National Parks of the American West

There are no planned activities today until the evening welcome meeting, so check out the strip or get tickets to a show for this evening.

Depart early for Zion, Utah's oldest national park, and observe some of the most beautiful canyon country scenes in the United States. Catch the shuttle into the park with our CEO and hike to the Emerald Pools and hanging gardens.

The canyon is narrow, and the river covers the bottom in many places, which means you will have to wade or swim to proceed. Prepare to get wet but the cool water makes this hike particularly pleasant during the hot summer months. During the cooler months, there are available gear rentals including Gore-Tex dry pants, canyon shoes, and neoprene socks. Hiking poles are available for rent year-round. Hiking is not permitted when the river is high from runoff or flash flooding. Runoff mostly occurs in April and early May. Late summer thunderstorms can occasionally produce flooding. If the hike is not possible due to weather, it will be replaced with another activity.

This morning, hike through Bryce Canyon National Park, famed for its multi-coloured rock pinnacles called 'hoodoo'. Be sure to have your camera ready to snap shots of these spectacular, natural towers that cover the canyon floor. Continue on to Page, Arizona, home to Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend and the beautiful Lake Powell.

Start the day with a visit to the incredible Antelope Canyon with a local Navajo guide. Located on Navajo land and accessible only with an authorized guide, this landmark is considered one of the most visually stunning slot canyon formations in the world. Take a short hike to Horseshoe Bend, then travel to the Grand Canyon and have lunch en route at a local Navajo food truck supported by Planeterra.

Spend the day exploring the Canyon with an expert from the Grand Canyon Conservancy Field Institute. Enjoy a walk along the South Rim discussing the unique geology and botany of the Canyon, as well as human history here. After, visit the Historic Village District viewing iconic park structures then continue down the Bright Angel Trail below the canyon rim and view two-thousand-year-old rock art and 250-million-year-old fossils. Also visit the historic Kolb Studio, home to photography pioneers Emery and Ellsworth Kolb, who shared with the world the first pictures of the epic Canyon.

This morning, visit Lowell Observatory for a tour of the giant telescopes and to learn about the study of astronomy, as well as a lecture on Mars. Continue back to Las Vegas, but not before getting your kicks on Route 66 in Seligman, Arizona — the birthplace of this famed highway.