In January 2020, my best friend and I had planned an epic 10 day Utah and Arizona adventure for Spring that year. As we all know what happened in a few short months, the trip was cancelled, the world locked down, and life changed as we know it. Finally in August 2022, my best friend and I aligned our schedules, circled a day, blocked our calendars and hit the road for the trip that came to be affectionately known by us as Utah 2.0, since we had our first Utah trip planned for 2020 and it was cancelled due to the global pandemic. Now with two extra years of planning, and research, we were more ready than ever to finally see this beautiful state for ourselves. This trip was an amazing adventure filled with breathtaking panoramic views, meeting the nicest people, unexpectedly awesome food, and a few surprises throughout. Continue reading for all the details on how we fit Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, The Grand Canyon and 1 day of Las Vegas into a 6 day trip. I’ll list out our best recommendations for hikes, food and where to stay. This page has affiliate links and if you purchase something from this page I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. I donate 5% of this blog’s revenue to the Environmental Defense Fund, so you help donate to a great cause if you click on any affiliate links or ads that may be on this page.
Day 1 – Travel from Las Vegas to Zion National Park
We both flew into Las Vegas and proceeded to rent our car from Avis out of the Las Vegas McCarran Airport. You will need to get on the shuttle, which will take you to the rental center and wait in a very long and slow moving line, so definitely take this time into account for when you land. Luckily we booked an early flight, landed by 11 am and were on the road by 12. From here, it was a four hour drive to Zion National Park.
We took a pit stop in Vegas and grabbed lunch at Nacho Daddy, which I highly recommend if you have some time in Vegas. These were honestly the best nachos I’ve ever had. If you want to get on the road, however, there is an In and Out Burger on the way to Zion at 832 W Telegraph St., Washington UT 84780. If you’re not from the west coast and don’t have regular access to this fast food chain, its absolutely something to check off the bucket list. You must order off the secret menu and get the animal burger and animal fries and I promise you will not be disappointed!
We stopped at Walmart on the way to Zion to grab some essentials like water, snacks, and a few handy household items. There are two Walmart’s on the way to Zion, one in St. George (2610 Pioneer Rd, Saint George, UT 84790) which you will pass first, and then one in Hurricane at 180 N 3400 W St. Hurrican, UT 84737 (pronounced Hurr-can). We stopped at the Hurricane Walmart, which was an overall great Walmart experience, and there are plenty of gas stations nearby to fill up before getting back on the road.
Hint: Our Air BNB was in Orderville. We drove past Springdale and then took the Mt. Carmel Highway to get there. Even though you’re not stopping in Zion, you will pass through a Zion Park gate. We happened to have an annual pass handy, so it wasn’t a problem for us, but just be prepared if you happen to be going this way.
Lodging Recommendations at Zion National Park
We stayed in Orderville at this cute little Air BnB called //ABODE³ at East Zion. The property is owned by East Zion Experiences which seemed like a great service if you’re interested in something a little unique during your trip. The AirBnB was clean and cute, with an awesome view and we were super lucky to catch this gorgeous rainbow one of our nights here. However, its definitely tiny, and about a 45 minute drive back to the visitor center at Zion. In hindsight I would recommend booking a hotel in Springdale. We almost stayed at the SpringHill Suites at Springdale Zion National Park which I think I would book if I ever came back to Zion. It’s super convenient because the town of Springdale has its own shuttle and it would have just saved so much time. Also, driving through the mountains of the Mount Carmel Highway made me a little nervous in the dark, so we were sure to leave before it got too late. If we stayed in Springdale, I would have felt very comfortable walking around at night and enjoying everything this cute little town had to offer. But if Air BnBs are more your speed, you’re looking for a very unique experience and don’t mind driving through the Mt Carmel Highway (which was a gorgeous drive every day!) then definitely consider Abode. The hosts were super helpful and send out recommendations as soon as you book and have always been quick to answer any questions you might send their way. They also have other properties you can consider.
Day 2: Zion National Park – Hiking Angel’s Landing / Scout’s Lookout
We were out the door by 6am to start our day hiking Angel’s Landing early. I highly recommend starting your day early because you will beat the crowds on the trails and also at the parking lot which is very important. Also, thunderstorms seem to usually threaten to roll in during the afternoon. You will not have phone service in this park so you won’t be able to keep track of the weather and we definitely didn’t want to get stuck in any heavy rain.
Angel’s Landing is one of the most popular hikes at Zion National Park, and its definitely one of the more unique, bucket list hikes you can do. But we are beginner hikers, this was the first time we did a trip like this, and we opted against going all the way to Angel’s Landing. Instead we stopped at Scout’s Lookout and continued left along the West Rim Mesa Trail, instead of going right to Angel’s Landing. We stopped and had our PB&J lunch we packed at Scout’s Lookout, watched everyone go up to Angel’s Landing and took in the views. Even though we didn’t do the Angel’s Landing hike, this is a great viewpoint. If you have people in your group that want to go to Angel’s Landing, and you’re not comfortable I recommend going up to Scout’s Landing and hanging out until they complete it. I wouldn’t feel pressured to go all the way to Angel’s Landing, its surely something that’s not for the faint of heart and the Scout’s Lookout views are just as breathtaking. Bonus: if you do continue along the East Mesa Trail, you’ll notice it’s not crowded at all. You’ll get to the same elevation as Angel’s Landing, just without the crowds.
After this hike we were a little hungry and stopped at FeelLove Coffee for a bite and a coffee before we grabbed dinner. Some dinner spots don’t open until 4pm and 5pm so we had some time to kill. For this little coffeeshop alone, I wish we stayed in Springdale because this was the best avocado toast I’ve ever had. The coffee menu is also extensive and I couldn’t decide what to get but what we both ordered was amazing. I also got a pastry which was fresh and delicious, even at 3pm. I can’t recommend this little coffee shop enough, go here!
Day 3 – Grand Canyon National Park – North Rim Arizona
We initially planned on hiking the Narrows on this day, but we were a little iffy about the micro bacteria that was in the water when we went, so we made a last minute change, decided to be spontaneous and went to the Grand Canyon. There were more hikes we could have done at Zion but when we realized The Grand Canyon was only 2 hours away we decided to just take a leap and go! And we were glad we did! We left by 8am and it was a really easy, beautiful drive. It was basically just a straight shot south and it was really amazing to watch the terrain totally change. We loved that we did this because we were pretty worn from the hike yesterday and mostly drove around the Grand Canyon to the different lookout points. The views were just stunning without much physical effort like Angel’s Landing and we got to just take in the views and enjoy it. Also, it was amazingly not very crowded like Zion was. We had a lot of the spots mostly to ourselves. We also learned from chatting with a few others that the South Rim is much more crowded than the North Rim and we were at the North Rim.
For more details on our day in The Grand Canyon, click this link to my post, “How to Spend One Day at the Grand Canyon North Rim.” Here, I provide details to the stunning overlooks and hikes we did.
Lunch at the Grand Canyon Lodge – North Rim
We also stopped at the Visitor Center and when we did, we discovered the Grand Canyon Lodge – North Rim. We decided to stop in for a quick lunch and were amazed at the views you are lucky enough to enjoy as you eat. You would never think this view was hiding behind the unassuming lodge, surrounded by trees, so when you walk in you’re greeted with the sprawling sky and canyons. The food was also amazing and I really recommend eating here if you’re hungry in between hikes. You can make reservations using the phone number in the link above, but we were lucky enough to get a table right away – and one with a view!
We made time for one more little hike right by the Visitor Center and Lodge called the Bright Angel Point Trail. This is only about a quarter of a mile and very easy and absolutely worth topping to see but if you have a fear of heights I don’t recommend it. There are straight drops on either side without a railing at some parts. The views are stunning, but if heights and drops bother you, you may want to take it slow. I recommend giving it a shot, you can always turn around if you feel uneasy. And its so short, the rest of your group can go check it out and you can safely sit and enjoy until they’re back.
After Bright Angel Point Trail, we hit the road around 2 and made our way back to our Air BnB in Zion. We were home by 4:30 and starting preparing for the next day!
Day 4 – Observation Point – Zion National Park and Drive to Bryce Canyon National Park
We decided to sneak in one more hike before we left Zion for good so we decided to check out Observation Point. We kept hearing about this one and decided to check it out. Its a bit awkward because you will need to drive from the Zion Mt. Carmel HWY and then take the North Fork County Road and enter the park from the east. It is a 7 mile out and back hike, through some thick forests. Its a flat, easy hike, but very long and boring until you get to the amazing view at the end. After experiencing these views at Observation Point, we packed up the car and started our drive to Bryce Canyon.
Bryce Canyon National Park – Utah
Driving from Zion to Bryce is an easy drive, most of it is on State Street (Highway 89) but when you turn onto Highway 12 you will be greeted by Red Rock Canyon and and pass through two Red Canyon Road Arch Tunnels, so when you turn onto Highway 12 keep your eyes peeled for these amazing landmarks.
Since we got to Bryce halfway through the day, we decided to drive around and get the lay of the land instead of diving into a long hike. We drove out to Farview Point where you can park and take a little stroll to Piracy Point where the views were incredible. It was a great way to check off some of the view points with limited time.
Lodging at Bryce Canyon National Park
We stayed at another Air BnB, the Log Cottages at Bryce Canyon these were fairly priced and felt comfortable for two people. Also, the drive to Bryce Canyon was very easy and only about 20 minutes. We also had lunch at the Bryce Canyon Lodge which was on the park premises and on the shuttle route, which is a very convenient option.
Dining at Bryce Canyon
We decided to make a reservation at Ebenezer’s Barn and Grill for dinner and a show. We both got vegetarian plates and the show was entertaining, especially if you are a country music fan.
For a the full itinerary of the whole trip, including Grand Canyon National Park and Bryce Canyon, make sure to read my post Road Trip to these Amazing Utah and Arizona National Parks.
Day 5 – Exploring Bryce Canyon
For our day to explore Bryce Canyon we were up early for sunrise to watch at aptly named “Sunrise Point” for the best sunrise views and it was truly stunning. We got an early start on the Figure 8 Loop, starting with Wall Street, which I also highly recommend because these were my favorite views and it was amazing to get here before the crowds.
For lunch we stopped to eat at The Bryce Canyon Lodge which was accessible via the shuttle. They had a buffet for lunch, I’d consider it just OK, there were some restaurants that got good reviews I might recommend trying if you have time, but if you stop somewhere to eat without having to move your car, this is a great option.
For more details about our trip to Bryce Canyon be sure to check back for a more detailed post with more information.
Day 6 – Drive Back to Vegas for an Afternoon of Relaxation
We left by 7am to head back to Las Vegas to get in some pool time at our hotel, The Wynn Las Vegas. I love this hotel because its just far enough off the main part of the strip so its not as busy and crowded as the area by Caesar’s Palace and The Bellagio, but its also a stunning and beautiful hotel. Staying at the Wynn also provides you access to its sister hotel The Encore and we bounced between both hotel’s amenities. We had a blast enjoying the pool and the best piña colada I’ve ever had, and later enjoyed ourselves at The Buffet which was absolutely amazing. Vegas is known for their buffets and wherever you stay in Las Vegas, the buffet is something to experience! We really enjoyed staying at The Wynn here and will very likely consider returning here for the next adventure!
I hope you found this post helpful. I will be posting a video to YouTube of this trip, be sure to visit again and look for a link here in the near future. Photos and videos of this trip are already posted on my personal Instagram @amandacorrao. If you liked this post, please comment below!
