Pacific Coast to Las Vegas: Self-Launched Road Trip
19 days · US West Coast & Southwest
G Adventures charges £2,400
No-markup version: ~£1,655 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of G Adventures' 19-day "Pacific Coast to Las Vegas Road Trip" (trip code NUSV), running Seattle to Las Vegas. Instead of a private 25-seat coach with a CEO and participation camping, you'll do it the independent way: an Amtrak + budget flight combo for the long Pacific Northwest/California legs (Cascades and Coast Starlight trains are cheap and scenic), then a shared rental car or cheap one-way rental for the national park loop from Yosemite through the Southwest. Sleep in hostels in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Las Vegas, and cheap campgrounds (or hostel dorms) in the parks — Yosemite, the Grand Canyon and Joshua Tree all have bookable public campgrounds. All the headline sights are self-bookable: Crater Lake, Redwood NP, Tioga Pass, Yosemite, Big Sur, Route 66, Monument Valley, Grand Canyon South Rim and Horseshoe Bend. Skip the operator's private transport premium and DIY the tour for roughly a third of the price. Note: the original tour's own listed route is Seattle→Portland→Bend→Redwood→Sonoma→Tahoe→Yosemite→SF→Morro Bay→LA, with the Grand Canyon/Route 66/Vegas legs described in its highlights; this plan stitches both into a single 19-day line. Costs are approximate 2025 backpacker rates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Seattle — welcome to the Pacific Northwest
Seattle, WA
Land at Sea-Tac and take the Link light rail downtown (~$3, about 40 mins) — far cheaper than the $50 taxi the operator recommends. Check into a hostel near Pike Place or Belltown. Spend the evening wandering Pike Place Market, the gum wall and the waterfront, then grab a cheap bowl of chowder or a food-truck dinner. Buy a reusable water bottle and stock up on camp food basics at a supermarket.
🚌Link light rail from Sea-Tac, ~£3
🛏Downtown/Belltown hostel dorm (e.g. Green Tortoise Seattle), £30-40
- →Pike Place Market
- →Gum Wall
- →Seattle waterfront walk
- →Supermarket shop for camp supplies
Seattle to Portland by Cascades train
Portland, OR
Take the Amtrak Cascades train from Seattle's King Street Station to Portland Union Station (~3.5 hrs, book ahead for ~$35-45). Ditch the pack at your hostel and spend the afternoon in the artsy Pearl District and Alberta Arts District, or browse Powell's Books. Portland has excellent cheap food carts — dinner for under $12 is easy.
🚌Amtrak Cascades, ~£28-35
🛏Hostel dorm in downtown/NW Portland (e.g. HI Portland Northwest), £30-38
- →Powell's City of Books
- →Alberta Arts District
- →Food cart pods
Portland to Bend — high desert and breweries
Bend, OR
Bus or the local regional coach (e.g. Central Oregon Breeze, ~$40) from Portland to Bend, ~4 hrs. Bend is a base for Cascade hikes, kayaking on the Deschutes and a cluster of famous breweries — a brewery flight or tour costs ~$25-40. Hostel or budget motel night in town.
🚌Central Oregon Breeze coach, ~£32
🛏Budget motel or hostel in Bend, £40-55
- →Deschutes River walk
- →Bend brewery tasting
- →Optional kayak rental ~$25
Bend to Crater Lake to Redwood National Park
Crescent City / Redwood NP, CA
This is a long driving day — this is where you pick up your shared rental car (split with travel mates via a rideshare/road-trip buddy board, or book a cheap one-way rental). Drive south on US-97 to Crater Lake National Park for the crystal-blue rim views, then continue toward the coast and camp in or near Redwood National Park. Park entry is $30/vehicle — split it.
🚌Shared rental car (one-way), ~£30-45/person/day split + fuel
🛏Campground near Redwood NP (e.g. Mill Creek or Elk Prairie), ~£12-18 pitch share
- →Crater Lake rim viewpoints
- →Redwood NP scenic drive
Redwood old-growth hike & Sonoma wine country
Sonoma County, CA
Morning hike through old-growth redwoods (easy, well-marked trails — free). Drive down the coast and inland into California wine country. Skip the operator's pricey tasting shuttle: a self-guided tasting at a small Sonoma winery runs $15-30, and many have free tastings with a bottle purchase. Camp outside Napa/Sonoma.
🚌Shared rental car + fuel
🛏Private campground near Sonoma/Napa, £15-20 pitch share
- →Redwood forest hike
- →Sonoma wine tasting ~$20-30
Sonoma to Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe, CA/NV
Drive east to Lake Tahoe (~3.5 hrs). Free afternoon for the Emerald Bay hike viewpoint, a swim, or a paddleboard rental (~$30-45). Camp at a state park campground on the lake shore and cook dinner at the fire pit.
🚌Shared rental car + fuel
🛏State park campground at Tahoe (e.g. Fallen Leaf Lake), £15-20 pitch share
- →Emerald Bay State Park hike
- →Lake swim
- →Optional paddleboard ~$35
Tioga Pass into Yosemite National Park
Yosemite NP, CA
Take the stunning Tioga Pass drive into Yosemite (~4 hrs from Tahoe) — one of the most scenic roads in California, though it's seasonal (closed roughly Nov-May; use the alternate southern route if so). Camp in Yosemite Valley (book campgrounds early on recreation.gov — they sell out). Evening at Tunnel View for sunset.
🚌Shared rental car + fuel
🛏Yosemite Valley campground (Upper Pines etc.), £15-20 pitch share
- →Tioga Pass scenic drive
- →Tunnel View sunset
Full day in Yosemite
Yosemite NP, CA
Free day to hike in the park. Do the Mist Trail to Vernal and Nevada Falls (hard but spectacular, free), or the easier Valley Loop and Mirror Lake. Skip the operator's guided walks — trails are well signposted and there's a free shuttle bus in the valley. Cook dinner at camp.
🚌Free valley shuttle bus; walking
🛏Yosemite Valley campground, £15-20 pitch share
- →Mist Trail to Vernal & Nevada Falls
- →Mirror Lake
- →Valley viewpoints
Yosemite to San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Drive out of the park and into San Francisco (~4 hrs). Drop the rental car (this is where the coach tour keeps going but you switch to city mode) and check into a hostel. Cross the Golden Gate Bridge on foot or bike, then ride a cable car ($8) — the operator charges the same for the optional, but you do it at your own pace.
🚌Shared rental car drop-off + fuel, ~£35; cable car ~£6
🛏Hostel dorm (e.g. HI Fisherman's Wharf or Green Tortoise SF), £35-45
- →Golden Gate Bridge walk/bike
- →Cable car ride
- →Fisherman's Wharf
Free day in San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Explore independently: Haight-Ashbury, Alamo Square painted ladies, Chinatown and the Mission's murals and taquerias. Bike rental across the bridge runs $25-40; a sunset sail is optional and pricey. Eat cheap: Mission burritos are ~$10 and huge.
🚌Muni day pass ~£5; walking
🛏Hostel dorm, £35-45
- →Haight-Ashbury
- →Alamo Square
- →Chinatown
- →Mission District food
Pacific Coast Highway: Santa Cruz, Big Sur, Morro Bay
Morro Bay, CA
This is the classic coastal day — but doing it independently means either the Amtrak Coast Starlight/Thruway bus down the coast (cheap, scenic, ~£35-45) or splitting a one-way rental with other travellers. Stop at Santa Cruz boardwalk, then the Big Sur coastline, and arrive for sunset at Morro Bay. Budget motel or hostel night in Morro Bay.
🚌Amtrak Coast Starlight/Thruway or shared one-way car, ~£40
🛏Budget motel/hostel in Morro Bay, £40-55
- →Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
- →Big Sur coastline drive
- →Morro Bay sunset
Morro Bay to Los Angeles via Santa Barbara
Los Angeles, CA
Continue down the coast, stopping for lunch in Santa Barbara. Arrive in LA and check into a hostel in Hollywood or Venice. Spend the evening on Venice Beach or at Santa Monica Pier — the operator's own 'optional' activities here are free, so just walk them.
🚌Amtrak/coach down the coast, ~£30
🛏LA hostel dorm (Hollywood or Venice), £35-45
- →Santa Barbara
- →Venice Beach
- →Santa Monica Pier
LA free day & onward to the desert
Los Angeles / Palm Springs, CA
Use the morning for LA: a Hollywood sign hike, Griffith Observatory (free) or a studio tour if you want to splurge. In the afternoon, pick up another shared rental car and head east toward the desert. The coach tour's 'Big Night Out' in Lake Havasu is optional — you can skip the party bus and drive straight on toward the desert. Budget motel or camp en route.
🚌Shared rental car + fuel, ~£35
🛏Desert motel or campground near Joshua Tree, £25-40
- →Griffith Observatory
- →Hollywood sign hike
- →Optional studio tour
Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree NP, CA
Spend the day scrambling among the Joshua trees and granite boulders — free with the $30/vehicle park pass. Do the easy Hidden Valley and Barker Dam loops. Camp inside the park (Jumbo Rocks is spectacular) or at a cheap nearby site. Stargazing here is exceptional.
🚌Shared rental car + fuel
🛏Joshua Tree NP campground, £12-18 pitch share
- →Hidden Valley trail
- →Barker Dam loop
- →Stargazing
Joshua Tree east to Route 66 and the Grand Canyon
Williams / Grand Canyon, AZ
Long drive east (~6 hrs) via the historic Route 66 stretch through Seligman — the 'birthplace of Route 66' the operator visits, with its vintage general store and motels. Stop for photos, then continue to the Grand Canyon area. Camp at Mather Campground on the South Rim (book well ahead).
🚌Shared rental car + fuel
🛏Mather Campground, Grand Canyon South Rim, £15-20 pitch share
- →Seligman Route 66 town
- →Vintage motel photo stops
Grand Canyon South Rim
Grand Canyon NP, AZ
Full day at the South Rim. Watch sunrise or sunset from the rim (free), walk part of the Rim Trail, or hike a section of the Bright Angel Trail into the canyon. The operator's helicopter flight is an add-on — book it independently via GetYourGuide if you want it (~£200+). Otherwise the rim views are the headline and cost nothing beyond the park pass.
🚌Free Grand Canyon shuttle buses
🛏Mather Campground, £15-20 pitch share
- →Rim Trail
- →Bright Angel Trail hike
- →Sunrise/sunset on the rim
- →Optional helicopter tour
Monument Valley and into Utah
Monument Valley, AZ/UT
Drive east from the canyon toward Monument Valley (~3 hrs). The operator's '4x4 overnight excursion' is a premium add-on — you can self-book a short Navajo-led valley drive via GetYourGuide (~£70-90) or simply drive the public viewpoint road and photograph the buttes. Continue toward Page, AZ, and camp or take a budget motel.
🚌Shared rental car + fuel, ~£35
🛏Page campground or budget motel, £25-40
- →Monument Valley viewpoints
- →Optional Navajo valley tour
Horseshoe Bend and on to Las Vegas
Horseshoe Bend / Las Vegas, NV
Morning short hike to Horseshoe Bend, the spectacular Colorado River meander — parking is $10/car, the walk is easy and free. Then drive to Las Vegas (~4.5 hrs). Drop the rental car. Evening on the Strip — free to walk, gambling and shows are optional add-ons. Stay in a cheap hostel or budget hotel off-Strip.
🚌Shared rental car + fuel/drop-off, ~£40
🛏Budget hotel or hostel off-Strip, £35-50
- →Horseshoe Bend hike
- →Las Vegas Strip walk
Las Vegas — trip ends
Las Vegas, NV
Last morning for a Strip wander, a cheap buffet or a pool afternoon before your flight home from Harry Reid International. If you have time, the Neon Museum or a day trip to Red Rock Canyon is a nice final fling. Trip ends.
🚌Airport bus/Rideshare ~£5
🛏None (departure day)
- →Strip walk
- →Optional Neon Museum
- →Optional Red Rock Canyon
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,655 | £2,400 |
| Duration | 19 days | 19 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £745 per person (31%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,655
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Pacific Coast to Las Vegas: Self-Launched Road Trip cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,655 per person for 19 days in US West Coast & Southwest. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £2,400 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,655 — a saving of roughly £745 (31%) per person.
How long is the US West Coast & Southwest trip?+
This itinerary runs 19 days, covering 19 day-by-day stops through US West Coast & Southwest.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a road-trip, adventure, hiking trip through US West Coast & Southwest, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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