Self-Launched Western Deserts: LA to Vegas, Grand Canyon, Antelope, Bryce & Zion
4 days · Western USA Deserts (California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah)
Bamba Travel charges £990
No-markup version: ~£440 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Bamba Travel's 4-day Western Deserts loop from Los Angeles — Vegas, the Grand Canyon South Rim, Lower Antelope Canyon, Bryce Canyon and Zion, done with budget flights/coach travel, a rental car split between travellers or a mix of Greyhound/FlixBus and local shuttles, hostel and motel stays, and self-booked Navajo-guided canyon tours. Same parks, same canyons, roughly a third of the tour price — but you'll be driving or booking your own rides, so this one suits confident independent travellers. Costs are rough backpacker estimates in GBP; US park entry is $35/vehicle (7-day pass) or use the $80 America the Beautiful annual pass if you're adding more parks.
Day-by-day
Los Angeles to Las Vegas
Los Angeles → Las Vegas
Get yourself to LA (fly into LAX or arrive by Amtrak/FlixBus). Take an early FlixBus or Greyhound from LA's Union Station to Las Vegas — roughly 5-6 hours, £25-40 booked a couple of weeks ahead. Alternatively, if you can find 1-3 other travellers, splitting a rental car from LAX is often cheaper and far more flexible for the rest of this loop (expect £30-45/day plus fuel, split 2-4 ways). Check into a hostel or budget motel just off the Strip (Hostel Cat, Sin City Hostel, or a cheap motel on Boulder Highway). In the evening walk the Strip for free — Bellagio fountains, Caesars Palace, the Mirage volcano area, Luxor, Paris, New York-New York and Treasure Island are all self-guided strolls; skip the paid shows unless you have budget, and never gamble more than you can write off.
🚌FlixBus/Greyhound LA → Las Vegas ~£25-40; local buses/Deuce on the Strip ~£6 day pass
🛏Hostel Cat or Sin City Hostel dorm, or budget motel off-Strip (£20-30)
- →FlixBus/Greyhound LA Union Station → Las Vegas
- →Self-guided Las Vegas Strip walk
- →Bellagio fountains & free hotel-hopping
- →Optional: comedy club or show on the cheap
Las Vegas – Grand Canyon South Rim – Page
Las Vegas → Grand Canyon South Rim → Page, AZ
Long driving day. Leave Vegas by 7am and head to the Grand Canyon South Rim (about 4.5 hours). Pay the $35/vehicle park entry at the gate (walk-in/cyclist entry is $20 per person; the $80 America the Beautiful annual pass is worth it if you're adding more parks this trip). Self-walk the Rim Trail between Mather Point and Bright Angel — no guide needed — grab lunch at the Maswik or Bright Angel food court, and browse the Hopi House Indian marketplace near El Tovar. Then drive on to Page, AZ (about 2.5 hours), your base for Antelope Canyon tomorrow. Book a cheap motel or the Page hostel-style lodgings in advance — Page is small and fills up in summer. Note: without a car this day is very hard; the alternative is a one-day Grand Canyon tour from Vegas (GetYourGuide/Viator, ~£90-120 including park entry) then an overnight bus or a long shuttle onward, which eats the savings.
🚌Rental car share (~£20-30/person including fuel) or GetYourGuide Grand Canyon day tour ~£90-120
🛏Budget motel or hostel-style lodging in Page, AZ (£30-45)
- →Grand Canyon National Park South Rim (self-guided Rim Trail)
- →Hopi House Indian marketplace
- →Sunset at Mather Point
- →Drive to Page, AZ
Lower Antelope Canyon – Bryce Canyon – Kanab
Page → Lower Antelope Canyon → Bryce Canyon → Kanab
Lower Antelope Canyon can only be visited with a Navajo guide — book directly with Ken's Tours or Dixie Ellis (about $60-80/person, book online weeks ahead; slots sell out). It's a 1.5-hour slot-canyon walk, unbeatable photo value. After lunch drive to Bryce Canyon (roughly 2.5-3 hours), pay the $35/vehicle entry, and walk the Queens Garden/Navajo Loop (about 3 miles, 2 hours) — the amphitheatre of hoodoos is best in late afternoon light. Catch sunset from Sunrise or Sunset Point, then drive 1.5 hours to Kanab for the night, where beds are cheaper than in the park and it sets you up perfectly for Zion tomorrow.
🚌Rental car share; ~£25-35 including fuel and park entry share
🛏Budget motel or hostel in Kanab, UT (£30-40)
- →Lower Antelope Canyon Navajo-guided tour (self-booked via Ken's Tours/Dixie Ellis)
- →Queens Garden & Navajo Loop hike, Bryce Canyon
- →Sunset at Sunset Point, Bryce
- →Drive to Kanab, UT
Zion National Park – Las Vegas – Los Angeles
Kanab → Zion → Las Vegas → Los Angeles
Early start for the 1.5-hour drive to Zion. Park entry is $35/vehicle, then use the free park shuttle from Springdale (mandatory in peak season). Walk the Riverside Walk along the Virgin River to the Narrows trailhead (flat, 2 miles return — you can wade a little upstream if the flow is safe) and do the short, steep Scout Lookout/Walter's Wiggles if you have legs left. Refuel in Springdale, then drive back to Las Vegas (about 2.5 hours) to drop the rental, and take an evening FlixBus/Greyhound or the cheap LAX-bound flight back to Los Angeles. If you're on public transport instead of a car, book a GetYourGuide Zion day trip from Las Vegas (~£110-140) and skip Kanab by basing the night before in Vegas. Arrive LA late — this is a fast, ambitious 4 days.
🚌Rental car share + drop-off, then FlixBus Las Vegas → LA ~£25-40 or budget flight ~£50-80
🛏Not included — overnight in LA hostel or onward flight
- →Zion National Park & free park shuttle
- →Riverside Walk / Virgin River trail
- →Optional Scout Lookout hike
- →Return FlixBus or flight Las Vegas → Los Angeles
Self-launched vs. Bamba Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Bamba Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£440 | £990 |
| Duration | 4 days | 4 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £550 per person (56%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Bamba Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£440
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 Self-Launched Western Deserts: LA to Vegas, Grand Canyon, Antelope, Bryce & Zion cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £440 per person for 4 days in Western USA Deserts (California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah). 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 Bamba Travel?+
Yes — Bamba Travel charges around £990 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £440 — a saving of roughly £550 (56%) per person.
How long is the Western USA Deserts (California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah) trip?+
This itinerary runs 4 days, covering 4 day-by-day stops through Western USA Deserts (California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah).
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 Western USA Deserts (California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah), 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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