Canyonlands tour May 8-14, 2017 - first timer

LMS2017

This will be my first Tauck tour. The brochure in the mail that I received so far did not say what time in the morning the bus leaves each day for that day's tours and departures. It also did not say how many hours you are on the bus till you arrive at the overnight lodging destination, although I realize the bus makes stops about every two hours.
We are required to change seats each day, I believe. Could anyone provide some feedback, and any tips?
Was the bus cool enough? I personally need cool air. Thank you.
Linda

Claudia Sails

I'll try. I'm more knowledgeable about Tauck river cruises.

The green books just give you the highlights of the day. The hour by hour you get the night before. Lots of things can impact start times which are hard to predict weeks ahead of time when the book gets printed and may vary for each tour.

Tauck uses very nice coaches. I've always been comfortable. It can be hot here in the SW so you might be wise to bring a fold up fan for times when you're outside without shade.

Have fun. Its beautiful country.

flatlands64

I took this trip several years ago and was a favorite. Tauck is the best. As to your question about the bus leaving. Each day is different depending on what the is on the agenda for the day. You do have to have your luggage ready to be picked up about one hour before the bus leaves. I got my luggage ready and then went to breakfast. The bus is very comfortable and cool enough for everyone. It is great to change seats that way everyone gets a chance to sit in front etc. There is also plenty of leg room. Enjoy the trip. It is wonderful to see America the Beautiful.

Jellybeans

Oh dear, I'm just the opposite. I worry about being too cold on the bus. Let's hope we can strike a happy medium and I will bring a heavy jacket.

British

You could easily encounter snow at that time of year, you will need a jacket anyway

Claudia Sails

It's been a warm spring out here but British is right. Spring winds and nights at altitude can be cold and unpredictable. Layers layers layers.

Buzz48

We just returned from the Canyonlands tour yesterday. The bus was was comfortable with individual air vents as you would find on an airplane. It was equipped with wifi and charging ports at each seat.

Luggage calls ranged from 7:00 am to 9:00 am and varied day to day. None were ultra early. The day time temperatures were mild and a very light jacket was comfortable. Long pants were not uncomfortable at any point in the tour. Evening temps were cool and the early morning temps were cold (40 to 50 degrees). What others said is true, layer your clothes and you will be comfortable anywhere. We did experience the remains of a little snow, but it will not affect anything on the tour.

You will definitely want to get up early (6:30 to 7:00) to catch the sunrises at each of the sites. Best photography and NO CROWDS. The rooms are comfortable, but rustic. They are not five star hotels but we were steps away from some of the most beautiful landscapes we have seen. Be sure to take in the sights early, before 8:30 am, and you will enjoy the place virtually all to yourself before the crowds arrive from outside the parks. At Zion Park get an early breakfast and take the free park shuttle to the end of the line where you can take a three mile roundtrip walk to the Temple of Sinawava. It is a relatively flat walk on a paved pathway and not many will be out there at 8:00am. After 9:00 it was crowded with people. If you are in GREAT shape and part mountain goat there are many paths to explore the higher elevations.

A number of us took the optional and not included mule ride to the bottom at Bryce Canyon. It was great to see the hoodoos from the bottom. Don't bother wearing nice clothes, they will be dirty and smelly when you finish but that is part of the charm. Have the TD make reservations a couple days in advance because this is quite popular attraction and can fill up quickly.

We had not visited these national parks before and were amazed that each one was so beautiful. We know you will enjoy your trip.

LMS2017

RE: Canyonlands tour (coming up in May 2017) - first timer

Hiking question: If I decide to take a walking hike on one of the days into the rock areas, mountains? .... would a good pair of sneakers be enough? I am debating whether to purchase a low hiking show, but it adds bulk to my suitcase.
I would very much like to take some hikes/walks for photos.

This is a challenging to trip to plan clothes for, and they are recommending just one suitcase and one carry-on.

Many thanks to all.

Linda in Massachusetts

LMS2017

sorry typo.... a low hiking shoe (or boot).

British

It's a while since we took this tour. We did enjoy an extra early morning hike in BRYCE Canyon. We 'followed' the tour directior on his walk, that's what he asked a group of us to do because it was not official. It was great. I do not know if you are an experienced hiker, but you can't just go off on your own in these places unless you know what you are doing and are properly equipped. and I don't remember much free time apart from getting up extra early to see sunrise colors like at the Grand Canyon and following a marked trail, which we also did, but were back to link up with the tour group at the start time of the next meet up.

need2travel1

When we took this trip several years ago we walked on our own down into Bryce a bit & up into Zion as well. At Zion I think they have 3 different hikes that start near the hotel & we took the one NOT meant for hikers but a bit more strenuous than just a walk. We never strayed from the dirt paths & found that sneakers did just fine. (I over packed enough & didn't want to add hiking shoes as well:) Hopefully someone responds that has taken this trip a bit more recently & would be able to jump in & correct me if I'm wrong.

Have a great trip, the scenery is amazing!!

Buzz48

Sneakers will be all you need. Most walking/hiking trails are paved, gravel, or well worn paths. Hiking boots will add considerably to luggage weight are are not really needed.

TTK

We just returned from the Canyonlands tour this past week (April 25). I would highly recommend making the effort to see the sun rise at Grand Canyon and Bryce. They are spectacular. Temperatures were COLD at sun rise in these parks - about 28 degrees with a wind so do bring your layers include gloves and warm hat. We did the mule ride to the bottom of Bryce which is lots of fun. The mules/horses do like to walk on the edge which made me nervous but the guide was excellent at helping me not focus on the edge. The mules are very sure footed. Remember to bring cash for triping your guide as this is not part of the TAUCK trip. I would do it again for sure. The vistas from the bus are spectacular. You will find you won't want to snooze. There was adequate free time at each park to do some of your own exploring. You will be busy every day. We took the longer airplane flight to Monument Valley. I would recommend doing this also. Bring a hat that won't blow off your head. THere are many nice options in the Grand Canyon gift shop. The prices were about the same as our Eastern Mt Sports shop at home. I wore trail shoes (low hiking boots). They were perfect for all the walking. Layers is clearly the way to do. 1/2 the trip I was in short sleeves but the warm jacket and gloves were needed too. This is a fantastic tour. All is managed and communicated well. You will learn a lot from your tour director and the tour guides.