Yellowstone, Rushmore and the Grand Canyon

Depart London on your scheduled flight direct to Denver with British Airways. On arrival, transfer to your hotel for your overnight stay. Urban sophistication meets outdoor adventure in Colorado's most populous municipality and with 300 days of sunshine, a thriving cultural scene and natural beauty the Mile High City makes for one of the world's most spectacular playgrounds.

Following breakfast, it's time to depart Denver and journey to Keystone. En-route the tour will make stops at both Cheyenne and the former military and fur-trading outpost of Fort Laramie, which surprisingly, was never surrounded by a wall as the projected plans were deemed too dear thereby remaining an open fort depending upon its location and garrison for protection.

Today begins with a visit to Mount Rushmore, where 18 metre-tall sculptures are carved into the granite rock of Presidents Roosevelt, Lincoln, Washington and Jefferson. Completed between 1927-1941, this monument famously appears in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest and was built to attract tourists from all of the country. Next continue to the Crazy Horse Memorial, a mountain monument which has been a work in progress since 1948. It is being carved out of Thunderhead Mountain and will depict the Oglala Lakota warrior, Crazy Horse, riding into the distance with his arm out-stretched illustrating the phrase 'My lands are where my dead lie buried', a tribute to the Native American people. This afternoon you'll tour Badlands National Park, whose rugged beauty draws visitors to admire the striking geological deposits that contain one of the world's richest fossil beds.

The journey today takes you to Wyoming's jewel, Sheridan, with a stop en-route at Deadwood. Deadwood is an entire city registered as a National Historic Landmark that has been restored to its former historical glory and reminiscent of the iconic backdrops seen in Spaghetti Western films. Since the discovery of gold in 1874, it became a thriving commercial centre in the heart of the Black Hills that once drew legends and legions alike in search of their fortune. Stay overnight in Sheridan, a delightful town known for its history of trapping, ranching and mining offering a taste of traditional downtown charm, modern hospitality and stunning countryside trails.

Depart Sheridan after breakfast and take a guided tour of the Battle of Little Bighorn, an armed engagement between Native American forces led by Chiefs Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, and the US Army, gallantly won by the former in order to protect their precious gold reserves. The tour continues to West Yellowstone, where you will spend the night.

Enjoy a full day tour of the magnificent Yellowstone National Park, the world's first ever national park. Full of colorful hot springs, spouting geysers, bubbling pools and mud pots, Yellowstone is a wonderland of incredible natural scenery - be sure to have your camera at the ready to catch the world-famous Old Ye Faithful Geyser, a fountain of steam that rises more than 60 feet in the air. Explore mountains, forests and lakes and discover hundreds of species of mammals, birds fish and reptiles including bears, elk, moose and roaming buffalo. Retire to your hotel in West Yellowstone for your overnight stay. Please note: todays itinerary will be weather permitting in May and October, should the itinerary be affected, alternative arrangements will be made.

Following breakfast, drive onwards to Grand Teton National Park, a 1,300km reserve that boasts over two hundred miles of trails, pristine lakes, snow-capped mountains and extraordinary wildlife. Take in spectacular views before travelling to the valley town of Jackson Hole that was originally populated by indigenous tribes including the Shoshoni, Crow, Blackfoot and Bannock.

Combining the amenities of a major metropolitan area with the friendliness of a quaint, mountain town, Salt Lake City is a beautiful vibrant destination perhaps better known as being the headquarters of the Mormon Church after Mormon forerunners fled persecution in Illinois and settled here over 150 years ago. Visit Logan Canyon, a canyon that runs through the Bear River Mountains where there'll be time to enjoy lunch al fresco (weather permitting) and admire the views through the valley that elevates to 2,400 metres.

After breakfast at your hotel, enjoy a walking tour of Temple Square including stops at the Tabernacle and Temple Square visitor centre. Here you will hear about the Mormon history, beliefs and the meaning of a temple to them. Continue on to the Capitol Building with time to explore inside the building, thought of as one of the best places in the city. You will then have time to explore Temple Square further at leisure. The rest of the afternoon is for you to explore this wonderful city at your own pace. Why not start with the Red Bute Garden nestled in the foothills above the University of Utah that has a beautiful rose garden and 3.5 miles of walking trails. Perhaps organize a tour excursion to the Great Salt Lake itself or wander the Marmalade Historic District, home to many original pioneer homes from the 19th century.

Set out this morning on a scenic drive to Cortez, Colorado. Visit Arches National Park and discover a landscape of contrasting colours, landforms and textures. The park has over 2,000 natural sandstone arches in addition to hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive fins and giant balanced rocks, all formed by the elements over millions of years - an incredible sight to behold. Spend the night in Cortez, a town that sits alongside the Trail of the Ancients Scenic and Historic Byway that circles through ancient Anasazi archeological, cultural and historic sites.

Today incorporates a tour of Mesa Verde National Park, offering a fascinating insight into the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for 700 years in over 600 cliff dwellings carved into the rock face including the incredible Cliff Palace that has more than 200 rooms alone. Return to your hotel in Cortez for the evening.

After breakfast you will begin your journey to Tusayan, stoping en route at the Four Corners Monument, also known as Four Corners Tribal Park; the only unique landmark in the United States where four states intersect at one point - the corners of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado meet a granite and brass monument marking the location. You will have the opportunity to explore the visitor centre as well as enjoy a spot of shopping with stalls selling handmade jewellery, crafts and food. In the afternoon you have an opportunity to take an optional excursion with a narrated tour (at a fee) to Monument Valley, a red-sand desert area on the ArizonaUtah border known for its towering sandstone hills and a popular backdrop for Western films. Stay overnight in Tusayan, a gateway town to the Grand Canyon.

Depart after breakfast for the Grand Canyon National Park. Overwhelming in scope and size and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, this iconic natural treasure will leave you standing in awe and amazement at its sheer enormity and breathtaking beauty. The exposed rock at the base of the gorge dates back over two billion years thanks to the might Colorado river that weaves its way over 277 miles through the canyon. Continue to Bryce Canyon City where you will spend the night.

Distinctive due to geological structures called hoodoos, odd-shaped pillars of rock left standing from the powerful forces of erosion, there is no place quite like Bryce Canyon. Marvel at its unique geology, consisting of a series of horseshoe-shaped amphitheatres carved from the eastern edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau in southern Utah and feel the eerie atmosphere that the towering sorbet-coloured rock towers impose on walkers below. Return to your hotel in Bryce Canyon City for the evening.

Conclude your tour with a final journey to the city that never sleeps, Las Vegas. En-route visit the cream, pink and red sandstone cliffs and canyons within Zion National Park that when viewed from below provides an altogether different perspective than the Grand Canyon and the chance to spot one of the 900 different plant species not found anywhere else in Utah. Enjoy a frivolous evening amongst dramatic architecture, bright lights and kitsch entertainment on the world-famous Sunset Strip.

Transfer to the airport for your overnight flight back to the UK or continue on to your Las Vegas extension.

Arrive back in the UK.