Which itinerary to choose for 15 days in the American West

Hi everyone! First time for me in the States from March 24 to April 7, 2025—only 15 days, so choices have to be made. I want to explore part of the West, but obviously planning the route is the trickiest part, so here’s what I’ve come up with and where I have doubts: -Leaving Paris for LA 1 or 2 nights to visit -Heading to Vegas, where one couple would go by motorcycle (they’re fans and want the thrill of Route 66) and another by plane (I won’t linger here either—1 or 2 days max!) Then, Lake Powell, Monument Valley, Grand Canyon, all by rental car for everyone, so the motorcycle gets returned in Vegas.

Now here’s where it gets tricky: either I continue the road trip through the big parks to finish in San Francisco (but it doesn’t seem like the best time—might be too cold), or I head down to San Diego for the return flight. But which itinerary? Kingman, Joshua Tree, Palm Springs, and San Diego—does that make sense? Is it better to go back to Vegas to take a plane or drive the whole way?

So many questions—your help and advice would be super welcome! Thanks in advance, Anne from Périgord Noir

Hi there,

In my opinion, Los Angeles and Las Vegas can be skipped without regrets... Especially the first one.

Be careful, it can get very cold at the end of March. I experienced negative temperatures near Bryce and snow at the Grand Canyon. The weather was exceptionally bad that year, though.

For the same duration, here’s the route I took (overnight stops in bold):

Flight to Las Vegas, night in Boulder City (Lake Mead)

Drive to Needles via Mojave NP

Route 66 to Seligman

Drive to Grand Canyon

Drive to Page

Drive to Monument Valley

Drive to Blanding via Valley of the Gods, Goosenecks State Park, Moki Dugway, and Natural Bridges National Monument

Drive to Moab via Canyonlands: The Needles.

Moab, Canyonlands: Island in the Sky.

Moab, Arches

Drive to Bicknell via Goblin Valley and Capitol Reef NP

Drive to Bryce via Burr Trail Road and Kodachrome Basin

Bryce Canyon, drive to Hatch

Drive to St. George via Zion

Drive to Las Vegas via Valley of Fire

If you're not hikers, you can remove one night in Moab.

The travel journal describing this trip can be found here:

https://www.myatlas.com/Attila/utah-arizona-en-mars-western-enneige

Thanks Attila for your quick reply and kudos on your travel blog. The photos are tempting, though not so much for the hotels or restaurants 😜

I don’t know what your budget is.

If you go over 150 €-200 per night, the accommodations should be better. (Except in Moab, which is an even pricier destination.)

For food, if you’re not into junk food, it’s pretty tough in remote areas and really expensive elsewhere...

Hello, just a couple of things: LA isn’t a city you can really get to know in 2 days—either stay longer or just spend one night there when you arrive. Palm Springs is great in April because it’s hot in the valley, and you can take the tram up to have your feet in the snow at the top—it’s pretty wild! Same for San Diego at this time of year—it’s really pleasant. But since you only have 15 days, you’ll have to make some choices. From San Diego to Monument Valley (personally my favorite spot in the West), the distances are huge…

Thanks Dennis2, but I’m even more lost now 😅 I’ll skip LA—should I stick with this itinerary starting in Vegas? Would that be more reasonable distance-wise? Because Attila warned me about the weather risks at this time of year, so should I completely change my destination and plan to visit this area later in the year? Thanks again for your help

You’ll just have to make some choices, because 15 days isn’t enough in my opinion for the loop you were considering. Also, forget San Francisco—getting back there would mean going around the entire Sierra Nevada, which will be snowed in and impassable via Tioga Pass.

In 15 days, you might want to focus on a loop starting from Las Vegas instead. You’ll still get a stretch of Route 66 between Vegas and the Grand Canyon—Oatman, Hackberry, Seligman, and Williams. Then you can do the classic parks loop: Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, Monument Valley, Arches/Canyonlands, Goblin Valley, Capitol Reef/Byway 12, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Valley of Fire, and back to Las Vegas.

Hi there, I did 15 days during the Easter holidays a few years ago with my wife and our teens. A round trip LA - LA by car via the Grand Canyon, Route 66, etc... The detour to SF costs a lot in time. Temperatures weren’t too hot—25 °C—except in Bryce (2000m) where it was 8 °C in the morning, and in LV it was 30 °C. I made a video about it... https://youtu.be/iHPu5vbuBZE?feature=shared

If it helps... It shows you can do a lot in 2 weeks...

Hi there, I completely agree with USAFAN—the route is ideal for a first time. I did this itinerary in April this year with my small group of bikers. For me, it was my 6th time in the West, and for them, it was their first. In April, the rates are reasonable, and you can rent a motorcycle directly from a private owner. Just do a loop from Las Vegas to Las Vegas—nothing simpler. You can head straight onto Route 66 and then branch off toward the Grand Canyon.

I’m happy to help with any additional info.

See you, Pathoch

Oh! Wait, aren’t you the one who used to travel in your car?... I remember you always had amazing deals and camped with your SUV?!... It’s great to see the regulars again 😄

You’re a Forum veteran too… It’s so cool to reconnect with everyone!... 😄

Hello, oh yeahhh, by the way, back in the day lol, your posts helped me with one of my trips on the East Coast 😊. Take care

Oh no... but so glad VF is back up and running!

Oh sorry, I mistook you for someone else then :) It was a Gillou...

Don’t hesitate if you have any questions. There are lots of people who come back to the forum and can help you out. Me first, of course.

Thanks for your feedback. The main issue is still the weather, especially since we want to end up in LA or San Diego for some relaxation. So I think I’ll skip the Canyons and save them for another trip later when the temperatures are milder.

With 15 days, it’s still a shame to skip the parks entirely... It’s up to you, though.

I can’t imagine traveling all that way just to think about relaxing—I need things to be lively! 😄 Especially at those travel prices ☺️

One year I did: 4 days in NYC 3 days in New Orleans Then 18 days from El Paso to South Dakota I was able to rest at work afterward—I really needed it!

😄😄😄 Me too, I'm resting afterward—well, not always because I get so bummed out when I get back that I have trouble sleeping 😔