One of the common questions that is asked in online searches when people are researching southwest national parks is “how much time to spend in Bryce and Zion?” Generally this is due to an attempt at planning a family trip to visiting national parks or scenic areas in the southwestern portion of the United States, and other times it is simply a general question because someone wants to know about how much time would be necessary to see all of the cool features and sights in each park. The main reason that this is such a popular question is because of the parks locations being in close proximity to Las Vegas, which can act as a starting point for these types of trips. If you are driving from somewhere in the center or east coast of the US, then you are probably figuring out how much drive time is necessary and then adding how much time people who have visited the area would suggest, so as to make a travel plan that will visit each park that you want to see within a budgeted time frame. However, talking about trying to spend a certain amount of time in each area in order to see everything that is interesting in that area is probably the best way to approach answering the question. If you are going to drive upwards of four hours to get to a park, you do not want to rush through it just to get to the next one. Instead, you simply want to plan enough time to see everything in that area.
Bindlestiff Tours offers several packages that visit these areas, and each package is created with a time budget in mind. Our Bryce and Zion Overnight Tour will leave one day and have you back in Las Vegas by the next evening. Our three day tour will spend an extra day on the road, but instead of spending more time in each park, we choose to visit more parks in the area like the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley. We also offer a 7 Day Tour that will visit just about every interesting park and protected space in the region. Each of these packages is designed to maximize the amount of time that is spent in each area and minimize the driving time by moving from one park to the next closest park of interest. This “tour loop” idea is in response to the fact that it takes longer to get to the first park than it does to get from one to another, so it is wiser to simply move from park to park instead of trying to return to Las Vegas in between. So with all this said, how much time do we spend on our tours of Bryce and Zion?
We feel that one full day in each park is enough for you to get a good sense of the area and to experience all of the major highlights. Here is the itinerary of our overnight tour, which visits both Zion and Bryce:
Day One
A beautifully scenic 4 hour drive today takes us to an elevation of 8000 ft into Bryce National Park. Take a stroll along the rim and marvel at the unique sandstone spires (hoodoos) that rise dramatically from the natural amphitheater. Hike down into the hoodoos for an up close and personal experience with this fascinating landscape. A soak in the outdoor hot tub back at your camp or hotel will ease those hiking muscles ready for Zion tomorrow! If you are opting to camp, a night around the campfire will end this day nicely.
Bring your own marshmallows!
Camping included. Lodging optional extra $64 per person twin share same sex or couple.
Day Two
The next day we head to Zion-Utah’s finest National Park. Massive canyon walls and red sandstone cliffs ascend toward a brilliant blue sky. Challenge yourself to what’s considered the best half day hike in the southwest by hiking a narrow ridge line to Angels Landing. Take it easy exploring the pristine Emerald pools, enjoy a river hike deep in the narrows, weather permitting. Or if you are feeling really adventurous-do all three!
After a full day in Zion we head back to Las Vegas arriving approx 7 pm.