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Day 1: Geology in Colorado Springs
Tour begins at Denver International Airport at 1:00 p.m. Travel to Colorado Springs, located at the base of Pikes Peak towering to over 14,000 feet high. Visit the Garden of the Gods featuring red rock formations. Enjoy the welcome reception and dinner with fellow travelers.
Meals: Dinner
Lodging: Antlers Hilton Colorado Springs, CO
Day 2: Mountain gorges and passes
See the rocky depths of Royal Gorge while crossing the highest suspension bridge in the world, strung 1,053 feet above the Arkansas River. Traverse Poncha Pass, a gap in the mountain range, to the open grazing lands of San Luis Valley. Cross the Continental Divide to get to Durango, an old mining town.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Strater Hotel, Durango, CO
Day 3: Mesa Verde National Park
Visit the impressive ruins at Mesa Verde National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park features stone dwellings built into high cliff walls, as well as ruins in the valley and on top of the plateau; the Anasazi Indians, who occupied the area, built them in the 13th century. This is a must-see site on all Colorado tours.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Lodging: Strater Hotel, Durango, CO
Day 4: Vintage rail ride
Take a half-day rail journey on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, a National Historic Landmark and the last scheduled narrow gauge railroad in the United States. Enjoy Tauck’s private parlor car on the train pulled by a vintage steam locomotive between Durango and Silverton. At Colorado National Monument, see sheer-walled canyons and towering monoliths, and watch for bighorn sheep.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Doubletree Hotel Grand Junction, CO
Day 5: Aspen and Vail
Travel to Aspen, originally a mining town, and now hosting a famous ski resort. Enjoy free time to explore the village. Continue along the Colorado River to Vail, located at the base of another skiing hotspot.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: The Lodge at Vail, CO
Day 6: Vail recreation
Explore the pedestrian-only village of Vail on your own, admiring the alpine chalets. Perhaps take the gondola up the mountain in the summer for long-distance views. Additional recreational options include golf, tennis, swimming, hiking, and horseback riding.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: The Lodge at Vail, CO
Day 7: Rocky Mountain National Park
Drive over Vail Pass, along the Blue River, and then over the tops of the mountain ranges on Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mountain National Park. Search the mountainsides for elk, mule deer, and bighorn sheep. Cross the Continental Divide, and descend to the town of Estes Park. If Trail Ridge Road is closed due to weather conditions, travel the alternate route through Berthoud Pass. Enjoy the evening farewell reception and dinner back in Denver.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: The Brown Palace Hotel, Denver, CO
Day 8: Journey home
Tour ends at Denver International Airport at 9:30 a.m.
Meals: Breakfast
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