USA Golden Experience: San Francisco to Las Vegas (Self-Launched)
7 days · California, Nevada, Arizona & Utah, USA
Aborigen Tours charges £1,150
No-markup version: ~£1,080 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Aborigen Tours' 7-day San Francisco–Las Vegas coach loop, rebuilt for independent travellers using hostel dorms and budget motels, public transport and shared shuttles, and self-bookable tours for Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon and Hoover Dam. You skip the 50-person bus, the early-morning group departures and the tipping rituals — and you can go at your own pace. Note: the source listing showed no departure dates and no advertised price; the comparison price below is a conservative approximation for a comparable 7-day partially-guided coach tour with B&B accommodation (typically $1,200–1,800). All costs here are rough estimates for a mid-range backpacker travelling in shoulder season; US national park entry and fuel costs are notably higher than most destinations.
Day-by-day
San Francisco: Golden Gate, Alcatraz views & the Bay
San Francisco, CA
Start in SF on your own schedule (no 6:30am bus). Grab breakfast at a Mission or North Beach cafe, then take the F-Market heritage tram or a Muni bus to Fisherman's Wharf. Book a 1-hour Red & White Fleet or Blue & Gold Fleet Bay Cruise online in advance (~£26) — it sails under the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz (book Alcatraz landing tickets 2-3 weeks ahead if you want to go ashore; ~£36). In the afternoon walk Pier 39, Chinatown and Union Square, ride the Powell-Hyde cable car (~£6), and finish with the free-ish night view: BART or an Uber to Treasure Island / Yerba Buena for the skyline, or just walk the Embarcadero. Stay in a hostel dorm near Union Square or Fisherman's Wharf.
🚌Arrive by BART from SFO (~£8); Muni day pass ~£4.50
🛏HI San Francisco Downtown or Green Tortoise Hostel (dorm, ~£40/night)
- →Bay cruise under Golden Gate Bridge & around Alcatraz (~£26, book on GetYourGuide/Klook)
- →Cable car ride and Chinatown/North Beach wander
- →Optional Alcatraz Island landing ticket (~£36)
Yosemite National Park day trip (or Monterey option in winter)
Yosemite / Merced
Summer: take the early Amtrak San Joaquins to Merced (~£22, 2.5h) then the YARTS bus into Yosemite Valley (~£12; YARTS runs year-round from Merced). Ride the free Valley Shuttle to Yosemite Falls, the Visitor Center, El Capitan and Bridalveil Fall — all flat, easy walks. Entry is £26 per vehicle, so if you're solo join a small-group day tour from SF instead (~£130-150 including entry and transport) to save money. Winter alternative: Amtrak/bus to Monterey, walk the historic wharf and Cannery Row, then local bus to Carmel-by-the-Sea for galleries and the 17-Mile Drive viewpoint. Overnight in Merced or return to SF.
🚌Amtrak San Joaquins to Merced ~£22; YARTS into the park ~£12
🛏Budget motel in Merced or return to SF hostel (~£35-45)
- →Yosemite Valley: El Capitan, Bridalveil Fall, Half Dome views, Yosemite Falls walk
- →Free Valley Shuttle between trailheads
- →Winter alternative: Monterey Wharf, Cannery Row, Carmel-by-the-Sea
Travel day: San Francisco to Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NV
Fly SF to Las Vegas on a budget carrier (Southwest, Spirit or Frontier) — book 3+ weeks out for ~£55-80 one way, about 1h40. (The overland alternative is the Amtrak San Joaquins + Thruway bus to Bakersfield then Greyhound to Vegas, ~15 hours and ~£75 — only worth it if you want the slow route.) Check into a budget casino-hotel or hostel; Vegas budget rooms are cheap midweek. In the evening walk the Strip north to south: Treasure Island, Caesars Palace, the Bellagio fountains (free, every 15-30 min), Paris, New York-New York and the Luxor pyramid. Optional: a Cirque or comedy show — book discounted same-day tickets at a Tix4Tonight booth (~£45+).
🚌Flight SFO-LAS ~£65; Las Vegas monorail day pass ~£10
🛏Hostel Cat or a budget Strip-area motel (e.g. Excalibur/Luxor midweek rates, ~£45)
- →Self-walk of the Las Vegas Strip and Bellagio fountains
- →Optional discounted show tickets via Tix4Tonight
Hoover Dam & Las Vegas free afternoon
Hoover Dam / Las Vegas, NV
Take a half-day small-group Hoover Dam tour from the Strip (~£45-55 via GetYourGuide, includes hotel pickup and the visitor centre) or do it yourself: Greyhound/FlixBus or the city bus to Boulder City then a taxi (~£25 total), plus the £8 dam visitor centre ticket. Walk the Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge for the classic view. Back in Vegas by early afternoon — use it for a pool afternoon, the Pinball Hall of Fame (free entry), or the free Downtown/Fremont Street scene. Cheap eats: In-N-Out, Chinatown's Spring Mountain Road restaurants.
🚌Tour pickup included, or local bus to Boulder City ~£25 return
🛏Same Vegas hostel/motel (~£45)
- →Hoover Dam visitor centre and bypass bridge viewpoint
- →Fremont Street and downtown Vegas walk
Las Vegas → Sedona via Oak Creek Canyon
Sedona, AZ
This is the toughest transport day without a car. Cheapest option: FlixBus or Greyhound Las Vegas to Flagstaff (~£40, 5h), then the Sedona Shuttle or Cottonwood/Sedona bus link (~£10). With a small group or another traveller, hiring a car for 3 days (~£30/day split two ways) and driving the I-40 to Flagstaff then SR-179 through Oak Creek Canyon is far more rewarding — photo stops at Oak Creek Canyon Overlook and Slide Rock State Park. In Sedona visit the Chapel of the Holy Cross (free, self-guided; the shuttle runs from the nearby lot) and drive/walk to Bell Rock, Courthouse Butte and Cathedral Rock viewpoints. Browse Native American craft shops on Gallery Row. Overnight in a Sedona hostel or budget motel in Cottonwood.
🚌FlixBus to Flagstaff ~£40 + local bus ~£10, or shared car hire ~£30/day
🛏Sedona Hostel or Cottonwood budget motel (~£45)
- →Oak Creek Canyon Overlook and Slide Rock State Park
- →Chapel of the Holy Cross (free)
- →Red rock viewpoints: Bell Rock, Courthouse Butte, Cathedral Rock
Monument Valley & Horseshoe Bend
Monument Valley / Page, AZ
Drive or take a shared shuttle from Sedona/Flagstaff to Monument Valley (~4h via US-89 and US-163 — the classic Forest Gump Point photo stop is on the highway). The Navajo-run Jeep tours (book direct with Monument Valley Tribal Tours or on GetYourGuide, ~£65-80 for 2.5h) are essential — the self-drive loop is rough and the guided version gets you to John Ford's Point and Ear of the Wind. Continue 2h to Page, arriving in time for the short, free-ish walk to Horseshoe Bend (~£8 parking; bring water, no shade). Overnight in Page — it's pricey, so book a budget motel or the Page hostel well ahead.
🚌Shared car hire or shuttle ~£45 per person; drive Page-Monument Valley ~2h
🛏Page budget motel/hostel (~£55)
- →Navajo-guided Jeep tour of Monument Valley (~£70)
- →Horseshoe Bend viewpoint (~£8 parking)
Upper Antelope Canyon, Valley of Fire & back to Las Vegas
Page → Las Vegas, NV
Book Upper Antelope Canyon well in advance directly with an authorised Navajo operator (Antelope Canyon Tours, Ken's Tours etc, ~£95-105 for the 1h guided slot — the only legal way in, and prime midday light slots sell out). Then drive 3.5h back toward Vegas, breaking the trip at Valley of Fire State Park (~£8 entry) for the red sandstone formations and the Fire Wave trail at golden hour. Drop the car at LAS or return it on the Strip and finish at the Luxor/Excalibur area — the same endpoint as the original tour, but on your own clock and without the 9pm group drop-off drama.
🚌Car return in Vegas; Valley of Fire state park entry ~£8
🛏Final night in a Vegas hostel/motel or fly out (~£45)
- →Upper Antelope Canyon guided tour (~£100)
- →Valley of Fire State Park and Fire Wave trail
Self-launched vs. Aborigen Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Aborigen Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,080 | £1,150 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £70 per person (6%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Aborigen Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,080
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does USA Golden Experience: San Francisco to Las Vegas (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,080 per person for 7 days in California, Nevada, Arizona & Utah, USA. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Aborigen Tours?+
Yes — Aborigen Tours charges around £1,150 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,080 — a saving of roughly £70 (6%) per person.
How long is the California, Nevada, Arizona & Utah, USA trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 day-by-day stops through California, Nevada, Arizona & Utah, USA.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, road-trip, hiking trip through California, Nevada, Arizona & Utah, USA, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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