Southwest USA (Arizona/Utah)

The 'Southwest' loosely covers Arizona and Utah, spilling into bits of New Mexico and Colorado. Most trips orbit two anchors: the Grand Canyon in Arizona and the constellation of parks around Utah's 'Mighty Five' - Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands.

Distances look manageable on a map but eat hours behind the wheel. A relaxed loop (Las Vegas → Zion → Bryce → Page → Grand Canyon → back) is about 800 miles and a minimum of 6-7 days. Budget more; you'll want to stop constantly.

This is one of the world's great hiking destinations. Angels Landing in Zion (permit required) and the Navajo Loop in Bryce are the headline trails, but the real magic is in the smaller walks: the Zion Narrows river hike, the hoodoo amphitheaters at Sunrise Point, and the delicate arches of, well, Arches.

Spring and autumn are the sweet spots. Summer in the lower desert (the Grand Canyon floor, Zion's main canyon) routinely tops 40°C; carry water obsessively. Winter is quiet and starkly beautiful, but high-elevation roads (Bryce, the North Rim) close.

Fly into Las Vegas (LAS) or Phoenix (PHX); both have cheap connections and rental-car lots. A vehicle is non-negotiable outside the cities. Public transport to the parks is negligible.

Lodging ranges from park lodges (book a year ahead) to motels in gateway towns like Springdale and Moab. Free camping on BLM land is legal and common outside park boundaries. Camping inside the various national parks is cheap but often requires booking your campsites the moment reservations open (varies from campsite to campsite).

Passes: an America the Beautiful pass ($80/year) covers all national park entry fees and pays off fast. Individual park entries are $35/vehicle for 7 days.

This is a mid-range destination by US standards. Expect roughly $150-250/day for two people covering a car, gas, mid-range motels and park food. The Southwest rewards self-catering and camping. Grocery runs in gateway towns keep costs sane.

The splurges worth it: a scenic flight over the Grand Canyon or Monument Valley, and a slot-canyon tour (Upper Antelope, with a Navajo guide) at Page.

With more time, the classic loop stretches easily into a two- to three-week grand tour. Push east into Utah and Moab becomes the next base, a full adventure town sitting between Canyonlands (the Island in the Sky overlooks and the remote Needles district) and Arches National Park, where Delicate Arch and the slender Landscape Arch are the headline acts. It's a 4-5 hour drive from Bryce or Page, and the hiking, slickrock biking and river trips around Moab justify a few nights in their own right.

Heading west opens up California's national parks. Death Valley is a below-sea-level expanse of salt flats and dunes best explored in winter or spring. Summer temperatures are genuinely dangerous. Yosemite delivers granite domes, waterfalls and the legendary valley floor; book lodging months ahead and avoid the July-August crush. Sequoia wraps you in giant forests, and Joshua Tree, just a couple of hours from Los Angeles, is a high-desert wonderland of boulders and twisted trees. Stitching these into the Southwest loop turns a week into a once-in-a-lifetime road trip. Just plan around the seasons, since Death Valley and Yosemite are at their worst at opposite ends of the calendar.