Yellowstone
& Mount Rushmore
(4 SEATS NOW AVAILABLE)
9-Night Guided Tour from Rapid City, South Dakota,
to Salt Lake City, Utah
July 11 – 20, 2024
Go west for adventure and treasured discoveries on this affordable American vacation through South Dakota, Wyoming, and Utah. From the stomping grounds of Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok to the lofty peaks of the Grand Tetons, you’ll experience the Wild West with its stunning vistas and historic lore. Pass through the black hills of South Dakota where the legends of the frontier made their mark, and stand at the national monuments to presidents at Mount Rushmore, and to Native American legend, Chief Crazy Horse. Follow the trail of pioneers and history-makers to Wyoming—home of Buffalo Bill and the spectacular natural splendor of Yellowstone National Park. From Old Faithful and thundering waterfalls to the desert of the Great Salt Lake, your journey through the American West is a tale to be told for years.
Tour Inclusions & Sights:
- Roundtrip flights to Rapid City, SD and home from Salt Lake City, UT
- Roundtrip transportation from Trustworthy Travel to airport.
- 8 Meals: 5 Continental Breakfasts, 1 hot breakfast, & 2 dinners (including BBQ Chuckwagon Supper & Show)
- 1-night pre-tour hotel in Rapid City plus…
- 8-Night Escorted Cosmos Tour
- Free time in Rapid City or optional tour of Badlands National Park & Wall Drug (fee)
- Mount Rushmore
- Crazy Horse Memorial
- Deadwood Guided Tour
- Black Hills of South Dakota
- Sheridan & Cody, WY
- Free time in Cody or optional Cody Wild West Rodeo (fee)
- Shoshone National Forest
- Yellowstone National Park & Old Faithful Geyser
- Grand Teton National Park & Jenny Lake
- BBQ Chuckwagon Supper & Show
- Free time in Jackson or optional Snake River Float Trip (fee)
- Salt Lake City Sightseeing Tour, UT
- Professional Local Guide throughout
- Services of a Trustworthy Travel Hostess, with minimum 16 guests.
- All taxes and included meal gratuities
Pricing: $3999 per person, based on double occupancy *** $400 per person deposit required *** Final Payment due April 4, 2024 *** Last date to reserve is February 1, 2024 (subject to tour availability) $5289 if Single (based on availability).
ITINERARY:
Day 1 – Welcome to Rapid City. Enjoy free evening to explore Rapid City on your own.
Hotel – RAPID CITY (2-nights) – Best Western Ramkota Inn – This western-style, 3-star hotel is one of the largest and best places to stay when visiting the Black Hills area. The hotel features unique western décor complete with bison, running horses, and livestock, and complimented by western family-friendly hospitality. Take a dip at the indoor pool, grab a bite or a drink at Minervas Restaurant and Grill on site or the Puerto Vallarta Restaurant & Tequila Bar, or shop at the Rapid Mall that is adjacent. This hotel boasts a convenient location, great dining with comfortable and modern accommodations.
Day 2 – RAPID CITY Enjoy a full day of free time to do as you please.
Meet your Cosmos Tour Director at the hotel late this afternoon. Enjoy a free evening to relax and enjoy the hotel’s amenities, visit nearby restaurants and shops or explore beautiful, downtown Rapid City.
Optional Excursion: Badlands National Park Guided Tour with a stop at Wall Drug. Enjoy a scenic drive through the Badlands, one of the most unique parks you will ever visit. The landscape is filled with striking geological formations, protected wilderness, prairie grasslands, and wildlife. Ancient history radiates from the landscape – one that dates back millennia, which has been revealed in its rich fossil beds. During the tour you will stop at scenic overlooks throughout the park for the perfect photo-op. You will visit the famous Wall Drug, a large shopping and dining complex and drive through the town of Scenic, South Dakota – a real ghost town abandoned for over a century. (Approx. $150pp)
Day 3 – RAPID CITY * CRAZY HORSE * MOUNT RUSHMORE * DEADWOOD
Visit Crazy Horse Memorial, a monument carved out of a mountain that pays respect to the great Native American hero, Chief Crazy Horse. Drive deep into the Black Hills, through what was Sioux Indian territory, to see the stunning granite faces of Mount Rushmore, a giant monument to four great American presidents: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. On to Deadwood, a lawless frontier town during the 1876 Gold Rush, where Jack McCall murdered Wild Bill Hickok during a poker game. Overnight here, and discover Deadwood’s Wild West ways as you walk in the footsteps of legends like Calamity Jane and Seth Bullock. Enjoy a free evening to have dinner and continue to explore this quaint, historic town on your own.
Included Deadwood Guided Tour – Discover the unique history of this once lawless gold camp as your local guide recounts local facts, lore and more, all the while introducing you to some of the Deadwood’s most colorful characters, Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok.
Hotel: DEADWOOD (1-night) – Travelodge Inn & Suites Deadwood – A comfortable hotel that offers free Wi-Fi, a fitness center, and convenient access to downtown Deadwood.
Day 4 – DEADWOOD * SHERIDAN * CODY (CB)
This morning, head through high country, where open-range cattle kings made war on the homesteaders in the 1890s. Drive past Sheridan and then ascend into the alpine region of the Bighorn Mountains, and the site of the Battle of Tongue River. Overnight in Buffalo Bill’s frontier town of Cody. During your free time this evening, you may choose to visit Cody’s Wild West Rodeo featuring bulls, broncos and cowboys providing two hours of real wild, western, family-friendly action.
Optional: Cody Wild West Rodeo (Get Tickets at hotel – approx. $25pp, $5 transfer)
Hotel: CODY (1-night) – Buffalo Bill Village – Located in downtown Cody at the historic Buffalo Bill Village, this hotel features 83 log cabins with a cowboy allure. The amenities include an outdoor pool, an on-site restaurant, and nearby shops.
Day 5 – YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
Proceed through Shoshone National Forest to Yellowstone National Park. Travel along Grand Loop Road to Artist Point for views of the Lower Falls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Overnight in West Yellowstone.
Optional Excursion: Buffalo Bill Center of the West – Learn about the history, culture, and beauty of the American West at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, the world’s finest Western museum! (Approx. $25pp)
Hotel: WEST YELLOWSTONE (2-nights) – Brandin Iron Inn – The hotel is located just two blocks from Yellowstone National Park and within walking distance to shops and restaurants. It has a hot tub, guest laundry and excursion desk and features a restaurant, lounge, room service, fitness center, air-conditioning and Internet access.
Day 6 – YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (CB)
Today, explore more of America’s first national park by returning to visit the geyser basins with bubbling mud paint pots and the reliable “blow” of Old Faithful. In addition to superb mountain scenery, the park is one of the world’s principal wildlife preserves and a photographer’s paradise.
Day 7 – GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK & JACKSON (CB, D)
Head south into magnificent Grand Teton National Park, one of America’s last preserves of wild solitude. Its 13,770-foot-high ridges are crested with snow most of the year. Stroll along the shores of beautiful glacier-fed Jenny Lake before ending the day in the Wild West town of Jackson. This evening, travel by a horse-drawn covered wagon to Cache Creek Canyon and enjoy a barbecue cookout and Wild West, toe-tapping musical entertainment! Afterwards, return to Jackson for the remainder of the evening.
Included: BBQ Chuckwagon Supper & Show – Hop aboard a horse-drawn covered wagon and immerse yourself in the Old West atmosphere as you travel into Cache Creek Canyon for a delicious BBQ Chuckwagon Supper and toe-tapping musical entertainment!
Hotel: JACKSON (2-nights) – Mountain Modern Motel – this boutique motel stands out among Jackson for its first class service and ideal location to downtown. The hotel has an indoor pool, sauna, restaurant, and gift shop. Accommodations are spacious and relaxing and feature cable TV, a coffeemaker and Internet access.
Day 8 – JACKSON (CB)
During your free time in Jackson today, take time to relax and explore the historic downtown area of Jackson. You might choose to join a scenic trip down the Snake River, or go horseback riding through Bridger Teton National Forest, or embark on a Grand Teton Wildlife Safari. Your day is free to do as you please.
Optional Excursion: Snake River Float Trip – Experience the beauty and geology of the Snake River on this fun and scenic 3-hour float trip between Grand Teton National Park and Bridger Teton National Forest. Enjoy an 8-mile float trip that passes nesting areas of bald eagles, ospreys and a plethora of other bird species and wildlife. (Approx. $130 pp)
Day 9 – JACKSON & SALT LAKE CITY (CB,D)
Today, travel to Salt Lake City, Utah’s vibrant capital. Set on the edge of Great Salt Lake Desert, this center of the Mormon religion is where Brigham Young declared to his followers, “This is the place.” An included Salt Lake City Sightseeing Tour offers a glimpse of Temple Square, the Capitol Building, and the beautiful downtown area.
Included: Salt Lake City Dinner – Enjoy a Farewell Dinner this evening with your fellow travelers at a local steak house restaurant.
Hotel: SALT LAKE CITY (1-night) – Crystal Inn & Suites – Conveniently located in downtown Salt Lake City, this 3-star hotel is just one mile from Historic Temple Square and near a variety of restaurants and nightlife. Enjoy the unlimited shopping at the new City Creek Center, the Gateway and Trolley Square mall. The hotel has large rooms with microwaves and refrigerators in addition to standard amenities. Enjoy high speed internet access and breakfast daily.
Day 10 – SALT LAKE CITY (B)
Your vacation ends this morning. Transfer to the Salt Lake City Airport for your flight home.
Contact Trustworthy Travel: Heidi Strawser or Karen Stutts at 717-436-8978