🚗 Recommended Plan: 7 Days
One big loop through the Colorado Plateau, linking the Grand Canyon, the slot canyons around Page, Monument Valley, and Utah's five national parks.
🗺️ Core Route
Grand Canyon → Page → Monument Valley → Moab → Capitol Reef → Bryce Canyon → Zion
- 🛣️ Distance: roughly 1,000 miles
- 🏜️ Terrain: high desert — big temperature swings and little shade
- 🧭 Best strategy: save Zion for last, so the trip ends on its most dramatic canyon
Day 1
🏜️ Day 1 — Grand Canyon
| Item | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| 🛏️ Stay | Grand Canyon Village or Tusayan |
| 🚘 Driving | Minimal once you arrive |
| ⏱️ Time | Half to full day |
Walk a stretch of the South Rim Trail and catch sunset at Hopi or Mather Point. Ride the free shuttle out to Hermits Rest when the road is closed to cars.
- 1
Grand CanyonOvercast78°F / 26°Chalf to full day🏜️ South Rim highlights:
- Mather & Hopi Points
- The Rim Trail walk
- Sunset over the canyon
Day 2
📸 Day 2 — Page: Horseshoe Bend & Antelope Canyon
| Item | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| 🚘 Driving | ~2.5 hours from the Grand Canyon |
| 🛏️ Stay | Page |
| 🎟️ Note | Antelope Canyon requires a booked Navajo-guided tour |
Horseshoe Bend is a short walk from the rim parking lot — go early or late for softer light. Time your Antelope Canyon tour for midday in spring and summer, when the light beams appear.
- 2
Horseshoe BendOvercast81°F / 27°C1 hour📸 The Colorado River's dramatic 270° bend, a short walk from the rim parking lot.
- 3
Antelope CanyonOvercast77°F / 25°C1.5 hours🌀 A sculpted sandstone slot canyon — book a Navajo-guided tour for the midday light beams.
Day 3
🎬 Day 3 — Monument Valley
| Item | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| 🚘 Driving | ~2 hours from Page |
| 🛏️ Stay | Monument Valley (The View) or Mexican Hat |
| ⏰ Best light | Sunrise & sunset |
Drive the 17-mile Valley Drive loop among the buttes — a high-clearance vehicle helps — or hire a Navajo guide to reach the backcountry mittens and arches.
- 4
Monument ValleyOvercast72°F / 22°Chalf a day🎬 The definitive Western landscape:
- The Valley Drive loop
- The Mittens at sunrise
- Forrest Gump Point
Day 4
🧗 Day 4 — Moab: Arches & Canyonlands
| Item | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| 🚘 Driving | ~3 hours to Moab |
| 🛏️ Stay | Moab |
| 🥵 Heat | Start hikes at dawn in summer |
Catch Delicate Arch in the morning at Arches, then head to the Island in the Sky mesa at Canyonlands for the big overlooks. Both parks share the Moab gateway.
- 5
Arches National ParkOvercast82°F / 28°Chalf a day🧗 Arches highlights:
- Delicate Arch
- The Windows Section
- Landscape Arch
- 6
Canyonlands National ParkOvercast77°F / 25°Chalf a day🏜️ Island in the Sky:
- Grand View Point
- Mesa Arch at sunrise
- Green River Overlook
Day 5
🍎 Day 5 — Capitol Reef
| Item | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| 🚘 Driving | ~2.5 hours from Moab |
| 🛏️ Stay | Torrey |
| 🍏 Don't miss | The historic Fruita orchards |
Drive the Scenic Drive past the Waterpocket Fold, hike to Hickman Bridge, and pick fruit in season at the Fruita orchards.
- 7
Capitol Reef National ParkOvercast73°F / 23°Chalf a day🍎 Capitol Reef:
- The Scenic Drive & Waterpocket Fold
- Hickman Bridge trail
- Fruita orchards
Day 6
🔶 Day 6 — Bryce Canyon
| Item | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| 🚘 Driving | ~2.5 hours from Capitol Reef |
| 🛏️ Stay | Bryce Canyon City |
| 🥶 Elevation | 8,000+ ft — cold mornings even in summer |
Watch sunrise over the hoodoos from Sunrise or Inspiration Point, then drop into the amphitheater on the Navajo Loop / Queen's Garden trail.
- 8
Bryce Canyon National ParkPartly cloudy58°F / 14°Chalf a day🔶 Bryce highlights:
- Sunrise & Inspiration Points
- Navajo Loop / Queen's Garden
- Hoodoos at first light
Day 7
🏞️ Day 7 — Zion
| Item | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| 🚘 Driving | ~1.5 hours from Bryce |
| 🛏️ Stay | Springdale |
| 🚌 Note | Zion Canyon runs on a shuttle most of the year |
Finish big: ride the shuttle up Zion Canyon and walk the Riverside Walk into The Narrows, or climb Angels Landing if you scored a permit.
- 9
Zion National ParkOvercast70°F / 21°Cfull day🏞️ Zion finale:
- The Narrows / Riverside Walk
- Angels Landing (permit required)
- The Emerald Pools
🌤️ Best Time to Travel
🥇 April–May and September–October are ideal — warm days, cool nights and manageable crowds. ☀️ Summer is punishing in the low desert around Page and Moab; start hikes at dawn and carry plenty of water. ❄️ Winter brings snow and closures at higher elevations like Bryce (8,000+ ft).
🧳 Booking & Logistics
- 🎟️ Antelope Canyon is on Navajo land — you must book a guided tour in advance.
- 🏨 Reserve lodging in Moab, Page and near the Grand Canyon early; gateway towns fill up fast.
- 💧 Carry far more water than you think you need, and top up fuel at every town.
- 🕐 Mind the clocks — Arizona doesn't observe daylight saving, but the Navajo Nation does.
✅ Final Recommendation
Give yourself 7 days and travel in May or October. Start big at the Grand Canyon, overnight in Page for the slot canyons, and finish in Zion.
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