In this article, we will assume you will arrive and depart from Los Angeles International Airport, but if you fly all the way to Los Angeles, you will want to see more than just the city. So, here you have a curated one-week itinerary to make the most of your time there. Let’s get you ready for one week of modern cities and breathtaking natural landscapes across the states of California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah, in just a week!
Days 1-2: Los Angeles
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Once you arrive in Los Angeles, get yourself a car so you can freely move around the big city for the day you arrive and the following one, visiting Hollywood and Universal Studios, Santa Monica Pier and Venice Beach, The Griffith Observatory or Beverly Hills.
Day 3: Joshua Tree National Park & Mojave Desert
On your third day, you will leave Los Angeles early to start making your way to Las Vegas through these two worth-seeing natural areas. First, you’ll head to the Joshua Tree National Park, where you will first stop by the Visitor’s Center to get your National Park Annual Pass.
In these parks you’ll find very unique desert landscape with the iconic Joshua Trees, the Cholla Cactus Garden, surreal rock formations and abundant opportunities for hiking and rock climbing a bit (be careful though!).
Day 4: Experience Las Vegas
Well, you should spend a day in Las Vegas! Get a nice hotel with a pool (they are way cheaper than in Los Angeles) and visit the Las Vegas Strip, the Freemont Street Experience and the recently opened Sphere, a place where you can enjoy some of the best shows in the city.
Days 5-6: Grand Canyon via Hoover Dam and Route 66
Start your day with a drive from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon Village in the South Rim. On your way, make a stop at the impressive Hoover Dam, where you can learn about this engineering feat and enjoy stunning views of Lake Mead.
Drive through the historic towns of Kingman and Williams along Route 66, soaking up the nostalgic charm of this legendary highway. Arrive at the Grand Canyon in time to catch a breathtaking sunset from one of its many viewpoints.
Day 7: Horseshoe Bend & Zion National Park
After leaving the Grand Canyon Village, get ready for an awesome scenic road trip today. You will be driving alongside the Grand Canyon and will naturally want to stop to take pictures, but the best place to do that is the Horseshoe Bend. While it’s not covered by the National Park Annual Pass, it’s worth the small fee, trust me.
After that, you’ll continue to Zion National Park, which you should have time to visit on this same day (we did). Just a couple of things: make sure you get there via the Zion Mount Carmel Tunnel, the scenic drive there is unbelievable. Also, if you want to do the wet canyoning in the narrows or climb Angel Landings, I would then recommend staying an extra day and keep in mind you need to ask permission to complete the Angel Landings peak, so ask for it at least a day before.
Day 8: Return to Los Angeles
Driving from Zion National Park to Los Angeles takes between seven and eight hours, so this day will primarily be spent on the road. However, if you leave early, you’ll have time for a final stroll in Los Angeles or to visit any attractions you might have missed in the first few days. In our case, we reserved an extra day for Universal Studios, allowing us to end the trip on a high note!
Written and curated by Marc Sáez
