In October 2021, I was finally ready to take my first big trip since the Covid pandemic started. So, I put together this Utah National Parks 10 day itinerary, with a focus on the Grand Canyon and all five of Utah’s National Parks. It combines all six parks into an epic road trip.
Like so many of my itineraries, this 10 day Utah National Parks itinerary is fast paced. There’s several places I can’t wait to go back to and explore more (and some I’ve since revisited). Even though it’s fast paced, this 10 day Utah road trip was just enough to give me a great taste of the amazing beauty found in this part of the United States.
Utah National Parks 10 Day Itinerary
This 10 day Utah road trip is almost identical to the itinerary I followed, with some very minor changes to help maximize your time at the national parks in Utah.
You will start and finish in Las Vegas, so you could easily do this itinerary in reverse. From my experience, most people do the reverse of this itinerary. When we made our first stop at the Grand Canyon, several people told us we were doing the loop backwards! That said, I don’t think one way is particularly better than the other. My recommendation is to check hotel prices and letting that be your determining factor.
Additionally, there is a very small caveat. I’ve listed this as a 10 day Utah National Parks itinerary, but not all of your days will be spent in Utah. In fact, only 6 days of this 10 day Utah road trip is spent in Utah.
Day 0 – Arrive in Las Vegas
This day is completely optional. Whether you need it depends on what time your flight into Las Vegas arrives. When I did my trip, it was easier to fly into Las Vegas late at night. Since it was 10:00 at night, my mom and I spent the night at an airport hotel. The next morning, we took the hotel shuttle back to the airport, picked up our rental car, and properly started our Utah road trip.
If you’re like me and arriving late at night, wait until the next day to pick up your rental car. You’ll likely save a little bit of money since you’ll have the car for one fewer day. If you’re spending the night at an airport hotel, there is no need for a rental car.
Sleep: Las Vegas, NV
Day 1 – Drive from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon
If you didn’t spend the night in Las Vegas, try to arrive into Las Vegas early in the morning. As soon as you land, you can pick up your rental car. Jump on the highway, head out of Las Vegas, and officially start your Utah road trip.
If you arrived in Las Vegas the night before, it’s time to really get started on this 10 day Utah National Parks itinerary. Despite this itinerary focusing on Utah’s national parks, we’re going to actually start in Grand Canyon National Park.
The drive from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon takes about four hours. For some people, this can be a long drive to do all in one go. If this sounds like you, consider some stops to break up the drive.
I recommend stopping at Hoover Dam, about 40 minutes into our journey. I also recommend making a stop to pick up some snacks for the week. We stopped at a Walmart in Kingman, Arizona for our snack stock-up.
When we visited Hoover Dam in 2021, tours were not being offered because of the Coronavirus pandemic. Still, I think our stop was worth it. We parked the car, walked across the bridge and took photos, and then drove along the actual dam. We spent just under an hour here, which is just enough time (unless you’re interested in doing a tour).
Our next stop was in Kingman, Arizona, which is roughly halfway between Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon. This stop has no sightseeing. Not too far off the highway is a Walmart so you can stop and pick up your snacks for the week (assuming you didn’t pack things from home).
If you’re stopping here, it’s a good idea to top off your gas if you have a small tank. Trust me, you do not want to have to pay for gas in Tusayan. On this national park itinerary, keep an eye on the gas tank. There can be long drives between gas stations and those rural gas stations can charge high prices.
From Kingman, it’s another two hour drive to Tusayan, just outside of the Grand Canyon.
You have your choice of hotels when you get to the Grand Canyon. You can sleep in the Grand Canyon Village to be closer to the park. Or you can stay in Tusayan, which is slightly further down the road, and offers more hotel options. It’s only a fifteen minute drive from Tusayan to the Grand Canyon Visitor Center, so Tusayan was sufficient for us.
If you still have energy, you can pop into the Grand Canyon to get your first glimpse of the incredible landscape. However, we were pretty exhausted after the long drive. So instead, we decided to take it easy so we’d have more energy for tomorrow.
Sleep: Grand Canyon Village or Tusayan
Day 2 – Grand Canyon National Park
Yes this is a 10 day Utah national parks itinerary, but today is all about the Grand Canyon.
If you love hiking, there are plenty of trails that will take you inside the canyon for incredible views. If you don’t think you’re up to a huge day of hiking in the Grand Canyon, but still want to do something besides riding the shuttle to the various view points, consider renting a bike. There are bike rentals near the visitor center and you can do a self guided tour along the rim. If you’re not into hiking or biking, you can take in the views from the many different look out points by utilizing the park’s shuttle.
We did a little bit of all three of these options. We rented bikes in the morning, hiked the South Kaibab Trail to Ooh Aah Point in the early afternoon, and finished the day with some awesome viewpoints.
No matter what you do, focus your time on the main lodge and South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Tomorrow, you’ll be driving through the eastern section of the park as you move on to the next stop on this national park itinerary. So to be more efficient, skip this section today, and focus on the rest of the South Rim.
Sleep: Grand Canyon Village or Tusayan
Day 3 – Grand Canyon National Park to Monument Valley
Today is another long driving day (but it’s a Utah road trip and road trips mean driving so this shouldn’t be a surprise). It takes three and a half hours of driving to reach Monument Valley from Tusayan.
Note that depending on the time of year, it might actually be four and a half hours. There is potential for a one hour time change. Arizona does not observe Daylight Savings Time, but the Navajo Nation, where Monument Valley is located, does observe it.
The most efficient, and fun, way to go between the Tusayan and Monument Valley is to enter Grand Canyon National Park the same way you did yesterday. Instead of heading to the main visitor center, take a right and drive through the eastern section of the park.
This is a very scenic drive and there are numerous view points to stop at. When we did this drive, there were multiple view points where we were one of only two cars in the parking lot (although visitor numbers had not completely bounced back from the Covid pandemic).
If you’re short on gas, don’t worry so much about the high prices of fuel in Tusayan. There are gas stations 30 miles past the eastern entrance of Grand Canyon National Park which were actually reasonably priced. We put in three gallons of gas in Tusayan, which got us to Cameron, AZ (with gas to spare). Once in Cameron, we completely filled our tank for gas that was $1 per gallon cheaper than Tusayan.
Once you exit Grand Canyon National Park, it’s a long and not very interesting drive to Monument Valley. The scenery is nice, but it does get a little monotonous after nearly three hours.
If you still have energy when you get to Monument Valley, consider doing the Monument Valley scenic drive. This is a 17 mile loop that costs $20 per vehicle.
There are two hotels in Monument Valley: The View Hotel and Goulding’s Lodge. The View is located inside Monument Valley and offers fantastic views. Goulding’s Lodge was slightly cheaper than The View Hotel, which is the sole reason we chose this hotel.
The views may not be as spectacular as those from The View Hotel, but you will still be able to see some of the iconic rock formations of Monument Valley. Goulding’s Lodge is less than six miles from The View Hotel so you’ll still see something.
If you are still concerned about price, you have the option to stay outside of Monument Valley. There was a couple on sunrise tour who chose to stay in the town of Kayenta. Kayenta will have a few more options for food and hotels, but it’s located nearly a half hour drive away so make sure you factor that in.
Regardless of where you sleep, plan to go to bed early. Tomorrow morning, you’ll need to be up well before sunrise.
Sleep: Monument Valley
Day 4 – Monument Valley Sunrise Tour and Driving to Moab, Utah
The best way to experience Monument Valley is with a guided tour. In fact, a guided tour is the only way to get to some of the locations in this tribal park. We did a sunrise tour and it was absolutely fantastic.
We met our guide at The View Hotel over an hour before sunrise. He drove us, and the rest of our group, through Monument Valley while giving us an awesome history lesson. We found a great spot just before sunrise and got to watch the sun creep up above the horizon, surrounded by the rock formations at Monument Valley.
While early, there is one huge benefit to taking a sunrise tour (besides the amazing sunrise). There were only a handful of tourists up this early. We passed very few cars and tour trucks until we neared the end of our tour. By that point, the normal daily tours were starting and the crowds were picking up. Our last stop had three other tour groups stopped and it felt very busy.
After your sunrise tour, you can grab some breakfast before packing up and heading to your next stop. It’s a three hour drive from Monument Valley to Moab, Utah (we’re finally entering Utah on this Utah road trip), but there’s two stops you should consider along the way.
The first is Forest Gump point, which marks the scene in the movie where Forest Gump completed his run across the US. You will drive directly past this marker and it’s worth pulling over for a quick photo.
The next stop adds an extra twenty minutes of driving, but I think it was worth it.
Goosenecks State Park is a state park in southern Utah that mostly consists of a gravel parking lot, small campground, and a great view. This park over looks the San Juan River, sitting directly above two bends in the river, called “goosenecks”.
Since this 10 day Utah road trip skips Page, Arizona and Horseshoe Bend, Goosenecks State Park makes a great alternative. It costs $5 per vehicle to enter.
After Goosenecks State Park, you will have another two hours to Moab. Once in Moab, have dinner and review your plans for Arches National Park the next day.
Sleep: Moab, UT
Day 5 – Arches National Park
Today marks the halfway point of this Utah road trip. Finally, we’ll start the “Utah national parks” part of this 10 day Utah national parks itinerary.
We’re going to start with Arches National Park which is just outside of Moab.
You’ll want to do some planning before coming to Arches National Park. In 2022, a reservation system was put in place to help manage the crowds at the park. This was not in place during my visit, but I did experience the reservation system during my visit to Rocky Mountain National Park in 2022.
Reservations will go on sale on the first of the month, the month prior (so reservations for June go on sale May 1, reservations for July go on sale June 1, etc.) Plan to get an early time slot. This allows you to experience as much of the park as you can before it gets really busy. The reservation only specifies when you can enter, so once you’re in, you can stay the rest of the day.
We arrived at the park at 7:15, just as the sun was rising so we could make the most of our day. There is a lot to see in this park, so it’s worth getting here early.
It’s also a good idea to have a plan. Arches National Park was one of the busier parks we visited on this national park itinerary and there were a few viewpoints that we had to skip, simply because we couldn’t find parking.
Prioritize the hikes that are important to you and have some back up plans, just in case parking doesn’t work out. Hopefully with the new reservation system, this will not be as big of an issue for you.
We started with a hike to Delicate Arch, which is the the most iconic arch of the park. It’s likely what you think of when you hear Arches National Park.
After, we worked our way around the park, along the scenic drive, ticking off as many arches as we could (without completely exhausting ourselves). We stopped at Skyline Arch, Sand Dune Arch, Broken Arch, the Upper and Lower view points for Delicate Arch, Double Arch, Turret Arch, and the North and South Windows, plus several other view points along the way.
If you’re in really great shape, you could probably even see more than we did.
We were tired at the end of the day, but we weren’t completely out of energy. While planning your national park itinerary, it’s easy to think you can do every hike and every view point, but you need to keep your own fitness level in mind. Additionally, you need to remember that you’re going to be doing a lot of physical activity day after day. So basically, don’t overdo it one day and ruin the rest of your trip.
Sleep: Moab
Day 6 – Canyonlands National Park
The next stop on this 10 day Utah national parks itinerary is Canyonlands National Park, which can also be reached easily from Moab. Canyonlands is not as famous as Arches National Park and I found the crowds to be much more manageable here.
There are several sections of this park, but for this national park itinerary, I’d recommend focusing on the Island in the Sky section. This is the closest section to Moab and has a lot to offer.
If you can, get here early and hike to Mesa Arch. You’ll want to get here shortly after sunrise, when the sun illuminates the bottom of the arch and turns it a glowing, brilliant orange.
After, you have options and again, it’s important that you do some research and determine what’s important for you. We chose to hike the Grand View Point Overlook, Whale Rock, and to the first view point of Upheaval Dome, plus we stopped at nearly every viewpoint we passed.
Our plans also included hiking the White Rim Overlook Trail, but missed the turn and never came back. We could have done more of Upheaval Dome, but we were feeling a little tired and realized we didn’t have a lot of water left. The water situation made our decision for us. We probably would have been fine, but it wasn’t a chance we were willing to take.
After you are finished at Canyonlands, you have two options for sleeping. You can return to Moab and sleep here, which adds more driving tomorrow. Or you can drive two hours to Torrey, which will position you wonderfully for Capitol Reef National Park tomorrow. We returned to Moab, but if I were to do it again, I would definitely drive to Torrey so I could spend more time at Capitol Reef National Park tomorrow.
Sleep: Torrey or Moab
Day 7 – Capitol Reef National Park
If you slept in Moab, set an alarm to hit the road early. It’s a two hour drive to Capitol Reef National Park and you’ll want to enjoy as much of it as you can.
Crowds at Capitol Reef National Park were the lowest of all of the national parks we visited in Utah on this entire national park itinerary. The scenery here is beautiful and you’ll spend your time wondering why there are so few tourists.
Since we came from Moab, we knew we only had time for a few things. We chose the Hickman Trail, the 1.6 mile round trip scenic drive, and the hike to Sunset Point. If you stayed in Torrey (or are a fit and fast hiker), you will likely be able to squeeze in more than we did. Take a look at the 3.4 mile hike to Cassidy Arch if that’s the case.
Once you finish at Capitol Reef National Park, you can stop for a quick bite to eat in Torrey before your two hour drive to the town of Bryce.
If you have the energy when you arrive at Bryce, you can head into Bryce Canyon National Park and watch the sunset from Sunset Point.
Sleep: Bryce
Day 8 – Bryce Canyon National Park
This is another day where it pays to be up early. Bryce is the second most visited national park in Utah, so you should expect crowds during the busier months. However, you should really expect crowds at each stop on this 10 day Utah national parks itinerary.
We were here on a rainy day, so crowds were not a problem for us. However, getting up early was still a good decision since we got to see some of the main sights before the rain started.
Our plan for the day was to focus on the Queen’s Garden/Navajo Loop Trail. We were going to do this hike and then do the scenic drive. This is actually what I would recommend for your visit.
I managed to get the hike in on a second visit to Bryce Canyon nearly two years later and it’s awesome. Hike into the canyon and see the hoodoos up close. It definitely gives a different perspective of Bryce Canyon.
Unfortunately for us, the weather did not cooperate on my first visit to Bryce Canyon. We had rain, wind, and cold temperatures for the entire day we were at Bryce. Still we had a good day by doing the walk between Sunrise and Sunset Points, as well as the scenic drive, before treating ourselves to some hot chocolate and pastries at a local coffee shop once the downpour started.
After Bryce Canyon, drive another two hours to the town Springdale. The most efficient route for this drive will take you through the eastern entrance of Zion National Park. The good news is you can do the scenic drive on this day, so you don’t have to back track (although this is an epic scenic drive so you won’t be upset if you have to do it twice).
My other recommendation is to look out for the Canyon Overlook Trail. This is a great, short trail that has amazing views. The problem is parking is very limited, so if you’re driving through Zion and see an open spot, pull over and do that hike. You won’t regret it.
When we took our trip, hotels in Springdale were very expensive, going for more than $300 per night. If this is out of your budget, you still have other options.
On my first trip to Zion National Park, we spent the night in Mount Carmel Junction, which is a twenty minute drive from the eastern entrance of Zion National Park. On my second visit to Zion, I stayed in Hurricane, which is a thirty minute drive to the western entrance of the park.
Sleep: Springdale (or Mount Carmel Junction or Hurricane)
Day 9 – Zion National Park
It should be no surprise that I’m going to recommend getting up early for your time at Zion National Park. It’s the last of the national parks on this 10 day Utah national parks itinerary. Zion National Park was the busiest of all of the parks we visited, which is not surprising since it gets more than twice the annual visitors of Bryce Canyon National Park.
If you stayed in Springdale, you can utilize the free park shuttle to get into the park early in the morning to do a hike. If you stayed outside of Springdale, head early to Springdale and park your car (you’ll have to pay to park in town) and jump on the shuttle.
I recommend focusing your time on the Canyon Road (assuming you did the Canyon Overlook Trail yesterday). This is where the shuttle takes visitors and there are so many hikes to do. You’ll have limited time here (because of the nature of this 10 day Utah road trip), but I recommend checking out the Riverside Walk. It’s the last stop on the Canyon Shuttle so you’ll get to see all the scenery and then get to take a walk along the river.
Keep in mind that you still have a three hour drive to Las Vegas after your time in Zion. That said, it will only be a two hour drive, once you account for the time change.
Depending on the time of your flight home, you have two options.
If you have a morning flight the next day, drive back to Las Vegas and spend the night there. If you have an afternoon flight, you could spend the afternoon at Zion to get in a longer hike. Keep in mind that if you don’t return to Las Vegas tonight, you won’t have any time in Las Vegas on this trip.
If you return to Las Vegas, you have the option to see a little bit of Las Vegas. We returned our rental car and took an Uber to the Strip. We had a nice dinner and celebrated the end of a fantastic 10 day Utah road trip.
Sleep: Springdale or Las Vegas
Day 10 – Fly Home
Fly home. This 10 day Utah national parks itinerary is over.
Final Overview
Day 0 (optional): Sleep in Las Vegas.
Day 1: Drive to Grand Canyon. Sleep in Tusayan.
Day 2: Explore Grand Canyon. Sleep in Tusayan.
Day 3: Drive Grand Canyon to Monument Valley. Sleep in Monument Valley.
Day 4: Monument Valley and Drive to Moab. Sleep in Moab.
Day 5: Arches National Park. Sleep in Moab.
Day 6: Canyonlands National Park. Sleep in Moab or Torrey.
Day 7: Capitol Reef National Park. Sleep in Bryce.
Day 8: Bryce Canyon National Park. Sleep in Springdale.
Day 9: Zion National Park and optional return to Las Vegas. Sleep Springdale or Las Vegas.
Day 10: Fly Home.
When to Do This 10 Day Utah Road Trip
My mom and I did this 10 day Utah national parks itinerary in the first week of October and we had wonderful weather (except for the rain at Bryce Canyon). It was warm enough that we mostly hiked in t-shirts and shorts, but cool enough that we weren’t constantly sweating. The warmest day was at Arches National Park and it reached the low 70s. The coldest day was at Bryce Canyon where the temperature was in the low 40s. If you’re looking to do this, I’d look at September and October. It can be done all year round, but be prepared for the weather.
And yes, it could be done in winter too. My second visit to this area was in the first weekend of March and I hiked through Bryce Canyon in the snow. It’s possible (and the crowds are lower), but I’d really recommend trying to visit in fall.
More Planning Advice
This 10 day Utah National Parks itinerary involves a lot of driving. When we did this, we put nearly 1500 miles on our rental car over the ten days we had it. However, most of the drives are very scenic and you won’t realize how many miles you’re putting on. That said, after multiple long driving days, especially when those drives are interspersed with a lot of hiking, you will start to get tired.
As I mentioned earlier, you will be visiting many national parks and won’t have a lot of time. It’s very easy to fall into the trap of trying to do everything. When making plans, keep in mind your own hiking abilities. It’s easy to say you’re going to hike 10+ miles in one day to do all of the hikes you want to do in a national park, but remember that you are visiting many national parks.
Don’t overdo it at one park. If you do, you might not be able to do as much at the other parks. Listen to your body, take breaks as needed, and realize that you might not be able to do everything you had planned.
Keep an eye on your gas tank. Some of the drives in Utah can get pretty rural and it is not uncommon to drive long distances without passing any gas stations.
To save money, purchase the America the Beautiful Pass at the first national park you visit. This pass costs $80 and is valid for one year and will get you unlimited entry into 2,000 national parks and monuments. If you do not have this pass, expect to pay between $20 and $35 per national park (which ends up being more than the cost of the $80 America the Beautiful Pass).
Final Thoughts
I absolutely loved this Utah road trip and still feel that it’s one of the best I’ve ever taken. If you’re looking for a trip that’s going to introduce you to some incredible beauty of the United States, try this Utah National Parks 10 day itinerary. If you’re like me, you’ll find yourself immediately planning trips to explore more parks (and to return to this region).
Continue Your Adventure
Utah: This state is full of natural beauty and one great place to find it is throughout its national parks. Utah’s “Mighty Five” consists of Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion National Parks. But don’t overlook the state parks, such as Snow Canyon State Park.
Arizona: There’s a lot to see in Arizona, including Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, and Saguaro National Parks and Monument Valley.
Nevada: This itinerary starts and ends in Las Vegas, so if you have time, consider adding a stop at Hoover Dam.
Variations on this Itinerary: If you don’t have ten days, but still want a taste of this region, check out my 5 Days in Arizona Itineraries. Or head to Zion and Bryce Canyon on a long weekend.
More Itineraries Like This: If you’re looking for more national park focused road trips, check out this 10 Day Colorado Itinerary.