Colorado and the Rocky Mountains Steam Tour

The swingin’ saloons, ornery gunslingers, and Gold Rush all come to life as you visit the heart of the Old West and on stunningly scenic railways.

• You’ll start in Denver, with a visit to the Colorado Railroad Museum, as well as a tour of the Rocky Mountain National Park.
• Travel on the Georgetown Loop and Leadville Railways.
• Visit Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak Cog Railway – the highest cog railway in the world and the ‘Garden of the Gods’ National Natural Monument.
• More highlights include Canon City, with a trip on Royal Gorge Scenic Railroad, and journeys with the narrow gauge Cumbres and Toltec Railroad.
• The holiday continues with a visit to the Sand Dunes National Monument.
• You continue your adventure in true Wild West style as you’ll explore historic Durango and travel on the Durango and Silverton Railroad.
• You then follow the ‘Million Dollar Highway’ to Grand Junction and return to Denver via one of America’s greatest train trips with the Amtrak ‘Californian Zephyr’.

This extraordinary and breath-taking tour is the only way to see all these vintage Wild West highlights together, in one holiday of a lifetime.

Friday 25th August
Fly to Denver
You take an afternoon flight from London Heathrow to Denver, the capital of Colorado. You’ll be based in Denver for the next five nights at you centrally located hotel. The rest of the day you can relax at your leisure.

Saturday 26th August
At leisure in Denver and a visit to Colorado Railroad Museum
This morning you enjoy a relaxing breakfast and can recover from any jet lag by enjoying the historic sights of this fine city. In the afternoon we travel by coach to the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden, with time to explore the exhibits. You return to your hotel in Denver where the evening is free for you to explore and sample one of the many restaurants for dinner. (B)

Sunday 27th August
Sightseeing at Rocky Mountain National Park
Today you’ll travel up to almost 12,000 feet above sea level whilst enjoying a guided sightseeing tour to the Rocky Mountains National Park, which features the highest paved road in the US and over 350 miles of trails. A buffet lunch will be included today. (B L)

Monday 28th August
Steam at the Georgetown Loop Railroad
Following breakfast at the hotel you transfer by coach to the Georgetown Loop Railroad. Completed in 1884, this spectacular stretch of three-foot narrow-gauge railroad was considered an engineering marvel of its time. A giant Shay locomotive will haul you, departing late morning from Devil's Gate. This journey will be in standard class with open carriages/coaches for better views of the Clear Creek Valley. Afterwards you’ll visit a mine and have free time to visit the gambling saloons in Georgetown. Late afternoon you return by coach to the hotel in Denver. (B)

Tuesday 29th August
Leadville Railroad
After breakfast today you travel by coach 75 miles west of Denver to the legendary former frontier mining town of Leadville, situated in the mountains at a lofty perch of 10,430 feet! On arrival you’ll have time to explore and find some lunch before enjoying a trip on the scenic Leadville Railroad. You return to Denver in late afternoon. (B)

Wednesday 30th August
Visit to Garden of the Gods; Steam and Saloons in Cripple Creek
This morning you say goodbye to Denver as you travel south by coach to Colorado Springs.
 En route you will visit the 1,367-acre ‘Garden of the Gods’. It’s one of the most famous and popular parks in the US, a unique biological melting pot where the grasslands of the Great Plains meet the woodlands of the American Southwest and merge with the mountain forest of Pikes Peak. After your visit you continue by coach to Cripple Creek, a gambling town located at the end of a narrow valley. There you experience your next authentic steam journey, as you board the Cripple Creek and Victor Railroad for a journey out into the rugged mountain wilderness. Back in town, you might want to visit one of the many local saloons and go at it with a ‘One Armed Bandit’ or simply relax with afternoon refreshments. From Cripple Creek you carry on to Colorado Springs, where you check into your hotel for the next two nights. The evening is yours to explore and find dinner. (B)

Thursday 31st August
Pikes Peak Cog Railway and charming Manitou Springs
After breakfast, you transfer by coach to Manitou Springs to travel up Pikes Peak Cog Railway, at 14,115 feet the highest cog railway in the world. The train winds past waterfalls and through aspen and pine forest on a special track, sometimes hitting a grade of 24%! There will be some free time to enjoy later in the attractive centre of Manitou Springs, a town noted for its 11 natural mineral springs. In the late afternoon you then return your hotel in Colorado Springs. (B)

Friday 1st September
Royal Gorge Scenic Railroad, on to Alamosa
After breakfast you transfer by coach to Canon City, for a trip on the Royal Gorge Scenic Railroad, there’ll be a midday departure from Canon City with lunch included on board, hauled by a streamlined, world-famous ‘F-Unit’ diesel loco following the winding, tumbling Arkansas River deep within the soaring, 1,000-foot granite cliffs of Colorado’s Royal Gorge. You’ll travel in Vista Dome class, seated in enclosed, glass-domed iconic carriages with full access to the open-air gondola car, which is ideal for superb sight lines and unrestricted photography. After your trip you continue by coach to Alamosa and check-in to your hotel for the next three nights. (B L)

Saturday 2nd September
Cumbres & Toltec Railroad and San Luis Valley Brewery Visit
After breakfast you have a morning departure from Antonito on board the train to Osier, there’s a chance to take photos here as run pasts will be staged. You’ll enjoy lunch at Osier Station. Returning to Antonito you’ll then visit San Luis Valley Brewery and Restaurant for dinner. (B L D)

Sunday 3rd September
Steam at the world famous Cumbres and Toltec Railroad
This morning you experience the Antonito Excursion at the Cumbres and Toltec Railroad. First you transfer by specially arranged motorcoach from Antonito to Chama. Afterwards, you board the train from Chama and travel back to Antonito via Osier where you will stop for lunch. You travel to Antonito by steam train with allocated seating, enjoying the panoramic views of the authentic Western scenery. Overnight accommodation is again in Alamosa. (B L)

Monday 4th September
Sand Dunes National Monument; on to Durango and relaxation/photography there
You make an early morning visit to the amazing Sand Dunes National Monument, just north of Alamosa. You will have time to gaze at the stunning mountain vistas of the San Luis Valley, before you’ll continue by coach via some of the most scenic roads in the Rocky Mountains, with plenty of opportunity for nature viewing and photography. You arrive in the afternoon in time to film steam trains arriving on the narrow-gauge railroad and at the roundhouse in Durango, the largest town in southwest Colorado. Afterwards, you will check-in to your hotel for the next two nights. Dinner tonight is at your own leisure. (B)

Tuesday 5th September
Steam at the Durango and Silverton Railroad
After breakfast you have a morning departure from Durango to Silverton, for a round trip adventure on a line originally constructed to haul silver and gold ore from Southwest Colorado’s San Juan Mountain. Relive the sights and sounds of yesteryear on this spectacular Narrow-Gauge Railroad. You’ll arrive back in Durango late afternoon. (B)

Wednesday 6th September
Durango Yard Tour, then ‘Million Dollar Highway’
Today you have a relaxing breakfast and morning in Durango, allowing time for a guided tour of the roundhouse, with full behind-the-scenes access and time for some steam train photography as the morning trains leave for Silverton. You’ll then travel by coach over the breath-taking ‘Million Dollar Highway’ north via Silverton where you will have a break for lunch. After lunch you continue along the San Juan Skyway to Ouray. Overnight accommodation is in Ouray tonight. (B)

Thursday 7th September
Grand Junction
You rejoin your coach this morning and continue northwards to Grand Junction, with time en route for plenty of photography and nature watching. Officially U.S. Route 550, this is one of the roads on the Trails of the Ancients Byway. There will be a short stop at Ridgway to see the Galloping Goose No. 1 in the Railroad Museum there. Afterwards you check into your centrally located hotel in Grand Junction for your overnight accommodation. (B)

Friday 8th September
Amtrak ‘California Zephyr’ to Denver
This morning after breakfast you’ll travel on the Amtrak ‘California Zephyr’, departing Grand Junction at mid morning, reckoned one of the greatest train trips in all of North America. You’ll climb through the heart of the Rockies, and then further east. Other route highlights include the Moffat Tunnel and Colorado’s Gore, Byers and Glenwood Canyons. This is one of the top Amtrak Routes in America, and your seating is in coach class on the upper deck. You arrive at Denver Union Station in the early evening for accommodation reserved at the same hotel as at the start of the tour. (B)

Saturday 9th September
Fly back to UK
After breakfast, you have some free time to relax in Denver before you transfer to the airport for your evening flight back to the UK. (B)

Sunday 10th September
Arrival in London
You arrive back in London at midday.