Geography Trip to The Grand Canyon

A geography school trip to the Grand Canyon will allow your students to take in one of the most breathtaking sights in all of the US!

This 277-mile-long canyon has been carved over millions of years by the winding Colorado River that now runs approximately 1 mile down at the base of the canyon. The canyon ranges in width from 4 to 18 miles and offers visitors views that can’t be matched anywhere else in the world.

Also not to be missed are the stunning Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks. Zion is located at the junction of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin and Mojave Desert regions, which provides the park with unique geography and a variety of ecosystems, which allows for unusual plant and animal diversity. Bryce Canyon, despite its name, is not actually a canyon, but rather a giant natural amphitheatre. Bryce is distinctive due to its geological structures, called hoodoos, formed from wind, water and ice erosion of the sedimentary rocks on river and lake beds.

Suggested Itinerary

Day 1

Morning

Flight to Las Vegas

Afternoon

Transfer to accommodation on arrival

Evening

Optional evening meal at a local restaurant

Day 2

Morning

City tour of Las Vegas

Afternoon

Travel to Zion National Park Overnight in Hurricane

Evening

Optional evening meal at a local restaurant

Day 3

Morning

Explore Zion National Park with your guide

Afternoon

See spectacular river landscapes and learn about their formation

Evening

Optional evening meal at local restaurant or accommodation

Day 4

Morning

Depart Zion and head to Bryce

Afternoon

Explore Bryce with your expert guide

Evening

Optional evening meal at a local restaurant

Day 5

Morning

Drive to Page Optional activities on the Colorado River (seasonal availability)

Afternoon

Continue on to the Grand Canyon

Evening

Optional evening meal at a local restaurant

Day 6

Morning

Spend the day learning about the formation and features of the Grand Canyon with your expert guide

Afternoon

Continue visit to the Grand Canyon

Evening

Optional evening meal at a local restaurant

Day 7

Morning

Visit Montezuma Castle on the way to Phoenix

Afternoon

Arrive in Phoenix and enjoy some free time

Evening

Optional evening meal at a local restaurant

Day 8

Morning

Optional visit to the Desert Botanical Gardens or learn how Phoenix became the go-to case study for urban sprawl

Afternoon

Transfer to the airport

Evening

Overnight flight to the UK

Day 9

Evening

Arrive back in the UK

7 nights' bed and breakfast accommodation
Airport taxes and passenger duty at current rates
Airport transfers in resort
ATOL protected return flights from the UK
Daily transportation
Detailed information pack
Expert guide
Free staff place ratio 1:10
Itinerary planning service
National Park entrance fees and hiking permits
Vamoos travel app - giving you access to all your trip documents on your phone or tablet
VAT at current rates to tour operators

Curriculum

A Level

Case study of a river catchment
Minerals and rocks
Geomorphic processes
Geochronology
Water and carbon cycles
Characteristics of a distinct ecosystem
Hot desert systems and landscapes
Biodiversity: flora and fauna
Fieldwork

GCSE

Physical processes affecting land formation
Erosion, transportation and deposition
Fluvial landforms
Characteristics of ecosystems
Biodiversity: flora and fauna adaptations
Water and carbon cycles

Key Stage 3

Geological timescales and plate tectonics
Rocks, weathering and soils
Hydrology and coasts

Accommodation

Bryce View Lodge

Bryce View Lodge guests can enjoy clean, comfortable rooms and full amenities including swimming pools, spas, restaurants and shopping, all located within an easy stroll of Bryce View Lodge.All guest rooms have cable TV, direct-dial telephones, air conditioning and combination bath and showers.

Comfort Inn Zion

The Comfort Inn Zion is the finest of Zion National Park hotels. Experience the special southern Utah hospitality, outdoor pool, 18 hole mini-golf course, non-smoking rooms, free breakfast, convenient location and breathtaking views. Zion National Park, St. George, Utah and Mesquite, Nevada are just minutes away.

Hospitality Suite Resort Scottsdale Hotel

Conveniently located at the border of Scottsdale and Tempe, this charming desert getaway continues to give each guest the royal treatment. Each suite offers a fully equipped kitchen along with a telephone, a TV with cable and in room movies. In room coffee, hair dryer, iron & ironing board are also available.

Hotel Sleep Inn Flagstaff

All rooms at the Hotel Sleep Inn Flagstaff come equipped with coffee makers, hair dryers, irons, ironing boards and 27-inch televisions. Mini-suites with king beds, sofa sleepers, microwaves and refrigerators are also offered. This is a non-smoking hotel. Handicap accessible rooms are also available.Guests can expect free 24 hour tea and coffee as well as a complimentary breakfast. You can also make use of the hotels heated indoor pool and spa.

La Quinta Convention Center

The spacious rooms at La Quinta Convention Centre include a continental breakfast each morning. In addition to breakfast; the hotel has room service available from Cabana Grill; located on the sundeck in the beautiful pool area. All 251 rooms offer free high-speed internet access, cable television, coffee maker, hair dryer, iron with ironing board and an alarm clock.

Tour highlights

Explore Zion National Park

Canyoneers from all over the world are drawn to the incredible canyons of Zion National Park and it’s a fantastic place to learn about the effects of erosion. Zion National Park is located at the junction between the Great Basin, the Colorado Plateau and the Mojave Desert, and has a completely unique geography that will leave your students awestruck. Here you’ll discover mountains, buttes, canyons, mesas, rivers, natural arches and monoliths.

Did you know?

Zion National Park is home to one of the longest freestanding arches in the world. Kolob Arch spans a whopping 287 feet!

Follow the Emerald Pools Trail

The Emerald Pools got their name from the algae that gives them a green tint. One of Zion’s signature trails, you’ll see waterfalls, pools and some impressive monoliths! The trail actually follows a small stream that collects along three pools along its course. A round-trip to all three pools is 2.5 miles. The area around the pools is almost like an oasis in the desert, thanks to the beautifully lush vegetation. And the opportunity to walk behind waterfalls is something your students will never forget!

Did you know?

The middle pools offer spectacular views across to some of the park’s best-known landmarks, including Red Arch Mountain, Lady Mountain, Mount Majestic and Cathedral Mountain.

Enjoy the Riverside Walk

This easy, scenic trail will take you past hanging gardens, pools, brooklets and towering cliffs, with plenty of opportunity to see the local flora and fauna! This trail follows the Virgin River from the Temple of Sinawava up to the Narrows. This is the perfect trail for groups, as it’s suitable for all abilities and offers the opportunity to see a range of features, from hanging gardens to towering cliffs. This is also a fantastic trail if your group is interested in seeing some of the local wildlife – mule deer, blue herons, chipmunks and wild turkeys are common sightings here.

Did you know?

This trail was originally know as the ‘Gateway to the Narrows’ but it was felt that that sounded rather foreboding, so it was renamed the ‘Riverside Walk’ in the 1990s.

Educational Activities

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park is a spectacular sight and not to be missed on any trip to Utah.

Emerald Pool Trails

The Emerald Pools Trail was completed in 1925 and named due to the green tint the algae gives the three

Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is the most famous natural attraction in the USA.

Montezuma Castle

Rising 100 feet above the Beaver Creek floodplain, Montezuma Castle is a testimony to the resilience and innovations of a

Riverside Walk

The Riverside Walk is easy and very scenic.

Zion National Park

Zion National Park is surrounded by towering cliffs and is known for its incredible canyons, including The Narrows, which attract canyoneers from around the world.

Supporting you every step of the way

Creating your perfect trip

Your quote will be put together by an experienced Tour Adviser who’ll be an expert in the subject area and will know the destination really well too. They’ll work with you to create a trip to suit your group’s needs and meet your learning objectives.

Launching your trip to parents and students

The next step is to get your trip approved and then get students signed up to it. Our ‘Trip Launch Pack’ will help you with this step. This is full of resources (all free to download) designed to make your life easier at this crucial point in the trip planning process.

After you’ve booked

Once you’ve booked, your dedicated Itinerary Coordinator will start work on the finer details. They’ll make sure your itinerary makes the most of your time and they’ll take on most of the admin tasks for your trip (freeing you up to do what you do best – teach).

Support while you’re away

From lost property to properly lost, we’ll always be on the end of the phone while you’re out on the trip. You’ll get a final info pack before you go, as well as access to all your trip documents via the Vamoos app.

After your trip

We’ll ask you for feedback, so we can improve our service. Let’s start planning your next trip too, so parents have plenty of time to pay (and so it’s less stressful for you). And don’t forget to head to our resources hub to continue the learning back in the classroom.