The American West
The American West, in a few days
From San Francisco to the canyons of Arizona, by way of Yosemite, Las Vegas and Los Angeles: the map, what is worth booking, everything that costs nothing, and where to sleep at three budgets.
- Day by day
- 1 San Francisco Days 1-2
- 2 Yosemite Days 3-4
- 3 Las Vegas Days 5-6
- 4 Grand Canyon Days 7-8
- 5 Los Angeles Days 9-10
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
Day by day
San Francisco
A city of steep hills around a bay, with the Golden Gate at its mouth. Cable cars still climb the streets, and the counterculture of the 1960s started here.
- Alcatraz, ferry and entryHalf day · from €45The ferry out to the old federal prison on its rock in the bay, with an audio tour narrated by former guards and inmates.
- Cycling the Golden Gate BridgeHalf day · from €40Across the bridge by bike and down to Sausalito, then the ferry back across the bay.
- Golden Gate Bridge
- Fisherman's Wharf and the Pier 39 sea lions
- Lombard Street and its eight hairpin bends
- The Painted Ladies of Alamo Square
Yosemite
Granite walls such as El Capitan, waterfalls and groves of giant sequoias. Lincoln set the valley aside for protection in 1864, and it became a national park in 1890.
- Guided hike in Yosemite ValleyFull day · from €55A day on foot between the waterfalls and the granite walls, with a guide who knows which trail suits the season.
- Tunnel View
- Half Dome and El Capitan
- Bridalveil Fall
- Glacier Point (the road opens in summer only)
Las Vegas
A casino city raised out of the Nevada desert, and the natural base for the great canyons of the West.
- Grand Canyon by helicopterHalf day · from €350Out from Las Vegas over the Hoover Dam to the western end of the canyon, where some flights land on the canyon floor.
- A show on the StripEvening · from €90Cirque du Soleil, a magic act or a headline concert, in theatres built into the casinos.
- The Strip after dark
- The Bellagio fountains
- Fremont Street, old Vegas under a video canopy
- Wandering the themed casinos
Grand Canyon
A gorge 446 km (277 miles) long, cut by the Colorado River, with close to two billion years of rock laid bare in its walls.
- Park entry and shuttlesFull day · from €35The park pass, then the free shuttle buses that run along the South Rim from one viewpoint to the next.
- Rafting on the ColoradoFull day · from €180A day on the river at the bottom of the canyon, the view that almost nobody at the rim ever gets.
- The South Rim viewpoints
- Sunrise at Mather Point
- The first stretch of the Bright Angel Trail
- Desert View and its watchtower
Los Angeles
The film capital, and a city that sprawls: Hollywood in the hills, Venice and Santa Monica on the coast, and a freeway between everything.
- Universal Studios HollywoodFull day · from €110The rides, and the studio tram tour through backlots where films are still being shot.
- The beaches by bikeHalf day · from €35The flat cycle path along the sand, from Santa Monica pier down to Venice and its boardwalk.
- Santa Monica and Venice Beach
- Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Griffith Observatory and its view of the Hollywood sign
- Downtown LA
Worth sorting before you go
A hire car, and a roomy one · The West is a driving trip, with days of four or five hours at the wheel, so choose a car with space to spare. Since January 2026 non-US residents pay a steep per-person surcharge at the busiest national parks, Grand Canyon and Yosemite among them: compare it with the annual pass before you go.
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Compare the agencies before you land.
Compare · Booking
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
Some links are partner links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Burgers and barbecue: brisket and ribs cooked low and slow, done differently in every state.
- Clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl: the classic lunch on the San Francisco waterfront.
- Mexican food: tacos from a truck in Los Angeles, a Mission burrito in San Francisco.
- Pancakes and weekend brunch: a national habit, generous to the point of excess.
- Craft beer, and California wine from Napa and Sonoma.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Tipping is not optional: add 15 to 20% in restaurants and bars.
- Prices on menus and in shops exclude sales tax, which is added at the till.
- Do not plan more than four or five hours of driving a day: the distances are larger than they look on the map.
- Never travel without health insurance. A night in hospital can cost thousands of dollars.
- In summer, do not hike down into the Grand Canyon in the heat of the day: the climb back out is where people get into trouble.
Words that help
The practical page
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/usa
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.