This will be our first trip the area at the end of the month and have made the following plans:

Vegas - 2 nights
Zion - 2 nights
Bryce - 1 night
Monument Valley - 1 night
Grand Canyon (South Rim)- 1 night
Sedona - 2 nights

We are flying into Vegas and out of Phoenix. We know this will require a lot of driving. Will we save much driving time by skipping Monument Valley, and driving directly from Bryce to GC South Rim - or is MV a must see? We would like to see as much as possible, since we will not be back for quite some time.

You plan looks reasonable. You are only adding about 170 miles to include Monument Valley and it is worth seeing.

From Page, AZ make sure you take Hwy 98 to Hwy 160. There is nothing wrong with Hwy 98 and it will cut out about 55 miles instead of taking Hwy 89 down to Hwy 160.

I'm not a city gal so if it were me I would only spend 1 nite in Vegas and a second night at the Grand Canyon...but that's just me.

Utahtea

Thanks Utahtea,

We have assumed the following driving times - are these close, in your opinion?
Vegas to Zion - 3 hours
Zion to Bryce - 2 hours
Bryce to Antelope Canyon - 4 hours
Antelope to Monument Valley - 2 hours
MV to Grand Canyon South Rim - 4 hours

Also, what would the drive from Bryce to the Grand Canyon South Rim be? I'm having a hard time finding this information. Thank you!

Monument Valley is an absolute must! We spent two weeks in the southwest last summer, including Zion, Vegas, and the Grand Canyon and MV was our favorite by far. We took a jeep tour from Simpson's Trail Handlers Tours which was one of the greatest experiences of my life. (Ask for Richard) We easily did Zion in one day including 3 hikes.

I stand in true awe of anyone who easily did Zion in one day, with three hikes yet....

Hi Spot,

The driving times looked pretty good except Antelope Canyon to Monument Valley I would add another 1/2 hour. Antelope Canyon wasn't on my tripmaker software so I used Page, AZ which isn't far from there.

From Bryce to the Grand Canyon it is 290 miles and should take about 6 hours.

Know all of these are just DRIVING times. From Zion to Bryce you pass thought the Zion Tunnel and on the other side is the Checker Board Mesa. On Hwy 12 before you get to Bryce is Red Canyon. From Bryce to Antelope Canyon is Lake Powell. On you way into the Grand Canyon there are many view points to stop at from Desert View to the Main Visitor Center.

What I'm getting at is there is a lot to see in the area so allow extra time for stops.

To Bookhall,

We've done the Riverside Walk and Emeral Pools hike in one day. Of course it's better to have more than one day but some people aren't into hiking or just don't have the time.

Utahtea