Western Frontiers

Welcome to Las Vegas. After checking in to the hotel, browse the exclusive shops, hit the slot machines or just lounge a while by the hotel pool. At 6 p.m., gather at the hotel with your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a Welcome Reception.

Depart Las Vegas for the graceful canyons and towering cliffs of Zion National Park. Then it's onward to Bryce Canyon, home to the world's largest concentration of hoodoos-tall limestone spires that rise majestically from the desert floor.

Leave the red rock canyons and travel north to Utah's capital. See the famed Temple Square, headquarters to the Mormon church and home to the renowned Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Meet Local Specialists, sister missionaries, who introduce the basic beliefs and history of the Mormon pioneers which brought about the building of the temple and the Tabernacle, home of the Tabernacle Choir. This evening, enjoy an optional dinner at the Roof Restaurant, Utah's premier gourmet dining location.

Get a glimpse of the route of the pioneers as you cross the Oregon Trail, stopping in Montpelier at the Oregon Trail Center. Through interactive exhibits, glimpse the thrills and challenges of the Old Trail. Enjoy lunch at a covered wagon themed restaurant before departing to scenic Jackson, standing in the shadows of the icy peaks of the Grand Tetons. The evening is free for you to explore.

Traverse through Grand Teton National Park on the way to Yellowstone, established in 1872 as the world's first National Park. (When the south entrance is closed due to weather conditions, the itinerary will travel west from Jackson via Idaho and enter Yellowstone National Park through the west entrance.) Enjoy a two night stay inside Yellowstone National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where each lodge 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.

Explore the impressive Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone with its stunning waterfalls and a chance to see bison and elk. Join your Travel Director to explore the spouting geysers, bubbling hot springs and mud paint pots. Watch in wonder as Old Faithful's waters arc over 100 feet (30 metres) into the air. This evening, relax under the great basin of stars.

Head east to the town of Cody, named for its most famous native son, Buffalo Bill, and get a glimpse into its lively history at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. Then it's on to Big Sky Country for a Be My Guest dinner featuring local cuisine and a host who welcomes you with true Western hospitality.

Today begins with a visit to Little Bighorn, the infamous battlefield where the ill-fated Custer led his men against a battalion of Sioux and Cheyenne warriors. Then, travel east through the Black Hills to Rapid City.

Discover the natural and man-made wonders of the Black Hills with a drive through stunning scenery on your way to visit the base of Crazy Horse Memorial, a mountain carving of the famed war chief of the Lakota people. Then, visit Mount Rushmore and gaze in awe at this towering tribute. This afternoon, return to Rapid City before gathering with your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a festive Farewell Dinner featuring a Cultural Insight, Stephen Yellowhawk, who shares his tribe's history through dance and song.

Say so long to your newfound friends this morning and transfer to the Rapid City Regional Airport for your flight home. Or choose to traverse some of the West's most beautiful terrain today as you travel through the expansive grasslands of Wyoming on your way to Denver, the Mile High City, where you may extend your stay at the Sheraton Denver Downtown or take a transfer to Denver International Airport for your flight home.