San Francisco to Las Vegas 9 – A relatively short route in southwestern United States that focuses on the states of Utah, California, Nevada and Arizona, and includes Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon and Yosemite National Parks, Page/Lake Powell area and a glimpse of the California coastline (around the city of Monterey), as well as the cities of Las Vegas and San Francisco. 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 San Francisco and spend the afternoon in the city
Lodging location: San Francisco
Day 2 – Spend the day in San Francisco
Lodging location: San Francisco
Day 3 – Drive to Monterey and spend the day in Monterey, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Monterey
Day 4 – Drive to Yosemite National Park and visit Glacier Point and Mariposa Grove in south Yosemite, 5 hours drive
Lodging location: near Yosemite Valley
Day 5 – Travel and hike in Yosemite Valley and then 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: Mammoth Lakes
Day 6 – Drive east to Las Vegas, 5 hours drive
Lodging location: Las Vegas
Day 7 – Drive to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and visit the park, 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: South Rim or Tusayan
Day 8 – Drive to Bryce National Park, and on the wat visit the Antelope Canyon (reserve in advance) and/or hike to the Horseshoe Bend (near page), 5 hours drive
Lodging location: Bryce
Day 9 – Visit Bryce National Park and rive to Zion National Park on scenic route 9, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Springdale
Day 10 – Visit Zion National Park and drive to Las Vegas, 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Las Vegas
Day 11 – 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.
