Walking the Western US National Parks & Eclipse

Our trip begins in Las Vegas, a name that conjures up images of flashing lights, wedding chapels, slot machines and limousines - you will find all of this and so much more in this decadent, sense assaulting metropolis.

Due to the number of evening flights into Las Vegas, your Leader plans to do the welcome meeting on the morning of day two, and will leave a message in reception with details on timings and everything else that you'll need for the day. There are no activities planned today, so you are free to arrive in Las Vegas at any time. We don't provide arrival transfers on this tour, but information on how to reach the hotel will be provided in your final documentation.

If your flight arrives earlier in the day, you could choose to take a stroll along the strip where you can see dancing fountains, a pirate ship, an erupting volcano, a pyramid and the Eiffel Tower all within a short walk of each other or take the opportunity to try and win a little holiday spending money! With multiple bars and restaurants to start your culinary journey in the US, Las Vegas is a great place to really get into that holiday mood. Stay: The Strat Hotel (Premium)

You will meet with your Tour Leader after breakfast this morning for the initial tour briefing before we leave behind the bright lights of Vegas and drive towards the, aptly named, Grand Canyon. We will travel today along Historic Route 66, one of the most well known driving routes in the world and one of the original highways within the US Highway system. The route is well-documented in songs and television programmes, and we will stop for lunch in the quirky Route 66-themed Seligman before continuing on to the first of our National Parks, the Grand Canyon. In the late afternoon we will take in our first sight of this magnificent fissure with a walk along the rim to Yavapai Point.

Today's four and half kilometre hike is expected to take around one hour along a flat route. Stay: Red Feather Lodge (Comfortable)

The Grand Canyon National Park is a sight to behold. A unique combination of geologic colour and eroded forms make this massive fissure in the ground one of the 'must see' sights of America. At 446 kilometres long, up to 29 kilometres wide in places and 1.8 kilometres deep, the sheer size of the Grand Canyon overwhelms our senses. We have a full day to explore the routes and trails around the South Rim of the canyon. With routes ranging from easy to strenuous and regular buses to drop you at the various trail heads, you will have the opportunity to choose the walk that most suites you.

You may wish to hike various parts of the rim trail (easy to moderate walking), taking you along the top edge of the canyon with some stunning view points; or perhaps the Bright Angel Trail, a steeper walk that takes you further down below the rim of the canyon and into the abyss itself. There are a multitude of different walking options available, all of which will offer you some spectacular scenery of this amazing landscape. In the evening, if you wish to see more of the canyon, there is the opportunity for an optional helicopter ride over the canyon or, if you prefer to keep your feet on the ground, to visit the local IMAX theatre. Stay: Red Feather Lodge (Comfortable)

Leaving the south rim this morning we travel to Page, a small town in northern Arizona situated on the shores of magnificent Lake Powell. After a short break for lunch we will continue for our first short hike of the day at Horseshoe Bend. The trailhead is located just outside Page and overlooks one of the most spectacular views on the Colorado River. Created when the Colorado plateau uplifted (a mere five million years ago) and the river became trapped in its bed, causing it to cut its way through the rock to seek a new natural level and forming a 270 degree horseshoe-shaped bend in the canyon.

After our short hike at Horseshoe Bend we continue to Springdale and Zion National Park. The main area of the national park that we will visit is Zion Canyon, a 24km rift in the beautiful red and tan coloured Navajo sandstone and the location for our hiking this afternoon and tomorrow. Our first visit into the park takes us along the Watchman's Trail, a moderate hike of approximately two hours that will take us past many of the park's famous geological formations, including the Towers of the Virgin and the Altar of Sacrifice. The very end of the walk brings us to a spectacular overlook of the Watchman, a red rock pinnacle that dominates the skyline. Photographic opportunities are plentiful, with a great contrast between the red of the rocks and the running rivers that we'll pass.

Today's two-and-a-half kilometre morning hike to Horseshoe bend is expected to take around one hour with 240 metres of ascent and descent. The afternoon hike in Zion is three-and-a-half kilometres, taking approximately two hours with 170 metres of ascent and descent. Stay: La Quinta Inn - Springdale (Comfortable) (L)

Taking the shuttle bus from Springdale today we enter Zion for a full day of exceptional hiking. Zion National Park is the showcase of the west and is home to, arguably, the best hikes in Utah. Hiking the West Rim Trail as far as Scout Lookout is one option, beginning with 21 steep switchbacks known as Walter's Wiggles, and culminating in an astounding view across the park.

Pending weather conditions, an alternative and beautiful trail is a moderate hike to the Emerald Pools - lower, middle and upper - that offer us waterfalls, misty trails, hanging gardens and winding paths along with a taste of the beauty that Zion National Park has to offer.

Today's six kilometre hike to Scout Lookout is expected to take around three hours with 340 metres of ascent and descent. Stay: La Quinta Inn - Springdale (Comfortable)

Departing from Springdale this morning we continue through Utah to Bryce Canyon. Not actually a true canyon, but a series of natural amphitheatres, Bryce is distinctive due to its geological structures known as 'hoodoos'. These unusual structures are formed by a combination of frost and water erosion of sedimentary rocks and result in an 'other worldly' landscape of pinnacles, spires and wonderful rich colours that are not seen in such abundance in any other area. Our hiking this afternoon takes us down amongst these wonderful formations on an assortment of trails which interlock and cross over giving you the opportunity to make your walk as long or short as you like. Stay: Bryce View Lodge (Comfortable) (L)

This morning you have the option to return to Bryce Canyon for a walk at sunrise. Given the nature and colour of the hoodoos in Bryce, one of the most stunning times to see them is when the sun exaggerates the golds, oranges and reds of the stones.

Our journey then takes us on to Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. This 'Monument' is an enormous 1.87 million acre playground for hikers and bikers, taking its 'Staircase' name for the series of plateaus that descend south between Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon. We plan to walk the Lower Calf Creek Falls trail, with a varied terrain from sand to red rock, through a deep canyon that ends at the impressive falls themselves.

After our return hike the way we came, we continue to Torrey, the gateway to Capitol Reef National Park.

Todays 11 kilometre walk is expected to take around four to five hours with 264 metres of ascent and descent. Stay: The Noor Hotel (Comfortable) (L)

An annular eclipse of the Sun will take place today, 14th October 2023. Our location for the eclipse is Capitol Reef National Park - of course, the wide open spaces of the US National Parks provide an ideal spot to view the spectacle. This morning, at around 10.27am, you can expect to experience some four minutes and 44 seconds of annularity (weather permitting).

Eclipse glasses will be provided to allow you to view this natural wonder safely and we will be accompanied by an expert astronomer to provide an insight on the science behind the eclipse, and to answer any questions you may have. There will be another Explore group with us, and we'll be able to share stories about our travels so far.

According to weather records, this day in Capitol Reef has had some level of cloud cover 25% of the time (since 2000), although we are unable to make any guarantees regarding the weather conditions and the likelihood of seeing the eclipse.

In the afternoon, we'll take a hike in Capitol Reef. This may be the most remote and under-visited of Utah's 'Big Five' National Parks. The red rock park encompasses a landscape of coloured sandstone cliffs, twisting canyons, monoliths and spires, and our Tour Leader will choose an easy to moderate hike of approximately 5 to 10 kilometres depending on what time we leave the eclipse location this afternoon. Stay: Super 8 by Wyndham (Comfortable) (L)

After the excitement of yesterday's eclipse, we continue our journey to Moab, the adventure capital of Utah and home to both Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Arches National Park has over 2,000 natural stone arches as well as soaring pinnacles, giant balanced rocks and winding hiking trails. This afternoon we make our first visit to Arches with a hike into Devil's Garden to view one of the world's longest natural arches, Landscape Arch. As we continue along this primitive trail across fins of sandstone, we are afforded unparalleled views into this maze of rock slabs.

Today's seven-and-a-half kilometre hike is expected to take around three hours with 120 metres of ascent and descent. Stay: Redstone Inn (Comfortable)

We take a moderate hike this morning to the Fisher Towers site, a short drive outside Moab. These rock pinnacles are isolated remnants of a 225 million year old floodplain deposit located in western Colorado. When the Colorado plateau lifted, the salt deposits underlying the region buckled and collapsed and subsequent erosion caused the formation valleys and cliff escarpments. Now these rock pinnacles soar above the red and purple-hued canyons below and are a favourite spot for hikers in the area. Midday is left free to to discover more of the townsite around lunch time.

Set in slick rock country, Moab attracts thrill seekers from around the globe. Late this afternoon we will once again visit Arches and take a hike to the most iconic area of the park, Delicate Arch. At 20 metres tall and freestanding, this natural rock archway is a perfect spot to watch the sun set on this magnificent landscape. After sunset, the lack of light and air pollution in the area should afford us a dazzling display of stars.

Today's seven kilometre morning hike to Fisher Towers is expected to take around four hours with 550 metres of ascent and descent. The afternoon hike to Delicate Arch is five kilometres, taking approximately two hours with 170 metres of ascent and descent. Stay: Redstone Inn (Comfortable)

This morning we visit the last of our National Parks on this trip, Canyonlands. This is a wilderness of countless canyons and buttes carved by the Colorado River and its tributaries, which also divide the park into four districts: the Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze and the rivers themselves. Our hikes this morning take us into the Island in the Sky district where we will take an easy trail to the spectacular Mesa Arch, a natural rock arch on the edge of a cliff before hiking on to the Grand View Point, aptly named for its beautiful panoramic views of the region.

After a picnic lunch we return to our vehicle and drive to Salt Lake City. The capital and most populated city in Utah is bordered by the waters of the Great Salt Lake and the snow - capped peaks of the Wasatch Range. It is home to the headquarters of the Mormon Church at Temple Square where you will find the majestic 19th Century Salt Lake Temple and the neo-Gothic Assembly Hall.

Today's four-and-a-half kilometre hike is expected to take around two-and-a-half hours along a flat route. Stay: Fairfield Inn & Suites Salt Lake City Airport (Comfortable) (L)

The trip ends after breakfast at our hotel in Salt Lake City.

There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart from Salt Lake City at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you would like to receive a complimentary airport transfer today, you need to depart from Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) and 10 minutes' drive from the hotel.