Western Frontiers End Rapid City
Your wild west tour at its best. This exploration of the American frontier is filled with local encounters and natural wonders-from the Black Hills to Bryce Canyon's spires and Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore to Cody's Buffalo Bill Center. Two nights in Yellowstone ensure you don’t miss a thing.
Dining Summary
- 4 Dinner (D)
- 9 Breakfast (B)
- 1 Lunch (L)
- Billings: At the historic Billings Depot, meet Montana beef advocate Chaley Harney and Local Chef Stephen Hindman. Hear how the railroads shaped the state’s ranching history, then enjoy a three-course beef menu paired with regional beer and wine - all while connecting with the people, places and stories that define Montana’s cattle country.
- Zion National Park: Unlock geological history as you walk the paths and trails of Zion National Park, following in the footsteps of Native Americans and the earliest pioneers. The lush vegetation, wild rivers, roaring waterfalls and towering cliffs of this park will have you reaching for your camera over and over again.
- Bryce Canyon National Park: After stopping at Sunset Point this afternoon, Bryce Canyon awaits. You’re right in the heart of it all with your accommodations just three miles from the park entrance, maximizing the time you'll spend in the park.
- Salt Lake City: Get ready for the key features and local secrets of Utah's capital on an orientation tour with your Travel Director. Check out its Mormon center and Temple Square as you delve into the past of its Mormon settlers.
- Bryce Canyon National Park: Hello, hoodoos. As you arrive at Bryce Canyon National Park, enjoy seeing the pink, orange and rusty-red limestone spires, known as hoodoos, rise up from the valley floor. Explore the visitor center to learn more about the history and geology of the park before a scenic drive along Bryce Canyon Road with possible stops at Sunrise Point, Sunset Point and Inspiration Point. You’ll love seeing how Bryce Canyon, home to the largest collection of these spires in the world, is in a league of its own.
- Jackson: Spend the afternoon exploring the charming cowboy town of Jackson, WY. Stroll through the antler archways at Jackson Town Square before heading to the famed Million Dollar Cowboy Bar and grab a seat on a horse saddle. Walk through local art galleries and boutique shops to find the perfect souvenir.
- Grand Teton National Park: Head to Grand Teton National Park for sightseeing of its alpine landscapes featuring eight peaks towering 12,000 feet above. At the Craig Thomas Visitor Center, gaze out at the Teton Range rising above. Inside the Center, explore the themes of place, people, preservation, mountaineering and Native Americans as you contemplate the past and future of this park. With your Travel Director enhancing your visit through narrative, drive by Jenny Lake, a glacier-carved lake at the base of the Teton Mountains.
- Yellowstone National Park: Yellowstone National Park. A bucket list destination and a must-see icon. Established as America's first National Park by President Grant in 1872, Yellowstone is famous for its hot springs, bubbling mud pots, vast canyons and lush forests and a variety of terrain including alpine mountains, prairies, valleys and waterfalls as well as a diversity of nature including the hydrothermal features. Explore the Southern Loop of Yellowstone with your Travel Director who shows you the must-sees and highlights, paired with background information of this huge, ever-changing national park. See the splendor of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, keep an eye out for bison in Hayden Valley, and witness Old Faithful blow off some steam.
- Cody: Visit the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, a museum complex in Cody with five museums under one roof. You’ll explore Plains Indian cultures, view original works by artists like Frederic Remington and Charles Russell, examine historic firearms, and learn about the life and legacy of Buffalo Bill - the scout, showman and town founder.
- Little Big Horn: There’s no better place to learn about the Battle of Little Bighorn than visiting the famous historical site itself. Explore the Visitor Center to get oriented with the history of Custer's Last Stand. With your Travel Director driving along Battlefield Tour Road where General Custer and his men were roundly defeated by combined forces of Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal warriors in 1876, feel echoes of the past come alive on this one-of-a-kind experience.
- Black Hills: Unlock the history of Crazy Horse Memorial. Learn how construction began in 1948 after Henry Standing Bear, a Lakota elder, commissioned Korczak Ziolkowski, who worked on construction of Mount Rushmore. While the original idea was to carve a face into rock like Mount Rushmore, the monument will ultimately have a full body and horse. There is no completion date yet, but the face of Crazy Horse was completed in 1998 at 87 feet 6 inches (26.7 m) high.
- Mount Rushmore: The grand faces of Mount Rushmore National Memorial await. View the faces of four of America’s most important presidents - George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt - dramatically etched into the granite rock. Mount Rushmore tells the story of the birth, growth, development and preservation of the United States. From the history of the first inhabitants to the diversity of America today, visitors will come face to face (literally) with the rich heritage we all share.
- Rapid City: Get ready for a one-of-a-kind-experience meeting Stephen Yellowhawk to discover the history of his tribe during a festive evening of dance and song. A performer for more than 20 years, Stephen has a passion for dance and sheer determination to promote his Native American culture. Raised by his grandparents from the Lakota tribe and Onondaga Iroquois tribe, Stephen will share his family and tribal history, culture, and traditions with you. Your experience supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities.
- Discover Jackson Hole and Salt Lake City
- Visit Zion, Bryce Canyon, Jackson, Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Little Bighorn Battlefield, Crazy Horse Memorial with a Local Guide granting you access to the base of the memorial
- View Iconic Mount Rushmore in South Dakota
- Yellowstone National Park: Nothing beats staying close to all the action. Your accommodation for the next two nights is inside the National Park granting you all day access to the park and hotel amenities. Enjoy an evening stroll when the day-trippers are gone and appreciate the natural beauty surrounding you.
Whats Included
- An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
- Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
- All porterage and restaurant gratuities
- All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
- Breakfast daily and up to half of your evening meals
- Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras
- Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing
- All transport and transfers shown
- Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
- Optional Experiences and free time
- On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilized
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Our Commitment
We’re captivated by the places we visit, from the rugged, crimson sands of Australia’s outback deserts to the verdant forests and inky depths of New Zealand’s fjords and valleys. Our passion for our lands, their people and wildlife is part of what makes each AAT Kings experience unique, and is why we work with partners who share our vision for making travel matter, now and in the future. When you travel with AAT Kings and any of our sister brands you can be assured that you are choosing to travel with a company that puts sustainability and the planet at the core of everything we do.
TreadRight
The TreadRight Foundation was founded over a decade ago as a joint initiative between The Travel Corporation’s (TTC) family of brands with a mission to ensure our trips have a positive impact, and AAT Kings is proud to be a founding member.
People
Community support and cultural preservation by targeting overtourism through the inclusion of new MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® experiences, the creation of a standalone strategy to encourage greater diversity and inclusion at AAT Kings, and our global give-back efforts.
Planet
Sustainability and conservation by targeting climate change, sustainable food production and responsible consumption through carbon management, renewable energy, the food cycle, waste reduction, and the elimination of single-use plastics.
Wildlife
Conservation and protection by targeting animal welfare and conservation, and ethical wildlife experiences through our Animal Welfare Policy.
AAT Kings supports the following projects
In partnership with the TreadRight Foundation, we have supported more than 55 sustainable tourism projects worldwide which seek to protect wildlife and marine life and have a positive impact on the people and communities we visit. Each tourism project we support is assessed based on its impact on each of the TreadRight pillars of people, planet and wildlife, underpinned by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which combine to form the basis for our five-year sustainability strategy, How We Tread Right (HWTR).
Kiwi Conservation with the National Kiwi Hatchery
Since 1995 Rainbow Springs Nature Park in Rotorua on New Zealand’s North Island has provided vital support to vulnerable populations of the flightless Kiwi bird, a beloved national species. The species is under threat from predators and their ground nests lack adequate protection, causing their population to decline each year. To date the National Kiwi Hatchery at Rainbow Springs has hatched more than 2,000 eggs, providing a safe environment for birds to hatch, releasing them into ideal habitats in the wild so that they can continue to reproduce. You can visit the Hatchery to learn more about the vital work they are doing to ensure the survival of the species, with less than 70,000 kiwis left in the wild.
Save the Tasmanian Devil
In some areas, more than 80% of the Tasmanian Devil population has been wiped out by Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) which continue to spread through wild populations in Tasmania. In conjunction with the TreadRight Foundation, AAT Kings support the work done at the University of Tasmania to develop a vaccine to ensure the population of Tasmanian devils can thrive disease-free in the wild. Guests travelling on selected Tasmanian tours can spend time observing the nocturnal behaviour of the Tasmanian Devil and learn more about these fascinating creatures with our Devils After Dark experience.
Animal Welfare Policy
AAT Kings is committed to only offering ethical wildlife experiences on our trips guided by TreadRight’s Animal Welfare Policy to support a tourism industry free of animal cruelty. The policy is based on the Five Domains of Animal Welfare.
How We Tread Right (HWTR)
Launched in 2020, How We Tread Right (HWTR) is AAT Kings’ five-year sustainability strategy. It is the sustainability blueprint for us and our sister brands under our parent company The Travel Corporation (TTC).
Our strategy consists of 11 sustainability goals anchored to the United Nations’ Global Goals, which guide the way we are addressing climate change, sustainable food production, waste reduction, travel experiences, diversity and inclusion, and wildlife: the six main issues that we are currently focused on as a business.
Goal 1: Climate Change
Reach net zero GHG emissions across the value chain by 2050 from a 2019 baseline year
Goal 2: Climate Change
Source 50% of our electricity from renewable sources by 2025
Goal 3: Sustainable Food Production
Reduce food waste by 50% across
Goal 4: Sustainable Food Production
Increase use of local & organic food products by our supply chain by 2025
Goal 5: Responsible Consumption
Reduce printed brochures by 50% by 2025
Goal 6: Responsible Consumption
Eliminate as many unnecessary single-use plastics from our operations and itineraries
Goal 7: Overtourism
Include at least 1 Make Travel Matter Experience on 50% of TTC itineraries by 2025
Goal 8: Overtourism
Achieve a 20% increase of itineraries visiting developing regions for select specialist brands by 2025
Goal 9: Our Culture
Increase employee and market sentiment regarding diversity and inclusion across our brands
Goal 10: Our Culture
Complete 30,000 volunteer hours by 2025
Goal 11: Animal Welfare
Ensure all wildlife experiences across TTC brands adhere to our animal welfare policy
At AAT Kings we've assembled a range of fun, passionate, quirky, knowledgeable and talented people to help make your holiday great and one you’ll remember forever. Our team will bring your holiday to life and they’ll share their passion and knowledge for Australia and New Zealand in ways beyond expected.
Travel Directors
At AAT Kings we pride ourselves on having some of the most experienced and insightful Travel Directors in the world. They’ll provide the commentary, stories and local insights behind each destination to allow you to truly get a feel for the places you visit. They’ll share advice, provide personal recommendations and reveal some ‘Hidden Gems’ along the way that you simply couldn't experience if travelling on your own.
Driver Guides
We personally train all our Driver Guides to provide exceptional service every step of the way. Each and every Driver Guide has extensive on road experience and driver training with a safe driving track record. Along with passion and local insight these genuine Aussie characters will enhance your AAT Kings experience and make sure you have a holiday you won’t forget. If you’re travelling on a Short Break you may be joined by a different Driver Guide each day so you can benefit from the breadth of their combined knowledge and years of experience for a more independent style of travel.
Local Guides
We’ll also be joined by a number of Local Guides at various destinations on selected Day Tours and Short Breaks. These Local Guides have specialist knowledge of their hometown and local traditions. They’ll take your sightseeing experience to a whole new level as they share their passion and stories in an engaging and entertaining way.
Travel Solo, Not Alone
Travelling solo doesn’t mean that you have to travel alone. Travelling solo on an AAT Kings Guided Holiday connects you with other like-minded travellers to experience the best Australia and New Zealand have to offer on a worry-free adventure.
Your Solo Traveller Options
Solo Traveller Room Share
On nearly all of our itineraries you can choose to be matched with a same gender traveller and only pay the twin share price
Enjoy A Room Just For You
We offer single room supplements across our tours if you want to enjoy a room all to yourself. Simply choose your tour and select your room preference in the booking process.
What to expect when travelling solo in Australia and New Zealand with AAT Kings
On an AAT Kings Guided Holiday you’ll be joining a tour with travellers who have one thing in common. A desire to uncover the true beating heart of Australia and New Zealand in ways that you never imagined possible. Getting under the skin of a destination, learning from local experts, and travelling worry-free, you’ll experience places more beautiful than any guidebook can describe.
Drink in the view, discover wild tastes to feed your soul and immerse yourself in stories that live and breathe, safe in the knowledge that every detail of your trip will be taken care of. You’ll enjoy the benefits of travelling in a group, with all of the essentials like accommodation and exclusive experiences all seamlessly sorted ‘behind the scenes’.
You don’t need to be single to travel solo. Perhaps you want to travel to parts of Australia and New Zealand your partner is not keen to visit, or you want to challenge yourself to travel solo for the first time. Our First Choice and Best Buys Guided Holidays give you the flexibility to choose a fully curated experience with plenty of local connections or a flexible itinerary with more time for you.
Our Commitment
We’re captivated by the places we visit, from the rugged, crimson sands of Australia’s outback deserts to the verdant forests and inky depths of New Zealand’s fjords and valleys. Our passion for our lands, their people and wildlife is part of what makes each AAT Kings experience unique, and is why we work with partners who share our vision for making travel matter, now and in the future. When you travel with AAT Kings and any of our sister brands you can be assured that you are choosing to travel with a company that puts sustainability and the planet at the core of everything we do.
TreadRight
The TreadRight Foundation was founded over a decade ago as a joint initiative between The Travel Corporation’s (TTC) family of brands with a mission to ensure our trips have a positive impact, and AAT Kings is proud to be a founding member.
People
Community support and cultural preservation by targeting overtourism through the inclusion of new MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® experiences, the creation of a standalone strategy to encourage greater diversity and inclusion at AAT Kings, and our global give-back efforts.
Planet
Sustainability and conservation by targeting climate change, sustainable food production and responsible consumption through carbon management, renewable energy, the food cycle, waste reduction, and the elimination of single-use plastics.
Wildlife
Conservation and protection by targeting animal welfare and conservation, and ethical wildlife experiences through our Animal Welfare Policy.
AAT Kings supports the following projects
In partnership with the TreadRight Foundation, we have supported more than 55 sustainable tourism projects worldwide which seek to protect wildlife and marine life and have a positive impact on the people and communities we visit. Each tourism project we support is assessed based on its impact on each of the TreadRight pillars of people, planet and wildlife, underpinned by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which combine to form the basis for our five-year sustainability strategy, How We Tread Right (HWTR).
Kiwi Conservation with the National Kiwi Hatchery
Since 1995 Rainbow Springs Nature Park in Rotorua on New Zealand’s North Island has provided vital support to vulnerable populations of the flightless Kiwi bird, a beloved national species. The species is under threat from predators and their ground nests lack adequate protection, causing their population to decline each year. To date the National Kiwi Hatchery at Rainbow Springs has hatched more than 2,000 eggs, providing a safe environment for birds to hatch, releasing them into ideal habitats in the wild so that they can continue to reproduce. You can visit the Hatchery to learn more about the vital work they are doing to ensure the survival of the species, with less than 70,000 kiwis left in the wild.
Save the Tasmanian Devil
In some areas, more than 80% of the Tasmanian Devil population has been wiped out by Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) which continue to spread through wild populations in Tasmania. In conjunction with the TreadRight Foundation, AAT Kings support the work done at the University of Tasmania to develop a vaccine to ensure the population of Tasmanian devils can thrive disease-free in the wild. Guests travelling on selected Tasmanian tours can spend time observing the nocturnal behaviour of the Tasmanian Devil and learn more about these fascinating creatures with our Devils After Dark experience.
Animal Welfare Policy
AAT Kings is committed to only offering ethical wildlife experiences on our trips guided by TreadRight’s Animal Welfare Policy to support a tourism industry free of animal cruelty. The policy is based on the Five Domains of Animal Welfare.
How We Tread Right (HWTR)
Launched in 2020, How We Tread Right (HWTR) is AAT Kings’ five-year sustainability strategy. It is the sustainability blueprint for us and our sister brands under our parent company The Travel Corporation (TTC).
Our strategy consists of 11 sustainability goals anchored to the United Nations’ Global Goals, which guide the way we are addressing climate change, sustainable food production, waste reduction, travel experiences, diversity and inclusion, and wildlife: the six main issues that we are currently focused on as a business.
Goal 1: Climate Change
Reach net zero GHG emissions across the value chain by 2050 from a 2019 baseline year
Goal 2: Climate Change
Source 50% of our electricity from renewable sources by 2025
Goal 3: Sustainable Food Production
Reduce food waste by 50% across
Goal 4: Sustainable Food Production
Increase use of local & organic food products by our supply chain by 2025
Goal 5: Responsible Consumption
Reduce printed brochures by 50% by 2025
Goal 6: Responsible Consumption
Eliminate as many unnecessary single-use plastics from our operations and itineraries
Goal 7: Overtourism
Include at least 1 Make Travel Matter Experience on 50% of TTC itineraries by 2025
Goal 8: Overtourism
Achieve a 20% increase of itineraries visiting developing regions for select specialist brands by 2025
Goal 9: Our Culture
Increase employee and market sentiment regarding diversity and inclusion across our brands
Goal 10: Our Culture
Complete 30,000 volunteer hours by 2025
Goal 11: Animal Welfare
Ensure all wildlife experiences across TTC brands adhere to our animal welfare policy
At AAT Kings we've assembled a range of fun, passionate, quirky, knowledgeable and talented people to help make your holiday great and one you’ll remember forever. Our team will bring your holiday to life and they’ll share their passion and knowledge for Australia and New Zealand in ways beyond expected.
Travel Directors
At AAT Kings we pride ourselves on having some of the most experienced and insightful Travel Directors in the world. They’ll provide the commentary, stories and local insights behind each destination to allow you to truly get a feel for the places you visit. They’ll share advice, provide personal recommendations and reveal some ‘Hidden Gems’ along the way that you simply couldn't experience if travelling on your own.
Driver Guides
We personally train all our Driver Guides to provide exceptional service every step of the way. Each and every Driver Guide has extensive on road experience and driver training with a safe driving track record. Along with passion and local insight these genuine Aussie characters will enhance your AAT Kings experience and make sure you have a holiday you won’t forget. If you’re travelling on a Short Break you may be joined by a different Driver Guide each day so you can benefit from the breadth of their combined knowledge and years of experience for a more independent style of travel.
Local Guides
We’ll also be joined by a number of Local Guides at various destinations on selected Day Tours and Short Breaks. These Local Guides have specialist knowledge of their hometown and local traditions. They’ll take your sightseeing experience to a whole new level as they share their passion and stories in an engaging and entertaining way.
Travel Solo, Not Alone
Travelling solo doesn’t mean that you have to travel alone. Travelling solo on an AAT Kings Guided Holiday connects you with other like-minded travellers to experience the best Australia and New Zealand have to offer on a worry-free adventure.
Your Solo Traveller Options
Solo Traveller Room Share
On nearly all of our itineraries you can choose to be matched with a same gender traveller and only pay the twin share price
Enjoy A Room Just For You
We offer single room supplements across our tours if you want to enjoy a room all to yourself. Simply choose your tour and select your room preference in the booking process.
What to expect when travelling solo in Australia and New Zealand with AAT Kings
On an AAT Kings Guided Holiday you’ll be joining a tour with travellers who have one thing in common. A desire to uncover the true beating heart of Australia and New Zealand in ways that you never imagined possible. Getting under the skin of a destination, learning from local experts, and travelling worry-free, you’ll experience places more beautiful than any guidebook can describe.
Drink in the view, discover wild tastes to feed your soul and immerse yourself in stories that live and breathe, safe in the knowledge that every detail of your trip will be taken care of. You’ll enjoy the benefits of travelling in a group, with all of the essentials like accommodation and exclusive experiences all seamlessly sorted ‘behind the scenes’.
You don’t need to be single to travel solo. Perhaps you want to travel to parts of Australia and New Zealand your partner is not keen to visit, or you want to challenge yourself to travel solo for the first time. Our First Choice and Best Buys Guided Holidays give you the flexibility to choose a fully curated experience with plenty of local connections or a flexible itinerary with more time for you.
About AAT Kings
A century ago, the Australian outback was but a twinkle in most travellers’ eyes. But thanks to visionaries like the Pyke family and Bill King, the way we explore the Land Down Under was about to change in unimaginable ways. Over the coming decades, maps were unfolded, desert cruisers and coaches were customised, and guides were trained. From humble beginnings, the company now known as AAT Kings was going places few had gone before, pioneering new paths across Australia and New Zealand and taking intrepid domestic and international travellers on a wild and wonderful ride.
We’ve spent the last century perfecting a Holy Grail of life-changing moments around Australia and across New Zealand – ones you likely never knew even existed, and that you won’t find in a guidebook or listed on any website. Our DNA has never changed – we are, and always have been pioneers committed to worry-free and sustainable travel, revealing these majestic countries in a way that you never imagined possible.
About AAT Kings
A century ago, the Australian outback was but a twinkle in most travellers’ eyes. But thanks to visionaries like the Pyke family and Bill King, the way we explore the Land Down Under was about to change in unimaginable ways. Over the coming decades, maps were unfolded, desert cruisers and coaches were customised, and guides were trained. From humble beginnings, the company now known as AAT Kings was going places few had gone before, pioneering new paths across Australia and New Zealand and taking intrepid domestic and international travellers on a wild and wonderful ride.
We’ve spent the last century perfecting a Holy Grail of life-changing moments around Australia and across New Zealand – ones you likely never knew even existed, and that you won’t find in a guidebook or listed on any website. Our DNA has never changed – we are, and always have been pioneers committed to worry-free and sustainable travel, revealing these majestic countries in a way that you never imagined possible.
