The Ultimate 4 Arizona to Utah Road Trip itineraries For Epic Adventures with your Partner in 2024! (10 days, 7 days and 4 days in Arizona and Utah)
Are you looking for the best Arizona to Utah Road Trip? Stop looking, you’ve found it! Actually, you have found 4 different Arizona to Utah road trips to ensure you can make the most out of your time travelling regardless of where you are based and how much time off you have!
I, Marie, have travelled throughout Arizona and Utah twice once on a one month road trip across the USA from Nashville to Hawaii and once on a 2 week West Coast road trip itinerary and this section of the trip was one of my favorites!
What you’ll find in this Arizona to Utah Road Trip post:
- One 10 day Arizona to Utah Road Trip itinerary from Phoenix with several options to finish in Salt Lake City, Las Vegas or Phoenix
- One 7 day Arizona to Utah Road Trip itinerary from Phoenix to Salt Lake City
- One 4 day Arizona to Utah Road Trip itinerary from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City
- One 4 day Arizona to Utah Road Trip itinerary looping from and back to Las Vegas
- The total distance for each itinerary
- The total driving time for each itinerary
- The pace of each itinerary
- Where we stayed and where we recommend you stay at
- Activities we recommend
- Fees and budget for each stop
- A Utah and Arizona national parks road trip map for each of the four itineraries
- Everything you need to know about Arizona and Utah national parks
What you will see on your Arizona and Utah road trip
- 2 to 3 USA States, including Utah and Arizona
- 1 to 2 main USA cities
- Up to 6 National Parks
- Up to 6 State Parks and Recreational Areas
- Scenic American drives such as Route 66
- A couple of highlights that remain under the radar (yay for less crowds!)
How to browse these itineraries
- Use this page to compare the four itineraries between Utah and Arizona
- Each itinerary is based on the number of days and the starting and arrival points
- Click each preferred itinerary for more day-by-day details
10 day Arizona to Utah Road Trip
- Total distance: 1127 miles/1813 km
- Driving time: 20 hours
- Pace: Moderate
- Departure: Phoenix
- Arrival: Las Vegas (Option A), Salt Lake City (Option C) or back to Phoenix (Option B)
- What you’ll see: Mostly National Parks and Recreational Areas including canyons and famous landmarks like Monument Valley
- Ideal for: Couples looking for a Phoenix to Utah road trip that they can turn into a 10 day adventure. This is the ideal itinerary to include in a road trip across the USA as well.
10 day Utah Arizona road trip map
Overview of the route
| Day | Visit | Driving Time | Driving Distance (miles/km) | Overnight | Color on map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phoenix, Sedona & Red Rock State Park | 2h48min | 146/235 | Flagstaff | Orange |
| 2 | Grand Canyon National Park (North Rim) & Horseshoe Bend | 6h | 332/535 | Page | Orange |
| 3 | Page, Lake Powell & Antelope Canyon | 3h10 | 184/296 | Bluff | Orange |
| 4 | Monument Valley & Valley of Gods | 4h20 | 208/334 | Moab | Orange |
| 5 | Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park | 2h | 103/166 | Green River | Orange |
| 6 | Goblin Valley State Park, Twin Rocks & Capitol Reef National Park | 2h30 | 129/206 | Torrey | Orange |
| 7 | Bryce Canyon National Park | 3h30 | 188/302 | Penguitch or Hatch | Orange |
| 8 | Zion National Park | 1h | 53/85 | Hurricane or St George | Orange |
| 9 (A) | Las Vegas | 2h | 137/220 | Las Vegas | Dark Blue |
| 10 (A) | Red Rock Canyon | 40min | 30/48 | Las Vegas | Dark Blue |
| 10 (B) | Las Vegas back to Phoenix through Route 66 | 6h | 397/639 | Phoenix | Medium Blue |
| 9(C) | Zion National Park to Salt Lake City | 4h40 | 308/497 | Salt Lake City | Light Blue |
| 10 (C) | Salt Lake City Antelope Island or Bonneville Salt Flats | 3h20 | 171/276 | Salt Lake City | Light Blue |
Full 10 Day Arizona to Utah Itinerary Here
7 day Arizona to Utah Road Trip
- Total distance: 1,120miles/1803km
- Driving time: 20 hours
- Pace: Moderate
- Departure: Phoenix
- Arrival: Salt Lake City
- What you’ll see: A mix of national parks, recreational areas, canyons, wildlife and cities.
- Ideal for: This 7 day Arizona to Utah road trip is full of Utah and Arizona trip ideas for couples with a limited amount of time. Although this itinerary is similar than the pervious one, we have removed a few stops and tailored it to the 7 day length so the pace is not as fast. You’ll first be spending 3 days in Arizona before heading to Utah and finishing in Salt Lake City.
7 day itinerary map
Overview of the route
| Day | Visit | Driving Time | Driving Distance (miles/km) | Overnight | Color on map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phoenix and Sedona | 2h48 | 146/235 | Flagstaff | Orange |
| 2 | Grand Canyon National Park & Horseshoe Bend | 6h | 333/542 | Page | Orange |
| 3 | Page and Antelope Canyon | 2h41 | 172/277 | Bluff | Orange |
| 4 | Monument Valley | 3h30 | 198/319 | Moab | Orange |
| 5 | Arches National Park (Optional Canyonlands NP) | 55min | 52/84 | Green River | Orange |
| 6 | Capitol Reef National Park | 1h52 | 105/169 | Torrey | Orange |
| 7 (1) | Salt Lake City and Antelope Island | 3h10 | 213/343 | Salt Lake City | Orange |
| 7 (2) | Bryce Canyon National Park | 2h | 101/163 | Page or Vegas | Yellow |
Full 7 Day Arizona to Utah Itinerary Here
4 day Arizona to Utah Road Trip
- Total distance: 819 miles/1318 km
- Driving time: 14 hours
- Pace: Fast-paced
- Departure: Las Vegas
- Arrival: Salt Lake City
- What you’ll see: A mix of national parks, canyons, famous landmarks, cities and wildlife
- Ideal for: Couples travelling from Arizona to Utah who don’t need to come back to Arizona and are looking to turn the long driving hours into an adventure . Salt Lake City has an international airport so you can go anywhere from your last stop.
4day Utah Arizona road trip map
Overview of the route
| Day | Visit | Driving Time | Driving Distance (miles/km) | Overnight | Color on map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Las Vegas to Grand Canyon & Horseshoe Bend | 6h38 | 385/619 | Page | Orange |
| 2 | Page & Antelope Canyon | 1h29 | 84/136 | Kanab | Orange |
| 3 | Bryce Canyon National Park | 1h31 | 79/126 | Panguitch or Hatch | Orange |
| 4 | Salt Lake City & Antelope Island | 4h | 270/435 | Salt Lake City | Orange |
Full 4 Day Arizona to Utah Itinerary Here
Alternative 4 day Arizona to Utah Road Trip: A looping Las Vegas Utah road trip to Arizona
- Total distance: 779 miles/1254 km
- Driving time: 13 hours
- Pace: Moderate
- Departure: Las Vegas
- Arrival: Las Vegas
- What you’ll see: A mix of national parks, canyons, famous landmarks, and cities
- Ideal for: Couples based in Las Vegas who want to travel around Arizona and Utah. Las Vegas has an international airport so you can come and go anywhere from there.
4 day loop to Vegas road trip map
Overview of the route
| Day | Visit | Driving Time | Driving Distance (miles/km) | Overnight | Color on map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Las Vegas to Grand Canyon & Horseshoe Bend | 6h38 | 385/619 | Page | Orange |
| 2 | Page & Antelope Canyon | 1h29 | 84/136 | Kanab | Orange |
| 3 | Bryce Canyon National Park | 1h31 | 79/126 | Panguitch or Hatch | Orange |
| 4 | Bryce Canyon to LV through Zion NP | 4h30 | 251/404 | Las Vegas | Orange |
Full alternative 4 Day Arizona to Utah Itinerary Here
Budget for your Arizona to Utah road trip
As this post contains 4 different road trip itineraries to explore Utah and Arizona, we thought it would be easier to give you an estimate of cost for each travel expense category rather than for each itinerary.
Road trip Utah Arizona Hotel cost
Hotel costs greatly vary depending on the standing you’re going for. In this post, we have recommended hotels that we have stayed at and hotels that we have heard good things about. For each stay, you’ll find at least one budget-friendly option, usually under $100 and closer to $70, and one high-end option around $200. On average, one night of hotel usually costs around $100.
Car Rental for 10 days
- From Phoenix to Salt Lake City: About $1200
- From Phoenix to Las Vegas: About $1000
- From Phoenix back to Phoenix: About $890
- From Las Vegas to Las Vegas: About $900
- From Las Vegas to Salt Lake City: About $1273
This brings the average to $1053 for a car for a 10 day Arizona and big 5 Utah road trip. It will be lower if you are doing the 7 day or 4 day itineraries.
To that cost, you will need to add the cost of gas and the possible additional cost if you’re under 25 years old. Although
Road trip Arizona Utah Food cost
It is no secret that food prices have gone up all over the world and the USA is no exception. As of 2024, a bag of chips costs about $5 and McDonald’s Big Mac is at $6. What we did to save money on food during our month long road trip was to buy a cheap cooler and grocery shop. Foods we would buy including tomatoes, peaches, chips, ham, cheese and bread. We would made sandwiches and salads ourselves which reduces the food cost drastically!
Is an Arizona to Utah road trip good for couples?
An Arizona to Utah road trip is one of the top road trips for couples! Imagine driving across some of the most sunning geological formations with your partner, while you’re listening to some of your favourite songs! Imagine horseback riding in Monument Valley, galloping together in parts of the park that very few get to see! This Arizona Utah national parks road trip is made for you to have the best memories together. From romantic activities to outworldly sceneries, this road trip will stop time and really make you appreciate your partner and the present time together.
Along the way, we have also added recommendations for stunning luxurious hotels where you and your partner can relax and treat yourselves, along with recommendations for unique stays near the national parks, where you can spend a night in a luxurious tent and look at the stars together!
Planning a trip to Utah from Arizona
To help you plan a trip to Utah from Arizona or vice versa, we included in this section, all of the links we used to book our road trip across the USA.
- Hotels: We book hotels with Booking and you can use this link to book yours. We love Booking as anyone can join the Genius program and obtain 10% discounts on selected hotels. This has helped us save a lot of money on our trips around the world!
- Activity: We love to use GetYourGuide to find activities in the destinations we are at. Throughout this post, you’ll find recommendations of activities at each stop, some that we have done and some that we have on our bucket list!
- Flights: We compare our flights using Skyscanner but we try to always book directly with the airlines as it is easier to deal with airlines in case of an issue.
- Rental Car: We book cars either through Booking or through Expedia
- Park Fees: Planning a trip to Arizona and Utah involves paying entrance fees for the national parks. As there are more than 3 national parks in these Arizona to Utah road trip itineraries, we recommend buying the National Park Pass for $80 here.
- Best time to go: The best time to go on your Arizona to Utah road trip is between May and September. Although summer is peak season with the most crowds, it’s also the time that everything is open and operating at full capacity and speed. These itineraries would also be beautiful in the winter but winter weather can be hard to handle. Parts of the national parks are closed during winter so you will be missing out on some experiences. You will also need to add chains on your tyres. Most activities in these itineraries take place outside so it wouldn’t be ideal to be in the cold all day every day!
- Website to check before going: Before visiting the national parks, we recommend checking the National Park Service website as they give updates on the road and weather conditions.
- Our Arizona and Utah trip planning experience: I actually went on a Colorado Utah Arizona road trip as part of my month long road trip across the USA. I also visited the Grand Canyon and cities around it on a separate trip. I’ve always visited Arizona and Utah in the summer and these states really shine at this time of the year. I never found the sites too crowded as I would expect to not be alone during peak season anyway. Between the sights, experiences and drives, summer is definitely a lovely time to go on a Utah and Arizona road trip!
- Road trip games: Driving accross Utah and Arizona can take a while so don’t forget to bring some road trip games to pass time!
Where should I stop between Phoenix and Salt Lake City?
Grand Canyon National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park and Horseshoe Bend are all beautiful nature landmarks right between Phoenix, Arizona and Salt Lake City, Utah that you should stop at. That said, there is a lot more to do and see between the two cities. From Monument Valley to other national parks like Zion, the itineraries in this post will cover all the most famous and underrated stops that you should add to your Utah and Arizona road trip, including some in Nevada even in winter!
Are Utah and Arizona pretty much the same?
No, Utah and Arizona are quite different in climate, geography, and religion though they share similarities in rock formations. You can see the differences between Arizona and Utah in the table below:
| Utah | Arizona |
|---|---|
| Colder weather with snow | Warmer weather because of the dry desert geography |
| More mountainous | More desert like |
| About 1.3 times smaller than Arizona | Bigger in size |
| 5 national parks | 3 national parks |
| Not part of Route 66 | Route 66 |
| Majority of LDS | Majority of Catholics |
| More conservative | More liberal |
Arizona to Utah Road Trip Q&As
How far is Arizona from Utah?
The distance from Arizona to Utah depends on what location you’re looking at. Utah and Arizona share a border so the two states are right next to each other. The distance from Phoenix to Salt Lake City is 662.6 miles/1065 km and takes about 10 hours to complete by car.
In Arizona and Utah, you should go to the 5 national parks in Utah and the 3 national parks in Arizona, including to the Grand Canyon. You should also visit recreational areas like Antelope Canyon or State Park like Red Rock State Park. Other points of interest include:
Page, AZ
Monument Valley, AZ
Canyonlands National Park, UT
Arches National Park, UT
Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Lower and Upper Antelope Canyon, AZ
Horseshoe Bend, AZ
Zion National Park, UT
Bryce Canyon National Park, UT
Goblin Valley State Park, UT
and more!
Geographically, Arizona is closer to Las Vegas although the distance by road to both Utah and Arizona is equivalent.
Between one or two days in each Utah National Park is enough though it is usually possible to see the main landmarks in half a day. Some people also slow travel and stay up to a week in each, which can be good if you love hiking.
Utah has lots of national parks called the mighty 5 which you should definitely include in your Utah road trip.
Kanab and St George are the biggest towns closest to Arizona State.
Yes, absolutely and this is why we have included it in the above itineraries.
Utah is often considered cooler in temperature compared to Arizona but both are just as cool to visit from an interest point of view. With the Grand Canyon, Horseshoe Bend and Monument Valley, the North side of Arizona is quite epic! With 5 gorgeous national parks and incredible scenarios like Bryce Canyon or Arches National Park, Utah is just as cool as Arizona!
Check out our 7 day Arizona to Utah road trip itinerary above. It will give you the perfect itinerary from Phoenix to Utah to visit all of them. If you have 7 days and you would prefer to pick between Bryce, Zion, Arches, Canyonlands or Monument Valley, then Arches, Monument Valley and Bryce Canyon are our favourite!
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We are Mary and Eric, the founders of Be Right Back, a blog dedicated to romance around the globe and at home.
We are Mary and Eric, the founders of Be Right Back, a blog dedicated to romance around the globe and at home. With over 10 years of experience in dating and traveling to romantic places, we share our favorite date ideas and romantic destinations to help couples level up their relationships. Having lived in and traveled through the USA, we also share our favourite things to do in the States.
With 70,000 monthly readers and 16,000 followers on social media, Be Right Back is your go-to resource for romantic trip ideas and couple activities at home and abroad.
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