Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Salt Lake City - St George - Kanab - Springdale - Torrey - Monument Valley - Moab
100% customisable for you
Your adventure across the fabled American West starts today. With everything packed for two weeks on the road, head to the airport, whizz through security and enjoy some downtime in the airport lounge as you await your ten-and-a-half hour flight.
On arrival in Salt Lake City, Utah's capital and most populous city, collect your hire car and settle in for one night in a cosy, comfortable hotel. The rest of today is yours to play with. If you’re not too tired from travelling, we recommend heading to the Natural History Museum, which provides an excellent introduction to the region’s geology, anthropology and rich Native American culture. But we won’t blame you for spending the rest of the afternoon recovering from the long journey with a dip in the pool…
Rise and shine, your first full day of this epic road trip in the American West awaits. After a hearty breakfast at the hotel, hop into your hire car and begin the journey to St. George, a small city surrounded by red sandstone cliffs in the southwest of Utah.
While the journey takes about four-and-a-half hours, we recommend making a slight detour at the start of the drive to visit Antelope Island State Park, the largest island in the prehistoric Great Salt Lake. The landscapes here are like no other – think piercing-white salt pans, rolling mountains and white-sand beaches. Home to the largest concentration of bison in the state, the park is also a haven for wildlife lovers. Eager young photographers, get your camera at the ready.
On arrival in St. George, check in for the night at a contemporary hotel with great views of the city and mountains. The rest of today is yours to relax and recharge after the journey.
Your journey across the arid landscapes of the American West continues today. However, before you hit the road to Kanab, a lovely town on the Utah-Arizona border, make sure to visit Sand Hollow State Park. The park is one of the most popular and picturesque in Utah thanks to its dramatic red stone cliffs, azure waters and extensive ATV and hiking trails. If the younger members of your clan aren’t up for a hike, then we recommend enjoying the many water activities on offer: you can swim, boat, fish and even jet ski in the beautiful reservoir. Continue on to Kanab and to your next accommodation, a grand Victorian guest-house in the heart of the city.
Today, you've a full day to explore the region surrounding Kanab, with its impressive number of natural wonders. The main attraction here is the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, an unusual landscape that evokes the Sahara Desert with its ever-changing sea of red and pink sandy dunes. This is the ultimate place for family fun, from dune surfing and hiking in the wilderness to heading out on an ATV tour.
Alternatively, we could arrange for you to spend today visiting White Pocket with an experienced guide. This collection of swirling, multicoloured formations of Navajo sandstone in the remote Paria Plateau will take your breath away.
After a hearty breakfast, hop back into your hire car and join the scenic Highway 9, which winds through the red rocks, arches and tunnels of Zion National Park. After an hour, you’ll reach your next stopover, the picturesque town of Springdale, gateway to the park. Stop off along the way to enjoy the scenery, or, if you’re keen to dazzle any budding palaeontologists in the family, our team can arrange for you to walk in the footsteps of dinosaurs in the Utah wilderness. Pretty cool, right?
Your home for the next two nights is a modern hotel in the centre of Springdale, surrounded by the majestic Red Rock Canyon. The rest of today is yours to enjoy at leisure, but we recommend strolling through town to admire the surrounding soaring cliffs before heading back to the hotel for a dip in the pool and a relaxing evening.
Famous for its deep canyons soaring high above the Virgin River and its tributaries, Zion National Park needs no introduction. Spreading over 350 square miles, it’s an impressive sanctuary of towering mountains, sandstone cliffs and maple forests. And the best part? Today is yours to spend in the park, savouring the beauty of one of Utah’s most picturesque natural landscapes.
There are plenty of hiking and cycling trails (of varying difficulty), breathtaking viewpoints, river swimming spots and birdwatching opportunities. Stretch your legs (little and large) on the Angels Landing trail, an almost five-mile round-trip that follows the river and hugs the canyon walls before a short, steep climb. Your reward at the top is sweeping views across the park – a pretty panorama well worth the effort.
It’s time to get moving again. Today you’ll travel four hours through the mesmerising landscapes of central Utah to Torrey, the gateway to Capitol Reef National Park. Stop along the way at Bryce Canyon National Park, home to the world’s largest collection of hoodoos – tall, thin spires that soar above the desert plains. Or, push further on to Kodachrome Basin State Park, known for its colourful rock spires.
From here, join the Scenic Byway 12 for the second part of the journey. This route is also known as ‘Highway 12 – A Journey Through Time Scenic Byway’ due to its beautiful scenery, which includes vibrant rock formations, majestic archways and rolling hills. On arrival in Torrey, check in for the night at a comfortable hotel near the entrance of the Capitol Reef. The rest of today is yours to explore the national park’s sandstone domes, towering monoliths and rugged cliffs.
Today, swap Utah’s rugged mountains for Arizona’s vast desert plains. We recommend an early start for the four-hour drive south, through the orange-tinted monoliths and mounds that look like they’ve been plucked from a western film. Along the way, you can deviate from the GPS in Hanksville and join the striking Route 24, which winds past the Colorado River.
Your home tonight is a beautiful estate in Monument Valley’s sacred plains. Once you’ve freshened up, explore the breathtaking red mounds featuring in the 1939 John Ford film, Stagecoach, a great American western with a dedicated museum here. Then head out with a private guide on an off-road drive through the valley. This is an excellent opportunity to discover popular viewpoints and visit areas closed to other tourists, such as Native American dwellings, Anasazi remains, ceremonial sites and petroglyphs.
Today you’ll be driving back into Utah, travelling three-and-a-half hours through the marvellous red-rock landscapes of Scenic Byway 211 to Moab, the gateway town to the Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. The town was also made famous as a filming location for blockbusters set in the great outdoors of the American West, such as Star Wars and Mission Impossible. The drive itself is the activity for today, as it’s breathtakingly beautiful. We’re talking canyons, plateaus, valleys and lunar landscapes as far as the eye can see.
On arrival in Moab, settle in for the next three nights at a charming hotel and spend the rest of today savouring your new environment. We recommend going out for a walk around town before plunging into the hotel’s lovely pool for a refreshing afternoon dip.
The next two days are dedicated to exploring the two fabulous national parks on your doorstep. Arches National Park is named after the 2,000-plus natural stone arches that call this slice of Utah home. Besides its otherworldly scenery, the park also attracts outdoorsy adventurers with its array of hiking, biking and rock climbing opportunities.
Canyonlands, Utah’s largest national park, dazzles with its dramatic desert landscape carved by the Colorado River. Here, embark on a family-friendly whitewater rafting adventure down the river, enjoying the thrill of drifting with the choppy currents while admiring the scenic sights of Professor Valley. You’ll stop for plenty of swimming breaks in between manoeuvring rapids of different sizes and intensities.
Today, you’ll leave Utah’s wild landscapes behind and head back to Salt Lake City. The journey takes around five hours, passing through red-rock landscapes, arid desert plains and eventually the snow-capped peaks and lakes of northern Utah. Check in for your final night in the same hotel you started in, and spend the rest of today enjoying the hustle and bustle of the city. Consult our Dossier for recommendations on where to dine in style on your last evening Stateside.
Sadly, the time has come to bid the great American West a warm farewell and embark on the journey back across the pond. Head to the airport, whizz through security and relax in the airport lounge as you await the departure of your ten-and-a-half-hour flight home. Most flights depart in the afternoon, so you’ll travel overnight and touch down on UK soil tomorrow.
Everything in this itinerary is entirely customisable, down to the smallest details. Here are some more suggestions of what could be included
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
ENQUIRE NOW
Our team of destination experts will get to know you and your unique requirements for your holiday
We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
All of our holidays include little extras designed to make a big difference to your trip, from fast-tracking you through airport check-in and security to our network of local Concierges
