The Ultimate 10 Day Road Trip: San Francisco, Los Angeles & Las Vegas

Alamo Square Park is a beautiful area to relax and see the city of San Fransisco. Choose to have a picnic or take a short walk while admiring the famous Painted Ladies. If you decide to drive here, there is plenty of parking along the roads surrounding the park. However this is a hotspot for car break-ins, so I would recommend walking, taking public transit or driving by the Painted Ladies.

Lombard street is a beautiful cobblestone street in San Francisco. We choose to drive down this winding street and admire the gardens along the way. This is a great spot to walk up or down if you have extra time!

A quick boat ride will take you to Alcatraz Island where you’ll spend your time walking around and touring the historic prison. We chose to take the 5:55pm night tour to Alcatraz which gave us plenty of time to explore everything that the island has to offer. If you decide to join a night tour, your boat will take you around the entire island before dropping you off! This loop around the island is only offered on the night tour. Once arriving at Alcatraz Island, you will walk up a path which takes you to the prison. Make sure you wear walking shoes as this path is equivalent to 13 flights of stairs. Along the way up there are multiple places to stop and learn about the island and take in the spectacular views! Once you arrive at the prison you'll enjoy a self guided audio tour as you explore the jail. The audio tour was the highlight of our visit! It was very informative and an immersive way to experience the prison. After the audio tour and we continued to explore the island and decided to take the 8:25pm boat back to San Francisco. We felt that this was plenty of time to complete the audio tour and explore the island without feeling rushed. Make sure to bring layers as it is very windy and cold on the island at night!

On the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge make sure to stop at the Golden Gate Bridge Vista Point. Here you'll have unobstructed views of the bridge. Make sure to visit this location early as there is limited parking and lots of people. We spent our time admiring the Golden Gate Bridge and taking photos, but there are also hikes to do if you're interested in walking to a higher viewpoint.

Muir Woods National Monument is a great location if you’re looking to hike among the California Red Woods! With plenty of hiking trails accessible at Muir Woods National Monument, you could easily spend the entire day exploring. We chose to hike the Muir Woods Main Trail and Hillside Loop which was 4.75 km’s / 2.6 mi. long with 42 m / 131 ft of elevation gain. Along the Muir Woods Main Trail you’ll cross 4 bridges and have access to many connecting trails. All trails are well marked with signs so you won't get lost! At the 4th bridge you can opt to turn around or connect to the Hillside Loop which brings you above the trees you've just walked past and back to the 2nd bridge. Along the Hillside Loop you’ll see the Muir Woods Main Trail from above! When you’re visiting make sure to book parking in advance as this is required to enter the park even with an annual pass. If you have an annual parks pass your entry to the park will be covered for up to 4 visitors. Alternatively, entry to the park will be $15 each.

On your way back to San Francisco make sure to stop in Sausalito for lunch and to explore this coastal town. There are plenty of restaurants and places to shop as you walk along the paved boardwalk. Our favourite spots to stop included Copita Tequileria y Comida, Lappert's Ice Cream, and California Republic where we found cheap San Francisco souvenirs.

The San Francisco Cable Car Museum is a free museum where you get to learn about the only working cable car system in the world. This is a great place to learn about the history of Cable Cars in San Francisco before riding one! After visiting the Cable Car Museum we chose to explore Chinatown, have dinner at House of Nanking, then ride a Cable Car down to Fisherman's Warf.

Chinatown is located in San Francisco’s downtown. Make sure to take your time exploring the plenty of shops and restaurants here. Along your way be sure to stop at the Fortune Cookie Factory to pick up some flavoured fortune cookies! We planned to have dinner at House of Nanking, a restaurant that is featured in the TV Show Chef Dynasty: House of Fang. The food here was delicious!

At Fisherman’s Warf you’ll have the opportunity to explore the many restaurants and shops located along the Pier. During your visit make sure to Visit Pier 39 where the majority of shops can be found. This was a great place to walk around, shop, admire the bay, and see Alcatraz Island from across the bay.

While driving from San Francisco to Los Angeles there are plenty of beaches and lookouts to stop at. For our first time driving along the coast, Gray Whale Cove State Beach was our first stop! This is the perfect location if you're looking for a quick lookout stop or if you'd prefer to spend some time on a walk. From the highway or a short walk down you can stop at this lookout and admire the beach. If you'd like to spend some time at the beach itself make sure you're prepared for the steep walk down!

Half Moon Bay is located 45 minutes from San Francisco and is the perfect location to stop to grab some lunch. While visiting take some time to explore the shops and restaurants in downtown. Ciya Mediterranean Cuisine was a great place to stop for lunch. The owner is extremely friendly and welcoming. It truly felt like we were part of his family while having lunch. After exploring downtown take a quick drive across the highway to Half Moon Bay State Beach. Spend some time relaxing and walking along the beach before heading to your next stop.

The Calla Lily Valley Trail in Garrapata State Park is a great stop to stretch your legs. We chose to walk down to the beach and spend some time admiring the huge waves crashing along the shore. The walk to the beach is less than 1 km and included some stairs, but was one of our favourite stops along the drive!

Our last big stop along the way to Los Angeles was at Big Sur. This coastal drive follows the steep cliffs along the pacific ocean and offers many places to pull over and take in the incredible views. There were many stunning bridges along the highway and the scenery was like nothing we've ever seen before. During our trip the road between Big Sur and Los Angeles was closed a few miles south of Big Sur. So, we turned around and headed back inland to Hwy 101. Make sure to check all road closures before planning your drive!

The Warner Bros. Studio tour takes you on a behind the scenes tour of their filming locations. During this tour you’ll travel around the set in a touring cart and walk for about 2.5km’s / 1.5 mi. The touring cart will take you throughout the outdoor filming sets. You'll have the opportunity to take photos and walk through homes you'll recognize from your favourite movies and TV shows. You’ll also get a tour of a live filming studio! During this portion of the tour you won't be able to take photos or videos. In total we spent about 3 hours on the tour and taking our time to explore the exhibits and gift shops afterwards. The tour around the Warner Bros. Studio's was a highlight of our visit to LA!

We decided to visit the Griffith Observatory around noon after our visit to Warner Bros. During this time it was extremely busy and difficult to find parking. Cars were parked along the road for miles leading up to and leaving the observatory. It took us a few tries to find parking close to the observatory. Be sure to budget some extra time if you visit in the afternoon. The highlight of this visit was walking on the roof of the Observatory and taking in the views of downtown LA and the legendary Hollywood sign. As it was very crowded both inside and out we didn’t spend a lot of time exploring the exhibits inside the Observatory. I recommend getting there early to avoid the crowds and have the chance to enjoy the exhibits. Entrance to the observatory is free but there is a cost for parking.

In the evening we decided to take a walk along the Hollywood Walk of Fame. We spent about 1 hour walking along the street and visiting the stores along the way. We enjoyed our time casually walking the street and spotting Hollywood Stars we recognized. If there is a Hollywood Star you must see during your visit, make sure to plan accordingly as the Hollywood Walk of Fame is 2.1 km's each way. The street is also very crowded so make sure you know where you want to go as you might miss out on seeing a star!

On your way to Santa Monica Beach you can walk through Palisade Park. This Park is the perfect spot to admire the iconic palm trees and the Pacific Ocean before heading down to the beach.

Make sure to bring everything you need to spend the day at the beach! This beach was a beautiful spot to relax in the sand and swim in the ocean. We chose to spend a half day at the beach but you can easily spend a whole day here.

The Santa Monica Pier is only a short walk from the beach. If you're spending the day at the beach, this is a great spot to pick up a souvenir and have lunch.

Rodeo Drive is one of the most famous areas for shopping in Los Angeles. It's also a beautiful spot for a drive. If you're looking to spend some more time and walk along Rodeo Drive there are plenty of shops and restaurants to explore!

Beverly Hills Park is located near Rodeo Drive. This is the perfect place to stop and take a picture with the Beverly Hills sign!

Joshua Tree National Park has many trails to explore! We chose to hike the Hidden Valley Trail, Cholla Cactus Garden and Oasis of Mara. The Hidden Valley Trail is a 2 km / 1.2 mi. trail taking you through the dessert landscape of Joshua Tree National Park. During this hike you’ll see Joshua trees and plenty of interesting rock formations. The Cholla Cactus Garden was our next stop and a highlight of our visit! The cactus garden is a fun spot to stop along the way and admire the cacti that grow in Joshua Tree National Park. Make sure to stay on the trail and don’t step on any cacti! Our last stop was the Oasis of Mara on our way out of Joshua Tree National Park. I recommend stopping at the Oasis of Mara if you’re leaving the park via the north exit. Make sure to bring lots of water for your visit and hike earlier in the day to avoid the heat.

On your drive into Las Vegas make sure to stop at the infamous Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign! If you're hoping for the perfect picture beneath the sign, get there early as there will be a long line.

Upon arriving at the Aria we took a quick break in our room to get ready for the evening! During your visit make sure to check out the casino, outdoor pools, and try the many breakfast restaurants on site! We enjoyed our stay at the Aria as this is a central hub for travelling between hotels with the Aria Tram conveniently taking you to the surrounding hotels.

The Mon Ami Gabi restaurant is located across from the Bellagio in Paris Las Vegas. This restaurant was recommended by family and the food did not disappoint! When you’re visiting, check with your waiter if the Goat Cheese Dip is available. While this dish is no longer on the menu they serve it from time to time. During our visit we got extremely lucky that it was available! The food was delicious but make sure to get there early. Even if you have a reservation you are still required to wait in line to check in.

After dinner spend some time exploring Paris Las Vegas and head over to The Chandelier Bar located in The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. This was a great spot to have some drinks in the evening underneath the enormous Chandelier.

There are plenty of stores and hotels to explore as you walk The Strip! You can chose to walk outside on the sidewalk which gives you access to the many shops along the way, or you can walk inside through the numerous connecting hotels. Make sure you know which hotels are connected because not all of them are! During our visit the temperature throughout the day were over 30 degrees Celsius / 86 degrees Fahrenheit. As such we decided to primarily walk through the hotels. This gave us the opportunity to explore the Bellagio, Caesars Palace, The Cosmopolitan, and MGM Park Hotels. Our favourite shop along The Strip was the Coke Store. Here we tried different pop flavours from around the world!

Upon arriving at the Aria we took a quick break in our room to get ready for the evening! During your visit make sure to check out the casino, outdoor pools, and try the many breakfast restaurants on site! We enjoyed our stay at the Aria as this is a central hub for travelling between hotels with the Aria Tram conveniently taking you to the surrounding hotels.

Amalfi by Bobby Flay is located in Ceasars Palace and is a must visit restaurant when visiting Las Vegas. While primarily sea food based, this restaurant has meals that can be enjoyed by everyone. Both the service and quality of the food were 10/10. We will definitely be going back on our next trip to Vegas.

We booked our tickets to see David Copperfield in advance at the MGM Grand Hotel. This show was about an hour long and consisted of many illusions and comedy throughout. After the show make sure to spend time exploring New York-New York Las Vegas.

At the Grand Canyon West Rim you’ll have the opportunity to explore to various lookouts! Upon arrival you’ll park at the Visitor Center before taking the shuttle up to the West Rim. The first lookout is Eagle Point which is located steps away from the shuttle drop off and will take you about 10-15 minutes to enjoy the viewpoint. At this location there is a cafe to have food and drinks as well as an optional skywalk for an additional charge. The skywalk at Eagle Point is an add on experience that visitors can choose to do. While we chose to opt out of this experience, the skywalk is a great opportunity to see the bottom of the canyon. From this lookout you aren’t able to see the bottom. However, more views open up at the next lookout! After admiring your first view of the Grand Canyon take the shuttle to your next lookout. The last lookout is Guano Point which was the highlight of our visit! When arriving at Guano Point there is a cafe to grab food and drinks before starting the trail leading to the Guano Point lookout. With spectacular views from the entire trail you can easily spend 1 -1.5 hours enjoying the view and relaxing at Guano Point. Note: the Grand Canyon West is not part of the National Park. As such, you’ll have to purchase your tickets separately.

There are many exhibits that take place at the Luxor Hotel & Casino. While you’re in Las Vegas check with the hotel to see what exhibits are on display! During our visit we had the opportunity to attend both the Titanic and Bodies exhibit. They were both fantastic! Tickets can be booked online or in person at The Luxor Hotel. A discount was available when booking multiple exhibits in person.

Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill is located in Caesars Palace. If you’re looking for a quick meal this is the spot for you. While the service and quality of the food didn’t match the other restaurants we visited in Vegas, I would recommend eating here for lunch instead of dinner. There are many other fabulous restaurants with better quality and service for dinner. After dining make sure to explore the shops located in Caesars Palace!

Zion National Park is located in Utah and is approximately a 3 hour drive from Las Vegas. Even though it’s a far drive for a day trip, Zion National Park is absolutely worth it! Once you arrive at Zion National Park you’ll receive an information guide to start planning your day. If you’re looking to drive through Zion and stop at some lookouts, then the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway is for you! During your drive you'll travel through the iconic Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel. Once arriving on the East side of the tunnel you can chose to hike the Canyon Overlook Trail. If you are planning to drive through Zion National Park this is the only road where vehicles are permitted. If you are going to spend the day exploring Zion National Park beyond the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway, there is a park operated shuttle that will take you through the rest of the Park. We chose to drive the highway for a quick detour during our drive back to Calgary, Alberta. We spent about 2 hours driving along the highway and stopping at the viewpoints. However, you could easily spend an entire day or more exploring everything that Zion has to offer.