Who we are
British family. American locals.
We know the American West from the inside
Sundial Travel was built on a simple observation: most US travel advice for British visitors is written by people who have visited, not people who actually know the place. There's a difference — and it shows.
Our family holds dual UK/US citizenship. We've lived on both sides of the Atlantic — from the Florida Keys to the Pacific Coast, and travelled everywhere in between. We've explored the American Southwest from San Diego to the Nevada desert, hiked the trails of Yosemite, Yellowstone, Sequoia, the Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce Canyon, and spent years getting to know the national parks that most British visitors never reach.
Dan is an avid hiker with a lifelong passion for the American wilderness — a former ski patroller and mountaineer who knows these landscapes the way most people know their home town. Angela and Dan have lived in Key West. The family has covered the US from coast to coast — theme parks, road trips, city breaks and backcountry trails.
That breadth of experience is what we bring to every itinerary. Whether you're planning your first trip to California or a multi-state Southwest adventure, we know exactly what British travellers need to understand before they arrive — the practical things, the cultural things, the things that aren't in any guidebook.
We're a small family business. You'll always speak directly with us — not a call centre, not an algorithm. And every booking we make is fully ATOL protected — giving you the same financial protection you expect from major UK travel operators, with the personal service you won't find at High Street tour operators.
The kind of thing we know
Yosemite's Firefall — and why most visitors miss it
Every February, for roughly two weeks, something extraordinary happens in Yosemite. As the sun sets at exactly the right angle, Horsetail Fall on the east face of El Capitan is lit from below — turning the waterfall a deep, molten orange that looks for all the world like flowing lava cascading down the granite face. Photographers call it the Firefall, and it is one of the most breathtaking natural spectacles in the United States.
Most visitors to Yosemite have never heard of it. Those who have often turn up on the wrong days, or in the wrong week. The window is narrow — typically the second and third weeks of February — and it only works when the winter snowpack has been heavy enough to keep Horsetail Fall running. And then there is the weather. A single bank of cloud at sunset and the effect simply does not happen.
This photo was taken by Dan in February 2026. We know where to stand, when to arrive, and what conditions to hope for. That is the kind of knowledge we bring to every itinerary we plan.
Plan a trip around moments like thisATOL Protected
Every booking is fully protected by the Civil Aviation Authority's ATOL scheme. Your money is safe.
Genuine Local Knowledge
We know the American West as people who live and travel there — not as tourists who visited and researched it.
Family Run
A small, personal business. You speak directly with us throughout the whole process.
Tailor-Made
No two itineraries are the same. Every trip is built around you, not copied from a template.