Utah National Parks vacation: 7-day guided geology tour
7 days
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Small Group Tour
SE Utah holds a wealth of fascinating geological and cultural stories. Join our geo-tour to learn about the rocks and their influence on the history of the area.
Starting in Grand Junction we travel west across the flat desert landscape to Torrey, the gateway to Capitol Reef National Par...
$7,432
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Overview
Trip type
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Balanced schedule
Highlights
- Learn how to “read the rocks” of iconic western landscapes, including Colorado National Monument, Capitol Reef, Arches National Parks, Goosenecks and Dead Horse Point.
- Visit ancient cliff dwellings and see petroglyphs and pictographs from Fremont and Ancestral Puebloan people and Native Americans.
- See artifacts from prehistoric Native Americans in the Edge of the Cedars museum on your Utah national parks vacation.
- Cross the San Juan River to Monument Valley – you’ll recognise its cinematic western scenery – for a tour led by a Navajo guide.
- Travel with Russell Davies, a geologist passionate about Native American lore, and stay in hotels with unforgettable views of the area’s characteristic red rock.
- Group size 6 to 12.
What's this trip about?
SE Utah holds a wealth of fascinating geological and cultural stories. Join our geo-tour to learn about the rocks and their influence on the history of the area.
Starting in Grand Junction we travel west across the flat desert landscape to Torrey, the gateway to Capitol Reef National Park. We will hike a slot canyon of Capitol Reef’s dramatic Waterpocket Fold, walk to Hickman Bridge (examining a granary and pictographs along the way) and visit early Mormon settlements along shady tree-lined streams.
We will then head southeast to Bluff, a quiet but historical town that has escaped being over-run by overzealous tourists. We will enjoy spectacular views across the Colorado River and learn about towns and canyons buried when Lake Powell formed behind the Glen Canyon Dam. There will be an opportunity to walk narrow canyons with paintings and etchings of long-vanished communities and to view cliff dwellings in the canyon walls. A side trip to Arizona allows for a Navajo-guide led tour of Monument Valley.
Our route continues north to bustling Moab and the accessible landscapes of nearby Arches and Canyonlands national parks. We will walk among arches, spires and dinosaur tracks and have the opportunity for a hike across settings featured in countless Westerns.
Details
Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeIntimate group - max of 12 people
Age range18 years and up
Flights and transportAll internal ground transport included
Start CityGrand Junction
End CityGrand Junction
Travel Themes
Destinations
Attractions
Activities
Min Group Size
Max Group Size
Trip includes
- The services of your tour expert, who will be with the group throughout the tour, providing pre-visit briefings, walking seminars and available to answer questions.
- A tour manager, who will attend to logistical matters, oversee the group’s health and safety and assist participants with their queries.
- All transportation costs from the start to the end of the tour, including the services of a professional coach driver.
- All accommodation costs for the nights stated, assuming double occupancy rooms. Single occupancy rooms are available for a surcharge. See Single Supplement in “Need to Know” tab.
- All breakfasts, lunches and dinners, except for the dinner in Torrey on Day 2 and Moab on Day 5.
- Entry fees, local guide fees and activity fees, where arranged as part of the tour.
- All service charges and most gratuities.
Itinerary
Day 1: Grand Junction, Colorado, to Torrey, Utah
The group will meet in the morning at a location in central Grand Junction for an overview of the tour and then depart for a drive across the Colorado National Monument, discussing the geology and the history of the Grand Valley with a few short walks for dramatic o...
Day 2: In and around Capitol Reef National Park
Visit Capitol Reef National Park, beginning with a stimulating walk to the spectacular Hickman Bridge, a large natural arch (1.5 miles / 3km, 400 foot / 120m elevation gain), passing a Fremont pit house and granary ruin along the way. After a brief stop at the park’...
Day 3: Along the Fremont and Colorado rivers to Bluff, Utah
Leave our Torrey hotel following breakfast and drive east to Hanksville and then southward past the Henry Mountains to the Colorado River. Stops will include key geological and archeological sites, such as petroglyphs exposed near springs, and panoramic views of Lak...
Day 4: Around Bluff and to Monument Valley, Arizona
Morning free to enjoy the hotel spa, explore the town of Bluff and Bluff Fort, or participate in an optional morning tour with choices of the Wolfman Panel, Monarch Cave (with 3 miles of moderate hiking) or a drive across the Valley of the Gods and up the Moki Dugwa...
Day 5: Petroglyphs, a museum and on to Moab
We begin with a stop at a renowned site of petroglyphs along the San Juan River and then head to Blanding and the Edge of the Cedars Museum, adjacent to rebuilt ruins and kivas. Our visit will include a back-room tour to see many artifacts not normally on display.
Day 6: Arches National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park
Breakfast in the hotel and early departure for Arches National Park.
Morning and picnic lunch in the park, where we will elaborate on the fascinating 300-million-year history of the rocks – a story of ancient seas, deep burial of the rocks and lat...
Day 7: Through Castle Valley and over La Sal Mountain to Grand Junction
Leisurely morning at the hotel to enjoy the sunrise along the cliff faces and the peaceful views of the river. For early risers, a walk into red-rock country can be arranged before the 11 AM checkout.
Return to Grand Junction along the river road ...
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Dates & Availability
Price From $5,505
Price per day$786
Last Updated: 3/25/2025
Check Current Availability, prices, specials with GeoCultura.
The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.
Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.
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Logistics
What's excluded
- Travel insurance: Guests should carry their own health and travel insurance.
- Alcoholic drinks with meals are not included.
- Optional activities as described in the tour itinerary or extra activities that are not described in the itinerary.
- Personal expenditures, including bar bills, laundry bills, and the cost of meals on two free evenings.
- Transportation to the start venue or from the end venue of the tour (air fares are not included).
- Passport and visa fees.
Accommodation
Nights 1 and 2: Capitol Reef Resort, Torrey, Utah
Located at the doorstep of Capitol Reef National Park, with stunning sightseeing and gorgeous mountain views.
Located at the doorstep of Capitol Reef National Park, with stunning sightseeing and gorgeous mountain views.
Nights 3 and 4: Bluff Dwelling Resort and Spa, Bluff, Utah
Bluff’s newest hotel is nestled among the majesty and solitude of hundred-million-year-old sandstone cliffs, where history whispers ancient legends from ancestral Puebloan-inspired dwellings.
Bluff’s newest hotel is nestled among the majesty and solitude of hundred-million-year-old sandstone cliffs, where history whispers ancient legends from ancestral Puebloan-inspired dwellings.
Nights 5 and 6: Fairfield Inn and Suites, Moab, Utah
This newly-renovated property is the closest hotel to Arches National Park. Its comfortable rooms offer dramatic views of the park and of the Colorado River.
This newly-renovated property is the closest hotel to Arches National Park. Its comfortable rooms offer dramatic views of the park and of the Colorado River.
Note: If required for reasons beyond our control, GeoCultura reserves the right to substitute alternative accomodation of equal or higher quality or adapt the itinerary if required.
Transportation & Flights
We will travel in a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle suited to the number of attendees.,
Requirements
,Double room for single occupancy is £685.
Cancellation policy
Deposit: A deposit of 10% of the tour price is due upon registration for a tour.
Final payment: Full payment is due 60 days before a tour begins, or upon registration if within the 60-day window.
Cancellation by participant: A participant may cancel a registration after securing a confirmed place on a tour for any reason. The following refund terms will apply:
- Greater than 60 days before tour begins: Any monies paid plus half of the deposit will be refunded
- 30 to 59 days before tour begins: 35% of tour price will be refunded
- 15 to 29 days before tour begins: 25% of tour price will be refunded
- Within 14 days of tour or during the tour: No monies will be refunded
Cancellation by GeoCultura: GeoCultura reserves the right to cancel any tour due to low enrolment, inability to run the tour or concerns about the safety, health or welfare of participants. If a tour is cancelled before it begins, all monies paid will be refunded (including any deposit).
Please refer to our Terms and Conditions page for additional details.
Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against
unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies.
It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before
or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination.
It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements.
For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements,
please visit this link
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Meals Included
All breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, except for the dinner in Torrey on Day 2 and Moab on Day 5.
Age Requirements
18 years and up
Optional Activities
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Additional Information
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Trip ID
geocul-UtNaPaVa
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