Overview
Itinerary
Welcome to Rapid City, long known as the gateway to the Black Hills, and your home for three nights. As traveler's arrival times vary greatly, you have no group activities planned during the day. Your Tour Manager will hold a welcome briefing in the early evening. Dinner is on your own tonight.
Embrace the vast beauty of Badlands National Park with a Native American Guide. Your guide will share their personal perspective on the land, weaving stories of heritage, culture, and their way of life into the journey. Follow the Badlands Loop Road, a wonder of rock formations and vibrant colors formed by mineral deposits. Stop at Wall Drug, a classic store from 1936, where there is time for lunch and browsing.
This evening, enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant with your fellow travelers.
Travel to Custer State Park and search for a herd of over 1,000 roaming bison and the famous Begging Burros. Your guide will fill you in on the park's wildlife history and facts.
Next, prepare to be amazed by the Crazy Horse Memorial, the world's largest mountain sculpture still in progress. The memorial includes the Indian Museum of North America, Native American Cultural Center, the sculptor's studio, an orientation center and theaters. Many Native American artists and craftspeople practice their art at the memorial and are on hand to discuss the influence their culture has on their work. Later, see Mount Rushmore, one of the country's most famous landmarks.
Stop in Deadwood, a rambling Western town and a National Historic Landmark. Recreations of turn-of-the-century streetlamps light the way through the restored architecture. A local guide introduces you to the history of the city, where gold, gambling and gunpowder were once the order of the day. Visit Mount Moriah Cemetery, final resting place of Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, and other figures from the Wild West.
Then, it's your choice! Take a guided tour of the Adams Museum and explore dynamic exhibits that shine a light on Deadwood's legends and outlaws -OR- visit Kevin Costner's Tatanka: Story of the Bison. This interpretive center features large, awe-inspiring sculptures depicting the relationship of bison and the Lakota Native Americans. Your day ends in Buffalo, Wyoming.
This morning, make your way through the Bighorn Mountains and cross through the territory of the Great Sioux Nation. This afternoon, visit the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, a tribute to one of the most well-known figures of the Old West.
Visit Yellowstone National Park, the world's first national park. Famous for its geysers, hot springs and incredible wildlife – including free-ranging herds of bison – Yellowstone lives up to its reputation. No visit to the park would be complete without seeing its most renowned attraction: Old Faithful. Watch in awe as the geyser sends a fountain of steam more than 130 feet in the air. Travel over the Sylvan Pass and see Yellowstone Lake on the way to Jackson, your home for the next two nights.
Wind through Grand Teton National Park, home to the youngest peaks in the Rockies. Keep your camera handy, as there are plenty of opportunities to take photos.
Afterwards, enjoy free time to explore trendy downtown Jackson. Look for the Antler Arch at the entrance to the historic town square. Get a taste of the Old West at your farewell dinner where your ride in a covered wagon takes you past the Cache Creek for a night of Western hospitality at a chuckwagon dinner with entertainment.
Your tour comes to a close today, leaving you with many pleasant memories.
Trip Inclusions
- Learn about Lakota Native Americans at Crazy Horse and Tatanka: Story of the Bison.
- Explore Deadwood, a National Historic Landmark that pays tribute to the Wild West.
- Visit rambling Deadwood, a National Historic Landmark.
- Marvel at the scale and patriotic energy of Mount Rushmore.
- Explore Yellowstone National Park, the first national park in the world.
- Experience rugged Badlands National Park along the famed Loop Road.
- The Wild West comes to life during a traditional chuck wagon dinner.
- This tour requires average physical activity. You should be in good health, able to climb stairs and walk reasonable distances, possibly over uneven ground and cobblestoned streets.
- Itinerary and inclusions subject to change.
- Price is for land, cruise and specified internal flights. International flights not included.
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Trip Reviews (2)
The night we were taken to another sub average hotel to eat yet another average meal, again I stress the point for the money spent, a) we are given a limited choice of food, b) told there are no modifications. c) the meal that was served wouldn't have fed a two year old, it was cold and average, a sharing plate of processed meats as a start.
Day Two & Three - Someone made the executive decision to take us elsewhere for breakfast which was very nice. The sight seeing was great, however I soon realized that we are not allowed to really stop in the bus in a National Park (I could be wrong here) or were we allowed off the bus, again my point to the money spent and all photos being taken from the window.
Day Four & Five - Tour was great, a lot more driving than I anticipated, Cody was great, would have been even better along the way if we were told that there are other things going on in the town i.e. Rodeo, but no, our meal was in a bistro of a hotel. Given there are so many places to eat along the way yet, the included meal is in the hotel.
Day 6 - This is the day that I calculated we were driving in a bus for approx. 8 hours. I’ll say no more the accommodation here was great the hotel staff and food were lovely.
Day 7 - Was great until we went to heart mountain (this could have been day 6). I would strongly suggest that this is an optional stop, I did not see this on the itinerary nor did I want any part of this, I actually can not describe how mortified I was at what I sat through, If you wanted to top off a good week, this just knocked it all over. I feel this was the most inappropriate tour stop I have ever encountered. At this point to be honest I was pretty much over the whole tour, I avoided the chuck wagon dinner (thank god) I was told I would have not been impressed, people were having to be driven back down. So overall I was very disappointed
Food- 1/10. Tour Leader - 10/10. Coach Driver- 10/10. Overall tour experience 3/10. If I’m going to be honest, I would probably never book with Collette again. Other tour members were saying that had been on many Collette tours and never had anything so sub par. Sorry to be so negative, but I’m being honest.
Reply From Collette:Thank you for choosing Global Journeys and Collette for your recent America’s Cowboy Country tour. We are grateful you took the time to provide valuable feedback concerning your tour experience. Your comments about the tour are being reviewed by Collette’s Product Development and Product Design Teams for this region. All feedback is encouraged as it allows us the opportunity to identify areas of concern and strive to make the necessary enhancements. A member of our Traveller Relations Team will be contacting you to review your concerns.
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