Packing--causal comfortable lightweight clothing that can be layered from the very hot days you will have to the chilly nights. You do not need any fancy clothing. I've done the tour of these areas on the regular Tauck tour and with our children when they were younger than yours. Don't forget hats and sunscreen. The parks are a great adventure for them, enjoy.
We just returned from this amazing trip! Our entire family went, ages 5-72 and all had an incredible time. Must-do's and suggestions:
Grand Canyon: take time to see the sunset it is gorgeous! Eat dinner at El Tovar, one of the most delicious meals will e had on tour. Do not let the fine dining scare you off, we went in shorts and were just fine. Kids ages 5-16 enjoyed the meal too. Plan to get up at 5am to see the sunrise, you will not regret it. We hiked to sunrise lookout point for better view. Kids enjoyed the fossil hike and we also hiked about 20 minutes down the mule trail.
Lake Powell/Glen Canyon: Flightseeing trip is wonderful! We did the one that was included. private cruise and rafting trip are fantastic too! If your kids want to go into the Colorado River while on the rafting trip, suggest they wear their bathing suits with shirts for trip and pack dry clothes to leave on bus to change into afterwards. River is very cold (47 degrees) but kids did not mind as it was hot and they wanted to say they jumped into the Colorado River!
Bryce Canyon: suggest hiking one of the trails either before or after dinner. We hiked the trail near sunset lookout point after dinner and it was a great hike, about 1.3 miles. Bring flashlights if going after dinner as it got dark toward end of hike. All of the kids said this was one of their favorite hikes on the trip. The horseback/mule riding is a must do! One of our favorite activities on the trip and the scenery is breathtaking.
Zion: if you can, get early dinner reservation and then hike the trail to see the waterfalls. Bring flashlight as it got dark on way back. Upon our return to the lodge, there were tons of deer on the lawn...kids loved seeing them up close as they are not spooked by people. In the morning, suggest grabbing an early breakfast and taking the bus to the Temple of Sinawava trail that leads to the narrows where you can walk on the river rocks down the Virgin River. super fun and beautiful scenery. We wore our sneakers to hike and packed our river shoes and changed to do the river walk. Lots of sticks at River walk entrance to use!
Las Vegas: suggest going to the dollar store before you leave for your trip and purchasing tubes to use for the lazy river at Mandalay Bay. The charge $18-22 for tubes. We set up at the Four Seasons pool as it it peaceful, relaxing and you have great service at the pool and would walk over to Mandalay Bay to enjoy the lazy river and wave pools. We had dinner at Mon Ami Gabi in the Paris Hotel...it was delicious. Request table by window to people watch or if not too hot, sit on patio.
Pack lots of sunscreen and comfortable walking shoes. Dress on trip was casual, even in the restaurants. Enjoy!!!
I am new to Tauck. I would love to have dinner in El Tovar but wonder how that works as the meals are included most of the time. Also, what time do you start and end each day?
I am new to Tauck. I would love to have dinner in El Tovar but wonder how that works as the meals are included most of the time. Also, what time do you start and end each day?
The way it usually works with Tauck for the meals unless it is a group meal, is that you do a 'Dine Around' so you have a choice of restaurants at the resort, your Tour guide will walk around the bus, either the day before or the day of, ask you where you want to dine, what time, and whether you want to dine with others or on your own. We have taken the regular Tauck Canyons tour and this is how it certainly worked then. Time to get up? Cannot help, but bare in mind, on this particular tour, you will certainly benefit from getting up before dawn to go and see the scenery and color as the sun comes up, that will probably include a hike or some walking too, not to be missed! So you may be awake way before you are required to start the tour for the day.
thank you Explorer! another question... My husband and I will be traveling with our 12 year old grandson. The reservationist at Tauck told me that we would have two "double" beds or "twins" in each room with a rollaway. I was disappointed to think that it wouldn't be two queens and a rollaway. If the bed is a queen, we could sleep in one and let our grandson sleep in the other. Most hotels don't seem to use "doubles" anymore. Is this really true from your experience?
I really can't remember about the beds, but you will be staying in Park Lodges, so do not expect anything luxurious, you are there for the location, location, location, that is what you focus on for a tour like this. If you want to experience the luxury side of Tauck, you have to chose non-park destinations. We have stayed at some of the most luxurious hotels in the world with Tauck, but even on those type of tours, at times you will be in a more modest hotel occasionally because of it's location to an iconic site or historical setting, I appreciate that kind of thing.
Comments
Grand Canyon: take time to see the sunset it is gorgeous! Eat dinner at El Tovar, one of the most delicious meals will e had on tour. Do not let the fine dining scare you off, we went in shorts and were just fine. Kids ages 5-16 enjoyed the meal too. Plan to get up at 5am to see the sunrise, you will not regret it. We hiked to sunrise lookout point for better view. Kids enjoyed the fossil hike and we also hiked about 20 minutes down the mule trail.
Lake Powell/Glen Canyon: Flightseeing trip is wonderful! We did the one that was included. private cruise and rafting trip are fantastic too! If your kids want to go into the Colorado River while on the rafting trip, suggest they wear their bathing suits with shirts for trip and pack dry clothes to leave on bus to change into afterwards. River is very cold (47 degrees) but kids did not mind as it was hot and they wanted to say they jumped into the Colorado River!
Bryce Canyon: suggest hiking one of the trails either before or after dinner. We hiked the trail near sunset lookout point after dinner and it was a great hike, about 1.3 miles. Bring flashlights if going after dinner as it got dark toward end of hike. All of the kids said this was one of their favorite hikes on the trip. The horseback/mule riding is a must do! One of our favorite activities on the trip and the scenery is breathtaking.
Zion: if you can, get early dinner reservation and then hike the trail to see the waterfalls. Bring flashlight as it got dark on way back. Upon our return to the lodge, there were tons of deer on the lawn...kids loved seeing them up close as they are not spooked by people. In the morning, suggest grabbing an early breakfast and taking the bus to the Temple of Sinawava trail that leads to the narrows where you can walk on the river rocks down the Virgin River. super fun and beautiful scenery. We wore our sneakers to hike and packed our river shoes and changed to do the river walk. Lots of sticks at River walk entrance to use!
Las Vegas: suggest going to the dollar store before you leave for your trip and purchasing tubes to use for the lazy river at Mandalay Bay. The charge $18-22 for tubes. We set up at the Four Seasons pool as it it peaceful, relaxing and you have great service at the pool and would walk over to Mandalay Bay to enjoy the lazy river and wave pools. We had dinner at Mon Ami Gabi in the Paris Hotel...it was delicious. Request table by window to people watch or if not too hot, sit on patio.
Pack lots of sunscreen and comfortable walking shoes. Dress on trip was casual, even in the restaurants. Enjoy!!!
The way it usually works with Tauck for the meals unless it is a group meal, is that you do a 'Dine Around' so you have a choice of restaurants at the resort, your Tour guide will walk around the bus, either the day before or the day of, ask you where you want to dine, what time, and whether you want to dine with others or on your own. We have taken the regular Tauck Canyons tour and this is how it certainly worked then. Time to get up? Cannot help, but bare in mind, on this particular tour, you will certainly benefit from getting up before dawn to go and see the scenery and color as the sun comes up, that will probably include a hike or some walking too, not to be missed! So you may be awake way before you are required to start the tour for the day.