RACV Logo
Holidays
Things to do
Getting around
Holiday planning
Conference & events
Members save more on over 100,000 hotels worldwide
Unlock savings
Unlock member discounts
Unlock exclusive discounts and inclusions
Members only pricing
Bonus hand-picked inclusions
Find my member number
Continue as guest
Your member number is located on your membership card, membership renewal notice, club account statement or payment advice.

Great American West

package saved
click to save
Operated by Intrepid Travel
Tripcode: SSEAC
Overview
Destination:
United States Of America, 
Start:Rapid City, United States Of America
Finish:Missoula, United States Of America
Duration:13 days
Type:Group tour (max 12)
Style:
Adventure,
Explorer,
Travel Period
August 2025 - September 2027
See natural wonders in South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana on a 13-day small group adventure. Uncover the beauty of Badlands National Park, travel to Mount Rushmore, spot buffalo in Custer State Park, soak up wild west history in Cody and Deadwood and visit the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. With two nights at Yellowstone National Park, you’ll have time to track wolves with an expert naturalist and watch Old Faithful spray water into the air. Then travel from Bozeman to Missoula via mountains, rivers, glaciers, and lakes. Learn about the customs and histories of the Blackfeet Native American culture and explore Glacier National Park on a guided hike and a scenic river rafting trip. With easy to moderate hikes, comfortable accommodation, and a knowledgeable leader, this nature-focussed adventure is big on beauty.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

1. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 10am on day 1. Please make your own way to the Joining Point Hotel listed in the Essential Trip Information for this itinerary.

2. This trip is a combination of two of our most popular itineraries. As such the composition of your group and your leader may change on day 8.

3. This trip finishes at approximately 3pm in Missoula on day 13. No accommodation is booked for this evening. If departing this day, please do not book any flights before 6pm. if you would like to spend more time in Missoula, we can request additional accommodation for you post tour. Please speak to your booking agent.

4. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights on your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.

5. We are not able to book airport shuttle service for North America trips. North America has convenient taxi and rideshare options from all airports, as well as public transport systems in major hub cities. Please check the joining and finishing point instructions listed in the Essential Trip Information.

6. IMPORTANT: 23 AUG 2025 Departure:
The Missoula Montana Airport (MSO) will be closed from 2-7 September, 2025 (8:00 AM Tuesday through 3:00 PM Sunday) for a runway upgrade. You have the option of ending the trip as scheduled in Missoula around 3 pm on 4 September, or choosing to end the tour upon check out from your lodge that morning in West Glacier so that you may take advantage of departing from Glacier Park International Airport (FCA) in Kalispell, which is approximately 30 minutes from the lodge. If you choose this option, you'll need to arrange your own taxi transportation to Glacier Park International Airport. Intrepid will provide a 50USD credit per person for those customers who elect to end their trip in West Glacier. Please speak to your booking agent to add a note to your booking and have this credit applied to your reservation. When arranging your own transport please coordinate pickup from Glacier Guides Lodge at 120 Highline Blvd, West Glacier, MT 59936. Please visit the Glacier Airport’s webpage for ground transportation options. https://iflyglacier.com/ground/

Show more
Standard inclusions
  • Meals: Meals: 12 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 1 dinner.
  • Transport: Private vehicle.
  • Accommodation: Cabins (2 nights), Hotels (10 nights).
  • Badlands National Park – Hiking.
  • Badlands National Park – Scenic Drive.
  • Custer State Park - Buffalo Safari.
  • Custer - Crazy Horse Memorial.
  • Black Hills - Mount Rushmore.
  • Deadwood visit.
  • Cody - Leader-led orientation walk.
  • Cody - Buffalo Bill Center of the West.
  • Yellowstone National Park - Northern Loop Featuring Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone & Norris Geyser Basin.
  • Yellowstone National Park - Southern Loop Featuring Old Faithful Geyser & Grand Prismatic Spring.
  • Yellowstone - Wolf Tracking Expedition.
  • Helena - Walking tour with a local guide.
  • Bozeman - Leader-led walking tour.
  • Helena - Lewis and Clark River Cruise.
  • Great Falls - Hikes with Blackfeet Nation guide.
  • Glacier National Park – Scenic Whitewater Rafting.
  • Glacier National Park - Full Day Guided Hike with Lunch.
  • Missoula - Local Brewery Tasting & Lunch.
Already with RACV?
Tell us your Member details to unlock discounts.
Unlock
Learn more about membership
Itinerary
Expand all Collapse all
Day 1: Rapid City / Custer
Welcome to South Dakota! Your adventure starts at 10 am with a welcome meeting in Rapid City. After, take a short drive to the iconic Wall Drug Store – drawing millions of visitors every year, it’s hard to believe this store won over customers in its early days by offering something as simple as free ice water. Take some time to wander around and grab some lunch before heading to Badlands National Park. Have your camera handy to capture the sweeping prairie grass plains and dramatic rocky pinnacles. If you’re lucky, you’ll spot bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, chirping prairie dogs and American bison. Take a short hike on one of the scenic trails before continuing to your lodge in Custer. Your home for the next two nights will be a cabin where you can immerse yourself in the Western feel of this historic-style accommodation. Tonight, you’ll have a group dinner at the lodge to settle in and get to know your fellow travellers.
Day 2: Custer
Enjoy breakfast at the lodge, then it’s time to jump in a jeep and go wild on a buffalo safari. Trek through the Custer State Park in an open-air jeep as your expert guide shares historical and educational facts and helps you spot pronghorns, elk and buffalo. After, you’ll visit the Crazy Horse Memorial – the largest mountain carving in the Black Hills (widely considered the Eighth Wonder of the World in progress). Then continue to the famous Mount Rushmore to walk the Presidential Trail – this is a great spot to grab a photo! Tonight, you’re free to grab dinner at your accommodation or a nearby local restaurant.
Day 3: Sheridan
Have a final breakfast in Custer, and then drive north to the city of Deadwood. Made famous for playing host to Wild West names like Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok, many of its Gold Rush-era buildings are preserved to this day. Your leader will take you on an orientation walk, and then you’ll have free time to do some exploring of your own – why not get fitted out in a new cowboy hat? Regroup for an included lunch, and then head back out on the road heading to Sheridan. It’s a long afternoon of driving, so sit back, relax and enjoy the rolling prairie views. Check into your accommodation, and then settling in for the evening.
Day 4: Cody
After breakfast, hit the road for Cody, Wyoming, home to the renowned Buffalo Bill Center of the West. This world-class museum brings together five themed exhibitions all under one roof, with the Plains Indian Museum as the standout highlight showcasing the rich culture and history of Native American tribes. You'll also find exhibits on the Yellowstone ecosystem, firearms, Western art, and Buffalo Bill's legacy. After your museum visit, grab some lunch in town and then join an orientation walk with your leader around this quintessentially western community, scoping out the best spots for a barbecue dinner or to pick up your own pair of authentic cowboy boots.
Day 5: Yellowstone National Park / Gardiner
Depart Cody and drive west towards Yellowstone National Park – one of the country's most popular, expansive, and beautiful national parks. Visit The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (a great spot for photos) and then explore the Norris Geyser Basin – the hottest and oldest geyser in the park. After, you’ll check into your hotel in Gardiner.
Day 6: Yellowstone National Park / Gardiner
Today after breakfast, you’ll continue to explore the gorgeous Yellowstone National Park, looking out for grizzly bears, wolves, buffalo and elk roaming free. Head straight for a visit to the Old Faithful Geyser – a must-see for any trip to the park, Old Faithful is a cone geyser with striking colours and a predictable geothermal eruption (hence the name). Watch as it sprays over 4000 gallons (14,000 litres) of boiling water into the air, then be hypnotised by the startling colours of the Grand Prismatic Spring. Tonight, you’re free for dinner, so maybe get your group together and say a pre-final day goodbye over a couple of drinks.
Day 7: Yellowstone Wolf Tracking / Bozeman
You'll be up before the sun this morning, but it's for a good reason! You’ll head back into Yellowstone to join a wolf-tracking expedition with an experienced naturalist guide. There's no better place than Yellowstone to see these magnificent animals in the wild. Your guide tracks the movements and behaviour of Yellowstone wildlife almost daily and knows the best places to find the animals. There will be top-of-the-line binoculars for everyone and high-powered spotting scopes, so no one will miss out. Afterward, travel to Bozeman, where your adventure ends at around 4 pm this afternoon. If you’d like to stay in the area for longer, just speak to your booking agent.
Day 8: Bozeman to Helena
This morning there will be a meeting at 10 am to welcome any new travelers to the trip. After, your leader will take you on an orientation walk through this Rocky Mountains town, which serves as the perfect starting point for exploring Montana’s history and natural beauty. Take some time for lunch then head to Helena, where you’ll spend the night. After arriving, join a local guide for walking tour through the city’s downtown, where you’ll hear about how it transformed from its beginnings as a rowdy mining camp to the capital of Montana. This evening, you might like to head out for dinner with your group.
Day 9: Helena
After breakfast, you’ll follow in the footsteps of the explorers Lewis and Clark and venture to the Gates of the Mountains on a scenic river cruise. You’ll sail alongside limestone cliffs to a set of towering stone walls which appear to open like a gate as your boat approaches. Little has changed since the two explorers first visited this stretch of the Missouri River, and the region’s untouched beauty remains. Your night is free in Helena to rest and recharge or find a good dinner spot – your leader is always on hand with suggestions.
Day 10: Great Falls
After an early breakfast, hit the road and drive to First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park – home to the largest buffalo jump in America, used as a hunting tool by Native American tribes for at least 1000 years. This is a special and unique experience to learn about the history of the land firsthand. Get to know the landscape with a member of the Blackfeet tribe, who will take you on a full day experience including hikes, walks, talks and a cultural exchange on their homelands. Then, sit down and soak up the scenery over an included lunch where you can ask questions and learn more. Spend the night in Great Falls, where you’re free for dinner.
Day 11: West Glacier / Glacier National Park
This morning, you’ll hit the road again after breakfast. Known as the ‘Crown of the Continent’, Glacier National Park offers an impressive array of activities for lovers of nature and the great outdoors. Today, you’ll board a raft and enjoy an exhilarating (and splashy) rafting experience down the Flathead River with an expert local guide – a must-do in this area! Then head into the town of West Glacier, where you’ll spend the night. After an action-packed day, feel free to relax and recharge, or chat with your leader for the best dinner recommendations in town.
Day 12: West Glacier / Glacier National Park
After breakfast this morning, you'll take on a full day locally-guided nature hike in Glacier National Park – a wilderness area in Montana’s Rocky Mountains, with glacier-carved peaks and valleys running to the Canadian border. First, we'll drive the iconic Going to the Sun Road to the trailhead where we'll begin our hike. Meander through sun dappled forests to the base of two waterfalls as you hear from your guide about the history of the people who have called Glacier National Park home. Stopping for a homemade picnic lunch with your group, soak up the beauty of your surroundings before making your way back along the trail. Tonight, you may like to drop into one of the local craft breweries or restaurants for dinner.
Day 13: Missoula
Enjoy a morning at leisure before hitting the road to Missoula. When you arrive, enjoy one last meal at a local brewery with your group to celebrate all you’ve done in this jam-packed adventure. Your adventure will end at around 3 pm.
Departure dates

Select your preferred date or enquire

Enquire now

Travellers

Operator
Intrepid Travel

Intrepid is a small group tour travel company with humble beginnings that now sends over 100,000 travellers a year on grassroots and responsible travel tours.

Important Information
expand all
*Terms and conditions
Please note: We are proud to be an independent agent to travel providers of hotels, flights and other related services. We are not a tour operator. Details and information on the offer are provided by 3rd party businesses and although we do our best to verify the information, we cannot guarantee its accuracy on all occasions. These offers are not available in conjunction with any other offer unless otherwise stated. Pricing and availability are subject to change without notice. For more information, please see Terms of Use
Book now
Need help?
Price from
$10,705 $10,170 *
Member price from
$10,170*
per person
12 nights
Check departures
Can't find the answer you're looking for? Get in touch with our friendly Travel Consultants.
Enquire now
Call 1800 850 888
Speak to one of our friendly consultants, available during business hours.
Mon to Fri · 9am - 5pm AEST
Speak to an expert in-store
Prefer to plan in person? Make an appointment at our Travel Store to speak with one of our experts
Make appointment
You might also like
fa19074392409e3a0b4545dfebfb0d4e