The Ultimate Southwest

Flights

The closest international airport is in Las Vegas, Nevada (airport code: LAS). You will need to then get to St. George, Utah (see below), an easy shuttle trip away.

Please note: we do not book flights for our clients. Please contact your local travel agent for information on booking flights for this trip.

Getting to the Trip Starting Point

This trip starts in St. George, Utah and ends in either St. George (for people wanting to extend their trip) or Las Vegas. Please see the schedule page for the exact trip start and end dates/times for your particular trip. Unless otherwise stated, you will be meeting your guides at the Hampton Inn restaurant at 7 pm on your trip start date (see below for information on booking accommodation at the Hampton Inn). If you can't meet us at 7pm on day 1, please meet your guides at breakfast in the hotel restaurant at 8am.

St George is a 2-hour drive from Las Vegas. To get to St. George, take the one of the shuttles below. Cost is $29 USD. The shuttle can take you directly to the Hampton Inn in St. George, our lodge for the first 4 nights of the trip.

Shuttle links: http://www.stgshuttle.com | http://www.stgeorgeexpress.com

Pre-Trip Accommodation

If you want to arrive early and spend a day or two in the St. George area, visit the Hampton Inn website to book your additional nights of accommodation.

Trip End Information

On the last day, we will be arriving at the Hampton Inn in St. George at approximately 6 pm and continuing to Las Vegas shortly thereafter (arriving approximaately 9 pm) for people on night flights or flying out the next day. If you are staying in Vegas, we ask that you stay at the South Point Hotel in order to cut down on the number of hotel stops we have to make. Visit the South Point website to make a reservation.

To make a reservation at the Hampton Inn please visit the Hampton Inn website.

Trip Lodging

Lodging on this Ride is in comfortable, clean hotels, lodges and B&Bs. The lodging arrangement is two to a room, so if you are traveling alone you will be paired with someone of the same gender. If you would prefer a single room, you can request a single room upgrade, either when making your initial booking or at any point before your Ride (we ask for at least 4 weeks notice). The single room upgrade fee is $500 CAD for the duration of the Ride.

Trip Cancellations

You may cancel your reservation with no penalty within 7 days of booking. After the first week, our cancellation policy is as follows:

-60 days notice or more: $250 cancellation fee per person, or $100 transfer fee if you transfer to another trip
-30-60 days notice: $500 cancellation fee per person, or $250 transfer fee if you transfer to another trip
-less than 30 days notice: the full trip price is forfeited.

Please note that our cancellation policy is strict, and we ask that you do not request an exception to our policy. For this reason we strongly urge you to purchase affordable trip cancellation insurance.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance, including emergency evacuation coverage, is compulsory for all our tours. We recommend that you purchase travel insurance that includes cancellation protection so that you will be covered in the event that you are unable to attend our tour (due to injury, illness or other unforeseen circumstances) or in the unlikely event that our tour must be cancelled.

You can purchase discounted comprehensive insurance via our site at our insurance page

What type of bike should you bring?

We recommend you bring a solid all-mountain bike with you on this trip, with at least 4-5" of travel, and no heavier than 30 pounds since there are several long climbs. A bike with at least 2 chainrings up front is mandatory, as is front suspension.

Spare Parts for your Bike

Although there are some parts available locally, we recommend you bring the following parts and gear with you to avoid problems in case of breakdown or broken parts:

• rear derailleur hanger (at least 1, preferably 2)
• extra set of front and rear brake pads
• extra chain if your chain is more than 6 months old
• 4 tubes
• 4 extra spokes
• shock pump
• chain lube
• multipurpose tool for trailside repair (including chain break)

Bike Rentals

If you don't feel like hauling your bike to Utah, an alternative is renting a bike. We offer Kona Dawg full-suspension bikes for rent for $30/day. These are quality full-suspension bikes, but if you want a higher-end bike, we recommend arranging a rental through one of the stores in St. George:

Red Rock Bicycle Company

Bicycles Unlimited

Travelling with your bike

If you've never traveled with your bike, don't worry - it's much easier than you think! If you don't have a case for your bike, we recommend one of two options:

1) if you think you may be travelling more than once with your bike, then we recommend purchasing a purpose-made bike bag. This will protect your bike from damages, and makes shlepping your bike around a little bit easier than with a rigid box or cardboard box. We sell beautiful handmade bags by PikaPackworks in the United States. For more information, visit our online store.

2) If you think this is the only trip you'll take with your bike for a while, then you can pick up a cardboard travel box for your bike at your local store. Some stores will also pack your bike up for you for a fee.

Assembling your bike when you arrive

We have bike stands and a full toolset available for assembling your bike once we arrive in St. George.

Packing List

• comfortable clothes for riding, such as biking jerseys and padded shorts. 2+ sets are ideal, 1 is a must.
• helmet
• bike gloves (2 sets is ideal)
• lightweight, weather-resistant outerwear for riding in inclement weather.
• warm clothing such as sweaters and fleece jackets and pants for nighttime.
• swimwear
• sunglasses/eye protection for sunny and/or muddy days.
• hydration system that can carry at least 2 litres (bottles and/or Camelbak)
• toiletries i.e. toothbrush, shampoo, soap
• towel
• camera
• sunscreen and insect repellent

Passports & Visas

All travelers require a valid passport (with a minimum of 6 months validity). Citizens of some countries will also require a visa. For more information, please contact your local U.S. embassy, or passport office.

Emergency Contact

If you need to contact us in an emergency, you can reach us during office hours at the following numbers:

Dialing within North America: 1 (888) 423-7849
Dialing outside of North America: +1 (647) 999-7955
If you feel that you need to contact us outside of office hours, our Utah office can be contacted at 1-800-860-6460.

If you do not receive an immediate answer when calling the above numbers, please leave us a detailed message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Health Requirements

Vaccinations are not required for the United States, and the U.S. has an excellent healthcare systems. Should you experience illness or injury while in the United States, rest assured that you will receive the best care possible.

Fitness Requirements

You should have a moderately high level of fitness and be able to bike for up to four hours a day in order to fully enjoy the spectacular scenery and riding on this trip. This is one of our most challenging trips, and you need to be prepared.

We recommend you train in advance of this trip, in order to get the most out of this trip. We have partnered with Fit for Trips to develop customized training programs for you in advance of your trip. We recommend beginning your training at least 2 months prior to your trip. For more information, please visit the Sacred Rides page at Fit for Trips.

Safety & Security

To maximize your safety during our tours you should exercise common sense and caution at all times. We recommend that you always stick to set travel arrangements, and avoid unknown areas. We also recommend that you wear minimal jewelry and that you keep valuable items safely stored. Always keep a copy of your passport, airline tickets, travelers checks and credit card numbers separate from where you keep the originals.

Meals

On this trip, all breakfasts and lunches are included in the trip price. Dinners can be taken in local restaurants or you can use the kitchens at our lodges when available (from past experience, most groups decide together whether they will eat out or stay in on a particular night). You should budget $10 US per meal prepared in-kitchen, or $15-$20 per dinner in local restaurants (depending on the quality of restaurants you choose).

Other expenses

Aside from meals, there are no required additional expenses for this trip, but you might like to take spending money for such things as souvenir shopping, nightlife and Internet cafes. The easiest way to deal with spending money is to withdraw money from an ATM/bank machine, which are readily available.

Currency

The U.S. dollar (USD) is the currency of the U.S. For the latest currency exchange information use the Yahoo! Currency Exchange Calculator

Laundry

Many of the lodges and hotels on this trip have laundry service, and there are laundromats available in most of the towns where we are staying.

Internet

All of the towns where we are staying have internet cafés and many of the hotels have their own internet service.

Tipping

Gratuities of 10-20% are common in the United States. We encourage you to tip your guides if you feel you have received excellent service and have had an enjoyable trip. A typical gratuity is $20-$100 per guide.

Useful Links

For additional information about traveling in Utah and Las Vegas, visit:
Tourism Utah website
Visit Las Vegas

Our Guarantee

We're so sure you'll have an amazing time on this trip that we're offering a satisfaction guarantee. View more information about our guarantee.