The American Southwest is one of the best road trips in the USA; we visited Grand Canyon and Utah’s five National Parks. We also visited Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Monument Valley, and much more. We flew in and out of Las Vegas for this trip.
Here is the map of our Arizona and Utah mighty five road trip.
Itinerary
Here is the day-by-day itinerary; click on each day for more information on the top things to do in each park for first-time visitors.
Day 1 & 2 : Arrive in Las Vegas, drive to Grand Canyon
Day 3 : Page : Horseshoe & Antelope Canyon
Day 5 & 6 : Arches National Park
Day 7: Canyonland National Park
Day 8 : Capitol Reef National Park
Day 10 & 11 : Zion National Park
Day 12 & 13 : Las Vegas
Day 14 : Fly back home
Optional: Here are a few extra stops you can make on your road trip, depending on your schedule and interests. Day 1: Hoover Dam; Day 5: Four Corners and Mesa Versa; Day 7: Dead Horse Point State Park; Day 8: Goblin Valley; Day 12: Valley of Fire State Park. Depending on how many stops you make, it requires more time.
We did some short and easy hikes based on our fitness level in each park; if you are avid hikers, you might want to add more time for additional hikes.
We stayed two nights at the end of the trip but depending on when you are arriving or departing from Las Vegas; you can choose to spend one night at the beginning and one night at the end of your trip in Las Vegas or skip it altogether.
We flew in and out of Las Vegas, NV; other airport options are Salt Lake City, UT, or Phoenix, AZ, although the route may change accordingly.
You can also do this itinerary in reverse order.
Tip: You can download google maps for offline use as the cellular coverage is spotty in National Parks.
Other Itinerary Options
If you have less time, you can divide it into multiple trips or visit one or two parks, depending on your interests. Here are the options for your itinerary. Click on each park for more information on the top things to do there.
Road trip itinerary ideas for 3-4 days
Option 1: Fly in and out of Phoenix and visit Grand Canyon and Page. If time permits, you can add Monument Valley too.
Option 2: Fly in and out of Las Vegas and visit Zion and Bryce National Park.
Option 3: Fly in and out of Salt Lake City and visit Arches and Canyonlands National Park.
Road trip itinerary ideas for 7 days
Fly in and out of Las Vegas and visit Grand Canyon, Page, Bryce, and Zion National Park.
Accommodations
Grand Canyon Village, AZ – 2 nights
Page, AZ – 1 night
Monument Valley, AZ – 1 night
Moab, UT – 3 nights
Torrey, UT – 1 night
Bryce Canyon, UT – 1 night
Springdale, UT – 2 nights
Las Vegas, NV – 2 nights
Tips: If you plan to stay inside the park, make reservations for your accommodations well in advance, especially for hotels for the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley. Tours of the Antelope Canyon must also be scheduled in advance.
Most hotels have check-out times around 10:00 – 11:00 am and check-in time 2:00 -3:00 pm, so we used that time to travel to the next destination. Staying the night inside the national park gives you the opportunity to watch both the sunset and the sunrise.
Rental Car
A standard vehicle is fine for this trip, but I think SUVs are more comfortable for long road trips. You can rent any car that best suits the requirements and comfort of your family.
National Park Fee
The America Beautiful National Parks pass costs $80 and includes entrances to all National parks for one year. If you are planning to visit more than three parks in a year, it is a good idea to purchase the annual pass. We visited 6 national parks on this trip.
If you include state parks on this trip, you will need to pay their entrance fee because they are not covered in the annual pass.
Best Time to Visit
Spring and Fall are the best time to do this itinerary. Summers might be very crowded and hot to do the hikes. Winters might be chilly, and some roads might be closed. We took this road trip in May and experienced different weather at each national Park. Since these parks are at different elevations, Arches and Canyonland were very hot, and other parks were cold.
Thanks for your blog, nice to read. Do not stop.
We have done this road trip and it is fabulous! Great post!