Vegas + Parks in 5 Days on a Budget
Five Days: Zion and Bryce, Properly This Time
Five days replaces the fourth version’s rushed Zion day trip with an actual overnight in Springdale, then adds Bryce Canyon on the way back. It’s a long last day (Bryce to Vegas direct is 268 miles), but it’s the first version of this trip where the America the Beautiful pass genuinely pays for itself. Prefer to avoid the long final drive? The 6-day version spreads this over an extra day. Full pass math and season notes are in the Southwest parks from Vegas guide .
Book these before you go:
- A South Strip hotel for night one , with self-parking.
- A Springdale room near Zion’s south entrance ; rooms here sell out weeks ahead in April-May and September-October.
- The rental car itself ; book before the hotel if your dates are tight around a holiday weekend.
| From Las Vegas Strip to… | Distance | Drive time |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Canyon West Rim (Hualapai land) | 120-130 mi | 2-2.5 hrs |
| Death Valley National Park (Furnace Creek) | 120-140 mi | 2-2.5 hrs |
| Zion National Park (Springdale) | 160 mi | 2.5-3 hrs |
| Grand Canyon National Park, South Rim | 275-280 mi | 4.5 hrs |
| Bryce Canyon National Park (direct) | 268 mi | ~4.2 hrs |
| Page, AZ (Antelope Canyon / Horseshoe Bend) | 272 mi | 4-plus hrs |
| Zion to Bryce Canyon (this loop) | 84 mi | ~1.75 hrs |
Day 1: Land and Settle
Budget South Strip hotel, free self-parking, rental car picked up that evening, free Bellagio Fountains before bed. The same opening as the shorter versions of this trip, because it works.
Day 2: Grand Canyon West Rim
120-130 miles, 2-2.5 hours each way, Hualapai land, no NPS fee. General Admission $67 a person, All-Access with Skywalk $99. Back in Vegas by evening.
Day 3: Death Valley National Park
120-140 miles, 2-2.5 hours from Vegas, $30 per vehicle for 7 days. Go October through April only; this park’s summer heat is a genuine hazard.
Day 4: Drive to Zion, Overnight in Springdale
Leave Vegas mid-morning for the 160-mile, 2.5-3-hour drive. Check into Springdale, walk the Zion Canyon shuttle route in the late afternoon (the park runs shuttle-only during peak season, no personal cars past the visitor center), and get an early night. Zion’s entrance fee is $35 per vehicle for 7 days.
Day 5: Zion Morning, Bryce Canyon Afternoon, Long Drive Home
Spend the morning on a real Zion trail before the 84-mile, 1-hour-45-minute drive to Bryce Canyon. Bryce’s entrance fee is also $35 per vehicle for 7 days, and by now you’ve paid $100 across three parks (Death Valley, Zion, Bryce), $20 more than the $80 America the Beautiful pass would have cost; buy the pass before Death Valley next time. Give Bryce Point and the hoodoo amphitheater two hours, then drive the 268 miles and roughly 4.2 hours straight back to Vegas. It’s a long finish; leave Bryce by early afternoon so you’re not driving well past dark.
Is the America the Beautiful pass worth it now?
Yes. Death Valley, Zion and Bryce Canyon total $100 in separate entrance fees on this itinerary, $20 more than the $80 annual pass. Buy the pass at the Death Valley gate on Day 3 rather than paying each fee individually.
Is Bryce Canyon worth the extra driving?
For the hoodoos specifically, yes. Nothing else on this route looks like Bryce’s amphitheater, and two hours there covers the highlights properly. The tradeoff is a genuinely long final driving day; travelers who’d rather split that up should use the 6-day version instead.
Fill the tank in Bryce before the drive back. Fuel between Bryce and Vegas is limited and priced higher than either endpoint.