2021 & 2022 Globus Guided Tours - Globus® Vacation Packages

Western Rails & Canyons with Canyon Spirit Rail Journey (AG)

9-day tour from Denver to Denver

2027 Tour Details

All aboard for an unforgettable journey through the dramatic landscapes, rich history, and iconic rail routes of Colorado and Utah. Begin in Denver, the "Mile High City," before traveling to Colorado Springs to ride the historic Broadmoor Manitou & Pikes Peak Cog Railway to the summit that inspired "America the Beautiful."

Discover some of the American Southwest's most spectacular natural wonders, including Canyonlands, Arches, Mesa Verde, and Great Sand Dunes National Parks. Explore ancient Indigenous cultural sites, marvel at towering sandstone formations, and experience breathtaking vistas across rugged desert landscapes and mountain scenery.

Travel aboard the legendary Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad before embarking on a two-day rail journey aboard Canyon Spirit. Relax as panoramic dome-car views reveal the dramatic canyons, mountain passes, and wilderness landscapes of the American West while crossing the Continental Divide on one of North America's most scenic rail routes.

With iconic national parks, historic rail experiences, and carefully selected sightseeing throughout Colorado and Utah, this journey offers an immersive way to discover the natural beauty and cultural heritage of the American Southwest.

Special features included in this tour:
• Explore five spectacular national and state parks—Arches, Canyonlands, Mesa Verde, Great Sand Dunes, and Dead Horse Point—with guided sightseeing and breathtaking panoramic viewpoints
• Discover Denver's highlights on an orientation tour featuring historic Union Station, Larimer Square and the Colorado State Capitol
• Visit Garden of the Gods and marvel at its towering red sandstone formations set against the Rocky Mountains
• Ride the historic Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway to the summit of Pikes Peak for spectacular mountain views
• Enjoy a [LF] chuckwagon-style dinner with live western music at the historic Flying W Ranch in Colorado Springs
• Travel aboard the legendary [LF] Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad through dramatic mountain scenery to the historic mining town of Silverton
• Visit Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center & Museum and walk the Escalante Pueblo Trail to explore the legacy of the Ancestral Puebloans
• Experience a two-day rail journey aboard Canyon Spirit (formerly Rocky Mountaineer), featuring panoramic dome-car views, regional storytelling, and onboard dining through the spectacular landscapes of the American West


Dates & Prices Book Online
800.268.3636
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Western Rails & Canyons with Canyon Spirit Rail Journey map

 Photo Highlights

 Meals

 Meals & Itinerary

Breakfast daily, 2 Lunches, 3 Dinners


Notes:

Visiting and participating in activities in this region may be subject to favorable weather conditions.

Canyon Spirit features Signature Experience train service with a single-level dome coach and panoramic oversized windows with reclining, comfortable, spacious seats; snacks, meals, and alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages; elevated service, access to an outdoor viewing area, and storytelling from Onboard Hosts. The Premier Experience upgrade offers luxury reminiscent of a bygone era, including extra attendants, additional outdoor space, and regional cuisine in an exclusive lounge car.

Glenwood Springs’ properties are considered moderate 3-star hotels or better. Your chosen hotel is determined by Canyon Spirit; rest assured it satisfies our high standards of cleanliness and comfort.

The trail to the Escalante Pueblo is a ½-mile-long, paved, uphill, wheelchair-accessible trail.

Elevation advisement: Pikes Peak Cog Railway is 14,115 feet above sea level. Overnight in Durango (elevation 6,512 feet).

Canyon Spirit is operated by Rocky Mountaineer/Armstrong Collective.

 Itinerary

Day 1 ARRIVE IN DENVER, COLORADO

Welcome to Colorado! At 6:00 p.m., meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers for a welcome drink.

ENHANCED FREE TIME
Explore more in Denver with a visit to the Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver Art Museum, or enjoy a walk through the mile-long pedestrian-friendly 16th Street Mall. Your Tour Director has suggestions for your free time.

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Day 2 DENVER–COLORADO SPRINGS

The Mile-High City See Denver’s historic Union Station, Mile High Stadium, and more on an orientation tour en route to Colorado Springs. Explore Garden of the Gods Park, featuring towering 300-foot sandstone rock formations against a backdrop of snow-capped Pikes Peak and brilliant blue skies. Take a thrilling ride on the Broadmoor Manitou & Pikes Peak Cog Railway, the highest cog railroad in the world. Travel up to the summit of 14,115-foot Pikes Peak, the place that inspired Katharine Lee Bates to write America the Beautiful. Tonight, enjoy a Globus Local FavoriteGlobus Local Favorite cowboy-style barbecue dinner with western music under the stars at the historic Flying W Ranch (weather permitting).

LOCAL FAVORITE
Savor the tastes of the old west with Rocky Mountain hospitality and live music at Flying W Ranch. Feel free to don your western garb and tap along to music to get you in the spirit at this working cattle ranch in the Colorado foothills!

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Breakfast Breakfast
DinnerDinner

Day 3 COLORADO SPRINGS–GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK–DURANGO

Peak Perfection Travel along the Highway of Legends Scenic and Historic Byway, with views of the Sangre de Cristo Range, home to ten 14,000-foot peaks, and through meandering ranchlands to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. Later, continue deeper into the Colorado wilderness passing through the San Juan National Forest to Durango. Tonight is free to explore Durango to visit the local restaurants, saloons, speakeasies, and more on historic Main Street.

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
A sandbox of epic proportions, the entire dune field encompasses 30 square miles, with the tallest dune towering 750 feet high. With the highest dunes in North America, Great Sand Dunes National Park is a diverse landscape of grasslands, wetlands, forests, and soaring peaks. Enjoy free time to explore the dune field trails.

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Breakfast Breakfast

Day 4 DURANGO. RAIL JOURNEY TO SILVERTON

Rocky Mountain Highs This morning, board the Globus Local FavoriteGlobus Local Favorite Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad for a scenic ride through San Juan National Forest. Enjoy leisure time in Silverton’s authentic western downtown. Return to Durango on the San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway for a free evening.

LOCAL FAVORITE
The legendary Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad train hugs steep canyon walls as it winds its way through Rio de las Animas Canyon to Silverton, a National Historic Landmark. Silverton, once a major mining town, owes its name to an early miner’s claim, “We have no gold, but silver by the ton!” Spend time visiting the breweries, boutiques, and saloons that dot the thriving Greene Street.

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Breakfast Breakfast

Day 5 DURANGO–MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK–CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS–MOAB, UTAH

Ancient Mystery Today is a journey into ancient landscapes and living Indigenous history. Visit Mesa Verde National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where ancestral cliff dwellings reveal centuries of Puebloan culture. Continue to the Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum in Southwestern Colorado’s Four Corners region to learn how Indigenous communities lived, farmed, built, and adapted to the desert environment over thousands of years. Arrive in Moab for a 2-night stay and enjoy a free evening to explore the lively, charming downtown.

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
Discover the legacy of the Ancestral Puebloans at Mesa Verde National Park, including views of Cliff Palace, one of the largest 700-year-old cliff dwellings. At Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center & Museum, explore Native American and historic cultures and walk the Escalante Pueblo Trail to see traces of communities that once thrived on this high desert plateau.

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Breakfast Breakfast

Day 6 MOAB. EXCURSION TO CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK & DEAD HORSE STATE PARK

Canyons & Colors Visit magnificent Canyonlands National Park and Visitor Center for some of the most dramatic scenery in Utah - colorful cliffs, deep canyons, towering mesas, and unusual rock formations. Continue to Dead Horse Point State Park to see a vast mesa with an incredible view of the Colorado River as it twists through a gooseneck canyon 2,000 feet below. Return to Moab for a free evening. Perhaps venture to Main Street for regional Southwest cuisine and quaint shops or stretch your legs on the Mill Creek Parkway Trail.

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
Explore the spectacular views of Canyonlands National Park to see deep canyons and distinctive rock formations formed by the Colorado River and its tributaries over millions of years. Beyond its dramatic canyons and mesas, Canyonlands National Park is home to a diverse desert ecosystem. Juniper and pinyon trees, sagebrush, and other desert plants provide habitats for animals such as mule deer, desert bighorn sheep, coyotes, and numerous bird species.

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Breakfast Breakfast

Day 7 MOAB–ARCHES NATIONAL PARK–CANYON SPIRIT RAIL–GLENWOOD SPRINGS, COLORADO

Rockies by Rail Today, explore the incredible landscape of Arches National Park, containing more than 2,000 natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch. Then embark on Canyon Spirit (formerly Rocky Mountaineer) for a scenic train ride in Signature Class. Travel east through the Colorado Canyons National Conservation Area. See Parachute Creek and Mount Logan while following the scenic Colorado River. Take in the beautiful red rock formations, desert cliffs of Ruby Canyon, and mountain vistas. Tonight, stay in historic Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
Canyon Spirit travels through spectacular scenery on the journey to Glenwood Springs and Denver. Signature Class features a single-level glass dome coach offering reclining seats, meals served at your seat, an outdoor viewing area, and panoramic views from oversized windows. Enjoy live narration and an onboard culinary experience featuring regional cuisine and ingredients local to the Southwestern U.S.

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Breakfast Breakfast
LunchLunch
DinnerDinner

Day 8 GLENWOOD SPRINGS–CANYON SPIRIT RAIL–DENVER

On Top of the World A full day aboard the Canyon Spirit through the Colorado high country. Arrive in Denver this evening for a farewell reception hosted by your Tour Director.

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
From dense wooded forests and snow-capped mountains of White River National Forest to the picturesque Byers and Gore Canyons and the tranquil mountain lakes of Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, you’ll experience the journey of a lifetime. Cross the high elevations of the Continental Divide with a sparkling wine toast while riding through the six-mile-long Moffatt Tunnel.

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Breakfast Breakfast
LunchLunch
DinnerDinner

Day 9 DENVER

Safe travels until we meet again! Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. Want to explore more in Denver? Extra nights are available for purchase.

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Breakfast Breakfast

 Tour Director

With GLOBUS, there’s no better way to get to know your destination than through the eyes of a Tour Director. We’d like you to meet one of our Tour Directors, who average over a decade of experience and are representative of the type of expert that will be with you on your vacation.

LISA PERLA

Escorting tours for more than 15 years

“It's my passion for travel that led me into the Travel Industry. Originally from New England, I love sharing the area's historical significance and quaint appeal, especially when the Fall colors are at their most brilliant. My heart especially lies in the West, though, with the overwhelming beauty of our parks and canyonlands. I truly enjoy sharing what this wondrous country has to offer, and my goal is for our guests to leave with once-in-a-lifetime memories.”

Tour Director - LISA PERLA

 Accommodations

 Optional Excursions

No matter what you’re into: food, wine, history, art, music or anything else, we give you the freedom to personalize your vacation with optional excursions that speak to your interests.

When you book your excursions with us, you can be assured that every optional excursion that we offer coordinates with the free time that you'll have in your destination, so you'll never have conflicts between included and optional activities. Our team of travel experts carefully selects each optional excursion that we offer to ensure that you receive the highest quality at a great value. Our tried-and-true partners have a finger on the pulse of the city in which they operate so they deliver the very best experiences. We offer experiences you cannot create on your own and because you’re booking with us, we coordinate all your transportation and timing needs.

The following optional excursions are examples only for this vacation. These may or may not be offered, and availability is subject to days of operation and seasonality. Please select a departure date to view optional excursions and pricing for a specific date (due to currency fluctuation, pricing shown is subject to change until purchased). Optional excursions are available for purchase on our MyGlobus site 90 days prior to the tour start date.

Price Ranges

$ ($50 CAD and under)
$$ ($51 - $100 CAD)
$$$ ($101 - $150 CAD)
$$$$ (Over $150)



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The “Starting at” or listed price is based on the lowest price available to book. Price is per person based on twin occupancy and any applicable port charges, non-commissionable taxes and fees and intra-vacation flight are included in the price shown. Any included overnight stay in Canada, applicable GST/HST is also included in the price shown. International airfare, however, is not included. If price is crossed out, the new price shown includes a limited time promotional offer(s). Please review current promotions or deals for additional information.