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Introduction
The motivation behind the creation of this itinerary was a desire to have something that combined arguably the most impressive scenery in North America with some ‘Chill Out’ time, a combination we often sought with our own personal holidays.

Having visited the South West region many times before we fully appreciated the rejuvenating qualities of the long dry sunny days and the exceptional southwestern hospitality. By marrying this with visits to some of North America’s most spectacular National Parks we’ve created a holiday experience where you will see lots but return home feeling rejuvenated and wanting more.

There is no substitute for first hand experience. A member of our team has driven this itinerary and each hotel featured has been inspected and chosen for various qualities, not least their location. Every hotel, every route and every duration has been chosen so as to click together perfectly and give you the most from your visit to the region.

As always, Complete North America offers you the flexibility to change this itinerary to suit your own personal tastes and requirements, all you have to do is tell us what appeals to you.

Itinerary summary Scottsdale (Phoenix) 2 nights – Camelback Inn – A J.W. Marriott Resort & Spa Grand Canyon 1 night - Quality Inn & Suites Canyon Plaza Springdale (Zion National Park) 2 nights – The Cliffrose Lodge & Gardens Bryce Canyon National Park 1 night – The Bryce Canyon Lodge Torrey (Capitol Reef National Park) 1 night – The Wonderland Inn Moab (Arches/Canyonlands National Park 2 nights – Best Western Canyonlands Inn Mesa Verde National Park 1 night – Far View Lodge Monument Valley 1 night – Gouldings Lodge Sedona 3 nights – Amara Creekside Resort Total 14 nights

Flights
Given the choice there really is only one way to travel to the Southwest and that’s with British Airways on the only non-stop service to Phoenix. We are very proud to work with British Airways and have negotiated special inclusive tour rates exclusive to Complete North America for this itinerary giving you a great deal on non-stop flights with one of the finest carriers in the world.

Should you be interested we can also extend special reduced travel rates in the British Airways World Traveller Plus, Club World and FIRST cabins.

Accommodation
We’ve visited each hotel chosen for this itinerary. Our choices represent a good mix of luxury resorts that offer exceptional rates exclusively to Complete North America, National Park properties and clean comfortable motels. Our recommended hotels offer a careful balance between budget and service standards. We pay particular attention to convenient locations and also how long you will be spending at the hotel/motel, it makes sense to have somewhere a little nicer when you are staying for more than just an overnight stop.

In conclusion our hotels offer a happy medium, however to accommodate everyone’s needs and budget we would be more than happy to discuss alternatives with you and should you wish to consider a special upgrade we certainly have some excellent suggestions such as the Sorrel River Ranch in Moab, and El Tovar at the Grand Canyon South Rim.

Value for Money & Financial Protection Rolled Into One
By booking this complete package with Complete North America you benefit from reduced rates on flights, accommodation and car rental along with complete financial protection. We are fully bonded with the Civil Aviation Authority and this package is ATOL protected under ATOL No.5368. Feel free to check our credentials at ATOL - Total Financial Protection for Air Holidays

Arrival Phoenix

Depart London Heathrow – 1435
Arrive Phoenix – 1710 (Local time)
Journey time – 10 hours 35 minutes

We are happy to assist with discounted parking and/or accommodation at Heathrow Airport if required, please ask a member of our team for recommendations and prices.

Phoenix Airport is excellent; being nothing like the size of other U.S. gateways you will appreciate the ease with which you can transit the airport.

On arrival take your complimentary Hertz transfer to the rental depot, a short 5-minute ride away. Your Complete North America package offers a fully inclusive rental vehicle so unless you wish to hire additional equipment you will have nothing else to pay.

Make your way to your first hotel the Camelback Inn, this drive is very straight forward, nothing too taxing and will take you about 20 minutes.

2 nights - Camelback Inn – J.W. Marriott Resort & Spa
A luxury resort that seems to have it all, for us the highlights are a fabulous restaurant, a superb spa facility and a morning coffee on the private veranda of your deluxe casita! The resort also boasts several swimming pools amongst the Casitas, which are spread across acres of beautifully manicured desert gardens. The Casita’s are particularly spacious and have a kitchenette with full size fridge, microwave and coffee making facilities. Parking close to your Casita is free.

For those looking for something really special consider the Deluxe Casita’s that have their own swimming pool but be warned they don’t come cheap!

Scottsdale

The Camelback Inn serves an impressive buffet breakfast (Not included) taken outside around the main pool it’s a great way to start the day.

For your day in Scottsdale the concierge at the hotel are very helpful and can arrange a variety of trips for you including Jeep Rides, horseback riding and even hot air balloon trips.

We strongly recommend a visit to the Spa located at the far side of the resort. Even if you choose not to indulge in any of the treatments the Spa offers a luxury retreat for those preferring more peaceful surroundings where you can relax by the pool and enjoy light bites at the restaurant/café whilst enjoying the Arizona sunshine.

You may prefer to relax around the resort swimming pools, play summer tennis, maybe a round of golf and just adjust to the time difference before embarking on your driving adventure tomorrow.

Dinner at the sophisticated Chaparral Supper Club located at the resort is an ideal way to finish the day off – we can recommend the top class dining where you will often enjoy live music as well.
Overnight - Camelback Inn – J.W. Marriott Resort & Spa

Scottsdale – Grand Canyon – 259 miles

This drive will take you about 4.5 hours. A very straight forward drive, dual carriageway as far as Flagstaff from where we suggest you take the more scenic Highway 180 through the hills and forest that surround Humphreys Peak, the highest point in Arizona at 12633ft. Watch out for deer and other wildlife along the route.

Along Highway 180 just before you reach the Grand Canyon National Park entrance you will enter the community of Tusayan. Your accommodation for the night is located about half way down the main street on the left and we suggest you check-in and unload your luggage before continuing to the South Rim Village located within Grand Canyon National Park for hopefully a spectacular sunset.

Hot Tip
Be sure to purchase the National Park Pass at the entrance. Priced at $50 this pass is good for entrance to all National Parks in America for 12 months, without it you are likely to spend twice as much during this trip on entry fees.

After watching the sunset we’d suggest a nice meal back at the hotel and an early night, you might still be tiring early due the a little jet lag and you have another fun filled day ahead tomorrow.

1 night – Quality Inn & Suites Canyon Plaza
The Quality Inn & Suites is located 7 miles from the Canyon Rim n the community of Tusayan. We feel this location offers excellent value for money and a good clean comfortable motel room for the night. The National Park lodges at the rim are quite expensive, availability is often a problem and quite frankly the standard is not as good. With so many visitors to the south rim village the whole area is constantly busy with 1000’s of visitors and guests alike, parking can often be the first challenge you encounter whether you are a guest of one of the hotels or not.

The Quality Inn has a swimming pool, restaurant, very comfortable rooms and free parking.

Grand Canyon – Springdale (Zion National Park) – 250 miles

Start today by returning to the Grand Canyon South Rim Village and take Highway 64 East. This road will take you along the rim of the Grand Canyon where you can spend a couple of hours stopping at the pullouts for views across the magnificent Grand Canyon. Eventually you will leave the National Park boundaries and continue along US64 before joining the US89 North. You are now in the lands of the Navajo Indian Nation.

We suggest you take the scenic ALT89 highway towards Marble Canyon and Jacobs Lake and continuing on to the Zion National Park entrance. After entering the park you will enjoy many pullouts for photos as you descend down into the canyon of Zion National Park, this is a truly stunning part of the drive.

Eventually you will leave the park and almost immediately see the Cliffrose Lodge on your left on the edge of the community of Springdale. The great advantage of staying at the Cliffrose Lodge is that you can avoid the acute parking problems within the park and walk to the Visitor Center from where the complimentary trolley tours along the Canyon depart from. You cannot drive your car along this route so the trolley tours are a must.

After a long drive and mindful that you have a full day tomorrow to explore the park tomorrow we suggest you relax and maybe take a stroll into the very pleasant community of Springdale where you will find some interesting shops and a small selection of excellent places to eat. The Bit & Spur does a tasty Mexican dish!

2 nights – Cliffrose Lodge
Positioned right at the entrance to Zion National Park and surrounding by breathtaking red rock mountain scenery the Cliffrose Lodge is the ideal place from where to explore one of the most beautiful Canyons in the world. The property features very clean and comfortable motel rooms, a lovely swimming pool and a shared veranda where humming birds are frequent visitors to the feeders. Parking is free.

As an alternative you might wish to consider staying inside the Park at Zion Lodge but this is rather expensive and like the Grand Canyon gets very busy with visitors during the day as this is the only place to stop and eat along the base of the Canyon. You would also be unable to walk to Springdale from here for a choice of restaurants in the evening; it is too far to walk.

Hot Tip
The states of Utah and Colorado along with the Indian Reservation Lands observe daylight saving time and so are 7 hours behind the U.K. Arizona does not and so is 8 hours behind the U.K. It’s good tip make a note of this as it can become confusing as you move locations.

Zion National Park

The Pioneer Lodge Restaurant in the heart of Springdale does a hearty breakfast, the ideal preparation before you head for the Visitors Center at the park entrance. Leave you car at the Cliffrose Lodge and walk into the park, the trolley tours operate constantly all day and there are too many stops to count as the trolley buses amble along the Canyon. You can hop on and off at all these points where you will find a selection of short walks and longer hikes. The Visitor Center has details so you can select something that suits you. The Museum stop is a must.
After a leisurely day in beautiful Zion National Park return to the Lodge to relax and maybe take a refreshing dip in the swimming pool before grabbing a bite to east in Springdale – tomorrow you head for Bryce!
Overnight – Cliffrose Lodge, Springdale (Zion National Park)

Springdale (Zion National Park) – Bryce Canyon National Park – 88 miles

Take the same route out of the park today; it’s amazing how driving the same route in a different direction gives you a whole new perspective. You have a leisurely 2 hour drive to Bryce Canyon National Park today and we suggest you set out early so as to get to Bryce and spend at least a good afternoon there.

It’s because of the relatively short drive to Bryce that we are only recommending 1 night here. If you arrive by lunchtime today you will be able to drive to all of the look out points in the park in the afternoon giving you a reasonable overview of the park, you can then check-in at Bryce Lodge at the end of the day. For those wishing to take advantage of the superb hiking opportunities at Bryce we would suggest an additional night.

The visitor Center in Bryce at the entrance is well worth visiting to see a free video presentation and to check on current weather conditions. Due to the high elevation of the park snowfall is common right up until the middle of May. Bryce is a stunningly beautiful site, very different to anything else you will see, perhaps the highlight being the view from Bryce Point – the pictures give you an idea of what to expect but in no way capture the impressive experience of actually being there.

Sunrise and sunset are particularly good opportunities to take some fabulous pictures. The sunlight brings out quirt amazing colours in the red rock. The times are posted daily at the visitor centre and I would recommend you go to Bryce Point.

An added bonus during the summer months is a Rodeo located 1 mile outside the park. This runs nightly Monday – Saturday from Memorial Day (End of May) until mid-September. This is a great western experience, it’s starts at 7pm and we would recommend you go along.

1 night – Bryce Canyon Lodge
The only lodging in the heart of Bryce Canyon National Park, the setting is stunning. The accommodation is pleasant and you will enjoy a nice meal as you look back on what you have seen today. Availability of Bryce Canyon Lodge is limited at the best of times, where we are unable to secure a room we will recommend lodging just 1 mile outside the main entrance to the park for this night.

Bryce Canyon National Park – Torrey (Capitol Reef National Park) 85 miles

Highway 12 from Bryce to Torrey is a designated Scenic Byway and it does not disappoint. A little more challenging than you will have had in past days with more steep hills to climb, lots of tight turns and switch backs. You climb up to about 10000 feet at one point, remember to watch out for the wildlife it’s not uncommon for deer to step out into the road in front of you.

On arrival at the small community of Torrey you will see the Wonderland Inn located at the first road junction, however if you made an early start as we suggest from Bryce it will probably be a little too early to check-in so we suggest you continue along highway 24 for 11 miles to Capitol Reef National Park.

Capitol Reef is impressive, large canyon like mountains in dramatic colours. There is a one-way scenic drive from the visitor centre with unpaved roads leading off this that take you deep into canyons and gorges. In accordance with your car rental insurance you should not really take these routes but it would be a shame to miss out and the tracks are really quite smooth. Upgrading to a 4x4 SUV would certainly be an advantage in this situation. The experience of driving between the sheer rock faces and enjoying the short hikes at the end of ‘Grand Wash’ and ‘Capitol Gorge’ were very rewarding.

Other attraction at Capitol Reef include early Mormon settlement buildings including a preserved school house and Petroglyphs (Rock drawings by Fremont Indians circa AD700)

Unless you wish to do some longer hikes 4 hours in the park is ideal so towards the end of your day return to the Wonderland Inn at Torrey.

1 night – Wonderland Inn
A clean comfortable motel, the rooms here do not have coffee makers but they are spacious and very clean. The hotel has an indoor pool, spa and a restaurant serving dinner and a good breakfast. The owners are very friendly and will do their utmost to help you should you need advice and information.

Hot Tip
We’ve found that visiting a restaurant for breakfast each morning for 2 weeks can become a bit much. Consider buying a cheap toaster (You can get them for about $20) and try toasted bagels with some cream cheese and a coffee in your room, it’s quick and ideal where you want to make an early start. America loves it’s bagels so there are lots of different varieties.

Torrey (Capitol Reef National Park) – Moab - 250 miles

There are 2 possible routes you could take to Moab but you should definitely take our suggested route following highway 24 east and then highway 95 south through White Canyon. Another designated scenic route, this really is a lovely drive where if you have it you can engage the cruise control for large parts of the drive and the beautiful scenery that surrounds.

We love the town of Moab, surrounded by beautiful red rock hills it has a slightly carefree feel, probably much to do with the activity based focus of the town as Moab is considered the mountain biking capital of the world due to the large number of exceptional slick rock trails in the region. You can also enjoy river rafting and jeep trips from here also.

The reason we have brought you to Moab for 2 nights is so that you can visit Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Depending on your arrival time you could visit one of them this afternoon all leave both until tomorrow. Both warrant 4 hours really as there is some nice short walks at both.

2 nights – Best Western Canyonlands Inn
The Best Western Canyonlands Inn is mid way along the main street in Moab, it really could not be a better location to enjoy the town. The rooms are very clean and comfortable, are equipped with a coffee maker and the property has a nice pool and a decent restaurant. That said I would suggest for eating you explore the main street.

Moab

As we previously said we have given you a full day to enjoy Moab and in particular the excellent National Parks of Arches and Canyonlands we would suggest 4 hours in each. If you are looking for a short pleasant walk I would recommend the trail to Landscape Arch which is about 2 miles roundtrip. There are a number of longer well-marked trails in both parks if you would prefer.

At the end of the busy day choose from the many places to eat along the main street or if you want a tip, visit the Moab Brewery, where they have a great restaurant and you have the chance to enjoy some of the locals beers brewed on-site. Another good place to eat is ‘Zax’ located on the main street, just a very short walk from your hotel, it’s nice to sit on the outside patio here to eat and do a little people watching on Main Street. Both offer a wide variety of American style food.

Moab enjoys excellent weather for the most part all the way through the summer months, already reaching the mid 70’s in April continuing up to 100 in July and only dropping to the mid 70’s again in October. There is very little rainfall during the summer. These temperatures are an average.

If you managed to squeeze one of the National Parks in yesterday or would rather try a little adventure today there are numerous outfitters, and tour companies dotted along the main street where you can book on to organized cycle tours, jeeps tours and of course river rafting trips. If you would prefer Complete North America can arrange rafting trips for you in advance of your arrival in Moab.
Overnight – Best Western Canyonlands Inn

Sedona – Phoenix Airport – 115 miles

Today is a very easy 2.5-hour drive back along Interstate 17 and the airport is well signposted. With an evening departure you have no need to rush, take your time at the resort, enjoy breakfast before heading out.

Follow the signposting to car rental returns where you will clearly find the Hertz depot. Follow the signposts to the car return aisle then wait with your vehicle for the Hertz agent to check the car over and issue you with your receipt before boarding the transfer back to the terminal. Be sure to advise the drive which airline you are with before boarding the bus as different buses go to different terminals.

Depart Phoenix – 1925
Arrive London Heathrow – 1310*
Journey Time – 9hr 50mins

* Arrival time into the U.K is the following day.

Prices (in Pounds Sterling)

The prices shown below are 'per person'.

Cost Includes ....

• British Airways non-stop flights
• UK & US Airport taxes
• 14 nights room only accommodation
• 14 days economy car rental based on Alamo ‘Gold Rate’ (Intermediate for Triple/Quad Rates). Click here for details.
• Exclusive travel documentation package including personalised maps, itinerary and driver directions along with all applicable tickets and vouchers.

Note 1
During the winter months, many of the National Parks featured in this itinerary experience snowfall due to their high elevation. Whilst all operate year round certain access restrictions within the parks are put in place. Parks like Bryce and Zion are quite beautiful during the winter months and much quieter. In contrast southern Arizona stays warm with the average monthly temperature barely dropping below 70 degrees farenheit. For these reasons we would prefer to discuss the itinerary with you for these months and perhaps agree on a modified version. Please call us on 0845 263 7100 or send a specific email enquiry.

Weather
This itinerary offers potentially some of the most extreme contrasts in weather you are likely to find on any of our Fly Drive itineraries. You start in the desert community of Scottsdale which in some is blistering hot but offer very a very mild temperate climate during the autumn, winter and spring. You might note that prices are higher in April, May and October than they are in June and September, this is because Scottsdale has such a lovely climate at that time of year which is difficult to find anywhere else. Many of the other areas you will visit such as the Grand Canyon, Torrey and Bryce involve substantial increases in elevation due to their mountainous terrain. With this comes cooler temperatures and snowfall generally during the period from November -March.

Hotel Availability
Sometimes the hotels named in this itinerary are not available at the time of booking. Under these circumstances Complete North America will book alternative accommodation of a similar standard. Such changes will be confirmed in writing to you at the time of booking confirmation. If you are not completely happy with the alternative hotel we will happily discuss other possibilities with you in the same location.

Hotel Upgrades
Numerous stays on this itinerary already utilise excellent accommodations, however if you wanted to sample some of the finest resorts and hotels North America has to offer along with the most desired National Park accommodation (All be it rustic) then we would ask you to consider any of the following upgrade options. A member of our team would be happy to offer advice and information on these options along with a revised holiday cost.

• Scottsdale - The Phoenician
• Grand Canyon - El Tovar
• Zion National Park - Zion Lodge
• Bryce Canyon National Park - The Bryce Canyon Lodge
• Torrey - Nothing here worth upgrading to.
• Moab - The Sorrel River Ranch
• Mesa Verde National Park - Current selection is best option.
• Monument Valley - Current selection is best option.
• Sedona - Current selection is best option.

Best days to travel, seat assignments, special requests and flight upgrades

• British Airways operates the only non-stop flights to Phoenix every day except Wednesday. Should you need to travel on a Wednesday we can offer alternative flights via one of several major U.S. gateway cities. Should you wish to fly with an alternative carrier to British Airways we would also be happy to prepare a quote for you.
• Where available we will be delighted to pre-assign your seats numbers and take care of any special meal requests according to your preference at the time of booking.
• We have exceptional deals on upgrades with British Airways to World Traveller Plus, Club World and FIRST.
• We have discounted prices for British Airways regional flights to Heathrow, please ask for details and if you are flying from Northern Ireland or Republic of Ireland? Read about special deals for connecting flights here.

Car Rental in America

The car rental included in this package is based on the Alamo 'Gold' rate which represents the mose inclusive rate you can buy. For a full breakdown of just exactly what this rate includes, a full explanation of all inclusions and information on cars please visit our car rental section by clicking on the link below.

As part of our agreement with Alamo we are able to offer you GPS Satellite Navigation as an optional extra that must be pre-booked. For more information on this click the link below.

Go to the car rental section » Read more about Sat Nav »

Travel Insurance
Whilst it is not compulsory to take our travel insurance, it's imperative that you do not travel without comprehensive travel insurance. Our adult premium is £49 per person for 2 weeks (Age restrictions do apply), however we do have rates for family policies and annual travel insurance, please call for details. In all cases taking our travel insurance will require acceptance of the medical health declaration and all pre-existing conditions should be declared to the insurance company.

All travellers must hold a full 10 year machine readable British Passport and have no criminal convictions to travel to the United States without the need for a visa. For more details on passport requirements please visit www.usembassy.org.uk

Ready to book?

Call our booking line on 0845 263 7100

(Mon-Fri. 09.00-18.00 or Sat 10.00-17.00)

A member of our team will be happy to answer any questions you have before processing your booking and the initial non-refundable deposit payment of £150.00 per person. We will endeavour to secure your flights and take care of any special meal requests during this call. The remaining components of your holiday will be put in place and a written 'Confirmation/Invoice' detailing everything we have confirmed on your behalf will be sent by regular mail along with a receipt for the deposit to your nominated contact address. We try to complete this whole process within 7- 10 working days of accepting your order and deposit, however meeting this target is very much dependant on the speed of response from our hotel and tour partners in North America.

Please note - By agreeing to pay a deposit you are instructing us to commence with the booking of your holiday arrangements and as such you enter into an agreement with Complete North America Limited. This agreement is governed by our standard booking conditions a copy of which is available to you at anytime and included with your written holiday confirmation.

Click here to view our Booking Conditions & Promise of Fair Trading