Have you always dreamt about a West Coast USA road trip? In just 3,5 weeks, you visit 4 states, 9 National Parks, and 3 awesome cities. This is the perfect road trip itinerary for Southwest USA.
Why should you go on a West Coast USA road trip?
If you want to experience the best of the United States in one single road trip, the USA West Coast is the place to be. The national parks are all completely different and spectacular. The cities are in a league of their own.
In this West Coast USA road trip itinerary, the starting point is Los Angeles, where you will also finish the road trip after 3,5 weeks. You will also visit Las Vegas and San Francisco, so you can also choose to start or end your road trip West Coast USA in these cities.
Itinerary West Coast USA road trip
This itinerary shows you the best parts of West Coast USA in just over three weeks. You’re road tripping through the states of California, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada.
Day 0: arriving in Los Angeles
Los Angeles is the perfect place to start your Southwest USA road trip. Daily a lot of flights (from all over the world) arrive at LAX. Depending on your arrival time, you can pick up your rental car and drive to one of the suburbs of Los Angeles in the western direction.
We stayed in Norwalk, a safe area with lots of affordable hotels. Plenty of Walmarts to buy the stuff you need for a road trip (for example a cooler or a map).
- Distance: 31 kilometers / 20 miles
- Hotel tip: Best Western Norwalk Inn
Day 1: Joshua Tree National Park
If you’re from Europe, you’ll probably wake up early (hello jetlag!), so you can leave at the break of dawn. Which is a good thing, because today will be a long drive. The first stop will be your first National Park on this trip: Joshua Tree National Park. It’s one of the quieter parks in the Southwest, so you won’t see a lot of other people. A perfect place to explore and do a short hike (I can recommend And don’t forget to take lots of pictures of the awesome Joshua trees.
From Joshua Tree National Park you can drive for a bit on Route 66 (make sure to stop at ghost town Amboy for some great pics) to the town of Needles.
- Distance: 450 kilometers / 280 miles
- Hotel tip: Rio del Sol Inn Needles This hotel is located on Route 66.
Day 2: Route 66
Driving Route 66 is probably on your USA bucket list, and today you will! From Needles you will cross the state border: goodbye California, hello Arizona! Head to the small town of Oatman, which is a perfect place for a stop. The (ghost) town looks like a set of a wild west movie, and there are a lot of donkeys wandering the streets. So drive carefully!
The part of Route 66 from Oatman to Kingman is beautiful and has some great views. Kingman is a good place for lunch and here you can also visit the Route 66 museum. You can choose to continue to drive on Route 66 until Williams or take the (way faster) US-93 to Williams.
If you’d like another Route 66 stop, Seligman is a nice town with a couple of cool buildings. From Williams, it’s only one more hour before you’ll reach Grand Canyon National Park. Make sure to arrive before sunset.
- Distance to the Grand Canyon: 360 kilometers / 225 miles
- Hotel tip: Bright Angel Lodge
- Campground: Mather Campground
Day 3: Grand Canyon & Horseshoe Bend
The Grand Canyon is one of the most spectacular sights in the world, so take your time to explore. In the morning, you’ll have plenty of time to see the Grand Canyon from a couple of different viewpoints. The best thing is to drive east on Desert View Drive.
When you’ve seen enough, continue to Page. Make a stop at the Horseshoe Bend (about 7 kilometers / 5 miles) before you reach Page. It’s only a short hike to the viewpoint, but it can be difficult because of loose sand, the heat, and the climb. Make sure to bring water. The view of Horseshoe Bend is amazing, so take your time to enjoy it. If you still have some time when you arrive in Page, go for a refreshing swim in Lake Powell. You deserve it!
- Distance: 224 kilometers / 140 miles
- Hotel tip: Baymont by Wyndham Page Lake Powell
- Campground: Wahweap Campground
Day 4: Page & Monument Valley
Start your day with a tour in Antelope Canyon and enjoy the shapes and colors. There are two different canyons, you can choose between Upper or Lower Antelope Canyon (or visit them both). It’s best to make a reservation beforehand.
After Antelope Canyon you’ll have a long (and lonely) drive in the desert to Monument Valley. Make a stop at the View Hotel, from here you’ll have a great view of the famous ‘buttes’.
Also make a stop at mile marker 13, which is also known as the Forrest Gump point (it’s the place where he decided to stop running).
The road from Monument Valley to Moab is one of the most beautiful roads of the trip, so take your time and make a view stops. The landscape is very scenic and changes colors numerous times, a beautiful thing to see.
- Distance (to Moab): 430 kilometers / 267 miles
- Hotel tip: Gouldings Lodge (Monument Valley)
- Campground: Goulding’s Campground
Read more: 17 Amazing Things to do in Page AZ
Day 5, 6 & 7: Moab (Arches & Canyonlands National Park
Moab is a nice place to relax and chill for a couple of days. there’s plenty of nice restaurants and you can walk everywhere (no car needed!). There are two National Parks to visit from Moab. The closest one is Arches National Park, filled with beautiful stone arches. A great place for hiking, but go as early as possible because it will be very hot and crowded during the day!
The second National Park you can visit from Moab is Canyonlands. This park is less crowded and cooler (altitude of 1830 meters / 6000 feet). The canyons are spectacular and famous because of the movie Thelma & Louise.
Distance to Arches: 8 kilometers / 5 miles
Distance to Canyonlands: 50 kilometers / 32 miles
- Hotel tip: Moab Rustic Inn
- Campground: Up the Creek campground
Day 8: Capitol Reef National Park
From Moab, it’s only a short drive to the next National Park: Capitol Reef. Red rocks and a very green valley, you will love it! In the valley, there are many orchards and you can pick fruit for free. It’s a nice place to do some hiking, or just to relax and enjoy the view.
- Distance: 235 kilometers / 147 miles
- Hotel tip: Broken Spur Inn
- Campground: Fruita Campground
Day 9: Bryce Canyon
From Capitol Reef National Park you can make your way to Bryce Canyon National Park. To get there, you will drive on one of the most beautiful roads in the United States: Scenic Byway 12. Make stops as often as you can, it is truly scenic. It’s only a short drive, so you’ll have plenty of time to see the viewpoints in Bryce Canyon.
When you arrive in Bryce Canyon you should start at the end of the Scenic Drive and make your way back to the beginning because all the viewpoints are on the right-hand side. Don’t forget to explore the trails for a great hike in the canyon.
- Distance: 200 kilometers / 125 miles
- Hotel tip: The Lodge at Bryce Canyon
- Campground: Sunset campground
Day 10 & 11: Zion National Park
It’s not that far from Bryce to Zion National Park, so if you like, you can start your day with a nice hike into the canyon before heading out. Make your way to Springdale (this small town is the gateway to Zion), drop your car, and take a shuttle bus to the park. Zion is a hiker’s paradise, the trails are awesome. Make sure to check out either the Angels Landing Trail or the Observation Point Trail. They’re both amazing!
- Distance: 140 kilometers / 87 miles
- Hotel tip: Flanigan’s Inn
- Campground: South Campground
Day 12, 13 & 14: Las Vegas
After all the National Parks, I bet you’d love to see a big city again. It’s time for Las Vegas! And Las Vegas is one of the best places to visit in the US. It’s a pretty long drive from Springdale to Las Vegas, but there are some nice stops: Grafton ghost town and the Valley Of Fire State Park.
In Las Vegas, you can do whatever you want! There are plenty of fun places to visit and. For example, visit the awesome themed hotels, enjoy a show, go shopping, or try some gambling.
- Distance: 270 kilometers / 168 miles
- Hotel tip: Anything on the Las Vegas Strip. I’ve stayed in The Mirage, MGM Grand, New York New York, and the Wynn. All of them were great.
Day 15: Death Valley
Fill up your car with water and gas, because today you will visit the hottest place on earth: Death Valley National Park. It’s a two-hour drive from Las Vegas and when you arrive, it will look like you’re on the moon. There are some cool stops, like Zabriskie Point and Badwater Basin (the lowest point of the United States). Because of the heat, we decided to continue our trip to Bishop, instead of staying the night in Death Valley.
- Distance (to Bishop): 500 kilometers / 311 miles (with a stop at Bathwater Basin)
- Hotel tip: Travelodge by Wyndham Bishop
Day 16 & 17: Yosemite National Park
Let’s go to the next must-see on this West Coast USA road trip! You will drive over the highest road in the United States: the Tioga Pass (which is usually open from June to October). It’s a strange feeling to go from the hottest place in the United States one day, to snowcapped mountains the next day. I would recommend spending at least two days in Yosemite National Park because there are a lot of things to see. Even if you don’t like hiking, there are plenty of viewpoints and waterfalls to visit. And be cautious, you might see a bear!
- Distance: 300 kilometers / 140 miles
- Hotel tip: There are several lodges in Yosemite Valley, expensive, but the location is perfect.
- Camping: One of the Pines Campgrounds
Day 18 & 19: San Francisco
Layer up, because your next stop can be chilly. There are many things to see and do, so make sure to stay at least 2 or 3 days in San Francisco. Make sure to visit Alcatraz (you have to make a reservation in advance), Fisherman’s Wharf, and Lombard Street. And don’t forget to take a ride in one of the famous cable cars.
- Distance: 300 kilometers / 187 miles
- Hotel tip: The Dylan at SFO (free parking and a 5-minute walk to the station. A train will take you in 30-minutes to the city center).
Pro tip: Get a San Francisco CityPASS and get a great discount for fun activities in San Francisco.
Read more: 33 Fun Activities for your San Francisco Bucket List
Day 20 & 21: Big Sur
You can drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles over boring Highway 5 (it will take about 6 hours) or you can choose to drive the slow but insanely beautiful Highway 1 (a.k.a. the Pacific Coast Highway) for at least two days). Please opt for the Pacific Coast Highway, because there are many beautiful things to see.
For example, visit the pretty town of Santa Cruz, go whale-watching in Monterey and enjoy the Big Sur, filled with beautiful cliffs, sea lions, and lovely beaches. And make sure to stop in Santa Barbara, one of the most beautiful towns on the West Coast USA. You can easily spend multiple days driving this road because there are many beautiful stops along the Pacific Coast Highway.
- Distance (to San Simeon): 336 kilometers / 208 miles
- Hotel tip: Quality Inn San Simeon
- Campground: Kirk Creek Campground
Day 22, 23 & 24: Los Angeles
It’s almost time for the end of your West Coast USA road trip. Continue Highway 1 to Los Angeles, and make stops at towns like Morro Bay, Santa Barbara, and Malibu. You can do lots of things in Los Angeles, I can highly recommend a Warner Bros Studio Tour and biking from Santa Monica Beach to Venice Beach. You can also check out Orange County (also known as OC), a little south of the city. There are many great things to do in Orange County, like visiting San Juan Capistrano Old Town and watching the Sunset on Salt Creek Hill.
And if you don’t feel like sightseeing anymore, you can just relax at the beach and think about all the amazing things you’ve seen and done in the past three weeks.
Tip! If you think Venice is too crowded and touristy, Manhattan Beach is a great alternative. There are many fun things to do in Manhattan Beach, like learning how to surf in El Porto or checking out the local beach art scene.
- Distance: 370 kilometers / 230 miles
- Hotel tip $: Super 8 by Wyndham Los Angeles-Culver City Area
- Hotel tip $$: Venice on the Beach Hotel
Check out this article if you’re interested in more awesome USA road trips: 5 amazing USA road trip itineraries
What’s the best time for this West Coast USA road trip?
You can visit West Coast USA during every season. However, you might run into some problems if you plan to do this road trip in winter. The Tioga Pass might be closed (check the official website before you go) and also the Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon can be inaccessible because of snow.
During the summer months, it can get quite hot in some places, especially in Joshua Tree and Death Valley. I would recommend doing this road trip between June and October.
The practical things for a road trip in Southwest USA
This West Coast USA road trip itinerary is perfect for first-timers. Of course, there are a couple of extra things to know before you go.
- This itinerary is based on the months you can reach Yosemite Valley by driving over the scenic Tioga Pass. It’s usually open from June till October. If you want to do this route at other times of the year, you’ll need at least one extra day for a detour.
- You can save a lot of money if you go camping in some places (especially the national parks). But make sure to make some reservations if you know your exact route. Would you like to know more about camping in the United States? Check out this article.
- When you’re not traveling in the hot summer months, I would recommend staying in Death Valley for one night. For us, it was too hot (50 degrees, 120 Fahrenheit), so we drove to Bishop instead, stopping at a couple of viewpoints in Death Valley.
- Drives can be very long in this part of the United States, especially in the mountains. Check Google Maps for the estimated time and add at least 30-45 minutes.
- Do you have more time to travel in the USA? You might want to add a visit to Hawaii! From Los Angeles, it’s only a 5-hour flight to paradise. Check out this Hawaii itinerary for must-sees.
Book your West Coast USA Road Trip!
Are you excited to explore West Coast USA? These websites can be useful when you’re planning your trip:
- Check Skyscanner to find the cheapest flights to Los Angeles, Las Vegas or San Francisco.
- Find the best deals for rental cars on Discover Cars or Rental Cars. Do you prefer to travel with an RV? Make sure to chek RV Share.
- It is easiest to book overnight stays via Booking.com (hotels, hostels, apartments) or VRBO (for special accommodations).
- Don’t forget your travel insurance! Check Insubuy for options.
- You can book fun and guided tours via Get Your Guide.
Would you like to read more about West Coast USA?
Get one of these amazing guide books:
The Rough Guide to Southwest USA
Lonely Planet Southwest USA’s Best Trips
You can also find a lot of information about traveling in the United States of America on this website. You might also like to read these articles:
- Overview: US National Parks list by state
- Exploring Oregon: 10 awesome places to visit
- The best unknown places to visit in the USA
This article was published in January 2017. Last update: November 2021.
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