Begin in the mile-high city of Denver on this 11-day Regional Discovery. Marvel at fantastic alpine scenery in Rocky Mountain National Park before traveling to Vail and Colorado National Monument. In Moab, Utah, stay in Red Cliffs Adventure Lodge high on the banks of the Colorado River. Enjoy a visit to Arches and Mesa Verde National Parks. More western history awaits in Durango with a ride on the Durango–Silverton train. Journey south to New Mexico for visits to Santa Fe and Taos and learn about the Native American culture before returning to Colorado. Cross Royal Gorge Bridge en route to Colorado Springs and take a cog railway up Pikes Peak for amazing views. The vacation ends in Denver.

Itinerary:

Day 1 Denver
Welcome to colorful Colorado This evening, mix and mingle with your traveling companions at the welcome reception. Your Tour Director will prepare you for your upcoming adventure. (WR)

Day 2 Denver–Rocky Mountain National Park–Vail
Enjoy a sightseeing tour of Denver this morning, and then it’s on to the beautiful Colorado mountains. Travel to Estes Park, gateway to ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK. A break at almost 12,000 feet provides fantastic alpine scenery. Continue along scenic Trail Ridge Road, crossing the Continental Divide and passing Grand Lake, Colorado’s largest natural lake. Journey to Vail, one of America’s most popular mountain resorts.
Note: Rocky Mountain National Park is subject to favorable road and weather conditions. (B)

Day 3 Vail–Colorado National Monument–Moab
Travel through the massive 1,800-foot walls of Glenwood Canyon to the “western slope” of Colorado. Then visit COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT, with sightseeing along panoramic Rim Rock Drive. Admire the majestic beauty of Independence Monument and Balanced Rock. Afterward, continue to Moab, Utah, via the scenic backroads, arriving at the Red Cliffs Lodge. Enjoy WINE TASTING at your resort’s winery, and then experience an authentic outdoor western barbecue. (B,D)
SPECIAL FEATURE: Your Hotel in Moab is the Red Cliffs Lodge. Offering guests a ranch-like experience amid luxurious western charm, Red Cliffs Lodge sits high on the banks of the Colorado River surrounded by cliffs and situated where western favorites, such as Wagon Master and Rio Grande, were filmed.

Day 4 Moab
This morning, enjoy a visit to ARCHES NATIONAL PARK, a wonderland of magnificent sandstone formations. Balance of the day is at leisure. Relax, swim, play tennis, visit the winery, or explore the museum with memorabilia from the movies filmed at your resort’s spectacular location. Your resort hotel in Moab is a significant advantage by travelling with Globus. This evening, enjoy the optional Canyonlands by Night river boat show. (B)

Day 5 Moab–Mesa Verde National Park–Durango
Head back to Colorado and travel to MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK, a World Heritage Site. Stop at Spruce Tree House, one of the best-preserved cliff dwellings. Also visit the museum that depicts the story of the people who once thrived on this 8,000-foot plateau, and stop at a great vantage point for pictures of Cliff Palace (one of the largest of the 700- year-old Anasazi dwellings). Arrive in Durango, a town born in the gold-rush and silver-mining era, in time for an optional four-wheel- drive excursion into the mountains or a float trip down the Animas River. (B,D)

Day 6 Durango. Rail Journey to Silverton
Board the narrow-gauge DURANGO-SILVERTON TRAIN this morning for a scenic ride through San Juan National Forest. The legendary steam train hugs steep canyon walls winding its way through Rio de las Animas Canyon with vistas of snow-capped peaks. Free time in Silverton, once a major mining town which owes its name to the bragging statement by an early miner: “We have no gold, but silver by the ton!” Return to Durango with balance of day at leisure. (B)

Day 7 Durango–Santa Fe
Head to New Mexico and to the charming city of Santa Fe, the oldest seat of government in the United States. Experience Santa Fe up-close as you embark on a GUIDED WALKING TOUR of the town center where many historic buildings reveal the town’s Spanish, Indian, and American heritage. Main sights include the San Miguel Mission, the Palace of the Governors, the CATHEDRAL OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI, and LORETTO CHAPEL'S “Miracle Stairway.” The remainder of your day is at leisure. (B,D)

Day 8 Santa Fe–Taos
Today, travel to the adobe town of Taos, seated on the high-desert mesa at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. On today’s walking tour, learn about its 1,100 years of history and art by visiting PUEBLO DE TAOS, a Native American village inhabited for nearly 700 years. Explore the historic town plaza, offering eclectic galleries, and wonderful shops during an afternoon at leisure. (B)

Day 9 Taos–Colorado Springs
Leave Taos, traveling across the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, one of the highest in the U.S., and drive north to Colorado Springs, Colorado, stopping at the ROYAL GORGE BRIDGE en route. Here you can walk across the world’s highest suspension bridge and marvel at the rugged rock walls that plunge more than 1,000 feet down to the Arkansas river. Continue to Colorado Springs, home to the U.S. Olympic Training Center. (B)

Day 10 Colorado Springs. Pikes Peak and Cog Railway Excursion
Visit Manitou Springs and take the COG RAILROAD up to the summit of 14,110-foot Pikes Peak, the place that inspired Katharine Lee Bates to write “America the Beautiful.” This evening, your Tour Director hosts a special FAREWELL CELEBRATION DINNER. Wonderful conversation and cuisine make the perfect finale for your vacation. (B,D)

Day 11 Colorado Springs–Denver
Head north to reach Denver International Airport for tour guests with homebound flights. (Please schedule flights after 12 noon.) The coach then continues into downtown, where the tour ends. (B)