OFTEN REFERRED to as America’s ‘Serengeti’, Wyoming’s Lamar Valley in Yellowstone, America’s first national park, is one of the best places to spot wildlife. Visiting under a blanket of snow in winter reveals incredible sights most travellers never see and, perhaps even better, without the crowds.
Combining a true snow fix with more unusual wilderness exploration is the Yellowstone Winter Wildlife tour from small group specialists, Grand American Adventures. Travelling in a specialist snow coach, you will get right to the heart of the park where an action-packed seven-day adventure combines incredible cross-country skiing, hiking and snow shoeing, surrounded by amazing hot springs plus native Bighorn Sheep, elk, bison and even wolves.
Lead by an authoritative local guide throughout and joined by specialist wildlife and tracking experts, evenings are spent relaxing over a drink in front of blazing log fires in cosy lodges and honing the tales to tell on your return. The first departure leaves from Bozeman – the gem of ‘Big Sky Country’ and gateway to Yellowstone National Park – on 11 January 2016 and costs from £1,719 per person.
The legendary, majestic Rocky Mountains in Canada are the breathtaking backdrop for a brand new, alternative active adventure tour, Winter in the Rockies. Eight exhilarating days through Alberta and British Columbia include cross-country and downhill skiing, hiking, dog sledding and snowmobiling through evergreen trees and snowy vistas of frozen lakes, waterfalls and wild, rushing waters. Departing from Edmonton, capital of Alberta, on 15 February or 14 March, this tour costs from £1,619 per person.
*Book a tour departing between 1 January and 30 September 2016 by 1 February to save £100 as part of Grand American Adventures’ 100 Year Sale in celebration of the USA’s National Parks Service Centennial. Yellowstone Winter Wildlife, 7-day tour departs Bozeman 11 January 2016, plus 9 January, 22 February and 2 March 2017. Tours cost from £1,749pp or £2,499 including flights.
Winter In the Rockies, 8-day tour departs Edmonton, 15 February and 14 March 2016, plus 13 February and 13 March 2017. Tours cost from £1,619pp or £2,309 including flights. Professional tour leaders, flora, wildlife, and wolf tracking expert guides, equipment and lessons provided. Accommodation and custom-designed, private transport included. Maximum group size is 13, with options for tailoring.
- Further details at www.grandamericanadventures.com
About the TUI Adventure Division: The TUI Adventure Division offers premium, experience-based adventure holidays and expeditions worldwide for active travellers. The division includes expedition specialists International Expeditions, Quark Expeditions and Zegrahm Expeditions; leading European adventure and activity specialists Exodus, Headwater, World Challenge, Sawadee, TrekAmerica and Grand American Adventures; and US-based destination management company AmeriCan Adventures. From reaching the top of Kilimanjaro and canoeing on the Zambezi, to catching tiger cub sightings and breaking ice en route to the North Pole, the TUI Adventure Division offers inspirational experiences that create lifelong memories.
