May - Jun, Aug - Oct
Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Arches National Park, Las Vegas, Moab, Bryce Canyon
Bryce Canyon hoodoos, Utah
TAUCK EXCLUSIVE – Filmed vignettes by Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan share their own personal stories and tell the stories of those who shaped the creation & preservation of the six national parks
TAUCK EXCLUSIVE - Local experts associated with Ken Burns's documentary, The National Parks: America's Best Idea, give special talks and lectures
On the ground or by air, explore Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, Zion and Grand Canyon national parks – more than any other Tauck trip
Two Flightseeing Adventures! Fly over the extraordinary remote reaches of the Capitol Reef National Park and see the Grand Canyon from the air en route to Las Vegas
Guests should be able to easily walk one to two miles, which may include climbing one or two flights of stairs and walking over uneven pavement, groomed hiking trails or cobblestones. Standing up to one hour or more may be required.
Often robust – may include long days, active sightseeing, early starts, evening activities, significant travel times.
Experience six national parks over the course of 10 days on one of our most popular Southwest national park tours.
Legendary Journeys and Adventures
Stunning landscapes so arresting that they'll live forever in your mind's eye… impossible red rock arches opening before you like grand entryways, offering a sense of endless possibility… canyons and immense cliffs, seemingly carved by a giant to form an island in the sky… fanciful hoodoos come alive while gods and legends linger everywhere… how the human spirit is cheered and fortified by the spirit of the desert.
On the ground or by air, explore Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, Zion and Grand Canyon national parks. Fly over the remote reaches of Capitol Reef and see the Grand Canyon from the air en route to Las Vegas. Spend two nights on the Grand Canyon's North Rim for a fresh, "new" perspective of the park, enjoyed by fewer than 10% of park visitors. Attend special talks and lectures by local experts from Ken Burns's documentary, The National Parks: America's Best Idea. Enjoy independent sunrise and sunset spirit-of-the-moment experiences in the national parks… and gain insights through filmed vignettes by Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan, sharing their own personal stories and of those who shaped the creation of the national parks. Read Less
A talk by historian Al Runte at Zion
In Zion National Park, historian Al Runte talks about railroads and the national parks
Environmental historian and author Al Runte is an internationally recognized expert on national parks and railroads; a member of the team advising Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan during the production of "The National Parks: America's Best Idea," he appeared in every episode of the series. He'll give an interesting private talk on the history of the railroad in America's national parks at Zion National Park.
Picnic at Dead Horse Point State Park
Sunset picnic dinner at Dead Horse Point State Park overlooking Canyonlands
Perched some 2,000 feet directly above a dramatic horseshoe bend in the Colorado River, Utah's Dead Horse Point State Park offers a spectacular panoramic view overlooking the sculptured pinnacles, mesas and buttes of the adjacent Canyonlands National Park. And it's a perfectly breathtaking – and breathtakingly perfect – spot for a private Tauck picnic dinner at sunset that's nothing short of inspirational.
Inside-the-park stays in the national parks
Days 2 – 8
Experience the West's great national parks from inside-the-park lodges
On Tauck's "Spirit of the Desert: The National Parks of the Southwest," you'll experience six of the region's great national parks as a true insider. And you'll explore three of them – Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon and Zion – from sought-after lodges situated right inside national parks, several of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Tauck arranges coveted accommodations at these inside-the-park lodges, often sold out a year in advance: Grand Canyon Lodge – North Rim in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona; The Lodge at Bryce Canyon in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah; and Zion Lodge in Zion National Park, Utah. (Exception dates do apply; see specific tour departure date for more information.)
Red Cliffs Lodge
Nights 1, 2 and 3
Among red-rock cliffs on the banks of the Colorado
Situated near Moab, Utah, at the foot of dramatic red-rock cliffs beside the Colorado River's best white-water rapids, Red Cliffs Lodge occupies a classic, rugged Western landscape worthy of Hollywood – and was in fact the location of numerous movies, including "Rio Grande" with John Wayne. Red Cliffs Lodge is also home to the Castle Creek Winery, the largest in Utah; the Moab Movie Museum, chronicling the rich history of filmmaking in the region; and the Cowboy Grill, offering delicious Western fare.
The Lodge at Bryce Canyon
Grand Canyon Lodge - North Rim
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Room Upgrade Available
Accommodation Upgrade additional cost per person (limited availability):
Double – $170; Single – $340; Triple – $113
Upgrade to a Strip-View Studio in Las Vegas: On most departures of Spirit of the Desert: The National Parks of the Southwest you have an opportunity to purchase an upgrade to a Strip-View Studio your final night in Las Vegas at Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas – ask at time of booking (limited availability).
Airport Transfers Included
Upon arrival and departure, transfers to and from your hotel are included as noted.
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