15-day route through essential sites on the West Coast of the United States

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.

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 be more expensive than if you book a round trip directly from Spain to, for example, 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 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.

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.

For 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.

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?

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.