Denver

Welcome to Denver, the Mile High City, nestled in the American Rockies. When the first flakes of gold were found in Cherry Creek, Denver sprouted up as a mining camp filled with gunslingers, gold miners, saloons and a sheriff. Today though, the city is the centre of sophistication. The LoDo (Lower Downtown) is the city’s main cultural district that was home to Bat Masterson and Calamity Jane and is now an area filled with some of the city’s most exciting bars and restaurants. The Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the Denver Botanic Gardens, and the Molly Brown House, home of the “unsinkable” local heroine, are all nearby.

Rocky Mountaineer from Denver - Glenwood Springs 

Today, you will board the iconic Rocky Mountaineer on the first half of your journey. While on the train, enjoy the amazing food, drink and of course the views as you travel through Colorado. 

On arrival in Glenwood Springs for your overnight stay, make sure you visit the town's namesake, some of the best known hot spring pools in the world; take a while to relax and let the water soak away your aches and pains. 

Rocky Mountaineer from Glenwood Springs - Moab

Join the Rocky Mountaineer for the final leg of your trip to Moab in Utah, the perfect gateway to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. On arrival, pick up a hire car from Moab airport and explore!

Designated drives take you to a number of exceptional viewpoints, including Delicate Arch Viewpoint from which you can see the park’s most famous arch. Take a moment to walk under the two largest arches, North Window and Double Arch, for a truly up close and personal experience. Prehistoric Fremont and Anasazi Indians once lived in the canyons around Moab. Their rock art and dwellings can still be seen. In recent years, Moab has become synonymous with mountain biking, river trips, hiking, horseback riding, four wheel jeep tours and hot air ballooning.

Capitol Reef National Park 

"144 miles"

On a journey filled with unusual landscapes, Capitol Reef National Park is no less unique. As water has eroded the sandstone layers, it has left basins known as waterpockets. Named after the white domes of Navajo sandstone that resemble capitol buildings and for the rocky cliffs that act as barriers to travel, Capitol Reef is the most scenic part of the Waterpocket Fold.

You can see for yourself on three scenic drives through the park- the 10-mile scenic drive from the visitor centre along the rugged western face of Capitol Reef, the southern Waterpocket district on a 125-mile loop tour and the Cathedral Valley drive which is a 60-mile loop that begins at the River Ford Visitor Center and includes Thousand Lake Mountain Road, known for its exceptional views of the surrounding painted desert. Along the way, keep an eye out for the myriad of wildlife that makes its home here; loons, hawks, falcons, boas, lizards and salamanders.

Bryce Canyon National Park

"122 miles"

Some of the most bizarre and extraordinary natural architecture anywhere is found here. Your first view of the park is a dramatic unveiling; wind through pine trees until they break at the rim of the Canyon. Wind, water and time have eroded sandstone cliffs into otherworldly characters; these colourful and whimsically arranged rocks form a landscape of mazes, offering some of the most exciting and memorable walks and hikes imaginable. Take a horse or mule tour deep into the canyon. If you don’t want to park, hop on the shuttle and people-watch between viewpoints.

Zion National Park

"75 miles"

Zion is a true desert paradise; watch as the light plays on the sandstone, plateaus, and monoliths in an ever-changing array of colour. The southern part of the park is a desert area where mesas are bordered by rocky canyons and washes. The northern sections of the park were formed by volcanoes and petrified wood from ancient forests. The cool, green forests overlook broad panoramas of rugged canyon country. Enjoy horseback rides or rent bikes to explore. The Zion Human History Museum is also well worth visiting for its exhibits on the park’s rich geological and human history.

Lake Powell

"102 miles"

Lake Powell is the second largest man-made lake in the US and certainly one of the most scenic, stretching 186 miles across the red rock desert. What makes the lake so memorable is the contrast between the deep clear blue waters and the surrounding landscape - stark red sandstone rocks with little or no vegetation and innumerable steep remote side canyons, and the spires and ridges.

Lake Powell has become a major centre for many leisure activities, principally fishing, water sports and hiking.

Grand Canyon National Park

"233 miles"

The Grand Canyon is all that you expect it to be. Vast, breath-taking and ever-changing according to the light and weather. Whilst here, you can take a helicopter trip or a small plane flight over the Canyon for further spectacular views. There are also many hiking, biking and mule-riding excursions available to further enhance your experience of the most famous Canyon in the world. National Park Rangers offer a wide variety of interpretive programs including talks to learn about the history and nature of the National Park. Nearby Tusayan is home to the IMAX cinema showing the exciting National Geographic 3-D film of the Grand Canyon through history, flying with the eagles and whitewater rafting on the Colorado River.

Scottsdale

"237 miles"

Arriving into the Phoenix area today, you’ll instantly be captivated by the Valley of the Sun. This multi-cultural, historical and rapidly growing metropolitan area, which began as a small town in the middle of the desert, gets 360 days of sunshine a year, and has heritage, entertainment and recreation to spare.

Experience the splendour of the Victorian era at Historic Heritage Park, view one of the finest displays of Native American art at the renowned Heard Museum, and wander through the specialty plants and flowers at the Desert Botanical Garden. You’ll find fabulous shopping in nearby Scottsdale. Enjoy two days in this unique area, throughout which you’ll see the architectural influence of Frank Lloyd Wright complementing the striking landscape of the Sonoran Desert.

Phoenix & Home

"8 miles"

Enjoy another leisurely day in Scottsdale or Phoenix before you depart later today.