For first time travelers to the US and Canada, this tour is an amazing option to get a grasp of the culture and attractions the two countries have to offer. Larry (tour guide) was excellent! He really knows about his stuff and is always willing to accommodate any of your concerns. He's also willing to answer any questions you have regarding anything (and I mean anything, regardless of whether your question involves the tour or not). However, I would not recommend this tour to those which struggle to walk moderate distances and those who find stairs difficult as this tour heavily involves these activities. Also, it is also important to keep in mind that walking in the pouring rain is inevitable so better to come prepared and bring a waterproof jacket, a cap, an umbrella and shoes which can get wet. With regards to meals, there isn't really a lot of options for breakfast and their meals severely lack vegetables, but they do offer fruits. Food servings in America is excessive as compared to those in Asian countries so it would be best to just share food if you don't have a big appetite, so as to not be wasteful. I also recommend bringing your own refillable water bottle because most of the places have water refilling stations if you keep your eye out for them. Refilling water in hotels during breakfast is also an option.
Incredible views, great food and wonderful memories! This was an incredible trip which exceeded my expectations! The National Parks on the itinerary were all places I'd wanted to visit for a long, long time but actually visiting them was much more impressive than I had imagined. Often this was due to the scale of these natural wonders which you just can't get a sense of in photographs or it was due to the varying colours of the rocks such as in Zion or the Grand Canyon which made the views all the more enjoyable. Unfortunately when we visited Yosemite there were forest fires nearby and the smoke spoiled some of the views but luckily the park itself remained open! Yes there are some long drives but the varying landscapes, regular stops for photos or snacks, WiFi, good conversation and a wide range of music available on the tour leader's iPhone all made them pass fairly quickly. It's a fairly busy itinerary but I did feel it provided enough time in each place to really get a 'feel' for them! The vast majority of restaurants I ate in were terrific (be prepared for large potions), the standard of hotels was very high and it was a great group of people to be on holiday with!
Our guide was Kendra and she was fabulous. So knowledgeable and outgoing. We lucked out and had a private tour (just 3 of us signed up for the day.) Kendra gave us opportunities to customize our tour a bit and was so enthusiastic about the neighborhood. We absolutely loved it.