TRAILS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS

Your itinerary

Map

• DAY 1 Arrive Denver Arrive today in Denver, the "Mile High City." A complimentary transfer is provided to your Trafalgar hotel. Your Tour Director will be available this afternoon to welcome you and answer questions. 
  
  Hotel: Adam's Mark Hotel



• DAY 2 Denver - Rocky Mountain National Park - Vail Drive to the picturesque town of Estes Park and enter Rocky Mountain National Park, a living showcase of the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains. Travel along Trail Ridge Road enjoying majestic mountain views and abundant wildlife. Cross the Continental Divide, drive along the Blue River and over Vail Pass to arrive
  at the famed alpine village of Vail. There is time to wander the quaint pedestrian-only alleys
  lined with shops, restaurants and cafes before this evening's welcome drink and dinner.
  When Trail Ridge Road is closed due to weather conditions, travel over Berthoud Pass. 
  (Full Breakfast / Dinner)
  
  Hotel: Evergreen Lodge



• DAY 3 Vail - Aspen - Colorado National Monument - Moab (2 nights) Travel along the Colorado River, enjoying the grand landscape of the Rocky Mountains. Stop at the historic mining town of Aspen, now a glamorous ski resort, and wander through the streets lined with shops, restaurants and sidewalk cafes. Enter Colorado National Monument and follow the spectacular Rim Rock Drive viewing sheer-walled canyons, towering monoliths, desert bighorn sheep and soaring eagles. Drive past the stunning rock formations of Castle Rock and arrive in Moab. This evening, watch the spectacular sunset from the resort's terrace overlooking the Colorado River followed by a delicious BBQ dinner.
  (Full Breakfast / Dinner)
  
  Hotel: Red Cliffs Lodge 



• DAY 4 Moab - Canyonlands National Park Visit Canyonlands National Park and the Island in the Sky District. The park's scenic drive provides spectacular views of the many canyons below. The afternoon is at leisure for you to pursue your own interests. Optional activities include 4WD safaris, white water rafting, canoe trips, and a unique night light-and-sound show on the Colorado River. Don't miss a visit to the lodge's excellent movie museum, showing the area's 100-year history of movie making. (Full Breakfast)
  



• DAY 5 Moab - Arches National Park - Telluride Visit Arches National Park, home to over two thousand natural sandstone arches, including the famous Delicate Arch. Journey along the Scenic Drive, making stops to view some of the park's most striking arches. Next, drive up the San Juan Mountains, part of the Rocky Mountain Ranges, and arrive in Telluride, a township with a rich Victorian heritage. Ride up the mountain aboard a gondola to Telluride Mountain Village and check-in at the hotel. The two towns are a fascinating mix of old and new, unique and sophisticated. (Full Breakfast)
  
  Hotel: Mountain Lodge Telluride



• DAY 6 Telluride - Mesa Verde - Durango (2 nights) Enjoy more breathtaking mountain scenery along the road to Dolores. Here, visit the Anasazi Heritage Center and learn about the people of the Colorado Plateau. Next, enter Mesa Verde National Park, home to some of the best archeological sites in the US. From 600AD through 1300AD people lived and flourished in communities throughout the area, building elaborate "cliff dwellings" - stone villages in the sheltered alcoves of the canyon walls. We then head for the frontier town of Durango. This evening, as an option, we have a unique stagecoach ride into a secluded canyon, followed by a cowboy dinner with all the "fixin's." 
  (Continental Breakfast)
  
  Hotel: Holiday Inn



• DAY 7 Durango - Silverton - Durango at leisure Ride the Narrow Gauge Railroad (optional) or ride aboard the coach along the Million Dollar Highway to the historic mining town of Silverton. Step 100 years back in time, as you explore the historic buildings, quaint art shops and learn of the colourful local history. Return to Durango where the rest of the day is free. (Full Breakfast)
  



• DAY 8 Durango - Taos - Santa Fe (2 nights) Enter New Mexico and travel across the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, before arriving at the artist community of Taos. Located at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Taos has a unique location, combining stark desert landscape and lush alpine forests. At Taos Pueblo, join a local resident for a guided visit, and learn about the culture of the people who have inhabited these adobe structures for nearly a thousand years. Arrive in the charming city of Santa Fe, the oldest seat of government in the United States. Dinner this evening is served at a local restaurant. (Full Breakfast) (Highlight Dinner)
  
  Hotel: Hilton Santa Fe Historic Plaza / El Dorado (2 nights)



• DAY 9 Santa Fe sightseeing Join a guided tour by open-air trolley through the heart of Santa Fe. Learn of Santa Fe's colourful history and unique culture, a delightful blend of Spanish, Native American and Old West influences. See the city's important historic sights, including the Plaza, Palace of the Governors, Cathedral of St Francis of Assisi, San Miguel Mission and Loretto Chapel, home to the "Miracle Stairway." The rest of the day is at leisure. Perhaps visit the city's famous Canyon Road, one of the world's top centers for arts. (Full Breakfast)
  



• DAY 10 Santa Fe - Pecos National Historical Park - Colorado Springs Heading east, visit Pecos National Historical Park, site of an ancient pueblo, two Spanish colonial missions, Santa Fe Trail sites, and the Civil War Battle of Glorieta Pass. Travelling north, arrive in Colorado Springs, located at the foot of one of America's most famous landmarks, Pikes Peak, upon the summit of which Katharine Lee Bates was inspired to write America the Beautiful. Drive through the historic townships of Manitou Springs and Old Colorado City, Colorado's first capital city. Join us for a farewell celebration at the Flying W Ranch, a working mountain cattle ranch. After an authentic chuckwagon dinner, enjoy the Flying W Wranglers and their outstanding western stage show. (Full Breakfast) (Highlight Dinner)
  
  Hotel: Sheraton Colorado Springs



• DAY 11 Colorado Springs - Denver Visit the Garden of the Gods, a stunning landscape of towering orange sandstone rock formations set against the brilliant blue Colorado sky. Next, stop at the US Air Force Academy, the scenic Rocky Mountains campus and home to America's future Air Force officers, and visit the stunning Cadet Chapel. Look up where the skies are coloured with cadets practicing parachuting and flying Thunderbird jets. Your tour ends with a complimentary transfer to Denver International Airport and the Trafalgar hotel in Denver for those wishing to extend their stay. (Full Breakfast)
  
  Please do not schedule any flights before 4.00pm

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