South America boasts millions of square miles of rainforest, and Africa is home to savannahs that cover almost half of the continent, but the United States possesses its own natural wonders—specially preserved national parks featuring waterfalls, wetlands, canyons and mountains. As our country celebrates 100 years of the National Park Service in 2016, we invite your clients to explore America’s national treasures on these unique tours.
From Sea to Shining Sea
Globus’ first, and only, 103-day Centennial Celebration: 100 Days of GoParks! tour takes guests across the country from Honolulu, Hawaii to Mount Desert, Maine for a guided glimpse into American history. Breathtaking landscapes from 35 National Parks are spotlighted on the tour, with visits to familiar favorites such as the Rocky Mountains, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon, as well as lesser-known reserves. At the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge near Death Valley National Park, guests hear tales of the early pioneers, gunslingers, and the mysterious Devils Hole (a water-filled cavern whose lowest point has never been found). In Virginia, guests enjoy s’mores around a campfire while learning about Shenandoah National Park’s history. A cruise through the icy waters of Kenai Fjords National Park in Seward, Alaska allows guests to see scores of tidewater glaciers and marine wildlife, including orcas, humpback whales and sea otters.
Each leg of the journey also features Local Favorite experiences, exclusive activities arranged in and around each park. Highlights include a hayride through Glacier National Park, a wine tasting in Washington’s wine country, and a buffalo safari near Custer State Park, plus a Navajo cookout at the Grand Canyon National Park, stargazing in the Yosemite and Death Valley national parks, and horseback riding in Bryce Canyon National Park. Rates start at $30,405 pp, with travel dates from July 7 to Oct.17, 2016. Accommodations, daily breakfast (except day 14), 20 lunches, 46 three-course dinners and transportation is included. One percent of the revenue from this tour will be donated to support the National Park Foundation. For more information, visit globusjourneys.com.
For Purple Mountain Majesties
Old West towns, national parks and historic monuments color Trafalgar’s 9-day, guided expedition across America’s wildernesses. National Parks Wonders begins in Salt Lake City, Utah, and travels north to Montpelier, Idaho, where guests can trace the footsteps of the early pioneers at the Oregon Trail Center. After crossing over into Wyoming, the tour takes a scenic route to Jackson, which lies in view of the Teton Range. On an aerial tram ride to the summit of Rendezvous Mountain, guests can witness 360-degree views of the Snake River Valley and Grand Teton National Park. Midway through the tour, guests visit Yellowstone, the country’s first National Park, featuring bubbling mudpots, turquoise hot springs and Old Faithful. On the last leg of the tour, guests can marvel at the granite carvings of U.S. presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln, at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. Additional highlights include a trip to the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming, the Crazy Horse Memorial in Crazy Horse, South Dakota, and the Black Hills mountain range, which extends from South Dakota into Wyoming. Rates start at $2,156 pp, with travel dates from May 2016 to October 2016. Accommodations, transportation, eights breakfasts, one lunch, four dinners, excursions and airport transfers are included. For more information, visit trafalgar.com.
Across the Wilderness
Mayflower Tours’ 9-day America’s Canyon Country itinerary covers three states and four national parks, including Capitol Reef National Park, Bryce Canyon, Glen Canyon and the Grand Canyon. The tour begins with a day of leisure in Las Vegas, and picks up in Arizona where guests visit an old Mormon fort at Pipe Spring National Monument. Next, it’s off to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Guests can peer into the canyon’s massive chasm during an excursion to Cape Royal (the North Rim’s southernmost point) and Point Imperial (the North Rim’s highest point). In the afternoon, guests choose between participating in a ranger-conducted activity, hiking to the nearby Bright Angel Point, or simply relaxing. A scenic drive along the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument leads to the Colorado River Gorge at Navajo Bridge. Here, guests visit the Glen Canyon Dam before a Canyons Adventure cruise on Lake Powell.
In Utah, a traditional Native American lunch is served before a Navajo-guided, four-wheel drive tour of theMonument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. While traveling along the Rim Drive in Bryce Canyon National Park, guests can view the brightly colored, rock forms approximating castles, temples and cities. The tour ends with an open-air sightseeing tram ride through Zion National Park, which features cream, pink and red sandstone cliffs and towering rock walls. Rates start at $2,479 pp dbl, with travel dates from June 2016 to September 2016.
Accommodations, eight breakfasts, two lunches, five dinners, roundtrip airport transfers, excursions and $45 in Mayflower Money is included. Mayflower Tours will donate $5 to Tourism Cares for every traveler who books a National Parks tour. For more information, visit mayflowertours.com. 
