The Best Arizona and Utah Road Trip Itinerary for 10 Days
This 10 day Arizona and Utah road trip itinerary packs in canyons, red rocks, and breathtaking hikes and drives.
Lace up the hiking boots and charge up the camera for this road trip in Utah and Arizona. The 10 day Southwest itinerary covers six national parks and several scenic byways between them.
Stunning red landscapes and unique rock formations fill southern Utah and northern Arizona, where the Colorado River and its tributaries carve dramatic canyons preserved in national parks and monuments. You’ll get to see the best of it with this national parks road trip in Utah and Arizona.
I’ve traveled around this region several times and never get tired of the stunning desert landscapes and adventurous hikes. I want to help you plan an epic Arizona Utah road trip, so I’ve included a route map, a daily itinerary with suggestions for hikes and views, and a section full of tips for an Arizona Utah road trip.
Looking for a shorter road trip through Utah and Arizona? Try this Utah national parks road trip with options for 7, 8 and 9 days.
Arizona and Utah Road Trip Map
You can save this Arizona Utah road trip map to refer back to later. Just click on it to open up a Google map.
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Arizona and Utah Itinerary
This Arizona and Utah road trip itinerary includes a day-by-day breakdown with ideas for the best hikes and where to watch the sunset. We also have tips for where to stay each night. Most of the driving is scheduled for midday so you avoid the crowds in parks at that time and also have daylight to enjoy the views from the road.
Day 1: Las Vegas to Grand Canyon National Park
Drive time: 4.5 hours
On arrival day, start your Arizona Utah itinerary by heading toward the Grand Canyon to get a big chunk of driving out of the way. You can visit either the popular South Rim or less crowded North Rim on this itinerary — both are less than 5 hours from Las Vegas, Nevada, and less than 3 from Page, Arizona, the next stop.
The North Rim is open mid May through mid October and only gets some 10% of the national park visitors. While the two rims are only about 21 miles apart via hiking trail, they are 220 road miles from each other.
The route to the Grand Canyon South Rim passes the Hoover Dam on the Nevada and Arizona border. You can also drive along old Route 66 between Kingman and Williams.
On the drive to the Grand Canyon North Rim, you can take a quick diversion to visit Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada if you have enough time. You’ll also pass the park on the way back to Las Vegas at the end of this itinerary.
If you arrive in time for a Grand Canyon sunset, head to the Mather Point or Yavapai lookouts or ride the shuttle down Hermit Road at the South Rim. At the North Rim, Bright Angel Point near the visitor center has panoramic views.
Where to Stay
These are the closest towns to the Grand Canyon South Rim.
For more affordable options, I've stayed in both Grand Canyon Junction, 30 minutes from the national park, at the Grand Canyon Inn and Motel and in Williams, an hour away, at the historic Grand Canyon Hotel.
For the North Rim, there are very few options within an hour. The Grand Canyon North Rim Lodge has stunning views from the rim but books up early. I stayed at Jacob Lake Inn, about 45 minutes away.
Day 2: Grand Canyon to Page
Drive time: 2.5 hours
Use this one day at the Grand Canyon guide to plan the perfect itinerary.
Most of this day is reserved for hiking and hopping between lookouts at the Grand Canyon North or South Rim before heading toward Page, Arizona, for sunset.
At the South Rim, you can hike part of the Bright Angel or South Kaibab trails to go down in the canyon, walk the Rim Trail near historic Grand Canyon Village, hop on and off the shuttle along Hermit Road for scenic vistas, and cruise down Desert View Drive to discover less-crowded canyon overlooks and the stone Desert View Tower.
If you have extra time on this Utah Arizona road trip, these are the best ways to spend 2 days at the Grand Canyon or 3 days at the Grand Canyon.
At the North Rim, follow the North Kaibab Trail to hike into the canyon, walk the Bright Angel Point Trail to a scenic lookout, and drive Point Imperial Road and Cape Royal Road to a handful of overlooks.
Both sections of the national park are less than 3 hours from Page, the next stop. I give the scenery edge to the north route drive, which takes you by Vermillion Cliffs National Monument and Marble Canyon. Plan to arrive about an hour before sunset to walk out to famous Horseshoe Bend in Page.
Where to Stay
Day 3: Page to Monument Valley to Moab
Drive time: 5 hours
This Page bucket list has 15 of the best things to do in the Arizona town.
There is a lot of ground to cover on this day of the Arizona Utah road trip and a couple of tours you’ll need to book ahead of time, so I recommend getting an early start.
In Page, visit Horseshoe Bend if you didn’t make it in time the previous evening and schedule a morning tour of Antelope Canyon. You’ll need to pick between Upper Antelope Canyon, Lower Antelope Canyon or less crowded Antelope Canyon X and allow about two hours for the tour. Tours are required to visit these sections of Antelope Canyon and booking ahead is essential to ensure you get a spot.
Next up, make the 2-hour commute to Monument Valley for a landscape of huge red sandstone buttes on the Arizona Utah border. If you’re in an SUV, you can self drive the 17-mile loop, but you may have to wait awhile to enter when the Navajo Nation park is busy.
You can also book a tour ranging from a couple of hours to half a day or more. These can be booked on site or reserved ahead of time to guarantee a spot at this popular destination. If you don’t have the time or budget for a tour, you can see some of the rock features driving through the area on Highway 163 or drive the Valley of the Gods in nearby Mexican Hat, Utah, for free.
I recommend making most of the 3-hour trip up to Moab at the end of this day so you can get an early start for the first national park visits in Utah. If you have extra time on the way, stop at Goosenecks State Park in Mexican Hat or add a diversion to drive up the Moki Dugway and visit Natural Bridges National Monument.
Where to Stay
Day 4: Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park
Drive time: 2+ hours
Use this Canyonlands guide to plan your hikes and sightseeing in the park.
Canyonlands National Park has four different districts you could potentially visit, but a couple of them are more challenging to access. Most visitors head to the Island in the Sky district 30 miles from Moab or Needles district 75 miles southwest of Moab.
Island in the Sky is perfect for your first time at the park, with several easy-to-reach lookouts like the Green River Overlook, Buck Canyon Overlook, Shafer Canyon Overlook and Grand View Point.
Plan for some hiking to spots like Mesa Arch (0.5 mile) on the edge of a cliff, Whale Rock (1 mile) to climb up a sandstone dome, Grand View Point (2 miles) along a canyon rim for views of the Colorado and Green rivers, and Upheaval Dome (1 to 2 miles) to look into a crater. You can find more day hikes here.
If you’ve had your fill of Canyonlands by late afternoon, I recommend leaving the park and driving to Dead Horse Point State Park on the way back to Moab. The park sits on a gooseneck of the Colorado River and is the perfect spot to watch the sunset.
Where to Stay
Some of the top-rated hotels in Moab include Hideout at the Rim, Red Cliffs Lodge, and Moab Springs Ranch.
Day 5: Arches National Park
Drive time: 2+ hours
This Arches National Park guide has several ideas for how to best arrange your day.
Arches National Park is just 5 miles from Moab, so most of the driving today will be in the park to get to different hikes and lookouts. This park requires a timed entry reservation between April and early October that can be reserved about three months ahead for monthly blocks (Feb. 1 for May, March 1 for June, etc.)
More than 2,000 arches are scattered throughout this popular national park, and there are several trails to reach a few of the most accessible ones. For easy hikes, head to the Windows (1 mile), Double Arch (0.5 miles), Skyline Arch (0.4 miles), Broken Arch (2 miles), Sand Dune Arch (0.3 miles), Landscape Arch (1.9 miles) and Balanced Rock (0.3 miles).
For more intense hiking, head to the Devil’s Garden area at the back of the park for a difficult path to Double O Arch (4.1 miles) or a primitive trail (7.8 miles) that wraps in several arches and elevated views. You also don’t want to miss Delicate Arch (3 miles), a freestanding arch up a sandstone hill. You can get a quick view on easier walks to the lower and upper viewpoints, but climbing 480 feet to the base of the arch at sunrise or sunset is bucket-list worthy. Get full hiking info here.
The 17-mile Arches Scenic Drive through the park has several spots to stop for a view, including Panorama Point, the Fiery Furnace Overlook, the Courthouse Towers, Park Avenue and the Salt Valley Overlook.
Where to Stay
Day 6: Moab to Capitol Reef National Park
Drive time: 2 to 3 hours
From Moab, you can either drive 2 hours straight to Capitol Reef National Park to get the maximum amount of time there, or add in a scenic route and a state park on the way.
I highly recommend taking the Upper Colorado Scenic Byway (State Route 128) out of Moab, even though it adds nearly 40 miles on to the drive. The road traces the Colorado River between soaring canyon walls before spitting you out near the Colorado border with open plains and mountains in the distance. This was one of my favorite drives on my last road trip!
A quick stop at Goblin Valley State Park will add about 30 minutes to the drive plus an hour or two to wander around the otherworldly landscape full of orange hoodoos and rock spires with mushroom tops.
As you enter Capitol Reef National Park on State Route 24 (no entry fee for this part), you can stop for a couple of hikes. The moderate Hickman Bridge trail (1.8 miles) leads up to a long natural arch and the easy Grand Wash hike (up to 4.4 miles) crosses through a narrow canyon.
Next, stop in Fruita, the park’s historic district with an old wooden schoolhouse and the Gifford Homestead and barn. The homestead store sells fresh-baked pies made with fruit from the local orchards, but they usually sell out in the morning.
If you still have daylight, you can drive down the 7-mile-long Capitol Reef Scenic Drive. The only section of the park with an admission fee, this drive leads to trails like Cassidy Arch (3.4 miles) for a challenging climb up to an arch and Capitol Gorge (1 to 2 miles) for an easy walk to historic rock inscriptions in a canyon. Check out the Capitol Reef hiking page for more trail info.
For sunset, walk out to Panorama Point, follow a short trail to the Goosenecks Overlooks (0.2 miles) or hike up to Sunset Point (0.8 miles).
Where to Stay
I stayed at the Broken Spur Inn and Steakhouse, which has covered wagons to camp in and hotel rooms with Western decor. The Red Sands Hotel and Capitol Reef Resort are also highly reviewed and have creative accommodations like teepees, wagons and cottages.
Day 7: Capitol Reef to Bryce Canyon National Park
Drive time: 2.5 hours
Pick from a few incredible adventures today as you make your way toward Bryce Canyon. In the morning, wrap up any Capitol Reef hikes that you didn’t have time for the previous day. You could also consider spending 6 to 8 hours driving the Cathedral Valley Loop, a rugged and remote section of Capitol Reef that requires a high-clearance 4x4 vehicle.
From the Capitol Reef area, take the longer route to Bryce Canyon on Scenic Byway 12. It’s about a 2.5 hour drive along cliffs, ridges and gorges. If you choose to, you can make a whole day of the drive, with optional diversions like following the Burr Trail Road to Singing Canyon, hiking to Lower Calf Creek Falls (6 miles), driving Hole in the Rock Road near Escalante to explore slot canyons, or photographing the huge rock chimneys and spires at Kodachrome Basin State Park. This will not all fit into one day, so you’ll have to make some hard choices!
Try to arrive at Bryce Canyon National Park in time to catch the sunset from Sunset, Sunrise, Bryce or Inspiration Point.
Where to Stay
I stayed in the budget-friendly Red Ledges Inn in Tropic. Other highly reviewed properties include Bullberry Inn Bed and Breakfast, Bryce Valley Lodging, and Bryce Canyon Log Cabins.
Day 8: Bryce Canyon to Zion National Park
Drive time: 2 hours
This guide to one day in Bryce Canyon will help you map out your sightseeing and hikes.
Plan to spend at least half a day at Bryce Canyon National Park to check out all the viewpoints and walk along the rim, or a little longer to add in a hike down into the canyon, which I highly recommend if you’re up for it.
Start your hike first thing in the morning to avoid some of the crowds. There are a few trail trails that go into the canyon and you can combine them to create different hike lengths.
The moderate Navajo Loop Trail (1.3 miles) is the shortest option and includes the popular Wall Street switchbacks, which are only open in the warmer months. Or, try the popular Queen’s Garden and Navajo Loop (2.9 miles) to explore a little more of the canyon before hiking back up. To add some difficulty, you can tackle the Figure 8 Combination (6.4 miles), which includes the Queen’s Garden, Peekaboo Loop and Navajo Loop.
Before leaving, you’ll want to hit up all the scenic lookouts around the Bryce Canyon — Sunrise Point, Sunset Point, Inspiration Point and Bryce Point. These overlooks are all on the shuttle route. In your own vehicle, you can venture even further into the park on the Bryce Canyon Scenic Drive, a 17-mile route to landmarks like Rainbow Point and Bryce Natural Bridge.
On the 2-hour drive from Bryce Canyon to Zion National Park, plan for stops to admire the Red Canyon, Checkerboard Mesa, and pink sandstone and switchbacks along the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway. Just before the famous Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel in the national park, the Canyon Overlook Trail (1 mile) leads up to a view of Pine Creek Canyon and Zion Canyon.
With extra time at the end of the day, you can poke around the visitor center center complex and hop on nearby hikes like the Pa’rus Trail (3.5 miles) along the river or Watchman Trail (3.3 miles) up to a view of the lower canyon. Other Zion hikes require riding the shuttle into the canyon, which is best saved for a full day in the park.
Where to Stay
Spend the next two nights in one of these towns near Zion National Park.
Day 9: Zion National Park
Drive time: Minimal
This Zion National Park guide will help you plan the perfect day in the park.
For this full day in Zion National Park, you’ll explore the hikes and scenery along the Floor of the Valley Road that goes into the narrowing Zion Canyon. The road is closed to private vehicles, so you have to ride a shuttle from the visitor center. The first shuttles leave at 6 a.m. and lines can get extremely long later in the day (over an hour), so it’s essential to arrive early.
Zion has a variety of hikes for different skill levels. The two most popular and challenging treks are the West Rim Trail to Angel’s Landing (5.4 miles), which leads up a skinny ridge for canyon views, and The Narrows (up to 9.4 miles), a walk in the Virgin River with canyon walls towering overhead. If both of these hikes are on your bucket list, you can squeeze them into one tiring day or save one for the following morning. Don’t forget, you need a permit distributed through a lottery system for the hike to Angel’s Landing.
Some of the easier paths on the shuttle route include the Riverside Walk (2.2 miles), a paved trail where the canyon narrows, and the Emerald Pools trails (up to 3 miles), with a few different hikes to lower and upper waterfalls.
Anyone looking for something a little less busy than the Zion Canyon on their Utah Arizona road trip can instead head to the Kolob Canyon section of the park. There, you can follow a 5-mile scenic drive and hike the Timber Creek Overlook Trail (1 mile) to an elevated canyon and valley view. There are also some longer adventurous hikes — Taylor Creek Trail (5 miles) goes through a box canyon and across water and La Verkin Creek Trail (14 miles) crosses remote wilderness to a long natural arch.
Where to Stay
You can either stay another night near Zion National Park or get a head start on the drive back to the airport if you leave early the next day.
Day 10: Zion to Las Vegas
Drive time: 3 to 4 hours
If you have an early flight out of Las Vegas, you might want to get a jump start on your drive the night before. Springdale is about 3 hours from the international airport in Las Vegas.
With a longer day, though, you can either tack on another Zion activity or stop at Valley of Fire State Park on the route back to Vegas. The park is about an hour outside the city with a landscape of orange and red sandstone rock formations.
Driving straight through on the Valley of Fire Highway will add about an hour onto the trip. If you have time to stop, some popular short hikes include the Rainbow Vista (1 mile), Fire Wave (1.5 miles) and White Domes Loop (1 mile).
Your Arizona Utah itinerary will wrap up in Las Vegas, where you can spend any remaining time checking out the Strip before heading to the airport.
Tips for a Road Trip in Utah and Arizona
These Arizona to Utah road trip tips will help you plan your vacation. Find the best places to stay, when to go, what to pack and more!
Where do you fly into for Utah National Parks?
I recommend flying into Las Vegas, Nevada, since it is about 3 hours from Zion National Park and a little less than 5 from the Grand Canyon. The Las Vegas to Utah road trip above is about 21 hours without the optional scenic drives I included in the itinerary above or driving inside the national parks.
You could also fly into Salt Lake City, Utah, if you make a loop that starts in Zion, goes down to the Grand Canyon North Rim, and then follows the remainder of this itinerary in order. That route is about 23 hours of driving.
From Phoenix, the drive would also be roughly 23 hours on a route that goes from the Grand Canyon South Rim to Page, Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Moab, Monument Valley and back down to Phoenix.
Another option is to fly into Denver for a Colorado and Utah road trip. There are nine national parks between the neighboring states!
How long does it take to road trip around Utah and Arizona?
I have done versions of this trip in a few as 4 days and as many as 14. Obviously, the more time you have, the more parks you’ll be able to visit. If you want to visit all the Big 5 Utah national parks and the Grand Canyon, I recommend no less than a week — and this would be very rushed and skip out on many bucket list hikes.
I think a 10 day itinerary for Utah national parks is a sweet spot to include overview visits at all the destinations above. Then, you can decide where you want to return to spend more time when you get the chance. If you have two weeks, that’s even better!
This 4 day Utah and Arizona itinerary is a compact way to road trip in the Southwest and this Utah road trip has 7, 8 and 9-day options for visiting the national parks.
How many days do I need to visit Utah?
If you only want to do a southern Utah road trip to the five national parks, you can fit it into a week or so, giving each park about a day with time for driving built into the other two days. For that road trip, I recommend flying into Salt Lake City.
What is the best time to Visit Utah and Arizona?
The busy tourist season in Utah and Arizona is approximately April through October. Summer is crowded and hot in this region, especially for hiking into the Grand Canyon or at Zion, and there’s a chance of monsoons and flash floods.
Spring and fall are best for hiking trips, but you’ll still want to book in advance to get the best prices on hotels and rental cars. I would recommend April, October or November to avoid some of the crowds and have pleasant but chilly weather.
How do I plan a road trip in Utah and Arizona?
This Arizona and Utah road trip itinerary is a great place to start. The map above has the route and major stops pinned, and you can save it to your Google maps to refer back to. You can also pin the images below to find this article later on from your Pinterest account.
I like to start my road trip planning by adding any places I know I want to visit to Google My Maps and then deciding on a route that connects them. I look for flights and rental cars at the same time to make sure I get the best deals, and select hotels later near where I want to start each day.
What should I pack for a road trip in Utah and Arizona?
You’ll want to pack comfortable and outdoorsy clothes for an Arizona Utah road trip. If you plan to hike, make sure you have a sturdy and supportive pair of hiking boots or sneakers for the uneven rocky terrain and incline-decline trails in this area.
This Grand Canyon packing list has all the essentials for hiking and camping and this road trip packing checklist includes many of the general items you’ll want to keep in the car.
