Southwest U.S. Road Trip

Published March 25, 2023 by: MB

Ashwanth and I & did this trip in the fall of 2021, and it remains one of our favorite we've been on!

Day 1: Travel to Zion

• Fly into Las Vegas, pick up rental car, and drive to Zion National Park (2.5 hrs).
• Buy an Annual National Park Pass in Zion ($80) to cover the rest of the trip
• Could park/do the Overlook Trail for sunset (~1 mi) time pending.
• We spent the night at Boundary Cabin to be close to the park!

Day 2: Zion → Bryce Canyon

• We woke up super early to do  Angel’s Landing at sunrise. Take the first shuttle if possible, which starts running at 6 am. Consider bringing a USB charger for phones. I was nervous being afraid of heights, but it was fine! Chain part is limited, and the pro of going early is that people are only going one direction (becomes more crowded as the day goes on).
• Since we only had so much time, we only did one big Zion hike, and then drove around the park a bit, but with longer, everyone recommends the Narrows (you can rent equipment somewhere like here)
• Lunch at Oscar’s Cafe in Springdale, for burritos larger than your head (and many other delicious options) when you are famished post-hike
• After the hike, drive to Bryce Canyon (1.5 hrs). We “glamped” which we DO NOT recommend; plenty of nice hotels & AirBnBs to choose from instead 🙂
• Good dinner option: Restaurant Bryce Canyon

Day 3: Bryce Canyon → Page, AZ

• We did the Peakaboo Loop (5 mi). Start on Wall Street because steep switchbacks down at beginning. Bryce is SO cool with the hoodoos - incredible scenery!!
• Navajo Loop (3 mi, go clockwise) is another popular option.
• Afterward, we drove to Page, AZ.
• Dinner: Birdhouse, Fiesta Mexicana (patio, margs), El Tapatio
• We stayed at Dreamkatchers and could not recommend it more highly; run by a wonderful couple who are the most amazing hosts and make delicious breakfast food

Day 4: Antelope Canyon in Page, AZ

• Morning at leisure with amazing breakfast at Dreamkatchers
• 90 min tour of Upper Antelope Canyon at noon, but we have to arrive early
• Hike Horseshoe Bend in the afternoon
• See dinner options from the previous day!

Day 5: Page, AZ → Grand Canyon South Rim

• Lake Powell Paddleboards kayak rental at 10 am to explore the lower part of Antelope Canyon. It’s slightly less dramatic than the Upper Canyon, but has far fewer people, so pretty cool / definitely recommended.
• Drive to Grand Canyon South Rim (~3 hours)
• We stayed at the Yavapai Lodge which was a great location for hiking proximity!

Day 6: Grand Canyon → Las Vegas

• Tons of hiking options - We did this 13 mi route that lets you do both South Kaibab and Bright Angel (vs. going out and back, or staying longer and doing an overnight down by the river). The Tonto segment is mainly a cutover.
• Drive from the Grand Canyon to Las Vegas - tons of dinner and hotel options in Vegas, we stayed at the Mirage and liked it!

Day 7: Las Vegas

• Casinos!
• Good food!
• Shows! We went to Shin Lim (magic!) at the Mirage

Day 8: The end / travel home

If we were to do it again, we would have loved an additional day in Zion to do the Narrows, or an additional day in Bryce to explore since Bryce is SO beautiful, but this was honestly an incredible trip as-is!