Hi, we are spending 6 days in and around las vegus. We have booked up days and trips till tuesday which we can not change and we want to go to monument valley but have to be back to our hotel in vegus to check out at 11 am wednesday. We could set out at 3/4 am on tuesday morning giving us about 30 hours for the round trip (but we need to get some sleep somewhere). Can someone advise us the best route and what to do or see there? We are going first week in august and have a small hire car. Thanks.

Monument Valley is nice, but I can't say it's worth a 30 hour trip. There are so many places that I'd rather devote the 30 hours to, like Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Death Valley etc. and we do plenty of driving when we're in the west.

I assume you realize that you're talking about an approximate 800-mile round trip, which means you'll be spending about half the time driving (and that doesn't include stops for meals, etc.).
So, let's plan this out. Say, you leave at 3-4 a.m. Tuesday. That means, with a stop or two included, you'll arrive late morning., allowing you a few hours to see Monument Valley. Then, what do you do before driving back, starting at, say, 2 a.m. to safely make your 11 a.m. checkout?
We loved Monument Valley, but I don't know if what you are thinking of is worth it!
Have you thought of asking the hotel for a late Wednesday checkout? That could ease the crunch a bit.

we could ask for a late check oiut,that would give us acouple of hours extra

"we could ask for a late check oiut,that would give us acouple of hours extra"

Seriously -- a couple of extra hours won't help you. A couple of days maybe, but hours - nope. Las Vegas is not a base for Monument Valley. It is a minimum 15 hours of driving R-T, and likely more. W/ any stops at all (gas, meals, stretching, whatever) you are talking about 18 or 19 hours just in transit.

That is crazy.

Vegas in Ausust - wow, you're brave!

Why do you have to go back to check out? When you leave for Monument Valley, couldn't you just check out then?

The View Hotel is in Monument Valley and it has some good reviews. I researched it for myself, but haven't made it yet.

http://www.monumentvalleyview.com/

yes didnt think of that, could check out tuesday 8 ish,spend night in monument vally and drive back to vegus airport for wednesday 4ish, got a flight back to england at 7.oopm.

It is STILL 18 or 19 hours of travel in 1.5 days.

Do you want to sit in a car for the best part of a day and then sit in an airplane for another 11 hours?

havent got much choice ,wife wants to go to monument vally and we havent any time left,and after traveling to the other side of the world spending over £4000 ,19 hours dosen't seam to bad in a day and half.

I agree with janisj. Monument Valley is beautiful, but (having done drives that that myself), you'll be too hot, exhausted and stressed to really enjoy it. Its just too far to do a turn-around.

If you're just dying to do something with that last 1.5 days, you could leave early from Vegas by 6am, you'll want to start before it gets too hot and go to Sedona, AZ (if you haven't been there before).

It's about 5 hours from Vegas, you could get there in time for lunch, have time to see the town and check out the amazing scenery. You could stay a night in Oak Creek Canyon which will be a cool, shady escape from the desert. That might be the only place I could be persuaded to go.

If that doesn't strike your fancy, I might want to spend that last day relaxing at Lake Mead, or somewhere down the river.

thanks ,i will look it up ,but if the wifes says we go, we go and thats that, im going to try and change a couple of trips around tomorrow with the tour operatorto see if we cant grab an extra half day.

If you could not spend Tues night in Vegas, you'll be doing youself a favor, but Sedona is gorgeous.

As your wife this: "Would you drive from Brighton to Edinburgh, turn around and drive back south the next morning, and immediately jump on a plane to Los Angeles"

That is what you are planning - only it will likely be 40C to 45C

I live in SW Colorado, and recently friends went to Vegas on a local airline, Great Lakes - which might work for you.

http://greatlakes.booksecure.net/Criteria.aspx

Great Lakes flies from Vegas to Page, Az, and from there it's only a 2.5 hour drive to Monument Valley. You could also choose to fly into Moab, UT or Farmington, NM and it would be about a 3 hour drive from those towns. I'd still try to leave Tuesday for this.

oops - that should be >>Ask your wife this:

If you haven't been to Zion, just go there and skip Monument Valley. I have been all over Utah and Arizona and Monument Valley is one of my least favorites. I am not saying it isn't stunning, but the other places are even more so, IMOP.

haven't got much choice, wife wants to go to monument valley

In the seven years I've been active on this forum, this is the saddest and most disturbing statement I have read here. Be wise: listen to janisj and the suggestions of others about how to better spend your time at places your wife apparently doesn't know about.

HTTY

I understand your wife's need myself. I wanted to see Stonehenge. I had one free day while visiting London. It wasn't as bad I suppose as LV to Monument Valley, but everyone else went to Greenwich and they thought it was just too far. I had read and dreamed about Stonehenge for years and if I was that close and came half way around the world I would have done anything to get to it if it were possible.

It will certainly help if you can check out the day before giving you the opportunity for an overnight there or nearby. Since you were already planning on a 30 hr window and it is a 15 hr rt and you might get more time either checking out the day before and arranging your other plans I'm not sure why it wouldn't be possible.
You could either go south around Grand Canyon through Flagstaff, or north through St George and Page.

Either way if you can stay at Monument Valley either at the VIew or Gouldings lodge you'd get the most out of your visit. Page or Flagstaff would be other sleeping options.

thanks for the suggetions i will look up some of these places on the internet and go from there.

"It wasn't as bad I suppose as LV to Monument Valley, but everyone else went to Greenwich and they thought it was just too far."

Stonehenge is 80 miles from central London - no comparison in any way w/ Las vegas to Monument Valley.