Even as adults we play the "pioneer game" every time we visit this monumental trio of national parks. It goes like this: Imagine cresting the hill in your Conestoga wagon to behold these sights. How would you have reacted to canyons so deep, rock this red, bridges of stone and boulders poised on slender spires? These days, many visitors on Grand Canyon guided tours miss that sense of wonder as they RV past major points of interest. The Classic Journeys approach is different. We partner you with our knowledgeable guides who interpret what you see. (Did you know, for example, that the original Grand Canyon may have been created cataclysmically by the sudden draining of an inland sea?) We’ll make sure you get to less visited areas and experience the richness of the area’s geologic and human history. Yet we do it all without undue exertion. We’ve found easy trails—not to mention gracious lodges—to make certain that this journey of discovery is memorable in every way.

DAY 1 - GRAND CANYON'S NORTH RIM
We meet for our Bryce, Grand Canyon, and Zion adventure in St. George, Utah, and enter the first of the scenic canyons in our dramatic week together. A streamside walk includes a stop for a picnic lunch in the shade of a cottonwood grove. Then it’s on to Grand Canyon National Park (1 night) and a welcome dinner in the historic lodge.

Next morning, sleep in or join us for a sunrise rim walk. We’ll visit the vermilion canyons where Butch Cassidy’s gang holed up. Then head for a remote but easy trail walk on the north rim of the Grand Canyon.

DAYS 2-4 - BRYCE CANYON
Bryce Canyon (2 nights) is a natural gallery of red rock wonders—fins, spires, arches and mazes. We’ll journey into the heart of the canyon, as our guide leads us through ancient rose-colored pillars of sand and stone that resemble a city of spires and minarets.

We’ve reserved ample time to explore Anasazi ruins on Walhalla Plateau…take an optional mule-ride…and stroll to our guide’s favorite sunset vantage point.

DAYS 5-6 - ZION
On to Zion National Park (2 nights), we add new experiences—a walk along the Virgin River with hanging gardens of wildflowers…a fine picnic lunch in an organic apple orchard…and gallery-hopping in Springdale. A final walk offers great chances to spot wildlife as we loop through lower Zion Canyon and Oak Creek Canyon before returning to St. George.