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Complete North America are proud
to work with preferred partners
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Introduction
If cities aren’t really your thing but breathtaking scenery,
amazing wildlife and good clean mountain air are then this itinerary
will be right up your street. This is a route we first drove several
years ago and it’s fair to say the variety of scenery in one
itinerary probably stands this route apart from any other we offer.
The whole 14 night itinerary is focused around ‘seeing’
this amazing region so we take you somewhere different every day,
whilst there is plenty of driving, it’s relaxed and away from
busy highways and long traffic jams.
You will marvel at the contrast between the stunning mountain
scenery found in the Colorado towns of Estes Park and Aspen to
the red rock canyons of Moab or Bryce and Zion National Parks
and of course the majestic Grand Canyon. This really is an itinerary
for the outdoor person who likes to stay on the move and see as
much as possible. There are plenty of opportunities for some hiking
or short walks, which really will leave you feeling, revitalized
and privileged to be out amongst the awesome North American Canyonlands.
Please do remember we can work on any number of variations of
this itinerary to suite your own individual requirements, please
just drop us a line, tell us what you’d like and we’ll
do the rest!
Itinerary Summary
- Denver
1 night - Doubletree Denver Hotel
- Estes Park (Rocky Mountain National Park)
1 night - Holiday Inn Of The Rockies
- Aspen
1 night - Hotel Aspen
- Moab - (Arches National Park)
1 night - Ramada Inn
- Capitol Reef National Monument
1 night - Wonderland Inn
- Bryce Canyon National Park
1 night - Best Western Rubys Inn
- Zion National Park
1 night - Driftwood Lodge
- Grand Canyon
2 nights - Red Feather Lodge
- Canyon de Chelly
1 night - Holiday Inn Chinle
- Mesa Verde National Park
1 night - Far View Lodge
- Durango
1 night - Holiday Inn
- Gunnison
1 night - Best Western Tomichi Inn
- Denver
1 night - Doubletree Denver Hotel
Total 14 nights
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Flights
We are very proud to work with British Airways and have negotiated
special inclusive tour rates exclusive for this itinerary giving
you a great deal on non-stop flights with one of the finest carriers
in the world to Denver International Airport. Should you be interested
we can also extend special reduced travel rates in British Airways
World Traveller Plus, Club World and FIRST.
Accommodation
With this itinerary featuring many National Parks and one-night
stops we have selected firstly accommodation that is perfectly
located so that you don’t miss anything. We have not used
any luxury resorts, that is not what this holiday is about, our
choice of accommodation, is for the most part, well priced clean
and comfortable motel style accommodation that we know and can
trust to provide a comfortable night. We are always happy to look
at upgrades if you feel you will be unhappy with any of our choice
– we don’t think you will!
Sometimes the hotels named in this itinerary are not available
at the time of booking. Under these circumstances Complete North
America will book alternative accommodation of a similar standard.
Such changes will be confirmed in writing to you at the time of
booking confirmation. If you are not completely happy with the
alternative hotel we will happily discuss other possibilities
with you in the same location.
Financial Protection
By booking this complete package with Complete North America you
benefit from reduced rates on flights, accommodation and car rental
along with complete financial protection. We are fully bonded
with the Civil Aviation Authority and this package is ATOL protected
under ATOL No.5368.
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| Day 1 |
Arrival
at Denver, Colorado.
Depart London Heathrow – 1545
Arrive Denver – 1825
Journey Time – 9 hours 50 minutes
Arrival into Denver where you will pick up your rental vehicle
and travel towards Denver and the Doubletree Hotel, the perfect
place to drop the bags catch your breath. Get a good nights sleep,
tomorrow there is much to do and see.
Hotel : Doubltree Denver
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| Day 2 |
Denver
- Estes Park, CO. 100 miles
This morning pick up your Denver Visitor Guide as here you will
find several city maps. You may wish to travel to some of the
downtown attractions.
Denver highlights include -
- IMAX Theater/Museum of Science and Nature/City Park
- 16th Street Pedestrian Shopping area
- State of Colorado Capitol Building
- Denver Art Museum
- Denver Museum of History
- Lower Downtown shops and galleries
- US Mint
- And more.
Each person has a different idea as to what they want to see
and do in Denver, so follow the maps or ask the hotel concierge
for driving instructions.
In the afternoon you will follow I-25 North out of Denver and
begin your journey to Estes Park passing through, Boulder (home
of the University of Colorado) and on to Lyons where you will
enter the St Vrain Canyon and the route up to Estes Park. An even
more attractive route if you have time would be Route 119 from
Boulder to Nederland and then the Peak to Peak Scenic Highway
to Estes Park.
You will find the Holiday Inn Estes Park has easy access to walk
to/from the shops, restaurants and boutiques of Estes Park Main
Street. You may also wish to drive up to the famed Stanley Hotel
(Stephen King wrote a part of his novel, The Shining, while staying
at this lodge), but note they do charge a parking fee for all
non-hotel guests.
Hotel : Holiday Inn of the Rockies
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| Day 3 |
Estes
Park - Aspen, CO. 225 miles
This morning you will follow the main street through Estes Park
and then turn right where this route ends. This will bring you
to the northeast entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park and
the Horseshoe Bend Park. Continue on to the Trail Ridge Road and
follow this up and over the mountains through the center of the
Park. You will find several excellent photo stops along this route—rainbow
curve, and others along the top of the pass. This route is the
highest continuous paved roadway in North America at over 12000
feet above sea level. The walk to the top from the visitor centre/shop
is nice, but take your time at this elevation.
The route then travels down the west side of the park to Grand
Lake and Grandby. At US-40 we suggest to turn right and follow
past Hot Sulphur Springs to Kemmerer and then down to Silverton.
Silverton is the home of the largest outlet-shopping plaza in
the American Rockies. You are now in the Colorado Winter Playground,
here you will find Keystone, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain and
then travel over Vail Pass and past the Vail Ski Resort. Just
past Vail you will enter a wide valley (hole) before entering
one of the most scenic drives along this entire route, the Glenwood
Canyon.
Sorry, no real good places to stop along this route, just the
rest areas.
Just as you exit the canyon you will enter the community of Glenwood
Springs, take the first exit and follow the route around past
the Hotel Colorado and Glenwood Springs pools (world’s largest
thermal heated pool) and on to the community of Aspen. Follow
the route to Durant Street and then south to the Limelight Lodge.
You will be within walking distance of the main town plaza and
all shops and restaurants.
Hotel : Hotel Aspen
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| Day 4 |
Aspen,
CO - Moab, UT. 250 miles
Morning touring in and around Aspen before returning to Glenwood
Springs where you will again pick up the route of I-70 West and
follow the Colorado River to Grand Junction. Here we suggest you
take the business loop through town and follow the signage for
the Colorado National Monument. This detour will take you about
2 hours through this beautiful park and you will exit the west
and pick up I-70 once again at Fruita. The route will take you
on into Utah at this point. You will now begin to notice the stunning
change from mountains to red rock scenery.
At exit 212, take the back route (most scenic) again along the
Colorado River past the Fisher Towers and the back wall of Arches
and into the Moab area. Here we suggest a late afternoon/early
evening visit to the Arches National Park. Any of the short walks
you might wish to take would be an excellent choice. For any hiking
in this region, be certain to bring along plenty of water, for
the elevation and the very low humidity will both help to dehydrate
your body. Arches offers some truly stunning rock formations,
make sure the camera film is loaded!
From the park make the short drive south to Moab. The lodge for
this date is located in the heart of the small resort village
along the main street.
Hotel : Ramada Inn
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| Day 5 |
Moab
- Capitol Reef National Park, UT. 225 miles
This morning we suggest you visit the area’s other park.
Travel north on US-191 to US-313. This is a dead-end road but
it will take you to the Canyonlands National Park-Island in the
Sky District. Here you must certainly stop at the Mesa Arch short
loop trail….you will not be disappointed, but be careful
for any climbing on the arch! The drop is incredible. Continue
to the views from the end before returning back to US-191 and
the travels on for this day.
US-191 will now take you north to I-70 West, but just for a short
distance as just past Green River you will need to take UT-24
South. If you have the time, the Goblin Valley is a most interesting
state park area. The route will take you past Hanksville and on
through the Capitol Reef National Park. Again, any of the stops
and short hikes would be well worth your time in this most scenic
area.
The lodge for this night is just to the west of the Capitol Reef
National Park with some pretty awesome views back towards this
park.
Hotel : Wonderland Inn
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| Day 6 |
Capitol
Reef National Park - Bryce Canyon National Park, UT. 140 miles
The route today will be one that you
will long remember, for the change in scenery and for the sheer
rugged terrain. From Torrey you will take the route south over
the pass, the Dixie National Forest and back into the deserts
with the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. Some side
trips for this day are, the drive into the Monument near Boulder
and Kodachrome Basin State Park. Just past Tropic you will see
the signs directing you the short distance on to Bryce Canyon
National Park.
First stop should be the Visitor Centre. There are several excellent
short and medium hikes near to the entrance of this park again
get your water!!! Here you may also sign up for some optional
programs for horseback riding or helicopter flights, both from
the Ruby’s Inn location where you are staying. The rangers
at the Visitor Centre may have the best ideas for you as you enter
the park area based on the current conditions.
Hotel : Best Western Ruby’s Inn
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| Day 7 |
Bryce
National Park – Zion National Park, UT. 100 miles
Morning touring in Bryce before
the short drive on (about 2 hours) to Zion National Park. One
short hike suggestion at this point, as you travel into the park
from the east entrance you will come to the long tunnel. Just
at the entrance is a parking lot and a trail to an overview of
the valley floor and Zion Park. This is well worth the short walk.
Continue on down to the park valley where you will need to stop
at the Visitor Centre in order to take the shuttle further on
into the park itself, no cars allowed beyond this point. The lodge
for this night is found just outside the south entrance of the
Zion Park in the community of Springdale. Here you will also find
shops and restaurants all nearby.
Hotel : Driftwood Lodge
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| Day 8 |
Zion
National Park, UT. – Grand Canyon, AZ. 350 miles
This day you will pass back through
the Zion Park and back to Mt Carmel Junction. (Alternative route
will take you to Hurricane and then around the south and past
the Pipe Springs National Monument.) From Kanab you will continue
east to the Lake Powell/Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.
The views from the dam and city area are again impressive. Continue
past Page and on through the Navajo Indian Reservation (largest
in the continental USA). Just past Cameron you will find the AZ-64
route that will bring you to the eastern entrance of the Grand
Canyon South Rim. Follow through the park and out the south entrance
to the community of Tusayan. Here you will find the accommodations
for this night in the village just past the IMAX Theatre.
Hotel : Red Feather Lodge
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| Day 9 |
Grand
Canyon, AZ.
A full day for exploring and hiking
the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park. First suggestion
is to stop at the Visitor Centre located along the rim just after
you re-enter the park. You will also wish to visit the Village
Area with the famed El Tovar Hotel. Some other options for this
day include the Helicopter and Airplane flights over the canyon.
These are from the Grand Canyon Airport located just south of
your lodge, do remember to bring along photo ID just as you would
for any flight these days.
You will find plenty to keep you busy, with a huge suggestion
to catch either the sunrise or sunset (or both) from the canyon
rim—or maybe even take one of the park tour busses for these
daily events! A second night at the lodge near the park entrance.
Hotel : Red Feather Lodge
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| Day 10 |
Grand Canyon – Canyon de Chelly, AZ. 350
miles
From you lodge you will travel south en-route
to Flagstaff. Here you will catch I-40 East, Walnut Canyon National
Monument is nice, but you will see better ruins in the next
day or two. From Holbrook we do suggest to take the route south
and the drive through the Petrified Forest National Park/Painted
Desert. This drive will eventually bring you back into the Navajo
Indian Reservation and on to the community of Chinle. Here you
will find Indian Route-7 that will take you along the scenic
rim drives of the Canyon de Chelly National Monument. Both rims
are nice, but the south rim is the preferable if you have limited
time. And again you will find several excellent photo opportunities
from the viewpoints along the park drive. The lodge for this
night is located back in the community of Chinle
Hotel : Holiday Inn Chinle
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| Day 11 |
Canyon de Chelly, AZ. –
Mesa Verde National Park, CO. 160 miles
From Chinle, head north and take in the much
pictured rocks of Monument Valley. Continue East to the area
known as the Four Corners, the only spot where four states actually
meet in the USA. This actual site is on Indian land and quite
“commercial”, almost to the point of tacky. It is
not a suggested stop unless you really want to stand at this
point and say you were in four states at one time!
Continue on to the community of Cortez where you will pass
through the small town and on to the entrance of the Mesa Verde
National Park. As you enter the park you should sign up for
one or more of the “guided ranger hikes” to the
cliff dwellings, or if just one, try to get on the Cliff Palace
tour. You will not be able to visit these sites unless accompanied
by a ranger at a specific hike time. Once you enter the park
you will climb to the top of the mesa. Travel past the Far View
Lodge and on to the park headquarters/Visitor Centre. Here is
a great museum and you can visit the Spruce Tree House from
this site. Watch the time so as not to miss your ranger guided
walk.
Return this night to the Far View Lodge where you will find
out this night why it has this name. If it’s a clear night
you will see stars forever. And the restaurant here is one of
the best anywhere in the Park System….. There is also
a cafeteria for those who do not wish to pay the dining room
prices, but we do recommend this one good meal along the route,
and then hit the cafeteria for breakfast.
Hotel: Far View Lodge
(Subsituted with Holiday Inn Express Cortez - Apr
01st - May 17th & Oct 12th - 31st)
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| Day 12 |
Mesa Verde National
Park – Durango, CO. 70 miles
This morning you may spend more time in Mesa Verde,
or travel on to Durango for the Silverton Narrow Gauge Train Option….must
be pre-booked and we suggest taking the last train of the day,
just so you have time to get to Durango for this activity. The
train will take you through some of the most beautiful mountain
scenery in this region. You will also want to spend some time
along the main street of Durango with the fun shops and restaurants,
and historic hotels of this community.
The lodge for this night is located along the main north/south
route (just off of Main Street) in Durango, and within walking
distance of the train depot (also excellent historic train museum).
Hotel : Holiday Inn
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| Day 13 |
Durango - Durango - Gunnison, CO 170 miles 170 miles
Get ready to head up and over as you travel north
from Durango you will pass over TWO mountain passes with the small
community of Silverton located between them. This is one of the
most scenic drive routes in Colorado and will bring you into the
Box Canyon community of Ouray. From Ouray, continue north to Montrose
where you will find an excellent museum for the Ute Indian Nation.
In Montrose take the route to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National
Park (one of the newest parks in the NPS System). There really
are no trails into the canyon, but the views of the world's narrowest
gorge are quite impressive. Overnight in Gunnison
Hotel : Best Western Tomichi Inn
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| Day 14 |
Gunnison – Denver,
CO 201 miles
From Gunnison you will head east past Gunnison
and the National Recreation area, over the Monarch Pass and into
the South Park Valley. Continue to follow the route along the
Arkansas River to Canon City, near here you will see the signs
for the Royal Gorge, the world's highest Suspension Bridge-nice
stop and very scenic. Head north past Fort Carson Military Base
and into Colorado Springs. Here we have a couple of suggestions
for touring before heading north and back to Denver for this night.
Visit Garden of the Gods. The city park is a MUST see for this
area and offers some nice shorter trails into the huge red rocks
with Pikes Peak as a backdrop. You could also visit Old Colorado
City with the historic shops and galleries. From Colorado Springs
you will continue north to Denver.
Hotel - Doubletree Hotel Denver
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| Day 15 |
Departure from Denver
This day you will have time to relax and enjoy Denver once again
until time to depart to the airport for your flight home. As you
near the airport watch for the rental car return signs as they
will then shuttle you to the departure terminal. Safe travels
home.
Depart Denver – 2015
Arrive London Heathrow – 1210*
Journey Time – 9 hours 05 minutes
*= Next day arrival
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| Canyonlands
Flydrive - Photo Album
We are pleased to be able to display a selection of photographs
from this Flydrive
Prices (in Pounds Sterling)
The prices shown below are 'per person'.
| Departure
Date |
Single |
Double |
Triple |
Quad |
Child |
01 April - 30 April 2008 |
2029 |
1339 |
1159 |
1059 |
499 |
01 May - 17 May 2008 |
2149 |
1469 |
1289 |
1189 |
579 |
18 May - 30 June 2008 |
2389 |
1589 |
1369 |
1239 |
579 |
01 July - 10 July 2008 |
2529 |
1729 |
1509 |
1379 |
659 |
11 July - 21 August 2008 |
2629 |
1799 |
1579 |
1449 |
699 |
22 August - 31 August 2008 |
2429 |
1609 |
1379 |
1249 |
579 |
01 September - 11 October 2008 |
2389 |
1589 |
1369 |
1239 |
579 |
12 0ctober 31 October 2008 |
2149 |
1489 |
1289 |
1179 |
579 |
Note 1
During these periods snowfall and road closures particularly in
National Parks such as Rocky Mountain National Park, Bryce National
Park and Mesa Verde are to be expected. The Canyonlands take on
an incredible beauty at this time of year so whilst the weather
must be taken into account when planning your itinerary we would
be happy to provide you with an amended route and offer you some
more specific advice on what you can expect during the winter months.
Please call us on 0845 263 7100 or or send
a specific email enquiry.
Cost Includes ....
- British Airways non-stop flights
- UK & US Airport taxes
- 14 nights room only accommodation
- 14 days economy car rental based on Alamo ‘Gold Rate’
(Intermediate for Triple/Quad Rates). Click
here for details.
- Exclusive travel documentation package including personalised
maps, itinerary and driver directions along with all applicable
tickets and vouchers.
- Due to the varying and frequently changing fuel surcharges
imposed by all carriers from time to time the costs above do
not include these charges. Any applicable charge will be confirmed
to you at the time of enquiry or booking.
Weather
Whilst very pleasant during the summer months the contrasts in
elevation mean the weather is very changeable with snowfall or
lying snow common place from October right through to June in
some areas such as Bryce Canyon National Park and the Rocky Mountain
National Park.
Hotel Availability
Sometimes the hotels named in this itinerary are not available
at the time of booking. Under these circumstances Complete North
America will book alternative accommodation of a similar standard.
Such changes will be confirmed in writing to you at the time of
booking confirmation. If you are not completely happy with the
alternative hotel we will happily discuss other possibilities
with you in the same location.
Hotel Upgrades
For this itinerary we have chosen to work with a good choice of
mid range hotels and motels. Our aim is to provide a good location
in Denver and convenient clean and comfortable places to overnight
whilst on the road. Such is the driving nature of this itinerary
that for most people a clean comfortable room for the night is
the order of the day. That said if you would like to consider
upgrading any of your hotels here are a selection of our reccomendations.
- Denver - The Brown Palace
- Aspen - The St. Regis Resort
- Moab - Sorrel River Ranch
- Bryce Canyon National Park - Bryce Canyon Lodge
- Zion National Park - Zion Lodge
- Grand Canyon National Park - El Tovar
- Durango - Historic Strater Hotel
Best days to travel, seat assignments, special requests
and flight upgrades
- British Airways operates the only non-stop flights to Denver.
Should you wish to fly with an alternative carrier to British
Airways we would also be happy to prepare a quote for you.
- Where available we will be delighted to pre-assign your seats
numbers and take care of any special meal requests according
to your preference at the time of booking.
- We have exceptional deals on upgrades with British Airways
to World Traveller Plus, Club World and FIRST.
- We have discounted prices for British Airways regional flights
to Heathrow, please ask for details and if you are flying from
Northern Ireland or Republic of Ireland? Read
about special deals for connecting flights here.
Car Rental in America
The car rental included in this package is based on the Alamo
'Gold' rate which represents the mose inclusive rate you can buy.
For a full breakdown of just exactly what this rate includes,
a full explanation of all inclusions and information on cars please
visit our car rental section by clicking on the link below.
As part of our agreement with Alamo we are able to offer you
GPS Satellite Navigation as an optional extra that must be pre-booked.
For more information on this click the link below.
Travel Insurance
Whilst it is not compulsory to take our travel insurance, it's
imperative that you do not travel without comprehensive travel
insurance. Our adult premium is £49 per person for 2 weeks
(Age restrictions do apply), however we do have rates for family
policies and annual travel insurance, please call for details.
In all cases taking our travel insurance will require acceptance
of the medical health declaration and all pre-existing conditions
should be declared to the insurance company.
All travellers must hold a full 10 year machine readable
British Passport and have no criminal convictions to travel to
the United States without the need for a visa. For more details
on passport requirements please visit www.usembassy.org.uk Ready to book?
Call our booking
line on 0845 263 7100
(Mon-Fri. 09.00-18.00 or Sat 10.00-17.00)
A member of our team will be happy to answer any questions you have before processing your booking and the initial non-refundable deposit payment of £150.00 per person. We will endeavour to secure your flights and take care of any special meal requests during this call. The remaining components of your holiday will be put in place and a written 'Confirmation/Invoice' detailing everything we have confirmed on your behalf will be sent by regular mail along with a receipt for the deposit to your nominated contact address. We try to complete this whole process within 7- 10 working days of accepting your order and deposit, however meeting this target is very much dependant on the speed of response from our hotel and tour partners in North America.
Please note - By agreeing to pay a
deposit you are instructing us to commence with the booking of
your holiday arrangements and as such you enter into an agreement
with Complete North America Limited. This agreement is governed
by our standard booking conditions a copy of which is available
to you at anytime and included with your written holiday confirmation.
Click here to view our Booking
Conditions & Promise of Fair Trading
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For more information, call
0845 263 7100
Complete North America Limited,
Colwick Quays Business Park, Private Road No.2, Colwick, Nottingham. NG4 2JY |
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