Wild West USA: Epic canyons and fabulous Vegas

Your big adventure starts today – welcome to the USA! Once you make it to Phoenix, you pick up your hire car and head to where you're staying. That impressive mountain range in the distance? That's the Mazatzal Mountains – a truly unique skyline!

If you're just too curious about Phoenix to go to sleep yet, then why not check out the Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden (optional, payable on site) and get yourself primed for the desert sand and blooming cacti to come? 

Did you know that Phoenix, the fifth-largest city in the US, was named after the mythical bird that dies in flames and rises from its own ashes? And it earned its nickname, City of the Sun, from its consistently high temperatures – a perfect fit with the capital's namesake. Kick off the day with a local must-see, South Mountain Park, where thousands of hectares of rugged desert scenery await, criss-crossed by numerous hiking trails and viewpoints. The best place to start? The park's main entrance on Central Avenue (optional, payable on site). Head over, have a look at the provided information and maps, then choose from over 50 miles of trails. Our tip: Holbert Trail or the trail into Hidden Valley. Both take you past cacti and rock formations, through gorges and crevices and up to peaks from where you can enjoy a magnificent view. If you're not in the mood for hiking, visit the Mystery Castle (optional, payable on site) and step into in a world of unusual handmade architecture and rooms bursting with eclectic displays and artwork. Thirteen fireplaces spread over a total of eighteen rooms – that's perfectly normal, isn't it?

Time to dive into the desert! You slide into your hire car, crank up the tunes and zoom off on your Wild West road trip. Your first stop: the ghost town of Goldfield. With the spectacular Superstition Mountains in the background, it feels like you've stepped back in time. You head down Main Street, pass the historic saloon and keep driving till you reach the gold mine – if you ran into a gold miner here, you'd hardly be surprised. This reconstruction of the original Goldfield boomtown from the 1890s is also right on the spectacular Apache Trail, which winds through the rugged mountain landscape and is sure to awaken your thirst for adventure. When you're ready to beat the heat, make a little pitstop at Tortilla Flat and tuck into some bright pink Prickly Pear Gelato or choose from a range of Tex-Mex and American classics (optional, payable on site). Afterwards, queue up some Steppenwolf, 'get your motor runnin'' and 'head out on the highway!'

One of the greatest natural wonders on Earth awaits you today: the Grand Canyon! Once there, you're left absolutely speechless (entrance fee payable on site). You've seen so many pictures of this seemingly endless canyon with its shimmering red rock layers, but no photo can even come close to what you see with your own eyes – pure goosebumps! Follow the hiking trails, such as the Bright Angels Trail, to breathtaking viewpoints on the canyon's South Rim. Or, if you'd rather take it easy, go by car or hop on one of the free shuttle buses. Want more action? Then hike along more of the trails! The view at Hopi Point is particularly good in the afternoon, when the sun bathes the canyon in beautiful shades of red, creating a fascinating play of colours that you won't want to miss.