Best of the U.S. West — Self-Launched Edition
15 days · USA (Nevada, Utah, Arizona, California)
G Adventures charges £2,400
No-markup version: ~£940 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 15-day road trip through the American West — Las Vegas to San Francisco — covering Zion, Bryce Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, the Grand Canyon, Route 66 and Death Valley before finishing at Yosemite and the Bay Area. Based on G Adventures' "Best of the U.S. West" (trip code NUPJ), rebuilt as an independent trip using public transport and hostel/motel stays. Note: the national parks are genuinely remote and most travellers find a hire car (split between 2-4 people) far cheaper and more practical than trying to string together buses — this plan assumes shared-car costs, plus the long-distance legs where buses/trains make sense. All costs are rough estimates.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Fly into LAS. Stay on the Strip or, better value, near Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas where beds are cheaper and the old-school neon vibe is fun. Spend the evening walking the Strip or exploring the Fremont Street Experience. Pick up a hire car today or tomorrow morning — sharing costs between 2-4 travellers is what makes this route affordable.
🚌Airport shuttle or Uber to accommodation (~£15-20)
🛏Downtown hostel dorm or budget motel (e.g. a Fremont Street hostel)
- →Walk Fremont Street Experience
- →Optional: Strip casino tour
- →Pick up hire car
Drive to Zion National Park
Zion National Park, Utah
Leave early (roughly 2.5-3 hrs drive). Pay the $35 per-vehicle park entry, which is valid for 7 days across Zion and covers your whole group. Park at the visitor centre and take the free park shuttle up the canyon to Emerald Pools, the Grotto and the Riverwalk. Camp or motel in Springdale just outside the gate, or stay in the gateway town of Hurricane/La Verkin for cheaper beds.
🚌Shared hire car ~170 miles (~£10-12/person fuel if split 3 ways)
🛏Springdale/Hurricane budget motel or Zion-area hostel dorm
- →Zion Emerald Pools hike
- →Paver shuttle to Grotto / Riverwalk
- →Hanging Gardens & sandstone cliffs viewpoints
The Narrows — self-hike
Zion National Park, Utah
The famous Narrows hike up the Virgin River through the slot canyon is fully self-guidable — no guide needed. Rent canyoneering shoes and a walking stick from a Springdale outfitter (~£20-30) and check the flash-flood forecast before you go. Shuttle to the Temple of Sinawava and walk upstream as far as you like. Then shuttle out and recover over dinner in Springdale.
🚌Free park shuttle (car stays parked)
🛏Springdale/Hurricane budget motel or Zion-area hostel dorm
- →Self-guided Narrows hike
- →Rent river shoes & stick
- →Shuttle to Temple of Sinawava
Bryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon, Utah
Drive Highway 9 over the Zion–Mt Carmel tunnel to Bryce (~2 hrs). Pay the $35 per-vehicle entry and hike the Queen's Garden Trail from Sunrise Point down among the hoodoos — note the Navajo Loop is currently closed due to mudslides and rockfall, so it's an out-and-back, not a loop. Sunset from Sunset or Sunrise Point is the classic shot. Stay in Bryce Canyon City or the cheaper town of Tropic.
🚌Shared hire car ~90 miles
🛏Bryce Canyon City or Tropic budget motel
- →Queen's Garden Trail hike (out and back)
- →Sunset Point viewpoint
- →Scenic drive to Bryce
Antelope Canyon & Horseshoe Bend
Page, Arizona
Drive to Page (~2.5 hrs). Book your Antelope Canyon slot canyon entry in advance — you cannot enter without a Navajo-guided tour (Upper or Lower, ~£50-70pp; the operator's itinerary bundles the same guided entry), bookable via GetYourGuide, Klook or directly with a Navajo tour company. Later, walk the short trail to Horseshoe Bend ($10 entry) for the horseshoe meander of the Colorado River. Overnight in Page.
🚌Shared hire car ~110 miles
🛏Page budget motel or hostel
- →Antelope Canyon Navajo-guided tour
- →Horseshoe Bend hike
- →Lake Powell viewpoint
Grand Canyon South Rim
Grand Canyon Village, Arizona
Drive to the South Rim (~2.5 hrs). Park entry is $35 per vehicle. Walk the Rim Trail, take the free Hermits Rest shuttle to Hopi Point for sunset, and if you're up for it, self-hike a section of the Bright Angel or South Kaibab Trail down into the canyon (turn around well before dark). Optional helicopter flight over the canyon (~£180-250pp) can be booked through GetYourGuide or the in-park operators. Stay in Tusayan, or camp in the park for the cheapest option.
🚌Shared hire car ~135 miles; free in-park shuttles
🛏Tusayan budget motel or in-park campground
- →Rim Trail walk
- →Hermits Rest shuttle to Hopi Point
- →Optional: Grand Canyon helicopter tour
Route 66 & Seligman to Las Vegas
Seligman / Kingman, Arizona
Drive the historic Route 66 stretch toward Seligman — the town that inspired the movie Cars — and stop at the classic general store and original motels. Continue on to Las Vegas (or overnight in Kingman). If you're timing a long-distance leg without a car, this is where the Las Vegas–Flagstaff Greyhound/FlixBus links come into play (~£25-35). Enjoy a relaxed evening back in Vegas.
🚌Shared hire car ~280 miles; or Greyhound/FlixBus if travelling car-free
🛏Las Vegas budget motel or Kingman budget motel
- →Seligman Route 66 photo stops
- →Historic general store visit
- →Optional: return to Las Vegas
Death Valley National Park
Death Valley, California
Long drive today (~4.5 hrs from Vegas). Enter Death Valley via Beatty/Furnace Creek and stop at Zabriskie Point, Badwater Basin (below sea level), the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes and Dante's View. Fuel and water are scarce — fill up in Beatty, Pahrump or Furnace Creek. Overnight in Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells or the cheaper gateway town of Pahrump.
🚌Shared hire car ~200 miles
🛏Furnace Creek/Stovepipe Wells or Pahrump budget motel
- →Zabriskie Point
- →Badwater Basin (below sea level)
- →Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
- →Dante's View
Cross the Sierra to Sequoia / Kings Canyon
Three Rivers / Sequoia, California
Drive west over the Sierra toward Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (~5-6 hrs). Pay the $35 per-vehicle entry. The General Sherman Tree — the largest tree on Earth by volume — is the headline. Settle into Three Rivers or camp in the park for the cheapest option. This is a long, dry driving day — plan fuel stops.
🚌Shared hire car ~350 miles
🛏Three Rivers budget motel or in-park campground
- →Sequoia National Park entry
- →General Sherman Tree
- →Giant Forest Museum
Sequoia & Kings Canyon hiking day
Sequoia & Kings Canyon, California
A full day of hiking: Moro Rock for panoramic views, the Congress Trail among the giant sequoias, and a drive down into Kings Canyon. All self-guidable with the park map. If you don't have a car, note that Sequoia is genuinely hard to reach by public transport — this is the section where the shared hire car pays for itself.
🚌Shared hire car within parks
🛏Three Rivers budget motel or in-park campground
- →Moro Rock staircase climb
- →Congress Trail hike
- →Kings Canyon scenic drive
Drive to Yosemite National Park
Yosemite, California
Head north toward Yosemite (~4-5 hrs). Park entry is $35 per vehicle. Arrive in time for a sunset view at Tunnel View. Overnight in the park campgrounds, the Yosemite Valley Lodge area, or the cheaper gateway towns of Groveland, Mariposa or Oakhurst.
🚌Shared hire car ~180 miles
🛏Yosemite campground, lodge or gateway-town motel
- →Tunnel View sunset
- →Yosemite Valley arrival
- →Scenic drive
Yosemite hiking day
Yosemite National Park, California
Self-guided hiking day: the Mist Trail to Vernal and Nevada Falls (a classic, steep but doable), the paved Lower Yosemite Fall loop, or the Valley Loop Trail. Free park shuttles run through the valley. Book an optional guided climbs/hikes via GetYourGuide if you want a guide for the big walls. Note that Yosemite's peaks and the Tioga Pass are seasonal — check road conditions if you're travelling outside summer.
🚌Free Yosemite Valley shuttle; car parked
🛏Yosemite campground, lodge or gateway-town motel
- →Mist Trail to Vernal/Nevada Falls
- →Lower Yosemite Fall loop
- →Valley shuttle & picnic
Yosemite to San Francisco
San Francisco, California
Drive out to the coast and into San Francisco (~4-5 hrs). Drop the hire car on arrival (airport drop-off avoids city parking fees). Check in at a hostel — the city has excellent ones in Fisherman's Wharf, Downtown and the Mission. Spend the evening exploring on foot or by cable car.
🚌Shared hire car ~200 miles; BART/Muni within the city
🛏San Francisco hostel (Fisherman's Wharf, Downtown or Mission district)
- →Drive to San Francisco
- →Return hire car
- →Evening walk / cable car
San Francisco
San Francisco, California
A full day in the city: walk or cycle the Golden Gate Bridge, ride a cable car, wander Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39, explore Alcatraz (book the ferry weeks ahead via GetYourGuide — it sells out), and grab food in Chinatown and the Mission for the best-value meals in town.
🚌Muni/BART day pass (~£8-12)
🛏San Francisco hostel
- →Golden Gate Bridge walk/cycle
- →Cable car ride
- →Alcatraz ferry tour (pre-book)
- →Chinatown & Mission food crawl
Depart San Francisco
San Francisco, California
Depending on your flight time, squeeze in a last morning — a Mission-district breakfast burrito, a walk along the Embarcadero, or a final cable-car ride. Head to SFO by BART (~£8-10) for onward or homeward flights.
🚌BART to SFO (~£8-10)
🛏Departure day — no accommodation
- →Mission District breakfast
- →Embarcadero walk
- →BART to SFO
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£940 | £2,400 |
| Duration | 15 days | 15 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,460 per person (61%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£940
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 Best of the U.S. West — Self-Launched Edition cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £940 per person for 15 days in USA (Nevada, Utah, Arizona, California). 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 G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £2,400 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £940 — a saving of roughly £1,460 (61%) per person.
How long is the USA (Nevada, Utah, Arizona, California) trip?+
This itinerary runs 15 days, covering 15 day-by-day stops through USA (Nevada, Utah, Arizona, California).
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 road-trip, adventure, hiking trip through USA (Nevada, Utah, Arizona, California), 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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