Vegas to Los Angeles Road Trip — Self-Launched

Fly into Harry Reid International (LAS) and take the CX or WAX RTC bus downtown (~$2) or a shared shuttle (~$12) to a hostel. Check into a hostel like Sin City Hostel or Hostel Cat — private dorms from ~£28/night. Wander Fremont Street in the evening: free light shows, street performers, cheap eats at the Container Park and open-air bars. Self-launched tip: buy your America the Beautiful annual park pass online or at the first park entrance gate ($80 / ~£65) — it covers entrance to every national park on this route and pays for itself within four parks.

🚌Airport bus/shuttle to downtown (~£10); walk

🛏Hostel dorm, downtown Las Vegas (~£28)

• →Fremont Street Experience (free)
• →Container Park
• →Golden Nugget atrium
• →Self-guided downtown street-art walk

Take a FlixBus or Greyhound from Las Vegas to St George (~$35, 2.5hrs), then the local St George Shuttle or a shared ride to Springdale (~$25). Camp at South Campground or Watchman Campground inside Zion (book on Recreation.gov up to 6 months ahead, ~$20/tent) or a Springdale hostel (~£35). Afternoon: ride the free park shuttle up Zion Canyon and hike the Narrows from the Temple of Sinawava (rent canyoneering shoes and a dry bag locally, ~$30) or tackle Angels Landing if you secured a lottery permit ($6).

🚌FlixBus Las Vegas–St George (~£28) + shuttle to Springdale (~£20)

🛏Zion campsite or Springdale hostel (~£20)

• →Zion Canyon shuttle (free)
• →The Narrows hike with gear rental
• →Angels Landing (permit lottery, $6)
• →Watchman Trail sunset hike

Early start: drive the 1hr to Bryce Canyon (hire a car-share or join a small van tour from Springdale, ~$60). Walk the Queens Garden–Navajo Loop among the hoodoos (free with park pass), then take the spectacular Highway 12 through Grand Staircase-Escalante and Capitol Reef. Continue to Moab — this is a long day (~5hrs driving), so consider splitting with a night in Torrey if you want to slow down. Camp at a BLM site along Highway 128 (~$15/tent) or a Moab hostel (~£32).

🚌Shared rental car / small van transfer (~£70 per person for the scenic leg)

🛏Moab hostel or BLM campsite (~£22)

• →Bryce Amphitheater viewpoints
• →Queens Garden / Navajo Loop hike
• →Scenic Byway 12 drive
• →Capitol Reef scenic drive

Morning: book a half-day Colorado River rafting trip direct with a Moab outfitter (~$70 / £55) or mountain bike the Slickrock Trail (~$80 bike hire). Afternoon: self-drive or shuttle to Arches National Park (timed-entry reservation needed in season via Recreation.gov, free) for the Delicate Arch and Windows sections. Finish with sunset at Dead Horse Point State Park ($20/vehicle).

🚌Local car hire / bike (~£15)

🛏Moab hostel or BLM campsite (~£22)

• →Colorado River half-day rafting (£55)
• →Arches NP Delicate Arch hike
• →Dead Horse Point sunset
• →Optional Hummer tour

Take the Bustang intercity coach or a combination of Greyhound and local bus from Moab to Grand Junction and on to Glenwood Springs (~$50 total, 5hrs). Check into a Glenwood hostel or budget motel (~£35). Afternoon: hike Hanging Lake (permit required, $12/vehicle via Recreation.gov) or float Glenwood Canyon by bike hire (~$40). Evening soak in the Glenwood Hot Springs Pool (~$28) — the largest hot springs pool in the world.

🚌Bustang/Greyhound coach (~£40)

🛏Glenwood Springs hostel/motel (~£35)

• →Hanging Lake hike (permit)
• →Glenwood Hot Springs Pool (~£22)
• →Glenwood Canyon bike hire

Coach/bus to Vernal, Utah (via Grand Junction, ~$45) then a short taxi or ride-share to Flaming Gorge (~$25). Camp at a USFS site on the reservoir (~$15/tent, book on Recreation.gov). Explore the Red Canyon Rim Trail on foot and hire a kayak from a local outfitter for late afternoon on the water (~$40). Sunset over the red canyon walls is the highlight.

🚌Coach to Vernal (~£36) + taxi to reservoir (~£20)

🛏USFS campground, Flaming Gorge (~£15)

• →Red Canyon Rim Trail hike
• →Reservoir kayak hire
• →Sunset viewpoint

Bus/ride-share to Rock Springs then Greyhound to Jackson (~$55, 5hrs). Check into the Jackson hostel or a nearby USFS campground (~£30). Pose under the elk-antler arches on the town square, then take a free stroll to Snow King. In the evening, join the free line-dancing lessons at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar (no cover before 8pm) — the group-tour 'cowboy moment' without the markup.

🚌Coach Rock Springs–Jackson (~£42)

🛏Jackson hostel (~£32)

• →Elk antler arches
• →Million Dollar Cowboy Bar line dancing (free–$20)
• →Town square walk

Take the START bus ($10 day pass) from Jackson into Grand Teton National Park. Hike the Jenny Lake loop and Cascade Canyon, or swim at Jackson Lake. Optional half-day whitewater rafting on the Snake River (~$90 with a Jackson outfitter). Camp at Jenny Lake or Colter Bay campground (~$20/tent) so you're already inside the park for tomorrow's crossing of the Continental Divide.

🚌START bus ($10) or shared car

🛏Jenny Lake / Colter Bay campground (~£20)

• →Jenny Lake + Cascade Canyon hike
• →Snake River whitewater rafting (£70)
• →Jackson Lake swim

Cross into Yellowstone (park pass covers entry) and use the park's own roads with a rental car-share or a small-group tour van. Hit Grand Prismatic Spring overlook, Old Faithful, Fountain Paint Pots and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone's South Rim. Camp at Madison or Grant Village (~$25/tent). Book Yellowstone campsites the moment they open (up to 6 months ahead) — they sell out fast.

🚌Shared rental car into park (~£25/day split)

🛏Yellowstone campground (~£20)

• →Grand Prismatic Spring
• →Old Faithful eruption
• →Fountain Paint Pots
• →South Rim viewpoints

Drive the Grand Loop Road north to Mammoth Hot Springs, Lamar Valley (best wildlife: bison, wolves, bears — go at dawn) and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Then continue to Bozeman (~2hrs) and check into a hostel (~£32). Evening free in this lively university town.

🚌Shared rental car (~£25)

🛏Bozeman hostel (~£32)

• →Mammoth Hot Springs terraces
• →Lamar Valley wildlife watching
• →Grand Loop Road drive

Greyhound/Amtrak Empire Builder from Bozeman (via Livingston) to West Glacier (~$50, 6hrs — the Empire Builder is a scenic ride in itself). Camp at Apgar or Fish Creek (~$23/tent). Afternoon hike to Avalanche Lake or along the Trail of the Cedars.

🚌Amtrak Empire Builder + Greyhound (~£38)

🛏Apgar/Fish Creek campground (~£18)

• →Avalanche Lake hike
• →Trail of the Cedars boardwalk

Ride the park's free or $1 shuttle along the Going-to-the-Sun Road through Logan Pass (one of the world's great scenic drives) — far cheaper than a private vehicle. Hike the Highline Trail from Logan Pass if snow-free, or hire a kayak on Lake McDonald (~$30).

🚌Free park shuttle

🛏Apgar/Fish Creek campground (~£18)

• →Going-to-the-Sun Road
• →Logan Pass / Highline Trail
• →Lake McDonald kayak hire
• →Continental Divide photo stop

Long travel day: Amtrak Empire Builder from West Glacier to Spokane (~$35), then onward to Seattle on the same train (~$45 more) — or break the trip at Coeur d'Alene for a lake swim and kayak (~$25). Arrive Seattle and check into a downtown hostel like Green Tortoise (~£35/night).

🚌Amtrak Empire Builder (~£60)

🛏Seattle hostel (~£35)

• →Coeur d'Alene lake stop (optional)
• →Amtrak scenic ride through the Cascades

Free day in Seattle. Pike Place Market (free), the waterfront, Chihuly Garden and Glass if you fancy it (~$35), and the Space Needle (~$35) or the cheaper Sky View Observatory. Walk the Olympic Sculpture Park and catch a sunset at Kerry Park. Evening: cheap eats in Capitol Hill or Fremont.

🚌ORCA transit day pass (~$8)

🛏Seattle hostel (~£35)

• →Pike Place Market
• →Kerry Park sunset
• →Olympic Sculpture Park
• →Chihuly Garden and Glass (optional)

Amtrak Cascades from Seattle to Portland (~$35, 3.5hrs). Check into Northwest Portland International Hostel (~£30). Afternoon: Powell's Books, the Pearl District, and the International Rose Test Garden (free). Portland's food carts are the best-value dinner in the country — budget ~$12.

🚌Amtrak Cascades (~£28)

🛏Portland hostel (~£30)

• →Powell's City of Books
• →International Rose Test Garden
• →Food cart pods
• →Alberta Arts District

Hire a car-share or take the Amtrak Thruway bus to Klamath Falls (~$35) then a shuttle/taxi to the park (~$40). Camp at Mazama Village (~$27/tent). Walk the Rim Trail and hike down Cleetwood Cove for a swim in the deepest lake in the US — the water is startlingly blue.

🚌Amtrak Thruway + shuttle (~£58)

🛏Mazama Village campground (~£22)

• →Rim Trail walk
• →Cleetwood Cove swim
• →Watchman Overlook

Drive/coach south on Highway 199 to Crescent City (~$40, 4hrs). Camp at Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park (~$35/tent) and spend the afternoon walking among giant redwoods on the Stout Grove and Boy Scout Tree trails.

🚌Coach/rental car (~£32)

🛏Jedediah Smith campground (~£28)

• →Stout Grove loop
• →Boy Scout Tree Trail
• →Crescent City harbour

A big driving day: head south through the Avenue of the Giants and Eureka, then inland toward Lake Tahoe (~7hrs). Split it with a stop in Mendocino or Santa Rosa if you want. Camp at Fallen Leaf Lake or a Tahoe USFS site (~$28/tent).

🚌Shared rental car (~£40)

🛏Tahoe campground (~£22)

• →Avenue of the Giants drive
• →Founders Grove walk
• →Scenic Highway 1 sections

Free day on the lake. Hire a paddleboard or kayak (~$40) at Emerald Bay, hike the Eagle Lake or Rubicon Trail, or simply swim. Self-launched tip: Tahoe's public beaches are free — skip the private beach clubs.

🚌Local bus / bike (~£8)

🛏Tahoe campground (~£22)

• →Emerald Bay State Park
• →Paddleboard/kayak hire
• →Eagle Lake hike
• →Vikingsholm tour

Take the Tahoe Truckee Area Regional Transit / Amtrak Thruway to Sacramento, then the Capitol Corridor train to the Bay Area (~$45 total). Stop in Napa for a tasting at a walk-in winery (~$30–40) or the cheaper Oxbow Public Market. Arrive San Francisco and check into a hostel in Fisherman's Wharf or the Mission (~£38/night).

🚌Amtrak Thruway + Capitol Corridor (~£36)

🛏San Francisco hostel (~£38)

• →Napa Valley tasting (optional)
• →Oxbow Public Market
• →Bay Area arrival

Golden Gate Bridge walk or bike hire (~$30), Fisherman's Wharf, a cable car ride ($8) and Haight-Ashbury. Spend the afternoon in Golden Gate Park or catch a free sunset at Dolores Park. Optional sunset sailing on the Bay (~$50 via GetYourGuide).

🚌Muni day pass (~£5)

🛏San Francisco hostel (~£38)

• →Golden Gate Bridge
• →Cable car ride
• →Fisherman's Wharf
• →Golden Gate Park
• →Dolores Park sunset

Join an organised small-group Yosemite day tour from San Francisco (~$160 on GetYourGuide) or, better value, take the Amtrak/YARTS bus to Yosemite Valley and camp overnight at Housekeeping Camp or Curry Village (~$50). Walk the Valley Loop, see El Capitan and Half Dome, and take the Mist Trail to Vernal Fall. Peak season timed-entry reservations required (free).

🚌YARTS bus + Amtrak (~£30)

🛏Yosemite campground (~£40)

• →Yosemite Valley loop
• →Mist Trail to Vernal Fall
• →El Capitan viewpoint
• →Tunnel View

Head back to the coast and take the bus/train to Santa Cruz (~$35). Stroll the historic Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk (free entry) and rent a surfboard or wetsuit if you're game (~$35). Continue to Monterey and check into a hostel (~£35). Evening on Cannery Row.

🚌Amtrak/Greyhound (~£28)

🛏Monterey hostel (~£35)

• →Santa Cruz Boardwalk
• →Surfboard hire
• →Cannery Row
• →Monterey Bay walk

Ride the Pacific Coast Highway south — either with a hired car share or the Monterey–San Luis Obispo Greyhound/Amtrak Thruway (~$45). Stop for photos at Bixby Bridge, Pfeiffer Beach and the elephant seal rookery at Piedras Blancas. Check into a hostel in San Luis Obispo (~£32).

🚌Coach/rental car (~£36)

🛏San Luis Obispo hostel (~£32)

• →Bixby Bridge
• →Pfeiffer Beach
• →Piedras Blancas elephant seals
• →Big Sur viewpoints

Amtrak Pacific Surfliner from San Luis Obispo to Los Angeles (~$55, 5hrs) — sit on the right for ocean views through Santa Barbara and Ventura. Arrive LA and check into a hostel in Santa Monica or Venice (~£38/night). Evening on the pier.

🚌Amtrak Pacific Surfliner (~£44)

🛏Los Angeles hostel (~£38)

• →Pacific Surfliner scenic ride
• →Santa Monica Pier
• →Venice Beach Boardwalk

Morning exploring Venice Beach and the canals, or hike up to Griffith Observatory for the Hollywood sign view. Depart from LAX at your leisure — the FlyAway bus runs from Union Station and Van Nuys to LAX for ~$10.

🚌FlyAway bus to LAX (~£8)

🛏—

• →Venice Canals walk
• →Griffith Observatory / Hollywood sign viewpoint
• →Santa Monica Farmers Market (Wed/Sat)