One Week from Vegas to LA: Self-Launched Road Trip

Fly into Harry Reid International Airport and make your way to your accommodation on the Strip or nearby. Check in, then spend the day and evening exploring at your own pace — the Bellagio Fountains are free and unmissable, and the Strip itself is a spectacle day or night. For food, skip the celebrity restaurants and head to the Cosmopolitan's secret pizza place or grab a cheap buffet deal. Pick up your rental car today or book for tomorrow morning — companies like Enterprise, Budget and Alamo all have desks at the airport and in the city. Use this evening to plan your route and stock up on snacks and supplies for the camping days ahead.

🚌Fly into Harry Reid International Airport (LAS). Use the airport shuttle or rideshare (Uber/Lyft ~£15) to your hotel. Collect rental car from airport or city branch.

🛏Stay at LINQ Hotel, Circus Circus, or Hostel Cat Las Vegas (~£25–40/night per person)

• →Bellagio Fountains (free — just walk up)
• →Explore the Las Vegas Strip on foot
• →Visit the Neon Museum (~£15, book via neonmuseum.org)
• →Stock up at a Walmart or Whole Foods for camping supplies
• →Pick up your rental car (book in advance via Rentalcars.com or direct)

Hit the road early — it's roughly a 2.5-hour drive northeast to Zion National Park. Stop at a gas station diner for a classic American breakfast en route. On arrival, purchase your America the Beautiful National Parks Pass (~£65) — it covers all the national parks on this itinerary and pays for itself immediately. Inside Zion, leave your car at the visitor centre and hop on the free park shuttle (private vehicles are restricted on the main scenic drive in peak season). The Riverside Walk trail along the Virgin River is flat and stunning; for more of a challenge, tackle Angels Landing (permit required, book via recreation.gov) or the Lower Emerald Pools trail. Camp overnight at Watchman or South Campground, both bookable via recreation.gov.

🚌Self-drive rental car from Las Vegas (~2.5 hrs, ~160 miles). Free park shuttle within Zion Canyon.

🛏Watchman Campground or South Campground, Zion (~£18–22/night per pitch, book via recreation.gov)

• →Drive from Las Vegas to Zion (~2.5 hrs via US-15 N)
• →Buy America the Beautiful Annual Pass at the entrance gate (~£65 — covers all parks on this trip)
• →Ride the free Zion Canyon shuttle to the main trailheads
• →Hike the Riverside Walk (3.2km, easy, free with park entry)
• →Hike Lower Emerald Pools (4.8km, moderate, free with park entry)
• →Evening stargazing from your campsite

It's roughly a 1.5–2 hour drive from Zion to Bryce Canyon. Take the scenic UT-9 through the Mount Carmel Tunnel — a classic stretch of road. Bryce Canyon is famous for its otherworldly hoodoos (tall, thin spires of rock) in vivid shades of orange, red and white. Drive the 18-mile rim road and stop at Bryce Point, Inspiration Point and Sunset Point for the most dramatic views. The Navajo Loop and Queens Garden Trail combination (4.8km loop, moderate) takes you down among the hoodoos for an up-close experience — one of the best short hikes in the USA. Camp at Bryce Canyon's North or Sunset campground tonight.

🚌Self-drive rental car from Zion to Bryce Canyon (~1.5–2 hrs, ~85 miles via UT-9 and US-89 N).

🛏North Campground or Sunset Campground, Bryce Canyon (~£17–20/night per pitch, book via recreation.gov)

• →Drive from Zion to Bryce Canyon (~1.5–2 hrs via UT-9 and US-89)
• →Drive the 18-mile Bryce Canyon Rim Road (included with park pass)
• →Stop at Bryce Point, Inspiration Point, Sunset Point and Sunrise Point
• →Hike the Navajo Loop + Queens Garden combo trail (4.8km, moderate, ~2 hrs)
• →Optional: join a free ranger-led talk at the visitor centre

Today's drive is the longest of the trip — around 4–5 hours from Bryce Canyon to the Grand Canyon's South Rim. Break up the journey with a stop in Kanab ('Little Hollywood'), a quirky Utah town with great cafes and some photogenic spots nearby. Arrive at the Grand Canyon South Rim in the afternoon — your first view of the canyon will be genuinely jaw-dropping. Check into your campsite at Mather Campground (book ahead via recreation.gov, especially in summer). Walk the Rim Trail toward Mather Point and Yavapai Point for sunset — arguably the best free experience in America. Pick up food at the Canyon Village Market & Deli.

🚌Self-drive rental car from Bryce Canyon to Grand Canyon South Rim (~4.5–5 hrs, ~280 miles via US-89 S).

🛏Mather Campground, Grand Canyon South Rim (~£20–25/night per pitch, book via recreation.gov — books out months in advance in summer)

• →Drive from Bryce Canyon to Grand Canyon South Rim (~4.5–5 hrs via US-89 S and AZ-64)
• →Optional stop in Kanab, Utah for lunch (~1 hr detour)
• →First views at Mather Point — walk east along the Rim Trail
• →Sunset at Yavapai Point or Mather Point (free, unmissable)
• →Stock up at Canyon Village Market & Deli for dinner and breakfast supplies

A full day to explore the Grand Canyon at your own pace — one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Start with the free park shuttle (Blue Route) to Hermits Rest, stopping at all the major overlooks along the 7-mile West Rim Drive: Trailview, Maricopa Point, Powell Point, Hopi Point (best sunrise/sunset views), Mohave Point, The Abyss, Pima Point and Hermit's Rest. Hike down into the canyon on the Bright Angel Trail — even going just 1.5 miles to the 1.5-Mile Resthouse is spectacular. Do NOT attempt to hike to the river and back in one day (the park explicitly warns against this). In the afternoon, consider the Grand Canyon IMAX film at the IMAX Theater in Tusayan (~£12), or rent a bike from Bright Angel Bicycles for a spin along the rim (~£15/hr).

🚌Free Grand Canyon shuttle buses (no car needed today). Walk or cycle the Rim Trail.

🛏Mather Campground, Grand Canyon South Rim (second night — same booking)

• →Free South Rim shuttle (Blue/Orange/Red routes) to all major viewpoints
• →Hike the Bright Angel Trail to 1.5-Mile Resthouse and back (3km, moderate, free with park entry)
• →Visit Kolb Studio and Lookout Studio (free historic buildings on the rim)
• →Optional: Grand Canyon IMAX film in Tusayan (~£12, book on arrival)
• →Optional: Bike rental from Bright Angel Bicycles (~£15/hr or £40/half day)
• →Dinner at Bright Angel Lodge restaurant or self-cater at campsite

A long but iconic driving day — roughly 5–6 hours of actual driving. Leave the Grand Canyon heading west on I-40, then drop south onto Historic Route 66 through the tiny town of Seligman. This is the real-deal retro America: visit Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In, browse the Route 66 gift shops and soak up the kitschy Americana — the whole town inspired the movie Cars. Back on the I-40 and into California, head south toward Joshua Tree National Park. Enter via the North Entrance near Twentynine Palms, pick up a map at the visitor centre, and drive through Skull Rock (an easy 2.7km nature trail) and Cholla Cactus Garden. Tonight, stay in a budget motel or hostel in Twentynine Palms or Joshua Tree town.

🚌Self-drive rental car: Grand Canyon South Rim → Seligman via I-40 W (~2 hrs), then Seligman → Joshua Tree North Entrance (~3.5 hrs via I-40 and CA-62). Total ~320 miles.

🛏29 Palms Inn, Harmony Motel or Airbnb in Joshua Tree town (~£40–60/night per person)

• →Drive west from Grand Canyon toward Seligman on Historic Route 66 (~2 hrs)
• →Stop at Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In for a classic Route 66 lunch
• →Browse the retro shops and roadside attractions of Seligman
• →Drive to Joshua Tree National Park (~3.5 hrs from Seligman via I-40 and CA-62)
• →Walk the Skull Rock Nature Trail (2.7km, easy, free with park pass)
• →Drive through Cholla Cactus Garden (short walk, free with park pass)

Wake up early and catch sunrise in Joshua Tree — the golden light over the twisted trees and boulder formations is something you'll remember forever. Do a final morning hike: the Hidden Valley trail (2.4km loop, easy) is the park's most iconic walk, winding through a natural rock enclosure used by cattle rustlers in the 1800s. Then hit the road west to Los Angeles (~3 hours). Return your rental car at LAX or a city branch. If you have the evening, head to Venice Beach or Santa Monica Pier for a sunset, grab tacos on Abbot Kinney Boulevard, or splurge on a rooftop bar in Downtown LA. Budget motels in Hollywood start from ~£45/night, or try HI Los Angeles Santa Monica hostel for a social end to the trip.

🚌Self-drive rental car: Joshua Tree → Los Angeles (~3 hrs, ~175 miles via I-10 W). Return car at LAX or city branch.

🛏HI Los Angeles Santa Monica (~£35–45/night) or budget hotel in Hollywood or Silver Lake (~£50–70/night)

• →Sunrise in Joshua Tree National Park (free, set your alarm for 30 mins before dawn)
• →Hike Hidden Valley Trail (2.4km loop, easy, ~1 hr, free with park pass)
• →Drive Joshua Tree to Los Angeles (~3 hrs via I-10 W)
• →Return rental car at LAX or city centre branch
• →Explore Venice Beach and the Venice Boardwalk (free)
• →Santa Monica Pier and Pacific Park (free to walk, rides extra)
• →Tacos on Abbot Kinney Boulevard or Grand Central Market in Downtown LA