Labor Day falls on Monday, September 7 this year, making it the last long weekend of the summer. Three days fits a two- or three-day route — the East Coast corridor from New York, or the Southwest canyons from Las Vegas or Los Angeles. The longer western loops and Hawaii need a full week, so those work only if you add days either side. National parks and Niagara Falls run at their busiest over the weekend, and coach seats and hotel rooms are what run out first.
The holiday
Monday, September 7, 2026
Fits the long weekend
2 and 3 day tours
Discounts
Set per tour, not site-wide
From New York · 2 to 4 days
Where a long weekend reaches from New York
Two days reaches Niagara Falls; three adds Washington DC and Philadelphia; four covers the corridor as far as Boston. Taking the Friday off opens up the longer routes. Departure dates and remaining seats show on each tour page.
Routes run east to the canyons by way of Las Vegas, or north along the California coast. Adding a day either side is what makes the longer loops possible. Early September is still desert heat, so check how much of the day a route spends outside.
The longer routes need close to a week, so the holiday covers only part of the trip. Booking this close to the date leaves fewer departures to choose from, and flights are at their summer peak.
Tips for the driver and guide weren't included in the tour price, so I handed those over day by day, though I can't recall the exact amount now. Having a guide along the whole route meant I didn't have to worry about the logistics myself.
We reached the Grand Canyon in the afternoon, and standing at the rim looking at those red layers with the wind blowing, I stayed there a good while before I could pull myself away.
Monument Valley and Antelope Canyon X were both covered in the tour price, which I appreciated since I didn't have to pay on the spot. The Jeep tour deeper into the valley was a separate option, and I skipped it.
Collin and Shawn both were extraordinary guides.only problem we faced was sitting in three seats van from Boston to Newyork.it didn’t have enough space for leg room.
We would like to express our sincere appreciation for the excellent service and professionalism we experienced during the 2-Day New England Fall Foliage Tour – Vermont & Lake Champlain, order number 1039211921 which we took on October 3rd and 4th, 2026, departing from Flushing, New York.
Although we live in Boston, Massachusetts, we made the effort to travel to Flushing, NY, to join this tour. We are very pleased to say that the trip was extremely enjoyable and was organized and conducted in a highly professional manner. The itinerary, transportation, coordination, and overall management of the tour were very well handled.
We would especially like to recognize and commend our Angie (Wen Chun Wu) for her exceptional professionalism, courtesy, patience, and kindness throughout the entire trip. Her interaction with the passengers was outstanding. She was attentive, respectful, pleasant, and always willing to assist whenever needed. Her behavior and manner of dealing with the passengers truly went above and beyond what we would normally expect.
There is one particular gesture that we would like to bring to the attention of her supervisor and management.
While returning to New York on October 4th, the driver was traveling through Interstate I-91 in Massachusetts. Since we live in Massachusetts, we politely asked whether it might be possible for her to drop us off somewhere along her route in Massachusetts rather than continuing all the way back to Flushing, NY. Without hesitation, she kindly agreed to accommodate our request and dropped us off safely in Massachusetts.
This thoughtful gesture saved us approximately five hours of additional travel time and made a tremendous difference to us after an already long journey. We sincerely appreciate that she was willing to go out of her way to help us. Her willingness to accommodate our request, while maintaining professionalism and safety, reflects extremely well on TakeTours and its commitment to customer service.
We would be grateful if you could please share our appreciation with her supervisor and recognize her for this exceptional customer service. Employees who demonstrate this level of courtesy, flexibility, and genuine concern for their passengers deserve to be acknowledged.
Overall, we had a wonderful experience on the New England Fall Foliage Tour. The beautiful destinations, professional organization, and especially the outstanding service from our driver made the trip memorable.
Please accept our sincere thanks to the entire Take Tours team, and especially to our driver, for making our journey so enjoyable and for helping us get home safely and much earlier than expected.
With sincere appreciation,
The group was small, no more than a dozen or so of us, in a high-roof van, and the driver would pull over when something worth seeing came up. I liked that pace — no waiting on a full bus to regroup.
I took the tour and we covered over 40 filming spots, from Carrie's brownstone to Buddakan. Lunch wasn't included, so I grabbed something on my own, but the flow was smooth and fans of the show will enjoy it.
On the fourth day we drove from Las Vegas all the way to Joshua Tree, stopping in Twentynine Palms for lunch along the way, and that stretch of desert highway felt long. Once inside the park I saw the Cholla Cactus Garden and Skull Rock; the cacti stood packed together and glowed gold in the sun, and I just stood there taking it in for a while.
The bus tour took us past the holiday lights and movie locations around New York, linking up spots like Rockefeller Center and Central Park. I especially liked the Central Park segment since it was featured in Serendipity. A guide was on board, and taxes were covered in the tour price, which made things easy.
I spent a day walking through Central Park with an actor guide, visiting Bethesda Terrace from The Avengers and the Boathouse Cafe from When Harry Met Sally. It felt very immersive. Lunch wasn't included in the tour price, so I bought my own.
On my winter visit, the first day was switched to the Corning Museum of Glass, and watching the live glassmaking demo was interesting. Still, without the gorge walk, the day felt a bit thin.
The five-day route covered Niagara Falls, Toronto, Philadelphia, and DC, which felt packed but efficient. I was glad the Maid of the Mist and the Thousand Islands cruise were already included, so I didn't have to worry about buying tickets separately.
The coach had around thirty-something seats, the chairs reclined, and there was Wi-Fi and charging ports. For several long driving days, it was more comfortable than I expected.
I opted for the San Francisco Bay Cruise and seeing the Golden Gate Bridge from the water was a totally different angle. It was an optional paid activity, I think it was a few dozen dollars.
Before the tour, I received a text messages confirming the guests and instruction where to meet and get picked up. Which is needed for the first time customer joining the group tour. Our tour guide Jason is very exceptional. He is knowledgeable, very patients and took care of the whole group during the tour. The driver of the bus forgot his name is also helpful to the group. Jason had provided me and my friend Uber ride since he cannot drop us off to our last stop. The tour itself is a dream come true specially the Niagara Falls experience. 6 days trip is must go tour. (Tour date experience October 3-8, 2026)
The five nights of hotels were included in the tour price, and even though we changed towns most days, my luggage stayed with the coach so I barely had to think about it. Breakfast was included one morning and I sorted out the rest myself, which I got used to.
Five days covered Niagara Falls, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal—it was a packed schedule, but we hit the main sights in each city. I especially liked Parliament Hill in Ottawa; the architecture is impressive.
Having fewer people in the group made everything feel more relaxed. Getting on and off the vehicle was easy, and we didn't spend too much time waiting for everyone. The scenery at the Grand Canyon was unforgettable.
On the last day we headed into Yosemite, and breakfast at the hotel was included before we set off. Half Dome and El Capitan felt weightier than in photos. The falls weren't at full flow that day, but standing below them I could still feel the force.
We took tour starting Wednesday (August 5) from Flushing, NY. The tour guide Judy was wonderful and very friendly and took personalized care of everybody. I had fallen a bit sick on the tour, she went to great lengths to make me comfortable, because of which i quickly recovered and went about the tour as planned. She is a great asset and systematic, gives clear-cut instructions, cautions people on what not to do and keeps track of everyone. Our second tour guide on the last day just for New York city Sean was equally wonderful and very skilled at driving in Manhattan roads on crowded summer weekends. Knows the city thoroughly and was very caring with clear instructions. One suggestion I would give is to include central park instead of Saint Patrick church. The church's architecture can be shown from outside.
