20D/19N - 2024 The Great American Crossing

day 01 New York Arrival

Arrive in New York City and transfer independently to your hotel where you will meet with your Tour Director in the evening.

day 02 New York-Philadelphia-Washington DC

We depart New York for Philadelphia, where we spend the morning exploring the historic district of the “City of Brotherly Love” and the birthplace of a nation. See the Liberty Bell, and stroll through Independence National Historic Park and Mall. Then continue to the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C.

day 03 Washington DC

Enjoy a city tour with such highlights as the U.S. Capitol Building, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, the White House and Arlington National Cemetery, site of the John F. Kennedy Memorial. Spend the remainder of the day exploring some of the many museums comprising the Smithsonian Institute or simply stroll the banks of the Potomac River.

day 04 Washington DC-Gettysburg-Niagara Falls

Today, visit Gettysburg National Military Park, site of one of the most decisive battles during the American Civil War, and the place where Abraham Lincoln gave his famous address in 1863. We then travel through upstate New York to Buffalo and finally cross the international border into Canada, where the thundering noise and mist of Niagara Falls permeates the air.

day 05 Niagara Falls-The Great Lakes-Detroit

Spend the morning sightseeing at Niagara Falls. Stroll along Table Rock and view the thundering waters of Horseshoe Falls. In the late afternoon, return to the US, crossing the border and continuing to your hotel in a suburb of Detroit, known as ‘Motor City’. Evening is at leisure.

day 06 Detroit-Chicago

This morning we make an early start to visit the fascinating Henry Ford Museum. After time exploring the many exhibits of the museum we will visit the nearby Ford plant and watch a modern production vehicle roll off the ever busy factory floor. We then leave Motor city behind and travel along Lake Michigan to Chicago for our overnight stay.

day 07 Chicago

Today we will enjoy a short tour of the city’s highlights including Lake Shore Drive, the Magnificent Mile and Navy Pier. The rest of the day is at leisure.

day 08 Chicago-Mississippi River Crossing-Sioux City

Travel through Midwest farm country, abundant in corn fields, wheat fields and dairy farms. Then we cross the mighty Mississippi River and travel into the state of Iowa to arrive just as Lewis and Clark did 200 years ago on the banks of the Missouri River.

day 09 Sioux City-Badlands-Mt. Rushmore-Deadwood/Rapid City

Travel westward through the grasslands of South Dakota and onwards to Badlands National Park, once home to the buffalo and antelope, and filled with colourful rock formations. Then we continue on to the Black Hills, sacred to the Plains Indians and home to Mount Rushmore.

day 10 Deadwood/Rapid City-Bighorn Mountains-Cody

Enter the state of Wyoming, which has twelve mountain ranges intermixed with deserts and rolling grasslands, and continue to Cody for the night. If overnight in Cody is not possible due to weather or adverse road conditions in Yellowstone, overnight will be in Billings Livingston, Montana.

day 11 Cody-Yellowstone National Park

Drive past the mountains in Wyoming to Yellowstone, America’s first National Park, and enjoy a sightseeing tour of this immense geothermal wonderland including: geysers, waterfalls, wildlife and canyons. Highlights will include Yellowstone Lake, Old Faithful, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Canyon’s majestic falls, and the beautiful Hayden Valley.

day 12 Yellowstone National Park-Grand Teton-Salt Lake City

Travel through Grand Teton National Park (weather permitting) and see awesome mountain peaks towering over 13,000 ft. Visit the Snake River Outlook and try your eye at capturing the stunning landscape made famous by Ansel Adam’s iconic shot. Later, arrive in the Mormon State of Utah and take a short city tour of its capital, Salt Lake City. The followers of Brigham Young built one of the best-planned cities in the country. See the State Capital building and visit famed Temple Square and the Tabernacle before arriving at the hotel for the evening.

day 13 Salt Lake City-Bryce Canyon National Park

Continue today to spectacular Bryce Canyon, where a tour through a multi-coloured world of sandstone spires and pinnacles, “hoodoos”, will dazzle the eye. This evening, weather permitting, be sure to gaze upon the spectacular night sky filled with sparkling stars & brilliant constellations and the aroma of pine-wood campfires.

day 14 Bryce-Lake Powell-Grand Canyon-Williams-Flagstaff

Depart Bryce Canyon this morning and journey to stunning Lake Powell, where crystal blue water laps against towering red-rock canyon walls. Lake Powell is the second-largest man made lake in America, and one in a series of lakes formed by the damming of the Colorado River. Then visit colossal Grand Canyon National Park, one of the seven great natural wonders of the world. Stop at the Canyon rim to fully experience this mile-deep canyon’s plunging gorges, rising spires, extinct volcanoes and, below the rim, the winding Colorado River. Overnight in Flagstaff, a famed stop on Historic Route 66.

day 15 Flagstaff-Seligman-Route 66-Las Vegas

This morning depart Flagstaff and travel on to Las Vegas, the dazzling “Entertainment Capital of the World”. Along the way, pass through Seligman, a town built along the famed Route 66 that looks as if it were frozen in time sixty years ago. The remainder of the day is at leisure for you to explore the dazzling Las Vegas Strip.

day 16 Las Vegas-Mojave Desert-Beverly Hills-Los Angeles

Travel to Los Angeles through the Mojave Desert, where clusters of unique Joshua trees dot the mountainous landscape. Upon arrival in Los Angeles you will enjoy a tour through the “City of Angels” including Hollywood, Sunset Strip and parts of Beverly Hills, before reaching your hotel.

day 17 Los Angeles

Today we suggest an optional full-day tour visiting the world’s largest movie studio and theme park Universal Studios. Get an inside look at the sets and uncover the behind the scenes secrets of legendary films or perhaps, for the more adventurous, take one of the Studios’ feature rides including Jurassic Park and Revenge of the Mummy. A universe of excitement awaits in one of California’s premier attractions.

day 18 Los Angeles-Malibu-Santa Barbara-Central Coast

Leave Los Angeles in the morning and travel north through one of California’s favourite vacation spots, Santa Barbara, where palm-lined walkways border white sandy beaches. The city is famous for its mission and Spanish heritage. Along the way, stop at an iconic California lifeguard tower made famous in ‘Baywatch’.

day 19 Central Coast-Carmel-Monterey-San Francisco

Today we make our way north to Carmel, home of actor/director Clint Eastwood. Enjoy browsing the shops and galleries of this famous artists’ colony. Traveling further north, visit Monterey’s Old Fisherman’s Wharf. Stroll the Pier to Cannery Row, brought to fame by John Steinbeck’s novel. In the afternoon pass the fertile valleys of Castroville and Santa Clara en route to San Francisco, the “City by the Bay.” Overnight in San Francisco.

day 20 San Fransisco

Your tour concludes after morning check out from your hotel

Inclusions: twin share, welcome reception, tour director, deluxe coach, porterage, service charges, taxes.
Sightseeing: Philadelphia and the Liberty Bell, halfi city day tour of Washington DC, Gettysburg National Military Park, Niagara Falls, Henry Ford Museum & Ford Plant in Detroit, Chicago, Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Bryce Canyon National Park, travel along Route 66 and stop in the historic town of Seligman, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, visit the famous Cannery Row in Monterey & shops of Carmel.
Hotels: New York- Lexington, Washington-Embassy Row, Niagara Falls-BW Cairn Croft, Detroit-Best Western Greenfield Inn, Chicago-South Loop Hotel Chicago, South Sioux City-BW Plus Ramkota Hotel, Rapid City-BAymont by Wyndham Keystone, Cody- Buffalo Bill Village Resort, Yellowstone-Gray Wolf Inn/Brandin Iron Inn, Salt Lake City-Little America, Bryce Canyon-Bryce View Lodge, Flagstaff-Days Hotel Flagstaff, Las Vegas-Luxor-Pyramid room, Los Angeles-Crowne Plaza LAX, Central Coast- Holiday Inn Express Solvang (or similar).

Notes: All bookings are made only on English spoken tour departures, however some tours may be modified to bilingual (2 languages) at short notice. Tours are subject to change without notice pending climatic and local traffic conditions.

Optional excursions: Washington Monuments at night with dinner in fashionable D.C., Maid of the Mist ride with lunch at Niagara Falls, architectural river cruise in Chicago, visit the Willis Skydeck, Santa Monica visit with dinner, tour Universal Studios, learn how movies are made, dinner at the Roof Restaurant in Salt Lake City for panoramic views of Temple Square, stop by the finish line of Historic Route 66 and “All-American” Picnic at a surprise destination en route. Please book the optional excursions with your tour director at the start of the tour.