American West holiday
| country: | USA |
| location: | Grand Circle, National Parks of America |
| departures: | 2008: 14 Sep, 28 Sep, 12 Oct, 2 Nov, 30 Nov 2009: 4 Jan, 1 Feb |
| price: | From £740 - £844 (8 days) excluding flights. Price includes services of a tour leader and transportation, 7 nights hotel lodging, San Francisco city tour & limousine in Las Vegas. |
The American West tour starts out with a short San Francisco tour including the famous Golden Gate Bridge. Bidding San Francisco a reluctant farewell, head east through California’s gold country, where in 1848, the finding of a single nugget triggered a stampede of gold-seekers known as the 49’ers.
We travel through California’s historic Gold Rush country on our way to one of the crown jewels of America’s National Park system: Yosemite National Park. We will enjoy a scenic drive through Yosemite National Park and visit groves of giant Sequoias the largest living things on Earth! There will be ample opportunities for biking, hiking or just taking in the sights of the enormous granite monoliths of Yosemite - many made famous by Ansel Adams’ beautiful black and white photography.
The city of lights
After a relaxing evening in central California, we arrive to Las Vegas - ready for adventure. Cruise “The Strip” in style with the included limousine tour, then indulge in an all-you-can eat buffet, take in a show or just watch the amazing crowds, neon and attractions that many hotel casinos have to offer. And if that’s not enough, take a helicopter flight over “The Strip” or visit the massive factory outlet shopping malls for a bargain!
Grand Canyon
Leaving Las Vegas, explore America's premier national park, and discover why it is called the Grand Canyon. Visit the viewpoints, hike the trails, or take a scenic flight for a bird’s-eye view. No matter what you choose to do, you will be amazed by the park’s majesty.
We spend our last night in beautiful Sedona. Situated among the unique sandstone formations and Coconino National Forest at the south end of Oak Creek Canyon, it is the perfect place to enjoy the walking trails and the distinctive local culture before returning to Los Angeles.
| Day 1: | Departs San Francisco; Yosemite NP |
| Day 2: | Yosemite NP |
| Day 3: | Central California |
| Day 4: | Las Vegas |
| Day 5-6: | Grand Canyon |
| Day 7: | Sedona |
| Day 8: | Los Angeles |
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) 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.|
This trip is designed for those who want to explore the Southwest United States’ 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 overnight in comfortable locally owned 2-3 star hotels and lodges, eat our meals in locally owned restaurants and utilize established local suppliers for activities en route that help support local business and keep money in the community. We have over 13 years of experience operating small-group adventure tours (13 client maximum) throughout North/Central/South America 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. Whether we visit Grand Canyon or Yosemite National Park, 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. We achieve this by implementing the following methods: Working with Local Guides- 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. Local Arrangements- We utilize private vehicle and local suppliers for accommodation and activities throughout to ensure the economic benefit stays in the local community. This includes working with locally owned ranch/horse-riding/cycling/etc operators and lodging in locally owned hotels/lodges whenever possible. As this is a lodging based tour, we endeavour to eat our meals in locally owned, family run restaurants which supports local business, as well as allows passengers to experience local flavour and mix with local people when appropriate. National Park and National Monument Visits- 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. Educating Travellers- 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. If you would like a copy of our RT policy or traveller’s code of conduct, please contact us prior to your trip or alternatively, download directly from our website. This includes policies on the following: Charitable Project Support- We contribute to local charities and projects such as “Tourism Cares for America” (of which we are a founding member), “Friends of Big Bend” and the “Mojave Desert Land Trust”- organizations dedicated to improving and/or expanding national parks. |
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. |