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The Classic Lodges & Parks of the West

Name: The Classic Lodges & Parks of the West
Brand: Elife Travel
Price: 5759 USD
Availability: InStock

Country:

USA

Flight:

Not included

Favorite

Tour id:

116518

Operator:

Globus
Length:

11 days
Group size:

30 pax
Age:

5 to 80
Difficulty:
Difficulty levels:
- Relaxing
- Easy
- Moderate
- Serious
- Heart-pumping

11.09-21.09.25 guaranteed
28.05-07.06.26 scheduled
11.06-21.06.26 scheduled
18.06-28.06.26 scheduled
09.07-19.07.26 scheduled
30.07-09.08.26 scheduled
20.08-30.08.26 scheduled
22.08-01.09.26 scheduled
27.08-06.09.26 scheduled
10.09-20.09.26 scheduled
12.09-22.09.26 scheduled

Itinerary

You won’t need to summon Mr. Sandman on this tour through the American West. This national parks vacation is what dreams are made of. With overnight stays in the West’s legendary lodges, you’ll wake up well rested within the forested wonder of the nation’s most alluring landscapes. Enjoy two nights within the timber and stone beauty of the State Game Lodge at Custer State Park, two nights under the roofs of the cozy lodges of Yellowstone National Park, and two nights swathed in the rugged elegance at the Rustic Inn at Jackson Hole. Additional dream sights through South Dakota and Wyoming include Mount Rushmore, Mammoth Hot Springs, and Grand Teton National Park. After visiting the Old West towns of Deadwood and Cody – and spotting the buffalo, moose, elk, and other area locals – you’ll have no reason to count sheep on this classic lodges and national parks tour.

Tour program

Day 1

ARRIVE IN RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA

Welcome to Rapid City! At 6pm, meet your traveling companions for a welcome drink. Your Tour Director will prepare you for your upcoming adventure.

Day 2

RAPID CITY–BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK–CUSTER STATE PARK

Legends of the West After breakfast, enjoy a sightseeing tour of Rapid City. Visit Badlands National Park to see some of the most spectacular scenery in the region. Afterward, there’s time to explore Wall Drug, known for its quirky roadside signs. Continue to Custer State Park for a backcountry adventure; a Buffalo Safari with a local expert and traditional cookout. (B,D)

LOCAL FAVORITE
WHERE THE BUFFALO ROAM Awaken your adventurer’s spirit on a Buffalo Safari in Custer State Park. The U.S. national mammal and historic mainstay of indigenous people, the American Bison is a native species of North America, whose numbers were reduced from more than 60 million across the great bison belt grasslands from Alaska to the Atlantic to less than 600 by the late 1880s. Standing 6 feet tall and weighing up to 2,000 pounds, these formidable and majestic mammals have been restored in numbers due to conservation efforts of the 20th century.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION SPOTLIGHT Enjoy an overnight stay at the historic State Game Lodge in Custer State Park. This gracious stone and wood lodge is set in a beautiful mountain valley, surrounded by a ponderosa pine forest. Built in 1920 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the lodge served as the “Summer White House” for President Calvin Coolidge and was visited by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Day 3

CUSTER STATE PARK. EXCURSION TO HOT SPRINGS & CRAZY HORSE MEMORIAL

Wild & Wooly Discoveries Travel to Hot Springs to visit the world’s largest Mammoth Site. Next, Crazy Horse Memorial, built in honor of the fearless Lakota Chief who led the victory at the Battle of Little Bighorn. The remainder of the day is yours to relax in Custer State Park. Perhaps try some fly-fishing, mountain biking, or take a nature walk. (B,D)

LOCAL FAVORITE
HISTORIC SITES Dig deeper into prehistoric South Dakota with a visit to the Mammoth Site and Museum. Tour the world’s largest mammoth research facility and active dig site, where scientists are currently excavating remains of mammoths that were trapped and died in the pond more than 26,000 years ago. After a short tour, you’ll have time to stroll the sidewalks of the dig area and see the paleontology laboratory. Imagine this landscape when the more than 60 Mammoths found to date roamed and ruled in the Pleistocene era in North America.

Day 4

CUSTER STATE PARK–MOUNT RUSHMORE–DEADWOOD–SPEARFISH CANYON

Statesmen, Sheriffs & Sharpshooters Visit one of the world’s largest stone monuments – Mount Rushmore National Memorial – to see the solid granite faces of four legendary American presidents majestically carved more than a thousand feet overhead. Continue to the historic Old West town of Deadwood for a tour with a Local Guide. Then drive the scenic Spearfish Canyon for an overnight at the exclusive Spearfish Canyon Lodge. (B,D)

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
LEGENDS & LORE The legendary town of Deadwood is home to the ghosts of the Wild West, where bold frontiersmen and optimistic gold miners set down stakes in this untamed mining town. Hear the rip-roaring stories of legends like Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, and Potato Creek Johnny while exploring the streets where shoot-outs and sheriffs ruled the day.

Day 5

SPEARFISH CANYON–UCROSS RANCH, WYOMING–CODY

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch... Continue across the grassy plains of Wyoming and soak in the expansive blue skies. Enjoy lunch at the historic Ranch at UCross with free time to enjoy a variety of activities. Next, cross the Bighorn Mountains via Shell Creek Canyon to Buffalo Bill’s Wild West town of Cody, Wyoming. (B,L)

LOCAL FAVORITE
LOCAL TASTES You’re invited to lunch at The Ranch at UCross – smack in the middle of the Wyoming landscape that’s rich in the history of the American West. Explore activities to get in the cowboy spirit where writers, sculptors and artists have drawn inspiration for years. See gentle horses, sweeping scenery, and plenty of trout in the river make this the perfect place to get away from it all.

Day 6

CODY–YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

Spend your day your way in Cody This morning, Explore more of Cody with your choice of included excursions. Depart for Yellowstone National Park, America’s first national park, where wild animals roam freely in vast meadows and forest. (B)

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
LEGENDARY LIVES The mission of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West is to connect people to the stories of the American West. Here in the town named for Bill Cody (Buffalo Bill), you’ll find a wealth of historic artifacts, artwork, and amazing insight to the historic American West and Native American culture in this complex founded in 1917.

TAKE YOUR PICK

Explore your way today with your choice of excursions:

THE NEW FRONTIER Visit the Buffalo Bill Center of The West, a comprehensive museum of historic weapons, cowboy folklore, and Western art and fascinating tribute to frontier America and Native American culture with the vision of Col. William F. Cody – named by the NY Times as ‘among the nation’s most remarkable museums.’

OR:

SHARP SHOOTERS Explore 100 years of Cody history on a live guided trolley tour. An entertaining way to see the highlights of the Old West and hear stories of legendary locals Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley.

Day 7

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

America’s First National Park A full day’s adventure in this vast national park! See the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone with its Upper and Lower Falls. Watch for herds of bison in Hayden Valley, and view many of Yellowstone’s geothermal sites, including Old Faithful Geyser. (B,D)

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
NATURAL WONDERS Designated as a national park by law 150 years ago, President Ulysses S. Grant worked to preserve and protect the wild landscapes, native heritage, spectacular wildlife, and extraordinary geologic and ecological phenomena that make this Rocky Mountain paradise a treasure today and for future generations to treasure. From geysers to grizzlies and great bison, no one leaves the park without being forever changed by the natural wonder witnessed in any of its 2.2 million acres of pristine wilderness.

Day 8

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK–JACKSON

Glacial Giants This morning, tour Grand Teton National Park on your way to Jackson for a 2-night stay at the Rustic Inn at Jackson Hole. (B)

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
NATURAL WONDERS With its magnificent peaks and glacial landscapes, this Rocky Mountain marvel is the perfect pairing of natural grandeur and frontier spirit of the town of Jackson. Find serenity on the shores of gorgeous glacier-fed Jenny Lake and stroll along the shore before continuing to Jackson. This evening, visit the Antler Arches, enjoy a drink at the iconic Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, or shop for the perfect cowboy hat.

Day 9

JACKSON

Peak Experiences Today is at your leisure to explore on your own, enjoy your resort, or perhaps take an optional float trip down the Snake River. (B)

FREE TIME TIPS
EXPLORE MORE in Jackson with an optional float trip along the Snake River, stroll along the downtown boardwalks to enjoy a drink at one of the local saloons, or explore one of the many galleries that call Jackson home.

Day 10

JACKSON–SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

This is the Place! Follow the Snake River and lovely Star Valley en route to Utah. Wind along the shores of beautiful Bear Lake before climbing through the Wasatch Mountains and on to the Great Salt Lake Basin and Salt Lake City. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner hosted by your Tour Director. (B,D)

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
HISTORIC SPOT The capital city of Utah was first established in 1847 by early pioneer settlers led by Brigham Young, who exclaimed, “This is the right place,” upon seeing its vistas and verdant landscapes. The city hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics and offers a vibrant downtown with a variety of stores, attractions, and restaurants.

Day 11

SALT LAKE CITY

Safe travels until we meet again! Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. Want more time to explore Salt Lake City? Additional nights are available for purchase. (B)

Tour Details

accommodation

RAPID CITY - THE RUSHMORE HOTEL

CUSTER STATE PARK - STATE GAME LODGE AT CUSTER STATE PARK

SPEARFISH - SPEARFISH CANYON LODGE

CODY - HOLIDAY INN BUFFALO BILL VILLAGE - CODY

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK - CANYON LODGE - YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK/GRANT VILLAGE - YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK/OLD FAITHFUL SNOW LODGE - YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

JACKSON - RUSTIC INN AT JACKSON HOLE CREEKSIDE

SALT LAKE CITY - RADISSON HOTEL DOWNTOWN SALT LAKE CITY

transport

Your Train: The historic Alaska Railroad travels through Alaska’s spectacular scenery. This upgraded experience in Deluxe Dome Service features confirmed seats in the upper-level dome car, priority seating in the dining room, and a private outdoor viewing deck.

insurance

Insurance is not included. Travel insurance is required for this tour. Please make sure you are adequately covered.

optional

Other activities and services are not included.

flights

International flights are not included

others

Free Wi-Fi available on your motorcoach

others

Other activities and services not included

guide

Tour guide

Good to know

Currency

US Dollar

USA

Customer reviews

Overall

Operator

Faq Tour

How can I book a tour?

You can order a tour on our website by selecting the desired dates and clicking the “Confirm dates” button. You can also contact our sales department by phone or email.

Which payment options are available?

We accept credit cards, bank transfers and other popular payment methods.

Can I change or cancel my reservation?

Yes, changes or cancellations are possible, however penalties may apply depending on the time before the tour starts.

What documents are required to participate in the tour?

You will need a passport with a valid visa (if required) to visit countries along the tour route.