Two Week US Southwest Road Trip Itinerary - Dreaming Of The Next Trip

One of my very favourite places in the world is the Southwest of the United States, especially the magnificent national parks of Southern Utah and Arizona. This southwest road trip itinerary will help you to see all of the highlights in a two week road trip (with the added bonus of a few days in Las Vegas).

Day 1

Fly into Las Vegas. The airport is only a few minutes from the Strip and you’ll even be able to see the famous strip hotels from the runway. Pick up your rental car at the airport’s off-site rental car facility and drive to your hotel. As you’re only staying one night at the beginning of the trip, consider splashing out for the Bellagio and, if you do stay here, it has to be a fountain view room!

View from Fountain View Room at Bellagio

After settling in, head out for a walk on the strip. The Bellagio is perfectly situated mid-strip so you’ll be able to explore Caesars Palace next door, and the Paris and Flamingo just opposite, and the Venetian is only a short walk away. Don’t forget to watch a fountain show from the sidewalk before returning to your room for an early night to try to beat the jetlag.

Day 2

Your road trip starts today so be sure to fill up with a nice, big breakfast. Why not try one of the impressive buffets? My favourite is the Wicked Spoon Buffet at the Cosmopolitan Hotel. Perhaps take another stroll along the strip before leaving. Early morning is a great time to get some photos of a quiet strip.

After checking out, it’s time to start exploring some of the amazing US southwest scenery. Just one hour’s drive north along the I 15 is the Valley of Fire State Park where a drive through the park will reveal some impressive scenery. You’ve only time for one short hike so maybe try the Fire Wave trail. It’s only about an hour in length and will take you through sand and along slick rock. At the end of the trail is the red and white swirly pattern of the fire wave rock.

Fire Wave Trail in Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park

Back in the car, drive further north on the I 15 towards Zion National Park. (Consider stopping on the way to pick up some breakfast and snack supplies for the next week or so.) To visit Zion NP, you can either stay in the gateway town of Springdale, which has some great hotels and restaurants, or proceed into the park and stay at Zion Lodge. As a guest at the Lodge, you’ll be permitted to drive through the park to the Lodge, while other cars are thankfully banned – the compulsory shuttle system here resulting in a much more peaceful park than some others (Yosemite, I’m looking at you!)

Tip: purchase an annual national park pass at the gate. It’s $80 but can be used throughout the trip at all six national parks on this itinerary.

Wherever you stay, take a stroll in the early evening to get your first glimpse of the beautiful surroundings of Zion.

Dinner can be at one of the many great choices in Springdale or at the Lodge’s dining room, where the food is much better than might be expected.

Day 3

Today you have a full day to explore Zion NP. If you’re feeling energetic, you can take a hike up to Angel’s Landing or a walk through the water at the Narrows, but there’s also lots of less strenuous walks in the park that are not to be missed. I like the Riverside Walk, which is a lovely walk along the river to the start of the Narrows; the Pa’Rus Trail, which goes through some great scenery near the entrance to the park; and, best of all, a two hour loop to the Lower Emerald falls and back via the Kayenta Trail. Whatever you do, the scenery will take your breath away…

Day 4

It’s time to leave Zion but as you drive out on the winding Zion-Mount Carmel Highway out of the valley, you’ll get some great views, and you can make one final stop in Zion at the Canyon Overlook Trail. Then drive north on the US89 and east on Utah SR 12 to Bryce Canyon National Park. Take a walk along the rim to admire the incredible views over the Hoodoos.

The best place to stay here is right at the Canyon in the cabins at Bryce Canyon Lodge. The accommodation is nice and it’s just steps from the rim. So, after a tasty dinner in the Lodge dining room, take a sunset and twilight walk along the rim. It’s unforgettable.

Day 5

Wake early this morning to see the sunrise turn Bryce Canyon a glowing orange colour.

Then get into the spirit of the ‘wild west’ with a mule ride down into the canyon. ‘Canyon Trails’ offer rides with helpful guides and it’s great to get a new perspective on Bryce.

It’s time to leave Bryce now. Continue driving north east on Utah SR 12. The views are amazing all along this road and some stops for photos will be inevitable. Even outside the national parks, the scenery in Southern Utah is unbelievable.

Spend tonight in Torrey. There’s a few hotels in this small town and I can recommend Austin’s Chuck Wagon motel which is comfortable and convenient. It’s also only a few minutes’ walk to Slackers burger joint for a quick and delicious dinner.

Day 6

Just a few minutes’ drive along Highway 24 will bring you to the entrance of Capitol Reef NP. Drive along the Scenic Drive through the park as the scenery gets better and better. At the end of the paved road, you could carry on along an unpaved road to Capitol Gorge and then walk the Capitol Gorge trail as the walls on either side continue to narrow.

Before leaving the park, make sure to stop at the Fruita historic settlement where you can take some photos of the historic buildings, walk part of the Fremont River trail alongside the river and enjoy a delicious fruit pie from Gifford Homestead.

Pie At Gifford’s Homestead in Capitol Reef National Park

Now, it’s a three hour drive to Moab, your base for the next three nights. The first part of Highway 24 remains very scenic, then it’s a quick run along the I 70 before another incredibly scenic journey along Highway 128 with some impressive red rock structures alongside a river. You could stay at one of the many hotels in the centre of Moab but my recommendation is the Red Cliffs Lodge, along Highway 128. One photo should reveal why:

Colorado River, viewed from Red Cliffs Lodge near Moab

Day 7

Head out early to nearby Arches National Park as it’s a busy place and parking spaces can be hard to find. I suggest starting at the popular Windows section, and walking the full loop. Also don’t miss the short trail to Double Arch, just across from the Windows’ parking lot.

Then drive north again to the far end of the park, and park at Devil’s Garden trailhead. The longest arch in the park, Landscape Arch, is an easy walk along this trail.

You can take a longer hike here if you wish, or drive south again, stopping at some other viewpoints such as Skyline Arch, Fiery Furnace viewpoint, Panorama Point, Balanced Rock and Delicate Arch viewpoint to see the most iconic arch of all, albeit from a long distance. If you fancy another walk, try Park Avenue where a descent down many steps leads to a trail between impressive red cliffs.

Tip: pack a picnic lunch for today as there’s no food in the park. The Visitor’s Centre at the entrance does have flushing toilets though

This evening, the more fit and energetic might consider a sunset hike to the famous Delicate Arch. If, like me, that’s too demanding, treat yourself to a nice dinner in Moab.

Day 8

Today it’s time to visit Canyonlands National Park, which is about an hour away. It’s a huge park but stick to the ‘Islands in the Sky’ section. Once inside the park, head straight to Mesa Arch and the stunning view underneath it. My photos don’t capture the amazing experience of seeing this in person.

Next, drive to Grand View Point overlook, which lives up to its name with vast views over ruptured land. Better still is the two mile roundtrip trail from here. The views, first on one side and then on the other, are breath-taking.

Grand View Overlook Trail in Canyonlands National Park

Before leaving Canyonlands NP, make a quick stop at Green River overlook where you can really get a sense of the vastness of this landscape.

Then leave the national park and drive to nearby Dead Horse Point State Park which offers possibly even better views of the Colorado River twisting and winding its way through the canyonlands.

Day 9

It’s time to leave Moab and head south. A three hour drive on US 191 south and then the US 163 will take you to Monument Valley. Be sure to take the iconic ‘Forest Gump’ photo on the way (although, everyone else will have the same idea and it’s difficult to capture any shots without other people in them!) Spend this afternoon on a Native American Backcountry Tour of Monument Valley. (In went with Majestic, and the guide was good, but there are lots of similar companies running identical trips.) A tour is essential here because the road through the valley is extremely rough and bumpy and a self-drive (especially in a rental car) is a risky choice. On a backcountry tour, there will be a couple of stops at viewpoints on the main road through the valley before heading off the beaten track and learning about the Navajo people who live here, perhaps including a visit to a hogan to learn more about their culture.

Monument Valley on Navajo Backcountry Tour

After the tour, check in at The View Hotel for the night. The room will live up to the hotel’s name with a balcony with gorgeous views over the valley, and west and east mittens and Merrick’s butte protruding into the sky. Grab a Navajo Taco from the dining room and enjoy the sunset from your balcony.

View from room balcony at The View Hotel

Day 10

Wake early to watch the sunrise from the balcony. Then it’s a great time to walk the Wildcat Trail which is the only walking trail in Monument Valley. It’s a reasonably easy hike though the most beautiful scenery. The trail goes down onto the valley floor, then circles the west mitten before ascending again. The colours in the desert at this time of day are stunning.

Check out and drive a couple of hours to the town of Page. Here you can take a tour of the famous Antelope Canyon. I did the Lower Antelope Canyon tour with the Navajo-run Ken’s Tours. After being led across the hot desert to the entrance to the canyon, you will descend a series of steps into a magical red swirling place. It feels like somewhere out of a fairy-tale (although the tours can be rather crowded and noisy).

Spend the night at one of the hotels in Page. There aren’t any great choices here but the Best Western View of Lake Powell is fine, as is nearby Bonkers restaurant for some dinner.

Day 11

Before leaving Page, you must drive out to Horseshoe Bend. The hike to get there takes about 20 minutes each way and is a hot, dusty and steep walk through the desert but I was amazed by how beautiful the desert is, and so green and colourful. Horseshoe bend itself is a spectacular bend in the Colorado River with the blue-green water contrasting beautifully with the orange rocks towering above.

Now it’s time to drive to the Grand Canyon. Consider stopping for lunch and maybe some souvenirs at the Cameron Trading Post on the way. From Cameron, drive west on AZ-64 to the Grand Canyon National Park and make your first stop at the Desert View Point. This is a great place to have your first glimpse of the amazing Grand Canyon – one of the natural wonders of the world. The watchtower at Desert View also adds a point of interest.

Desert View Watchtower at Grand Canyon National Park

Proceed on towards Grand Canyon Village, stopping at a few more viewpoints on the way. There’s a handful of accommodation options at the village but you can’t beat a historic Bright Angel Lodge cabin on the rim. End the day with a stroll along the Rim Trail before sunset.

Day 12

Make another early start to view the sunset, then catch an early Hikers’ Express Shuttle Bus to South Kaibab trailhead and start a walk down into the canyon. It’s a different world below the rim: the colours seem brighter; the nature closer. Go at least as far as the first viewpoint at Ooh-Aah Point, but if you can, it’s worth pushing onto Cedar Ridge as the views just get better and better.

Cedar Ridge on the South Kaibab Trail at Grand Canyon National Park

After your hike, use the convenient shuttle bus system to visit some other viewpoints along the rim and try to walk some more of the rim trail. A walk from the village west towards Hopi Point is a nice, scenic two hour walk.

Later, watch the sunset, grab dinner and enjoy your final night at the Canyon.

Day 13

It’s time to drive back to Las Vegas and it will be a long 5 hour drive but there are some great sights to see on the way. First make a stop at Seligman to see the Route 66 memorabilia. (You could even drive the old Rt 66 from here to Kingman, but it will make a long journey even longer.) Further along the road, Kingman is worth a stop for a quick visit to the Rt 66 Museum.

Then drive northwest on the US-93 to Hoover Dam, where you can first view the dam from the Mike O’Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge viewpoint, then drive on down to the dam itself and maybe take a tour. Even without the tour, it’s worth a walk around as there are lots of monuments and a wonderful art deco feel to the place.

Make a final stop at Lake Mead viewpoint where you can see this brilliant blue body of water sitting bizarrely in the middle of a pink desert. Then finish the drive into Las Vegas. If you’ve blown your budget, then the Signature at MGM is a reasonably priced option with lovely, comfortable apartments, a short walk from the strip, or finish with another spurge at the Wynn hotel, at the north end of the strip – the hotel is beautiful and classy, the pool area is stunning and the choice of restaurants is superb.

This evening can be spend seeing some more of the strip and enjoying one of the great celebrity-chef restaurants in town. I really like Gordon Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen and Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill, both at Caesars Palace.

Day 14

You could spend today exploring the huge, impressive hotels along the strip, relaxing by the pool or losing some money gambling in the casinos. Or you could drive downtown to visit the Neon Boneyard and/or Mob Museum to learn a bit more about the old-school Vegas.

Whatever you do, it’s worth finishing off the trip with a show tonight. There’s lots of choice in Vegas: maybe a Cirque Du Soleil spectacular, or a comedy star, or a magic show…? You can’t go wrong with La Reve at the Wynn, Absinthe at Caesars, or Penn & Teller at the Rio. Take a final stroll along the strip and plan your next trip – because one visit to the spectacular US Southwest is never enough!