Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Grand Circle to the Rockies: Zion, Moab, Monument Valley, Mesa Verde and Rocky Mountain
13 days one way from Las Vegas to Denver: Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands, a night in Monument Valley, Mesa Verde from Durango, the Great Sand Dunes and Rocky Mountain National Park.
13 days · Las Vegas to Denver · up to 12 guests
A sandstone butte in low evening light, Monument Valley Photo: Dawn Armfield darmfield, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oljato-Monument_Valley,_United_States_(Unsplash_R9S19dOFlcs).jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 13 days, 12 nights
- Start and end
- Las Vegas to Denver
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Walks of 1 to 6 km most days on sand, slickrock, rocky trail and ladders, two to four hours on your feet. The harder options: Scout Lookout in Zion, about 6 km return with about 360 m of climb; Delicate Arch, about 5 km with 150 to 190 m; the Balcony House tour at Mesa Verde, with a 10 m ladder and a crawl through a short tunnel; High Dune at Great Sand Dunes, about 4 km return up soft sand. Much of the trip is high: Bryce at 2,400 to 2,800 m, Mesa Verde about 2,100 m, the dunes about 2,500 m and Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain about 2,900 m, so walks feel harder than the numbers suggest. Every walking day has an easier choice, and you can sit any walk out.
- Meals included
- 12 breakfasts, 11 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,565 (estimated price)
- Season
- Late May to June and September to early October
Highlights
Why this trip
- Two nights at the gate of Zion, on the first shuttles up the canyon to Scout Lookout or the Emerald Pools
- Bryce at sunrise from Bryce Point, then Scenic Byway 12 over the Hogback to Capitol Reef
- Delicate Arch at sunset and Mesa Arch at sunrise, two nights in Moab between them
- The floor of Monument Valley with a Navajo guide, in areas closed to private cars, and a night beside the buttes
- A ranger-led tour of a Mesa Verde cliff dwelling, from two nights in Durango
- Over Wolf Creek Pass on the Continental Divide to evening light on the Great Sand Dunes
- An early walk to Dream Lake below the peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park before the drive to Denver
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,565 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Las Vegas
Harry Reid International Airport to your hotel in Las Vegas
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Las Vegas
- Drive about 18 min
Fly into Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), about 15 minutes from the Strip, where a driver meets you in arrivals and takes you to the hotel.
Evening
Aim to land by about 4 pm so you are settled before the evening meeting; the exact time comes with your final itinerary. Until then the city is yours: rest after the flight, walk the Strip, or watch the fountains in front of the Bellagio. In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide gathers the group at the hotel and walks through the next twelve days: the drive on each day, the two longer days in Colorado, what to pack for slickrock and altitude, how the park entries, the Angels Landing lottery and the Mesa Verde tickets work, and what the weather is likely to do on your dates. Then we head out together for a welcome dinner. We leave for Utah after breakfast tomorrow, so most people make it an early night.
Included
- Pick-up at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS)
- Welcome meeting with your guide
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the evening meeting
Las Vegas to Zion
Las Vegas to Springdale at the gate of Zion National Park
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Springdale
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
After breakfast we drive about 265 km north-east on Interstate 15, through the Virgin River Gorge in the corner of Arizona and into Utah, where the clocks go forward an hour. Past St George and Hurricane the rock turns red, and by lunchtime we reach Springdale, the small town at the south entrance of Zion, our base for two nights.
Afternoon
Lunch is sit-down in town. In the afternoon we walk into the park on the Pa'rus Trail, a paved, almost level path beside the Virgin River with the Watchman rising behind it, and take the shuttle to the Zion Human History Museum, whose exhibits and terrace view up the canyon explain what you will walk through tomorrow. As the sun drops we stand on the bridge at Canyon Junction while the Watchman turns orange.
Evening
Dinner is your choice in Springdale, a short walk from the hotel.
Included
- Drive from Las Vegas to Springdale with your guide
- Sit-down lunch in Springdale
- The Pa'rus Trail along the Virgin River
- Zion Human History Museum
- The Watchman in evening light from Canyon Junction
Free time: Evening free in Springdale
Activity: About 5 km of easy, paved walking.
Zion Canyon on the first shuttles
Up Zion Canyon by park shuttle, from the Grotto to the Temple of Sinawava
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Springdale
For most of the year private cars cannot drive Zion Canyon, so we ride the park shuttle and take one of the first buses, while the walls still shade the trails. At the Grotto the group splits. The active walkers climb the West Rim Trail and the tight switchbacks of Walter's Wiggles to Scout Lookout, about 6 km return with about 360 m of climb, with Angels Landing above and the canyon floor far below; anyone who won a permit in the lottery can go on along the chains, with the guide's advice. The easier group walks to the Lower and Middle Emerald Pools, where water drips from an overhanging cliff.
Afternoon
Everyone meets for a sit-down lunch in the canyon, then rides to the Temple of Sinawava for the Riverside Walk, where the canyon closes in at the mouth of the Narrows. If the river is open and safe, wade in as far as you like.
Evening
The late afternoon and evening are free.
Included
- Zion Canyon shuttle from the first buses
- Guided walk to Scout Lookout, or to the Lower and Middle Emerald Pools
- Sit-down lunch in Zion Canyon
- The Riverside Walk and a paddle into the Narrows when conditions allow
- Angels Landing day-before lottery entry for guests who want to try
Optional experiences
- Narrows gear rental (water shoes, neoprene socks, walking pole), booked through us
Easier option: The Lower Emerald Pool, about 2 km return on a paved trail, or on to the Middle Pool, about 3.5 km return with a short climb.
More active option: Scout Lookout by Walter's Wiggles, about 6 km return with about 360 m of steady climb, three to four hours; Angels Landing beyond it for permit holders.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Springdale
Activity: Scout Lookout is steep, partly paved and has little shade on the switchbacks. The Narrows close when the river runs high or after storms, and the park posts water-quality advisories; your guide checks that morning. Angels Landing needs a lottery permit, which we cannot promise.
Over the tunnel road to Bryce Canyon
Springdale on the Zion to Mount Carmel Highway, then Red Canyon and Bryce Canyon
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Bryce Canyon City
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
We leave Springdale after breakfast and climb the Zion to Mount Carmel Highway in switchbacks to its 1.8 km tunnel through the cliff, opened in 1930. Just beyond, we stop for the Canyon Overlook Trail, a short ledge walk to a view down Pine Creek into Zion Canyon, and again at Checkerboard Mesa, its white sandstone cross-hatched like a grid. The road then runs north on US 89 and east on Scenic Byway 12 through the red arches of Red Canyon, about two hours of driving in all.
Evening
After a sit-down lunch near the park we walk the rim from Sunset Point to Sunrise Point, then drop below it on the Queen's Garden and Navajo Loop trails, among the orange spires called hoodoos. The climb back to the rim, at about 2,400 m, is the hard part. In the evening we watch the light fade from Inspiration Point; dinner is your choice.
Included
- The Zion to Mount Carmel Highway and tunnel
- Canyon Overlook Trail and Checkerboard Mesa
- Red Canyon on Scenic Byway 12
- Sit-down lunch near Bryce Canyon
- Rim walk from Sunset Point to Sunrise Point
- Queen's Garden and Navajo Loop among the hoodoos
- Evening light at Inspiration Point
Easier option: Stay on the rim: the paved section from Sunset to Sunrise Point is about 1 km and nearly level, with benches.
More active option: Add the Peekaboo Loop below Bryce Point, about 8 km and steeper, with your guide.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: Queen's Garden and Navajo Loop together are about 5 km with about 180 m to climb back up. The Wall Street side of the Navajo Loop closes in winter and sometimes into spring; we use the Two Bridges side then.
Bryce sunrise, Scenic Byway 12 and Capitol Reef
Bryce Point to Escalante, Boulder and over Boulder Mountain to Capitol Reef and Torrey
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Torrey
- Drive about 3.5 h
Morning
The Bryce amphitheatre faces east, so we drive the short way to Bryce Point for sunrise, when the first light picks out the hoodoos row by row, and return for breakfast. Then we follow Scenic Byway 12 east, about three hours of driving with stops: down through Tropic into Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, to the Head of the Rocks viewpoint over miles of slickrock, and along the Hogback, a narrow ridge with drops on both sides.
Afternoon
Lunch is sit-down in Boulder. The road then climbs over Boulder Mountain through aspen and pine and drops to Capitol Reef, which protects the Waterpocket Fold, a wrinkle in the earth's crust about 160 km long. We spend the afternoon in the park: the Fremont petroglyph panel, the orchards and Gifford Homestead at Fruita, and the Scenic Drive to Capitol Gorge, where a flat walk leads to the Pioneer Register. We sleep in Torrey. It is a certified dark-sky area, and your guide takes anyone who wants to go out to see the stars.
Included
- Sunrise at Bryce Point
- Scenic Byway 12 through Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
- Head of the Rocks viewpoint and the Hogback
- Sit-down lunch in Boulder
- Capitol Reef National Park: the petroglyph panel, Fruita and the Gifford Homestead
- The Scenic Drive and the walk to the Pioneer Register in Capitol Gorge
- Stargazing with your guide
Easier option: Skip the sunrise and sleep in; the van leaves after breakfast either way.
More active option: Climb to Cassidy Arch from Grand Wash, about 5.5 km return with about 200 m of steep climb, in place of Capitol Gorge.
Free time: Evening free in Torrey
Activity: Sunrise at Bryce Point is cold for most of the season; bring a warm layer and gloves. The Capitol Gorge walk is flat on gravel.
Hickman Bridge, Goblin Valley and Arches
Torrey to Hickman Bridge, Goblin Valley, then Moab and Arches National Park
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Moab
- Drive about 4 h
We start early on the Hickman Bridge Trail, whose trailhead sits on Highway 24 on our road east: about 3 km return and 120 m of climb to a natural sandstone bridge, done while the rock is still cool. Then we follow the Fremont River out of the park into the grey Mancos shale badlands around Caineville and, past Hanksville, spend an hour in Goblin Valley State Park among squat, mushroom-shaped rocks.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down stop in Green River, then it is east on Interstate 70 and south to Moab, about three and three-quarter hours of driving in all, for two nights. In the afternoon we enter Arches by the main entrance, with a timed entry booked if the park requires one, and see Balanced Rock, the Windows and Double Arch.
Evening
As the sun goes down we walk to Delicate Arch and watch it turn red; if the day runs late, we see it from the Lower Viewpoint and move the Windows to tomorrow evening. Dinner is your choice in Moab.
Included
- Hickman Bridge Trail in Capitol Reef
- Highway 24 past the Caineville badlands
- Goblin Valley State Park
- Sit-down lunch in Green River
- Arches National Park: Balanced Rock, the Windows and Double Arch
- Delicate Arch at sunset
Easier option: Stay in the van for Hickman Bridge and watch the Delicate Arch sunset from the Lower Viewpoint, a few minutes' walk from the car park.
More active option: The full Delicate Arch trail, about 5 km return over open slickrock with about 150 to 190 m of climb, back by headlamp.
Free time: Evening free in Moab
Activity: Hickman Bridge climbs on a rocky trail with little shade. The Delicate Arch trail has no shade and ends along a rock ledge; bring a headlamp, and we carry spares.
Mesa Arch sunrise and Canyonlands
Moab to Island in the Sky in Canyonlands, Dead Horse Point and back to Moab
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Moab
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
We leave Moab about an hour and a half before sunrise with coffee and a packed breakfast and drive about 50 minutes up to the Island in the Sky, the high mesa of Canyonlands. A short loop trail leads to Mesa Arch on the cliff edge. When the sun clears the La Sal Mountains it lights the underside of the arch red, with the canyons below, and because photographers queue for it we arrive in the dark. Once the crowd thins we drive to Grand View Point, where the White Rim and the canyons of the Green and Colorado rivers open out, and walk along the rim. On the way back we stop at Dead Horse Point State Park, 600 m above a tight bend of the Colorado.
Afternoon
We are in Moab for a sit-down lunch, and the afternoon is free: rest, wander Main Street, or book a half-day rafting trip or 4x4 tour. Late in the day your guide takes anyone who wants to go back into Arches for Landscape Arch in Devils Garden.
Included
- Sunrise at Mesa Arch, with a packed breakfast
- Grand View Point in Canyonlands
- Dead Horse Point State Park
- Sit-down lunch in Moab
- Evening walk to Landscape Arch in Devils Garden, for those who want it
Optional experiences
- A rafting trip on the Colorado River, a 4x4 tour or a scenic flight in the free afternoon, priced when you book
Easier option: Sit out Landscape Arch and keep the whole afternoon and evening free in Moab.
More active option: Walk the Grand View Point Trail to its end, about 3 km return along the rim.
Free time: Afternoon free in Moab, and dinner your choice
Activity: The Mesa Arch loop is under 1 km but uneven, and the rim is unfenced. Mornings on the mesa are cold until the sun is up.
South to Monument Valley
Moab to Bluff, the Goosenecks and Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Monument Valley
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
After breakfast we drive south on US 191 past Wilson Arch, a roadside arch you can scramble up to, through Monticello and Blanding to Bluff, a small town on the San Juan River settled by Mormon pioneers in 1880.
Afternoon
Lunch is sit-down in Bluff, with time for the reconstructed cabins of Bluff Fort. Past Mexican Hat we turn off to Goosenecks State Park, where the San Juan has cut tight loops some 300 m deep into the rock. Then the buttes of Monument Valley rise ahead, about three hours of driving in all. Monument Valley is a Navajo Tribal Park, and most of the valley floor can only be visited with a Navajo guide.
Evening
In the afternoon we join one in an open tour vehicle on the valley drive and onto tracks closed to private cars, to arches, rock art and the views beneath the Mittens, and stay out for the sunset. There are few restaurants here, so dinner is included at the hotel tonight.
Included
- Wilson Arch
- Sit-down lunch in Bluff and Bluff Fort
- Goosenecks State Park
- Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park entry
- Afternoon valley tour with a Navajo guide, including areas closed to private vehicles, until sunset
- Dinner at the hotel
Easier option: Stay with the tour vehicle at each stop; the valley tour needs very little walking.
More active option: Walk the Wildcat Trail around West Mitten Butte, about 6 km on sand, early in the afternoon before the tour.
Activity: The valley tracks are sandy and bumpy, and the open vehicles are dusty; a scarf or buff helps. Photographing people or homes on the Navajo Nation needs permission first; your Navajo guide will tell you where it is welcome.
Sunrise over the buttes, then Durango
Monument Valley to Bluff, the Four Corners Monument and Cortez, then Durango
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Durango
- Drive about 3.5 h
Morning
The Mittens and Merrick Butte stand east of the visitor centre, so sunrise rises behind them, and the hotel is close enough that you can watch it from the overlook before breakfast. We leave at about 8:30 and drive back through Bluff, then east along the San Juan River through Montezuma Creek to the Four Corners Monument, the only point in the United States where four states meet: Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado. Navajo vendors sell jewellery and fry bread around the plaza.
Afternoon
From here we cross into Colorado, have a sit-down lunch in Cortez, and continue past the long flank of Mesa Verde to Durango, about three and a half hours of driving in all, where we stay two nights.
Evening
The afternoon and evening are free in Durango's old downtown, a railroad town of brick buildings along Main Avenue, with the narrow-gauge train station at its southern end and the Animas River a short walk away.
Included
- Sunrise over the Mittens from the overlook
- Four Corners Monument entry
- Sit-down lunch in Cortez
- Drive along the San Juan River into Colorado
Optional experiences
- An extra night in Durango to ride the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, booked on request
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Durango
Activity: The Four Corners Monument is run by Navajo Nation Parks; some stalls take cash only.
Mesa Verde with a park ranger
Durango to Chapin Mesa in Mesa Verde National Park and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Durango
- Drive about 3 h
Mesa Verde, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, protects the villages Ancestral Pueblo people built between about 600 and 1300, including houses tucked into alcoves in the canyon walls. We leave Durango at about 7:30 and drive about an hour and a quarter, the last stretch on the winding park road up onto Chapin Mesa. The cliff dwellings can only be entered on ranger-led tours, so we book tickets for the group as soon as your dates are set. The usual choice is Cliff Palace, about an hour with several short ladders and stone steps, and the more adventurous can take Balcony House, with a 10 m ladder and a tight crawl through a tunnel.
Afternoon
Around the tour we visit the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum, look down on Spruce Tree House from its overlook, and have a sit-down lunch in the park.
Evening
In the afternoon we drive the Mesa Top Loop past pithouses, Sun Temple and the overlooks across the canyon, and are back in Durango by early evening.
Included
- Mesa Verde National Park entry
- Ranger-led tour of Cliff Palace or Balcony House
- Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum and the Spruce Tree House overlook
- Sit-down lunch in the park
- The Mesa Top Loop and Sun Temple
Easier option: Skip the ladders and see Cliff Palace from the overlook and the Mesa Top Loop sites, all short, level walks.
More active option: The Balcony House tour, with a 10 m ladder, a crawl through a 4 m tunnel and an exposed climb out; book it when you book the trip.
Free time: Evening free in Durango
Activity: Ranger tours run from late spring to autumn, tickets are limited and the park may change which dwellings are open; we confirm yours before departure. The mesa sits at about 2,100 m.
Wolf Creek Pass to the Great Sand Dunes
Durango to Pagosa Springs, over Wolf Creek Pass and across the San Luis Valley to Great Sand Dunes, then Alamosa
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Alamosa
- Drive about 4.5 h
Today runs a little over the four-hour limit, about four and a quarter hours of driving, because the Great Sand Dunes sit across the San Juan Mountains from Durango; we break it into two halves.
Afternoon
In the morning we drive east to Pagosa Springs, where steaming hot springs line the San Juan River, for an early sit-down lunch. Then US 160 climbs past Treasure Falls, where we stop, to Wolf Creek Pass, 3,307 m on the Continental Divide, and drops into the San Luis Valley, flat and wide between two ranges. In the middle of the afternoon the dunes appear against the Sangre de Cristo Mountains; they include the tallest in North America.
Evening
We walk out across Medano Creek, which usually flows in late spring and early summer, and climb the sand as far as you like while it cools and the evening light picks out the ridges. Then it is 40 minutes to Alamosa for the night, with dinner your choice.
Included
- Sit-down lunch in Pagosa Springs
- Treasure Falls and Wolf Creek Pass on the Continental Divide
- Great Sand Dunes National Park entry
- Medano Creek and a walk on the dunes in evening light
Easier option: Stay on the flat sand by Medano Creek near the main car park, a few minutes' walk.
More active option: Climb to the top of High Dune, about 4 km return and about 200 m of climb up soft sand.
Free time: Late evening free in Alamosa
Activity: The sand gets hot enough to burn bare feet on summer afternoons, which is why we go late in the day; wear closed shoes. The dunes sit at about 2,500 m, so climbing sand is slow work.
Over the passes to Rocky Mountain National Park
Alamosa to Poncha Pass, Buena Vista and Kenosha Pass, then Boulder and Estes Park
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Estes Park
- Drive about 5.5 h
This is the longest drive of the trip, about five hours, and we say so plainly: no shorter road links the San Luis Valley with Rocky Mountain National Park, and ending in Denver instead would cut the park. We leave Alamosa at about 7:30 and break the day up.
Afternoon
The road runs north up the valley and over Poncha Pass into the Arkansas River valley, where we stop for a sit-down lunch in Buena Vista beneath the Collegiate Peaks, several of them over 4,200 m. Then we cross the open grassland of South Park and stop at Kenosha Pass, where aspen groves turn gold in September, before dropping to the foothills and running north past Boulder to Estes Park, the gateway town to the park, at about 4 pm.
Evening
After a rest we drive into Moraine Park, where elk graze the meadows at dusk and, in September, the bulls bugle. Then we gather for the farewell dinner in Estes Park.
Included
- Poncha Pass and the Arkansas River valley
- Sit-down lunch in Buena Vista
- Kenosha Pass viewpoint
- Rocky Mountain National Park entry
- Evening elk watching in Moraine Park
- Farewell dinner in Estes Park
Easier option: Skip the evening drive into Moraine Park and rest before dinner.
Free time: Free between arrival and the evening drive
Activity: We stop at least every 90 minutes. Keep at least 25 m from elk, and more in the September rut.
Bear Lake morning, then Denver
Estes Park to Bear Lake Road in Rocky Mountain National Park, then Denver International Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 2.5 h
Morning
We leave Estes Park at about 7 am with a packed breakfast and drive up Bear Lake Road, where the car parks fill early, using a timed entry if the park requires one. At Bear Lake, about 2,900 m up, the easy group walks the level loop around the lake, under 1 km, with Hallett Peak reflected in still mornings. The active group climbs past Nymph Lake to Dream Lake, about 3.5 km return with about 130 m of climb, with the option to go on to Emerald Lake below the cliffs of Hallett Peak, about 6 km return. We are back in Estes Park by about 10:30, then drive through the canyon of the St Vrain to Lyons and past Boulder to Denver International Airport (DEN), about 120 km and an hour and three-quarters, arriving about 12:30 to 1 pm. Book flights leaving after about 4 pm.
Evening
Your guide sees you to departures; if you would rather stay on, we can drop you in downtown Denver and book an extra night.
Included
- Bear Lake Road in Rocky Mountain National Park, with any timed entry the park requires
- Bear Lake loop, or Nymph and Dream Lakes
- Drop-off at Denver International Airport (DEN)
Optional experiences
- Extra nights in Denver, booked on request
Easier option: The Bear Lake loop, under 1 km and nearly level.
More active option: Dream Lake, about 3.5 km return with about 130 m of climb, or on to Emerald Lake, about 6 km return with about 185 m.
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 4 pm. Early mornings at Bear Lake are cold, even in summer.
- Las Vegas1 night
- Springdale2 nights
- Bryce Canyon City1 night
- Torrey1 night
- Moab2 nights
- Monument Valley1 night
- Durango2 nights
- Alamosa1 night
- Estes Park1 night
- Denverend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Late spring and early autumn give warm days in the Utah desert and cool, clear mornings in Colorado. In midsummer Zion, Moab and the sand at the dunes run very hot, and afternoon storms can close the Narrows and bring lightning to the high country, so walks start early. Bryce and Wolf Creek Pass can have snow in late May and again from October. Medano Creek at the dunes usually flows in late spring and early summer and is often dry by late summer. Watch for mule deer in Capitol Reef, pronghorn near Bryce, and elk in the meadows of Rocky Mountain National Park, where September is the rut and the bulls bugle at dusk.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want the Utah parks and the Colorado Rockies in one trip, without driving back to where they started
- Short hikes most days, with an easier choice every time
- Sunrises and sunsets at the right viewpoints: Bryce, Delicate Arch, Mesa Arch, Monument Valley and the dunes
- Anyone who wants Navajo and Ancestral Pueblo history from people who can explain it
- First-time visitors who would rather not handle park entries, tickets and lotteries themselves
Not for you if you want
- Backpacking or canyoneering: walks are mostly 1 to 6 km, none longer than about 8 km
- The Grand Canyon: see our Las Vegas, Zion, Bryce, Monument Valley and Grand Canyon trip
- Travellers who find altitude hard: four nights and several walks are above 2,000 m
- Anyone who needs step-free access on every trail; the cliff dwelling tours use ladders
- Travellers short on time: the Mighty Five trip covers the Utah half in 9 days
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
12 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Las Vegas1 night
- Springdale2 nights
- Bryce Canyon City1 night
- Torrey1 night
- Moab2 nights
- Monument Valley1 night
- Durango2 nights
- Alamosa1 night
- Estes Park1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 12 nights: 1 in Las Vegas, 2 in Springdale at the gate of Zion, 1 in Bryce Canyon City by the park entrance, 1 in Torrey for Capitol Reef, 2 in Moab, 1 at Monument Valley, 2 in Durango, 1 in Alamosa for the Great Sand Dunes, 1 in Estes Park for Rocky Mountain
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
- The Las Vegas resort fee
Transport
- Pick-up at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas and drop-off at Denver International Airport (DEN)
- Our own air-conditioned vehicle and driver for the group, with a seat for every guest and room for luggage
- Zion Canyon shuttle buses inside Zion
- The Monument Valley valley tour in a Navajo guide's open tour vehicle
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip, who leads the walks and handles park entries, timed tickets and permit lotteries
- A Navajo guide for the Monument Valley valley tour
- A National Park Service ranger for the Mesa Verde cliff dwelling tour
Activities
- Zion National Park: the Pa'rus Trail, Human History Museum, Scout Lookout or the Emerald Pools, the Riverside Walk and the Narrows when open
- Angels Landing day-before lottery entry and permit fees for guests who want to try
- The Zion to Mount Carmel Highway and the Canyon Overlook Trail
- Bryce Canyon National Park: the rim walk, Queen's Garden and Navajo Loop, sunrise at Bryce Point
- Scenic Byway 12, Head of the Rocks and the Hogback
- Capitol Reef National Park: the petroglyphs, Fruita, the Scenic Drive, Capitol Gorge and Hickman Bridge
- Goblin Valley State Park
- Arches National Park, with timed entry where the park requires it: the Windows, Double Arch, Delicate Arch at sunset and Landscape Arch
- Canyonlands National Park: sunrise at Mesa Arch and Grand View Point
- Dead Horse Point State Park
- Goosenecks State Park and Bluff Fort
- Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park entry and the Navajo-guided valley tour until sunset
- The Four Corners Monument
- Mesa Verde National Park: a ranger-led tour of Cliff Palace or Balcony House, the museum and the Mesa Top Loop
- Great Sand Dunes National Park and Medano Creek
- Rocky Mountain National Park: Moraine Park at dusk and Bear Lake, with any timed entry the park requires
Meals
- Breakfast daily (12), with packed breakfasts for the Mesa Arch sunrise and the Bear Lake morning
- Lunch on days 2 to 12 (11)
- Welcome dinner in Las Vegas, dinner at Monument Valley and farewell dinner in Estes Park (3)
Not included
- International flights to Las Vegas and home from Denver
- US visa or ESTA
- Travel insurance
- The National Park Service fee for visitors who are not US residents at Zion, Bryce Canyon and Rocky Mountain (from 2026, USD 100 per person aged 16 and over at each), where it applies
- Dinners on days 2 to 7 and 9 to 11
- Lunch on day 13
- Drinks, other than water, coffee and tea with included meals
- Tips for your guide, driver and local guides
- Optional activities: rafting, 4x4 tours and scenic flights in Moab, hot springs in Pagosa Springs
- Narrows gear rental
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,565 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the Grand Circle tour from Las Vegas to Denver include?
Twelve nights in hotels, breakfast daily, lunch on days 2 to 12, three dinners, airport transfers in Las Vegas and Denver, our own vehicle and driver, your guide throughout, eight national park entries, three state parks, Monument Valley with a Navajo guide, the Four Corners Monument and a Mesa Verde ranger tour. The 2026 non-US-resident park fee is extra.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests in one vehicle with a seat for everyone, so the group stays together on the trails and around one table at lunch. Coach tours of the same parks often carry 30 to 50.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group for all thirteen days, leads the walks, agrees the easy or active route with you each morning, and handles park entries, tickets and lotteries. A professional driver drives. A Navajo guide leads the Monument Valley tour and a park ranger the Mesa Verde cliff dwelling.
How fit do I need to be, and will the altitude affect me?
Moderate fitness is enough. Most walks are 1 to 6 km; the hardest option, Scout Lookout in Zion, is about 6 km with 360 m of climb. Bryce, Mesa Verde, the dunes and Rocky Mountain are 2,100 to 2,900 m up, so you may feel short of breath. Every walking day has an easier choice, and you can sit any walk out.
I'm travelling solo. Do I have to pay a single supplement?
Only if you want a room of your own, which is from CAD 1,565 more. If you would rather share, tell us when you request to book and we will try to pair you with another solo traveller; we confirm your room and price before anything is charged.
When is the best time for this trip?
Late May to June and September to early October. The Utah parks are warm rather than scorching, Mesa Verde's ranger tours are running and the Colorado passes are usually clear. Snow is possible at Bryce and Wolf Creek Pass at either end of the season, and September brings the elk rut and golden aspen in Colorado.
How long are the drives, and why does it take a day longer to reach Rocky Mountain?
Eleven of thirteen days have about four hours of driving or less. Two are longer: day 11 is about four and a quarter hours, split by lunch and an afternoon on the dunes, and day 12 is about five hours, because no shorter road crosses from the San Luis Valley to Rocky Mountain National Park. We stop at least every 90 minutes.
Do you handle park permits and timed entries?
Yes. We book timed entries at Arches and Rocky Mountain wherever the parks require them, and the Mesa Verde ranger tour tickets as soon as your dates are set. Angels Landing needs a lottery permit: we enter the lottery for anyone who wants to try, but a permit is never guaranteed.
How is this different from your Mighty Five and Four Corners trips?
This is the one-way version that links them. The 9-day Mighty Five covers the Utah parks and ends in Salt Lake City; the 8-day Four Corners trip runs from Durango to Santa Fe with Canyon de Chelly and Chaco. This trip takes the Utah spine, Monument Valley and Mesa Verde, then crosses Colorado to Denver.
How does booking work?
Choose your start date and request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken when you send the request. The small group starts from CAD 9,215 per person sharing, taxes included.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The trip also runs as a private trip for your party only, with your own guide and vehicle, on a date you choose, from CAD 16,585 per person. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote hotels and entries for you.
Do I need a visa to visit the US?
Canadian citizens normally do not need a visa for a tourist visit. Travellers from Visa Waiver Program countries need an approved ESTA before flying, and others need a visitor visa. Requirements change, so check your own before you book flights.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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