America's Greatest Treasures with Rapid City Start (8855)

9 days from Rapid City to Salt Lake City

2025 Tour Details View 2026 Tour Details »

Go west for adventure and treasured discoveries on this affordable American vacation through South Dakota, Wyoming, and Utah. From the stomping grounds of Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok to the lofty peaks of the Grand Tetons, you’ll experience the Wild West with its stunning vistas and historic lore. Pass through the Black Hills of South Dakota where the legends of the frontier made their mark and stand at the national monuments to presidents at Mount Rushmore, and to Native American legend, Chief Crazy Horse. Follow the trail of pioneers and history-makers to Wyoming—home of Buffalo Bill and the spectacular natural splendor of Yellowstone National Park. From Old Faithful and thundering waterfalls to the desert of the Great Salt Lake, your journey through the American West is a tale to be told for years to come.

The world is within reach with everything you need for perfectly affordable touring. Cosmos includes hand-selected accommodations, guided sightseeing, and seamless transportation between destinations—with value-minded travel lovers in mind. Explore with expert Cosmos Tour Directors and Local Guides, and private, first-class, air-conditioned motorcoach with free Wi-Fi (where available). Enhance your free time to explore like a local with your CosmosGO mobile app!

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America's Greatest Treasures with Rapid City Start map
National Park Tours – National Park Foundation

 Photo Highlights

 Meals

 Meals & Itinerary

4 Breakfasts


Notes:

This vacation visits national parks and other remote locations where facilities may not be up to the standard you expect from Cosmos. Some lodges within the parks do not have air-conditioning, televisions, and other amenities you would expect from most Cosmos hotels.



Maximum elevation on tour: 9,033 ft.

 Itinerary

Day 1 RAPID CITY

Welcome to Rapid City. Your Tour Director is on hand late this afternoon to answer any questions.

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Day 2 RAPID CITY–CRAZY HORSE–MOUNT RUSHMORE–DEADWOOD

Visit Crazy Horse Memorial, a monument carved out of a mountain that pays respect to the great Native American hero, Chief Crazy Horse. Drive deep into the Black Hills, through what was Sioux Indian territory, to see the stunning granite faces of Mount Rushmore, a giant monument to four great American presidents: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. On to Deadwood, a lawless frontier town during the 1876 Gold Rush, where Jack McCall murdered Wild Bill Hickok during a poker game. Overnight here and discover Deadwood’s Wild West ways as you walk in the footsteps of legends like Calamity Jane and Seth Bullock.

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BreakfastContinental Breakfast

Day 3 DEADWOOD–CODY

This morning, head through high country, where open-range cattle kings made war on the homesteaders in the 1890s. Drive past Sheridan and then ascend into the alpine region of the Bighorn Mountains, and the site of the Battle of Tongue River. Overnight in Buffalo Bill’s frontier town of Cody.

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Day 4 CODY–YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK–WEST YELLOWSTONE

Proceed through Shoshone National Forest to beautiful Yellowstone National Park which features dramatic canyons, alpine rivers, lush forests, hot springs, and gushing geysers not to mention a wealth of wildlife. Travel along Grand Loop Road to Artist Point for views of the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River. Be on the lookout for herds of bison that call the park home. Overnight in West Yellowstone.

NOTES:
Routing and areas visited in Yellowstone National Park are always subject to favorable weather, gate access, and road conditions; therefore, routings may be adjusted.

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Day 5 WEST YELLOWSTONE. DAY EXCURSION TO YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

Today, explore more of America’s first national park by returning to visit the geyser basins with bubbling mud paint pots and the reliable “blow” of the most famous geyser of all, Old Faithful. In addition to superb mountain scenery, the park is one of the world’s principal wildlife preserves and a photographer’s paradise.

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BreakfastContinental Breakfast

Day 6 WEST YELLOWSTONE–GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK–JACKSON

Head south into magnificent Grand Teton National Park, one of America’s last preserves of wild solitude. Its 13,770-foot-high ridges are crested with snow most of the year. Stroll along the shores of beautiful glacier-fed Jenny Lake before ending the day in the Wild West town of Jackson. This evening, consider an optional barbecue cookout and rip-roaring Wild West show! You’ll travel by horse-drawn covered wagon and immerse yourself in the old west atmosphere as you travel into Cache Creek Canyon for a BBQ dinner and toe-tapping musical entertainment.

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BreakfastContinental Breakfast

Day 7 JACKSON

Time to relax in Jackson or go with the flow on an optional 8-mile scenic float trip down the Snake River between Grand Teton National Park and Bridger Teton National Forest. This fun float trip passes nesting areas of bald eagles, ospreys and a plethora of other bird species and wildlife. The afternoon is free to explore historic downtown Jackson.

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Day 8 JACKSON–SALT LAKE CITY

Today, travel to Salt Lake City, Utah’s vibrant capital. Set on the edge of Great Salt Lake Desert, this center of the Mormon religion is where Brigham Young declared to his followers, “This is the place.” An included sightseeing tour features a glimpse of Temple Square, the Capitol Building, and the downtown area. This evening, celebrate your western adventure by joining an optional farewell dinner with your fellow traveling companions at a local restaurant.

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Day 9 SALT LAKE CITY

Your vacation ends this morning. You may choose to extend your vacation with extra nights and explore Salt Lake City further.

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Breakfast Breakfast

 Tour Director

With COSMOS, 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.

STEVE OSTEN

Escorting tours for more than 20 years

“My interest in the national parks began as a child on summer vacations in Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. In college, I studied Botany, Ichthyology, Mammology, and Ornithology, and I began working in Yellowstone as a summer seasonal guide years ago. I have also worked in Sequoia, the Everglades, and Alaska as a naturalist guide. Whether it's beachcombing in Florida, birding in the Everglades, or hiking in the Tetons, as long as I'm in nature, I'm where I want to be.”

Tour Director - STEVE OSTEN

 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 MyCosmos site 90 days prior to the tour start date.

Price Ranges

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


Deadwood
Yellowstone National Park
Jackson
Salt Lake City

Deadwood

Historic Deadwood

Historic Deadwood

Discover the unique history of this once lawless gold camp as your local guide recounts local facts, lore and more, all the while introducing you to some of the Deadwood's most colorful characters!

Price Range: $

Yellowstone National Park

Buffalo Bill Center of the West

Buffalo Bill Center of the West

Learn about the history, culture, and beauty of the American West at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, the world's finest Western museum!

Price Range: $

Jackson

Snake River Float

Snake River Float

Experience the beauty and geology of the Snake River on this fun and scenic 3-hour float trip between Grand Teton National Park and Bridger Teton National Forest.

Price Range: $$$

Salt Lake City

Savor Salt Lake

Savor Salt Lake

Enjoy an evening with your fellow travelers having dinner at a local steak house restaurant.

Price Range: $$



The "Starting at" or listed price is based on the lowest price available to book. Price is per passenger based on double occupancy and does not include International airfare; additional fees/charges are not included. If a price is crossed out, the new price includes a limited time promotional offer(s) – please review current promotions or deals for additional information. Some tours require intra-vacation flights (and in some cases intra-vacation segments must be purchased from Cosmos).