The Great American Crossing Escorted Tours

19 Nights

New York, NY

Get ready for 20 days and 19 nights in the jampacked Great American Crossing that promises the perfect sampling of America’s best sightseeing. The journey starts in New York before heading quickly head to Philadelphia and brush up against history visiting the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall.
It’s an appropriate start to your trip where America also began. You’ll get a taste of the most popular tourist destinations in the U.S. like Detroit (dubbed Motor City, U.S.A) and Chicago (home of some world-famous pizza) as well as see awe-inspiring monuments like presidential Mt. Rushmore and Yellowstone, America’s first and most famous National Park. You won’t miss a thing on this eventful and exciting itinerary that still takes time to visit the Grand Tetons, Grand Canyon, and Historic Route 66 as you make your grand entrance into glitzy and glamorous Las Vegas.

Of course, if you need a bigger slice of stardom, there’s always Los Angeles where you’ll tour iconic hotspots Sunset Strip, Hollywood, and Beverly Hills. This larger than life trip wraps in the City by the Bay, San Francisco.

From £1744pp
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Highlights

  • Visit the nation’s most famous and well-visited national parks like Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon.
  • Breathe in the history from Lincoln’s most famous address in Gettysburg to the birthplace of America in Philadelphia to Hollywood’s rich movie-making past.
  • Explore some of America’s most visited cities from Motor City Detroit to the City of Brotherly Love Philadelphia to Showstopping Las Vegas.
  • Get a taste of the Wild, Wild West with stops in historic Deadwood, Sioux City, and the Bighorn Mountains.
  • Visit the best of the East and West Coast with Washington, D.C., Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and San Francisco in your non-stop itinerary.
  • Rare stops at many of the country’s most beautiful, historic locations like the Mississippi River, Mt. Rushmore, Grand Teton, and Route 66.
  • Shop from sea to shining sea at some of the nation’s best shopping spots from fashionable boutiques in New York to designer discount outlets in Las Vegas to star-studded Rodeo in Los Angeles.
  • Take optional side trips like dinner at Salt Lake City’s panoramic Rooftop Restaurant at Temple Square and an architectural river cruise in Chicago.
  • Day 1 - New York Arrival
  • Day 2 - New York - Philadelphia - Washington, D.C.
  • Day 3 - Washington, D.C.
  • Day 4 - Washington, D.C. - Gettysburg - Niagara Falls
  • Day 5 - Niagara Falls - The Great Lakes - Detroit
  • Day 6 - Detroit - Chicago
  • Day 7 - Chicago
  • Day 8 - Chicago - Mississippi River Crossing - Sioux City
  • Day 9 - Sioux City - Badlands - Mt. Rushmore - Deadwood/Rapid City
  • Day 10 - Deadwood/Rapid City - Bighorn Mountains - Cody
  • Day 11 - Cody - Yellowstone
  • Day 12 - Yellowstone - Grand Teton - Salt Lake City
  • Day 13 - Salt Lake City - Bryce Canyon
  • Day 14 - Bryce Canyon - Lake Powell - Grand Canyon - Flagstaff
  • Day 15 - Flagstaff - Seligman/Route 66 - Las Vegas
  • Day 16 - Las Vegas - Mojave Desert - Beverly Hills - Los Angeles
  • Day 17 - Los Angeles
  • Day 18 - Los Angeles - Malibu - Santa Barbara - Central Coast
  • Day 19 - Central Coast - Carmel/Monterey - San Francisco
  • Day 20 - San Francisco - Departure
  • Additional Information

Arrive in New York City and transfer independently to your hotel where you will meet with your Tour Director in the evening.

Meals Included: Ro

The Westin New York Grand Central

The Westin New York Grand Central welcomes travelers to New York City with thoughtful amenities, inspired accommodations and a superb location in Midtown Manhattan. Benefit from our proximity to local points of interest like Grand Central Terminal, Bryant Park and Madison Square Garden, plus enjoy seamless access to downtown via an array of nearby public transportation hubs. Optimize your stay in Manhattan at our modern, well-appointed hotel. Features include a 3,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art WestinWORKOUT® Fitness Studio, award-winning dining at THE LCL: Bar & Kitchen and 15,000 square feet of contemporary meeting space. Whether you're visiting for business or for pleasure, The Westin New York Grand Central offers the perfect location to discover Manhattan.

We depart New York for Philadelphia, where we spend the morning exploring the historic district of the “City of Brotherly Love” and the birthplace of a nation. See the Liberty Bell, and stroll through Independence National Historic Park and Mall. Then continue to the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C.

Meals Included: Ro

Washington Marriott Wardman Park

When you arrive at Washington Marriott Wardman Park, you'll find a charming neighborhood filled with amazing restaurants and quaint shops. Just a few steps away from our hotel in Washington, D.C., you'll discover the funky stores and ethnic cuisine of Adams Morgan or the exciting night...

Enjoy a city tour with such highlights as the U.S. Capitol Building, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, the White House and Arlington National Cemetery, site of the JFK Memorial. Spend the remainder of the day exploring some of the many museums comprising the Smithsonian Institute or simply stroll the banks of the Potomac River.

Washington Marriott Wardman Park

When you arrive at Washington Marriott Wardman Park, you'll find a charming neighborhood filled with amazing restaurants and quaint shops. Just a few steps away from our hotel in Washington, D.C., you'll discover the funky stores and ethnic cuisine of Adams Morgan or the exciting night...

Today, visit Gettysburg National Military Park, site of one of the most decisive battles during the American Civil War, and the place where Abraham Lincoln gave his famous address in 1863. We then travel through upstate New York to Buffalo and finally cross the international border into Canada, where the thundering noise and mist of Niagara Falls permeates the air.

Ramada Niagara Falls by the River

Enjoy proximity to one of the world's natural wonders when you stay at our Ramada Niagara Falls by the River. Located on the Niagara Parkway, we are the closest property to the Gale Centre sporting facility, directly across from the Great Gorge Adventure and steps from the WEGO Stop...

Spend the morning sightseeing at Niagara Falls. Stroll along Table Rock and view the thundering waters of Horseshoe Falls. In the late afternoon, return to the United States, crossing the border and continuing to your hotel in a suburb of Detroit, known as “Motor City USA”.

Best Western Greenfield Inn

The BEST WESTERN Greenfield Inn surrounds you with its distinctive Victorian architecture, and old world charm while offering the modern day conveniences you have come to enjoy and expect.

This morning we make an early start to visit the fascinating Henry Ford Museum. After time exploring the many exhibits of the museum we will visit the nearby Ford plant and watch a modern production vehicle roll off the ever busy factory floor. We then leave Motor City behind and travel along Lake Michigan to Chicago for our overnight stay.

Chicago South Loop Hotel

Property Location With a stay at Chicago South Loop Hotel in Chicago (Bronzeville), you'll be close to McCormick Place and University of Illinois Chicago. This hotel is close to Willis Tower and Skydeck Ledge.

Today we will enjoy a short tour of the city’s highlights including Lake Shore Drive, the Magnificent Mile and Navy Pier. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Chicago South Loop Hotel

Property Location With a stay at Chicago South Loop Hotel in Chicago (Bronzeville), you'll be close to McCormick Place and University of Illinois Chicago. This hotel is close to Willis Tower and Skydeck Ledge.

Travel through Midwest farm country abundant in corn fields, wheat fields and dairy farms. Then we cross the mighty Mississippi River and travel into the state of Iowa to arrive just as Lewis & Clark did 200 years ago on the banks of the Missouri River. Overnight in Sioux City.

Delta Hotels By Marriott South Sioux City Riverfront (ex. Marina Inn Hotel & Conference Center)

Property Location Centrally located in South Sioux City, Delta Hotels by Marriott South Sioux City is minutes from Tyson Event Center and The Sioux City Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. This family-friendly hotel is within close proximity of Sergeant Floyd River Museum and Welcome Center and Sioux City Art Center.

Travel westward through the grasslands of South Dakota and onwards to Badlands National Park, once home to the buffalo and antelope, and filled with colorful rock formations. Then we continue on to the Black Hills, sacred to the Plains Indians and home to Mount Rushmore.

Howard Johnson Inn & Suites - Rapid City

Property Location Located in Rapid City, Howard Johnson Inn & Suites - Rapid City is convenient to Berlin Wall Exhibit and Flags and Wheels Indoor Racing. This hotel is within close proximity of Main Street Square and The Journey Museum.

Enter the state of Wyoming, which has twelve mountain ranges intermixed with deserts and rolling grasslands, and continue to Cody for the night.
If overnight in Cody is not possible due to weather or adverse road conditions in Yellowstone, overnight will be in Billings Livingston, Montana.

Comfort Inn at Buffalo Bill Village Resort

Property Location Located in Cody, Comfort Inn at Buffalo Bill Village Resort is on the Strip, minutes from The Buffalo Bill Reservoir, and close to Cody Dug Up Gun Museum. This hotel is within close proximity of Monster Lake and Buffalo Bill Center of the West.

Drive past the mountains in Wyoming to Yellowstone, America’s first National Park, and enjoy a sightseeing tour of this immense geothermal wonderland including: geysers, waterfalls, wildlife and canyons. Highlights will include Yellowstone Lake, Old Faithful, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Canyon’s majestic falls, and the beautiful Hayden Valley.

Brandin Iron Inn

The entrance of Yellowstone National Park is just 2 blocks from this West Yellowstone, Montana hotel. Brandin' Iron Inn features a coffee bar, 2 hot tubs and rooms with free Wi-Fi. Situated in West Yellowstone, this motel is within a 5-minute walk of Playmill Theatre and Yellowstone Big Gun Fun. Yellowstone Historic Center and Yellowstone IMAX Theatre are also within 10 minutes.

Travel through Grand Teton National Park (weather permitting) and see awesome mountain peaks towering over 13,000 ft. Visit the Snake River Outlook and try your eye at capturing the stunning landscape made famous by Ansel Adam’s iconic shot. Later, arrive in the Mormon State of Utah and take a short city tour of its capital, Salt Lake City. The followers of Brigham Young built one of the best-planned cities in the country. See the State Capital building and visit famed Temple Square and the Tabernacle before arriving at the hotel for the evening.

Little America Hotel - Salt Lake City

Among Salt Lake City hotels, Little America stands apart as a superior choice—and not just because it's one of Salt Lake’s most luxurious four-diamond hotels.

Continue today to spectacular Bryce Canyon, where a tour through a multi-colored world of sandstone spires and pinnacles, “hoodoos”, will dazzle the eye. This evening, weather permitting, be sure to gaze upon the spectacular night sky filled with sparkling stars & brilliant constellations and the aroma of pine-wood campfires.

Bryce View Lodge

The Bryce View Lodge offers the finest in Bryce Canyon lodging. Located next to Bryce Canyon National Park on Highway U-63 in Southern Utah, this perfect Bryce Canyon lodging is nestled at the edge of a pine forest on a high plateau that overlooks the beautiful Bryce Canyon National Park.

Depart Bryce Canyon this morning and journey to stunning Lake Powell, where crystal blue water laps against towering red-rock canyon walls. Lake Powell is the second-largest man made lake in America, and one in a series of lakes formed by the damming of the Colorado River. Then visit colossal Grand Canyon National Park, one of the seven great natural wonders of the world. Stop at the Canyon rim to fully experience this mile-deep canyon’s plunging gorges, rising spires, extinct volcanoes and, below the rim, the winding Colorado River. Overnight in Flagstaff, a famed stop on Historic Route 66.

Days Hotel Flagstaff

Enjoy the natural beauty of northern Arizona when you stay at our Days Hotel Flagstaff, near Northern Arizona University.

This morning depart Flagstaff and travel on to Las Vegas, the dazzling “Entertainment Capital of the World”. Along the way, pass through Seligman, a town built along the famed Route 66 that looks as if it were frozen in time sixty years ago. The remainder of the day is at leisure for you to explore the dazzling Las Vegas Strip.

Luxor Hotel & Casino Las Vegas

Known for its iconic pyramid shape, Luxor is located on the Las Vegas Strip and features a casino and live entertainment. It provides a full-service spa, 4 large pools and a hot tub.

Travel to Los Angeles through the Mojave Desert, where clusters of unique Joshua trees dot the mountainous landscape. Upon arrival in Los Angeles you will enjoy a tour through the “City of Angels” including Hollywood, Sunset Strip and parts of Beverly Hills, before reaching your hotel.

Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Harbor Hotel

In this Los Angeles seaport town, you can enjoy cultural attractions, thriving businesses and a great coastal climate year-round. At the Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Harbor hotel you are near the Port of Los Angeles, USS IOWA Battleship and Long Beach Convention Center

Today we suggest an optional full-day tour visiting the world’s largest movie studio and theme park: Universal Studios. Get an inside look at the sets and uncover the behind the scenes secrets of legendary films or perhaps, for the more adventurous, take one of the Studios’ feature rides including Jurassic Park and Revenge of the Mummy.

Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Harbor Hotel

In this Los Angeles seaport town, you can enjoy cultural attractions, thriving businesses and a great coastal climate year-round. At the Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Harbor hotel you are near the Port of Los Angeles, USS IOWA Battleship and Long Beach Convention Center

Leave Los Angeles in the morning and travel north through one of California’s favorite vacation spots, Santa Barbara, where palm-lined walkways border white sandy beaches. The city is famous for its mission and Spanish heritage. Along the way, stop at an iconic California lifeguard tower made famous in “Baywatch”.

Holiday Inn Express Solvang

Come discover the preferred destination of travelers visiting the Santa Ynez Valley, the Holiday Inn Express Solvang.

Today we make our way north to Carmel, home of actor/director Clint Eastwood. Enjoy browsing the shops and galleries of this famous artists’ colony. Traveling further north, visit Monterey’s Old Fisherman’s Wharf. Stroll the Pier to Cannery Row, brought to fame by John Steinbeck’s novel. In the afternoon pass the fertile valleys of Castroville and Santa Clara en route to San Francisco, the “City by the Bay.” Tour concludes upon arrival at the hotel.

San Francisco Marriott Marquis

Property Location San Francisco Marriott Marquis is in the heart of San Francisco, walking distance from Westfield San Francisco Centre and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. This 4-star hotel is close to Lombard Street and Pier 39.

Meals Included: Ro

Tour Highlights Inclusions:

  • Welcome reception
  • Tour Philadelphia & see the Liberty Bell
  • Half day city tour of Washington, D.C. & time to visit the museums
  • Tour Gettysburg National Military Park
  • Visit the Henry Ford Museum and Ford Plant in Detroit
  • Time to stroll the banks of Niagara Falls
  • City tour of Chicago including Lake Shore Drive, Navy Pier & the Magnificent Mile
  • Guided tour of Temple Square in Salt Lake City
  • Walk along the rim of Bryce Canyon National Park
  • Travel along Route 66 and stop in the historic town of Seligman
  • Enjoy a city tour of Los Angeles including a tour of the stars in the sidewalk (Walk of Fame)
  • Stop at an iconic California lifeguard tower
  • Visit the famous Cannery Row in Monterey & shops of Carmel
  • “Shop ‘til you drop” at designer discount outlets in Las Vegas


Optional experiences:

  • Washington Monuments at night with dinner in fashionable D.C.
  • Maid of the Mist ride with lunch at Niagara Falls
  • Architectural river cruise in Chicago
  • Visit the Willis Skydeck
  • Santa Monica visit with dinner
  • Tour Universal Studios, learn how movies are made
  • Dinner at the Roof Restaurant in Salt Lake City for panoramic views of Temple Square
  • Stop by the finish line of Historic Route 66
  • “All-American” Picnic at a surprise destination en route