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Visitors stand at a fenced overlook of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, viewing the vast red rock landscape under a dramatic sunset sky.
Arizona

Scenic Railroads of Arizona: Sedona and Grand Canyon

Program No. 1083RJ
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Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. Read More.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
6 days
5 nights
What's Included
Included
13 meals ( 5B, 3L, 5D )
2 expert-led lectures
6 expert-led field trips
1 performance
An experienced Group Leader
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Sedona, AZ
Scenic Railroads of Arizona: Sedona and Grand Canyon
Nov 8 - Nov 13, 2027
Program Number 1083
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Activity Note
Hotel check-in available from 4:00 p.m. Remember to bring your name tag.
Afternoon:
4:30-5:15 p.m. Program Registration: After you have your room assignment, come to the Road Scholar table in the hotel conference room to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived.

Orientation: 5:30 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions.

All field trips will be led by our Group Leader, a seasoned and experienced naturalist, unless specified otherwise.

Program-related travel and transfers will be via private motorcoach unless noted otherwise.

Free time. This period of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Please note that the period scheduled for free time is subject to change depending on local circumstances and opportunities for independent exploration.

Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
Dinner:
In the hotel meeting room.
Evening:
At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night's rest for the day ahead.
Activity Note
Walking approximately 1 mile throughout the day; mostly paved surfaces. Driving approximately 50 miles total; approximately 1 hour. Getting on/off a train; train ride with steeper than normal steps with handrail. Ride is approximately 40 miles; about 4 hours.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will enjoy a presentation in our hotel conference room on the geologic story of Sedona, the Grand Canyon, and the surrounding area. The presentation will help make sense of how the stunning beauty of this area came to be and prepare us for our time at the Grand Canyon.

We will then board our motorcoach and travel to Clarkdale and board the train for our field trip up the Verde Canyon.
Lunch:
On board the train as part of our first-class experience, we will enjoy a charcuterie-style lunch featuring cured meats, gourmet cheeses, fresh fruit, crackers, and brownies, with bottled water. Upon boarding, we will also enjoy a celebratory champagne or sparkling cider toast.
Afternoon:
In Clarkdale, we will board the train at the railroad platform for a leisurely ride with commentary given by a railroad expert. The Verde Canyon Railroad follows a 40-mile route along the Verde River. We will ride in comfort in renovated first-class passenger and open-air cars, journeying at a slow pace mostly near the canyon bottom. Along the route, we will pass red rock pinnacles, cross bridges, see Native American ruins, and ride through a 680-foot tunnel. Keep your eyes out for native plants and animals along the river.
Dinner:
At a nearby restaurant.
Evening:
Evening at leisure following our late return from our day's adventure.

Tomorrow is a transfer day, so be sure to spend some time packing and preparing.
Activity Note
Driving approximately 90 miles total for the day; about 2 hours total, with stops for field trips. Walking approximately 1 mile total throughout the day; flat, paved trails. Getting on/off a trolley; 2-hour trolley ride with scenic views and historic sites. End of day driving approximately 65 miles one way to Williams, approximately 1.5 hours.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
After checking out of our hotel, we will set out for an all-day field trip, before ending the day in the historic railroad town of Williams, Arizona.

We will board our motorcoach with our Group Leader for a field trip to Montezuma Castle National Monument. This 5-story, 20-room cliff dwelling is nestled in a limestone recess high above the flood plain of Beaver Creek in the Verde Valley. It is one of the best preserved cliff dwellings in North America, constructed approximately 600 years ago by the Sinagua people. While here, we will observe the ruins from below and take note of Wet Beaver Creek's unique ecosystem as we walk the paved loop trail. Following, we will travel by motorcoach to the Verde Valley Archeological Center and Museum for a display of the local artifacts discovered in the area.
Lunch:
At a restaurant in Sedona.
Afternoon:
Next, we will ride to Sedona and view some of the town's most scenic locations. During our exploration, we will stop at some key vistas.

We will then reboard our motorcoach and travel to Williams, Arizona, on scenic Highway 89A, arriving at about 4:30 p.m.
Dinner:
We will walk to the Grand Canyon Railway Depot dining facility adjacent to our hotel.
Evening:
We will be joined at the hotel by a local historian who will discuss railroad history in northern Arizona.
Activity Note
Getting on/off the train with steeper than normal steps with handrail; ride is 60 miles; approximately 2.5 hours. Walking about 1.5-2 miles during group activities, more dependent on personal interest; mostly paved, but some uneven surfaces; participants must travel uphill at the Grand Canyon by walking up 3 flights of stairs with handrails or following a paved path with switchbacks at elevation of approximately 7,000 feet which could impact endurance and breathing.
Breakfast:
At the Grand Canyon Railway Depot dining facility.
Morning:
After breakfast, we will load our luggage into our motorcoach. Next, we will enjoy the Wild West Show before boarding the Grand Canyon Railway train for a scenic and entertaining ride across the Coconino Plateau to the Grand Canyon, narrated by the rail car attendant.

The Grand Canyon Railway first arrived at the Grand Canyon in 1901. It heralded a new age of travel, development and, some might say, luxury at the canyon. We will experience and relish this classic way of travel to the doorsteps of the historic El Tovar Hotel, Grand Canyon Village, and to the very rim of the canyon. On board, strolling musicians will provide entertainment during the ride.
Lunch:
Aboard the train en route to the Grand Canyon.
Afternoon:
After arrival at Grand Canyon Village and the South Rim, we will gather for our first views of the canyon. Our Group Leader will point out the canyon's many features with historic and natural significance. We will also explore historical Grand Canyon Village — sometimes called "downtown Grand Canyon" — the site of much of the human development on the canyon's South Rim. Highlights of the village include the Kolb Studio where the Kolb brothers took photos of mule riders into the canyon, the buildings of Santa Fe Railroad and Fred Harvey, and architect and designer Mary Jane Colter's work including the Bright Angel Lodge, Lookout Studio, and the Hopi House.

At the east end of the Village, we will visit the El Tovar Hotel, built in 1903 and one of the great hotels in the National Parks. From the village, we will be able to see the North Rim and various spires and monuments rising from the canyon floor. We will also have time to explore rim trails and admire canyon vistas.

We will then check into Yavapai Lodge West.
Dinner:
At Yavapai Lodge.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off our motorcoach. Driving approximately 50 miles total; approximately 1.5 hours. Walking up to 2 miles or more, depending on preference, either along the Grand Canyon Rim or hiking a short distance into its depths. The Desert View Watchtower has stairs to its upper levels. Extent/duration of walking and other free time activities due to personal choice.
Breakfast:
At Yavapai Lodge.
Morning:
This morning we will meet at 8:30 a.m. at our motorcoach in front of Yavapai Lodge West to travel to and explore the scenic East Rim of the Grand Canyon to Desert View. Desert View is the location of Mary Jane Colter's famous Watchtower and some of the best views of the Colorado River. Known for her many works for the Fred Harvey Company and the Santa Fe Railroad, Mary Jane Colter was a female architect in the early 20th century and helped blend Spanish Colonial and Mission Revival architecture with Native American motifs. The Watchtower is an interpretation of a prehistoric "tower kiva" with lavishly painted interior walls by Hopi artist Fred Kabotie. We will have time to explore the Watchtower with our Group Leader available to answer any questions.

In late morning, we will return to Yavapai Lodge, where the afternoon of free time begins.
Lunch:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to have what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. A variety of venues are available on the South Rim.
Afternoon:
Free time. On your own to see and do what interests you most using the park's pocket guide and map. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

A free National Park Service shuttle runs along the West Rim Drive to Hermit's Rest with access to numerous scenic viewpoints (Powell, Hopi, Mohave, and Maricopa points to name a few) with sweeping views of the Canyon and the Colorado River. You might also like to go for a rim walk, hike further into the Canyon, attend an NPS ranger program, or just find a quiet spot to contemplate and gaze out at the Grand Canyon, taking in all of its grandeur.
Dinner:
At a restaurant in the town of Tusayan, just outside the park boundary. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening:
We will have a wrap-up session at the restaurant before returning to the hotel. The remainder of the evening will be at leisure. Prepare for early check-out and departure in the morning.
Activity Note
Driving approximately 120 miles from Grand Canyon to Sedona; approximately 2.5 hours.
Breakfast:
At Yavapai Lodge.
Morning:
We will load luggage, check out of Yavapai Lodge, and depart for Sedona by 7:30 a.m.

If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Do not forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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