America's Northern Rockies tour - 15 Days

Get a rocky mountain high on a wild west tour that's the peak of perfection

America’s Northern Rockies may strike most as the road less travelled. A remote place filled with images of the untamed West, cattle drives and rugged mountains. All these reflections are true, yet out there lies an incredible landscape filled with rich history and gorgeous scenery. Lush forests, dramatic waterfalls, fast flowing rivers and unspoiled vistas. Couple these natural treasures with the authentic hospitality of the residents and you will experience a holiday in true Americana style. On this 15 day tour you will see Mount Rushmore and the South Dakota Badlands, the Old West towns of Deadwood, Laramie and Cheyenne, Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons. Denver

Tour Highlights

Denver ·
Cheyenne, Wyoming ·
Custer, South Dakota ·
Yellowstone National Park ·
Grand Teton National Park ·
Rock Springs ·
Laramie ·

Full Tour Itinerary

Day 1: Denver

Once home to gunslingers, gamblers, miners and cattlemen, Denver is a great place to begin your exploration of America’s northern Rocky Mountains. When you learn the history, you’ll find it amazing that the hard hitting culture of the Old West eventually evolved into one of the most sophisticated, educated, prosperous and ecologically minded cities in the world. See all Denver’s highlights on a walking tour.

Standard Tour Sheraton Downtown Denver

Day 2: Cheyenne, Wyoming

Think Cheyenne and you are likely bring up images of the wild, wild West. Today you start by exploring the historic district seeing the gold-domed Wyoming capital building and the restored Union Pacific Depot. The Cheyenne Street Railway Trolley takes you on a 90-minute tour past city landmarks. In the evening, catch a live show.

Standard Tour Cheyenne, Holiday Inn

Day 3: Custer, South Dakota

Accommodations in Custer, South Dakota put you right in the centre of some of the most unusual scenery in America. Above ground the sandstone desert and twisted rocks of Badlands National Park hug the Black Hills National Forest and you can admire the beauty of both

Standard Tour Mount Rushmore Whitehouse Inn

Day 4: South Dakota

Today you venture below ground when you tour the Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, and bubbling hot springs. Custer State Park is one of the truly wild places in America and you take the 18-mile Wildlife Loop Road through the park to see the animals.

Standard Tour Mount Rushmore Whitehouse Inn

Day 5: South Dakota

After exploring most of the natural wonders that South Dakota has to offer over the past two days a highlight of the tour awaits with a visit to iconic Mount Rushmore where the giant heads of former presidents are carved out of the rock. You will have the chance to see Mount Rushmore in the evening when it is illuminated.

Standard Tour Mount Rushmore Whitehouse Inn

Day 6: Sheridan, Wyoming

On the way between the Badlands and Sheridan the Old West meets the modern era. Nestled beneath the Big Horn Mountains Sheridan’s historic buildings include the inn where Buffalo Bill Cody auditioned acts for his famous Wild West Show. More than 30 buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places and sit beside shops, boutiques, galleries and restaurants. Then travel north to see the Little Bighorn Battlefield, site of Custer’s Last Stand.

Standard Tour Sheridan Holiday Inn

Day 7: Billings, Montana

When you reach Billings, head for the Western Heritage Centre, which features more than 17,000 objects, photographs, Indian bead work and artifacts, furniture, clothing, and weapons. Pompey’s Pillar, a sandstone butte outside Billings, bears the only remaining physical evidence from the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1806. Southeast of Billings, Pictograph Cave State Park has 2,000 year old rock paintings.

Standard Tour Crowne Plaza Billings

Day 8: Cody, Wyoming

Cody was founded by Buffalo Bill Cody in 1896 and served as the home base of his Wild West Show for more than 30 years. Buffalo Bill’s Irma Hotel has western style entertainment nearly every night. Visit the Buffalo Bill Historical Centre with five separate museums. A one-hour trolley ride takes in Cody’s historic sites and lovely vistas.

Standard Tour Buffalo Bill Village

Day 9: Yellowstone National Park

As large as Rhode Island, Yellowstone National Park features an incredible array of more than 10,000 hydrothermal features, including 300 geysers. The geography of Yellowstone is made up of eight distinct areas and you will get to see them all on this fascinating two day stay in the park.

Standard Tour Lake Lodge Cabins

Day 10: Yellowstone National Park

Today you can let off steam as you watch the bubbling, boiling springs at Mammoth Hot Springs and take trails through the colourful Artist Paint Pots. Also see the famous Old Faithful geyser which erupts at regular intervals and visit a number of museums which explore the cultural heritage of the area.

Standard Tour Lake Lodge Cabins

Day 11: Grand Teton National Park

As you cruise down the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway that connects Yellowstone to Grand Teton National Park, prepare yourself for some real grandeur. Meandering on Teton Park Road at the base of the mountains, it becomes obvious why this is a National Park and it is one that is teeming with wildlife.

Standard Tour Lexington at Jackson Hole

Day 12: Grand Teton National Park

In this beautiful area there are so many scenic drives with panoramic views of the Teton Range, Jackson Lake and the Jackson Hole valley and you will take lots of them. This is one of America's favourite ski areas and is an all year round holiday destination packed with things to do and see.

Standard Tour Lexington at Jackson Hole

Day 13: Rock Springs

You’ll have another day of awesome scenery as you travel through Bridger-Teton National Forest on the way to Rock Springs. Visit the Museum of the Mountain Man in Pinedale and when you reach Rock Springs, enjoy the 91-mile long Flaming Gorge Reservoir, which is flanked by nearly 375 miles of dramatic shoreline. Visit Firehole Canyon for the spectacular sight of pinnacles reflecting in the river.

Standard Tour Rock Springs, Wingate

Day 14: Laramie

This is a perfect ending for your expedition through the American West. Like so many Western towns, Laramie was at the “end of the tracks.” The first train arrived in 1868, carrying the Ivinson family, who built the town. Tour their family mansion and visit Wyoming Territorial Prison which held none other than Butch Cassidy himself.

Standard Tour Laramie, Hampton Inn

Day 15: Denver

As you tour ends where it began in Denver, rest assured that you have seen and savoured some of America’s best unspoiled landscapes and been treated to a wonderful insight into life in the old Wild West.