Las Vegas to Los Angeles 9 – A highly recommended and comprehensive route in the southwestern United States. Focuses on the states of Utah and California with a pinch of Nevada and Arizona, and includes the Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands, Grand Canyon and Yosemite National Parks, Page/Lake Powell area, the Monument Valley and the magnificent coastline of California (Route 1) as well as the cities of Las Vegas, San Francisco and Los Angeles. This trip includes driving the Tioga Pass road in Yosemite that is open for a relatively short period every year (see opening and closure dates here).
Day 1 – Land in Las Vegas and spend the afternoon in the city
Lodging location: Las Vegas
Day 2 – Enjoy the day in Las Vegas
Lodging location: Las Vegas
Day 3 – Drive to Zion National Park and visit the park, 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Springdale
Day 4 – Enjoy the morning in Zion and drive to Bryce National Park on scenic route 9, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Bryce
Day 5 – Visit Bryce National Park, short drive
Lodging location: Bryce
Day 6 – Drive to Moab through Capitol Reef National Park (it is highly recommended to drive via scenic roads 12 and 24 and on the way visit Goblin Valley State Park), 5 hours drive
Lodging location: Moab
Day 7 – Visit Arches National Park, 1 hour drive in each direction
Lodging location: Moab
Day 8 – Go on a half day rafting tour on the Colorado River (out of Moab) and then visit Canyonlands National Park (Island in the Sky district), 1 hour drive in each direction
Lodging location: Moab
Day 9 – Drive to the Monument Valley spend the day in this magnificent area, 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Goulding’s or The View Hotel
Day 10 – Drive to Page, visit the Antelope Canyon (reserve in advance) and hike to the Horseshoe Bend, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Page
Day 11 – Drive to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and visit sites along HWY 64 in the east part of the rim, 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: South Rim or Tusayan
Day 12 – Visit the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and drive to Las Vegas, 4 hours drive
(on the way to Las Vegas stop in Hoover Dam and if you have time – drive a portion of Route 66 and stop at Seligman)
Lodging location: Las Vegas
Day 13 – Drive west to Mammoth Lakes, 5 hours drive
Lodging location: Mammoth Lakes
Day 14 – Cross north Yosemite National Park along the scenic Tioga Pass HWY (route 120) and go on short hikes along this route, 3 hours drive
(the Tioga Pass HWY is usually open from the end of May/June until October. See status here)
Lodging location: near Yosemite Valley
Day 15 – Travel and hike in Yosemite Valley, short drive
Lodging location: near Yosemite Valley
Day 16 – Visit Glacier Point and Mariposa Grove in south Yosemite and drive to San Francisco, 5 hours drive
Lodging location: San Francisco
Day 17 – Spend the day in San Francisco
Lodging location: San Francisco
Day 18 – Enjoy one more day in San Francisco
Lodging location: San Francisco
Day 19 – Drive to Monterey and enjoy the day in the wonderful coastal city, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Monterey
Day 20 – Travel south along the most famous portion of HWY 1, 3 hours drive
Lodging location: Cambria or Morro Bay
Day 21 – Drive to Los Angeles and visit sites along the way, 4 hours drive
Lodging location: Hollywood or Santa Monica or Venice Beach
Day 22 – Spend the day in Los Angeles or visit Universal Studios
Lodging location: Hollywood or Santa Monica or Venice Beach
Day 23 – Fly home
– In order to fill this route with content – see our California and Southwest USA destinations pages, where you can find articles that include suggestions what to do in various locations along this route.
