Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Los Angeles - Las Vegas - Zion National Park - Bryce Canyon - Lake Powell - Monument Valley - Grand Canyon - Phoenix
100% customisable for you
Rise and shine: your American adventure begins today. Head to the airport, speed through security and relax in the lounge before boarding your 11-and-a-half-hour flight to Los Angeles.
Once you touch down in the ‘City of Angels’, collect your trusty hire car and make your way to the hotel you’ll call home for the next three nights. Spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing, ready for the real exploring to begin tomorrow.
Ah, Los Angeles. This famed city is positively steeped in glitz and glamour, boasting over 60 miles of white-sand beaches, star-studded sites and a delightful melting pot of cultures.
To help you get your bearings, we’ve arranged a city tour with a local artist. Together, discover the UCLA campus, before heading to Hollywood Boulevard to track down your favourite celebrity’s star on the Walk of Fame. End the tour in Downtown LA, where up-and-coming artists have taken over old warehouses and injected new life into the neighbourhood.
The next day, head out early to Universal Studios. Dating back to 1915, the original studios are still used for film and TV production, as well as sharing the site with a fun-filled theme park. Chase thrills on rides inspired by iconic American blockbusters, from King Kong to Jaws, before touring the studios – if you're lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of a show being filmed.
There's only one road for travelling between these two iconic locations: the legendary Route 66. Hop back into your hire car and hit play on our destination-specific playlist before setting off for the five-hour drive. If you need a break from driving, stop at the desert town of Barstow or the ghost town of Calico for a tasty meal and to stretch your legs.
As you near the end of the journey, keep your eyes peeled for the first glittering casinos and neon lights as they appear on the horizon. Once you’ve reached Sin City, check into your hotel for the next two nights. Spend the rest of the day relaxing in the desert heat – you deserve it after the long drive.
Waking up in Vegas this morning, head out bright and early to see the city’s myriad sights. To kick things off, we’ve arranged a ride on the Las Vegas High Roller, a ferris wheel set on the city’s famous Strip. Overlooking Vegas from a height of 550ft, the High Roller offers a fantastic view from its 28 air-conditioned capsules.
Evening is when the city comes to life. Wander along the Strip, check out the array of themed hotels and casinos, and if you’re feeling lucky, stop into one for a roll of the dice (you are in Vegas, after all).
If you’re a theatre aficionado, you’re in the right place: put on your glad rags and catch a Cirque du Soleil performance, followed by a drink and dance in one of the city’s buzzing bars.
This morning, hop back in your hire car and drive along desert roads for around three hours to Mount Carmel, the entrance to Zion National Park.
En route, we recommend taking a brief detour to Snow Canyon State Park. Set at the entrance to the city of St. George in Utah, Snow Canyon offers stunning scenery, dramatic lava beds and towering sandstone cliffs (have your cameras at the ready).
Once you’ve captured the perfect shot, climb back into the car for the remaining 45-minute drive to Zion. You’ll have two nights here, so spend the rest of the day relaxing in your hotel, looking over the luscious green prairies and striking ochre cliffs.
Rise and shine; today marks the beginning of your national park exploration. Zion National Park is famous for its deep, narrow canyons, but is also home to imposing mountains, sandstone cliffs, maple and poplar forests and towering rock arches.
Today, you’ll be trekking in the Narrows, one of the (yep, you guessed it) narrowest parts of Zion Canyon. Accompanied by a knowledgeable local guide, hike through the jagged canyon alongside the shimmering Virgin River. Along the way, your guide will teach you about the geology of this striking natural phenomenon, pointing out the lush plants and cute animals that call the canyon home: think elegant mule deer, rock squirrels and bumbling badgers.
It’s back on the road today, so set your sat nav for Page, the pretty Arizonan city where you’ll spend the night. Follow the scenic route, winding between rocks and under cliffs for an hour and a half until you reach Bryce Canyon National Park. Spend some time in Bryce Canyon, stretching your legs and marvelling at the park’s iconic hoodoos (tall rock pillars formed by years of erosion from water and wind).
After exploring Bryce Canyon, continue for another two-and-a-half hours to Page. This city is home to Lake Powell, the largest artificial lake in the United States and one of the American West’s most popular sights. We’ve arranged for you to stay opposite this famous lake, so check into your hotel and look over the 186-mile expanse of water, complete with 96 canyons and 1,960 miles of coastline.
Today, set off early for Monument Valley via the Hopi and Navajo Indian Reserves. After 20 minutes on the road, you’ll reach Antelope Canyon, a narrow gorge carved by erosion. Spend the rest of the morning exploring the canyon’s wave-like walls with a clued-up guide – this is one of the most photographed sights in the American West, so have your cameras at the ready.
After the tour, drive the final two hours to Monument Valley. You might recognise the striking orange monoliths and buttes from the film Stagecoach, a cult western that transformed Monument Valley into one of the most iconic national parks in the country. Stop for lunch before exploring the landscape in a 4x4 with a private guide. As you drive through the desert, you’ll stop at sites inaccessible to the general public, allowing you to see the ancient ruins, artwork and fascinating natural landmarks at your own pace.
This morning, leave Utah behind and set off on the three-hour drive to the Grand Canyon, one of Earth's most impressive geological feats (and a bucket list travel destination for many).
Once you arrive, don your walking boots and explore the 227-mile-long and 18-mile-wide canyon on foot. If you’re feeling brave, wander out onto the glass walkway that veers over the canyon's edge to truly feel the scale of this immense natural phenomenon.
If walking on air 4,000ft above the canyon floor wasn’t quite adrenaline-inducing enough, don’t worry: we can arrange for you to see the Grand Canyon from a helicopter. Flying over the vast ravine is arguably the best way to take in the sheer immensity of the place, and after a few minutes of soaring above the pine forests, you’ll nosedive into the heart of the immense Grand Canyon (an experience you’re unlikely to forget any time soon).
It’s time for the final leg of your American road trip, so pack up your bags one last time and jump back into your trusty hire car for the three-and-a-half-hour drive to Phoenix.
After about two hours on the road, make a pitstop in Sedona, in the heart of Red Rock Country. Surrounded by immense red and gold pillars, vast table-topped mesas, mineral columns and buttes, it’s easy to see why the city’s rugged landscape has inspired many western films. Set just thirty minutes from Sedona, Jerome, a ghost town from the Wild West era, is also well worth a visit.
Once you’ve finished exploring, hop back in the car for the last part of the journey to Phoenix, where you’ll spend the next two nights swimming and relaxing in guaranteed sunshine. What better way to end your trip?
It’s sadly time for your American road trip to come to an end. This afternoon, head to Phoenix airport, drop off your hire car and enjoy one final tipple in the lounge before boarding your ten-hour overnight flight. Touch down in the UK the next day with a camera roll full of nature photos and a newfound love for the American West.
Everything in this itinerary is entirely customisable, down to the smallest details. Here are some more suggestions of what could be included
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
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Our team of destination experts will get to know you and your unique requirements for your holiday
We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
All of our holidays include little extras designed to make a big difference to your trip, from fast-tracking you through airport check-in and security to our network of local Concierges
