New York, Chicago to Hollywood - 17 Days

Arrive in New York City and make your own way to the hotel. This evening, meet your Tour Director and get ready for the journey ahead.

Please note: This tour may have travellers joining or departing at various points along the route, meaning group composition can change during the tour. Please also be aware that depending on group composition, guiding may be in additional languages as well as English.

New York City - Philadelphia - Washington DC. We depart New York for Philadelphia, where we spend the morning exploring the historic district - often called the City of Brotherly Love and widely regarded as the birthplace of the nation. We see the Liberty Bell and walk through Independence National Historic Park and Mall, home to key sites linked to American independence. We then continue on to the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C.

We enjoy a city tour of Washington, D.C., taking in highlights such as the U.S. Capitol Building, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, the White House and Arlington National Cemetery, where we visit the JFK Memorial. The rest of the day is free - you may choose to explore the many museums of the Smithsonian Institution or take a relaxed walk along the banks of the Potomac River.

Washington DC - Gettysburg - Buffalo - Niagara Falls (USA). Today we visit Gettysburg National Military Park, the site of one of the most decisive battles of the American Civil War and where Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous address in 1863. We then travel through upstate New York to Buffalo, continuing on to Niagara Falls, our destination for the evening, where the sound and mist of the falls fill the air.

Niagara Falls (USA) - Niagara Falls (Canada) - Detroit (USA). After crossing into Canada, we spend the morning exploring Niagara Falls. We stroll along Table Rock for close-up views of the powerful Horseshoe Falls. An optional boat ride offers a memorable experience at the base of the falls.

Later in the afternoon, we return to the United States and travel to our hotel in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan, a city long associated with the American automotive industry and often referred to as Motor City USA. The evening is at leisure.

Detroit - Chicago. This morning begins with a visit to the Rouge Factory, followed by the Henry Ford Museum, where we explore its extensive exhibits showcasing America’s industrial history. We then visit the nearby Ford plant to see a modern vehicle roll off the busy production line.

Later, we leave Motor City behind and travel inland, skirting the southern shore of Lake Michigan, as we continue to Chicago, Illinois for our overnight stay.

Today we enjoy a short tour of Chicago’s key highlights, including Lake Shore Drive, the Magnificent Mile and Navy Pier. The city’s striking skyline, shaped by pioneering high-rise architecture, forms an impressive backdrop, with the Willis Tower - once the tallest building in the world - standing as one of its most recognisable landmarks (admission not included). The rest of the day is at leisure.

Chicago - Sioux Falls. We travel through the Midwest’s rich farming country, passing vast fields of corn and wheat alongside traditional dairy farms. Crossing the mighty Mississippi River, we continue into Iowa, following a route once taken by Lewis and Clark over 200 years ago along the banks of the Missouri River. We arrive in Sioux Falls, South Dakota for our overnight stay.

Sioux Falls - Badlands National Park - Rapid City. We travel west through the open grasslands of South Dakota to Badlands National Park, a striking landscape of eroded rock formations shaped over millions of years. Once home to vast herds of buffalo and antelope, the area is known for its dramatic colours and unusual terrain.

We then continue to the Black Hills, a region sacred to the Plains Indians, where we visit Mount Rushmore - an immense monument carved into the rock, depicting four U.S. presidents: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt. We are staying in Rapid City, South Dakota tonight.

Rapid City - Cody. We enter the state of Wyoming, a vast landscape of mountain ranges, desert plains and rolling grasslands, and continue to Cody for our overnight stay.

If weather or road conditions in Yellowstone National Park prevent this, we will instead stay in Billings or Livingston in Montana.

Cody - Yellowstone National Park - West Yellowstone. We travel through the mountains of Wyoming to Yellowstone National Park, the first national park in the United States. Here, we enjoy a sightseeing tour of this vast geothermal landscape, known for its geysers, waterfalls, wildlife and dramatic canyons.

Highlights include Yellowstone Lake, the famous Old Faithful geyser, the impressive falls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and the scenic Hayden Valley.

West Yellowstone - Grand Teton National Park - Salt Lake City. We travel through Grand Teton National Park, weather permitting, where dramatic peaks rise to over 4,000 metres above the valley floor. We stop at the Snake River Overlook, a viewpoint made famous by Ansel Adams’ iconic photograph, offering striking views of the surrounding landscape. The area is also home to wildlife including bison, moose and elk.

Later, we continue into Utah and arrive in Salt Lake City, a centre of the Mormon community. We take a short tour of the city, founded by followers of Brigham Young and known for its well-planned layout. Highlights include the State Capitol, Temple Square and the Tabernacle. This evening, you may wish to dine at the Rooftop Restaurant for panoramic views over Temple Square (optional).

Saly Lake City - Bryce Canyon National Park - Bryce Canyon City. Today we continue to Bryce Canyon, where we explore a remarkable landscape of multi-coloured sandstone spires and pinnacles, known as hoodoos, shaped by erosion over millions of years.

This evening, weather permitting, you may wish to look up at the night sky, where the clear conditions reveal a striking display of stars and constellations.

Bryce Canyon City - Lake Powell - Grand Canyon National Park - Flagstaff. We depart Bryce Canyon this morning and travel to Lake Powell, where deep blue waters meet towering red-rock canyon walls. Formed by the damming of the Colorado River, it is the second-largest man-made lake in the United States.

We then continue to Grand Canyon National Park, one of the world’s great natural wonders. From the rim, we take in sweeping views across this mile-deep landscape of vast gorges, rising rock formations and the winding Colorado River below.

Later, we travel on to Flagstaff for our overnight stay, a historic stop along the famous Route 66.

Flagstaff - Las Vegas. This morning we depart Flagstaff and travel to Las Vegas, the dazzling Entertainment Capital of the World. Along the way, we pass through Seligman, a historic town along Route 66 that has retained the character of a bygone era.

The remainder of the day is at leisure to explore the famous Las Vegas Strip, known for its vibrant atmosphere and iconic hotels.

Las Vegas - Los Angeles. We travel to Los Angeles via the Mojave Desert, a stark and expansive landscape dotted with distinctive Joshua trees. Along the way, we pass the world’s tallest thermometer, standing at 41 metres.

On arrival in Los Angeles, we enjoy a tour of the City of Angels, taking in highlights such as Hollywood, the Sunset Strip and parts of Beverly Hills.

Your tour comes to an end after hotel check-out. Make your own way to the airport or your next destination.