America National Parks family holiday
| country: | USA |
| location: | National Parks of America |
| departures: | 2010: 5 Apr, 6 Jun, 11 Jul, 25 Jul, 8 Aug |
| price: | From £1266 - £1539 (12 days) excluding flights. 10% discount off adult price for children 8-16 years. Price depends on departure |
| more info: | Price includes admission to all national parks and Tribal Lands as per itinerary, services of tour leader, transport, 11 hotel nights on a twinshare basis |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
photo gallery
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introduction to America National Parks family holiday
Starting in San Francisco, we will see the highlights of the city, including the Golden Gate Bridge, before continuing on to spectacular Yosemite National Park. Gigantic Sequoia trees, winding trails and huge mountain peaks...Yosemite National Park is perfect for cycling, river tubing, hiking or watching for wildlife. The waterfalls are spectacular. Death Valley National Park’s tall sand dunes are sure to impress and great to roll down! Zion’s hiking trails and Bryce’s “melted rock” hoodoos offer magnificent sunsets and incredible bright night skies, as well as great options to walk or horse-ride. Don’t forget your camera, because you’ve not seen any place like this before!
Next, take a dip in Lake Powell’s refreshing waters before exploring Monument Valley on an included Navajo guided 4x4 tour where you will learn about the historic culture of the Navajo Indians. Finally, the Grand Canyon is one of the few places on Earth that far surpasses the images you have seen! Fly over it, hike along its South Rim, or even descend into the canyon itself. The included IMAX film is a great place to start and guided ranger walks will inform and entertain kids and adults alike before finishing this family adventure in Las Vegas
Next, take a dip in Lake Powell’s refreshing waters before exploring Monument Valley on an included Navajo guided 4x4 tour where you will learn about the historic culture of the Navajo Indians. Finally, the Grand Canyon is one of the few places on Earth that far surpasses the images you have seen! Fly over it, hike along its South Rim, or even descend into the canyon itself. The included IMAX film is a great place to start and guided ranger walks will inform and entertain kids and adults alike before finishing this family adventure in Las Vegas
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1-3: | Yosemite National Park. San Francisco - one of America's most beautiful and fascinating cities. Our half day here will include a short tour; a walk across the Golden Gate Bridge and time for you to lunch. Two full days to leisurely experience Yosemite's dream-like setting. Gigantic Sequoia trees; magnificent waterfalls; amazing granite spires; beautiful lakes, rivers and streams... Yosemite National Park deserves all the praise it receives. Activity options range from biking, river tubing, hiking, photography, swimming or just relaxing amidst all this grand scenery. Accommodation: Hotel included |
| Day 4-6: | Death Valley & Zion National Parks. Our only "long" drive takes us over the scenic Tioga Pass to Death Valley National Park. Starkly striking, this park gives us an opportunity to enjoy an amazing sunset from atop tall sand dunes and a refreshing night time swim. You will see the brightest and clearest night skies! On to Zion National Park where we can visit a nearby ghost town on bicycles, witness unbelievable canyon views whilst hiking or laze in the refreshing Virgin River. The Pioneer Lodge is superb adding to our appreciation of this wonderful park. Accommodation: Hotel included |
| Day 7-8: | Bryce Canyon & Lake Powell. Next, Bryce National Park beckons. Its hoodoos and brightly colored rock formations never fail to impress! A great place to ride a horse; enjoy views from the canyon rim and take in another glorious sunset. Blue, cool water in the middle of the desert - Lake Powell is no mirage. This huge man-made lake offers swimming and all manner of watersports against the most amazing red-rock backdrop. Accommodation: Hotel included |
| Day 9: | Monument Valley . On to Monument Valley, this collection of rock spires, arches, bizarre and poetical rock features is still home to many Navajo. Our included Navajo guided Jeep tour will give you a close up glimpse of this incredible area. Accommodation: Hotel included |
| Day 10-12: | Grand Canyon National Park & Las Vegas. Grand Canyon National Park is one of the few places on Earth that far surpasses the images you have seen of it! Fly over it; hike along its South Rim; descend into the canyon itself and still not get enough of looking at it. The included IMAX film is a great place to start. Guided ranger walks will inform and entertain kids and adults alike. Next Las Vegas and its glitter and hype. An upbeat ending to a soft adventure family tour that all will remember. Accommodation: Hotel included |
small group adventure holiday
You will be sharing your experiences with a maximum of 13 like minded travellers and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.
how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment
This trip is designed for families who want to explore the United States’ national parks’ natural beauty and discover why visitors are so passionate about this beautiful region. We travel in small, intimate groups (maximum of 13 passengers) and have the benefit of a professionally trained local guide who knows the best places in the national parks, national monuments and wilderness areas to respectfully observe wildlife, to enjoy fun, adventurous activities and appreciate the flavours of the local culture. We have over 37 years of experience operating small-group adventure tours that foster understanding, appreciation and conservation of the cultures and environments we visit. We are committed to working with our clients and the peoples of our host destinations to ensure direct economic benefits at a community level. We aim to operate beyond best practice guidelines and to provide a tour programme that creates a positive impact on the lands that we visit and a lasting impression for those who travel with us. Our published traveller’s code of conduct is further promoted by our leaders throughout the tour, and particularly in the first night’s orientation talk. Our RT policy or traveller’s code of conduct is made available to all travellers prior to departure. This includes policies on the following:
We partner with Climate Care to encourage clients to off-set domestic/international flights. We are committed to off-set vehicles’ emissions and as such, we match client contributions up to £5000 per year. 100% of our UK corporate headquarters’ power is green (renewable). We contribute to local charities and projects such as “Tourism Cares for America” (of which we are a founding member), American Hiking Society, “Friends of Big Bend” and the “Mojave Desert Land Trust”- organizations dedicated to improving and/or expanding national parks. Community When lodging we will stay in 2 and 3 star “tourist class” hotels. Where possible we stay inside the national parks (Death Valley). Staying in the national parks allows us to minimize driving distances to some of the hiking / activity areas. Where staying inside the parks is not possible we endeavour to use smaller, locally owned/ family run hotels and lodges located as near the parks as possible in a continued effort to minimize these driving distances. We generally eat our meals in locally owned restaurants which supports local business, as well as allows passengers to experience local flavour and mix with local people when appropriate. Throughout the trip we utilize established local suppliers for activities en route that help support local business and keep money in the community. On this tour, we include visits and entry admission to all national parks and monuments listed in the itinerary. Fees support park upkeep and conservation projects, and we encourage our clients to visit the visitor centres for additional information about the region. On this tour we include a Navajo guided 4X4 tour of Monument Valley. While the public is allowed to drive private vehicles in Monument Valley including this guided tour allows our passengers one on one contact with the Navajo and encourages learning of both the history of the Navajo and their current lifestyles. As well, it provides our local guides with much need employment and income. The tour is led by one of our fully trained local guides. Prior to leading our groups, guides must successfully complete our pre-season intensive training programme which lasts approximately 4 weeks. During this time we support the guides with accommodation, activities and supplemental salary. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |
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