The sunsets over the Grand Canyon are just as awe-inspiring in the fall. The aerial views just as wide and expansive. The tourists mouths just as agape. One of the few things that change is the price of travel packages, which decrease. Take a gander at these trips to the American Southwest that include the Grand Canyon and more.
Collette Vacations (tel. 800/340-5158; www.collettevacations.com) is selling an escorted eight-day "Deserts, Canyons and Casinos" package that includes stops in Arizona's Tucson, Sedona, Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon, as well as a final stay in Las Vegas. Prices start from $899 (before taxes and security fees) for the land-only version; add air, and the base price is set at $1,189 for departures out of Chicago. This popular trip fills up quickly -- in fact, the only two remaining departure dates are February 24 and April 24, 2006. (Departure dates for May 2006 and beyond will be released "in a couple of weeks" according to a Collette reservationist.) Prices include ground transportation in an air-conditioned tour bus, six-nights' accommodations along the route, entrance fees to sights and 11 meals (six breakfasts and five dinners). The tour promises viewings of the Grand Canyon from many different vantage points. Sedona famous for its spiritual importance to Native American and red rocks, is a small Western town set within rocky hills and surrounding mountains known for its beauty. The town's shops are filled with Native American artifacts, Western-themed art, and fashions such as fringed suede jackets and cowboy hats. Flagstaff, a short ride south of Grand Canyon's southern base, is a town filled with youthful energy due to the surrounding colleges and music nightlife.
Sun Trek (tel. 707/523-1800; www.suntrek.com) focuses on small groups (no more than 13 people) traveling in a more rugged fashion (tent camping, for example) in parts of the American West, Alaska, Canada, Mexico and South America. The "Discounts and Specials" section of its site lists several last-minute getaways. Its three-week "The Southwest" tour, departing from San Francisco on October 2, 2005, is based-priced from $1,285. For that price, you'll visit San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles (including Universal Studios), and several national parks and natural sites including the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley in Utah, Lake Powell, Bryce Canyon, Death Valley, Zion National Park and Yosemite. Two nights are hotel stays; the other 18 nights will be spent in tents. If you're interested in a guided tour of the American West, this al- encompassing outing covers all the bases, leaving you with a breadth of knowledge and experience regarding the region. If you take the October 2, 2005 tour, Sun Trek offers a 20% discount. The same tour leaves October 9, 2005, and then resumes again in March 2006.
Green Tortoise Adventures (tel. 800/867-8647, www.greentortoise.com) offers a "Canyons of the West" tour stopping at some of the more popular rock and canyon-oriented sites along the way. The nine-day, land-only trip costs $449 for the sightseeing and travel and $121 for food and entrance fees to the National Parks; it departs on October 7, 2005. Tours start in San Francisco and end in Las Vegas where connecting flights to San Francisco are available at additional cost. This tour, which travels by bus, stops in Bryce Canyon National Park and Monument Valley, catches a sunset at the Grand Canyon and drives a stretch of Route 66. This is a camping trip, but the interior of the tour bus converts to a rolling hostel that Green Tortoise representatives call a "a really fun slumber party." Travelers can bring their own tents for evenings when the bus stops, but since the tour covers ground during the dead of the night, you'll be sleeping some inside the vehicle.
Do you have a question or comment on these tour companies? Join the discussion on our Online Reservations, Packagers & Tour Operators Message Boards today.