US West Coast Road Trip: Best Itinerary, Car Rental, Cost & Tips 2026

A US West Coast road trip is the ultimate adventure—iconic highways, jaw-dropping landscapes, and vibrant cities packed into one unforgettable journey. I’ve explored every stretch of this legendary route, from the rugged Pacific Coast Highway to the dramatic cliffs of Big Sur, and I can tell you: this trip delivers.

Whether you're chasing golden beaches, towering redwoods, or buzzing urban energy, the West Coast has it all.

Starting in Seattle, you can drive through the lush forests of Washington State, stopping at Olympic National Park for misty rainforests and wild coastlines. As you head south into Oregon, the scenery transforms—think dramatic ocean views along Cannon Beach, the deep blue waters of Crater Lake, and the quirky charm of Portland. But nothing compares to California. The legendary Highway 1 offers some of the most breathtaking coastal views in the world, winding past San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, the stunning cliffs of Big Sur, and the golden beaches of Los Angeles.

For those craving adventure, detour inland to explore Yosemite National Park, the surreal landscapes of Death Valley, or the towering giants of Sequoia National Park. Foodies can savor fresh seafood in San Diego, while wine lovers can sip their way through Napa Valley.

With endless attractions, diverse landscapes, and world-famous highways, a West Coast road trip is the perfect mix of nature, culture, and adventure. Buckle up—this is a journey you won’t forget.

United States West Coast Road Trip: Travel Guide

Our trip along the West Coast of the USA  has been, without a doubt, one of the road trips we have enjoyed the most, and there have been quite a few! But this area has something special, maybe because of its incredible landscapes, how well organized everything is, the contrast between the national parks, the hot dogs at the gas stations, the hours and hours of asphalt, discovering a country as interesting as the United States.

1. Basic itinerary for a car route along the West Coast of the USA

We spent a total of 3 weeks on our first trip to the West Coast of the United States , visiting big cities like San Francisco , Las Vegas or Los Angeles , other less touristy ones like Phoenix or Sedona;  visiting lots of well-known natural parks like the Grand Canyon or Monument Valley and other more hidden places like Canyonlands or  Salvation Mountain . But every place has fascinated us, seriously!

We liked the area so much that a few years later we returned, this time to travel around Oregon and northern California. Of course, if it's your first time in the US, we think our first trip is perfect for you 🙂 so we're going to tell you about it and in this guide you'll find all our articles about the route, a basic itinerary, tips, budget, national parks and a map to help you plan your trip.

Tours & Activities

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The best route on the West Coast

A route to not miss the most important things on the West Coast of the United States in three weeks , very similar to the one we did, could be the one we put to you below. In the next point we give you more details of each stage.

• Days 1, 2 and 3 : San Francisco
• Day 4 : Yosemite (sleep in the vicinity of Yosemite)
• Day 5 : Sequoia and Kings Canyon (sleep in Bakersfield)
• Day 6 : Death Valley (sleep in Las Vegas)
• Days 7 and 8 : Las Vegas
• Day 9 : Grand Canyon (sleep in Page)
• Day 10 : Horseshoe Bend and Bryce Canyon (sleep in Green River)
• Optional Day : The Wave, Antelope Canyon and Zion National Park
• Day 11 : Arches National Park (sleep in Moab)
• Day 12 : Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point (sleep in Monument Valley)
• Day 13 : Monument Valley (sleep in Flagstaff or Sedona)

OPTION A:

• Day 14 : Route 66, Flagstaff – Kingman
• Day 15 : Route 66, Kingman – Barstow
• Day 16 : Route 66, Barstow – Santa Monica (LA)

OPTION B:

• Day 14 : Sedona – Phoenix
• Day 15 : Phoenix – San Diego
• Day 16 : San Diego (option to stay one more day in San Diego)

END OF THE ROUTE

• Days 17, 18 and 19 : Los Angeles
• Day 20 : Los Angeles – Monterrey
• Day 21 : Monterrey – San Francisco

Google Map of the route

3. West Coast Travel Budget

Taking a trip to the West Coast of the United States is not exactly cheap. You have to take into account car rental, accommodations that in places like San Francisco cost a fortune, entrance to the parks (although this is almost entirely reduced to the America the Beautiful annual pass), and daily expenses like gas or food.

Here we summarize the  total budget per person based on a 3-week trip for two people.

If you want to see it in more detail, read our article “ Budget for a trip to the West Coast of the United States .”

4. Car rental

Before planning your trip, you need to consider where you will pick up and drop off the car. Sometimes, picking up the car at offices in different cities means paying a one-way fee . However, between San Francisco and Los Angeles, this extra fee is not usually applied. But be careful and check the conditions carefully!

You also have to take into account whether the company you rent the car from includes an extended coverage package or not. For example, Alamo now includes the “extended cover” in the price and has no deductible in case of an accident (important!). When we rented it, it did not include it and we paid $5 a day when we picked up the car.

Prices vary a bit depending on the season, but for a 15-day rental , the price is around €300-€400. We booked through the Autoeurope website , which compares all car rental companies in the United States and offers the best rates. We rented a new Ford Fiesta from Alamo and it was very good, even when driving through Death Valley at 54 degrees with 4 degrees in the car, it didn't overheat at all.

5. Tips for traveling to the West Coast of the United States

In this article we tell you how to prepare a trip to the United States on your own . We detail each of the aspects to take into account when planning a trip to the other side of the pond. You know, tips for traveling to the United States and not screwing it up.

6. Top 10 West Coast Things to Do and See

The three-week tour allows you to see a lot of cool things! But in our top 10 of the West Coast of the United States we tell you the ranking of what we liked the most personally, so you can get an idea of ​​the best visits on the West Coast of the United States.

That's it for our guide to driving along the West Coast of the United States . We hope it has been helpful and you can plan your itinerary better.

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