DAY 1 AUSTRALIA -SALT LAKE CITY(D)

Fly to Salt Lake.
On arrival, meet & greet and transfer to the hotel. On the way to the hotel enjoy views of the State Capitol Building & downtowns historic Temple Square, home to the 6-spired Salt Lake Temple & domed Tabernacle of the world-famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

DAY 2 SALT LAKE CITY- VERNAL (BLD)

Visit the Natural History Museum of Utah, one of the finest natural history museums in the country. The museum continues to connect Utah residents and tourists with the natural landscapes and cultures of Utah. They house more than 1.5 million specimens and objects.

DAY 3 VERNAL- GRAND JUNCTION (BLD)

Visit the Dinosaur National Monument: Dinosaurs once roamed here. Their fantastic remains are still visible embedded in the rocks. Today, the mountains, desert and untamed rivers flowing in deep canyons, support an array of life. Petroglyphs hint at earlier cultures. Later, homesteaders and outlaws found refuge here. Whether your passion is science, adventure, history or scenery, Dinosaur offers much to explore. Visitors can see over 1,500 dinosaur fossils exposed on the cliff face inside the Quarry Exhibit Hall.

DAY 4 GRAND JUNCTION- DURANGO (BLD)

Visit the Colorado National Monument, the Heart of the World. Colorado National Monument preserves one of the grand landscapes of the American West. But this treasure is much more than a monument. Towering monoliths exist within a vast plateau and canyon panorama. You can experience sheer-walled, red rock canyons along the twists and turns of Rim Rock Drive, where you may spy bighorn sheep and soaring eagles.
After spending time at the park, doing a short Hike and a picnic lunch, travel to Durango for your next 2 nights.

Canyon Rim Trail
Location: Starts behind the Saddlehorn Visitor Center and ends at Book Cliffs View.
Mileage: 0.5 one way (0.8 km)
Difficulty Level: Easy
Elevation: 5,626 feet (1715 meters)
Average time: 1/2 hour
Usage: Hiking only. Horses prohibited.
Description: Level trail following the cliff edge above colorful Wedding Canyon. Outstanding views make this a favorite for landscape and wildlife photographers.

DAY 5 DURANGO – MESA VERDE - DURANGO (BD)

Visit the Mesa Verde National Park, established in 1906 to preserve and interpret the archeological heritage of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years, from 600 to 1300 CE. Today, the park protects nearly 5,000 known archeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings. These sites are some of the most notable and best preserved in the United States.

Optional Guided Tours:
Cliff Palace, Balcony House, and Long House can only be visited by taking a ranger-guided tour which is very popular. A tour of Long House, on Wetherill Mesa, can be taken on the same day as a Cliff Palace or Balcony House tour. Tours are strenuous. There are no height or age restrictions for tours, but children must be capable of walking the extent of the trails, climbing ladders, and negotiating steps independently.

Tour tickets for Balcony House, Cliff Palace, and Long House must be purchased in person. Tour tickets sell out quickly.

The PowerHouse Science Center/Makerlab: Located on the banks of the Animas River in an historic coal-fired steam-power AC generating plant, The Powerhouse presents a wide range of programs, exhibits, and activities designed to provide an entertaining and inspiring look at science past, present, and future.

The Powerhouse is Southwest Colorados premier hands-on, interactive science center for all ages. Open year-round, the science center is a dynamic place for family adventures, school field trips, early childhood learning, special events, hanging around by the river, messing around with amazing technology, and just plain geeking out. The mission is to spark curiosity, ignite imagination, and power exploration.

DAY 6 DURANGO-MONUMENT VALLEYNP-KAYENTA (BLD)

Visit the Navajo Nations Monument Valley Park. You will experience one of the most majestic and most photographed points on earth. This great valley boasts sandstone masterpieces that tower at heights of 400 to 1,000 feet, framed by scenic clouds casting shadows that graciously roam the desert floor.

Monument Valley, an area that embodies perhaps the most definitive and iconic images of the American West. The landscape overwhelms, not just by its beauty but also by its size. The fragile pinnacles of rock are surrounded by miles of mesas and buttes, shrubs and trees, and windblown sand, all comprising the magnificent colors of the valley.

DAY 7 KAYENTA-ANTELOPE CANYON-FLAGSTAFF (BLD)

Visit the beautiful Upper Antelope Canyon Tour, one of the most spectacular slot canyons in the world. Followed, a visit to the famous Horseshoe Bend.
Overnight in Flagstaff.

DAY 8 FLAGSTAFF-LOWELL OBSERVATORY-METEOR CRATER (BD)

Visit the Lowell Observatory where history and science comes together! A family friendly venue, Lowell Observatory allows everyone to explore the history of the universe, as well as modern science research.

Lowell Observatory's mission is to pursue the study of astronomy, especially the study of our solar system and its evolution; to conduct pure research in astronomical phenomena; and to maintain quality public education and outreach programs to bring the results of astronomical research to the general public.

Visit Meteor Crater, world's best-preserved meteorite impact site on Earth, Located just minutes from Interstate 40 and the old Route 66 in Northern Arizona near Winslow. Meteor Crater is the spectacular result of a collision that rocked the American Southwest approximately 50,000 years ago with the energy of more than 20 million tons of TNT. Take an awestruck moment to consider the meteorite that thundered into the Colorado Plateau at 26,000 miles per hour, blasting a cavity some 2.5 miles around and nearly 600 feet deep.Today, the crater is flush with observation trails and activities.

DAY 9 FLAGSTAFF – GRAND CANYON NP – FLAGSTAFF (BLD)

Visit the Grand Canyon National Park, one of the 7 great natural wonders of the world. Stop at the rim to fully experience these mile-deep colorful canyons plunging gorges, and rising spires formed by the mighty Colorado River.
Even though the average distance across the canyon is only 10 miles/ 16 km, it takes 5 hours to drive the 215 miles / 346 km between the park's South Rim Village and the North Rim Village.

DAY 10 FLAGSTAFF – PHOENIX-LOS ANGELES (BD)

Travel to Phoenix Airport for your flight to Los Angeles. Your journey will take you through Sedona, a city situated in a unique geological area and encircled by distinctive red-rock monoliths with such names as Cathedral and Coffee Pot. If time permits, stop at Montezuma Castle National Monument.
Fly to Los Angeles.
On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

DAY 11 LOS ANGELES-AUSTRALIA (B)

Today is free to explore LA under teacher’s guidance (full day coach included).
Return to your hotel, collect your luggage and travel to LA airport for your flight back to Australia.

DAY 12-13 LOS ANGELES-AUSTRALIA

Flight to Australia.