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Yellowstone & the Tetons: American Safari with Salt Lake City

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 Trip Length
11 Days
 Trip Starts
Salt Lake City
 Trip Finishes
Salt Lake City
11 Day Yellowstone & the Tetons: American Safari with Salt Lake City Itinerary (Tauck)
Countries Explored: USA
Trip Operator
Trip Style
Small Group
Accommodation
4.5 - 5 Star
Max. Group Size
24
Guide Level
Fully Guided
Trip Code
VYA

Overview

Book online and enjoy exclusive savings on Tauck's 11 Day Yellowstone & the Tetons: American Safari with Salt Lake City. Go wild in the West... inside Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks on hikes, bikes, trail rides and river rafting... stay at historic lodges in the heart of the parks... explore with expert naturalist guides... visit a cattle ranch for the cowboy life... and enjoy "Stories by Ken Burns"!

Itinerary

Tour begins: 6:00 PM, The Grand America Hotel. A transfer is included from Salt Lake City International Airport to The Grand America Hotel. Welcome to Salt Lake and the start of your journey through magnificent Yellowstone National Park. Join us for dinner at the hotel this evening. Stay: The Grand America Hotel (D)

Travel today to through the scenic landscapes of Wyoming to Jackson, Wyoming; we invite you to join us for a welcome reception and dinner this evening at your historic hotel in downtown Jackson, The Wort Hotel, rich in Wild West lore. Stay Two Nights: The Wort Hotel (B/D)

Embark on a float trip or a thrilling whitewater rafting trip* on the Snake River this morning, learning more about the sights you’ll see with your naturalist guide. Then, after lunch at your hotel, channel your inner cowboy for an afternoon at Snake River Ranch, a working cattle ranch run by the same family since the 1920s. Take a walking tour through the working parts of this 3,000+ acre ranch, learning what the life of a real American cowboy is all about. Afterwards, enjoy leisure time and dinner in one of the many restaurants Jackson has to offer, all within a short walk from the Wort Hotel. (B/L)

After breakfast, drive from Jackson to Yellowstone National Park for a naturally inspiring stay in the heart of a thermal wonderland, entering through the South Entrance and continuing to Grant Village and along the western shore of Yellowstone Lake. Walking and hiking are must-do activities on Yellowstone vacations, so get set for zoomed-in outdoor adventures inside America’s first national park.

Following lunch at the historic Lake Hotel, you can stretch your legs alongside the tranquil lake before heading out to behold the otherworldly sights and smells of the park’s geothermal wonders. Continue exploring through the beautiful Hayden Valley, and arrive late afternoon at the historic (and recently renovated) Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel for a two-night inside-the-park stay; have dinner at your leisure at the hotel this evening. Stay Two Nights: Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Cabins (B/L/D)

Meet nature on her terms today as you discover more of Yellowstone's wonders firsthand. Depart your hotel this morning and head east through the Blacktail Deer Plateau and the Tower Junction area. Next, you'll embark on a wildlife safari in Yellowstone's Lamar Valley and the Northern Range; keep a keen lookout for a peek into the world of local residents – namely bears and wolves. A naturalist guide serves as your safari tracker as you hunt for signs of elk and charismatic carnivores – we’re talking grizzlies and gray wolves here – who may have only recently crossed the path.

After a midday stop in the isolated village of Cooke City, visit with Dan Hartman, a local wildlife photographer at his log cabin in the woods – learning about his craft and the complexities of getting ‘the shot’. Then continue your drive back through the Yellowstone wilderness, learning about the habits and habitats of the park’s residents, before heading back to your hotel; have dinner at your leisure at the hotel tonight. (B/D)

So much of experiencing Yellowstone National Park requires a close-up look at the wild world, and you'll do a lot of that today. Lesser known than its world-famous rival of a similar name, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is one for the record books – and photo album! The best way to appreciate its grandeur and diversity is on foot. Your hike along its trails this morning will reveal the immensity of the canyon and the river below as you stop at various viewpoints, taking you to the brink of the Upper Falls; discussions about conservation, ecology and wildlife enrich your explorations. Journey next to Uncle Tom’s Viewpoint, where you'll walk to Artist Point.

After a picnic lunch, continue your travels along the Firehole River to the Fountain Paint Pot, then on to famous Old Faithful Geyser and the Upper Geyser Basin, arriving at Old Faithful Snow Lodge for a two-night stay. Dine tonight at your leisure in the Snow Lodge... to cap a perfect day in Yellowstone. Stay Two Nights: Old Faithful Snow Lodge (B/L/D)

Wild and wonderful, Yellowstone is all about nature at her most passionate. She smolders with hot springs, steaming geysers, fumaroles and gurgling mud pots. She’s dressed in majestic mountains, lodgepole forests, trout-spawning streams, rushing waterfalls, green rivers, yawning canyons and rocks exquisitely sculpted with an imaginative hand. She challenges with trails and thrills with animals, like bison, bears and wolves. Today begins with a morning walk with a naturalist guide among the marvels of the Lower Geyser Basin to take in the sights, smells and sounds of this amazing area.

From then on, the rest of your day is free to explore the nation's first national park – and the embodiment of "America's Best Idea" – as you wish. You may want to make it a point to watch Old Faithful erupt (like clockwork), or listen to a presentation by a park ranger. After a talk by a historian early this evening, have dinner tonight next door to your lodge at the Old Faithful Inn, a true historic landmark built of lodgepole pine in 1904. (B/D)

Memories of Yellowstone loom large as you leave it behind for a journey south to Grand Teton National Park, a showcase of picture-perfect snow-covered mountains the way you might have imagined they would look. The youngest mountain range in the Rockies, the Tetons tower above Jackson Hole with craggy peaks, rugged canyons and glacial lakes... undulating valleys, carpeted by sagebrush, cottonwood and aspens... rivers and ponds that provide homes for beaver, coyotes, moose, swans, eagles and more... and flat floors that invite bison and pronghorn to hoof it. Explore Jenny Lake, the “Three Sisters” and Mount Moran.

After lunch, a leisurely, guided bicycle ride along the new Teton Mountain Trail increases your appreciation of the history and scenic splendor of Grand Teton National Park; watch for bison, pronghorn and other wildlife as you marvel at the grandeur around you. Arriving late afternoon at Jackson Lake Lodge allows you to take in vistas of the Tetons at dusk, from the 60-foot picture windows in the upper lobby... and the views you'll enjoy during dinner at the Lodge are pretty spectacular, too! Stay Two Nights: Jackson Lake Lodge (B/L/D)

The entire morning is yours to enjoy as you wish in Grand Teton National Park; there are lots of optional activites (including hiking, fly fishing, horseback riding and more) to engage in at additional cost, or you may want to simply relax by the pool. This afternoon, join your Tauck Director for a visit to a site that figures in the history of the conservation movement in the US. Join us this evening for a farewell cocktail reception and dinner at the Jackson Lake Lodge. (B/D)

Following breakfast, your travels to Salt Lake City begin. Nature plays a central role along the route, as you travel wide open spaces that bring into perspective the "spirit of the West," the draw this remote region has had through the years – and witnessed by the small towns that appear along the way. Salt Lake City is Utah's political and cultural center, silhouetted by the Wasatch Mountains and the Great Salt Lake; it was founded by Brigham Young and his followers in the 1840s, and became the center for Mormon cultural influences. Upon arrival, the remainder of the day is free to explore as you please. Stay: The Grand America Hotel (B)

Tour ends: Salt Lake City. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from The Grand America Hotel to Salt Lake City International Airport. You should allow at least two hours for check-in. (B)

Trip Inclusions

  • Filmed vignettes by Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan that tell inside stories of the national parks
  • Trip named to National Geographic Traveler magazine's 50 Tours of a Lifetime
  • Immersing in a geological wonderland during four nights in Yellowstone National Park
  • Learning about the grizzlies and wolves of Yellowstone
  • Lectures in Yellowstone by a historian and a wildlife photographer
  • Gaining insights on wildlife conservation from experts

  • Your tour is conducted by a professional, fully trained Tauck Director who remains with the group throughout the tour
  • Airport transfers upon arrival and departure as noted in the itinerary
  • Service charges, taxes, gratuities to local guides, admission fees and porterage
  • Complimentary basic Internet where available in hotel rooms (service levels are not guaranteed)
  • All departures are small groups with no more than 24 Tauck guests

  • Tour includes 22 meals (10 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches & 8 Dinners)

  • Itinerary and inclusions subject to change.
  • Price is for land, cruise and specified internal flights. International flights not included.
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Prices & Dates

There are currently no departures available on this trip. Either it's the end of the season and new departures will be released shortly, or this itinerary has been changed and will no longer continue. Feel free to contact us for information about when next seasons dates will be released or click here to view the general release dates for all destinations.

Note
Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Prices and trip information are correct at the time at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by Tauck. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from Tauck. These 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.

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