This is a quick ultimate 5-day grand circle road trip that helped a group of us explore the beauty of the grand circle with ease. Hopefully, it will also be a great guide source for you too.
We used a van rental service and booked via rentalcars.com, the total fee was $273 including insurance. They give great rates for those booking from outside the vehicle pickup country, make sure to have an international driver’s license on you. I had my American license with me and I was denied a rental at first, but the manager was merciful. This deal may no longer work based on recent experience, but let me know if booking outside the country got you a better deal than what the locals get.
I’ve visited Vegas a couple of times in the past, so sleep was #1 priority for me while my friends went off to discover the city
Going on Nwanneka’s suggestion, we fashioned our trip around “The 1 Week Grand Circle Road Trip” – http://www.us-parks.com/roadtrip/the-1-week-grand-circle-road-trip.html
Lucia, a friend, handled the itinerary below, so all I had to was wake up and follow the schedule 😀 and it was pretty awesome having someone take the reins.
GRAND CIRCLE ROAD TRIP
NIGHT 1: LAS VEGAS, NV | |
March 20th – March 21st | Hotel: |
Price point: $67 per person | The New Tropicana Las Vegas 4 stars 3801 Las Vegas Blvd South, Las Vegas, NV |
TOTAL COST: $265 | |
Departure Time: 10:00AM | |
Est. Drive Time: 5 hours | On the Itinerary (March 21st): |
| Zion National Park | |
| Bryce Canyon National Park | |
NIGHT 2: BRYCE CANYON CITY, UT | |
March 21st – March 22nd | Hotel: |
Price point: $48pp | Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel 2.5 stars 30 North 100 East Bryce Canyon City, UT, 84764, United States of America, 866-925-8648 |
TOTAL COST: $191 | |
Departure Time: 10:00 AM | On the itinerary (March 22nd): |
Est Drive Time: 3 hours | Bryce Canyon National Park (cont’d) |
| Capitol Reef National Park | |
| Kodachrome Park* | |
| Grand Escalante* | |
NIGHT 3: TORREY, UT | |
March 22nd – March 23rd | Hotel |
Price point: $ 43 pp | Austin’s Chuckwagon Lodge 2.5 stars 12 West Main Street Torrey, UT, 84775, United States of America, 800-491-6126 |
TOTAL COST: $170 | |
Est Drive Time: 4 hours | On the itinerary(March 23rd): |
| Monument Valley Tribal Park | |
NIGHT 4: KAYENTA, AZ | |
March 23rd – March 24th | Hotel: |
Price Point: $48pp | Kayenta Monument Valley Inn 3 stars Junction Highway 160/Highway 163 Kayenta, AZ, 86033, United States of America, 800-491-6126 |
TOTAL COST: $191 | |
Departure Time: 10:00AM | |
Est Drive Time: 3 hours | On the itinerary (March 24th): |
| GRAND CANYON!!! | |
NIGHT 5: GRAND CANYON, AZ | |
March 24th – March 25th | Hotel: |
Price point: $58pp | Canyon Plaza Resort 3 stars 406 Canyon Plaza Lane Grand Canyon, AZ, 86023, United States of America, 800-491-6126 |
TOTAL COST: $232 | |
| On the Itinerary (March 25th) | |
Departure Time: 10:00AM – 11:00AM | GRAND CANYON(cont’d) |
Est. Drive time to Las Vegas: 4 hours | Las Vegas, NV |
The road trip time was a lot more than we expected due to some poor planning on our end. The average driving time was pretty much 6-8 hours every day. For those planning on a trip like this, do as much as you can very early in the morning. Most of the towns we visited do not have street lights, so driving at night can make for a really sketchy experience and is not advisable.
Also, make sure to hit the restrooms before hitting the road and a full tank before heading out on the road.
Warning: Trips like these should be done only with very good friends.
5 women, sharing the same space for a prolonged time can be quite the experience. We all had our moments, but I can definitely say that because we really love and respect each other, we were able to co-habit without coming to blows over who back-seat drives the most – an irritating thing passengers do when they excessively comment on the driver’s actions and decisions in an attempt to control the vehicle.
Travel Insurance
For every trip, you probably already know my rule. If you do not have insurance when traveling, you’re just playing with terrible luck.
My current preferred option is SafetyWings
