Planning an Arizona Road Trip?

What is the Best Time to Visit Arizona?

Arizona is a desert region in America. The best time to visit Arizona falls between November to April when it is not too hot. Remember there is heavy tourist traffic to Sedona and Grand Canyon throughout the year.
The weather is known to be perfect during early November.

Need a Rental Car to Explore Grand Canyon, Arizona?

If you are flying into Arizona, you could go for a rental car option. Remember that you drive on the right side of the road in the USA. Your international driving license is valid if you feel comfortable driving. The rules are pretty easy with wide roads and clear junctions combined with the fact that most of the cars in the USA are automatic.

Where to to stay in Arizona?

Arizona is a typical American city. You could find motels, hotels, and Airbnbs everywhere. I stayed in motels during my journey booked via top hotel booking websites.
I would recommend using Airbnbs only in the cities and going for well-established hotels or motels in remote regions while on the road.

*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you click on them and make a purchase, I receive a small commission. There is no additional cost to you. I would appreciate the support.

The Journey to Sedona and a Perfect Grand Canyon Vacation: Day 1

Road Trip Route in Google Maps

My friend Arun and I started our journey from Phoenix around 10 in the morning and it was expected to be a 3 hours trip to the south rim of the Canyon and the national park. As a regular Grand Canyon Visitor, our aim was to reach there late afternoon and see the Canyon during sunset. We put on some good music and excitedly started catching up on what happened in our lives since we studied together ~8 years back.

We were soon enjoying the long drive, with occasional sights of cacti and palm trees along the way, which showed the true spirit of a desert. Arun decided to make a stop for some fresh air in the middle of nowhere- totally empty but for a fascinating desert view. As soon as we stopped, another car came and stopped right in front of us with four people inside and the first thing that grabbed my attention was the four gun stickers on the rear window.

Arun was already standing outside the car while I remained inside. I silently tried to point him to the front car which left both of us super alarmed and scared. Pretending like we were just enjoying the fresh air and relaxing, we managed to spend ~10 minutes there before fleeing the situation. What a good start to the adventurous trip – guns were our most concerning element of visiting America and it turned out to be the first thing we encountered during this trip.

Sedona Red Rocks

The city of Sedona was not originally part of the itinerary of our Grand Canyon vacation and came to our attention as we entered the red rock city on our way. The red color of the rocks was very striking as we approached. A quick google search showed that this was an important landmark not to miss and to learn about.

The theme of red makes this city so beautiful especially when the sun is up. We entered the city when it was cloudy, but were lucky to get some stunning views when the sun came out shortly.

Finding a parking place here is really difficult as there are no park services. I would recommend visiting here and even stay here for a hike if you have time. This is something I gotta do again as I felt FOMO severely not knowing about this place before to have included it in our itinerary.

We continued our road trip to Grand Canyon after taking almost a two-hour break here, enjoying the views of Sedona. We even stopped at the visitor center to make some inquiries.

Grand Canyon National Park

The journey ahead from Sedona presented a wide variety of scenery including pine tree forests, cloudy skies, and desert mountains which we saw while driving on the famous Hermit road. Driving in America is such a fantastic ride especially with the wide roads and vast sky views across the horizon presenting a great view throughout.

On our way, we saw this board of Bearizona Wildlife Park in Arizona, which was our next item on our list of fears for the journey. This initiated a discussion on how dangerous bears can be, where they are found, and whether we were likely to see them.

In the evening, we also experienced some picture-perfect clouds in the sky that reminded me of how we used to draw clouds as children with horizontal bottom- such a surreal sight that validated so many childhood drawings.

Approaching the canyon, we started to see red rocks and large mountains which was very thrilling as we were very close.

We arrived at the Grand Canyon lodge very late in the evening around 6 pm, almost 3 hours later than the plan. The first sight of these marvelous rocks forming different shapes and waves of little mountains was striking.

While on the road it was pretty hot in Arizona as during all Arizona road trips and based on that we thought the temperature would be okay up in the Canyons, which turned out to be completely wrong. It was freezing there and was very difficult to survive in our thin jackets and without gloves, miles away from our comfortable hotel rooms. We somehow managed to spend a few minutes there taking some pictures while watching the sunset and the Colorado River, which was one of the most stunning views I have experienced during my Grand Canyon vacation and even during whole my life.

Activities in Grand Canyon: Day 2

Kaibab National Forest

We first drove to the Kaibab National Forest, which was a thrilling ride as it allowed driving inside. After having prolonged conversations about how bears can kill humans the previous day, we both were pretty scared and cautious while being inside the forest. It was a fun experience in the forest and overall in the South Kaibab, where we spotted some animals and took some adventurous pictures always being cautious of wild animals jumping at us at any moment – that were us accepting the risks of a Grand Canyon vacation.

Arun kept playing tricks on me by crying out there were snakes, bears, etc. behind me every time I posed for some photos. It was also fun to have a photoshoot with my less scary animal friend Catty, while Arun continues shouting about bears and snakes, that I even left Catty at the tree while I thought I was running for my life at some point.

And of course, every road trip deserves a picture climbing on the car as a ritual that I try to follow

The Grand Canyon Hike

We explored Grand Canyon and the national park in the daytime, taking a short hike around and viewing this unmatched natural beauty. The hike is a great experience and I highly recommend it. The hiking pathway is very cute and scenic while you hike around the canyons. A perfect add-on to your Grand Canyon vacation itinerary.

The look of the canyon reminded me of a big temple town scattered with many little temples. The side view of the canyons appears like waves formed of rocks.

The close-up view is amazing to see how the erosion has formed very regular shapes in steps and cuts like how you would build a building. It almost feels like a mother-nature-architected town to me. While we were hiking, we met many fellow hikers from different parts of the world including some crazy cyclists.

Hiking the Grand Canyon was a great experience. Though the planning of the trip got disrupted, it was definitely worth the extended stay. With all those good memories, we looked at our road trip itinerary and set out on Highway 40 to Las Vegas in the evening.

The detailed itinerary of all the top bucket list destinations that can be covered in this road trip below is the exclusive blogs of all parts of the journey. 

• USA South West Road Trip from Arizona to California covers the itinerary of a two week road trip in South West, USA.
• The Nevada Road Trip to Las Vegas and Hoover Dam covers the most scenic routes in Nevada apart from Las Vegas.
• Los Angeles Road Trip part covers the journey from Las Vegas to Los Angeles vacation and its main attractions.
• San Diego Road Trip blog covers our adventures in San Diego for three days. 

Pin the Arizona Road Trip for Future Reference

If you would like some help with road trip planning itself or wonder how to plan a long road trip like this, here are some of our top travel tips and guides:

• Ultimate Road trip Planner Guide
• Road Trip Accessories
• Road Trip Packing List

USA South West Coast Road Trip Itinerary: Overview

This road trip itinerary was planned to cover fewer but major highlights along the route, focusing on scenic routes and national parks in Arizona and Nevada and then adding more time for relaxation in California with less driving. It was also done this way to make sure we have room for spontaneous explorations than with a heavily packed itinerary to catch until the end. We thoroughly enjoyed this style and the itinerary was a good mix of multiple experiences. Read on!

Journey Details:

The road trip started in Phoenix exploring Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona state, Las Vegas, and Hoover Dam in Nevada state and ended in Los Angeles and San Diego in California.  This is one of the longest road trips that I have driven myself, covering some of the major US Highways 17, 40, 93, and 66. All road trip parts are written as exclusive blogs linked in the end and per destination for those interested in the overall journey.

Road Trip Duration

We spent our days as in the itinerary we followed covered in the blog, but I would recommend adjusting days based on what attracts you more. In the table, you will find a rough recommendation for the number of days and top destinations to cover along the route. In the individual itinerary planning, I will highlight other destinations and reroutes to take for your itinerary customization, some of which are still on my bucket list. Below is my recommendation for the 10-15 days planning. I wished I had more time in Arizona than we could afford to in our ten days trip, so I have made this into a two weeks road trip itinerary.

Arizona to California Road Trip Map: Downloadable Map of Route Taken

Our journey started in Phoenix and ended in San Diego as shown in the route below that is downloadable. You could also start this journey from somewhere in California.

Arizona to California Road Trip: Arizona

Arizona Road Trip Stops

Below is a list of major bucket list items to cover in Arizona Road Trip:

• Phoenix: Capital city of Arizona with an international airport
• Sedona Red Rock State Park : A red rock heaven, stunning natural beauty and best for hiking
• Grand Canyon National Park: A natural landscape wonder and great for hiking
• Kaibab National Forest: Good for wildlife tour
• Coconino National Forest: Arizonian forest experience
• Drive Across US Highway 66: The American road trip dream route

If you have more time, you could also do a trip from Phoenix to Saguaro National Park, which is the ultimate cacti desert of Arizona. Similarly, you could add Monument valley to the Northwest as well as both lower antelope canyon and upper antelope canyon as well as Horseshoe bend for an ultimate Arizona road trip.

Arizona Unique Experiences

• Hot Air Balloon Adventure in Phoenix
• ATV Tour in the Sonoran Desert
• Grand Canyon with Helicopter

Day 1 – Phoenix

We arrived in Phoenix around late afternoon, where we started this road trip across South West of America from Arizona to California. The evening drive from the Phoenix Airport to the hotel was already pretty exciting with sights of mountains and huge trucks on the wide American highways. Phoenix is one of the largest cities in Arizona, one of the desert states in America especially known for the Grand Canyons, and is sprinkled with national parks, forests, and large varieties of mountains. 

Top Things To do in Phoenix

• Explore the Botanical Garden
• Phoenix Art Museum
• Phoenix Zoo
• Checkout the Hall of Flame Fire Museum
• Hike Camelback mountain
• Goldfield Ghost town
• Scottsdale Old Town

Day 2 – Phoenix to Sedona

We drove from Phoenix towards Grand Canyon and spend the majority of the day exploring Sedona red rocks. I would recommend spending one more day here to go on the hikes. There are some nice outdoorsy staycation sites here to explore including some popular retreats in Sedona.

READ: Road Trip to Sedona & Grand Canyon, Arizona

Top Things To do in Sedona

1. Hike Chapel of Holy Cross
2. Pink Jeep Tour (very good if you have time, takes 2 hours)
3. Cathedral Rock
4. Oak Creek Canyon
5. Devil’s Bridge Trail

The red rock city is a stunner, which is so unique and leaves you breathless. It really reminded me of ancient temples in India and even made me think of the pyramids of Egypt in a funny way. The red rocks look like a big piece of architecture from a far sight.

Sedona Unique Experiences

• Broken Arrow Pink Jeep Tour: Most popular recommendation from all travellers in the community
• Stargazing in Sedona: Mostly recommended by locals
• Sedona Grand Canyon Sunset Tour: Most romantic option

Day 3 – Sedona to Grand Canyon

Sedona to Grand Canyon is an easy drive with some stunning views when you approach the grand canyon national park south rim. You need to get a national park entrance pass to go inside here and as expected there was a long queue.

Entry Ticket: 35$/vehicle, 20$/individual.

All information to find a pass is here.

READ: Road Trip to Sedona & Grand Canyon, Arizona

Top Tips for Grand Canyon

• Plan a hike based on how much time you have at hand
• Don’t miss the sun rise and sunset here. There are specific points and hikes for best sunrise and sunset views that you could plan accordingly. Just turning up to the canyon wont give you the experience you are looking for.
• Checkout Kaibab Forest if you are into wildlife photography

Grand Canyon Unique Guided Experiences

• Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour : A very popular one
• Grand Canyon Tour with Skywalk : The skywalk is pretty unique
• Grand Canyon Pink Jeep Tour : Most highly recommended by travel community

Arizona to California Road Trip: Nevada

Nevada Road Trip Stops

A few major bucket list items to cover in Nevada a Road Trip include:

• Hoover Dam
• Las Vegas
• Lake Meade

Other top itinerary items to add to your list include exploring the Red Rock Canyon, Death Valley National Park, and Valley of Fire State Park.

Day 4 & 5 – Grand Canyon to Las Vegas

We drove along the US Highway 66, across Hoover Dam to Las Vegas, via Boulder City. Nevada is really underrated in my opinion as the drive along this route is scenic and enjoyable. The border between Arizona and Nevada is cut by the Colorado River and the lakes and river views in this area are spectacular. The signboard that welcomes you to Nevada is a great road tripper experience to get to that roadside landmark.

When you are approaching Vegas,  the view of the city is captivating when you suddenly see a grand city with tall buildings appear on the horizon far away,  in contrast to the mountainous side views from the road. Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to capture a nice picture of our approach.

Top Things to Do in Las Vegas

• Casino hopping (The Mirage, Luxor Hotel, MGM Grand)
• Watch the fountains of Bellagio
• Stroll around the Las Vegas Strip
• Watch a live show
• Strip club – (go for it if you fancy )

Las Vegas Budget Friendly Activities

• Las Vegas Night Bus Tour : Perfect to enjoy the city lights and vibe in Vegas
• Las Vegas Roller in the Strip : Perfect for a great view

Day 6 – Las Vegas to Hoover Dam & Lake Meade

We drove back to Hoover Dam from Vegas via Bounder city via Lake Meade on this day, and this is the best day trip for those who visit Las Vegas that offers such a fantastic scenic route to drive on.

Top tip: Hire a fancy car at least for this route and thank me later!

READ: Road Trip from Las Vegas to Hoover Dam

Top Things to Do around Hoover Dam

• Take the Lake Meade route
• Explore art and mural in Boulder City
• Stroll around the serene Hoover Dam and try your photography skills

Hoover Dam Tours from Las Vegas

Some highly rated tours from Las Vegas to Hoover Dam are:

• Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam and Route 66 Guided Tour from Las Vegas

Hoover Dam to California via Boulder City

We drove from Hoover Dam to Los Angeles California by taking a small break in Boulder City. We drove in the evening time to reach Los Angeles during the night time, so this was just a highway drive with not much sightseeing.

Arizona to California Road Trip: California

California Road Trip Stops

We covered two major bucket list cities during the Road Trip California time:

• Los Angeles
• San Diego

If you have time, you could also try to hit Lake Tahoe as well as the Joshua Tree National Park around this area. Another hidden gem is Lake Havasu which is top of my bucket list for our next visit.

For those of you not been to San Francisco, I would recommend adding the city in in and do the PCH- the famous Pacific Coast Highway Route and visit the Redwood National Park where you can see the tallest trees in the world. I plan to go back and do this another time when I visit Cali, as it is undoubtedly one of the best things to do in California for a road trip lover.

Day 7,8 – Los Angeles Road Trip

We spent two days in Los Angeles which is good enough to see the majority of LA attractions, but you can add more days to enjoy the beaches and the vibe here for longer.

Top Things to Do in Los Angeles

• Venice Beach
• Santa Monica Pier (Sunset)
• Hollywood
• Walk of Fame
• Griffith Observatory (Sunset)
• Mural hunting (Venice)
• Disneyland Park
• Museum of Art

READ: Los Angeles Road Trip Itinerary

Griffith observatory is my personal favourite in LA. You get here via Hollywood and you can see the Hollywood sign landmark from here. The sunset view is perfect at LA LA Land moment and the observatory is absolutely worth it. This is one of the most romantic places I have been to ever.

Los Angeles Unique Experiences

• Beverly Hills and Hollywood Helicopter Ride
• Celebrity Homes and Hollywood Tour

Day 9 – Los Angeles to San Diego taking Amtrak Train

From Los Angeles to San Diego, we took the most popular Amtrak train journey along the coast in California. We added this break in our drive to have some time to relax and we picked up our rental car in San Diego for road tripping in San Diego.

Days 10,11 – San Diego Road Trip

San Diego was the most relaxed leg of the road trip, it being the last place as well as an epicenter of one of the best beaches in California. We enjoyed beach hopping here, including kayaking, while we also enjoyed the city. San Diego’s old town is great and there are some cool bohemian-themed shops here that are very vibrant. La Jolla was my favourite most beach. Don’t forget to walk around here to see some of the best houses in San Diego.

Top Things to Do in San Diego

• La Jolla
• Sea World San Diego
• Old Town San Diego
• San Diego Zoo

READ: San Diego Road Trip Itinerary for Three Days

San Diego Unique Experiences

• Whale and Dolphin Watching Cruise
• San Diego Jet Boat Thrill Ride

Day 12 – Coronado Islands

On our last day, we spent a relaxed day at the Coronado islands which is a short drive from San Diego and one of the coolest places to hang out. We particularly enjoyed kayaking here at the San Diego bay.

Top Things to Do in Coronado Islands

• Water sports
• Take a tour of the island
• Hotel del Coronado
• Coronado beach is perfect for pets

You could take a Segway tour from San Diego to Coronado, which is highly recommended to see the islands.

USA South West Road Trip from Phoenix: Journey in Parts

For the detailed itinerary of all these top bucket list destinations that can be covered in this road trip, below are the exclusive blogs of all parts of the journey. 

• The Arizona Road Trip from Phoenix to Sedona & Grand Canyon covers the major attractions in Arizona around Sedona and Grand Canyon.
• The Nevada Road Trip to Las Vegas and Hoover Dam covers the most scenic routes in Nevada apart from Las Vegas.
• Los Angeles Road Trip part covers the journey from Las Vegas to Los Angeles vacation and its main attractions.
• San Diego Road Trip blog covers our adventures in San Diego for three days. 

Pin the road trip itinerary for future reference