If it is the first time you are going to travel to the west coast of the United States, depending on the time you have, you should focus on doing the essential visits.
To do this, it is advisable to plan a route that combines the three large cities (San Francisco, Los Angeles y Las Vegas) with the most beautiful towns and natural environments.
On this occasion I am going to propose a 15-day route along the West Coast by essential sites What you should include in your trip, starting from San Francisco, to Yosemite y Los Angeles, and ending well in Las Vegas or in Phoenix, southern Arizona.
DON'T FORGET YOUR TRAVEL INSURANCE
Are you planning your trip or getaway? Don't leave without take out your travel insurance before, and here we explain whyIf you contract it with us, you have a 10% discount with the code GUIASVIAJAR10.
All the information in detail
- 1 Tips for traveling to the West Coast
- 2 Driving route along the West Coast
- 2.1 Day 1- Arrival in San Francisco
- 2.2 Days 2 and 3 – Visits in San Francisco
- 2.3 Day 4 – From San Francisco to Yosemite National Park
- 2.4 Day 5 – From Yosemite to Monterey
- 2.5 Day 6 – From Monterey to San Luis Obispo
- 2.6 Day 7 – From San Luis Obispo to Los Angeles
- 2.7 Days 8 and 9 – Los Angeles
- 2.8 Day 10 – From Los Angeles to Las Vegas
- 2.9 Day 11 – Las Vegas
- 2.10 Day 12 – From Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon of the Colorado
- 2.11 Day 13 – From the Grand Canyon to Monument Valley
- 2.12 Day 14 – From Monument Valley to Phoenix, via Sedona
- 2.13 Day 15 – Return flight from Phoenix
- 2.14 Alternatives on the route
- 3 Map Driving route along the West Coast
Tips for traveling to the West Coast
As a prelude to the route information, it is worth considering the choice of flights and how are you going to stay in West Coast hotels and motels.
You should also make sure that you travel with a good travel insurance, taking into account the very high coverage What you will need to travel to the United States with peace of mind.
On the proposed route, since the arrival city of your flight to the west coast is different from the departure city, at the time of book flights Perhaps the most advisable thing is to first book a trip from Spain to New York, or some other city in the eastern United States.
Subsequently, to get to the west coast, you can search for offers at american companies low cost for the outbound flight to San Francisco and return from Las Vegas or Phoenix.
This combination may not cost you more than booking a round-trip flight directly from Spain to, say, Los Angeles or San Francisco.
As to accommodation, it is recommended Search and book hotels in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, as well as in the most uninhabited areas of the interior, such as Grand Canyon and the Monument Valley.
Instead my advice is to leave the rest of the days open to have some flexibility during the route for possible incidents or changes in it.
Driving route along the West Coast
Day 1- Arrival in San Francisco
The day of the arrival in San Francisco After your flight to the west coast you will surely need it to recover from the jet lag, especially if you have not rested on a stopover in the United States after starting the trip in Spain.
Days 2 and 3 – Visits in San Francisco
In the first two days you will have the opportunity to do all the essential visits in San Francisco, including a possible boat excursion through the bay, with a visit to the Alcatraz island and the town of Sausalito.
Day 4 – From San Francisco to Yosemite National Park
Without getting up early, you can get to the Yosemite National Park at noon, since it is 300 kilometers away, three and a half hours on the road.
In this national park you can visit the Yosemite Valley, whose iconic corner is the great promontory of El capitán and it will give you time to go up to the Glacier point, an ideal place to watch the sunset.
Day 5 – From Yosemite to Monterey
The next day, on the way to Fresno, you will visit butterfly grove, a place where you can see spectacular giant sequoias.
And leaving from the south, you head towards the coast (three and a half hours) to the Monterey Bay, with its typical pier.
In this natural environment you can also see places like Carmel by the Sea, beautiful town with a bohemian atmosphere.
(If you are interested in doing Monterey la boat trip to see whales, it will take you half a day, with the subsequent readjustment of the route)
Day 6 – From Monterey to San Luis Obispo
From Monterey, you will go down the cliffs of Big Sur (winding sections of 150 kilometers) to reach Saint Simeon, where I tell you that it is really worth seeing the hearst castle.
It is a very curious corner not sufficiently known by tourists who travel from Spain to the United States, which has become a kind of theme park.
After this visit you will get to sleep San Luis Obispo or its surroundings.
ORGANIZE your TRIP
- Don't forget your TRAVEL INSURANCE with a 10% discount
- Book the HOTEL for your trip
- eSIM card to have INTERNET at a discount
- The best TOURS and EXCURSIONS in Spanish
- TOURS and ACTIVITIES in English and other languages
- NO-LINE TICKETS for museums and monuments
- RENT a CAR for your trip
- Has your flight been cancelled? How to claim compensation
- Book your TRANSFER from the airport
Day 7 – From San Luis Obispo to Los Angeles
From San Luis Obispo you will have time to make a quick visit of Santa Barbara before arriving in the afternoon Los Angeles.
It is an old colonial city also well known for its enormous beach.
Days 8 and 9 – Los Angeles
These two days in Los Angeles You will spend them, on the one hand, visiting the most outstanding areas of the city, especially Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, and the old Town of Los Angeles, in the middle downtown.
And on the other hand, to enjoy a theme park, such as the Universal Studios (highly recommended to do the film studio tour).
If you are not interested in visiting the theme park, you will have an additional day to reorganize the route.
Day 10 – From Los Angeles to Las Vegas
On this day you can undertake the trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, with a possible stop to visit the “ghost town” of Calico.
At night, already in Las Vegas, you can go see the atmosphere of the city center, including a walk down the street Freamont.
Day 11 – Las Vegas
Full day in Las Vegas visiting the Las Vegas Strip themed hotels, both day and night.
You will also have time to go to one of their impressive outlets for shopping.
Day 12 – From Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon of the Colorado
The day arrives in which you have to undertake the trip from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon of the Colorado, going through the Hoover dam, and touring the historic Route 66,
To evoke the atmosphere of this route you should stop especially in towns like Williams, or in picturesque corners like Hackberry Store o Seligman.
You will reach the South Rim South rim of the Grand Canyon with enough time (if you travel in summer...) to enjoy the sunset.
If you are interested in some activities in the Grand Canyon, as Hiking o Rafting, you will need to extend your stay one more day.
To fly over it in a helicopterIf you book the flight for early in the morning you can follow the route for the rest of the day.
Day 13 – From the Grand Canyon to Monument Valley
After getting up early, you will visit again, now during the day, the viewpoints of the South Rim.
Then, leaving the national park through the Desert View Lookout and the Indian watchtower, you head straight to the Monument Valley.
You will arrive with enough time to take the route along the inland road and enjoy the sunset (if you travel in summer...).
You can stay in Kayenta o Mexican Hat.
Day 14 – From Monument Valley to Phoenix, via Sedona
From the Monument Valley and to finish your route along the west coast, you have two options, go down to the sedona region and get to Phoenix or continue your route through Utah to return to Las Vegas.
In the first option, on the route to the south you must go to the resort town of sedona going through the Oak Creek Canyon.
Book your hotel, 15% discount, free cancellation
When planning your trip, we advise you to, well in advance, Book your hotel now on booking.com where you can find discounts from 15% and you will have a possible cancellation for free
If you don't dawdle too long, you'll have time to get to Phoenix to sleep.
(If you are interested in visiting the area in more detail sedona, with the visit of mining town of Jerome and red rock mountains, you will have to dedicate a day and reorganize the route)
Day 15 – Return flight from Phoenix
This day your route through the western United States ends, and you will take the flight east to return to Spain.
Alternatives on the route
As we have mentioned, after visiting Monument Valley you have the alternative of continuing traveling through Utah to end in Las Vegas, where you can take the return flight.
On this route, from the Monument Valley you would go towards Page to visit the spectacular natural landscapes of Antelope Canyon y Horseshoe Bend.
To recover a day, it is possible to go down from Yosemite directly to San Simeon for, after visit Hearst Castle, head towards Los Angeles.
This means not visiting the Monterey Bay, nor go through the Big Sur.
Or even if you need to save more time, you also have the option of go directly from Yosemite to Los Angeles.
Here are other routes along the west coast that will be of interest to you by offering you other alternatives: Route from San Francisco to Los Angeles along the coast; Route from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley
I'm sure you'll find these tips helpful in planning your own West Coast route. It is not like this?
Reserve your RENTAL CAR now for your trip
Looking ahead to your trip, book your rental car now on this website that offers you the best price guaranteed and allows you a possible free cancellation in most cases. Here you have more information with tips for renting a car
Map Driving route along the West Coast
On this map you have the detail of the car route along the West Coast What we suggest you do.
Good morning, I am interested in planning a vacation to Orlando and nearby states for 10 days including a cruise and tickets to the Orlando parks, what can you recommend me more, please accommodations, restaurants, tickets and more, economical rate for 4 adults and a minor out of 10, I appreciate your interest and information
Hello, we are two families of members each from Argentina and we want to visit the west coast in July 2014 in a motorhome. What do you advise us, where to rent, how to start the trip. Thank you!!!
Alejandra, regarding renting the motorhome, I don't know how to tell you, because I haven't done it. And regarding how to make the trip, I advise you that little by little you read the numerous topics that I have published about the west coast, and especially, to begin with, the introductory topics with proposed routes.
http://guias-viajar.com/estados-unidos/sumario-visitas-costa-oeste-estados-unidos/
Thank you very much for your comments, we intend to do a route similar to the one you propose, from August 9 to the 26th, but our flights arrive and depart from Los Angeles. I would also like to visit San Francisco, Monterrey, Yosemite, San Diego, Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, and Monument Valley, in general terms. Regarding the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley, they have scared me with the high temperatures. They recommend that I visit the Grand Canyon by plane from Las Vegas and not go to Monument Valery. What do you think? Could you advise me on an itinerary for these days, including a day of rest on a beach? Thank you very much in advance.
Cristina, in view of what you tell me, I'll give you notes of a route:
– From Los Angeles, route to San Francisco along the Coast (Santa Barbara, Hearst Castle, Monterrey)
– From SAn Francisco, Yosemite, and from there to Las Vegas through Fresno.
– From Las Vegas, circular visit to Williams, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley and Page. Don't be scared by the temperatures in those parks because they are highlands and it is not as hot as you might think. And if you can, it is much better to visit by car. Another thing is that, if you want to take the helicopter excursion, you book it directly in Tusayan, on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Where it is very hot is in Las Vegas, but everywhere there is powerful air conditioning.
And regarding SAn Diego, I would do it lastly, and include the beach there.
Good morning, first of all, thank you for so much useful information that has been put on this page, it is fabulous!
I'm planning to go with my wife from October 18th to November 3rd, having almost 16 full days on the west coast and it's our first time going. I have read a lot on this and other pages and forums about the destinations that can be visited and I am still not sure which route will be the best to take for our personal tastes, I also have some general doubts about the trip.
One constant that I have seen in any route that someone takes is that they tend to include almost no theme parks and water parks, which after seeing the type of destinations on the west coast is logical, because many will say “if you want a park trip go to Orlando”, that's right, and in fact last year we took a 15-day trip to Florida in which we visited 10 parks, several malls, Cirque Du Soleil, a major league baseball game, nights out and so on. This year we want to see other places in the United States and do different things but at the same time not miss out on the type of fun that we like so much. I definitely don't want to miss Universal Studios Hollywood, I feel it is an obligation to visit Disneyland, I would like to visit California Adventure (which no one mentions on their trips along the west coast), go to the new Wet N' Wild in Las Vegas, maybe Six Flag Hurricane Harbor, and the San Diego Aquatica, and if there is time even Sea World itself. I understand that the San Diego Zoo is one of the most famous zoos in the world and no one mentions it on their travels, for example. In Las Vegas I have not read about which are the most famous shows currently and which are the unmissable ones according to the budget. What are the largest and most important malls in California?… (Important aspect depending on which culture in the world: On this West Coast route you pass at least three major league stadiums!)
Our trip to California actually started as an exclusive trip to Las Vegas to go see Michael Jackson's new Cirque Du Soleil show: One, which is opening this month, and by the end of August I hope tickets will be sold for it. rest of the year. That is the main attraction of the trip!
Also note that we both like movies, TV and music, so tours like the one at the Warner studios are almost obligatory, as well as the other places of interest in Los Angeles; I am also a fan of Michael Jackson and this city is closely related to his history, so photos in places where some scenes of his videos were recorded are the plans.
At the same time, our vacation before One was born as a beach trip, so visits to California beaches are also mandatory, if the weather permits given the date.
And this is where my doubts begin, I see that many of those who give their opinion are from places where summer, autumn, winter and spring are everyday life, but we are from Caracas and I really don't know for sure which of those seasons It corresponds to the dates on which we will travel, I could obviously find out, in fact I saw that the temperatures in October in Los Angeles for example is very similar to that of Caracas (17 to 26 ºC), which is practically constant all year round; Now, is this ideal temperature to go to the beach? The places where we tend to go to the beach are much hotter than Caracas..., and by the way I read that even in summer the sea water is very cold in California, so If you can't bathe, then what kind of activities can you do on the beaches? I think I'm very tropicalized on this topic and I don't clearly understand what is meant by a day at the beach in California. .
Continuing with the climate, I see that it varies a lot from one place to another on any route along the west coast. In that sense, beyond seeing numbers in degrees of temperatures on x page, I would like specifically, based on experiences, to know where it is cold and where it is hot, and what type of clothing I should wear given the season in certain places, this is very important for planning wardrobe and luggage.
Another issue that causes me a little doubt is the fact that we will be there on Halloween, at first it sounds fun and my instinct is to be in Los Angeles for that time, specifically in Universal Studios, well I suppose everything will be more intense and interesting there. But at the same time, really beyond what one has seen in series and movies, I don't know for sure how Halloween is experienced there and what implications that brings. Do you work normally? Does everything open at normal times? Is it difficult to going to certain places? Traffic and difficulty getting around in general? Riots? I don't know..., I would like to know a little better what we will face on that date and what is recommended.
I have read a lot about the car rental facilities and the ease of staying on the road, the recommendations and so on..., but there is one point on this topic that causes me doubts and that is the issue of parking. Last year in Florida we rented a car and if it wasn't to go from one city to another without stopping (except gas stations), the transfers were from the hotel parking lot to the parking lot of a park or a mall or somewhere else, but we always went from parking lot to parking lot. On this occasion I understand that one is going to be in constant movement, stopping as many times as there are places one wants to visit, several of them simple buildings or viewpoints or places where I suppose there is no formal parking. What is that issue like there? Above all, I Los Angeles is concerned... are there parking meters? How easy is it to find a place to park? On routes between cities and with more natural landscapes, can one stop wherever they want? What are the recommendations in this regard?
In conclusion, as you will see, apparently we have a different concept of what we expect from the trip, yes, I would like to visit San Francisco, yes, I would like to go Yosemite, and of course, I would like to go to the Grand Canyon, but I would like to combine at least those and yes It is possible to visit other emblematic places on the west coast with our personal tastes. At one point we even thought about traveling to Europe this year, but then we really came to the conclusion that for now we don't want a vacation that is based on walking and taking photos of buildings or museums or any other wonderful or historical construction, so I really wouldn't want to spend the whole day driving on this trip and at the end of the day I only have some photos of some pretty houses, a castle or an old church, or a remote town, I don't want to spend 4 hours sailing either. to see whales, I don't know if I would like to spend hours driving in a kind of desert just to take photos of giant rocks, mines or scenes from the old west; Surely I will enjoy and appreciate all of that, but I don't want the days to be spent just on that, obviously we want to focus on the ones we like combined with places that we will potentially like and if along the way we can visit other cool things... while more know better!
Total… Which route do you think is the best for our case?
Thank you very much in advance!!!
Greetings.
Hello José Luis
First of all, congratulate you and thank you for the explanations and recommendations you make about your trips.
Based on your 15-day route along the west coast, this year we are going to make that trip but in reverse and modifying a couple of visits. But there is one thing that has us a little worried and that is the issue of security. The idea of leaving all the luggage in the car while we do the sightseeing, and especially when we go to Havasu Falls we have to leave the car in the parking lot for 2 days.
Do you know if there are problems? Did you have any incidents or do you know if there are usually any in summer?
Thank you very much
Marc, I didn't have a feeling of insecurity at all on my trip along the west coast of the United States. What's more, I will tell you that it may be one of the safest places you can visit in the world.
This does not mean that you do not have to take the logical precautions, because in any place there are always unscrupulous people attentive to the carelessness of tourists :)
Thank you so much. Now we will go more slowly
Hello Jose Luis!
Two couples are going to travel this summer for 2 days, and we already have a round trip flight to Los Angeles and a rental car.
Our idea is to visit LA, go up the coast to San Francisco, then Napa, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite and some parks further south (Kings Canyon, Sequoia), and finish in Las Vegas, with a helicopter excursion to visit the Grand Canyon . We would return to LA the same day as the flight, which leaves in the afternoon.
What do you think, would you make any changes? How many nights in each place? Would you visit Disneyland or Universal Studios in LA? Is it worth visiting San Diego and leaving something behind?
Thank you very much in advance 🙂
Buff, Jara, it is difficult to suggest options to you because I see that you already have it quite organized, and in many cases it is a matter of taste.
In San Francisco, apart from the excursions in the surrounding area, the minimum should be two days, and in LA, honestly, apart from the days dedicated to the parks, one day could be enough, although with two days you could see it more calmly . And Las Vegas, for me one day is enough, but I know people who liked it so much that they would dedicate more time to it.
From your final questions I would tell you that I consider a visit to Universal Studios essential in LA, since the most important thing is the tour of the original studios...which are there. As for Disneyland, it's a matter of taste; All Disneylands are very similar, but if you haven't been to Paris, from my point of view then of course it is totally worth it.
Regarding San Diego, I don't know how to tell you because I don't know it; It is a pending visit.
Enjoy the trip
Hello again! Thank you for your comments.
Finally we have decided to modify the route a little, going directly from Napa to Yosemite, and ending the tour with a couple of nights in San Diego. Apparently Lake Tahoe is Benidorm type and that has made us decide to change it.
I put the route here in case it is of interest to anyone, as you will see we took it calmly, without rushing but without pause 😉
– 4 nights in Los Angeles
– 1 night on the way to San Francisco (Pismo Beach / Carmel / Monterey)
– 3 nights in San Francisco (stop for lunch in Napa Valley on the way to Yosemite)
– 2 nights in Yosemite
– 2 nights in Visalia (visit Kings Canyon and Sequoia)
– 4 nights in Las Vegas (visit to Grand Canyon by helicopter, visit to Joshua Tree Park on the way to San Diego)
– 2 nights in San Diego
Regarding the theme parks, we know Disneyland in Paris and Orlando, and also Universal Studios in Orlando, although I understand that in LA it is more special because of the original studios, I don't know if there will be the possibility of doing just the tour. We have also seen that there is a tour of Warner Bros. Studios about films and television series. You can visit Central Perk (Friends) among many other things, and there may be some recording at that time. http://vipstudiotour.warnerbros.com Do you know this tour?
The other thing that we are still not clear about is where to sleep on the way between Los Angeles and San Francisco, whether in Pismo Beach or in Carmel / Monterey. In the first option we would do 320 km one day and 430 the next, and in the second 560 and 190 km, there are 3 of us to drive. The idea is to go along the coast and make the recommended visits (Santa Barbara, Hearst Castle outside...), although without recreating too much. Maybe it's better to look for somewhere between Pismo Beach and Big Sur, what do you think?
Salu2!
Jara, I don't know the Warner Bros Tour.
As for doing just the studio tour at Universal Studios, I don't think it's possible. You have to enter the theme park, and the visit to the original studios is one of the attractions you find.
And as for where to sleep on the route to San Francisco, don't worry, do it as you go, wherever you find it best, because you won't have any problems finding accommodation in a motel on the route.
As for seeing Hearst Castle “from the outside”, you really don't see anything, since the castle is semi-hidden at the top of a hill, and you can visit it by getting on a bus that leaves from the Visitor Center next to road.
Jara, about where to sleep on the route between Los Angeles and San Francisco, don't worry, really, where is best for you. Leave that night open without booking anything, you will be grateful and you will have no problem finding accommodation in a motel on the route...wherever it best suits you.
Hi !
I plan to take a trip along the entire west coast visiting all the points of interest.
I'm going from March 26 to April 13, I would like you to tell me what time of day is good to see those places that are interesting to see at sunset such as GRAN CAYON, etc... I don't know if it would be best to get up early early and better in the afternoon but I don't know what time I would catch the sunset in March - April...
THANK YOU SO MUCH
Sandra, I highly recommend that you don't miss the sunset at the Grand Canyon, as well as Monument Valley, if you visit.
In both parks I saw sunset and sunrise, and because of the orientation, the first one was more impressive to me.
And as for the schedules, you can find them on this website
http://espanol.weather.com/climate/sunRiseSunSet-Grand-Canyon-USAZ0088:1:US
Hello Jose Luis, we want to travel the east coast in a motorhome in 20 days with the family and start in Oskosh Wisconsin and end in Miami. How to choose the motorhome company, what does the rental and gasoline include? Is it possible to stop in large cities like New York or is it better to stop in the outskirts and take a taxi train? Thank you so much
Germán, I'm sorry, but I have no experience with motorhomes, so I can't help you.
Now, regarding New York, I suppose you will have to leave the vehicle outside of Manhattan, because parking there will be very expensive. In New York I have always moved around without a car and I have not had that problem.
Ok, thank you so much
very attentive of you.
greetings from Argentina
Hello, two friends and I are interested in taking the tour that you suggest on this page, San Francisto, Los Angeles and ending in Las Vegas, we would travel from Medellin, Colombia in August of this year and we would like to know what the budget is without counting tickets and renting a vehicle that you think we should have for this trip.
I remain attentive to your comments. Thank you.
Lina, in terms of budgets it is very, very difficult to guide you. I am considering publishing a specific post on how to estimate a budget, but the truth is that it will depend on what type of hotels or motels you stay in, the model of car you rent or the type of restaurant you go to.
We already have everything ready to do this route, can you tell me which roads you advise us to take, for example how do we get from San Francisco to Yosemite? We are going in a motorhome and in March, this gives us a little fear due to the closed routes of the park. Thank you very much in advance and I loved your guide.
Adriana, in March, unless it coincides with a storm, you will have no problems on the route from San Francisco to Yosemite, until you reach Yosemite Valley. Now, you will not be able to go up to the high areas of the national park, nor visit the redwoods of Mariposa Grove.
To go from San Francisco, you can take the direct route without problems, that is, the 205, then take the 120 and the 99 to Merced, and then go on the 140 to Yosemite Valley