The Western Trails: The Starting Itinerary
Below is a sample itinerary designed to inspire your journey. All elements — from accommodations to experiences — can be tailored to match your travel style and preferences.
Day 1: Arrival in Los Angeles
Arrive in Los Angeles, pick up your rental SUV, and check in at your hotel. The rest of the day is intentionally open—ideal for a relaxed first evening, a scenic viewpoint, and a well-planned dinner depending on your preferred neighborhood.
Night: Los Angeles, 4-star superior hotel (preferred network), with an optional upgrade to 5-star luxury.
Day 2: Los Angeles – From Hollywood to the Coast
A full day to explore Los Angeles at your pace. This day can be styled around your interests:
- Classic LA: Hollywood, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, scenic overlooks
- Coastal LA: Santa Monica, Venice, Malibu and sunset dining
- Studios & entertainment: studio experiences and theme parks (by preference and timing)
- Architecture & design: curated neighborhoods and landmark homes for design lovers
Night: Los Angeles, 4-star superior hotel (preferred network), with an optional upgrade to 5-star luxury.
Day 3: Los Angeles → San Diego
Depart for San Diego, a coastal city with a relaxed lifestyle feel and beautiful waterfront districts. Depending on your style, the day can include the
historic Old Town area, the bayside atmosphere, beach time, and an evening in lively dining neighborhoods.
Driving guide (approx.): ~2.5–3 hours (traffic dependent)
Night: San Diego, 4-star superior hotel (preferred network).
Boutique coastal upgrades can be arranged where available.
Day 4: San Diego → Joshua Tree National Park → Luxury desert resort (Greater Palm Springs / Joshua Tree area)
Depart San Diego in the morning and head inland toward
Joshua Tree National Park. Spend the afternoon exploring the park’s most iconic scenery—boulder landscapes, Joshua tree groves, and panoramic desert viewpoints. If timing allows, we recommend planning for late-afternoon / sunset light inside the park, then continuing to your resort for a comfort-forward evening.
Upgrade note (important): True “luxury resort” inventory is strongest in the Greater Palm Springs area (a short drive from Joshua Tree). This lets you enjoy Joshua Tree’s landscapes while returning to a higher-end base with better amenities, dining, and room categories.
Night: Joshua Tree / Greater Palm Springs area, luxury desert resort (preferred network), or upscale boutique desert retreat (best available).
Day 5: Joshua Tree / Palm Springs area → Historic Route 66 (optional) → Grand Canyon (South Rim)
Depart early for the
Grand Canyon. This is a longer drive day, so we recommend a smart pacing plan with one meaningful stop en route—ideally a slice of
Historic Route 66 (for example, a classic Americana town stop for lunch and photos).
Arrive to the
Grand Canyon South Rim in the afternoon, check in, and aim for your first canyon viewpoints before sunset—often one of the most memorable moments of the trip.
Night: Grand Canyon area (South Rim gateway), 4-star superior lodge/resort-style stay (preferred network).
Inventory is limited near the park, so we prioritize the strongest combination of location and quality available for your dates.
Day 6: Grand Canyon → Monument Valley → Page / Lake Powell
Leave the Grand Canyon and head toward
Monument Valley, one of the most iconic landscapes in the American West. Continue to Page / Lake Powell for the evening.
Night: Page / Lake Powell area, 4-star superior hotel (preferred network).
This is also a strong area for optional curated experiences at sunrise/sunset.
Day 7: Page – Horseshoe Bend & Antelope Canyon → Bryce Canyon
Start the day with a visit to Horseshoe Bend, then continue with Antelope Canyon.
Important access note: Antelope Canyon visits require a guided tour and can sell out—advance planning is essential.
In the afternoon, travel onward to
Bryce Canyon, where the changing light on the hoodoos makes late afternoon and sunset particularly memorable.
Night: Bryce Canyon area, best available lodge / resort-style stay (preferred network).
This is a small gateway market—best-available quality and location are key.
Day 8: Bryce Canyon → Las Vegas
Enjoy Bryce in the morning (light, viewpoints, short trails if desired), then continue to Las Vegas for a complete change of atmosphere—resort energy, dining, shows, and iconic hotels.
Night: Las Vegas, 4-star superior hotel (preferred network), with an optional upgrade to 5-star luxury.
Day 9: Las Vegas (leisure day)
A full day in Las Vegas to enjoy the city at your chosen pace—
pool time, shows, dining, shopping, or simply exploring the iconic resorts and their dramatic interiors.
Night: Las Vegas, 4-star superior hotel (preferred network), with an optional upgrade to 5-star luxury.
Day 10: Las Vegas → Death Valley → Eastern Sierra (Bishop area)
Depart Las Vegas and travel into Death Valley, with key stops such as
Badwater Basin and scenic viewpoints depending on conditions.
Seasonal comfort note: In peak summer, Death Valley heat can be extreme. We tailor timing and stops carefully for comfort and safety.
Continue to the Eastern Sierra region for your overnight.
Night: Eastern Sierra (Bishop area), best available comfort-forward hotel (preferred network).
For a more upscale feel, we can refine this stop to a more character-driven mountain base, depending on availability and routing.
Day 11: Bishop → Mammoth Lakes → Yosemite (Tioga Pass route, seasonal) → Yosemite gateway
Continue north with a stop in
Mammoth Lakes and then cross into
Yosemite via the Tioga Pass route when accessible.
Important seasonal note: Tioga Pass is seasonal. If closed, we re-route using an alternate approach to Yosemite while keeping the overall itinerary intact.
Arrive in the Yosemite region for the evening.
Night: Yosemite gateway area, best available 4-star superior lodge / resort-style stay (preferred network).
Inside-park or closest-access stays can be arranged depending on season and availability.
Day 12: Yosemite National Park (full day)
A full day dedicated to Yosemite’s iconic landscapes—valley viewpoints, waterfalls (seasonal), and scenic drives. We recommend planning a balanced day that includes signature highlights without overloading the schedule.
Night: Yosemite gateway area, best available 4-star superior lodge / resort-style stay (preferred network).
Day 13: Yosemite → San Francisco
Depart Yosemite and travel to San Francisco. Upon arrival, many travelers prefer to return the vehicle and use local transportation (parking and driving can be inconvenient in the city), depending on your hotel location and plans.
Enjoy your first evening in San Francisco—waterfront atmosphere, classic neighborhoods, and dining.
Night: San Francisco, 4-star superior hotel (preferred network), with an optional upgrade to 5-star luxury.
Day 14: San Francisco departure (End of services)
Free time depending on your flight schedule, then airport transfer and departure.
End of services.
Route overview: The Western Trails at a glance
Let’s design your The Western Trails Journey
This is the American West in its most cinematic form—starting in Los Angeles, dipping into the coastal lifestyle of San Diego, then shifting into desert drama with Joshua Tree and a luxury desert resort base in the Greater Palm Springs area. From there, the journey becomes a greatest-hits progression of icons: Historic Route 66 on the way to the Grand Canyon, the legendary silhouettes of Monument Valley, the sculpted sandstone of Page (with Horseshoe Bend and guided Antelope Canyon access), the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon, and the neon contrast of Las Vegas—before the landscape turns raw and otherworldly in Death Valley, the Eastern Sierra, and Yosemite, ending with the culture and waterfront energy of San Francisco.
What makes this itinerary truly premium is that it’s designed to be realistic and adaptable, not rigid. We plan the routing and pacing around what matters most—sunrise/sunset timing, comfort-forward drive days, and smart stopovers—while also accounting for the details that shape the experience in the West: seasonal road access (such as Yosemite’s Tioga Pass), summer heat strategy for desert parks, and reservation-sensitive experiences (like Antelope Canyon, and other timed-entry areas when applicable).
And it’s highly customizable. Want to slow the rhythm and elevate the hotel experience? We can add nights in the right places (more time in Palm Springs, an extra night near the Grand Canyon, a deeper Yosemite stay, or a longer San Francisco finish), refine park gateways to the best-available lodging, and layer in curated upgrades—from guided canyon tours and private jeep-style experiences to scenic flights and comfort-forward logistics.
Ready to start planning? Share your travel dates, preferred hotel style, and the experiences you care about most—and we’ll craft a personalized Western Trails road trip built around your priorities.