Best of Scenic California: Self-Launched Edition

Fly into Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) — well-served by budget carriers including Spirit, Frontier, and Southwest from most US cities, and transatlantic routes from the UK with Virgin Atlantic or via a connection. Pick up your hire car from the airport (book in advance via Rentalcars.com or Kayak — expect around £35–50/day for a mid-size car, splitting between travel companions cuts this significantly). Check into a budget hotel on or just off the Strip — options like the LINQ Hotel, Circus Circus, or an off-Strip property like the Golden Nugget offer good value. The evening is yours: stroll the Las Vegas Strip, grab a cheap all-you-can-eat buffet, and soak up the spectacle.

🚌Fly into LAS. Hire car collected at airport (~£35–50/day, book in advance).

🛏Circus Circus Hotel & Casino or similar off-Strip budget hotel (~£60–80/night)

• →Arrive and collect hire car from LAS airport
• →Check into budget hotel on or near the Strip
• →Evening stroll along the Las Vegas Strip — free
• →Optional: cheap buffet dinner at one of the casino restaurants (~£15–20)

Set off early from Las Vegas — Death Valley is roughly a 2-hour drive west on US-95 and CA-190. Stop at Zabriskie Point for sunrise if you can manage the early start — the golden badlands are extraordinary at dawn. Work your way through the park hitting the key landmarks: Twenty Mule Team Canyon (a short detour off CA-190), the eerie Devils Golf Course, and the surreal salt flats of Badwater Basin — the lowest point in North America at 282ft below sea level. Finish the afternoon at the sand dunes at Mesquite Flat for golden-hour photography. The National Parks annual pass ('America the Beautiful', ~£60) is excellent value if you're visiting four parks on this trip — buy it at the first park entrance. Overnight inside the park or in nearby Furnace Creek.

🚌Self-drive hire car, ~2 hours from Las Vegas.

🛏Stovepipe Wells Village Hotel or Panamint Springs Resort (~£90–120/night — options inside the park are limited, book well in advance)

• →Drive from Las Vegas to Death Valley (~2 hrs via US-95 / CA-190)
• →Zabriskie Point viewpoint — free with park pass
• →Twenty Mule Team Canyon scenic drive — free with park pass
• →Devils Golf Course — free with park pass
• →Badwater Basin salt flats walk — free with park pass
• →Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes at golden hour — free with park pass
• →Purchase America the Beautiful annual parks pass (~£60) at entrance

Start the morning with a walk at Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes if you didn't catch them at sunset, then drive to Father Crowley Vista Point — a short, easy walk rewards you with sweeping views over Rainbow Canyon (nicknamed 'Star Wars Canyon' by aviation enthusiasts, as military jets frequently fly below the rim). Then begin the longer drive around the Sierra Nevada to Sequoia National Park (~3.5–4 hours via US-395 and CA-198). The approach road through the foothills is stunning. Check into your lodge or cabin accommodation and take an early evening walk among the giant sequoias to acclimatise.

🚌Self-drive hire car, ~3.5–4 hours from Death Valley via US-395 and CA-198.

🛏Wuksachi Lodge or John Muir Lodge in Sequoia (~£110–140/night — book months in advance as these sell out fast)

• →Morning walk at Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
• →Father Crowley Vista Point hike (easy, ~1 mile round trip) — free with park pass
• →Scenic drive through Owens Valley and up CA-198 into Sequoia (~3.5–4 hrs)
• →Evening stroll among giant sequoias in Grant Grove area — free with park pass

Dedicate a full day to Sequoia. Start at General Sherman Tree — the world's largest known living tree by volume — arriving early to beat the crowds (a shuttle runs from Wuksachi Lodge in peak season). Spend the morning on the Big Tree Trail, a gentle 1.3-mile loop through the Giant Forest that winds among some of the park's most impressive trees. The trail is well-marked and self-guided with interpretive panels. In the afternoon, explore Moro Rock — a granite dome with a staircase to the top offering panoramic views over the Great Western Divide. In the evening, head out for stargazing — Sequoia's dark skies are exceptional; download the free Stellarium or Sky Map app, or book an optional guided stargazing tour through the park's concessionaire, Delaware North (~£25–35/person).

🚌Park shuttle buses (free, operate in peak season) or self-drive within the park.

🛏Wuksachi Lodge or John Muir Lodge in Sequoia (~£110–140/night)

• →General Sherman Tree visit — free with park pass
• →Big Tree Trail hike (1.3-mile loop, easy) — free with park pass
• →Moro Rock staircase climb for panoramic Sierra Nevada views — free with park pass
• →Crystal Cave tour (optional, book via recreation.gov, ~£15/person)
• →Evening stargazing — DIY with app or optional ranger-led programme (~£25)

The two parks share a contiguous boundary, so the transition is seamless. Drive the Generals Highway north from Sequoia into Kings Canyon, stopping at Grant Grove to see the General Grant Tree — the 'Nation's Christmas Tree' and second-largest tree in the world. Then take the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway (CA-180) down into Cedar Grove — this drive is breathtaking as you descend 4,000ft into one of the deepest canyons in North America. Stop at Junction View and Valley View overlooks. At Cedar Grove, hike the Roaring River Falls trail (0.3 miles, very easy) and the Zumwalt Meadow Loop (1.8 miles, easy) for peaceful river and canyon views. Overnight at Cedar Grove Lodge if open (seasonal), or backtrack to Grant Grove Village for a cabin.

🚌Self-drive hire car within and between the parks.

🛏Cedar Grove Lodge (seasonal, ~£100–130/night) or Grant Grove Cabins (~£90–110/night)

• →General Grant Tree at Grant Grove — free with park pass
• →Kings Canyon Scenic Byway drive to Cedar Grove — free
• →Junction View and Valley View overlook stops — free with park pass
• →Roaring River Falls trail (0.3 miles, very easy) — free with park pass
• →Zumwalt Meadow Loop hike (1.8 miles, easy) — free with park pass

Drive north from Kings Canyon to Yosemite via CA-41 through Fresno (~2.5–3 hours). Enter through the South Entrance and head to Mariposa Grove — the park's largest sequoia grove, home to the 2,700-year-old Grizzly Giant. A free shuttle runs from the Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza. Then drive up to Glacier Point Road and hike the Sentinel Dome Trail (2.2 miles round trip, moderate) — the 360-degree summit view takes in Half Dome, El Capitan, Yosemite Falls, and the High Sierra in one sweeping panorama. This is one of the best views in the entire national park system. Check into your accommodation in Yosemite Valley or nearby Curry Village (book months in advance — Yosemite accommodation is extremely competitive).

🚌Self-drive hire car, ~2.5–3 hours from Kings Canyon.

🛏Half Dome Village (Curry Village) canvas tent cabins or Valley Lodge (~£80–150/night depending on room type — book as far in advance as possible)

• →Drive from Kings Canyon to Yosemite via CA-41 (~2.5–3 hrs)
• →Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias (free shuttle from Welcome Plaza) — free with park pass
• →Glacier Point Road drive
• →Sentinel Dome hike (2.2 miles round trip, moderate) — free with park pass
• →Glacier Point viewpoint — sweeping views of Half Dome and El Capitan — free with park pass

Dedicate today to exploring Yosemite Valley on foot and by free shuttle. The Valley Visitor Center has excellent free exhibits on John Muir and the park's history. Hike the Valley Loop Trail (partial or full — up to 13 miles but sections can be done independently) through meadows with views of El Capitan, Bridalveil Fall, and the Cathedral Rocks. Mirror Lake is a beautiful and easy 5-mile loop. For a guided experience with a naturalist, book a Yosemite Conservancy guided hike in advance at yosemiteconservancy.org (~£20–35/person) — these cover the valley's geology, ecology, and the stories of the Indigenous Ahwahnechee people and conservation pioneers. The afternoon is free: watch rock climbers on El Capitan, swim in the Merced River in summer, or simply sit in the meadow and absorb the scenery.

🚌Free Yosemite Valley Shuttle (runs year-round within the Valley).

🛏Half Dome Village (Curry Village) or Valley Lodge (~£80–150/night)

• →Free Valley Visitor Center exhibits on John Muir and park history
• →Valley Loop Trail sections (easy to moderate, self-guided) — free with park pass
• →Mirror Lake Loop hike (5 miles, easy) — free with park pass
• →Bridalveil Fall short hike (0.5 miles) — free with park pass
• →Optional: Yosemite Conservancy guided naturalist hike (book via yosemiteconservancy.org, ~£20–35/person)
• →Optional: Yosemite Valley photography tour via GetYourGuide (~£40–60/person)
• →El Capitan Meadow — watch rock climbers — free

Depart Yosemite in the morning for the ~3.5–4 hour drive west to San Francisco via CA-120 (Tioga Pass, open May–November) or CA-140 through Mariposa. Stop at a local farmstand in the Central Valley — this is prime agricultural country and the road stands selling stone fruit, almonds, and produce are a genuine experience. Arrive in San Francisco and drop the hire car at a return location near the airport or downtown (avoid driving in SF itself if possible — parking is expensive and stressful). Check into a hostel in the Mission District or near Union Square. Spend the evening exploring: grab a burrito in the Mission, walk across the Embarcadero, or ride a historic cable car (~£7/ride) up to Nob Hill.

🚌Self-drive hire car from Yosemite to San Francisco (~3.5–4 hrs). Return car at airport or downtown location. BART/Muni public transit within the city (~£2.50–5/ride).

🛏HI San Francisco City Center Hostel or USA Hostels San Francisco (~£35–55/night for a dorm bed, or ~£90–120 for a private room)

• →Morning departure from Yosemite, scenic drive via CA-140 through Mariposa
• →Central Valley farmstand stop for local fruit and produce
• →Arrive San Francisco, drop hire car
• →Check into hostel in the Mission or SoMa district
• →Evening: Mission District burrito crawl and street art walk — free
• →Optional: Cable car ride from Powell St to Nob Hill (~£7/ride)

A full final day in one of America's most characterful cities. Walk or cycle across the Golden Gate Bridge (bike hire from Blazing Saddles near Fisherman's Wharf, ~£25/day — the bridge crossing and back is a classic). Visit Alcatraz Island — book the self-guided audio tour ferry package well in advance at alcatrazcruises.com (~£35–40/person including ferry and audio guide). Browse the Ferry Building Marketplace for local artisan food and coffee. Explore Chinatown — the oldest in North America — and North Beach for Italian coffee culture. Haight-Ashbury offers free counterculture history walking. End the evening at Twin Peaks for a panoramic city view at sunset before heading to the airport or extending your stay.

🚌MUNI public bus/metro (~£2.50–5/ride), cable car (~£7), or on foot. BART to SFO airport (~£9).

🛏Check out — or extend stay at HI San Francisco or USA Hostels (~£35–55/dorm)

• →Golden Gate Bridge walk or cycle (bike hire ~£25/day from Blazing Saddles)
• →Alcatraz Island self-guided audio tour (book well in advance via alcatrazcruises.com, ~£35–40/person)
• →Ferry Building Marketplace — artisan food and coffee
• →Chinatown and North Beach walking tour — free (self-guided)
• →Haight-Ashbury neighbourhood stroll — free
• →Twin Peaks viewpoint at sunset — free