A straight road leading towards the red buttes of Monument Valley

United States of America · North America

USA

Red-rock canyons, geysers, Pacific cliffs and New York — a country best understood from the road.

Photo: Halie West / Unsplash

Many people know the USA from films, but its true scale only reveals itself on the road. In the deserts of Utah and Arizona, canyon walls change colour from dawn to dusk; in California, sequoia groves and granite cliffs give way to headlands above the Pacific; and in Yellowstone the ground steams, bubbles and sends up geysers every few hours.

The national parks are the country's real heart. They offer easy trails for families and long hikes for experienced walkers, linked by roads that are part of the journey in their own right. The story of the West is also inseparable from its Native nations — Monument Valley, for example, lies on Navajo Nation land and is best understood with a local Navajo guide.

The cities balance the quiet of the parks: New York with its museums, parks and neighbourhoods each with their own character, or San Francisco and Chicago. The USA suits a first great road trip as well as a return visit — the key is to choose one or two regions rather than trying to cover a continent.

Why go

01
The canyons of Utah and Arizona
Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches and Capitol Reef, Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon — red-rock country best seen early in the morning or in evening light, when colours are richest and the trails are quiet.
02
Yellowstone and Grand Teton
The world's first national park, with geysers, vividly coloured hot springs and valleys grazed by bison. Nearby, the jagged Teton peaks rise above their lakes, and at dawn and dusk a guide can help you look for moose, elk and, with luck, wolves.
03
The California coast and Yosemite
Highway 1 winds along the Big Sur cliffs above the Pacific, while in the Sierra Nevada the granite walls and waterfalls of Yosemite Valley seem to belong to a world of a different scale. Start in San Francisco and finish in the wine valleys or Los Angeles.
04
New York and the great cities
A morning walk in Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum, Brooklyn's neighbourhoods and dinners that begin late — New York makes a fine start or finish to a journey. Architecture lovers should consider Chicago, and live-music fans New Orleans.

Ways to travel

Ways to experience it

Ways to travel aren't separate paths — the best journeys often bring several together.

Tailor-made journeys
A self-drive route with well-judged distances, stays close to the parks and free days — so the driving never overwhelms the places.
Adventure & active travel
Hikes in Zion and the Grand Canyon, kayaking on the Colorado River and cycling in the Utah desert.
Family journeys
Geysers, bison, junior ranger programmes and gentle trails — America's national parks captivate children of every age.
Exceptional stays & escapes
Historic national park lodges, ranches in Wyoming, desert retreats in Utah and boutique hotels in New York.
Culture & discovery
The museums of New York and Chicago, live music in New Orleans and time with Navajo guides in Monument Valley.

USA

Journey inspiration

Illustrative ideas for how a tailor-made journey could look. Not bookable packages: no prices, dates or inclusions are implied.

0112–16 days
The red-rock loop
Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches, Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon — a loop through Utah and Arizona with time to spare for hiking.
Adventure & active travel · Tailor-made journeys
Plan something like this
0210–14 days
California: from Yosemite to Big Sur
San Francisco, a few days in Yosemite, a slow drive down Highway 1 through Big Sur and a finish in wine country or by the ocean.
Tailor-made journeys · Exceptional stays & escapes
Plan something like this
0310–14 days
Yellowstone and Grand Teton for families
Geyser basins, guided wildlife watching in the valleys, a few days on a ranch and kayaking on the lakes of Grand Teton.
Family journeys · Wildlife & nature
Plan something like this

Planning your journey

When to go

Spring and autumn are usually the most pleasant for the parks of Utah and Arizona — summer in the desert is very hot. Yellowstone and Grand Teton are best from late spring to early autumn; in winter much of Yellowstone's road network closes to regular cars. The California coast and New York work year-round, and autumn in New York is especially lovely. Conditions vary from year to year.

How long to allow

Allow 10–14 days for one region — distances are long, and the best hours in the parks are early and late in the day. Three to five days in New York fit well at the start or end.

Natural combinations

The canyons of the West extend naturally into the parks of the Canadian Rockies, and California pairs well with a few days in Hawaii. From New York, Mexico makes an easy continuation.