The adventure begins in the City of Angels!  Venture around Joshua Tree National Park, explore the legendary Narrows in Zion, wander beneath natural arches, venture deep into the Grand Canyon and more on this unforgettable journey through the American West.  Visit the country’s most famous natural wonders and delve into some best kept secrets, too! See Monument Valley by horseback or on a jeep tour accompanied by a local Navajo guide.  An opportunity to trek through the marbled walls of Antelope Canyon will leave you mesmerized. This is one of our most popular adventures — and for good reason!

Welcome to the Green Tortoise!

Day 1

Meet the bus outside Hostel International Santa Monica with your e-ticket.

The bus departs at 8:30 AM.

Plan to arrive 30 minutes prior to the departure time. 

Get to know your new adventure pals on a short ride to Venice Beach.  LA’s “city of endless summer” is the best place to go for souvenir shopping along the boardwalk, ogling at Muscle Beach and watching street performances.  Next, we head toward the Hollywood sign for time at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, the Walk of Fame, and the Kodak Theatre, the site of the Academy Awards.  A short drive brings us to Palm Springs in the Coachella Valley.  Spend a balmy evening at a downtown bistro before we head for Joshua Tree National Park, where we’ll camp alongside giant boulders.

Camp Night

Showers Available

Day 2

Today, we explore the Mojave Desert. Joshua Tree National Park is home to otherworldly, whimsical yucca trees that give the park its name.  You’ll have multiple opportunities to hike and explore the boulder-strewn landscape.  Venture into Hidden Valley and gaze into Skull Rock.  Keep your eyes peeled for our cousin, the massive desert tortoise.  This evening, we’ll make our way to Las Vegas for a jaunt along the famous Strip.

Custom Sleeper Coach Drive Night

Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch

Day 3

Onward to Bryce Canyon National Park! This lesser-visited park is home to a brightly layered landscape rivalling the Grand Canyon. Bryce is not actually a true canyon, but instead a series of amphitheaters that cut into the earth. You can hike to the wind-sculpted “hoodoos,” otherworldly looking spires of rock, that rise beside the Rim Trail. The trail stretches five miles to Fairyland, Inspiration Point and the Queens Garden.  We camp at the otherworldly Kodachrome Basin State Park this evening and watch the sun set over broad spires jutting from the earth.

Camp Night

Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Showers Available

Day 4

Today, explore beneath the towering sandstone cliffs of Zion National Park.  Stretch your legs with an exhilarating hike to Angel’s Landing or take a short walk to witness the water cascading directly from the sandstone arch of Weeping Rock.  Wade through the legendary Zion Narrows, where the north fork of the Virgin River has etched and carved its way through copper-colored sandstone creating a stunning slot canyon.  If you’d simply like to cool your heels, splash around in the beautiful Virgin River.

Camp Night

Meals Included: Breakfast /  Lunch

Optional Swim / Showers Available

Day 5

Hop on the free shuttle to explore even more of Zion National Park.  Challenge yourself on a hike to Observation Point.  Gaze into the breathtaking waters on the Emerald Pools Trail.  You may choose to take a relaxing inner tube ride down the Virgin River.  Whatever you decide, it’s guaranteed to be full of epic views.  This evening, we head for one of our favorite hot springs to soak!

Custom Sleeper Coach Drive Night

Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Showers Available

Day 6

Arches National Park invites us to explore beneath alluring natural archways.  We trek along the Devil’s Garden trail, which winds past the long, gravity-defying curiosity that is Landscape Arch.  Along the trail, spy Double O Arch, Partition Arch and the chiseled sandstone fins that will eventually turn into arches.  Enjoy lunch out in Moab, a small town with an adventurous spirit.  Later, we wind our way along the mighty Colorado River, past Native American petroglyphs, leading us to a remote, picturesque camp for the evening.

Camp Night

Meals Included: Breakfast / Dinner

Day 7

Enjoy a fabulous breakfast by the Colorado River, discover the nearby Corona Arch during a short hike, and then cool off in a clear-blue lake ringed by fragrant pine trees.  We make our way south across the Colorado Plateau to Mexican Hat, Utah, and the largest Native American reservation in the United States, the Navajo Nation.  Enjoy breathtaking Goosenecks State Park.  The San Juan River twists 1,000 feet below our viewpoint in a geological phenomenon known as “an entrenched meander.”  We make our way to some authentic hogans and camp the way the natives have been for thousands of years!

Camp Night

Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Day 8

For the ultimate Western experience, take an optional horseback ride or a jeep tour through the rugged landscape of  Monument Valley, escorted by a local Navajo guide.  Take home a keepsake of Navajo art or jewelry and learn of the elaborate oral traditions during our time spent with the local community.  Lake Powell is particularly enticing in the afternoon for a refreshing plunge.  Indulge in the opportunity to tour Antelope Canyon on our way to the quaint town of Page, Arizona for dinner out.  Get a little slice of Americana here — show off your vocal skills at a karaoke bar, score a strike at the bowling alley, or sample the popcorn in the movie house!

Custom Sleeper Coach Drive Night

Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch

Optional Swim

Day 9

Awaken at the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon National Park.  Stroll along the Rim Trail and behold the canyon’s wonder.  Bright Angel and South Kaibab trails descend into the canyon, where every bend in the trail reveals a new, mind-blowing panorama. Ranger talks are offered throughout the day on topics as varied as the endangered California Condor, canyon geology, and historical culture of the canyon.  A free shuttle bus provides transportation to the modern, informative Visitors Center, trailheads, lodges, and vista points. Get a thrilling perspective of the canyon with an optional helicopter tour. Perch at Hermit’s Rest for a taste of wilderness solitude in one of the world’s Seven Wonders.

Camp Night

Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Showers Available / Access To Laundry Facilities

Day 10

We make our way through kitschy Seligman, Arizona, putting your finger on the pulse of the fabled Route 66. Finish your adventure in style in Las Vegas, Nevada, with a limousine tour of the Las Vegas Strip.  See the celebrated acrobats of Cirque du Soleil, or get pumped full of adrenaline when you ride the thrilling, sky-high roller coasters on top of the Stratosphere Tower. At the Bellagio, cool off in the mist from the fountains and venture beneath the lobby ceiling made of glass-blown Chihuly sculptures. For a taste of old Vegas admire the spectacle of light at the legendary Fremont Street Experience or try your luck playing roulette at the Golden Nugget.

Custom Sleeper Coach Drive Night

Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch

Showers Available

Day 11

A short ferry ride brings us to the Channel Islands. The archipelago is home to 150 species of plant that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Our day is spent indulging in the unique biology while hiking over rolling hills and meandering through farm houses restored from the Spanish colonization in the early 19th century.  There is an option to take a wildlife cruise or a kayak adventure for viewing sea lions, seals, birds and maybe even a dolphin or whale.

Alternatively, you may decide to take the opportunity to spend the day on shore, beach combing in Ventura.  Rent a bike, go hiking or just sunbathe for a classic California experience.  Say farewell to your adventure pals this evening — until next time!

Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch

• 70% of Meals
• Travel By Custom Coach
• National Park Entrance Fees
• Semi-Guided Exploration of Parks
• Sleeping Pad
• Camping Fees

• • Sleeping Bag  (Rent one from us!)
  • Tent  (You don’t need one.  You can sleep on the bus!)

• • Inner Tube Rental
  • Grand Canyon Overnight Backpacking*
  • Flight-Seeing Tours
  • Jeep Tour
  • Horseback Riding
  • Roller Coasters
  • Casino Shows
  • Antelope Canyon Tour
  • Channel Islands Ferry
  • Kayaking tour

*Subject to availability

You’ll be traveling in a custom sleeper coach! 

A sleeping bag is required for this adventure. If you don’t have one, rent one from us upon booking!  Just $15 for the entire trip.

A tent is not required.  You are welcome to sleep on the bus or use one of our pads to sleep beneath the stars.  You may rent a tent from us for $50 (if you really want one).

Our coaches are equipped with a camp kitchen.  No need to bring your own cookware or utensils.  Bring a reusable lunch container to store your packed lunch and a reusable water bottle.

Departure:  8:00 AM – Hostel International Santa Monica, 1436 Second St., Santa Monica, CA 90401

Arrival:  5:30 PM – Los Angeles – Ventura Amtrak Station – 39 East Harbor Blvd, Ventura, CA 93001 

Early Arrival Option

(2 days prior to end date):  7:00 PM – Hostel Cat, 1236 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89104

Trip Extension Option
Fare – $40

(1 day after end date):  8:00 AM – San Francisco, Columbus & Montgomery St. Bus Loading Zone