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This 9 night itinerary is exactly the one I chose a few years ago, because it takes in some remarkable scenery and yet without the very long drives involved in other trips.
After Las Vegas, each stop until you reach the Grand Canyon is for one night, but if you are keen on walking then add a second night at Zion - we had long enough for a short walk and some nice pictures, but for a more serious hike then you need the extra day.
The longest drive is on the very last day from the Grand Canyon back to Las Vegas, and iif you didn't want to stay there again and had a late flight, you could come straight home.
Summary
Your first two nights are in Las Vegas which prides itself on being big and tacky. We stayed at the very fine Venetian Hotel in the middle of the strip, complete with its own gondola rides in the fake Venice canals. Normally, I'd run a mile from these sort of things, but being Las Vegas, I just had to go and see it.
It was fun to walk down the strip and see all the different hotels - the Luxor's iconic pyramid, the fountains at the Bellagio, and the fake statue of liberty outside the New York New York. We also found the famous wedding chapel and wandered through some of the vast casinos.
Resort fees - Las Vegas hotels have always been tremendous value for money - you can get 5* hotels at the same price as 3* hotels in somewhere like San Francisco, but most unfortunately now have resort fees. These mandatory charges have crept in over the years and are now almost unavoidable. You pay in cash locally, on top of the room rate.
The drive out of Las Vegas to Zion takes around 3 hours, and in fact it's hard to think of two more different places. While Las Vegas is big and brash, Zion rivals Yosemite for the USA's most spectacular unspoilt scenery. Walks include canyons and waterfalls, and views of massive rock formations.
We did the easy Emerald Pools trail, but there are much more challengine and longer hikes if you have an extra day.
Bryce Canyon is about 2 hours drive from Zion, and is made up of thousands of sandstone spires called hoodoos rising up from the ground. We found surprisingly few tourists walked down into the canyon and along the trails, so it's quite easy to get some amazing photographs of this dramatic landscape. The easiest is a one mile loop, but for the more adventourous the trails can be as long as 11 miles.
The other thing we noticed was the snow! It is much cooler here than at Zion with an elevation of over 8,000 feet.
And finally, the star gazing here is world class so be sure to take a look at the night sky if it's a clear night.
It's about 3 hours drive to the next stop, Page at Lake Powell. Apart from the lake itself, there are 2 interesting things to do and see around. First, the viewpoint of the famous horseshoe bend of the Colorado River - the best time to visit is as sunset!
Second, Antelope Canyon is a very narrow canyon although you'll need to join a guided tour, and the best time to visit is around midday.
Another 2-3 hours further on is the extraordinary Monument Valley, the location for many films and westerns.
There is a 17 mile loop that you can drive yourself, or take a guided tour, both taking a few hours with plenty of photo stops. Make sure you pull over at 'Forest Gump Point' for the classic picture of a long straight road leading to Monument Valley.
Next, drive to Grand Canyon South Rim, a trip of around 3 hours. We found the canyon at its mmost beautiful in the warm light of early monrning and late afternoon.
There are a number of ways to experience the canyon, including a walking trail along the rim with several viewpoints. Take a guided hike, enjoy a birds eye view with a helicopter tour, hire a bike, or visit the IMAX show.
And finally it's back to Las Vegas, the longest trip of the tour at around 5-6 hours, but make sure you stop off at the Hoover Dam en-route. Some of this journey takes you along route 66.
Now, you can catch an onward flight, spend a last night in Las Vegas, or extend your stay.
Q. What hotels do you use?
A. In many of the places along the route, there are just a handful of options and in many cases it will depend which have availability. There is a lot more choice in Las Vegas, depending on your budget.
Q. When should we book?
A. Hotels along the route can be booked several months in advance, so it is essential that you book as early as possible. For a summer holiday, we recommend booking up to a year in advance.
Q. When is the best time to travel?
A. Spring and Autumn are both perfect - the weather is pleasant and the crowds are less. We enjoyed travelling in winter, and although obviously cooler than most other months, we were surprised how few tourists were about.
Q. What are the alternative routes?
A. A similar itinerary includes Arches National Park, adding an extra day or two onto your trip. I would twek things so you drove from Bryce Canyon to Arches, then to Monument Valley, then Page, then Grand Canyon. Overall it's probably around an extra 4 hours driving time overall.
The best way to start the ball rolling is to give us a few details such as when you want to go.Making an appointment is ideal as it gives us a chance to check a few things in advance, but you can always just pop in the shop.
Please note that these should be seen as a guideline only - please call us for up to date availability and an exact costing.
Prices vary widely depending on a numberof factors, but a very rough average is around £1500 per person.
The best way to start the ball rolling is to give us a few details such as when you want to go.Making an appointment is ideal as it gives us a chance to check a few things in advance, but you can always just pop in the shop.
Call 01462 677 111
Visit 65 Station Road, Letchworth Garden City, Herts, SG6 3BJ
email holidays@onyourtravels.co.uk
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