Est. 1985

United States: Western Wonders

  • Zion Great White Throne ©Saint George-Zion Convention & Tourism Office

    Zion, Utah
  • The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco ©Tower Tours - San Francisco's Sightseeing Specialist

    Golden Gate Bridge ©Tower Tours - San Francisco's Sightseeing Specialist
  • Zion National Park ©Saint George-Zion Convention & Tourism Office

    Zion, Utah
  • Zion River in Autumn ©Saint George-Zion Convention & Tourism Office

    Zion, Utah
  • Reflection of Upper Yosemite Falls ©Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau, Kristal Leonard

    Yosemite Valley
  • Tunnel View in Spring ©Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau, Kenny Karst

    Yosemite
13 day tour
Prices on request

USA’s National Parks: Geography and Natural Science in Action!

Discover the natural beauty of deserts, canyons and national parks along with the glittering, exciting metropolises of western America. From the grand valleys of Yosemite to San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge, this tour encompasses the best of the west.

Explore Yosemite, Death Valley, Bryce Canyon, Zion and Grand Canyon National Parks. These National Parks are home to extensive biodiversity. During this tour, you have the chance to spot a wide range of fascinating creatures and consider how the species have adapted to their habitats. Enjoy the spectacular scenery, wonderful waterfalls and captivating canyons that define this vast and rugged region. In addition to seeing these impressive landscapes, learn how they were created. See the effects of plate tectonics, faults and earthquakes on the desert landscapes. Blessed with stunning natural beauty, Western America is unique. Being your students to this paradise for geographers and scientists to ignite their passion for learning.


Dates

Dates available on request


Suggested itinerary by air

Day 1

UK to San Francisco

Fly from the UK to San Francisco. On arrival you will be met by a guide and transferred to your hotel. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure to relax and enjoy the hotel facilities.

Day 2

San Francisco – Alcatraz

After breakfast enjoy a cruise to Alcatraz Island. The former prison that operated here from 1934 to 1963 was once home to some of America’s most notorious criminals. Today Alcatraz is home to rare flowers, plants, marine wildlife and thousands of sea birds, while Civil War-era buildings dot the island. It also played an important role in the American Indian rights movement. In the evening enjoy a three course dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp.

Day 3

Oakhurst

After breakfast, travel to Oakhurst. Oakhurst is town south of the entrance to Yosemite National Park, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. On arrival, check in and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Day 4

Yosemite National Park

Today you will travel through Yosemite National Park. Explore the dramatic waterfalls, giant sequoias and awe-inspiring vistas of Yosemite; an icon of majestic natural beauty. Learn about the park’s history and geology. Walk the granite slopes of Sentinel Dome or hike to Mirror Lake. The adventurous among you may opt for a more strenuous climb to the top of Vernal Falls. Travel to Bishop and check in to your hotel.

Day 5

Death Valley

This morning travel to Las Vegas. Visit the Death Valley National Park and enjoy a guided tour. Known for its extremes: this below-sea-level basin is North America’s driest and hottest spot. Despite its morbid name, a great diversity of life survives in Death Valley.

Day 6

Las Vegas

Today is at leisure for you to explore the city and enjoy the hotel’s facilities.

Day 7

Zion National Park

Travel to Cedar City and visit Zion National Park. On a guided tour, explore the crosshatch of canyons, hundreds of scenic trails and beautifully sculpted sand dunes. Zion’s diverse topography is home to a wide range of species.

Day 8

Bryce Canyon

Travel to Kayenta and visit Bryce Canyon. Explore this stunning National Park home to the world’s largest collection of hoodoos. Hike through the bristlecone pines and see the incredible natural bridges, narrow fins and breathtaking views – this is no ordinary forest.

Day 9

Monument Valley

Visit Monument Valley. Boasting sandstone masterpieces framed by scenic clouds, this park provides simply spellbinding scenery. Natural forces of wind and water have spent the last 50 million years eroding the land, cutting in to and peeling away at the surface of the plateau.

Day 10

Grand Canyon

This morning travel to the Grand Canyon. Dating back nearly two million years, the Grand Canyon is perhaps the world’s most distinguishable and recognised landform. This immense mile deep and 18 mile wide gorge offers incredible panoramic vistas, towering forests, and side canyons filled with lush vegetation, gargling streams and the sounds of wildlife. Experience the Skywalk and look down through the glass platform at the bottom of the gorge some 2000 feet below.

Day 11

Palm Springs

Travel to Palm Springs. Today is at leisure for you to relax or explore the city. Enjoy a spot of shopping at the Desert Hills Outlet, the largest collection of luxury outlets in California.

Day 12

Los Angeles

End the trip with a visit to Los Angeles. Enjoy a behind the scenes tour of Universal Studios, one of the oldest and most famous Hollywood film studios still in use. Face action head-on in heart-pounding rides, shows and attractions in the theme park. Experience The Ride-3D which puts you inside some of the world’s most popular TV shows and movies.

Day 13

Los Angeles to UK

After breakfast you will be picked up and transferred to Los Angeles Airport for your return flight to the UK.


A group is 10 persons or more. Smaller groups can be accommodated. Greatdays Holidays Limited has an ATOL licence (4279) and many of the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. But ATOL protection does not apply to all holiday and travel services listed on this website. Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. Please see our booking conditions for information, or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate. Our website policy is to use only copyright free images or images which have been authorised to us for free use by the owner. If you consider an image to be unauthorised or to be your property, please contact us immediately and if invalid we will have the image removed. If your image requires crediting or is missing a copyright statement then we will be pleased to add this to the webpage, contact us at info@greatdays.co.uk

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