10 days in United States: itinerary

Ten days in the United States is one region, done properly. The country is roughly the size of Europe, so a 10-day plan that touches New York, Las Vegas and Los Angeles spends most of its time in airports. Pick a single loop or corridor, keep the number of hotel changes low, and use the time you save on the ground.

Two routes work best for a first 10-day trip. The canyon country loop is a drive: Las Vegas, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Page, Grand Canyon South Rim, back to Las Vegas. The Northeast by train is the no-car option: New York and Washington, DC, connected by Amtrak in about 3 hours.

Both fit 10 nights without rushing. The loop suits travellers who want landscapes and are happy to drive 2–4 hours on moving days. The Northeast suits first-timers who want museums, food and walkable cities, and who would rather not rent a car.

The canyon loop is a rough circle of about 1,300 km (800 mi) from Las Vegas back to Las Vegas. Almost all of it is on interstate or well-maintained state highways, and the longest single drive is the return from Grand Canyon South Rim to Las Vegas at about 4 hours 30 minutes.

The Northeast corridor is a straight line of about 360 km (225 mi) between New York and Washington, DC. Amtrak Northeast Regional trains take roughly 3 hours 20 minutes; Acela is faster and costs more. Both cities have metro systems, so no car is needed at either end.

Days 1–3: Las Vegas to Zion. Land at Las Vegas, collect a car and sleep near the airport or on the Strip. Drive to Springdale, the town at Zion's south entrance, on day 2 — about 2 hours 45 minutes. Day 3 is Zion itself: the canyon shuttle from Springdale, the Riverside Walk and, if you have a permit, Angels Landing.

Days 4–6: Bryce Canyon and Page. Bryce is a 1 hour 30 minute drive from Zion and sits above 2,400 m, so mornings are cold even in summer. Walk the Navajo Loop and Sunrise Point on day 4, then drive 2 hours 30 minutes to Page on day 5. Day 6 is Page: Antelope Canyon with a Navajo-guided tour booked ahead, and Lake Powell.

Days 7–10: Grand Canyon and back. Drive 2 hours 30 minutes to Grand Canyon South Rim on day 7. Day 8 is the Rim Trail and a sunset at Hopi Point. On day 9, drive back to Las Vegas (4 hours 30 minutes) and stay the night; day 10 is your flight out. If you prefer cities, swap the whole loop for New York days 1–5 and Washington days 6–9, with day 10 as a flight home from Washington.

The canyon loop needs a car. Book it with the flight, pick it up at Las Vegas airport and drop it at the same place; one-way rentals between states add a fee. Fuel is widely available along the route, but fill up before long stretches such as Bryce to Page.

The Northeast needs no car. Amtrak runs frequent trains between New York and Washington; book a few weeks ahead for lower fares, and note that the cheapest tickets are non-refundable. Within both cities, metro and bus cover the sights, and taxis or rideshare fill the gaps.

For any leg over about 600 km, fly. Cross-country flights take 5–6 hours; the same distance by road takes several days. Budget airlines charge for checked bags, so compare the total, not the headline fare.

On the canyon loop, stay inside or just outside the parks where you can. Springdale is walkable to Zion's entrance; Bryce Canyon has lodges inside the park and motels in Bryce Canyon City; Page has ordinary chain hotels; Grand Canyon South Rim has in-park lodges that sell out months ahead, with Tusayan as the fallback 10 minutes away.

In the Northeast, base yourself once per city. In New York, Midtown is convenient and expensive; Brooklyn and Long Island City cost less and are a short subway ride from Manhattan. In Washington, stay near a Metro station in Dupont Circle, Foggy Bottom or Capitol Hill.

Book park lodging and any timed-entry reservations before you book flights. May to September is peak season in the parks, and in-park rooms at the Grand Canyon and Zion can be gone six months out.

A 10-day canyon loop costs roughly US$1,800–3,500 per person (2026 estimate), excluding international flights. The car, fuel and park entry are shared costs, so a group of four brings the per-person figure down; solo travellers pay more for the same car and room.

The Northeast by train is often cheaper on transport and more expensive on lodging. New York hotel rooms run US$200–450 a night in peak season; Washington is usually less. Amtrak between the two cities is US$30–120 one way on the Northeast Regional.

Park entry is charged per vehicle at Zion, Bryce Canyon and Grand Canyon South Rim. If you plan to visit three or more fee-charging parks on one trip, compare the annual pass against paying at each gate.

If you have less time, the 7-day Northeast by train drops the loop entirely: New York 4 nights plus Washington 3. If you have more, the 14-day California classic runs San Francisco, Yosemite, Monterey, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, and needs a one-way car.

Swap the canyon loop for a different region if the parks are not the draw. New Orleans and the Gulf coast, Chicago and the Great Lakes, or Miami and the Keys each fill 10 days without a long flight in the middle. Whichever you choose, keep to two or three bases and fly the long legs.