This is the American road trip in its purest form — San Francisco to Los Angeles via the desert. You'll drive through three of the most iconic landscapes in the USA: the granite monoliths of Yosemite, the salt flats of Death Valley, and the vast silence of the Grand Canyon. Las Vegas in the middle for a jolt of neon and a good night's sleep.
A rental SUV is included (unlimited mileage, full insurance), plus all National Park entry passes. Hotels range from 3-star in the national parks to 4-star in the cities. We give you a day-by-day driving plan with scenic stops, photo points, and realistic drive times — this is a self-drive itinerary with a pre-loaded route, not a chauffeur trip.
01
Arrival: Land at SFO. Pick up your rental SUV at the airport. Drive to your hotel in Union Square or Fisherman's Wharf.
Evening: Walk Fisherman's Wharf. Optional cable car ride to Nob Hill.
Overnight: San Francisco.
02
Morning: Guided city tour — Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, and a stop at the Painted Ladies.
Afternoon: Free time. Optional Alcatraz tour (book well in advance), or bike the Golden Gate Bridge.
Evening: Dinner in North Beach (SF's Italian quarter).
Overnight: San Francisco.
03
Early Morning: Breakfast. Drive to Yosemite (approx. 4 hours).
Late Morning: Arrival at the park's South Entrance. Tunnel View — the classic Yosemite panorama.
Afternoon: Yosemite Valley — El Capitan, Half Dome, Bridalveil Fall. Short walk to the base of Lower Yosemite Fall.
Evening: Dinner at your lodge.
Overnight: Yosemite area.
04
Morning: Breakfast. Drive to Glacier Point for the best Half Dome views.
Late Morning: Hike the Mist Trail to Vernal Fall (5km, moderate).
Afternoon: Visit Mariposa Grove to walk among giant sequoias.
Evening: Dinner at leisure.
Overnight: Yosemite area.
05
Morning: Breakfast. Drive to Death Valley (approx. 6 hours).
Afternoon: Arrive at Death Valley. Stop at Zabriskie Point for sunset — the most photogenic viewpoint in the park.
Evening: Dinner at your hotel (limited options — plan ahead).
Overnight: Death Valley area.
06
Morning: Breakfast. Visit Badwater Basin (the lowest point in North America, 86m below sea level) and the Artists Palette scenic drive.
Midday: Drive to Las Vegas (approx. 2 hours).
Afternoon: Arrival in Las Vegas. Check in. Walk the Strip.
Evening: Optional Bellagio fountain show, Cirque du Soleil, or a casino floor walk.
Overnight: Las Vegas.
07
Morning: Breakfast. Optional morning at a Vegas show or pool.
Late Morning: Drive to the Grand Canyon South Rim (approx. 4.5 hours).
Afternoon: Arrival at the Grand Canyon. Watch the sunset from Mather Point or Hopi Point.
Evening: Dinner at your lodge.
Overnight: Grand Canyon area.
08
Early Morning: Sunrise over the Grand Canyon (if you can wake up).
Morning: Drive to Los Angeles (approx. 7.5 hours including stops).
Late Afternoon: Arrival in LA. Check into your hotel in Santa Monica or Hollywood.
Evening: Dinner at leisure.
Overnight: Los Angeles.
09
Morning: Breakfast. Visit Hollywood — Walk of Fame, TCL Chinese Theatre, and a photo stop at the Hollywood Sign.
Afternoon: Optional Universal Studios Hollywood or a Santa Monica Beach afternoon.
Evening: Dinner in Santa Monica or Venice Beach.
Overnight: Los Angeles.
010
Morning: Breakfast. Return rental SUV at LAX.
Transfer: Short shuttle to LAX terminals.
Farewell: Depart with a camera roll full of America's greatest landscapes.
What our clients love about us.
"Thank you Hike N Pic for the Hospitality. Looking forward to having ya in Uganda. We love you and Asante Sana! "
"Thank you soo much Hike N Pic for the care, support, time, commitment shown and showered upon us. Definitely planning another trip back and we highly recommend your travel company - Newly Weds. From Uganda with Love"
"Dear Hike N Pic Family, Thank you for providing a spectacular adventure for all of us! Your company has done a great job of treating us like family and showing us your wonderful home, Kenya. Wishing your company continued prosperity, and you, your employees and your family much happiness, as well as your friends. Can’t wait to come back! Thanks for everything! Chris and Bobo, Melby "
"From the first interaction through a friend referral the service was excellent. Mike was wonderful and timely from airport pick up to drop off. The office staff were great. The tour planning and guidance came handy. Everyone I interacted with was very professional. Check out Hike N Pic for your safari’s. Ruth"
"This is an excellent guide and car service which we used in Nairobi and also on an overnight trip to the Homa Peninsula. They came highly recommended by an NGO that works in Kenya and we are glad we hired them. Mike was an exceptional driver on many different road conditions! We travelled in a comfortable Land Cruiser Prado to rural dirt paths and crazy urban traffic jams. He also was very knowledgable. It was reasonably priced and very flexible with our changing schedule."
"The trip was amazing had fun. The driver who is also a guide really helped. The hotel and crew were friendly. Highly recommend to anyone planning for a vacation"
"Being one of the staffs at HikeNPic Tours & Safaris, i really thank the team for the time we have been together, the knowledge gained can't take it for granted. I'm a tour guide/tour consultant. I prepare quotations for our clients, itineraries, air tickets and can offer guiding services when needed. The company also have several fleets that runs in the East and South African market with the help of our able captains. We also offer car-hire services. The teamwork for the whole staff is amazing."
"Upon Meeting our driver and guide, it was a wonderful introduction session then being briefed of our safari. Of course it was amazing to learn more about the culture, animals and nature."
"I definitely would recommend Hike N Pic Tours & Safaris. Their services are quite affordable, brilliant ,decent team , right from office to the field. The most amazing experience was the Fluent English speaking team. Lively office team and very welcoming staff :). I treasure Hike N Pic"
"Best Of The Best...."
"Good customer relation. Teamwork. Knowledgeable employees. The meet and greet with the captain was awesome. The memorable experience in the wild can't be explainable. I will always recommend Hike N Pic Tours and Safaris to clients looking for a travel agency."
"I highly recommend these company for their amazing tourism experience hiking and executive transport services They have professional drivers, excellent air ticket booking services, sgr etc"
"Hike n Pic exceeded my expectations in every way. Their professionalism and attention to detail made our trip smooth and enjoyable. The booking process was straightforward, and they provided all the necessary information beforehand. Our guide was fantastic, always ensuring our safety and comfort while sharing fascinating insights about the places we visited. This was my first trip with Hike n Pic, but definitely not my last!"
"Positive Professionalism"
"Great Customer service from the office to the wild (Field). Humble employees. Knowledgeable team."
"Positive Professionalism"
