Las Vegas to Grand Canyon Road Trip: Best National Park Loop
Our Las Vegas to Grand Canyon road trip was one of our favorite trips, even after exploring 80+ countries. We turned it into a full Southwest loop through Zion, Bryce Canyon, Monument Valley, and the Grand Canyon. Eight nights was plenty to enjoy it all. This guide covers the full itinerary, the best stops along the way, where to stay, and how to plan a smooth and scenic drive from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon and back.
Las Vegas to Grand Canyon Road Trip: At a Glance
| The Route | Las Vegas loop: Zion, Bryce Canyon, Monument Valley, Grand Canyon, back to Las Vegas. |
| Total Time | 8 nights, Saturday to Sunday. Add an extra night at Bryce and Monument Valley if you’re serious about hiking. |
| Best Direction | Clockwise from Las Vegas: Zion first, Grand Canyon last, Hoover Dam on the way back. |
| Rental Car | Pick up in Las Vegas the morning you leave for Zion. You need a car for the entire loop. We had great luck with Enterprise Rent-a-Car |
| Where to Stay | Vdara Hotel & Spa Las Vegas, Cable Mountain Lodge at Zion, The Lodge at Bryce Canyon, The View Hotel at Monument Valley, Bright Angel Lodge at Grand Canyon. |
| Book Ahead | The View Hotel and the in-park or near-park Zion, Bryce, and Grand Canyon lodges sell out months in advance. |
| Best Splurge | A Maverick Helicopters flight over the Grand Canyon at $450 per person. |
| What to Skip | Driving into Monument Valley yourself. The roads are rough and the porch view at The View Hotel’s Premium View Cabins is perfect |
Why Start a Grand Canyon Road Trip in Las Vegas
Las Vegas is the easiest launch point for an American Southwest national parks loop. Flights are easy and frequent, rental cars have good availability from the airport center, and Zion is only about two and a half hours away. You can land early, spend a whole day and night on the Las Vegas Strip, pick up a car the next morning, and be hiking at your first stop by early afternoon.
We bookended the trip with a night in Vegas on each side, which worked perfectly. We stayed at Vdara Hotel & Spa on the arrival night, which is a quiet non-gaming property in the center of the Strip. We had an excellent dinner and show the night before heading to the parks. We did the same on the way home, but preferred our experience on the front end, so that’s what we cover in the link below:
If you have an early flight out at the end of your trip, the Best Western McCarran Inn is a very convenient and affordable option with a free airport shuttle.
Pro Tip: Don’t pick up the rental car until the morning you leave for Zion. Driving, parking, and fees in Vegas on a rental car you won’t use the first night add unnecessary stress, and rideshares and taxis are easy.
Day Trip Stop: Valley of Fire State Park From Las Vegas
Valley of Fire is directly on the drive from Las Vegas toward Zion with just a little detour to get into the state park. The red Aztec sandstone formations are worth seeing even if you only drive through without hiking. It breaks up the road trip and gives you the first taste of the desert landscape.
Pro Tip: Head toward Mouse’s Tank Road in the park, drive down to the end at White Domes, then circle back. That stretch offers the best of the park’s color and rock formations in a short loop. If you have extra time, the hiking in Valley of Fire State Park is a worthwhile longer stop.But there’s a theme to this whole trip. It’s hotter than you might think. Bring a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and more water than you think you’ll need.
Zion National Park: 2-Night Itinerary
Zion is the first major park on the loop, and two nights gives you a full day inside at a comfortable pace. The shuttle system makes the main sights easy to reach even if you’re not a serious hiker. The nearest major airport to Zion is Las Vegas, which is why this makes a great first stop on the Grand Canyon road trip itinerary.
We spent our full day exploring the Zion shuttle stops starting with the last stop and working our way back down. We did all the easy trails, like the Riverwalk and the Pa’rus Trail.
👉 Our 1-day Zion itinerary covers the easiest hikes on a full day in Zion National Park.
We stayed two nights at Cable Mountain Lodge in Springdale, which is conveniently located right across from the pedestrian bridge into the park. We’d absolutely book itagain. Staying that close means you skip the daily traffic and shuttle congestion from Springdale.
👉 Our guide to the best hotels near Zion breaks down the Springdale and in-park options if Cable Mountain Lodge is booked.
Pro Tip: The Pa’rus Trail was mostly empty compared to the crowds heading to the Narrows, and it’s an easy two-mile walk with vista views. It’s also fully exposed with almost no shade, so wear a hat and carry far more water than you think you need.
Bryce Canyon National Park: 1-Night Itinerary
Bryce Canyon is about two hours from Zion and a completely different landscape with an amphitheater of orange hoodoos that are stunning at sunrise and sunset. If you’re weighing Zion vs. Bryce Canyon, they’re different enough and close enough that we highly recommend doing both.
One night at Bryce is enough if you just want to see the hoodoos from the rim. But you should add a second if you want a full day to hike down. We stayed one night at Bryce Canyon Lodge, a few minutes’ walk from the rim.
👉 Our Lodge at Bryce Canyon review covers whether the in-park stay is worth it, and our 1-day Bryce Canyon itinerary maps out the best of the park for a first visit.
Pro Tip: You don’t need to follow the crowd to the designated sunrise and sunset points on the Bryce Canyon rim trail. The views are excellent from any spot on the rim, and we thought sunrise actually looked best from Sunset Point with the light hitting the hoodoos. Grab a pizza from the Bryce Canyon Lodge pizza shop and enjoy it on the rim at sunset.
Drive From Bryce Canyon to Monument Valley with Stops at Coral Pink Sand Dunes and Horseshoe Bend
The drive from Bryce to Monument Valley is long and there are two great stops that break it up nicely. Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park is a good place to stretch your legs. You can ride an ATV, try sand surfing, or just take in the views from the observation deck before getting back on the road.
Horseshoe Bend is the more famous spot and we think it’s worth the stop, with a few caveats. The hike from the parking lot to the viewpoint is about 1.5 miles round trip with no shade. On our visit it was uncomfortably windy, so we battled the gusts and held onto our hats the whole way. If you’re fine with that for the photo, it’s a remarkable view., and we were glad we did it.
Mistake to Avoid: Don’t underestimate the exposure at Horseshoe Bend. There’s no shade and only one shelter on the walk. Go early, bring water, and secure anything that can blow away.
Monument Valley: 1-Night Stay at The View Hotel
Monument Valley was one of the most memorable stays of all our travels with a perfect happy hour sunset from our cabin. The View Hotel is inside the park, so you’ll pay the Navajo Nation park fee to enter. We booked a Premium View Cabin at The View Hotel Monument Valley six months in advance, right when our dates opened. We were so happy with the unobstructed view of the valley’s mittens and buttes from our own porch.
The cabins have a microwave, mini-fridge, and coffee maker, and there’s no alcohol sold on the Navajo Nation, so we stopped at a grocery store on the way in for supplies and wine to enjoy with the sunset. It’s also a good idea to wake up early and catch the sunrise. We’ve never seen anything like it.
👉 For the full breakdown of cabins, tours, and what to know before booking, see our Monument Valley travel guide.
You can drive into the park yourself, but the roads are rough. A 1.5 or 3-hour Navajo-guided jeep tour is the smarter way to see the valley floor, especially if you don’t want to damage your rental car. For us, the porch view was as good as it gets, so we relaxed instead.
Pro Tips: Book The View Hotel the moment your dates open. The Premium View cabins sell out months ahead. Stop at Goulding’s Lodge on the way out to see the history of the Western movies filmed in the area.
The Drive From Monument Valley to the Grand Canyon: Stop at Cameron Trading Post and Take Desert View Drive
Break up the drive from Monument Valley to the Grand Canyon with lunch at Cameron Trading Post. It’s touristy, but the food is good and it splits the drive well. The expansive Southwestern gift shop is fun to browse too.
Pro Tip: Order the Navajo taco on fry bread at Cameron Trading Post, but split it. It’s huge. Add a delicious prickly pear iced tea.
Instead of taking the highway straight to Grand Canyon Village, drive in along Desert View Drive. You get your first glimpses of the canyon at a series of overlooks on the way. The Watchtower at Desert View is spectacular for photos, though more crowded than Lipan Point, which we also recommend.
Grand Canyon South Rim: Best 2-Night Itinerary
What we loved about doing the Southwestern loop in this direction is that the scenery gets progressively more stunning as you go. The Grand Canyon South Rim is the perfect finale for this gorgeous loop. Two nights lets you easily walk the rim, ride the shuttle routes, and fit in a helicopter tour. We based ourselves inside the park, just steps from the rim, which made the experience hassle-free. We stayed at Bright Angel Lodge, right at the trailhead, and weighed it against El Tovar Hotel before booking.
👉 Our Bright Angel Lodge review breaks down why we chose it over its pricier neighbor.
👉 For a full day on the rim, our Grand Canyon South Rim itinerary maps the shuttle loops and the overlooks worth your time.
On the South Rim shuttle, we did the Red Loop shuttle, with an easy 0.7-mile walk from Hopi to Mohave Point, then back on the shuttle to The Abyss and Pima Point. If you only do one overlook, make it Pima Point for the most expansive view. The Abyss is worth it too, since you can see straight down into the canyon.
The best thing we did at the canyon was a Grand Canyon helicopter tour with Maverick Helicopters. Flying over flat desert and then dropping into the canyon is a totally different experience from the rim. It’s a splurge at $450 per person, and for us it was worth every dollar.
Pro Tip: For dinner inside the park, the Arizona Steakhouse at Bright Angel Lodge and the El Tovar Dining Room are the two best options, both with canyon views. We gave Arizona Steakhouse the slight edge for service and a more relaxed feel. Reserve ahead either way.
The Drive Back to Las Vegas: Route 66 and Hoover Dam
Our return to Las Vegas had two stops that made the long drive better. About an hour and 45 minutes from the Grand Canyon, Seligman, Arizona is a kitschy Route 66 town with a breakfast stop we absolutely loved. We ate at the Roadkill Cafe, a diner and saloon with a gift shop. We were pleasantly surprised at how good the classic American breakfast was with fluffy pancakes, crispy hash browns, and a perfect egg sandwich. If you’re visiting from abroad, this is pure Americana.
Not to ruin your appetite, but there was literally a crow in the middle of the road right in front of the Roadkill Cafe eating a roadkill snake. We thought it was a prop until we investigated further. Sorry, you’re getting photo proof below!
From Seligman it’s a little over two hours to the Hoover Dam, which was our last stop before Vegas. Note that there are two stops. The first viewpoint gives you a scenic look at the dam from the bridge overlook. Drive a bit further and you can walk across the dam itself. Both are worth doing. It’s hot, sunny, and on our visit extremely windy, enough that the bridge felt uncomfortable, so keep that in mind.
From the dam it’s only about 40 minutes back to Las Vegas. We spent the last night at a Best Western McCarran Inn near Harry Reid International Airport with a morning shuttle, which made the early flight home easy.
Las Vegas to Grand Canyon Road Trip: Planning and Logistics
How Many Days You Need
Eight nights covers the full loop comfortably, Saturday to Sunday, with a night in Vegas on each end. If you want serious hiking, add a night at Bryce and a night at Monument Valley so you get a full day at each park. You can compress the loop into less time, but we think you’ll start to feel rushed if you do less than 8 nights.
Renting a Car in Las Vegas
You need a car for this entire trip, and a Las Vegas loop makes it easy. But wait to pick it up until the morning you leave for Zion, so you’re not paying for parking and fees, or navigating traffic, during a one-night stay on the Las Vegas Strip.
Driving Distances Between Parks
The drives are manageable and scenic. Las Vegas to Zion takes about two and a half hours. Zion to Bryce Canyon is roughly two hours. Bryce to Monument Valley is the longest leg at 4.5 to 5 hours, which is why we highly recommend the Coral Pink and Horseshoe Bend stops. The Monument Valley to Grand Canyon leg is 3 hours, so a stop at Cameron Trading Post is perfect. Be sure on the Grand Canyon back to Las Vegas leg that you stop in Seligman for Route 66 kitsch and visit the Hoover Dam if you’ve never done so before. It makes the 4.5-5 hour route a little longer, but it’s worth it.
Las Vegas to Grand Canyon Road Trip: Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Las Vegas from the Grand Canyon by car?
The drive from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon South Rim takes about 4.5 hours direct. On this loop, you reach the canyon later in the trip after Zion, Bryce, and Monument Valley, then drive back to Las Vegas in roughly four to five hours through Seligman on Route 66 and a stop at the Hoover Dam.
How many days do you need for a Las Vegas to Grand Canyon road trip?
Eight nights covers the full loop through Zion, Bryce, Monument Valley, and the Grand Canyon with a night in Las Vegas on each end. If you only want Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon, you can do it in a minimum of three or four nights. For serious hiking at every park, make it 10 nights and add an extra night at Bryce Canyon and Monument Valley.
What airport is closest to Zion National Park?
Las Vegas is the most practical airport for Zion, about two and a half hours away, with the cheapest flights and rental cars for the route. St. George, Utah, has a small regional airport closer to the park, but the flight options and car rental selection are far more limited than Las Vegas. If you’re exploring more of Utah, like Moab and Canyonlands, you should also look into Salt Lake City, but that’s generally more expensive and out of the way for the route we chose.
How far is Bryce Canyon from Zion National Park?
Bryce Canyon is about two hours from Zion by car, which makes the two parks an easy pairing on any Southwest loop. You’ll climb in elevation, so Bryce is usually cooler than Zion, and the landscape shifts from red canyon walls to the hoodoo amphitheater Bryce is known for.
Do you need a rental car for a Las Vegas to Grand Canyon road trip?
Yes. While you can do a scenic train to the Grand Canyon from some locations, there’s no practical way to do this full loop without a car. Las Vegas has the easiest and cheapest rental pickup. Wait to collect the car until you leave for Zion, since you can cover a one-night Strip stay by rideshare and skip parking and fees.
What’s the best direction to drive the loop?
Clockwise from Las Vegas works best with Zion first, then Bryce, Monument Valley, and the Grand Canyon, with Route 66 the Hoover Dam on the way back. This order keeps the drives increasingly scenic, and saves the Grand Canyon as the finale before the drive back to Vegas.
When is the best time for a Southwest national parks road trip?
Spring and fall offer the most comfortable temperatures across all the parks. We did this loop in mid-May and had warm days and cool nights. Summer brings extreme heat, while winter can mean some high-elevation roads and viewpoints are closed.
Have you done a Las Vegas to Grand Canyon road trip? Let us know in the comments.
