6 Days: Vegas and the Canyons
Six days runs the same spine as the 5-day version (Vegas, Grand Canyon West, Death Valley, Zion) but gives Bryce its own overnight instead of a same-day return, so neither park feels rushed. Push on to Page and the South Rim with 7 days if you’ve got one more day to spend.
Book these before you go:
- Compare rental cars on Discover Cars
- Grand Canyon West Skywalk tickets on GetYourGuide
- Death Valley day tours on Viator
- Bryce Canyon City lodging on Booking.com
| Day | Stop | Distance from Vegas | Drive time | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Las Vegas | - | - | Basecamp, rental car, gear up |
| 2 | Grand Canyon West | 120-130 miles | 2-2.5 hrs | Skywalk, Hualapai land, round trip |
| 3 | Death Valley | 120 miles | 2-2.5 hrs | Badwater Basin, Zabriskie Point |
| 4 | Zion National Park | 160 miles | 2.5-3 hrs | Riverside Walk, overnight Springdale |
| 5 | Bryce Canyon | 85 miles from Zion | ~2 hrs | Sunrise Point, overnight Bryce |
| 6 | Las Vegas (return) | ~260 miles from Bryce | ~4 hrs | Drive home |
Day 1: Vegas basecamp, not the trip
Fly into Harry Reid International, pick up the rental car, and give the Strip one night; our Las Vegas guide covers that trip on its own terms.
Day 2: Grand Canyon West and the Skywalk
Grand Canyon West is Hualapai tribal land, not Grand Canyon National Park, and an NPS pass doesn’t work here. The $99 All-Access Pass covers the Skywalk and shuttle, 120-130 miles and 2-2.5 hours via US-93. This isn’t the South Rim; that’s 4.5 hours one-way (nps.gov/grca ).
Day 3: Death Valley, the day trip with real stakes
Death Valley is 120 miles and 2-2.5 hours via NV-160 and CA-190, $30 per vehicle (nps.gov/deva ), and a genuine summer safety risk. Badwater Basin and Zabriskie Point are the two stops worth the drive.
Day 4: Zion, done properly this time
Drive 160 miles and 2.5-3 hours to Springdale and stay the night. The $35 vehicle entrance (nps.gov/zion ) now carries a $100-per-person non-resident surcharge, and covers the free shuttle running March 7 to November 28, 2026. Angels Landing needs a $6 permit application booked before you leave home; without it, the Riverside Walk and Emerald Pools cover the afternoon well.
Day 5: Zion morning, then on to Bryce
A short trail before checkout, then 85 miles and roughly 2 hours to Bryce Canyon ($35 vehicle, nps.gov/brca ). Check in for the night here too rather than treating it as a drive-through; at 8,000-plus feet it’s genuinely cold when Vegas is baking, with snow on the rim October through April.
Day 6: Bryce sunrise and the road back to Vegas
Sunrise Point earns its name here: get there before the tour buses. The hoodoo amphitheater and Queens Garden Trail sit a 20-minute walk from parking, not a hike, so there’s time for a proper look before the road. From Bryce it’s roughly 260 miles and 4 hours back to Vegas; budget the whole afternoon for driving rather than scheduling a same-evening flight.
Six days is the point where this stops feeling like a checklist of day trips and starts feeling like an actual road trip. If you’ve got a seventh day, Page’s slot canyons and Horseshoe Bend are the natural next stop, not a random add-on.