Compare Historic Route 66 Self-Drive by Audley Travel vs Kicks on Route 66 by Tours of Distinction
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Trip |
5 | Excellent
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5 | Excellent
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Duration | 19 days | 9 days |
Price From | $ 3,834 | $ 3,450 |
Price Per Day | $ 202 | $ 383 |
Highlights |
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Trip Style | Private guided tour | Small group tour |
Lodging Level | Standard | Premium |
Physical Level |
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Travel Themes |
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Countries Visited | ||
Cities and Attractions |
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Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Airfare included |
Activities |
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Meals Included | N/A |
9 Breakfast, 2 Lunches, 3 Dinners |
Description |
Admire the beaches, architecture and night life of Chicago. Marvel at the epic scenery of the Grand Canyon. Enjoy a hike through the beautiful Petrified Forest National Park. Experience the excitement and bright lights of Las Vegas. Soak up the atmosphere, relax on the beach or go shopping in Los Angeles. |
Travel the “Mother Road” a term coined by author John Steinbeck because Route 66 was the road people took west across America to escape the dust bowl and the Great Depression. On this tour, you will be treated like the “King and Queen” of the road as you gawk at odd roadside attractions, stay in vintage hotels, and eat hardy American road food. Get ready to saddle up in Texas and tour Cadillac Ranch. A highlight is the fabled town of Santa Fe, known for its’ Spanish and Native American culture. Afterward tour Albuquerque’s Old Town, stop in at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Gallup, and a walk through the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert in Arizona. History, the beauty of the Wild West, and nostalgia makes this road-trip mythic! |
Day 1 : Chicago
Today you begin your journey by boarding your international outbound flight to Chicago. On arrival in Chicago make your own way to your downtown hotel. The remainder of the day is free for you to settle in. You could relax in Millennium Park and admire its art installations and fountains, visit one of the city's museums or head out to a local pizzeria for your first taste of an authentic Chicago deep dish pizza.
Day 2 : Chicago
Enjoy a full day at leisure exploring the 'Windy City', Chicago. There's plenty to do in this exciting metropolis; we recommend a trip to the Skydeck at the top of Willis Tower or, for a different view of the city skyline, take a boat trip on Lake Michigan at sunset.
Day 3 : Springfield, IL
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Day 4 : St Louis
Departing Springfield, this morning's two hour drive takes you through rolling farmland and patchwork fields into St Louis, Missouri. The afternoon is free for you to explore this historic city at leisure. There's plenty to see and do in St Louis; the famous Gateway Arch represents the city's moniker, the 'Gateway to the West', and the City Museum and Lafayette Square are well worth a visit.
Day 5 : Springfield, MO
Leave the Mississippi River behind and travel along Route 66 through the scenic beauty of the Ozark Mountains. The Ozarks are the second oldest mountains in the world and offer beautiful vistas and great walking opportunities for visitors. Around a four hour drive from St Louis is Springfield, Missouri, where you'll stop for the night.
Day 6 : Oklahoma City
Today's journey sees you drive almost 483 km (300 miles) west to Oklahoma City - a journey of around five hours. Crossing the state border, you officially enter the American South; the land around you becomes increasingly arid and dusty as you pass through land that was once the haunt of Native Americans, later the territory of cowboys and outlaws. On arrival at your hotel, tuck into a hearty meal and put your feet up after your long journey.
Day 7 : Oklahoma City
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Day 8 : Amarillo
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Day 9 : Albuquerque
Continue your road trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico; around a four and a half hour drive from Amarillo. You'll be driving through the former hunting ground of the Comanche Indians; now the land of tumbleweed, cattle and cotton of the Texas Panhandle.
Day 10 : Albuquerque
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Day 11 : Winslow
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Day 12 : Grand Canyon National Park - South Rim
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Day 13 : Grand Canyon National Park - South Rim
Spend a full day exploring Grand Canyon National Park. You may wish to take a helicopter trip over the canyon, take a hike down into the valley, or simply gaze in awe at the sight of the canyon at sunrise or sunset.
Day 14 : Las Vegas
Continue your drive west for another 483 km (300 miles) into Nevada. It's worth making an early start as there's lots to see on this five and a half hour journey. Detouring from the main highway at Seligman allows you to travel along the original Route 66, which is peppered with abandoned motels, derelict gas stations, and the outdoor Route 66 Car Museum. Venturing deeper into the desert, you'll have the opportunity to stop at the Hoover Dam, which is located around 56 km (35 miles) south of Las Vegas.
Day 15 : Las Vegas
Spend a full day at leisure exploring the spectacle that is Las Vegas. Visit one of the many themed casinos, admire the bright lights and take in a show from some of the world' s most famous performers.
Day 16 : Los Angeles
Complete your epic journey with your final 435 km (270 mile) drive to Los Angeles. A journey of around six hours, you'll travel through the Californian desert for much of the day, passing by the Mojave National Preserve; a sweeping desert landscape punctuated by wildflowers and Joshua trees. On arrival in Los Angeles, return your car to the depot and make your own way to your hotel.
Day 17 : Los Angeles
Enjoy a full day at leisure exploring California's largest city, Los Angeles. This cosmopolitan city offers a diverse range of shops, restaurants and night life as well as world-renowned art galleries, beaches and film studios. Don't miss a shopping trip to Beverly Hills, explore the celebrity haunts of Hollywood or just relax on the golden sands of Santa Monica.
Day 18 : International return flight
Enjoy a last morning at leisure in Los Angeles then make your way to the airport in time for your onward flight.
Day 19 : International return flight
Arrive home today to complete your journey.
Day 1 - Arrive Amarillo, TX
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Amarillo, TX. Upon arrival, we check into our accommodations for the next two evenings. This evening is free to hang out on Route 66 in the Historic District, where you can enjoy dinner and Saturday Cruise Night.
Day 2 - Amarillo
Get ready to saddle up, as we go horseback riding at the Cowgirls and Cowboys of the West Ranch, and for those that aren’t ready to saddle up, bring your camera and learn to take beautiful scenic pictures, while touring the ranch. Lunch, on own, is at the iconic Big Texan Steak Ranch and Brewery, which opened back in 1960 and became a well known stopping point along Route 66. This afternoon enjoy time to explore Amarillo ~ maybe check out the artifacts and art at the Panhandle - Plains Historical Museum, there are other museums and the Botanical Gardens. Tonight we check out the TEXAS Outdoor Musical, situated in Palo Duro Canyon State Park. A guide will take us into the Canyon before dinner and the show. (B, D)
Day 3 - Amarillo - Santa Rosa, NM
On our way out of Amarillo a quick stop is made at the famous Cadillac Ranch exhibit, paying homage to the ‘Golden Age’ of automobiles. Continuing our journey West, we stop in the ghost town of Glenrio, which straddles the New Mexico and Texas borders, before arriving in Tucumcari, NM. Visit the Route 66 Museum, Tee Pee Curious, and have lunch at Del’s Restaurant, serving travelers along Route 66 since 1956. Don’t forget to take a picture of the Blue Swallow Hotel, where travelers have been staying since 1939! Later, we check into our hotel. Evening on own. (B)
Day 4 - Santa Rosa - Santa Fe
This morning we head to Fort Sumner, a military fort charged with the internment of nearby Navajo and Mescalero Apache populations from 1863 to 1868. After it’s closing, the fort was privately purchased and its best known visitor was Billy the Kid. We visit the Billy the Kid Museum and Burial before making our way over to the Bosque Redondo Memorial. This memorial depicts the tragic history of Fort Sumner and the Bosque Redondo Indian Reservation. After, we depart for Santa Fe, but not before stopping to have lunch in Santa Rosa, on own. Later, we check into our hotel for the next two nights, the Inn on the Alameda. The evening is free. (B)
Day 5 - Santa Fe
This morning we visit De Vargas Street House and the San Miguel Chapel, the oldest house and church in the U.S. The remaining part of the day will be visiting many of the Pueblos that make up this area. The day will consist of the Tesuque Pueblo, which has been occupied since 1200AD, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. We will also get a chance to visit the Nambe Pueblo, the Santa Clara Pueblo, the Puye Cliffs Welcome Center and the San Ildefonso Pueblo. All known for their pottery and jewelry. Upon our return to Santa Fe, the remainder of the day and evening are on your own. (B)
Day 6 - Santa Fe to Albuquerque
This morning is yours to explore. There is the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi or the Palace of the Governors, the oldest continuously occupied government building in the U.S. Visit the Georgia O’Keefe Museum, walk along the Barrio De Analaco Historic District, here you will see the San Miguel Mission. This afternoon we continue West along our historic route, stopping in Albuquerque, NM. After checking into our 4-star accommodations, we depart for dinner where you will feel as if you’ve traveled back in time to a beautiful southwestern roadhouse found along old Route 66. From dinner, we will meet our guide and take a walking ghost tour of Old Town. (B, D)
Day 7 - Albuquerque to Gallup
This morning we will tour the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, before having free time in the historic Nob Hill area of town. This afternoon we will take a trail at Petroglyph National Monument, and walk where early native and Spanish settlers walked, and look at the images left behind, telling their story. This afternoon we continue West into Gallup, NM, where we will check into our hotel for the evening. (B)
Day 8 - Gallup to Flagstaff, AZ
Today we cross the boarder from New Mexico into Arizona, where our first stop along our historic route is the Petrified Forest National Park and Painted Desert National Forest. This unpaved one mile hike will wind us through the rim woodland, where there are spectacular views of the Painted Desert. This afternoon we continue our drive into Winslow, AZ, where we will stop for lunch at the famous Turquois Room & Martini Lounge. Route 66 was the primary artery through Winslow, in its railroad days and bypassed by I-40 in the late 1970s. As our journey continues, we make a picture stop in the ghost town of Two Guns, AZ, sight of a bitter fight between the Apache and Navajo Indians, before stopping at Walnut Canyon National Monument. We will be able to walk the Rim Trail (0.7 mile roundtrip), where there are two overlooks that provide scenic views of the canyon and cliff dwellings below. After a busy day, we will check into our accommodations for the next two nights in Flagstaff, AZ. The remainder of the evening is free. (B, L)
Day 9 - Flagstaff
A local guide will take us on a tour of Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona National Park, and Jerome, AZ. Today is not the day to forget your camera! Oak Creek Canyon is famous for its beautiful scenery, and we will have the opportunity to see it up close. From here it’s a short drive to Sedona National Park, where our pink Jeeps will be waiting to take us on a rugged off road adventure, with a local guide. We will be riding the rough terrain of the red rocks, stopping at lookout vistas, and where Hollywood movies were made. After, there will be a picnic lunch waiting for us. This afternoon we drive into Jerome, AZ. Another ghost town trying to build itself back up again. Stop in and shop at the world’s largest kaleidoscope store, set up in Jerome’s original brothel. Dinner is included tonight. (B, L, D)
Day 10 - Depart Flagstaff
This morning we say good-bye to our historic past and travel into Phoenix for our flight home. To be able to see parts of our country before it disappears is such an exhilarating experience. (B)