The American West itinerary, day by day

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.

🗓️ 7, 10 or 14 days📍 5 stops☀️ Best time: April to June and September to October

Grand Canyon · Photo Produtora Midtrack / Pexels

Route map (numbers = order of the stops).

The American West in 7 days

3 stops · 18 things to do · ≈ 870 km

1Las Vegas

Days 1-2

A casino city raised out of the Nevada desert, and the natural base for the great canyons of the West.

🎟️ Worth booking

Grand Canyon by helicopterHalf day · from €350
Out from Las Vegas over the Hoover Dam to the western end of the canyon, where some flights land on the canyon floor.
Book on GetYourGuide →
A show on the StripEvening · from €90
Cirque du Soleil, a magic act or a headline concert, in theatres built into the casinos.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The Strip after dark · The Bellagio fountains · Fremont Street, old Vegas under a video canopy · Wandering the themed casinos

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Sin City Hostel (€40 a night) · Mid-range: The Cosmopolitan (€190 a night) · Luxury: Wynn Las Vegas (€300 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

RPM Italian Las Vegas ↗ ★ 4.8 · 5377 reviews · €€€
Mercato Della Pescheria Las Vegas ↗ ★ 4.7 · 2822 reviews · €€
Sinatra ↗ ★ 4.7 · 2607 reviews · €€€€
The Capital Grille ↗ ★ 4.7 · 2485 reviews · €€€€
Primal Steakhouse ↗ ★ 4.7 · 1792 reviews

Photo David Vives / Pexels

🚗 Car · 4h30 · 440 km

2Grand Canyon

Days 3-4

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.

🎟️ Worth booking

Park entry and shuttlesFull day · from €115
The park pass at $35 per vehicle, then the free shuttle buses along the South Rim. Since January 2026, visitors who are not US residents pay an extra $100 each from the age of 16.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Rafting on the ColoradoFull day · from €180
A day on the river at the bottom of the canyon, the view that almost nobody at the rim ever gets.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The South Rim viewpoints · Sunrise at Mather Point · The first stretch of the Bright Angel Trail · Desert View and its watchtower

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Red Feather Lodge (€130 a night) · Mid-range: Bright Angel Lodge (€180 a night) · Luxury: Kachina Lodge (€250 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Grand Canyon Lodge - North Rim ↗ ★ 4.5 · 3214 reviews
Drigo’s Restaurant ↗ ★ 4.5 · 332 reviews
Foodie Club ↗ ★ 4.3 · 2115 reviews · €€
El Tovar Dining Room ↗ ★ 4.2 · 3048 reviews · €€
Plaza Bonita Restaurant ↗ ★ 4.1 · 7167 reviews · €€

Photo Produtora Midtrack / Pexels

🚗 Car · 4h · 430 km

3Los Angeles

Days 5-7

The film capital, and a city that sprawls: Hollywood in the hills, Venice and Santa Monica on the coast, and a freeway between everything.

🎟️ Worth booking

Universal Studios HollywoodFull day · from €110
The rides, and the studio tram tour through backlots where films are still being shot.
Book on GetYourGuide →
The beaches by bikeHalf day · from €35
The flat cycle path along the sand, from Santa Monica pier down to Venice and its boardwalk.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Santa Monica and Venice Beach · Hollywood Walk of Fame · Griffith Observatory and its view of the Hollywood sign · Downtown LA

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Freehand Los Angeles (€60 a night) · Mid-range: Hotel Figueroa (€220 a night) · Luxury: The Beverly Hills Hotel (€700 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Girl & the Goat Los Angeles ↗ ★ 4.8 · 3742 reviews · €€€
Holbox ↗ ★ 4.8 · 2755 reviews · €€
Baroo ↗ ★ 4.8 · 432 reviews · €€
Philippe's ↗ ★ 4.6 · 12145 reviews · €
Musso & Frank Grill ↗ ★ 4.6 · 3827 reviews · €€€

Photo Rockwell Agency / Pexels

The American West in 10 days

5 stops · 30 things to do · ≈ 1 690 km

1San Francisco

Days 1-2

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.

🎟️ Worth booking

Alcatraz, ferry and entryHalf day · from €45
The ferry out to the old federal prison on its rock in the bay, with an audio tour narrated by former guards and inmates.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Cycling the Golden Gate BridgeHalf day · from €40
Across the bridge by bike and down to Sausalito, then the ferry back across the bay.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

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

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: HI San Francisco (€55 a night) · Mid-range: Hotel Zephyr (€220 a night) · Luxury: Fairmont San Francisco (€420 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

House of Prime Rib ↗ ★ 4.7 · 7278 reviews · €€€
Kokkari Estiatorio ↗ ★ 4.7 · 3506 reviews · €€€€
Piccolo Forno ↗ ★ 4.7 · 2239 reviews · €€
Liholiho Yacht Club ↗ ★ 4.7 · 1954 reviews · €€€
Rich Table ↗ ★ 4.7 · 1577 reviews · €€€

Photo Chait Goli / Pexels

🚗 Car · 4h · 300 km

2Yosemite

Days 3-4

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.

🎟️ Worth booking

Guided hike in Yosemite ValleyFull day · from €55
A day on foot between the waterfalls and the granite walls, with a guide who knows which trail suits the season.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Park entry (non-resident surcharge)Full day · from €115
$35 per vehicle; since January 2026, visitors who are not US residents pay an extra $100 each from the age of 16.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Tunnel View · Half Dome and El Capitan · Bridalveil Fall · Glacier Point (the road opens in summer only)

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Curry Village (€145 a night) · Mid-range: Yosemite Valley Lodge (€230 a night) · Luxury: The Ahwahnee (€450 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Mono Inn ↗ ★ 4.8 · 140 reviews
Edgewood Tahoe Resort ↗ ★ 4.7 · 3196 reviews
The Elderberry House ↗ ★ 4.7 · 367 reviews · €€€€
Iron Door Saloon ↗ ★ 4.5 · 1920 reviews · €€
Curry Village Pizza Deck ↗ ★ 4.3 · 1659 reviews · €€

Photo Ludwig / Pexels

🚗 Car · 6h · 520 km

3Las Vegas

Days 5-6

A casino city raised out of the Nevada desert, and the natural base for the great canyons of the West.

🎟️ Worth booking

Grand Canyon by helicopterHalf day · from €350
Out from Las Vegas over the Hoover Dam to the western end of the canyon, where some flights land on the canyon floor.
Book on GetYourGuide →
A show on the StripEvening · from €90
Cirque du Soleil, a magic act or a headline concert, in theatres built into the casinos.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The Strip after dark · The Bellagio fountains · Fremont Street, old Vegas under a video canopy · Wandering the themed casinos

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Sin City Hostel (€40 a night) · Mid-range: The Cosmopolitan (€190 a night) · Luxury: Wynn Las Vegas (€300 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo David Vives / Pexels

🚗 Car · 4h30 · 440 km

4Grand Canyon

Days 7-8

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.

🎟️ Worth booking

Park entry and shuttlesFull day · from €115
The park pass at $35 per vehicle, then the free shuttle buses along the South Rim. Since January 2026, visitors who are not US residents pay an extra $100 each from the age of 16.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Rafting on the ColoradoFull day · from €180
A day on the river at the bottom of the canyon, the view that almost nobody at the rim ever gets.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The South Rim viewpoints · Sunrise at Mather Point · The first stretch of the Bright Angel Trail · Desert View and its watchtower

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Red Feather Lodge (€130 a night) · Mid-range: Bright Angel Lodge (€180 a night) · Luxury: Kachina Lodge (€250 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Produtora Midtrack / Pexels

🚗 Car · 4h · 430 km

5Los Angeles

Days 9-10

The film capital, and a city that sprawls: Hollywood in the hills, Venice and Santa Monica on the coast, and a freeway between everything.

🎟️ Worth booking

Universal Studios HollywoodFull day · from €110
The rides, and the studio tram tour through backlots where films are still being shot.
Book on GetYourGuide →
The beaches by bikeHalf day · from €35
The flat cycle path along the sand, from Santa Monica pier down to Venice and its boardwalk.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Santa Monica and Venice Beach · Hollywood Walk of Fame · Griffith Observatory and its view of the Hollywood sign · Downtown LA

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Freehand Los Angeles (€60 a night) · Mid-range: Hotel Figueroa (€220 a night) · Luxury: The Beverly Hills Hotel (€700 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Rockwell Agency / Pexels

The American West in 14 days

5 stops · 30 things to do · ≈ 1 690 km

1San Francisco

Days 1-3

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.

🎟️ Worth booking

Alcatraz, ferry and entryHalf day · from €45
The ferry out to the old federal prison on its rock in the bay, with an audio tour narrated by former guards and inmates.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Cycling the Golden Gate BridgeHalf day · from €40
Across the bridge by bike and down to Sausalito, then the ferry back across the bay.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

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

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: HI San Francisco (€55 a night) · Mid-range: Hotel Zephyr (€220 a night) · Luxury: Fairmont San Francisco (€420 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Chait Goli / Pexels

🚗 Car · 4h · 300 km

2Yosemite

Days 4-5

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.

🎟️ Worth booking

Guided hike in Yosemite ValleyFull day · from €55
A day on foot between the waterfalls and the granite walls, with a guide who knows which trail suits the season.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Park entry (non-resident surcharge)Full day · from €115
$35 per vehicle; since January 2026, visitors who are not US residents pay an extra $100 each from the age of 16.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Tunnel View · Half Dome and El Capitan · Bridalveil Fall · Glacier Point (the road opens in summer only)

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Curry Village (€145 a night) · Mid-range: Yosemite Valley Lodge (€230 a night) · Luxury: The Ahwahnee (€450 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Ludwig / Pexels

🚗 Car · 6h · 520 km

3Las Vegas

Days 6-8

A casino city raised out of the Nevada desert, and the natural base for the great canyons of the West.

🎟️ Worth booking

Grand Canyon by helicopterHalf day · from €350
Out from Las Vegas over the Hoover Dam to the western end of the canyon, where some flights land on the canyon floor.
Book on GetYourGuide →
A show on the StripEvening · from €90
Cirque du Soleil, a magic act or a headline concert, in theatres built into the casinos.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The Strip after dark · The Bellagio fountains · Fremont Street, old Vegas under a video canopy · Wandering the themed casinos

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Sin City Hostel (€40 a night) · Mid-range: The Cosmopolitan (€190 a night) · Luxury: Wynn Las Vegas (€300 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo David Vives / Pexels

🚗 Car · 4h30 · 440 km

4Grand Canyon

Days 9-10

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.

🎟️ Worth booking

Park entry and shuttlesFull day · from €115
The park pass at $35 per vehicle, then the free shuttle buses along the South Rim. Since January 2026, visitors who are not US residents pay an extra $100 each from the age of 16.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Rafting on the ColoradoFull day · from €180
A day on the river at the bottom of the canyon, the view that almost nobody at the rim ever gets.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The South Rim viewpoints · Sunrise at Mather Point · The first stretch of the Bright Angel Trail · Desert View and its watchtower

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Red Feather Lodge (€130 a night) · Mid-range: Bright Angel Lodge (€180 a night) · Luxury: Kachina Lodge (€250 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Produtora Midtrack / Pexels

🚗 Car · 4h · 430 km

5Los Angeles

Days 11-14

The film capital, and a city that sprawls: Hollywood in the hills, Venice and Santa Monica on the coast, and a freeway between everything.

🎟️ Worth booking

Universal Studios HollywoodFull day · from €110
The rides, and the studio tram tour through backlots where films are still being shot.
Book on GetYourGuide →
The beaches by bikeHalf day · from €35
The flat cycle path along the sand, from Santa Monica pier down to Venice and its boardwalk.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Santa Monica and Venice Beach · Hollywood Walk of Fame · Griffith Observatory and its view of the Hollywood sign · Downtown LA

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Freehand Los Angeles (€60 a night) · Mid-range: Hotel Figueroa (€220 a night) · Luxury: The Beverly Hills Hotel (€700 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Rockwell Agency / Pexels

Hotel prices are per room per night, activity prices per person, checked when written. Some links are affiliate links (Booking, GetYourGuide): we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

Take this itinerary with you

The free printable American West guide: map, stops day by day, hotels by budget. Works offline.

📥 Get the free guide

Good to know before you go

🍽️ What to eat

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.

⚠️ What to avoid

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.

Plan this trip

📒 The free printable American West guide→ 🗓️ Best time to visit the American West, month by month→ 🎟️ What to book before you go→

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