Southern California Road Trips – Las Vegas, the Mojave Desert, Joshua Tree National Park, Palm Springs, Los Angeles and Death Valley

All distances and times are indicative and do not include stops.

Total mileage;  800 miles round trip

Total drive time; 13 hours

How long do I need? This trip is very doable in 10 days but I would try for 14 to allow for several days in Palm Springs and in LA.

Vegas is a great place to start a holiday. The other worldly feel to the place makes it easy to leave the stresses and strains of life at home behind. The built environment has to be seen to be believed, there is great shopping, there are some fabulous restaurants and there is all manner of entertainment including those famous casinos as well as plenty of theatre. Once you have had your fill of Vegas (I usually find a couple of days is plenty), it is then a great jumping off point for a road trip.

A palm spring, near Palm Springs, California

If you fancy a look at some different types of desert scenery there is a fabulous trip to be had through the Mojave Desert (complete with cinematic sand dunes and tumbleweed) through to the lovely town of Palm Springs where you can enjoy some great food, art, shopping and golf. From here you can make day trips to Joshua Tree National Park and out to the various springs and canyons that dot the valley.

Next up you can drive to Los Angeles where you can hit the beach, shop til you drop, explore Hollywood, visit theme parks and do pretty much anything else you can imagine. If this all seems a bit hectic, you can carry on to Death Valley National Park to be awe inspired by the stark beauty of the landscape and take the obligatory photo of yourself standing 282 feet below sea level. It is well worth spending the night at Death Valley, not only as there is a lot to see but also for the star gazing – the night skies are incredible. It is a short drive from Death Valley back to Vegas to catch your flight home.

For more information on what to see and do in Las Vegas, check out our city guide.

Point to note about Vegas

Smoking is still allowed inside casinos in Vegas. The ventilation systems are excellent so it is a long way from a smoke filled fug, but if you really dislike cigarette smoke you may want to keep clear of the casinos. The other public areas are smoke free and not every hotel has a casino so this is easier to do than you might think, unless of course you want to gamble……

Getting there…

 
To find the best deals on your flights and accommodation, we recommend 1Plus2Travel. They are a great search website and search all the online consolidators so you don’t have to!

Otherwise, we like Skyscanner for a good listing of all the operators running flights.
 

We recommend Holiday Autos or Easycar for car hire. Check out our car hire info for ways to save money. You may want to cover your excess and increase your liability cover with a policy like that from Worldwide Insure or Insurance4carhire.com.

Where to Stay…

Las Vegas has so much hotel choice that it can be quite bewildering picking your way through it all. I prefer to be within walking distance of the Strip as that is primarily where I want to hang out at night. This is where most of the big casino hotels are, the big attractions at the hotels like the water features at the Bellagio, the swanky shops and the majority of the theatre. Not to mention the people watching. You can however, save a lot of money by staying slightly off the Strip. If you stay in a non-casino hotel this also has the advantage of being completely non smoking. One word of warning. If you decide to stay off the Strip be really careful to look at a map and make sure your hotel is not miles away from anywhere. the properties are huge and distances very deceiving. A block in Vegas can be a really long way…….

For a top value, just off Strip stay, The Signature at MGM Grand is a great option. Each suite is massive with a separate sitting area, free Wi-Fi and either a kitchenette or full kitchen. Some have balconies. There are three outdoor pools with a really nice outdoor sitting area. The same suites are also managed by a company called Luxury Suites International, so if you see Luxury Suites International At The Signature, this is the same place.

Also just off the Strip, I like the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas. By Vegas standards it is a small hotel and I really like not having to walk through a Casino (or stand in one) to check in. The rooms are massive with separate sitting areas and kitchenettes. The pool area is lovely, you can eat in the poolside restaurant and also have drinks there. Very civilised.

If you want to stay in more of a traditional Vegas style hotel, complete with massive casino and shopping complex, my pick would probably be Wynn Las Vegas. The pool area is lovely and the floor to ceiling windows give great views of either the Strip or the golf course.

In Palm Springs, we love the Colony Palms Hotel for it’s beautiful pool, great location and fantastic restaurant. If you are travelling with a family or in a group, the Random Haus Palm Springs is also well worth a look. This is an all condo hotel with large apartments with separate sitting areas, full kitchen and balconies. The pool is nice and it’s well located.

Los Angeles is a massive city made up of several distinct areas. Before you start looking at accommodation, you need to decide which part of the city you want to be in. I like Santa Monica for the beach and the nice centre with its cluster of shops, restaurants and bars. The The Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows is a good pick, in a great location with a pool and decent sized rooms. I also really like the Viceroy Santa Monica. It is quite expensive, but the pool is lovely, the location is fabulous and the bar and restaurant are amazing.

In Death Valley, our hotel of choice is The Ranch at Furnace Creek. This hotel is inside the park itself and you pay for location – in our opinion it is not quite as well maintained as you might expect for the money. However, the location is fabulous, the pool is great and the rooftop is excellent for star gazing. The restaurant is good, I particularly like their date bread. If you are travelling with a family, also check out The Inn at Furnace Creek. It is cheaper than the Ranch, with a broader choice of eating options.