Here is a 2 Week National Park Roadtrip itinerary covering the main attractions of the West Coast. By following this itinerary, you can visit the most fascinating national parks (for example, the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Joshua Tree National Park), iconic cities in California like Los Angeles and San Diego, beautiful places and things to do in the Navajo Nation like Monument Valley and Antelope Canyon, and Route 66, where you can explore the legendary Far West in a ghost town called Oatman.
The 2 week Western Us Road trip is a “do-it-yourself trip”. This means you can easily personalize it by using the resources in the 2 week National Park “Road trip planner” section.
Index
Travel Info
- Best period: Suitable for all seasons (summer, spring, winter, autumn)
- Duration: 15 days
- Distance to cover: About 1,800 miles
- Total driving hours: Approximately 23 hours
- Average daily driving time: About 2 hours
- Start: Los Angeles
- End: Los Angeles
West Coast Road Trip Map
Day By Day Itinerary
Days 1-3: Los Angeles
If you don’t have your own car, pick up your rental car at the airport and visit the world capital of cinema. We especially recommend choosing one of the theme parks in the surrounding area, Universal Studios or Disneyland. Of course, you must also visit Hollywood Boulevard to see the Walk of Fame, and Santa Monica, known worldwide for its amusement park on the pier.
For more information, take a look at my tips on what to do in Los Angeles. Make sure to study carefully the options for accommodations. It is in fact one of the largest cities in the world and you should stay in an area that best matches your travel plans and allows you to easily reach the attractions in the city. I suggest you choose among the areas I recommended in my article about where to stay in Los Angeles.
Day 4: Death Valley
From Los Angeles, drive about 4 hours by car and you will arrive in Death Valley, one of the most fascinating parks in all of California that is characterized by a desert landscape out of the world, with undulating mountains and iridescent rainbows that stand out in the background. It feels like you’re on another planet…
Don’t forget to take a look at my tips for visiting Death Valley. You will stay overnight in Beatty or in a small town not far from the park. If you want to know more about all the hotel options around the park, you can read my in-depth review of hotels in Death Valley.
Days 5-6: Las Vegas
In an hour and a half or so, you’ll be in the city of excess, Las Vegas. My advice is, first of all, to get some rest and spend the first day visiting the Strip, an endless street of casinos and opulent hotels (you’ll find there are many hotels in Las Vegas to choose from). The best way to spend the evening is to see one of the famous shows available in the city (for example, Cirque du Soleil). For more information on things to do, read my article about the attractions in Las Vegas.
Personally, when planning a road trip, I think 1 day is enough to visit Las Vegas… So why stop here for 2 days? Because there are some natural wonders and other incredible places around Sin City that you should not miss: Valley of Fire, Red Rock Canyon, and the Hoover Dam. These places are so close to the city that the most convenient option is to stay overnight in Las Vegas.
Day 7: Page – Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend
Page (4 hours from Las Vegas) is one of the luckiest cities in the West Coast, not so much for its beauty (nothing exceptional really) as for its proximity to several natural attractions that have become true icons of the Southwest: Antelope Canyon, where the sun passes through narrow space of the canyon creating amazing light effects, Horseshoe Bend, a natural cliff on the Colorado River that offers a magnificent panorama, and Lake Powell, one of the most unique lakes in the world.
To find out all you need to know about these attractions, you can take a look at our article about the things to do in Page.
Day 8: Monument Valley
You will then travel not even 2 hours and you will find yourself facing what is now almost unanimously recognized as the most representative natural iconographic spectacle of the American West. It’s no coincidence that the soaring and solitary monoliths of Monument Valley (located on the largest Indian reservation in the United States) have been featured in an almost infinite number of movies.
If you want to explore the surrounding area (a few miles away), I recommend Valley of the Gods, which has a similar landscape.
For the overnight stay, the best choice would be to spend the night in Monument Valley, Kayenta, or in the surrounding area (see our tips on where to stay in Monument Valley). To understand how to make the most of your time in this area, don’t forget to read my tips on how to plan your visit to Monument Valley.
Days 9-10: Grand Canyon – Flagstaff
About 2 and a half hours away, there is one of nature’s most impressive miracles: the Grand Canyon (South Rim or Grand Canyon Village). The base for the visit, where you will stop for 2 days, is Flagstaff, a very pleasant city where you can take a walk and rest after the many hours of driving. However, Flagstaff has more to offer. Like Page, Flagstaff also has remarkable natural wonders in its surroundings.
It is located about 90 minutes from the Grand Canyon (South Rim) and from Petrified Forest, where the Painted Desert is also located. Two days will be more than enough time to explore these areas. Don’t forget to read my tips on things to do in Grand Canyon and the best places to visit in Flagstaff.
Day 11: Route 66 – Oatman – Lake Havasu City
Next, you will embark on a 3-hour drive through U.S. history along Route 66, through Williams and Kingman, and make a (highly recommended) stop in Oatman Ghost Town.
You will stay overnight in Lake Havasu City, a quaint city on a lake in an ideal location to break up the trip and rest.
Read our upcoming article on the places of interest to visit on Route 66, and our Route 66 road trip planner.
Day 12: Joshua Tree – Palm Springs
Let’s get back on the road and return to California. In a matter of 2 hours and 30 minutes, you will arrive at one of the most fascinating national parks, Joshua Tree National Park, a surreal natural landscape with its cactus-like trees with twisted and grotesque shapes and rocky masses that sit on the desert ground like tombstones.
The overnight stay will be in Palm Springs, a charming city and an oasis in the desert that is characterized by palm trees, adobe buildings, villas of billionaires, swimming pools, and golf courses.
I suggest you read my tips on visiting Joshua Tree National Park and what to see in Palm Springs.
Days 13-14: San Diego
After 2 hours of driving, you will be in San Diego, one of the most beautiful cities in California that is characterized by a picturesque historic district, splendid beaches, theme parks, and lots of parks.
My advice is to visit at least one of the parks in San Diego and to explore this beautiful city thoroughly in the 2 days available. Regarding the overnight stay, choose one of the areas that I suggest in my article about accomodations in San Diego.
Day 15: Departure from Los Angeles
In less than 2 hours, you will be at Los Angeles International Airport, where you will return the car and then head home.
2 week National Park Road trip planner
Book your flight
Book accommodations for all the stops
- Accommodations in Los Angeles
- Accommodations in Beatty
- Accommodations in Las Vegas
- Accommodations in Page
- Accommodations in Monument Valley and in the surrounding area
- Accommodations in Flagstaff
- Accommodations in Lake Havasu City
- Accommodations in Palm Springs
- Accommodations in San Diego
Book your rental car
