Dreams of the West: Self-Launched LA to San Francisco Road Trip

Fly into LAX and get settled. Pick up your rental car — booking in advance through sites like Kayak or Rentalcars.com can save significantly. Check into a budget hotel near Hollywood or Downtown LA. Spend the evening exploring your neighbourhood and grabbing dinner on Sunset Boulevard.

🚌Rental car from LAX (~£35/day shared between 2 = ~£17.50pp/day)

🛏USA Hostels Hollywood or Freehand Los Angeles (~£40-55/night per person in private twin)

• →Arrive at LAX and collect rental car (pre-booked ~£30-40/day split between 2)
• →Check into budget hotel (e.g. Freehand Los Angeles or USA Hostels Hollywood)
• →Evening stroll along Sunset Boulevard

Explore LA's iconic landmarks under your own steam. Drive the self-guided Hollywood loop taking in the Walk of Fame, Dolby Theater, and Chinese Theater, then head up Mulholland Drive for views of the Hollywood Sign. Cruise Wilshire Boulevard through Beverly Hills, then head to Long Beach's Shoreline Village for the afternoon. Consider the free self-guided walk around the area.

🚌Self-drive rental car

🛏USA Hostels Hollywood or Freehand Los Angeles (~£40-55/night per person)

• →Hollywood Walk of Fame, Dolby Theater & Grauman's Chinese Theater (free, self-guided)
• →Drive via Mulholland Drive for Hollywood Sign views (free)
• →Beverly Hills drive along Wilshire Boulevard (free)
• →Afternoon at Long Beach's Shoreline Village (free to explore)
• →Optional: exterior viewing of the Queen Mary (~£15 entry if going onboard)

Hit the road early for the roughly 4.5-hour drive to Las Vegas on the I-15. Arrive in the afternoon and check into a budget room on or near the Strip — Las Vegas has some of the best-value hotel rooms in the USA midweek. Spend the evening walking the Strip, people-watching and soaking in the spectacle of the casino hotels.

🚌Self-drive rental car (~£17.50pp fuel + car share)

🛏Excalibur Hotel & Casino or Luxor (budget rooms from ~£35-55/night per person) or Circus Circus (~£25-40pp)

• →Drive from LA to Las Vegas via I-15 (~270 miles, ~4.5 hours)
• →Self-guided walk along the Las Vegas Strip (free)
• →Explore casino hotel lobbies: Bellagio fountains, Venetian canals (free)
• →Downtown Las Vegas & Fremont Street Experience (free light show nightly)
• →Optional: Night of Lights tour via GetYourGuide (~£25)

An early start for a big day. Drive east, stopping in Seligman — the quirky Route 66 town that inspired the Pixar movie Cars. Continue to Grand Canyon South Rim. Buy your park pass at the gate (or in advance at recreation.gov). Walk the Rim Trail to Mather Point and Bright Angel viewpoint — both free once inside the park. Drive on to Flagstaff for the night.

🚌Self-drive rental car from Las Vegas (~280 miles to canyon, then ~80 miles to Flagstaff)

🛏Budget Inn & Suites Flagstaff or Motel 6 Flagstaff (~£35-50pp/night)

• →Stop in Seligman on Historic Route 66 (free, fun roadside Americana)
• →Grand Canyon National Park entry (~£30 per vehicle, covers all occupants)
• →Self-guided walk along the Rim Trail to Mather Point & Bright Angel Trailhead (free with park entry)
• →Panoramic Grand Canyon viewpoints (free with park entry)
• →Optional: scenic helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon via Papillon (~£180-250pp, book direct)

Drive back towards Las Vegas, stopping at the spectacular Hoover Dam. You can walk across the Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge for free panoramic views of the dam, or pay for a guided dam tour. Then head to the Las Vegas North Premium Outlets if you fancy some shopping before returning to the Strip for a second night.

🚌Self-drive rental car (~200 miles Flagstaff to Las Vegas via Hoover Dam)

🛏Excalibur Hotel & Casino or Luxor (~£35-55pp/night)

• →Drive from Flagstaff to Hoover Dam (~2.5 hours)
• →Walk the Memorial Bridge for free Hoover Dam views (free)
• →Optional: Hoover Dam guided tour (~£15-25pp, book at visitor centre)
• →Las Vegas North Premium Outlets (free to browse)
• →Optional: Cirque du Soleil or live show on the Strip (~£60-120pp, book via venue websites)

Head west out of Las Vegas towards California. Stop at Calico Ghost Town, a well-preserved Old West silver mining settlement in the Mojave Desert — great for a wander and some Western history. Continue west through the Mojave to Bakersfield, where you'll spend the night.

🚌Self-drive rental car

🛏Motel 6 Bakersfield or La Quinta Inn Bakersfield (~£35-50pp/night)

• →Drive from Las Vegas to Calico Ghost Town (~160 miles, ~2.5 hours)
• →Visit Calico Ghost Town (~£9pp entry, explore old mine shafts, saloons and buildings)
• →Optional: Traditional lunch at Calico's restaurants (~£12-18pp)
• →Drive from Calico to Bakersfield (~110 miles, ~1.5 hours)
• →Evening explore of downtown Bakersfield

Drive up into the Sierra Nevada foothills to Sequoia National Park, home to the world's largest trees by volume. The General Sherman Tree is a must-see — a short accessible walk from the car park. Wander among the Giant Forest for a couple of hours before driving down to Fresno for the night.

🚌Self-drive rental car

🛏Piccadilly Inn Airport Fresno or Motel 6 Fresno (~£35-50pp/night)

• →Drive from Bakersfield to Sequoia National Park (~85 miles, ~2 hours)
• →Sequoia National Park entry (~£30 per vehicle)
• →Walk to General Sherman Tree — world's largest tree by volume (included with park entry)
• →Giant Forest trail walk among ancient sequoias (included with park entry)
• →Drive to Fresno (~60 miles, ~1.5 hours)

An early departure to make the most of Yosemite — book your day-use reservation in advance on recreation.gov (required in peak season). Drive the scenic Yosemite Valley Loop, stopping at Tunnel View for the classic El Capitan and Half Dome panorama, then visit Yosemite Falls and Valley floor meadows. Afterwards, make the 3.5-hour drive to San Francisco, arriving in time for dinner in the Mission District.

🚌Self-drive rental car

🛏HI San Francisco City Center hostel or Hotel Zetta SF (~£45-65pp/night in private twin)

• →Drive from Fresno to Yosemite Valley (~1.5 hours, ~70 miles)
• →Yosemite National Park entry (~£30 per vehicle — pre-book timed entry reservation on recreation.gov)
• →Tunnel View overlook: El Capitan & Half Dome panorama (included with park entry)
• →Yosemite Valley floor meadows & Yosemite Falls viewpoint (included with park entry)
• →Drive from Yosemite to San Francisco (~3.5 hours, ~190 miles via CA-120 or US-101)
• →Dinner in the Mission District, SF (~£15-25pp)

Dedicate a full day to exploring San Francisco. The city is best explored on foot, by cable car and by Muni streetcar. Walk or cycle the Golden Gate Bridge (bike hire ~£35/day), ride a historic cable car, explore Chinatown, wander Haight-Ashbury, and take in the views from Twin Peaks. In the evening, head to North Beach (Little Italy) for dinner.

🚌On foot, cable car, Muni & optional bike hire (~£20-35pp for transit)

🛏HI San Francisco City Center hostel or Hotel Zetta SF (~£45-65pp/night)

• →Walk or cycle Golden Gate Bridge (free to walk; bike hire ~£35/day via Blazing Saddles)
• →Ride a historic cable car (£5 per ride, buy day pass ~£20 via SFMTA)
• →Chinatown self-guided walk (free)
• →Alamo Square & Painted Ladies Victorian houses (free)
• →Haight-Ashbury neighbourhood wander (free)
• →Twin Peaks viewpoint drive/walk (free)
• →Golden Gate Park stroll (free)
• →Optional: ferry to Sausalito for bay views (~£12 return via Golden Gate Ferry)
• →Evening dinner in North Beach (~£18-28pp)

Head south on the Pacific Coast Highway — one of the world's great drives. Stop in Monterey to walk iconic Cannery Row (made famous by Steinbeck), browse the waterfront and grab lunch at the Old Fisherman's Wharf. Continue a short drive south to charming Carmel-by-the-Sea for its boutique galleries, white-sand beach and storybook cottages. Then drive south to San Luis Obispo for the night.

🚌Self-drive rental car along Pacific Coast Highway

🛏HI Hostel Obispo or La Quinta Inn San Luis Obispo (~£40-60pp/night)

• →Drive SF to Monterey via US-101 or scenic CA-1 (~120 miles, ~2 hours)
• →Cannery Row self-guided walk and waterfront (free)
• →Old Fisherman's Wharf, Monterey (free to walk; clam chowder lunch ~£10-14)
• →Carmel-by-the-Sea: art galleries, shops & Carmel Beach (free)
• →Drive Monterey to San Luis Obispo via scenic CA-1 through Big Sur (~110 miles, ~2.5 hours)

Continue south along the coast. Stop in Santa Barbara to visit the stunning Spanish Colonial Revival Old Mission — one of California's most photographed landmarks. Stroll State Street for coffee and shopping before driving on to Los Angeles. Stop at Downtown Disney in Anaheim if time allows before checking back into LA for the final night.

🚌Self-drive rental car

🛏USA Hostels Hollywood or Freehand Los Angeles (~£40-55pp/night)

• →Drive SLO to Santa Barbara (~100 miles, ~1.5 hours via US-101)
• →Santa Barbara Old Mission (entry ~£6pp, self-guided)
• →Stroll State Street & Santa Barbara waterfront (free)
• →Drive Santa Barbara to Los Angeles via US-101 (~95 miles, ~1.5-2 hours)
• →Optional stop: Downtown Disney, Anaheim (free to enter; dining/shopping extra)
• →Final night dinner in LA (~£15-25pp)

Return your rental car to LAX (factor in time for drop-off and airport procedures). If your flight is in the afternoon, squeeze in a final LA experience — a morning walk along Venice Beach Boardwalk or a coffee in Silver Lake. Safe travels!

🚌Return rental car to LAX

• →Optional morning: Venice Beach Boardwalk walk (free)
• →Return rental car to LAX
• →Depart Los Angeles