8-Nights Utah's Mighty Five National Parks - Tailormade Journeys — CALL

Itinerary Details

1 Day 1: Arrive Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Arrive in glittering Las Vegas and venture overland to Zion National Park in the southwest corner of Utah. The park is a natural preserve with spectacular geological features, including mountains, canyons, buttes, mesas, monoliths, rivers and natural arches. Settle into your lodge and, if time permits, set out on a guided hike in Snow Canyon State Park, the site of petrified sand dunes, sandstone cliffs, and ancient lava flows.

Actively experience Zion, starting with a hike to incredible lookout points, interpreting the flora, fauna, geology and history of the park with expert help along the way. Iconic rock formations include the Three Patriarchs, Cathedral Mountain and Checkerboard Mesa, the perfect backdrop for a gourmet picnic lunch.

Bryce Canyon National Park is home to some of the southwest United States’ greatest geological treasures. A scenic wonderland of orange, rose and tan sandstone outcroppings, including the dazzling Bryce Amphitheater — which features a forest of rock pinnacles called hoodoos that have been intricately carved by countless centuries of wind and rain — is arrayed around you. Explore it on a breathtaking private hike, pausing for a picnic lunch among a grove of 2,000-year-old bristlecone pine trees, and then visit key viewpoints for some simply amazing vistas.

It's time for an action-packed day of adventure that includes hiking tailored to your skill-level and a jeep tour through the Cathedral Valley of Capitol Reef National Park. Here, along the rocky ridge of the Waterpocket Fold, millions of years of geological drama have unfolded, forging a landscape as wild and rugged as any of the other, better-known national parks.

Lose yourself in the park’s desert wilds and be awed by soaring, golden sandstone rock formations, fittingly christened with holy names: set out for the Walls of Jericho, Cathedral Valley and Temple of the Moon. Afterward, perhaps soothe your muscles with soak in the hot tub as the sun sets over the mountains.

Marooned in Utah’s ochre vastness, Moab is the state’s adventure capital. Local museums chart the area’s ancient origins, with exhibits exploring paleontology and the rich indigenous culture, but the outdoors soon beckons: a land of hiking trails snaking to secluded waterfalls and canyons, of weathered sandstone pillars soaring like the spires of a gothic church, and of sunsets that plunge the desert into a blazing bath of pink, red and gold. Be dazzled by the epic stone arcs of Arches National Park on a private tour. Discover dramatic sandstone sculpted by nature and hear tales of the tribes who lived here over one thousand years ago.

Navigate a secluded stretch on the Colorado River for a full, guided day of rafting. Drift along the serene waters of Westwater Canyon, admire the Martian beauty of Black Granite Gorge and swirl through the infamous currents of Skull Rapid, before shoring up for a picnic lunch.

Utah’s state capital is man’s claim in an untamed Western landscape, an easy-going city with a small-town feel, watched over by the snow-dredged Wasatch Mountains. City museums focus on natural history and paleontology, while pretty Temple Square is a florid carpet to the soaring Mormon Temple, whose white spires evoke the dreamy pinnacles of Utah’s national parks.