15 DAY | Southwest States
UHRTLO-7
This tour visits: USA
Las Vegas, Austin and New Orleans – three cities with BIG personalities. Vegas is
all bright lights and bags of character. Austin is the oh-so-cool ‘Live Music Capital
of the World’. And New Orleans? Well that place has the infectious energy that’ll
get your toe tapping the minute you set foot in town. Between all the
excitement, take a breath at the natural wonder that is the Grand Canyon and
fall in love at first Snapchat with the beauty that is Colorado.
The Bucket List
More Inclusions
Party bus in Las Vegas
9 breakfasts & 6 dinners
Grand Canyon
14 nights accommodation in hotels, motels & lodges
Monument Valley Navajo jeep tour
National Park entry fees
Modern air-conditioned coach/mini-coach
Guided tours of all major cities
Awesome Trip Leader
Trip Itinerary
Day 1 - Los Angeles, California to Las Vegas, Nevada
After a drive through the cactus-scattered Mojave desert, start your stay in Las Vegas in style with a driving tour of the Strip. You’ll go around
the world ‘Vegas-style’, to see the Eiffel Tower, an Egyptian pyramid, the New York City skyline and Venice's St. Mark's Square. Then when the
sun sets, board the bus and do what Vegas does best — parties.
Included today:
-Las Vegas party bus
Day 2 - Las Vegas
Anything goes in Vegas. You could go high with a heli-tour over the Strip or ride the High Roller Observation Wheel. If you feel the need for
speed, get your go-karting on. You can even go to a heavy equipment playground and drive a bulldozer around. Just remember to save some
energy for the optional nightclub crawl among the bright lights and sights.
Optional activities:
-Helicopter flight over The Strip
-High Roller Observation Wheel
-Shooting Range
Day 3 - Las Vegas to Grand Canyon region, Arizona
From the Strip in Vegas, towards the red stripes of the Grand Canyon, via the oh-so-famous Route 66. But there’s a good amount of road
between us and that great, big hole, so we’ll rest up for the night in Flagstaff before hitting the canyon tomorrow.
Meals:
-Dinner
Day 4 - Grand Canyon
Take your free day and soak it all in (including billions of years of rock history). If you take the chopper tour, you’ll get a 360° view of the
grandest of canyons. Or stay grounded (and feel smug) by hiking the rim. This is going to be one of those once-in-a-lifetime-type experiences,
however you spend your day.
Meals:
-Breakfast
Optional activities:
-Grand Canyon helicopter tours
Day 5 - Grand Canyon to Durango, Colorado
Today feels like a Navajo jeep tour kind of day. One that goes through Monument Valley. Even though it’s a bumpy ride, you'd be forgiven for
wanting to miss the bus, especially once you learn the stories of the mesas from our Navajo guide. But a night among Durangotangs
(residents of Durango) awaits.
Included today:
-Monument Valley Navajo jeep tour
Meals:
-Breakfast
Day 6 - Durango
Hitting the white water rapids on Animas River is on offer today. Less bumpy options include hiking, biking and ziplining, and completely
smooth-ride seekers can spot prairie dogs and cracking scenery from the Durango Silverton steam train in this gorgeous old mining town.
And after all that you could book the Chuckwagon Dinner Show, cowboys sing, comedians crack jokes and dinner is served.
Optional activities:
-Horse riding
-White water rafting
-Ziplining
-Chuckwagon Dinner Show
Day 7 - Durango to Santa Fe, New Mexico
After a trip down Route 64, there’s a walking tour of Santa Fe. Take the afternoon to explore the city’s museums and landmarks. See the
mishmash of architecture: centuries-old clay houses, a Victorian mansion, the Pueblo-style Palace of the Governors and Territorial-style
shops and restaurants.
Included today:
-Brief walking tour of Santa Fe
Meals:
-Dinner
Day 8 - Santa Fe to Amarillo, Texas
First up, the Blue Hole where we stop for a swim in this gorgeous sapphire lake in the middle of the desert. Then channel Banksy at Cadillac
Ranch on Route 66 - an art installation of half-buried Cadillacs - where you’ll get to crack out the spray paint and get creative on the tailfins of
these all-American automobiles.
Included today:
-Spray painting Cadillacs at the Cadillac Ranch
Meals:
-Breakfast
-Dinner
Day 9 - Amarillo to San Antonio
After a day on the road, stretch your legs with a wander along River Walk. It’s dotted with independent restaurants and shops, that are well
worth a look. Plus, it’s the perfect place for bar-hopping. Go from American wine bar to Irish pub to Mexican Cantina to Oktoberfest in a
biergarten, all next to the babbling San Antonio river.
Day 10 - San Antonio to Austin
A fulfilling experience comes via our visit to the Alamo Mission this morning before we rock up in Austin. There’s a pub crawl you can join
tonight, unless you prefer to watch 1.5million bats emerge from the underside of Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge. In fact, that
happens about 20mins before sunset (March to October), so there’s time for bats and then beers around the bars.
Included today:
-Visit to the Alamo
Meals:
-Breakfast
-Dinner
Optional activities:
-Pub crawl
Day 11 - Austin
Hello thrift shopping, Airstream cuisine (cooler than regular food trucks) and the ethos ‘Keep Austin Weird’. Need more? Nudists, boot
scooters, cheese makers and a cathedral of junk - just a few of the things you might see on your free day in Austin. And when you’re done
with the weird, there’s Zilker Park and SoCo to check out. But be sure to hit 6th Street tonight for a live music smorgasbord.
Meals:
-Breakfast
Day 12 - Austin to Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette has more restaurants per capita than any other American city. Also Zydeco, it’s a crazy mix of African American urban blues,
Louisiana French accordion and Afro-Caribbean rhythms. Catch some live music and maybe even try your hand (or more like feet) at Zydeco
dancing after you’ve tasted the area’s Cajun roots at tonight’s group dinner. Prepare for spice, rice and all things nice.
Included today:
-Cajun dinner
Meals:
-Breakfast
-Dinner
Day 13 - Lafayette to New Orleans
Before hitting the hubbub of New Orleans, you can dip into an optional swamp tour. You’ll travel through a beautiful and strangely surreal
cypress/tupelo swamp, spotting alligators and egrets and other wildlife found in this part of the world. Then ready yourself for the awesome
assault on the senses that is New Orleans. After dinner, you’ll be spoilt for choice with all the jazz and blues clubs. A good bet is to just hit up
Bourbon or Frenchmen Street for live music every night of the week.
Meals:
-Breakfast
-Dinner
Optional activities:
-Swamp tour
Day 14 - New Orleans
You could take to the water and see New Orleans from an optional steamboat tour. On dry land, foodies will have a hard time picking
between gumbos and po-boys, jambalaya and muffulettas, and beignets and Bananas Foster. Maybe just try ‘em all. You could browse the
shops and stalls of the French Market, peruse the art and antiques on Royal and Chartres Streets and learn about the local brewing scene in
NOLA. And when night falls, head out and hit the clubs to hear New Orleans do its thing.
Meals:
-Breakfast
Optional activities:
-Steamboat tour
Day 15 - New Orleans
After breakfast, say goodbye to your coach mates. But if you want to stay on in the bayou, there are plenty of po-boys to sustain you and
more live music than you can shake a tailfeather to.
Meals:
-Breakfast
Accommodation
We have endeavoured to select a combination of good quality hotels that reflect the character of the local area and are as centrally located
as possible, all the while striving to keep the cost affordable. Standards and ratings may however differ to what you are accustomed to in
your own country.
The 'More Inclusions' section of this document details what type of accommodation is used for our overnight stops.
If you are a solo traveller, you will always be sharing a room with someone of the same sex. If you are travelling as a couple and would prefer
to have a double bed, please officially request a double room with your travel agent or Topdeck trip consultant. We never presume that two
people travelling together are a couple, even if you share the same surname, unless informed otherwise.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have booked pre or post trip accommodation, please note that most hotels in North America require you to
present a credit card at check-in, even if your accommodation is pre-paid. The hotel will either place a temporary hold on a set amount
(called a pre-authorisation) or will make a manual swipe of the card. This is done to cover incidentals, for example you consume something
from the mini-bar, or you damage the hotel room. Your card will NOT actually be charged unless you use the mini-bar, etc. Please ask the
hotel front desk clerk for a further explanation when checking in if you are unsure about why they need the card. Again, this is standard
procedure at most hotels and is typically not something you need to be concerned about.
Optional Activities
On all trips we have arranged extra activities that we think will enhance your travel experience, but you have a choice as to whether or not
you will participate. These are not included in the cost of your trip. They are usually organised on a group participation basis and should be
taken into consideration when budgeting your spending money.
None of the Optional Activities on your trip are operated by Topdeck, nor do they form part of your contract with Topdeck for your trip.
Topdeck arranges the activity as an agent of the local supplier. Should you participate in any Optional Activities your contract will be with the
local supplier and their conditions will apply.
Please note: while we make every effort to keep these prices as accurate and up-to-date as possible, they are subject to change and in rare
circumstances the actual price may vary slightly to what is published here.
New Orleans, LA
Swamp Tour $25
Durango, CO
Horse Riding $90
Rafting $45
Zipline 2 hour $149 3 hour $199
Chuckwagon Dinner Show $26-$30
Grand Canyon NP
Helicopter Flight $284
Las Vegas
Shooting Range $100+
High Roller Observation Wheel $27 - $40
Helicopter flight over The Strip $124
Meals
Your included meals are detailed in the 'More Inclusions' section of this document.
Please note that drinks are not included with meals, except at breakfast where coffee, tea and/or juice may be included. If you wish to
purchase drinks at dinner you may do so at your own expense.
If you have any dietary requirements we will make every effort to cater to your specific needs as long as you advise your travel agent or
Topdeck Trip Consultant when you book. But please be aware that although we will do everything in our power to arrange it, we cannot
guarantee that every restaurant we use will be able to cater to all dietary needs. We cannot cater for tastes or dislikes, as most of our
included evening meals feature a set menu.
No Tip Necessary
Your Topdeck crew never expect tips themselves and will not ask for any; that’s not what friends do! We also know how much tipping can
cost you. So go ahead, spoil yourself with the money you will save by travelling with Topdeck (just don’t forget Mum’s souvenir).
Topdeck Travel App
Our travel app has landed! With a range of awesome features including a Currency Converter, Budget Tracker, Check-In tool and Social
Timeline you can plan your trip like a pro. Think of it like your very own Topdeck Trip Leader, always on call with the latest info, weather,
maps and city guides to give you the trip of a lifetime, all in the palm of your hand.
Please note: The Topdeck Travel App should only be downloaded once you have booked onto your trip. You will not be able to log in unless
you have a Topdeck Booking Reference Number.
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