8-Nights Western Rails & Canyons With Rocky Mountaineer from $5,139

Globus

OFFER ID 1475520

All aboard for a spectacular 9-day adventure through the American Southwest! Your tour through Colorado and Utah begins with an overnight stay in the ‘Mile High City’ of Denver-5,280 feet above sea level. In Colorado Springs, board the Pikes Peak cog railway to reach the summit that inspired ‘America the Beautiful.’ Explore the stunning desert landscapes of Canyonlands and Arches National Parks, and the ancient indigenous dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park. Embark on a two-day scenic rail journey aboard the Rocky Mountaineer train from the outdoor mecca of Moab through Colorado Canyons National Conservation Area and over the Continental Divide to return to Denver. You’ll also explore the natural treasures of Great Sand Dunes National Park, the scenic Durango & Silverton Narrow-Gauge Railroad, and historic Glenwood Springs.

8 nights from $5,139 per person

Itinerary

Western Rails & Canyons With Rocky Mountaineer

Day 1 ARRIVE IN DENVER, COLORADO Welcome to Colorado! At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome drink.

Day 2 DENVER–COLORADO SPRINGS The Mile-High City See Denver’s historic Union Station, Mile High Stadium, and more on an orientation tour en route to Colorado Springs. Explore Garden of the Gods Park, featuring 300-foot towering sandstone rock formations against a backdrop of snowcapped Pikes Peak and brilliant blue skies. Take a thrilling ride on the Broadmoor Manitou & Pikes Peak Cog Railway. Travel up to the summit of 14,115-foot Pikes Peak, the place that inspired Katharine Lee Bates to write America the Beautiful. Tonight, a [LF] home-cooked BBQ dinner with western music under the stars at the historic Flying W Ranch (weather permitting). (B,D)

LOCAL FAVORITE
LOCAL TASTES Enjoy some Rocky Mountain home cooking under the stars with a BBQ at Flying W Ranch. Tap along to western music to get you in the spirit in this working cattle ranch in the Colorado foothills!

Day 3 COLORADO SPRINGS–GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK–DURANGO Peak Perfection A scenic drive travels along the Highway of Legends Scenic and Historic Byway, over the Sangre de Cristo Range, home to ten 14,000-foot peaks, and through meandering ranchlands to Great Sand Dunes National Park. Later, continue deeper into the Colorado wilderness passing through the San Juan National Forest to Durango. Tonight is free to explore Durango. Why not visit the saloons, speakeasy, and more on historic Main Street. (B)

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
NATURAL WONDERS A sandbox of epic proportions, the entire dune field encompasses 30 square miles, with the tallest dune towering 750 feet high. With the highest dunes in North America, Great Sand Dunes National Park is a diverse landscape of grasslands, wetlands, forests, and soaring peaks. Enjoy free time here to explore the dunefield trails.

Day 4 DURANGO. RAIL JOURNEY TO SILVERTON Rocky Mountain Highs This morning, board the [LF] Durango & Silverton Narrow-Gauge Railroad for a scenic ride through San Juan National Forest. Return to Durango for a free evening. (B)

LOCAL FAVORITE
EPIC RIDE The legendary Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad train hugs steep canyon walls as it winds its way through Rio de las Animas Canyon to Silverton, a National Historic Landmark. Silverton, once a major mining town, owes its name to an early miner’s claim, “We have no gold, but silver by the ton!” Spend time visiting the breweries, boutiques, and saloons that dot the thriving Greene Street.

Day 5 DURANGO–MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK–CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS–MOAB, UTAH Ancient Mystery Today is a step back to ancient times, lands, and people. Start with a visit to Mesa Verde National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, continuing to the Canyon of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum. Continue to Moab for a free evening. (B)

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
HISTORY & TRADITION Learn about the Ancestral Puebloans and see their mysterious, centuries-old cliff dwellings. Also, visit the museum that depicts the story of the people who once thrived on this 8,000-foot plateau, and stop at a great vantage point for pictures of Cliff Palace (one of the largest of the 700-year-old Anasazi dwellings). Visit the Canyon of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum en route to Moab. Learn of the Ancestral Puebloan, Native American, and historic cultures in the Four Corners region. Then, walk in the footsteps of these great peoples by visiting the Escalante and Dominquez Pueblos.

Day 6 MOAB. EXCURSION TO CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK & DEADHORSE STATE PARK Crimson Canyons Visit magnificent Canyonlands National Park. Return to Moab for a free evening. Perhaps visit the quaint shops and restaurants on Main Street or stretch your legs on the Mill Creek Parkway Trail. (B)

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
NATURAL WONDERS Explore the magnificent views of Canyonlands National Park to see deep canyons stretching across the Colorado Plateau, an intricate canyon labyrinth with a million crimson hues. Then, on to Dead Horse Point State Park to see a vast mesa with an incredible view of the Colorado River as it twists through a gooseneck canyon 2,000 feet below.

Day 7 MOAB–ARCHES NATIONAL PARK–ROCKY MOUNTAINEER–GLENWOOD SPRINGS, COLORADO Rockies by Rail Today, explore the incredible landscape of Arches National Park, containing more than 2,000 natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch. Then embark on the Rocky Mountaineer for a scenic train ride in Silver Leaf Class. Travel east through the Colorado Canyons National Conservation Area. See Parachute Creek and Mount Logan while following the scenic Colorado River. Take in the beautiful red rock formations, desert cliffs of Ruby Canyon, and mountain vistas. Overnight stay in historic Glenwood Springs, Colorado. (B,D)

NOTE:
Glenwood Springs’ properties are considered moderate 3-star hotels or better. Your chosen hotel is determined by Rocky Mountaineer; however, you can rest assured that it satisfies our high standards of cleanliness and comfort.

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
TRAIN SPOTLIGHT The Rocky Mountaineer travels through spectacular scenery. SilverLeaf Service features a single-level coach offering reclining seats, and meals served at your seat, and panoramic views from oversized windows. Enjoy an onboard culinary experience in regional cuisine and ingredients local to the Southwestern U.S.

Day 8 GLENWOOD SPRINGS–ROCKY MOUNTAINEER–DENVER On Top of the World A full day aboard the Rocky Mountaineer through the Colorado high country. From dense wooded forests and white-capped mountains of White River National Forest to the picturesque Byers and Gore Canyons and the tranquil mountain lakes of Arapahoe National Forest, you’ll experience the journey of a lifetime. Cross the high elevations of the Continental Divide with a sparkling wine toast while driving through the six-mile-long Moffatt Tunnel. Arrive in Denver this evening for a farewell dinner hosted by your Tour Director tonight. (B,L,D)

Day 9 DENVERSafe travels until we meet again! Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. Want to explore more of Denver? Extra nights are available for purchase. (B)

Featured Destinations

Mesa Verde National Park

Located in southwest Colorado, Mesa Verde is one of the best places to view the ancient cliff dwellings built by the Anasazi. They lived throughout the area from about AD 550-1300, when their dwellings were suddenly abandoned. Other popular sites are at Chaco Canyon in New Mexico, Canyon de Chelly in Arizona and Hovenweep National Monument on the Utah-Colorado border.

Mesa Verde is special because the cliff dwellings can be viewed at close range. Some tours even let visitors enter the structures.

As the name suggests, Mesa Verde is on a mesa; therefore, visitors must make a long but beautiful drive across the upland plateau to reach the ruins. There are great views of the distant San Juan Mountains from scenic pull-offs along the way. The Mesa Verde Research and Visitor Center sells tickets for the guided tours, and the Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum offers an introduction to the Anasazi culture and its communities at Mesa Verde. Most of the park attractions are open mid-April to mid-October.

More than 600 cliff dwellings can be viewed in the park, but there are three standouts: Spruce Tree House, Cliff Palace and Balcony House. Spruce Tree House is tucked beneath a cliff just a short walk from the museum; however, rock falls and unstable pueblo architecture have forced park officials to restrict access to this ruin. Visitors can still view it from overlooks near the museum. Cliff Palace is the largest cliff dwelling in North America and can only be reached on a guided tour. A tour is also required to see Balcony House, perched in a cave high above the valley floor. The tour involves climbing up and down several ladders.

A visit to Mesa Verde could fill two days, but a half-day is enough time to make the drive across the plateau and see one or two of the ruins. There's a campground and a lodge in the park for those spending the night.

The park is open daily, and the entrance fee is US$15 per vehicle November-April, US$20 per vehicle May-October for a seven-day pass. Phone 970-529-4465. https://www.nps.gov/meve.

Moab

Colorado Springs

Durango

Glenwood Springs

Denver

Vacation Details

Valid Date Ranges

06/07/2024 - 06/15/2024

from $5,139 per person

08/09/2024 - 08/17/2024

from $5,139 per person *

09/13/2024 - 09/21/2024

from $5,179 per person *

09/20/2024 - 09/28/2024

from $5,659 per person *

* This departure has been designated a guaranteed departure by the operator, meaning that the minimum number of guests has been met, although still subject to weather and other conditions.

Prices Start At

from $5,139 per person

Length

8 Nights

Air City

Call for airfares from your city.

Vacation Rating

Deluxe
Fine dining, on-site bars or lounges and room service with extended hours are characteristic of deluxe establishments. Guest services usually include valet parking, concierge services, baggage assistance and laundry services. Other on-site facilities often include shops and boutiques, full service spas, full fitness facilities with pools and tennis courts. Business amenities may include available up-to-date technology and support staffs available for services. Attention to detail is apparent in the guestrooms which typically have stylish furnishings, quality bedding and bath products and often provide an evening turn down service.

Remarks

Itinerary and map subject to change. Prices are per person, land or cruise only, based on double occupancy. Offer subject to availability and change without notice. Some restrictions may apply. Please ask us for details.

Charges not included in the land vacation price: airfare to and from the start of your vacation; airline baggage fees including checked and/or excess baggage fees; Federal inspection fees for the Federal U.S. Customs and Immigrations; agricultural tax; other per person taxes imposed by government entities; applicable cruise taxes, fees, fares and port charges; passports; visas and vaccinations; transfers; tips to your Tour or Cruise Director, Local Host, driver, Local Guides, and/or ships' crew; gratuities on ferries, trains, and cruise ships; laundry; telephone; minibar; alcohol, beverages, and food outside of the contracted menu as presented at a hotel or restaurant (these extra items will be billed to you before leaving the hotel, ship, or restaurant); additional excursions and activities not listed as 'included' in the itinerary; porterage at airports or train stations; Travel Protection premiums; and all other items of a personal nature.

All fares are quoted in US Dollars.

OFFER ID

1475520

Reference this number when contacting our agency so we may better serve you. Also keeping this number handy will allow you to locate this document again quickly.

Orinda Travel

2 Theatre Square, Suite 160
Orinda, CA 94563
USA

(925) 254-3715
(800) 248-7185