About your tour
Explore the magnificent mountain scenery of Colorado, featuring some of the most famous rail journeys in the US.
Included Highlights
Denver
Colorado Railroad Museum
Pikes Peak Cog Railway Ruxton Creek, Four Mile Switch, Pikes Peak
Colorado Springs 'Garden of the Gods'
Royal Gorge Railroad
Royal Gorge Bridge & Park Aerial Tram ride
Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad San Juan Mountains, Colorado-New Mexico border, Osier
Durango
Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad San Juan National Forest, Rio de las Animas Canyon, Silverton
Mesa Verde National Park Spruce Tree House
Moab
Arches National Park
Glenwood Canyon
Rocky Mountain National Park
Holiday price includes
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Flights: UK - Denver - UK
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Accommodation on tour in twin room with private facilities
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Professional tour director on tour and local representative's assistance at other times
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Porterage at hotels during tour (for one suitcase per person)
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Transfers between overseas airport and hotels
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All local and airport taxes/service charges
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Single share option no supplement to pay
Extend Your Holiday
Las Vegas
Why not take the opportunity to enjoy dazzling lights, the sounds of slot machines, and famous entertainers, that make this desert oasis one of the most exciting places in America?
On day 9 transfer to the airport for your flight to Las Vegas, and your hotel the Imperial Palace, for the next three nights. On day 12 included transfer to the airport for your overnight flight home.
San Francisco
Why not take the opportunity to enjoy a cosmopolitan atmosphere and the world famous sights such as Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge and the sweeping panoramas of the 'City By The Bay'?
On day 9 fly from Denver to San Francisco and transfer to your hotel, the Cathedral Hill for the next three nights, before transferring to the airport on day 12 for your overnight flight home.
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Your itinerary
Day 1: UK - Denver.
Fly to Denver where you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel for an overnight stay.
Day 2: Denver - Colorado Springs. Included Pikes Peak Cog Railway.
Begin the day with a visit to the Colorado Railroad Museum. This 'can't miss' site for rail enthusiasts features over 70 historic narrow and standard gauge locomotives and cars. Then travel south from Denver to the town of Colorado Springs, a place of legendary natural beauty, located on the plains at the foot of Pikes Peak. Afterwards we visit the 'Garden of the Gods', a 'city park' that is a garden of towering red rock formations. Next is a fabulous train ride on the Pike's Peak Cog Railway, which will take you to the 14,110 feet summit of Pikes Peak. The railway was the first line to use diesel-electric cog locomotives. The first third of the 8.9 mile long journey is along Ruxton Creek in Englemann Canyon. The middle third is on a gentler grade, then we pass over the Four Mile Switch and get our first glimpse of Pikes Peak! At about the 5 mile point, the grade steepens and you climb above the timberline where the views become more expansive.
Day 3: Colorado Springs - Canon City - Alamosa. Included Royal Gorge Railroad.
This morning, journey to Canon City and the Royal Gorge. Experience the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park, spanning a quarter of a mile across, it is the world's highest suspension bridge. At 1,053 feet high, the panoramic vistas of the Gorge are as mesmerising as the Grand Canyon. See spectacular views of the Arkansas River and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on the Aerial Tram ride. Travel for 12-miles on the Royal Gorge Railroad. The actual rail tracks were laid over 120 years ago by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad through a steep-walled gorge over a thousand feet deep. It is not unusual to spot wildlife in the area: eagles, and Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep. This is truly a 'once in a lifetime' experience, so don't forget your camera. The views are breathtaking. Overnight in Alamosa where the high plains and flat valley expands 722 square miles, surrounded by the Sangre de Cristo mountain range to the east and the San Juan Mountain range to the west.
Day 4: Alamosa - Cumbres & Toltec Railroad - Durango.
The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad was built in the 1880's to serve miners in the area and has changed very little. The railroad is the most authentic steam era line in North America. Jointly owned by the states of Colorado and New Mexico, the 64-mile line connects Antonito, Colorado and Chama, New Mexico via the San Juan Mountains and the 10,015-feet high Cumbres Pass. The line is an archetypal remnant of the Denver & Rio Grande narrow gauge railroad system that once stretched hundreds of miles throughout the Rocky Mountains. You'll cross the Colorado-New Mexico border eleven times. The train stops in Osier, Colorado for lunch. We then disembark the train at Cumbres Pass and continue by motorcoach to Chama. Later we arrive in Durango, a town born in the gold-rush and silver-mining era, at times run by gunslingers. (L)
Day 5: Durango - Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad - Durango.
Board the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad this morning for a scenic ride through San Juan National Forest. Enjoy the experience of travelling by a coal-fired and steam-powered locomotive on the same tracks miners, cowboys and settlers of the old west took over a century ago. The legendary steam train hugs steep canyon walls as it winds its way through Rio de las Animas Canyon with vistas of snow-capped peaks. The locomotives used to pull today's train remain 100% coal-fired, steam-operated. The locomotives are 1923-25 vintage and are maintained in original condition. This historic train has been in continuous operation for over 125 years, carrying passengers behind vintage steam locomotives and rolling stock indigenous to the line. Free time in Silverton, once a major mining town, which owes its name to the bragging statement by an early miner: 'We have no gold, but silver by the ton!'
Day 6: Durango - Mesa Verde - Moab.
Today we visit the ruins of ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park. See Spruce Tree House, which dates from 1,200 AD and is tucked away under a sandstone cliff face. Spend time at the park's museum, depicting the story of these people who mysteriously disappeared almost 700 years ago. Later we arrive in Moab, a small town on the Colorado River surrounded by red sandstone formations.
Day 7: Moab - Arches National Park - Vail Valley area.
This morning we visit Arches National Park where over two thousand natural sandstone arches are preserved. You will see the world famous 'Delicate Arch', 'Balanced Rock', and 'Park Avenue'. Later, we cross back into Colorado and journey through the massive 1,800-foot walls of Glenwood Canyon and then continue to the Vail Valley area, one of America's most popular mountain resorts. The Vail Valley is a spectacular experience awaiting your discovery. Stroll through the pedestrian village and experience the unique shopping opportunities or let one of the world-class chefs prepare a meal to delight your taste buds.
Day 8: Vail Valley area - Rocky Mountain National Park - Denver.
See Colorado's largest natural lake, Grand Lake. Cross the Continental Divide and behold incomparable vistas of lush meadows, alpine glaciers, and thundering waterfalls. Take the scenic Trail Ridge Road over magnificent mountainous terrain, which attracted the likes of Kit Carson and his group of trappers to Rocky Mountain National Park. A break at 12,000 feet provides fantastic alpine scenery. Next is the town of Estes Park. Nestled in a high mountain valley at just above 7,500 feet elevation, Estes Park features hundreds of unique shops, galleries, and restaurants for you to enjoy. Free time this evening will allow you to enjoy one of America's fastest growing cities. A bustling area centred around a mile-long pedestrian promenade is lined with outdoor cafes and flower baskets. Dining at one of the 300 restaurants and a horse drawn carriage ride could be the perfect ending to the day.
Note: The drive through Rocky Mountain National Park is subject to favourable road and weather conditions.
Day 9: Denver - UK.
Transfer to Denver International airport for your overnight flight to the UK.
Day 10: Home landing in the UK.
Maximum elevation on this tour is 14,110 ft.
Hotels On Tour
Denver: Comfort Inn Downtown; Colorado Springs: Clarion Inn Downtown; Alamosa: Inn of the Rio Grande; Durango: Holiday Inn Durango; Moab: Big Horn Lodge; Vail/Beaver Creek area: Comfort Inn Vail/Beaver Creek.
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