Las Vegas to San Francisco 8 – 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 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 – Rent a boat and enjoy Lake Powell, short drive
Lodging location: Page
Day 12 – 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 13 – 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 14 – Spend the day in Las Vegas’s Water Park
Lodging location: Las Vegas
Day 15 – Drive west to Mammoth Lakes, 5 hours drive
Lodging location: Mammoth Lakes
Day 16 – 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 17 – Travel and hike in Yosemite Valley, short drive
Lodging location: near Yosemite Valley
Day 18 – Visit Glacier Point and Mariposa Grove in south Yosemite, 1.5 hours drive in each direction
Lodging location: near Yosemite Valley
Day 19 – Drive to Monterey and enjoy the afternoon in the city (or spend the morning in Yosemite), 4 hours drive
Lodging location: Monterey
Day 20 – Spend the day in beautiful Monterey
Lodging location: Monterey
Day 21 – Drive to San Francisco through HWY 1 and the coastal towns of Capitola, Santa Cruz (which has a unique amusement park) and Half Moon Bay, 3 hours drive
Lodging location: San Francisco
Day 22 – Spend the day in San Francisco
Lodging location: San Francisco
Day 23 – Visit Great America or Six Flags theme parks, less than 1 hour drive in each direction
Lodging location: San Francisco
Day 24 – Enjoy one more day in San Francisco
Lodging location: San Francisco
Day 25 – 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.
