San Francisco to Las Vegas 12 – A wonderful highly recommended route in southwestern United States that focuses on the states of Utah, California, Nevada and Arizona, and includes Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands, Grand Canyon and Yosemite National Parks, the Monument Valley, 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 – Enjoy one more day in San Francisco
Lodging location: San Francisco
Day 4 – Drive south and spend the day in Monterey, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Monterey
Day 5 – Drive to Yosemite National Park and visit Glacier Point and Mariposa Grove in south Yosemite, 5 hours drive
Lodging location: near Yosemite Valley
Day 6 – Travel and hike in Yosemite Valley, short drive
Lodging location: near Yosemite Valley
Day 7 – 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 8 – Drive east to Las Vegas, 5 hours drive
Lodging location: Las Vegas
Day 9 – Drive to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and visit the park, 4 hours drive
(on the way to the Grand Canyon 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 10 – Visit the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and stop at sites along HWY 64 in the east part of the rim on the way to Page, 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Page
Day 11 – Visit the Antelope Canyon (reserve in advance) and hike to the Horseshoe Bend and then drive to the Monument Valley, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Goulding’s or The View Hotel
Day 12 – Visit the Monument Valley and drive north to Moab, 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Moab
Day 13 – Visit Arches National Park, 1 hour drive in each direction
Lodging location: Moab
Day 14 – 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 15 – Drive to Bryce 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: Bryce
Day 16 – Visit Bryce National Park, short drive
Lodging location: Bryce
Day 17 – Drive to Zion National Park on scenic route 9 and enjoy the afternoon in the park, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Springdale
Day 18 – Visit Zion National Park and drive to Las Vegas, 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Las Vegas
Day 19 – Enjoy the day in Las Vegas
Lodging location: Las Vegas
Day 20 – 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.
