Western Rails & Canyons with Canyon Spirit Rail Journey
Overview
Discover some of the American Southwest's most spectacular natural wonders, including Canyonlands, Arches, Mesa Verde, and Great Sand Dunes National Parks. Explore ancient Indigenous cultural sites, marvel at towering sandstone formations, and experience breathtaking vistas read more across rugged desert landscapes and mountain scenery.
Travel aboard the legendary Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad before embarking on a two-day rail journey aboard Canyon Spirit. Relax as panoramic dome-car views reveal the dramatic canyons, mountain passes, and wilderness landscapes of the American West while crossing the Continental Divide on one of North America's most scenic rail routes.
With iconic national parks, historic rail experiences, and carefully selected sightseeing throughout Colorado and Utah, this journey offers an immersive way to discover the natural beauty and cultural heritage of the American Southwest.
Itinerary
Welcome to Colorado!
At 6:00 p.m., meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers for a welcome drink.
ENHANCED FREE TIME - Explore more in Denver with a visit to the Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver Art Museum, or enjoy a walk through the mile-long pedestrian-friendly 16th Street Mall. Your Tour Director has suggestions for your free time.
The Mile-High City
See Denver's historic Union Station, Mile High Stadium, and more on an orientation tour en route to Colorado Springs. Explore Garden of the Gods Park, featuring towering 300-foot sandstone rock formations against a backdrop of snow-capped Pikes Peak and brilliant blue skies.
Take a thrilling ride on the Broadmoor Manitou & Pikes Peak Cog Railway, the highest cog railroad in the world. Travel up to the summit of 14,115-foot Pikes Peak, the place that inspired Katharine Lee Bates to write America the Beautiful. Tonight, enjoy a cowboy-style barbecue dinner with western music under the stars at the historic Flying W Ranch (weather permitting).
LOCAL FAVORITE - Savor the tastes of the old west with Rocky Mountain hospitality and live music at Flying W Ranch. Feel free to don your western garb and tap along to music to get you in the spirit at this working cattle ranch in the Colorado foothills!
Peak Perfection
Travel along the Highway of Legends Scenic and Historic Byway, with views of the Sangre de Cristo Range, home to ten 14,000-foot peaks, and through meandering ranchlands to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. Later, continue deeper into the Colorado wilderness passing through the San Juan National Forest to Durango. Tonight is free to explore Durango to visit the local restaurants, saloons, speakeasies, and more on historic Main Street.
TOUR HIGHLIGHT - A sandbox of epic proportions, the entire dune field encompasses 30 square miles, with the tallest dune towering 750 feet high. With the highest dunes in North America, Great Sand Dunes National Park is a diverse landscape of grasslands, wetlands, forests, and soaring peaks. Enjoy free time to explore the dune field trails.
Rocky Mountain Highs
This morning, board the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad for a scenic ride through San Juan National Forest. Enjoy leisure time in Silverton's authentic western downtown. Return to Durango on the San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway for a free evening.
LOCAL FAVORITE - The legendary Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad train hugs steep canyon walls as it winds its way through Rio de las Animas Canyon to Silverton, a National Historic Landmark. Silverton, once a major mining town, owes its name to an early miner's claim, “We have no gold, but silver by the ton!” Spend time visiting the breweries, boutiques, and saloons that dot the thriving Greene Street.
Ancient Mystery
Today is a journey into ancient landscapes and living Indigenous history. Visit Mesa Verde National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where ancestral cliff dwellings reveal centuries of Puebloan culture. Continue to the Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum in Southwestern Colorado's Four Corners region to learn how Indigenous communities lived, farmed, built, and adapted to the desert environment over thousands of years. Arrive in Moab for a 2-night stay and enjoy a free evening to explore the lively, charming downtown.
TOUR HIGHLIGHT - Discover the legacy of the Ancestral Puebloans at Mesa Verde National Park, including views of Cliff Palace, one of the largest 700-year-old cliff dwellings. At Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center & Museum, explore Native American and historic cultures and walk the Escalante Pueblo Trail to see traces of communities that once thrived on this high desert plateau.
Canyons & Colors
Visit magnificent Canyonlands National Park and Visitor Center for some of the most dramatic scenery in Utah - colorful cliffs, deep canyons, towering mesas, and unusual rock formations. Continue to Dead Horse Point State Park to see a vast mesa with an incredible view of the Colorado River as it twists through a gooseneck canyon 2,000 feet below. Return to Moab for a free evening. Perhaps venture to Main Street for regional Southwest cuisine and quaint shops or stretch your legs on the Mill Creek Parkway Trail.
TOUR HIGHLIGHT - Explore the spectacular views of Canyonlands National Park to see deep canyons and distinctive rock formations formed by the Colorado River and its tributaries over millions of years. Beyond its dramatic canyons and mesas, Canyonlands National Park is home to a diverse desert ecosystem. Juniper and pinyon trees, sagebrush, and other desert plants provide habitats for animals such as mule deer, desert bighorn sheep, coyotes, and numerous bird species.
Rockies by Rail
Today, explore the incredible landscape of Arches National Park, containing more than 2,000 natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch. Then embark on Canyon Spirit (formerly Rocky Mountaineer) for a scenic train ride in Signature Class. Travel east through the Colorado Canyons National Conservation Area. See Parachute Creek and Mount Logan while following the scenic Colorado River. Take in the beautiful red rock formations, desert cliffs of Ruby Canyon, and mountain vistas. Tonight, stay in historic Glenwood Springs, Colorado.
TOUR HIGHLIGHT - Canyon Spirit travels through spectacular scenery on the journey to Glenwood Springs and Denver. Signature Class features a single-level glass dome coach offering reclining seats, meals served at your seat, an outdoor viewing area, and panoramic views from oversized windows. Enjoy live narration and an onboard culinary experience featuring regional cuisine and ingredients local to the Southwestern U.S.
On Top of the World
A full day aboard the Canyon Spirit through the Colorado high country. Arrive in Denver this evening for a farewell reception hosted by your Tour Director.
TOUR HIGHLIGHT - From dense wooded forests and snow-capped mountains of White River National Forest to the picturesque Byers and Gore Canyons and the tranquil mountain lakes of Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, you'll experience the journey of a lifetime. Cross the high elevations of the Continental Divide with a sparkling wine toast while riding through the six-mile-long Moffatt Tunnel.
Safe travels until we meet again!
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. Want to explore more in Denver? Extra nights are available for purchase.
Trip Inclusions
- Explore five spectacular national and state parks—Arches, Canyonlands, Mesa Verde, Great Sand Dunes, and Dead Horse Point—with guided sightseeing and breathtaking panoramic viewpoints
- Discover Denver's highlights on an orientation tour featuring historic Union Station, Larimer Square and the Colorado State Capitol
- Visit Garden of the Gods and marvel at its towering red sandstone formations set against the Rocky Mountains
- Ride the historic Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway to the summit of Pikes Peak for spectacular mountain views
- Enjoy a [LF] chuckwagon-style dinner with live western music at the historic Flying W Ranch in Colorado Springs
- Travel aboard the legendary [LF] Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad through dramatic mountain scenery to the historic mining town of Silverton
- Visit Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center & Museum and walk the Escalante Pueblo Trail to explore the legacy of the Ancestral Puebloans
- Experience a two-day rail journey aboard Canyon Spirit (formerly Rocky Mountaineer), featuring panoramic dome-car views, regional storytelling, and onboard dining through the spectacular landscapes of the American West
- Breakfast daily, 2 Lunches, 3 Dinners
- Denver: Hotel Indigo Denver Downtown (First-Class):
Hotel Indigo Denver Downtown combines the charm of a boutique hotel with top-notch amenities just steps away from Union Station. The hotel features rustic-chic décor with mural-size golf-mining photos, plenty of natural light, sliding barn doors, and polished concrete ceilings. - Colorado Springs: Embassy Suites by Hilton Colorado Springs (First-Class):
Located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains within close proximity to the Air Force Academy and Garden of the Gods, this all-suite hotel offers a one of a kind tropical atrium, spectacular views of Pikes Peak, spacious guestrooms with convenient amenities, fitness center, and swimming pool. - Durango: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Durango (First-Class):
This hotel is located along the Animas River's banks. A five-minute stroll gets you to the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and historic Downtown Durango. The San Juan National Forest, which contains Colorado's largest wilderness region, is ten miles away and offers outdoor fun. - Moab: Hyatt Place Moab (Moderate First-Class):
Located only five miles away from the sandstone arches of Moab, Hyatt Place Moab features spacious and comfortable guestrooms, 24-hour dining, pool, fitness center, and complimentary Wi-Fi.
- Airport transfers at your arrival and departure destination are not included in the price of the tour.
- Itinerary and inclusions subject to change.
- Price is for land, cruise and specified internal flights. International flights not included.
- Visiting and participating in activities in this region may be subject to favorable weather conditions.
- Canyon Spirit features Signature Experience train service with a single-level dome coach and panoramic oversized windows with reclining, comfortable, spacious seats; snacks, meals, and alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages; elevated service, access to an outdoor viewing area, and storytelling from Onboard Hosts. The Premier Experience upgrade offers luxury reminiscent of a bygone era, including extra attendants, additional outdoor space, and regional cuisine in an exclusive lounge car.
- Glenwood Springs' properties are considered moderate 3-star hotels or better. Your chosen hotel is determined by Canyon Spirit; rest assured it satisfies our high standards of cleanliness and comfort.
- The trail to the Escalante Pueblo is a ½-mile-long, paved, uphill, wheelchair-accessible trail.
- Elevation advisement: Pikes Peak Cog Railway is 14,115 feet above sea level. Overnight in Durango (elevation 6,512 feet).
- Canyon Spirit is operated by Rocky Mountaineer/Armstrong Collective.
Don't waste your precious time queueing up, skip the lines with special VIP access at the must-see sites. Read more
Travel with expert Tour Directors and Local Guides who share their vast knowledge of the USA. Read more
Globus has the recipe for a great holiday. Savour the flavours of the USA through its regional cuisine. Read more
Globus' selection of hotels in unforgettable places ensure you stay right in the heart of each destination. Read more
Globus' coaches offer one of the most comfortable, stress-free and eco-friendly ways to travel. Read more
Do as the locals do and enjoy unique experiences that you wouldn't find touring on your own. Read more
Dates & Pricing
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A definite departure means minimum numbers have been reached for this departure to operate. Your Global Journeys Travel Advisor will check the availability of your departure date when you Enquire. Additional savings may apply. T&C’s apply.
Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Pricing and trip details are correct at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by Globus. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from the cruise-line and should be treated as indicative only. Cabin inclusions, upholsteries and room layout may differ to the image(s) shown depending on the ship selected and your sailing dates.
