Route
Arrive Denver, CO
Day 1. We start our journey by arriving at Denver International Airport, where you will then receive your booked car. Then, head to your hotel in downtown Denver.
Denver – Rocky Mountain National Park – Steamboat Springs, CO
Day 2. You can explore Rocky Mountain National Park the next day. After crossing the Rocky Mountains continental divide, continue on to the quaint ski resort of Steamboat Springs.
Steamboat Springs – Dinosaur National Monument – Flaming Gorge – Rock Srings, WY
Day 3. Depart Steamboat Springs and enter Dinosaur National Monument on the Colorado-Utah border and visit the Dinosaur Quarry, which has yielded more dinosaur skeletons, skulls and bones than any other site in the world. Admire these remarkable fossil deposits dating back 140 million years. Continue exploring Flaming Gorge and Red Canyon. Overnight in Rock Springs, Wyoming.
Rock Springs – Jackson, WY
Day 4. Depart Rock Springs and travel along the Wind River Gorge. Continue north over the high chaparral of Wyoming and arrive in Jackson by early evening. Enjoy exploring the rustic Old West with a walk around the old-fashioned town square of Jackson.
Jackson – Grand Teton National Park – Yellowstone National Park
Day 5. The short drive today gives you the chance to leisurely explore Grand Teton National Park. In Yellowstone, explore the diverse geothermal features of America’s first national park. Old Faithful and Mammoth Hot Springs are the most famous sights of the park. Yellowstone’s wildlife roam the park freely, so prepare yourself for bison, deer, elk, moose and possibly a bear.
Yellowstone – Salt Lake City, UT
Day 6. You will cross a small portion of the Gem State of Idaho en route to the Mormon State of Utah and its capital, Salt Lake City. Visit the famed Temple and the Tabernacle.
Salt Lake City – Bryce Canyon National Park, UT
Day 7. Cross the Wasatch Mountain Range to reach the natural wonders in southern Utah. Visit Bryce Canyon National Park to view its fanciful spires and rock formations.
Bryce – Zion National Park – Bryce
Day 8. A full day to further explore Bryce Canyon National Park. Alternatively, it is just a short drive to Zion National Park and some of the world’s most incredible sandstone formations formed millions of years ago by the powerful hand of nature.
Bryce Canyon National Park – Lake Powell/Page, AZ
Day 9. After having discovered the natural wonders of Zion National Park, drive east via Kanab to Page where the red desert meets deep blue Lake Powell.
Lake Powell – Monument Valley – Cortez, CO
Day 10. Leave early to explore this magnificent landscape. Travel to the Navajo Indian Reservation, pass the Trading Post of Cameron, and drive through the Painted Desert to beautiful Monument Valley’s red sandstone spires and monoliths. Continue to Cortez.
Cortez Mesa Verde National Park – Durango, CO
Day 11. Depart Cortez for the ruins of Mesa Verde which are valid proof of the highly sophisticated civilization of the Anasazi Indians. Then continue to the charming old gold-mining town of Durango.
Durango – Taos, NM
Day 12. Enjoy the magnificent scenery this morning while strolling along Main Street, Durango, which is lined with southwestern boutiques. Depart Durango and pass Pagosa Springs en route to the state of New Mexico, The Land of Enchantment. Your destination for this evening, the artists’ colony of Taos.
Taos – Santa Fe – Taos
Day 13. In the morning, explore the remarkable Taos Indian Pueblo, a virtually unchanged village inhabited for over 800 years by as many as 1,400 Taos Indians. In the afternoon, drive south to Santa Fe, the oldest capital city in the United States. Explore Santa Fe’s historic center on a short walking tour. Enjoy the unique atmosphere which has made Santa Fe a mecca for artists. Then return to Taos for the night.
Depart Denver
Day 15. Return the car at the airport before the departure flight.