Welcome to the West Coast! This itinerary will take you from Los Angeles to Joshua Tree, the Grand Canyon, the famous Antelope Canyon in Arizona, to Las Vegas. After enjoying a few days in Las Vegas, continue your travel to Death Valley, from there, head to Lake Tahoe, stop for lunch in Napa, hike through the Muir Woods and finally, explore San Francisco.
Day 1 – Arrival in Los Angeles
- Welcome to California!
- Get a rental car and book your stay in Marina Del Rey, Santa Monica or West Hollywood
Day 2 – Los Angeles
- Hike around the Hollywood Sign (Mt. Hollywood Trail or Brush Canyon Trail)
- Plan for a stop at the Griffith Observatory
- Lunch Options:
- The Grill at the Highlight Room Hotel
- The Godfrey Hotel – I|O Rooftop
- Chateau Marmont
- The Butcher, The Baker, The Cappuccino Maker
- Tour of the Dolby Theater (currently no tours)
- TMZ Tour (1:30pm or 4:15pm; 2 hours; HRC in Hollywood/ $49 pp)
Day 3 – Los Angeles
- Malibu (Hike Tuna Canyon)
- Lunch: Malibu Farm
- Malibu Point Dume
- Dinner Options:
- Osteria Gucci
- The Rooftop by JG
- Kappo Miyabi Santa Monica
Day 4 – Los Angeles
- Ranchos Palos Verdes (Blufftop Trail and Lunada Bay)
- Laguna Beach (Thousand Step Beach & Pirate Tower)
- Dinner: Perch LA (Downtown) or Catch LA (West Hollywood)
Day 5 – Los Angeles
- Explore Santa Monica and Venice by bike
- Lunch options:
- Elephante in Santa Monica
- Calabra Rooftop at the Proper Hotel in Santa Monica
- Butcher’s Daughter on Abbot Kinney (Venice)
- Get Salt & Straw on Abbot Kinney (Venice) and drive through the Venice Canals (great picture stop)
- Paddle Boarding or Surfing in Marina Del Rey / Venice OR visiting Downtown LA
- Dinner: Din Tai Fung (Taiwanese Soup Dumpling Restaurant)
Day 6 – Joshua Tree
- Leave LA and drive to Joshua Tree (about 2.5 hours)
- Hotel: Holiday Inn Express & Suites Twentynine Palms- Joshua Tree, an IHG Hotel (1 night)
- Afternoon: Buy annual National Park Pass at park entrance (around $80; one pass per car with no additional fee for the guests inside the car) and visit park in the afternoon.
- Drive through West Entrance Station (stop at visitor center to get a map) and hike Hidden Valley Nature Trail OR The Lost Horse Mine Trail and visit Key View view point for sunset.
- Visit Pioneer Town for Dinner and eat BBQ at Pappy + Harriet’s
Day 7 – Joshua Tree
- Enter Joshua Tree again through the West Entrance and drive to Arch Rock Nature Trail (about 1 hour) – picture stop at Hall of Horrors and Skull Rock
- Visit Cholla Cactus Garden Trail
- Leave Joshua Tree no later than 2pm and drive to Grand Canyon West (about 5 hours / 270 miles)
- Hotel: Cabins at Grand Canyon West (1 night)
Day 8 – Grand Canyon
- Visit Grand Canyon West Rim (Sky Walk; around $70 pp) early in the morning
- Drive to Grand Canyon South Rim (4 hours / 240 miles) and park at Grand Canyon Visitor Center, next to Mather Point View Point (free parking)
- Take photos at Mather Point View Point
- Take Shuttle from Visitor Center at Mather Point to South Kaibab Trail (10 minute shuttle); Hike down to Cedar Ridge (we hiked until the Tipoff and it took us 6 hours round trip – bring food and water)
- Hotel: Holiday Inn Express & Suites Grand Canyon in (1 night)
Day 9 – Antelope Canyon
- Drive to Page (2.5 hours / 130 miles)
- The Antelope Canyon is situated on a private Indian Reservoir (Navajo) and can only be visited by booking a guided tour. You have two tour options and I recommend doing both!
- Lower Antelope Canyon (around $50 pp). “Less” visited and you decent to the lower part of the Canyon
- Upper Antelope Canyon (around $100 pp). Better lighting and more popular.
- The Antelope Canyon Tours are in high demand and book out in advance. I recommend booking this tour 60-90 days out.
- Here is a list of the Tour options .
- Another must-see is the Horseshoe Bend
- Hotel Options:
Day 10 – Antelope Canyon & Las Vegas
- Spend the morning around Antelope Canyon / Page and then continue your drive to Las Vegas (4.5 hours / 272 miles)
- Stop at Zion National Park / Valley of Fire (optional)
- There are so many Hotel options in Las Vegas: Maybe the Caesar Palace or Bellagio Las Vegas (2 nights)?
Day 11 – Las Vegas
- Explore Las Vegas
- Book a show! Again, there are so much options and it changes frequently. For example, Cirque du Soleil, Blue Man Group, Le Reve, Magic Mike, etc.
- Restaurant Options:
- The NoMad Library
- Momofuku
- Tao Asian Bistro
- Hexx kitchen & bar
- Eiffel Tower Restaurant
- Drinks only: Drai’s Nightclub (really cool rooftop with pool)
- The Capital Grille or Yard House (Darden Restaurants)
- Carbone
Day 12 – Las Vegas
- Explore Las Vegas Day 2! Have Fun!
Day 13 – Death Valley
- Drive to Death Valley (2 hours / 140 miles)
- Hotel: The Rach at Death Valley (1 night)
- Things to see in Death Valley on day 1:
- Badwater Basin and Artist’s Palette (drive through with photo stops)
- Twenty Mule Canyon (you can drive through this trail; stop for photos)
- Zabriskie Point (hike around)
Day 14 – Death Valley & Lake Tahoe
- Things to see in Death Valley on day 2:
- Salt Creek Interpretive Trail
- Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes:
- Mosaic Canyon Trail
- Father Crowley Overlook (when you are leaving the park)
- Drive to Lake Tahoe
- Hotel: Tahoe Lakeshore Lodge & Spa (1 night)
Day 15 – San Francisco
- Drive to Napa (3 hours)
- Lunch at Chandon (Napa Valley) (reserve a tasting)
- Continue drive to San Francisco and visit the Muir National Monument (1 hour drive)
- Visit Redwood Trees at Muir Woods National Monument (book parking pass in advance)
- Hotel Options:
- Hyatt Centric in Fisherman’s Wharf
- Marriott Vacation Club Pulse
Day 16 – San Francisco
- Visit Alcatraz and book your tickets in advance. Official site. $41 pp
- Explore the city
Day 17
- Explore the city
- Departure from San Francisco
General Info
- List of Rooftop Bars in LA
- National Park Pass will be valid for Joshua Tree, Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Zion, Muir and others
- Get Tickets to a Live Shows in Los Angeles https://1iota.com/
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