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8-Nights Western Frontiers End Rapid City from $4,150
Trafalgar
OFFER ID 1506054
Western Frontiers End Rapid City
Your wild west tour at its best. This exploration of the American frontier is filled with local encounters and natural wonders-from the Black Hills to Bryce Canyon's spires and Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore to Cody's Buffalo Bill Center. Two nights in Yellowstone ensure you don’t miss a thing.
Dining Summary
- 4 Dinner (D)
- 9 Breakfast (B)
- 1 Lunch (L)
- Billings: Learn all about Billing's railroad history during a Be My Guest dinner at the historic Billings Depot. The facility was built in 1903 to serve as a hub for 3 major railroads passing through town and is now a non-profit organization. A historian from the nearby Western Heritage Center will serve as host for the evening enlightening the group on the rail industry's importance to Big Sky Montana! Local Chef Stephen Hindman has put together a wonderful 3-course menu complete with beer and wine.
- Zion National Park: Unlock geological history as you walk the paths and trails of Zion National Park, following in the footsteps of Native Americans and the earliest pioneers. The lush vegetation, wild rivers, roaring waterfalls and towering cliffs of this park will have you reaching for your camera over and over again. You’ll even drive through the amazing 1.1-mile, sandstone Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel built from the late 1920s through 1930, when it was the longest tunnel of its type at the time.
- Bryce Canyon National Park: After stopping at Sunset Point this afternoon, Bryce Canyon awaits. You’re right in the heart of it all with your accommodations just three miles from the park entrance, maximising the time you'll spend in the park.
- Salt Lake City: Get ready for the key features and local secrets of Utah's capital on an orientation tour with your Travel Director. Check out its Mormon center and Temple Square as you delve into the past of its Mormon settlers.
- Bryce Canyon National Park: Hello, hoodoos. As you arrive at Bryce Canyon National Park, enjoy seeing the pink, orange and rusty-red limestone spires, known as hoodoos, rise up from the valley floor. Explore the visitor center to learn more about the history and geology of the park before a scenic drive along Bryce Canyon Road with possible stops at Sunrise Point, Sunset Point and Inspiration Point. You’ll love seeing how Bryce Canyon, home to the largest collection of these spires in the world, is in a league of its own.
- Jackson: Spend the afternoon exploring the charming cowboy town of Jackson, WY. Stroll through the antler archways at Jackson Town Square before heading to the famed Million Dollar Cowboy Bar and grab a seat on a horse saddle. Walk through local art galleries and boutique shops to find the perfect souvenir.
- Grand Teton National Park: Get your cameras ready for Grand Teton National Park’s shimmering peaks of the Teton mountain range rising up above forests and lakes. You’ll love exploring the park’s alpine landscapes with your Tour Director who shares details about the 40-mile Teton Range. Explore the Thomas and Colter Bay Visitor Centers, Jenny Lake and Colter Bay overlooking Jackson Lake, one of the highest altitude lakes in the United States.
- Yellowstone National Park: Yellowstone National Park. A bucket list destination and a must-see icon. Established as America's first National Park by President Grant in 1872, Yellowstone is famous for its hot springs, bubbling mud pots, vast canyons and lush forests and a variety of terrain including alpine mountains, prairies, valleys and waterfalls as well as a diversity of nature including the hydrothermal features. Explore the Southern Loop of Yellowstone with your Travel Director who shows you the must-sees and highlights, paired with background information of this huge, ever-changing national park. See the splendor of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, keep an eye out for bison in Hayden Valley, and witness Old Faithful blow off some steam.
- Cody: Jump into the playground of the wild west. Glimpse into the "Spirit of the West" at the Buffalo Bill Center for the West Museum complex. Boasting five museums on its campus, this "Smithsonian of the West" will immerse you in the sounds and sights of the Wild West. You'll feel like you've been transported back to a time of cowboys and cowgirls, outlaws and Native American warriors.
- Little Big Horn: There’s no better place to learn about the Battle of Little Bighorn than visiting the famous historical site itself. Explore the Visitor Center to get oriented with the history of Custer's Last Stand. With your Travel Director driving along Battlefield Tour Road where General Custer and his men were roundly defeated by combined forces of Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal warriors in 1876, feel echoes of the past come alive on this one-of-a-kind experience.
- Black Hills: Unlock the history of Crazy Horse Memorial. Learn how construction began in 1948 after Henry Standing Bear, a Lakota elder, commissioned Korczak Ziolkowski, who worked on construction of Mount Rushmore. While the original idea was to carve a face into rock like Mount Rushmore, the monument will ultimately have a full body and horse. There is no completion date yet, but the face of Crazy Horse was completed in 1998 at 87 feet 6 inches (26.7 m) high. Enhance your visit exploring The Indian Museum of North America that is also part of the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation.
- Mount Rushmore: The grand faces of Mount Rushmore National Memorial await. View the faces of four of America’s most important presidents - George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt - dramatically etched into the granite rock. Mount Rushmore tells the story of the birth, growth, development and preservation of the United States. From the history of the first inhabitants to the diversity of
8 nights from $4,150 per person
Trafalgar Tours: Western Frontiers End Rapid City
Day 1 - Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas
From glitz and glitter to lavish dining, the desert playground of Las Vegas extends a warm welcome. More than a high energy city of tempting nightlife, the soul-stirring surrounding landscapes make up America’s most beloved national parks. Kick off your US National Park tour meeting your Travel Director for a Welcome Dinner before settling in for your western adventure beginning tomorrow.
Accommodations: Horseshoe Las Vegas
Meals: Dinner
Day 2 - Ride Through Colorful Zion National Park
There’s no better place to admire the Southwest’s multi-color landscape than the towering cream, pink and red cliffs of Zion National Park. Drive through the park hugged by red cliffs and stop for lunch at Zion Lodge. Be sure to keep your camera at-the-ready for the enchanting landscapes of Bryce Canyon. Feel dwarfed by the otherworldly rusty red limestone hoodoo spires that rise surreally from the desert floor to Utah’s skies. This evening, perhaps join Ebenezer’s Barn & Grill and The Bryce Canyon Wranglers for an unforgettable evening of live country music and a delicious BBQ dinner.
Accommodations: Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon Grand
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 3 - Uncover Bryce Canyon and Salt Lake City
Fortunately for you, you have a second day in Bryce Canyon National Park, where you’ll unlock the park’s iconic hoodoos. Next up in Salt Lake City, discover the local secrets of Utah's capital seeing its Mormon center, Temple Square and discovering the beliefs and history of the Mormon pioneers who settled here. Salt Lake City is a vibrant and progressive city with cafes, boutiques and new restaurants popping up all the time – so you’ll have plenty of choice as you explore the city today. Enjoy dinner tonight at a local restaurant with your fellow travelers.
Accommodations: Sheraton Salt Lake City
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4 - North to Jackson
Get ready for a change of scenery on your US National Park tour today, taking in views of Powder Mountain and southeast Idaho as you head north from Salt Lake City to Jackson. Standing in the shadows of the Teton Range’s icy peaks, this mountain town has an Old West look with a modern twist. Get a feel for the outdoor vibe – home to three ski areas and many rugged trails – on your own. Grab dinner this evening in one of the old-timey saloons and steakhouses destined to fuel your adventures through western frontiers.
Accommodations: Modern Mountain Motel
Meals: Breakfast
Day 5 - Travel Through Scenic Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton National Park’s alpine landscapes of eight peaks tower over 12,000 feet above you. Learn how, established in 1929, Grand Teton is home to a 40-mile mountain range straddling Idaho and Wyoming with views of wildlife, glacier-carved lakes and alpine terrain. Inhabited first by Native Americans and later American pioneers, Grand Teton is the perfect place to explore over 200 miles of hiking trails and take in views of the Tetons from the Snake River. Get your bearings choosing to join a gentle Snake River Float Trip in the Park, learning from your guide about the park’s resident wildlife. The promise of Yellowstone’s geothermal wonderland leads to your next destination. Arriving in Yellowstone, stay right in the heart of it all overnighting at one of the lodges in this iconic national park.
Accommodations: National Park Lodges Yellowstone
Meals: Breakfast
Day 6 - See the Grandeur of Yellowstone National Park
See how Yellowstone National Park - one of the world’s oldest national parks with over 500 geysers – is in a league of its own. At the end of your visit, you’ll surely appreciate its vastness, variety of landscapes and terrains, wildlife, vegetation, lakes and geologic wonders like the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. Alongside your Travel Director, marvel at Old Faithful, the thousand-year-old geyser which has been shooting water into the sky every 90 minutes for centuries. Stop at Lake Yellowstone, containing the largest number of wild cutthroat trout in North America, before viewing Artists Point. Savor a quiet moment at this viewpoint to watch the stunning cascade of the Lower Falls. Finish off an epic day of sightseeing at the impressive Fountain Paint Pot area where bubbling mud pots and geysers invite you to stand back and watch the show.
Accommodations: National Park Lodges Yellowstone
Meals: Breakfast
Day 7 - Experience Big Sky and the Wild West Connect with Locals
Welcome to "Buffalo Bill’s" hometown of Cody where the "Spirit of the American West" lives on. Visit the Buffalo Bill Center of the West Museum to unlock the town’s history before taking your wild west adventure to the next level in Big Sky Country. At the historic Billings Depot, you're treated to a Western dinner Be My Guest experience. Meet a local historian from the nearby Western Heritage Center who’ll share Billing’s railroad history from how the depot was built in 1903 as a hub for three major railroads. Get your fix of western hospitality and fare enjoying local Chef Stephen Hindman's three-course menu featuring local produce, a choice of entrees, a seasonal dessert and beer and wine.
Accommodations: DoubleTree by Hilton Billings
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8 - Unlock The History of Little Big Horn Dive Into Culture
Today on your US National Park tour, explore history and living traditions starting with a visit to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, the battlefield where the ill-fated Custer led his men against a battalion of Sioux and Cheyenne warriors now known as Custer’s last stand. From battlefields to the Black Hills, make your way to the base of Crazy Horse Memorial, an iconic monument representing the Oglala Lakota warrior 'Crazy Horse'. Admire the colossal carved face and learn about its origins during a walk-through of The Indian Museum of North America before arriving in Rapid City. Light up your night on an Optional Experience joining Mount Rushmore by Night with a Park Ranger. The sculpture lighting ceremony culminates as the faces of the monument are fully illuminated.
Accommodations: The Rushmore Hotel & Suites
Meals: Breakfast
Day 9 - Delve Into the Black Hills of South Dakota Make Travel Matter
Whether or not you caught the show last night, the must-see sight of Mount Rushmore National Memorial makes a dramatic start to your day with the opportunity to take the perfect picture. View the faces of former American presidents etched into the granite rock-face. Later, you could join an Optional Experience venturing into Badlands National Park to explore 244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires blended with the largest protected mixed grass prairie in America feeling like you’ve entered an ancient world. A special MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience awaits this evening as you meet Lakota Tribe Member Stephen Yellowhawk who shares his passion for his culture over stories of his tribe’s history during a festive evening of singing, dance and music.
Accommodations: The Rushmore Hotel & Suites
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 10 - Farewell Rapid City
Your journey through the Western Frontiers comes to an end today. You may depart from Rapid City Regional Airport at your leisure. Or travel south on your US National Park tour through the expansive, rolling prairies of Wyoming to Denver for a complimentary transfer to Denver International Airport arriving approximately at 4:30 PM. Guests have the option to end the tour in Rapid City or Denver at time of booking. You may also choose to extend your stay in Denver.
Meals: Breakfast
Vacation Details
* This departure has been designated a guaranteed departure by the operator, meaning that the minimum number of guests has been met, although still subject to weather and other conditions.
Fine dining, on-site bars or lounges and room service with extended hours are characteristic of deluxe establishments. Guest services usually include valet parking, concierge services, baggage assistance and laundry services. Other on-site facilities often include shops and boutiques, full service spas, full fitness facilities with pools and tennis courts. Business amenities may include available up-to-date technology and support staffs available for services. Attention to detail is apparent in the guestrooms which typically have stylish furnishings, quality bedding and bath products and often provide an evening turn down service.
All fares are quoted in US Dollars.
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TravelDesign International
3838 Camino del Rio N. Suite 300
San Diego, CA 92108
USA
(619) 589-6700
(800) 586-6700