National Parks Wonders

Welcome to Salt Lake City. Check in to your hotel and relax. At 6 p.m., gather at the hotel with your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a Welcome Reception.

Travelling north into Idaho, trace the footsteps of the pioneers at the Oregon Trail Center in Montpelier. Through interactive exhibits, travel vicariously with a covered wagon train in America's great western migration. You'll even enjoy lunch in a covered wagon themed restaurant before you'll be on your way to scenic Jackson. Get spectacular 360-degree views of the Snake River Valley and Grand Teton National Park on an exciting aerial tram ride (seasonal) to the summit of Rendezvous Mountain.

If you like, hit the water this morning on an optional guided float trip down the Snake River (seasonal) where you'll float with amazing views of the magnificent Grand Tetons. Keep your eyes open for some of the area's abundant wildlife, including moose and elk drinking from the rivers, bison munching on grass and beavers putting the finishing touches on their elaborate dams. Overhead, watch for majestic bald eagles, graceful blue herons and the dozens of species of songbird that call the park home. This evening, join your Travel Director and travel companions for a Chuckwagon Regional Meal.

Spend the morning discovering the natural glories of Grand Teton National Park. You'll find exhilarating vistas everywhere you look. Then it's on to Yellowstone, established in 1872 as the world's first National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Watch in awe as Old Faithful's waters arc high into the air-as it has done approximately every 90 minutes since the Washburn Expedition discovered it in 1870. Tonight, dine and stay inside the park. Each lodge inside the park has its own unique setting and atmosphere. Lodges featured are the Old Faithful Inn, Old Faithful Snow Lodge, Grant Village, and the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. Specific lodges will be confirmed in your documents.

Begin the day looking for wildlife in Hayden Valley en route to the impressive Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone with its stunning waterfalls. Continue on to Dunraven Pass and the Lamar Valley, some of the most ruggedly beautiful regions of the park. At Mammoth Hot Springs, admire the mineral terraces that resemble frozen waterfalls cascading down into the valley.

Head east to the town of Cody, named for its most famous native son, Buffalo Bill. Get a glimpse into the fascinating history of the American West at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West where you'll meet a Local Specialist and delve into the history of the cowboy, the role of the firearm in the early days, and the culture and art of the Plains Indians. Join your fellow travellers for a Be My Guest dinner in true Western style at a historic café complete with an old-time tobacco shop.

Proclaimed by Theodore Roosevelt as America's first national monument, Devils Tower rises nearly 1,300 feet (396 metres) above the Belle Fourche River. After, head into the Black Hills of South Dakota and the boomtown of Deadwood, which arose after the Gold Rush of the 1870s. In Deadwood, join Kevin Costner's Original Deadwood Tour where you'll meet a Local Specialist to hear about the days of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. Journey on to Rapid City, where you have the option of visiting Mount Rushmore this evening to see the magical illumination ceremony.

This morning discover more of the natural and man-made wonders of the Black Hills with a drive through stunning scenery as you go to the base of Crazy Horse Memorial, a massive mountain carving of the famed war chief of the Lakota people. Next is a visit to Mount Rushmore, designed by sculptor Gutzon Borglum to celebrate the "founding, expansion, preservation and unification of the United States" through enormous carvings of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. This afternoon, return to Rapid City before gathering with your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a festive Farewell Dinner featuring Stephen Yellowhawk who shares his tribe's history through dance and song, a Cultural Insight.

Bid farewell to your travelling companions and take a transfer to Rapid City Airport or extend your stay in Rapid City at The Rushmore Hotel.