8-Day Yellowstone, Bryce Canyon, Mt. Rushmore, Antelope Canyon, Monument Valley, Arches Park, Salt Lake City Tour

Day 1: Las Vegas →St. George

In the afternoon we will stop by Las Vegas to take a quick break and then head towards St. George. Stay overnight in St. George.

St. George: The crossroad of Colorado Plateau and Mojave Desert, St. George is popular for winter vacation getaways and also an important stop before continue on into Utah.

• Red Roof Inn or Similar

Day 2: Bryce Canyon National Park→Zion National Park→St George

We will visit the Zion National Park. Just like the place of peace where it receives its name from, the tranquil scenery and diverse ecosystem inside Zion Canyon will make you feel at one with nature. Later we will drive to Bryce canyon national park, which Famous for its hoodoo rocks, these sandstone columns in the canyon resemble all sorts of different strange creatures; putting both your imagination and your camera to work.

Bryce Canyon National Park is a United States national park located in southwestern Utah. The major feature of the park is Bryce Canyon, which despite its name, is not a canyon, but a collection of giant natural amphitheaters along the eastern side of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. Bryce is distinctive due to geological structures called hoodoos, formed by frost weathering and stream erosion of the river and lake bed sedimentary rocks. The red, orange, and white colors of the rocks provide spectacular views for park visitors. Bryce sits at a much higher elevation than nearby Zion National Park. The rim at Bryce varies from 8,000 to 9,000 feet.

Zion National Park is a United States National Park located in southwestern Utah, near the city of Springdale. A prominent feature of the 229-square-milepark is Zion Canyon, which stretches 15 miles long and spans up to half a mile deep. It cuts through the reddish and tan-colored Navajo Sandstone by the North Fork of the Virgin River. The lowest point in the park is 3,666 ft. at Couplets Wash and the highest peak is 8,726 ft at Horse Ranch Mountain. Located at the junction of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert regions, the park has a unique geography and a variety of life zones that allow for unusual plant and animal diversity. Numerous plant species as well as 289 species of birds, 75 mammals (including 19 species of bat), and 32 reptiles inhabit the park's four life zones: desert, riparian, woodland, and coniferous forest. Zion National Park includes mountains, canyons, buttes, mesas, monoliths, rivers, slot canyons, and natural arches.

• Comfort inn & Suits or similar

Day 3: Lower Antelope Canyon→Horseshoe Bend→Monument Valley

We will head toward Colorado Plateau in the morning, taking photos at the famous Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend. After we will visit the Monument Valley, which is the core of American western Indian culture. Many western cowboy style movies have been shot here. Visitors can pay a fee to take the jeep tour to have a closer visit.

Colorado Plateau: The only desert plateau in the United States. After years of erosion from the Colorado River, some of the most stunning nature sceneries had formed here. Red Rocks arches and mesas decorate this vase landscape with their brilliant colors.

Antelope Canyon: One of the most recognizable and famous natural landscapes in the world and a must see for photography enthusiast. Millions of years of flash flood and natural erosion gifted us these slot canyons, with their smooth wavy curves and gorgeous colors from the sandstone; it truly is a wonder of nature.

Horseshoe Bend: Carved by the Colorado River, you can witness the water slowly flowing pass underneath your feet in this horse shoe shape bay as you stand above it on the edge of the cliff.

Monument Valley: A summary of all the beautiful landscape on the Colorado Plateau, see the Navajo Sandstone pillars and monument rocks erected across the land. This place had been the backdrop of countless Western movies and TV commercials. You'll even be able to travel on the same road that "Forrest Gump" had run through on his cross-country trek.

• UTE Mountain Casino Resort or similar

Day 4: Arches National Park→Canyonlands National Park→Salt Lake City

We will go to the world's largest concentration of sandstone arches - Arches National Park, where only documented record arches have as many as 2000. The Delicate Arch is looked like a landmark of Utah, even the entire West Coast National Park. Our tour guide will lead visitors walk close to Delicate Arch, enable everyone to touch it personally and take pictures of it. After that, we will drive to Canyonlands National Park.  Author Edward Abbey, a frequent visitor, described the Canyonlands as "the most weird, wonderful, magical place on earth—there is nothing else like it anywhere."

Arches National Park: Nature created this marvelous location from sandstones and underground salt layers with nothing but wind and water. The most concentrated area in the world for naturally formed sandstone arches, you can also see all kinds of different unique shape rocks and see one of the most well-known landmarks of Utah, the Windows Arches.

Canyonlands National Park is a U.S. National Park located in southeastern Utah near the town of Moab. It preserves a colorful landscape eroded into countless canyons, mesas, and buttes by the Colorado River, the Green River, and their respective tributaries. The park is divided into four districts: the Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze, and the combined rivers—the Green and Colorado—which carved two large canyons into the Colorado Plateau. While these areas share a primitive desert atmosphere, each retains its own character. 

• Ramada Inn SLC or similar

Day 5: Jackson, WY - Grand Teton National Park - Yellowstone National Park

In the morning, we will head to the small town of Jackson, Wyoming, a famous frontier town during the Western development. Afterwards we will head into Grand Teton National Park passing by Jackson Lake and stop at an outlook to view the Grand Teton Peak. From there, we will take you into the first national park in the world, Yellowstone National Park. We will see 10 of Yellowstone's major scenery sites over the spans of 2 days, including Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring and Fountain Paint Pot. Spend the night in West Yellowstone.

Jackson, WY: famous frontier town, located at the crossing of Grand Teton and Rocky Mountains, it became a heaven for outdoors sports enthusiast. It is also the third largest artwork exchange location in the world and a popular vacation destination for the wealthy. The widely praised Elk Antler Arches Park, with its four arches made with thousands of elk antlers is a must see.

Grand Teton National Park: one of the most beautiful national parks with its snow covered mountain peaks year round and wide range of wild life ecosystem. It even attracted great writer Ernest Hemingway to fall in love with this place and had been the backdrop for countless Western movies.

Yellowstone National Park: the very first national park in the whole world, Yellowstone attracted countless visitors over the year with its unique geothermal activities and fascinating wild life. You will find all four different kinds of geothermal activities, geyser, hot spring, fumarole and mud pot as we take you travel through the park. 

Yellowstone Lake (West Thumb): this is the highest altitude volcanic lake in North America. We will take you to walk along the trail beside the lake and see the tranquil lake view plus all the beautiful sites on the way, like Abyss Pool, Black Pool, and Fishing Hole. 

Old Faith Geyser: the most famous landmark inside Yellowstone, it's also the logo of the national park, erupting roughly every 91 minutes, this is a must see when you are inside Yellowstone.

Grand Prismatic Spring: the third largest hot spring in the world, it's the most renowned hot spring in the national park. Setting foot into the area will surround you with steam and allowing you an up close view of the brilliant colors inside the hot spring.

Fountain Paint Pot: walking along this trail will provide you a great view of the light pink color mud pot with its constantly boiling mud bubbles and the fumaroles nearby.

• Traveler Lodge or similar

Day 6: Yellowstone →Buffalo Bill Dam →Gillette (337 Miles/7.5 hours)

In the morning we will continue our tour inside Yellowstone National Park, visiting Norris Basin, Yellowstone Canyon, Yellowstone Fall, Mud Volcano, Fishing Bridge, Hayden valley. After we all finished those amazing attractions, will exit the park from the east entrance to Buffalo Bill Dam to enjoy the scenic view along the way. We will arrive and spend the night at Gillette, Wyoming. 

Norris Basin: this is the most concentrated location of geothermal activities in Yellowstone National Park. While walking on the trail in this steamy fairyland, you'll be treated to a great view of all the hot springs along the way.

Yellowstone Canyon (Artist Point): see the canyon in all its colorful glory. The rock walls of the cliff was painted yellow by long years exposure to the sulfur content from the surrounding thermal, thus named Yellowstone. We will view the Canyon from the Artist Point viewing area, one of the best view for this location.

Yellowstone Waterfall: you might see the waterfall from afar along the way, but we'll take you one step closer and give you a view right next to the waterfall to experience in person its power.

Mud Volcano: one of the highest concentrations of onus pots in the national park. See the Mud Cauldron, Dragon mouth spring and Mud Volcano along with a chance of seeing some wild lives in the area.

Fishing Bridge:  The original bridge was built in 1902.  The Fishing Bridge was historically a tremendously popular place to fish. Angling from the bridge was quite good, due to the fact that it was a major spawning area for cutthroat trout. It finally became to the best place to observe the Yellowstone Trout. Usually the trout will spawn in this area and jumping out the water  during the summer time.

Hayden Valley: While once there was a lake here, Hayden Valley is now a wildlife paradise and the location of the largest rut of free roaming bison in the world. 

Buffalo Bill Dam: named after the famous Western showman, this dam was created by blocking the Shoshone River and flooding the valley. It provides a beautiful yet peaceful view of the surrounding mountains and rock formations.

• Best Western Tower West Lodge

Day 7: Devil’s Tower →Mt. Rushmore →Crazy Horse →Casper (430 Miles/7.5 hours)

Arrive at Devils Tower in the morning and see this famous Wyoming landmark. Afterwards we'll head into South Dakota to visit the Mount Rushmore Memorial, where you can take a walk along the Presidential Trail getting right underneath the sculptures of the presidents. After lunch, we will arrive at the Crazy Horse Memorial, a symbol of the Native American spirit and their rebellion against oppression. Enjoy the view of the endless grassy fields of Wyoming as we traffic to Casper to spend the night.

Devils Tower: the first national monument in the country that was designated in 1906. This uniquely shaped rock formation was made world famous when director Steven Spielberg shot the climatic scenes of the movie Close Encounter of the Third Kind right here.

Mount Rushmore: see the likeness of President Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt carved in exquisite detail. These presidents represent the development of United States during its first 130 years. 

Crazy Horse: a prefect representation of the spirit and struggle of Native Americans, along with their history and culture. It is also going to be the largest sculpture in the world.

• Parkway Plaza Casper or similar

Day 8: Independence Rock→Park City Olympic Village → Salt Lake City Tour (450 Miles / 8 Hours)

Continue our travel through the Wyoming fields in the morning, we arrive first at Independence Rock, a historical landmark in the development of the Western frontier. We will get to Utah around noon time and take you to see the Olympic Village for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Park City. In the afternoon we will see the State Capitol building, Temple Square of Mormon Church and the Great Salt Lake when we get to Salt Lake City. SLC Airport drop-off.

Independence Rock: a representation of the Western spirit and one of the most famous landmarks along the important Old Oregon Trail. This lonely rock on the Wyoming fields had bare witness to the harsh journey westward of the early pioneers.

Park City Olympic Village: the location for the main events during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, this scenic village provides an interesting look into the culture and life style of Utah.

Utah State Capitol: the governor’s office is located in inside of this building. Sitting on top of the Capitol Hill in Salt Lake City, this building gives you a full view of the city that surrounds it. It is also the icon of the most famous historic landmark of the state.

Temple Square of Mormon Church: this is the headquarter of the Mormon Church and its 15 million followers around the world. It’s the center of Mormon history and the location of the famous Salt Lake Temple.

Great Salt Lake: Western Hemisphere’s largest saltwater lake, also North America’s largest inland salt lake. The lake is more than six times the salinity of seawater, thus known as “Dead Sea of America”. Krill is a unique creature growing inside of the Great Salt Lake.