US West National Parks & Coast Grand Loop

A Los Angeles loop passing through Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Yosemite, and San Francisco, returning along the coast

The most classic US West Grand Loop featured in travel guides, covering cities, canyons, deserts, and coasts in one go. With long daily drives and frequent moving days, it is best suited for those with a long enough vacation who can take turns driving. The trade-off is staying only one or two nights in each location, and Yosemite relies on Tioga Road for connection, meaning it can only be scheduled during the months when the mountain pass is open.

Tioga Road is closed from around November to May or June of the following year. Desert heat in July and August is extreme and not recommended.

Day by day

Day 1 · Arrival and Hollywood

Los Angeles（Hollywood Walk of Fame / TCL Chinese Theatre、Griffith Observatory）

Drive from the airport to Hollywood in about 1 hour, then drive up the hill to Griffith Observatory in the evening, taking about 20 minutes.

Stay: Hollywood

Day 2 · Universal Studios Hollywood

Los Angeles（Universal Studios Hollywood）

Drive about 15 minutes from Hollywood to the park, spending the entire day inside.

Stay: Hollywood

Day 3 · Getty Center and the West Coast

Los Angeles（Getty Center、Santa Monica Pier、Venice Beach）

Drive from Hollywood to the Getty Center in about 40 minutes, then to Santa Monica in about 30 minutes, returning before the evening rush hour.

Stay: Hollywood

Day 4 · Across the Mojave to Las Vegas

Mojave National Preserve（World's Tallest Thermometer） → Las Vegas（Las Vegas Strip、Fountains of Bellagio）

Drive along Interstate 15 for about 430 km, taking 4.5 hours, with a stop in Baker for fuel and a rest.

Stay: Central Strip

Day 5 · Hoover Dam to the Grand Canyon

Las Vegas（Hoover Dam） → Grand Canyon South Rim（Mather Point、Hermit Road & Hopi Point）

Drive from Las Vegas via Hoover Dam to the South Rim, about 440 km, taking 4.5 to 5 hours, arriving in the afternoon for the sunset.

Stay: Tusayan

Day 6 · South Rim East Section to Page

Grand Canyon South Rim（Desert View Watchtower） → Page & Lake Powell（Horseshoe Bend）

Exit the South Rim eastward along Desert View Drive, then head north to Page, about 220 km, taking 2.5 hours.

Stay: Page

Day 7 · Antelope Canyon to Zion

Page & Lake Powell（Antelope Canyon、Glen Canyon Dam Overlook） → Zion National Park（Zion–Mount Carmel Highway & Tunnel）

Visit the canyon in the morning, then drive via Kanab to Springdale in the afternoon, about 200 km, taking 2.5 to 3 hours.

Antelope Canyon can only be entered with a licensed guide, so book well in advance.

Stay: Springdale

Day 8 · Zion Canyon back to Las Vegas

Zion National Park（Zion National Park、Riverside Walk） → Las Vegas（Fremont Street Experience）

Take the park shuttle to explore the canyon in the morning, then drive back to Las Vegas along Interstate 15 in the afternoon, taking about 2.5 hours.

Be mindful of the time zone difference between Utah and Nevada on your return journey.

Stay: Central Strip

Day 9 · Death Valley Basin and Artist's Drive

Death Valley National Park（Zabriskie Point、Badwater Basin、Artists Drive & Artists Palette）

Drive from Las Vegas to Furnace Creek in just over 2 hours. Attractions within the park are about 30 minutes apart. Fill up on fuel early.

Supplies are scarce inside the park, so bring plenty of drinking water.

Stay: Stovepipe Wells

Day 10 · Sand Dunes to the Eastern Sierra Foothills

Death Valley National Park（Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes） → Lone Pine & Alabama Hills（Alabama Hills） → Mammoth Lakes（Convict Lake）

Drive from Stovepipe Wells to Lone Pine in about 1.5 hours, then head north along US-395 to Mammoth Lakes in about 2 hours.

Stay: Main Street (Along US-395)

Day 11 · Mono Lake and Crossing Tioga Pass

Yosemite National Park（Mono Lake & South Tufa、Tuolumne Meadows、Tenaya Lake、Olmsted Point）

Drive from Mammoth Lakes to Mono Lake in about 30 minutes, then enter Yosemite Valley via Tioga Road in about 2.5 hours.

Tioga Road has no fixed opening date; check park announcements before setting off.

Stay: Yosemite Valley

Day 12 · Yosemite Full Day

Yosemite National Park（Tunnel View、Glacier Point、Yosemite Falls）

Take the free shuttle within the valley. The drive up to Glacier Point takes about 1 hour one way, returning to the valley floor in the evening.

Stay: Yosemite Valley

Day 13 · Leaving the Mountains for San Francisco

Yosemite National Park（Bridalveil Fall） → San Francisco（Golden Gate Bridge）

Drive west out of Yosemite to San Francisco, about 310 km, taking about 4 hours of pure driving.

Stay: Marina District

Day 14 · San Francisco Bay Day Tour

San Francisco（Alcatraz Island、Fisherman's Wharf & Pier 39、San Francisco Cable Cars、Lombard Street）

Leave your car at the hotel and explore the city center on foot and by cable car. The round-trip ferry to Alcatraz Island takes about half a day.

Alcatraz ferry tickets often sell out weeks in advance, so be sure to book early.

Stay: Marina District

Day 15 · 17-Mile Drive and Big Sur

Monterey & Big Sur（17-Mile Drive、Bixby Creek Bridge、McWay Falls） → Cambria & Hearst Castle（Moonstone Beach Boardwalk）

Drive from San Francisco to Monterey in about 2 hours, then continue through Big Sur to Cambria in about 3 hours, spending the whole day on the road.

Check if the Big Sur section of Highway 1 is open before setting off.

Stay: Along Moonstone Beach Drive

Day 16 · Elephant Seals to Los Angeles

Cambria & Hearst Castle（Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery） → Santa Barbara（Stearns Wharf） → Los Angeles

Drive from Cambria via Santa Barbara back to Los Angeles, about 370 km, taking 4.5 to 5 hours. You can depart on a late-night flight.

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