NYC to LA: The Great American Road Trip

22 days
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Self-Guided / Independent Tour
This is the trip you've been dreaming of your whole life, the ultimate road trip adventure, clear across the US of A!  Starting in New York City and finishing in Los Angeles, you'll see big cities, small towns, national parks and everything in between. With your very own rental car, you'll have the freedom to roam far and wide. So find your favorite playlist,...
From$4,813
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Overview

Trip type
Self-Guided / Independent Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

What's this trip about?

    This is the trip you've been dreaming of your whole life, the ultimate road trip adventure, clear across the US of A!  Starting in New York City and finishing in Los Angeles, you'll see big cities, small towns, national parks and everything in between. With your very own rental car, you'll have the freedom to roam far and wide. So find your favorite playlist, put your sunglasses on and roll the windows down. You're in for the adventure of a lifetime! Start in the city that never sleeps, New York!  Visit the Empire State Building, walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, picnic in Central Park and catch a Broadway show.  Then, head down to the nation's capital, Washington, D.C.  Snap photos of the White House, stroll along the National Mall and grab a famous half-smoke at Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street.  Head over the Canadian border to the dramatic views of Niagara Falls before visiting the revitalized city of Detroit for some amazing music and food.  Next, spend some time in bustling Chicago, a city with everything to offer, before crossing the Mississippi River and venturing into the quieter lifestyles of Sioux City, Rapid City and Cody.  Snap photos at Mount Rushmore and enjoy the changing landscape as you make your way west.   Visit some of America's most stunning national parks, including Yellowstone, Bryce Canyon and of course, Grand Canyon, one of the natural wonders of the world and an item on everyone's bucket list. Then it's on to the exciting nightlife of Las Vegas with it's famous strip and endless entertainment.  Finish your adventure in Los Angeles, spot a celebrity or two, take a selfie in front of the Hollywood sign and dip your toes in the Pacific Ocean! 

Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeIndependent
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transport
Start CityNew York City
End CityLos Angeles

Destinations

Activities

  • Independent

Trip includes

    • Roundtrip economy class airfare into New York City (LGA), out of Los Angeles (LAX)
    • Automatic rental car for the duration of your trip Pick up LGA and drop off LAX 2 nights in Manhattan at The Dylan Hotel NYC, or similar
    • 2 nights in Washington DC at The Capital Hilton, or similar
    • 1 night in Niagara Falls at the Sheraton on the Falls Hotel, or similar
    • 1 night in Detroit at the Fort Pontchartain Detroit, or similar
    • 2 nights in Chicago at The Whitehall Chicago, or similar
    • 1 night in Sioux City at The Hilton Garden Inn Sioux City Riverfront, or similar
    • 2 nights in Rapid City at The Cambria Hotel Rapid City Near Mount Rushmore, or similar
    • 1 night in Cody at The Holiday Inn Cody at Buffalo Bill Village, or similar
    • 2 nights in West Yellowstone at the Yellowstone Park Hotel, or similar
    • 1 night in Salt Lake City at Sheraton Salt Lake City Hotel, or similar
    • 1 night in the Bryce Canyon area at The Best Western Plus Ruby’s Inn, or similar
    • 2 nights in Flagstaff at the Doubletree by Hilton Flagstaff, or similar
    • 1 night in Las Vegas at The Luxor Hotel & Casino, or similar
    • 2 nights in Los Angeles at the Hilton Los Angeles Airport, or similar
    • Detailed day-by-day itinerary with trip highlights, hotel information, local guides, maps and driving directions This package is seasonal and only available April to October.

Itinerary

Day 1 Welcome to New York City

Catch a glimpse of the world's most famous skyline as you touch down in the city that never sleeps and begin your epic trip across the USA! You'll pick up your automatic rental car at the airport and head to your first hotel to check in. 

Tonight, you mig...

Day 2 New York City

This exciting city is filled with amazing people, famous sights, and towering skyscrapers. Take your pick of the Statue of Liberty, Fifth Avenue, Central Park, Rockefeller Center, the Empire State Building and much more!

Day 3 New York City - Washington D.C.

Grab one more breakfast in the Big Apple before getting back into your rental car and heading south to the nation's capital, Washington, D.C.!  Depending on traffic (be sure not to leave at rush hour!) the trip will probably take a little over 4 hours. 

I...

Day 4 Washington D.C.

Spend a full day exploring Washington, D.C.  Start by strolling along the National Mall where you'll find iconic monuments including the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument.  Lose yourself in some of the world's most inspired museums.  

After lunch, ...

Day 5 Washington D.C. - Niagara Falls

Today, you'll leave Washington, D.C. and head northwest toward the New York/Canada border.  Just before reaching the Niagara Falls area, you might want to make a stop at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, N.Y. and try some famous buffalo wings right where they were inv...

Day 6 Niagara Falls - Detroit

Get an early start today to view the famous Niagara Falls!  Famed for its stunning beauty, Niagara Falls is actually a group of 3 waterfalls on the border of New York and Ontario with a vertical drop of over 160 feet.  Stroll along Table Rock and view the thund...

Day 7 Detroit - Chicago

Grab a coffee and take a walk along the Detroit Riverfront to see the revival of this city in action. You might want to check out DIA, Detroit Institute of Arts, or the Motown Museum, also known as Hitsville, USA.  Have lunch in the city center before starting your drive to Chicago. 

Day 8 Chicago

Spend a full day exploring exciting Chicago!  Soak up the city's highlights including Lake Shore Drive, the Magnificent Mile, Navy Pier and one of the world's tallest buildings, the Willis Tower.  If the weather is nice, you might want to see the city from a river cruise.  Be sure to try the famous deep dish pizza! 

Day 9 Chicago - Sioux City

Leave the city life behind and travel through Midwest farm country, abundant in corn fields and dairy farms. Then, cross the mighty Mississippi River into the state of Iowa to arrive just as Lewis & Clark did 200 years ago on the banks of the Missouri River.

Day 10 Sioux City - Rapid City

You might want to check out Trinity Heights, the restored Orpheum Theatre or the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center in Sioux City before continuing your journey west. 

Drive through the grasslands of South Dakota to Badlands National Park, once home to...

Day 11 Rapid City

Today you'll undoubtedly want to visit Mount Rushmore National Memorial, about 30 minutes southwest of Rapid City.  Reaching over 60 feet tall, the impressive carved sculptures were started in 1927 and completed in 1941 with the goal of bringing more tourists t...

Day 12 Rapid City - Cody

Drive further to the "wild west" and into Wyoming, which has twelve mountain ranges intermixed with deserts and rolling grasslands.  Spend the night in Cody, a small frontier town and home to the Buffalo Bill Center of the West.  Walk the downtown area, visiting the many cowboy apparel stores, galleries and wonderful restaurants. 

Day 13 Cody - West Yellowstone

Today, drive past the mountains in Wyoming to Yellowstone National Park and check this amazing landscape off your bucket list. You might want to consider booking a guided tour of this immense geothermal wonderland to make the most of your time here. Spend the afternoon exploring geysers, waterfalls, wildlife and canyons.

Day 14 West Yellowstone

Grab your camera and wear comfortable shoes! Today, you'll spend a full day exploring all the wonders of Yellowstone National Park, established in 1872 as America's first national park. See the world-famous Old Faithful Geyser, Mammoth Hot Springs, the Grand Ca...

Day 15 West Yellowstone - Salt Lake City

Travel through Grand Teton National Park (weather permitting) and see awesome mountain peaks towering over 13,000 ft. Visit the Snake River Outlook and try your eye at capturing the stunning landscape made famous by Ansel Adam's iconic shot. Later, arrive in Utah's ca...

Day 16 Salt Lake City - Bryce Canyon area

Continue south to Bryce Canyon where a multi-colored world of sandstone spires and pinnacles, "hoodoos", will dazzle the eye. Here, nature's artistry has created rocks in various shades of red into an other-worldly landscape with the erosion caused my wind and ...

Day 17 Bryce Canyon area - Flagstaff

Depart Bryce Canyon this morning and journey to stunning Lake Powell, where crystal blue water laps against towering red-rock canyon walls. Lake Powell is the second-largest man made lake in America. While here, Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon are well worth a visit. Grab lunch in Page before heading to Flagstaff, a famed stop on Historic Route 66.

Day 18 Flagstaff

Today, visit what is sure to be a highlight of your cross-country adventure, the Grand Canyon!  It's about a 90-minute drive from Flagstaff so be sure to leave early so you can maximize the day. Grand Canyon National Park is one of the seven great natural wonde...

Day 19 Flagstaff - Las Vegas

This morning travel to Las Vegas, the infamous "Entertainment Capital of the World".  Along the way, pass through Seligman, a town built along the famed Route 66 that looks as if it were frozen in time sixty years ago. The remainder of the day is yours to explore the dazzling Las Vegas Strip! Take in a show, unwind at a cocktail bar, or try your luck at a casino!

Day 20 Las Vegas - Los Angeles

Travel to Los Angeles through the Mojave desert, where clusters of unique Joshua trees dot the mountainous landscape. Upon arrival in the "City of Angels", drive through areas such as Hollywood, Sunset Strip and Beverly Hills, before reaching your hotel.

Day 21 Los Angeles

Wake up surrounded by glitz and glam! L.A. is filled with things to see and do.

Take obligatory photos in front of the iconic Hollywood Sign, consider a visit to Griffith Observatory, walk along the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and drive down Sunset Boulevard...

Day 22 Depart Los Angeles

Sadly, the time has finally come.  Return your rental car, find your departure gate, and spend your flight home dreaming about your next adventure. 

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Dates & Availability

Price From $4,813
Price per day$219
Last Updated: 8/8/2023

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Great Value Vacations.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Trip ID
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