Trails of the Southwest – Escorted Tour (9 Days / 8 Nights) from Salt Lake City to Denver

Day 1 (Friday) – Salt Lake City

Arrival in Salt Lake City. Transfer to the hotel on your own. Welcome to the capital of Utah and host city of the Winter Olympic Games in 2002 and 2034. Overnight in Salt Lake City.

Day 2 (Saturday) – Salt Lake City → Canyonlands → Moab (277 mi / 445 km)

Continental breakfast. Short city tour including the State Capitol (outside visit), Temple Square and the Mormon Tabernacle. Travel south toward Dead Horse Point and continue to Canyonlands National Park, where the Colorado River has carved a vast landscape of canyons, mesas and plateaus. Overnight in Moab.

Day 3 (Sunday) – Moab → Arches National Park → Colorado National Monument → Montrose (184 mi / 296 km)

Continental breakfast. Visit Arches National Park, a natural symphony of colors and shapes sculpted by erosion. Continue west into Colorado to explore Colorado National Monument, driving the scenic Rim Rock Drive with views of red rock cliffs and deep canyons. Overnight in Montrose.

Day 4 (Monday) – Montrose → Black Canyon of the Gunnison → Ouray → Box Canyon Falls → Silverton → Durango → Cortez (178 mi / 286 km)

Continental breakfast. Visit Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, named for the extremely narrow gorge that receives only minutes of sunlight per day. Travel along the scenic Million Dollar Highway. Stop in Ouray, known as the “Switzerland of America”. Walk to Box Canyon Falls to admire an 85-foot waterfall inside a narrow gorge. Continue through Silverton and Durango before reaching Cortez for overnight.

Day 5 (Tuesday) – Cortez → Mesa Verde National Park → Gallup → Albuquerque (307 mi / 493 km)

Continental breakfast. Visit Mesa Verde National Park, ancestral home of the Pueblo people and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, featuring over 600 cliff dwellings. Continue to New Mexico with a stop in Gallup on historic Route 66, home to the legendary El Rancho Hotel. Overnight in Albuquerque.

Day 6 (Wednesday) – Albuquerque → Petroglyph National Monument → Turquoise Trail → Santa Fe (85 mi / 137 km)

Continental breakfast. City tour of Old Town Albuquerque. Visit Petroglyph National Monument, one of the largest petroglyph sites in North America. Travel the scenic Turquoise Trail, passing historic mining towns including Madrid, before arriving in Santa Fe.

Day 7 (Thursday) – Santa Fe → Taos → Great Sand Dunes National Park → Pueblo (325 mi / 523 km)

Continental breakfast. Travel north along the Rio Grande Gorge to Taos. Visit Taos Pueblo, one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the United States and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Re-enter Colorado to explore Great Sand Dunes National Park, home to towering dunes rising up to 229 meters. Overnight in Pueblo.

Day 8 (Friday) – Pueblo → Garden of the Gods → Breckenridge → Denver (235 mi / 378 km)

Continental breakfast. Visit Garden of the Gods, a natural park famous for its massive red sandstone formations. Continue through the alpine scenery of Breckenridge, a charming mountain town with Victorian-style buildings. Overnight in Denver.

Day 9 (Saturday) – Denver

Continental breakfast. End of the tour and individual departures.

MAP Itinerary

Overnight Hotels (or similar)

• Day 1 – Salt Lake City: Crystal Inn and Suites
• Day 2 – Moab: Moab Valley Inn
• Day 3 – Montrose: Hampton Inn or Holiday Inn Express
• Day 4 – Cortez: Baymont Inn and Suites Cortez
• Day 5 – Albuquerque: Best Western Plus Rio Grande Inn
• Day 6 – Santa Fe: Comfort Inn Santa Fe
• Day 7 – Pueblo: Wingate by Wyndham Pueblo
• Day 8 – Denver: Wingate by Wyndham Denver Airport

Some hotels may be two-story properties and may not feature elevators. Hotels are subject to change.

• 8 nights hotel accommodation, taxes included (porterage not included)
• Daily continental breakfast (8 breakfasts), with complimentary American Breakfast upgrade when available
• Escorted tour with Tour Director and air-conditioned motorcoach (except transfers)
• City tours of Salt Lake City, Albuquerque and Santa Fe
• Admissions as per itinerary, including National Parks and monuments listed

• Gratuities ( Recommended for the Guide and for the Driver)
• Everything else not specifically outlined in the "What’s Included"

2026 Departures

Friday departures:

• June 12, 2026
• July 10, 2026
• September 11, 2026

Important Information

• Some hotels may not have elevators.
• Hotel list is subject to change.
• Children rates apply for ages 8–16 only.
• Children under 8 years old are not admitted on escorted tours.

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