the tour ends.
Please let us know if we can book a hotel room for you in Salt Lake. The Crystal Inn, which has a free, hot breakfast buffet, is our preferred hotel. It is located in the downtown area, and has a free airport shuttle. |
Please note the following...- This tour may be subject to a fuel surcharge.
- The days and dates this tour operates can be seen in the calendar at the top right of this page.
- The entry fees to all parks are included.
- The off road tours at Monument Valley and Antelope Canyon are included.
- Six nights' accommodation are included: Two nights in Vegas at the Sahara or Circus Circus or similar (Upgrades are available. If your tour goes directly from Bryce to Salt Lake you will stay at the Crystal Inn in Salt Lake instead of the second night in Vegas. Please let us know if you are between 18 and 20. Only a few properties in Vegas accept people that age); two nights at the Best Western Arizona Inn in Page (if that is sold out we use the Quality Inn); two nights at Al's Westward Ho in West Yellowstone (a slightly cheaper option is available in West Yellowstone by taking a private room in our log cabin).
- Prices are based on double occupancy. A single surcharge of $337 is applicable, or we can try and match singles. If there are three people in one room with two queen or double beds, the three will get a total of $325 off between the three. If there are four in one room with two queen or double beds the four will get a total of $650 off their price, between the four.
- After ordering this tour please wait to receive a confirmation email from us before making any plans that are dependent on this tour.
- There are no taxes. Please note, however, that a guide’s gratuity is excluded, but is expected in the USA for services well delivered.
- The tour itinerary may change at our discretion without notice.
- The price includes the services of a guide/driver and transportation.
- Vehicles are mini buses or executive vans, which are vans with individual, high back, reclining seats.
- Two breakfasts are included, as are one dinner and two sack lunches.
- Portions of this tour may be subcontracted to other reputable vendors. This will in no way affect your comfort or safety.
- A minimum of two people may be required for a tour to depart. That is not two in your group, but a total of two. You may also need to book several weeks out to ensure availability.
- This tour departs from the Los Angeles locations shown above. Please let us know if we can arrange a shuttle there for you. We can get a much better price than you can.
- The tour finishes at the Salt Lake City airport.
- Be careful about making any show or air bookings for the date this tour returns. We are not responsible for delays getting back into Salt Lake.
- Please note that in the winter months snow or other bad weather may result in tour itineraries being changed without notice, or even tours being canceled in extreme weather. Should a cancellation occur the only amount we will refund is the cost of the portion of the tour that is canceled, or a refund of the entire tour price if the tour itself is canceled.
- All times are approximate.
- Please be aware that some airlines charge a per bag fee for checked luggage. This varies from airline to airline and is not included in the tour price. It will need to be paid directly to the airline.
- Payment And Cancellation Details: Once the air portion of this tour has been booked we will not under any circumstances accept a cancellation. An amount equal to the cost of the flights will be charged to your card once you have accepted our no cancel policy, which will be emailed to you. Half the remaining balance of the cost of the tour will be charged to your card any time from 45 days prior to the start of the tour. The remaining portion will be charged any time from 10 days prior to the start of the tour. Please note that our cancellation policy is strictly enforced, regardless of the reason for the cancellation. We strongly urge you to consider purchasing trip insurance.
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This tour can be ordered online here. Please call us at 1 800 724 7767 or (USA) 435 658 2227, or mail us for additional information.
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1.800.724.7767
