Hike through technicolour landscapes in Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks, and meander beneath the majestic redwoods of Sequoia National Park
Explore the geological masterpiece that is the Grand Canyon, take in the epic vistas at Horseshoe Bend and clamber through Antelope Canyon
Hit the trails of the incomparable Yosemite National Park to gaze upon Half Dome, El Capitan and Vernal Falls
Travel along Route 66, sleep out under big skies and tuck into campfire dinners on this quintessential American road trip from Las Vegas to San Francisco
Day 1
Touch down in Las Vegas, the indulgent oasis in the middle of the Mojave Desert. Rendezvous with your fellow adventurers and host at the hotel downtown in the early evening for a chat through the adventure to come. If you're keen to hit the notorious nightlife of Vegas, maybe plan on arriving a couple of days before the adventure start date as you'll be setting off first thing tomorrow morning.
Day 2
Ditch the city lights and hit the road for your first taste of a classic American adventure. Cross the border from Nevada into Utah en route to your first hike amongst the huge sandstone cliffs of Zion National Park. Weave through lush riparian woodland, catching glimpses of cascading falls, before tackling a climb up to an epic viewpoint across the canyon. Back in the van, you'll drive the final stretch to your first campsite of the trip – just outside of Bryce Canyon National Park. Get to grips with setting up camp, then settle in for dinner and stories around the campfire in the great American outdoors – the first of many such nights to come.
Day 3
Wake up early to catch the sunrise and its dazzling display over Bryce Canyon's multi-hued landscape. Today, you'll venture deeper into Bryce Canyon National Park along a series of trails, through a myriad of colours and rock formations. The park is a showcase of some of the youngest sedimentary layers along the Grand Staircase, a unique region of canyons, arches, plateaus and cliffs. Your hike will see you descend below the rim into this otherworldly realm, connecting the Peekaboo, Navajo Loop, and Queen's Garden trails.
Day 4
Pack down camp and bid farewell to Utah, hopping in the van for the drive to Page, Arizona. Head out for a short hike at Horseshoe Bend, the iconic lookout spot above the winding Colorado River. Next up is Antelope Canyon, a narrow slot canyon formed by millions of years of water and wind erosion. Accessible only with a specialist local guide, the tour begins with a jeep ride to the entrance of Antelope Canyon, then you'll navigate this surreal formation on foot. Rain and flooding still carve out the canyon, leaving behind ever-changing edifices which resemble brush strokes along a rock canvas, leading up narrow walls to glimpses of the light above. Back on the road again, you'll head towards the big one: eyes peeled for your first views of the Grand Canyon, before an evening arrival at camp.
Day 5
Explore one of the USA's most famous sights today. The Grand Canyon, sculpted over millennia by the Colorado River, exposes some two billion years of the Earth's history. Spend the day appreciating the mesmerising verandas along various trails. Tour leaders are not permitted to guide inside Grand Canyon National Park, so the hikes today are self-guided – but your guide will tell you the best paths to follow, and provide full details before you hit the trails. You'll find them easy to navigate together as a group. Back at camp, tuck into dinner beneath the stars after an epic day. The road trip continues tomorrow...
Day 6
A journey through America's western states is jam-packed with famous sights and iconic places, and Route 66 is the ultimate road trip. Known as 'The Mother Road', it is recognised as a National Monument in its entirety from Chicago to LA, representing generations of stories stemming from the complex history of the United States' western expansion. The small town of Seligman, Arizona has been instrumental in preserving its legacy, so you'll stop here for a dose of Americana and Route 66 flavour. Later, you'll stop at the nearly ghost town of Oatman, Arizona, which offers up more insight into the history of human pursuits westward. True to the American-style road trip, you'll rest your head at a roadside hotel this evening.
Day 7
Finish up this portion of the road trip with a resupply stop and the final stretch of road to eat into, crossing into California and continuing on as the mountains of the Sierra Nevada come into view. Eventually, you'll begin to roll past the great forests of Sequoia National Park – one of the oldest protected natural areas in the world, and host to the largest living organism by volume on the planet, the General Sherman Tree. Many of the ancient sequoia trees that reside here have watched over the forest for thousands of years. Stretch your legs after all the driving with a hike up to Moro Rock, offering a brilliant view over the San Joaquin Valley via an ascent up 350 stairs to the top of the granite dome. You'll set up camp tonight in the foothills outside the park.
Day 8
Enjoy a full day to explore and hike in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park, with a plethora of trails through sequoia groves, past cascading falls, granite domes and valley overlooks. You have the option to hit a longer route in Sequoia National Park, or to join your guide on a drive between both parks to have a chance to navigate multiple shorter trails. A UNESCO International Biosphere Reserve, this diverse ecosystem is teeming with wildlife including black bears, wolves, coyotes and beavers.
Day 9
Arguably, the best is saved for last on this trip. Yosemite National Park is the jewel in the crown of America's great wilderness landscapes, with sheer granite walls that rise more than 3000ft above the glacially sculpted valley floor. Regal waterfalls, hundreds of feet tall, attempt to steal the scene while rocky domes and peaks impose their will across the skyline. Take in your first impressions of Yosemite and get your bearings of the valley on a hike to see the impressive Yosemite Falls, before setting up your final camp spot of the trip near the western entrance to the park.
Day 10
Head back into Yosemite National Park early, for a full day to explore the best trails. The Yosemite Valley shuttle system facilitates trail access around the Valley Loop, so you'll hop on the shuttles to reach trailheads which lead to some of the most epic parts of the park, including Vernal Falls and Mirror Lake. The sense of adventure is ever-present in Yosemite – from John Muir's exploits in the 1870s (which led to the creation of the National Park), through to modern-day feats by the likes of Alex Honnold (who in 2017 climbed El Capitan solo, without a rope). Yosemite oozes adventure and the great American outdoors from its every pore. Head into Mariposa Town tonight for a celebratory dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 11
Bid farewell to Yosemite this morning with a final breakfast at camp before hopping in the van for the drive to San Francisco. Reaching the city in the early afternoon, enjoy lunch and embrace the city's extraordinary setting along the San Francisco Bay, with views of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. The trip comes to an end in central San Francisco where you are free to head to the airport for an onward flights departing from 16:00 onwards. Alternatively, if you are staying on longer in the States you can bid farewell to your guide and fellow adventures after lunch in the city, and head to your accommodation.
Mark L. June 2025
Nathan H. November 2024
Nicholas B. October 2024
Rebecca L. October 2024
Christie E. September 2024
Kollita M. June 2024
Lizzie B. May 2025
“This was an absolutely incredible trip made so much easier by booking a tour rather than trying to navigate the driving, campaign bookings and everything myself. Our guide, Charlie, was an absolute legend who made the whole experience more fun. At the beginning of the trip I mentioned how much I love wild swimming and he went out of his way to find opportunities for me to get in the water. The itinerary was well thought out, all of the long drive days were straight after our biggest hiking days so it was a great way to rest up after being active.”
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Tap water in the United States is safe to drink. There will be refill points at each of the campgrounds that you'll stay at, so make sure to bring a water bottle or two to carry enough water on each of the hikes.
No. As this adventure starts in Las Vegas and ends nearly 1000km away in San Francisco, there is no option to store your luggage at the start of the trip. Your luggage will be transferred for you throughout the trip and safely stored in the group vehicle.
You'll have one tour leader and hiking guide throughout the trip. An additional specialist local guide joins the group for the trip to Antelope Canyon in Zion National Park.
The weather in the national parks can be pretty unpredictable, with rain, wind and extreme temperatures possible at any time of the year. The best you can do is to be prepared for anything and come equipped with layers of clothing, sunscreen and waterproofs. Your host will be monitoring the weather conditions during the course of the trip and will suggest alternative, safer hiking routes or activities should the weather get particularly bad.
During this trip, you'll be camping in locations where there can be wildlife present in their natural habitat. Both smaller animals (i.e. birds and rodents) and larger ones (such as bears, deer, moose and elk) are primarily attracted to food, not humans. To protect the local wildlife, you need to ensure your food is kept out of their reach. When camping, the key is to be vigilant about not leaving any food or scented items (like toothpaste and other toiletries) in tents or exposed at the campsite. Your guides will typically designate a safe place to store these items overnight away from the tents, which campers can access if needed. Occasionally a larger animal may pass through or near to your campsite, especially in areas that overlap with their natural travel routes. In these cases, just like when encountering wildlife on the trail, it's important to maintain a safe distance, respect the animal's space, and calmly make your presence known if necessary. Your guides will provide more details and directives once at camp so everyone can follow best practices camping and do their bit to help keep wild animals wild.
Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
Our team of Adventure Hunters co-create exclusive adventures which are run by highly vetted, specialist hosts. The trip is run by our trusted host partner in the destination. We only work with independent, local, in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. Read more information about the local teams we partner with. You’ll be introduced to the host straight after making a booking via the Much Better Adventures platform.
Much Better Adventures refer to the UK Government’s official travel advice when designing trips and monitoring trip operations. We recommend that all customers are familiar with the practical information provided on the Government’s FCDO website, where current travel advice can be found by searching for the applicable destination(s).
For customers joining this trip from other international destinations – please also read the official travel advice applicable to your country of residence/origin, as this may differ.
We recommend checking out the country-specific information and also talking to a travel nurse.
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All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. You must be over 18 to join one of our trips.
You're always in good company on one of our adventures.
Our trips are typically made up of a mixture of solo travellers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.
Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way. Check out our Community Values – a shared code to make sure that everyone's experience is safe, inclusive and brilliantly unforgettable.
It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.
Don't just take our word for it:
See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.
Summers in the deserts and sierras of the west of the USA are warm and mostly dry, though there can be the odd thunderstorm to bring some rain to proceedings. Zion and the Grand Canyon are the hottest spots on this trip: in June the highs range from 27-38°C (80-100°F) and lows from 7-18°C (45-65°F) with things hotting up further in July and August, getting up to 40°C at the peak of the day. In Bryce, Sequoia and Yosemite in June you can expect daytime ranges of 21-32°C (70-90°F) and nighttime temperatures from 4-10°C (40-50°F), while July and August highs can reach 27-32°C (80-90°F) and nighttime temperatures between 10-15°C (50-60°F).
Note that evenings will be cold at the campgrounds in Bryce and Grand Canyon due to the higher altitudes at these spots, so be sure to bring suitable warm clothing and a season 3 sleeping bag for these nights - see kitlist for further guidance.
We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 159kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.
The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.
But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:
What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity, ensuring the protection of the reserve and its wildlife.
Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.
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