One Week From LA: The Full Southwest Loop
Seven days is the 6 day loop with the same 5 stops, Death Valley, Vegas, Grand Canyon West Rim, Zion, Bryce Canyon, minus the brutal 7.5 to 8 hour single-day drive home. The extra day splits that grind into 2 manageable ones instead, with a stop back in Vegas on the way.
Book these before you go
- Reserve a rental car ; this loop covers roughly 1,400 miles.
- Check Las Vegas hotel rates ; you are back here twice, on Day 2 and Day 6.
- Book a Grand Canyon West Rim tour ahead if the Skywalk matters to you.
- Reserve Zion or Bryce lodging early; spring and fall, the best months for both, sell out first.
Day 1: LA to Death Valley
260 to 270 miles, 4.5 to 5 hours to Furnace Creek, the longest single leg of the week. Check current conditions on nps.gov , especially April through October when daytime highs routinely clear 120F. Entry is $30 a vehicle for 7 days, cashless payment only, no reservation required.
Day 2: Death Valley to Las Vegas
2 to 2.5 hours via Pahrump on NV-160. Check into Vegas and spend the evening on the Strip; you will be back here again on Day 6, so no need to see everything now.
Day 3: Vegas to the Grand Canyon West Rim and Back
125 miles and 2 to 2.5 hours each way on US-93, past the Hoover Dam. Leave by 7am for a real afternoon at the rim. General admission is $67, the Skywalk add-on brings it to roughly $99 to $113 with taxes. Return to Vegas for the night.
Day 4: Vegas to Zion National Park
160 miles, 2.5 to 3 hours on I-15. Check into Springdale and spend the afternoon on Zion’s shuttle-only main canyon road; private vehicles are barred from it during the park’s busy season.
Day 5: Zion to Bryce Canyon
85 miles, roughly 2 hours on UT-9 and US-89. Bryce’s hoodoos look nothing like Zion’s canyon walls; entry is $35 a vehicle for 7 days, card only, no cash at the gate.
Day 6: Bryce Canyon to Las Vegas
Instead of driving straight to LA, break the return trip here: roughly 4 hours back to Vegas, with time for a detour to Valley of Fire State Park on the way in if you still have energy for red rock scenery. One more night in Vegas turns tomorrow’s drive into a manageable half day.
Day 7: Las Vegas to LA
The easy day: 4 to 4.5 hours on I-15, leaving by early afternoon to dodge the worst of any Sunday traffic through the Cajon Pass.
| Day | Focus | Drive Time |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | LA to Death Valley | 4.5-5h |
| Day 2 | Death Valley to Las Vegas | 2-2.5h |
| Day 3 | Vegas to Grand Canyon West Rim, round trip | 2-2.5h each way |
| Day 4 | Vegas to Zion National Park | 2.5-3h |
| Day 5 | Zion to Bryce Canyon | ~2h |
| Day 6 | Bryce Canyon to Las Vegas | ~4h |
| Day 7 | Las Vegas to LA | 4-4.5h |
Why Add a Day Instead of Just Driving Bryce to LA Direct?
Because that direct drive runs 7.5 to 8 hours, mostly through open desert, after 5 days of early starts and multi-hour legs already. Splitting it at Vegas turns 2 rough days into 2 easy ones and leaves room for a Valley of Fire stop that the 6 day version has no time for at all.
What About Sequoia or Route 66 on This Trip?
They do not fit this particular loop. Sequoia sits west, in the Sierra Nevada, roughly 4 to 5.5 hours from LA in a completely different direction from Vegas and Utah; it works better as its own separate overnight. Route 66’s Santa Monica start is already behind you on Day 1’s drive out; see the full guide for both as standalone trips.
Want a shorter version of this same loop? See the 6 day , 5 day , or 4 day itineraries. For LA itself before any of this, see the Los Angeles guide .