Wild West, Cowboys and Buffalos End Rapid City

Visit United States

Day 1

Start Your Travels In Salt Lake City

Saddle up for a Wild West family adventure starting with a relaxing afternoon together in Salt Lake City before meeting your travel companions for a rootin’ tootin’ evening Kick-off Party with your Travel Director.

Day 2

National Oregon/California Trail Center

Relive the adventures of an 1850s westbound wagon train with a visit to the National Oregon/California Trail Center in Montpelier, Idaho.

Accompanied by actors playing wagon masters and pioneers, you'll journey back in time, exploring historically accurate attractions, including a gun shop, mercantile, and a ride in a covered wagon. After a picnic-style lunch at the Center, you're off to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where you can walk through the town's famous landmark arch of tangled elk antlers. Step back in time as you explore the Town Square with its Western boardwalks, craft boutiques and ice cream shops, all surrounded by the majestic Rockies.

Day 3

Visit Grand Teton National Park

Family fun awaits every day of this trip and today is no exception.

If the season is right, today is your chance to get out on the water for some adventures. Rise early to float down the Snake River on an optional, scenic wilderness float trip. It’s the most relaxing way to experience the river as you learn about its history, geology, and wildlife from an expert guide. Travel onward to your hotel for the night.

Day 4

Yellowstone Sightseeing

Today you’ll enjoy a full day’s exploration of the geothermal wonderland of Yellowstone.

You’ll join your Travel Director, marvelling at Old Faithful, the thousand-year old geyser which has been shooting up water every 90 minutes for centuries. See the wonders of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone whose colours and shapes are a sight to behold. The rest of the evening is yours to enjoy on your own terms.

Day 5

Immerse Into The Culture Of The Old West

You’ll get a glimpse into “Spirit of the West” at the Buffalo Bill Center for the West museum complex.

As you wander through this huge set of exhibits, you’ll feel like you’ve been transported back to a time of cowboys and cowgirls, lawmen and brave Native American warriors. The complex gives you the opportunity to explore the Buffalo Bill Museum, Plains Indians Museum, Whitney Western Art Museum, or the Draper Natural History Museum. Round out the day with a Be My Guest experience at Billings Depot where you’ll meet the owners 406 Native Roots, an Indigenous arts and education centre, before dining in a historic train terminal. You’ll have the opportunity to learn about tipis and engage in a sweetgrass braiding activity led by a local Indigenous artist.

Day 6

Venture Into Rapid City

We continue our discovery of the Wild West heading through the "Energy Capital of the US," Gillette, WY.

Then, we travel to South Dakota to spend the afternoon getting familiar with a famed Lakota warrior at Crazy Horse Memorial. You’ll gaze in awe of this colossal carved tribute to Crazy Horse, which you’ll learn is the largest mountain carving in the world.

Day 7

Explore Badlands National Park Make Travel Matter

Today, participate in a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience with a visit to the Oglala Lakota Living History Village, introducing you to the beautiful landscape of the past and present Lakota culture, and of indigenous knowledge of Pine Ridge Reservation.

Your visit contributes to the sustainability and resiliency of the Lakota community. Walk with a local guide on the trails through displays of living quarters used through the 19th and 20th centuries. Meet local artists who, through crafts and storytelling, provide insight into their cultures and traditions. Later, visit the Ben Reifel Visitor Center, the perfect place to prepare for your visit of Badlands National Park. Learn about the local earth science, wildlife and history as you explore museum exhibits, visit a working Fossil Preparation Lab or learn about Indigenous communities who one inhabited the land.

Day 8

Encounter The Traditions Of Black Hills Make Travel Matter

Today, head for the famous Black Hills of South Dakota to view the giant faces of former American presidents etched in the stone cliffs of Mount Rushmore.

This evening, join your fellow adventurers at a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience and Farewell Dinner featuring your Lakota Sioux Tribe Member Stephen Yellowhawk (or another tribe member).

Day 9

Farewell Rapid City

Your Wild West adventure comes to an end after breakfast.

Say so long to your newfound friends this morning. Depart from Rapid City at your leisure.

Dining Summary

4 Dinner (D)

8 Breakfast (B)

1 Lunch (L)

Be My Guest

Billings: Get ready for a one-of-a-kind experience at Billings Depot. Greeted by hosts from Billings Depot and 406 Native Roots, unlock Native American culture over an educational presentation about Montana’s local tribes before you join in on the fun. You'll learn how to build a tipi using unique methods mastered by various Native tribes and how to braid your own sacred sweetgrass, which is used during smudging ceremonies. You can even take home your braided sweetgrass as a keepsake. Then dig into dinner prepared by award winning Chef, Stephen Hindman of Stacked, a Montana Grill and sipping on beverages provided by BarMT, a local taproom. Sampling Native American Fry bread with apples and cinnamon is the perfect finish to a big evening.

Iconic Experience

Montpelier: Discover the epic saga of pioneers' westward expansion at the National Oregon/California Trail Center. You’ll take a simulated wagon ride, where actors in authentic period costumes guide you through the trials and triumphs of the journey. This immersive experience captivates visitors of all ages, vividly portraying a significant chapter in American history.

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 splendour of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, keep an eye out for bison in Hayden Valley, and witness Old Faithful blow off some steam.

Cody: Jump into the playground of the wild west. Glimpse into the "Spirit of the West" at the Buffalo Bill Center for the West Museum complex. Boasting five museums on its campus, this “Smithsonian of the West” will immerse you in the sounds and sights of the Wild West. You'll feel like you've been transported back to a time of cowboys and cowgirls, outlaws and Native American warriors. 

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. Enhance your visit exploring The Indian Museum of North America that is also part of the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation.

Badlands National Park: Enjoy the spectacular sights as you make your way through Badlands Loop Road.

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. 

MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®

Philip: Travel to the past at the Oglala Lakota Living History Village and gain valuable insights into the culture and Indigenous knowledge of Lakota Country. Your experience supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 10 & 11: Reduced Inequalities & Sustainable Cities and Communities.

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.

Must-see Highlights

Explore Montana's Indigenous culture and community in Billings

Discover Jackson Hole, Cody, Billings, Keystone, Rapid City

Visit Badlands National Park, Oglala Lakota Living History Museum, National Oregon/California Trail Center, Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, the Black Hills, Crazy Horse Memorial, Mount Rushmore

Stays With Stories

Rapid City: Since opening its doors on July 1, 1928, the Alex Johnson Hotel hotel has played host to several presidents, countless celebrities, and some say a few spirits of its own. The handcrafted décor and Germanic Tudor-inspired architecture will leave you feeling that every step you take is a step back in time.

Trafalgar Difference

Yellowstone National Park: Grant Village was built in 1984 and named after Ulysses S. Grant, president when Yellowstone became the world’s first national park in 1872. Located near the West Thumb of Yellowstone Lake, Grant Village offers you a full-service restaurant with a view of Yellowstone Lake, a lakeside restaurant with a casual menu, lounge and gift store.

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