Itinerary
South West Family Explorer
The holiday ideas on our website are just examples of the amazing trips we offer
Vicki Cook
Platinum Travel Specialist, North America
01242 386 474
EnquireHighlights
South West Family Explorer
Tailored for today's family, this classic South West USA itinerary takes in sweeping desert vistas and sculptural sights at a rate and pace that's perfect with children. You'll self-drive through the magnificent landscapes of Arizona and Utah. Enjoy a private off-road Jeep ride across Sedona's famous Red Rocks, and a guided tour of the Grand Canyon's hidden trails. Learn about sacred Monument Valley from a Navajo guide and the planets from a professional astronomer. Kids will love the ten swimming pools at your Scottsdale starting point.
UK - Phoenix
Arrive at Phoenix Airport and collect your spacious hire car. Drive to your hotel, the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch, in serene Scottsdale. We recommend you spend the day relaxing and recuperating after the journey.
Scottsdale
With no fewer than ten swimming pools, plus eleven hectares of landscaped grounds, most parents will struggle to extract their children from the hotel today! Should you wish to explore head for Old Town Scottsdale. Here you may well see modern-day cowboys roaming the streets.
Scottsdale - Sedona
It's around a 2.5-hour drive from Scottsdale to Sedona, through rock and desert landscapes that will amaze and delight. You'll check into the Enchantment Resort, snuggled amid the spectacular folds of vermilion Boynton Canyon, where you'll spend the next two nights.
Sedona
Once the kids have had time to explore, hop aboard your private jeep for an exhilerating off-road ride across Sedona's famous red rocks. Savour a picnic lunch in a starkly beautiful setting. That evening, enjoy star-gazing alongside a professional astronomer. The skies here are so clear that you'll see the rings of Saturn and the moons of Jupiter!
Grand Canyon
The 2.5-hour drive to the world-famous Grand Canyon brings you through Arizona's most scenic stretch, the dramatic Oak Creek Canyon. You will be staying at the Squire Resort. This desert escape offers a wide variety of resort-style amenities including an indoor and outdoor pool with hot tubs and a splash pad.
Grand Canyon
Today your family will get to see the parts of the Grand Canyon that other visitors so rarely do. Enjoy a Grand Canyon tour with private guide, who'll show you to the secret trails that other hikers barely know. In the afternoon, you'll explore historic lodges and buildings on the rim of the canyon. Kids will love the vertiginous studio where pioneers Emery and Ellsworth Kolb photographed the Grand Canyon.
Grand Canyon - Lake Powell
After a leisurely morning, you will drive two hours to Page for a two-hour tour of secret Antelope Canyon. During your slot canyon tour, your guide will take you on a private off-road 4x4 drive for nine kilometres (approximately 30 minutes) meandering through the desert, rolling hills and wash-beds. Look out for coyotes, foxes, bobcats, owls, and hawks. Afterward continue to Lake Powell, where stark rock formations descend into serene waters. .
Lake Powell
Today, enjoy a lazy half-day scenic raft ride through the red rock canyons carved by the Colorado River below Lake Powell. This is a flat-water float that's all about the scenery and connecting with the natural environment. Your guide will take care of the vessel, while you relax and enjoy the view. The highlight of the trip is floating through the famous Horseshoe Bend. This excursion lasts approximately 5.5 hours.
Monument Valley - Moab
Monument Valley is an area sacred to the Navajo Nation and its people. Immerse yourselves in their culture as your guide explains the mysteries of the unusual rock formations that make the valley sacred. You will return to your hotel, the Casitas at the Hoodoo Moab, Curio Collection by Hilton, by late afternoon, in time for a swim in the expansive pool.
Moab
Set out with a local guide to experience parts of Moab’s Arches & Canyonlands National Parks seldom seen by other visitors. There's no better way to see the desert than from the comfort of a 4x4 Jeep. Witness breathtaking views while learning about the history, archaeology, and geology of the area. There are ample photo opportunities, so be sure to bring your camera. You'll spend half a day in each park and enjoy a picnic lunch along the way.
Moab
Today you will explore a stretch of the Colorado River which has been proposed for Wild and Scenic River status, recognising its remoteness and natural beauty. Enjoy the thrills and spills of the rapids from a raft. In Westwater Canyon, the river cascades through ever-deepening sandstone monuments and into the narrow Black Granite Gorge. Here the river is fast and furious with rapids of Funnel Falls, Last Chance, The Steps, and the infamous Skull Rapid.
Moab - UK
It’s time to bid farewell to the iconic arches and canyons of red-rock Moab. Following breakfast head to Denver airport for your flight back to the UK.
North America team
Whether it's an epic road trip, a relaxing escape or a whale-watching expedition, our North America team know how to plan the ultimate holiday
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