Back to trips
The road into Monument Valley seen from above at sunset
Western USA

West USA

Western USA →
5.0316 Google reviews 13days Group of 1616in the crew From Athens

Overview

Route 66, Death Valley, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, and Sequoia National Park are just some of what we'll see. Get ready for a dream roadtrip with the Altervan van through the best of the West Coast.

The West USA Roadtrip is more than a journey, it's an experience that blends the freedom of the open road, the most iconic landscapes of the USA, and moments that will stay with you forever. From the bright streets of Los Angeles to the vast desert expanses, and from spectacular canyons to the lush forests of giant sequoias, every day is a new adventure.

Coming solo. Will I fit in? 75% come solo. By day two, that has changed.
At a glance
DestinationWestern USA
Dates17 Nov 2026 → 29 Nov 2026
Duration13 days
Group sizeup to 16 people
Price€2,790 / person
AvailabilitySold out, join the waitlist

Included

Round-trip flights from Athens with ITA Airways
Airport taxes
Public liability insurance
Transfers by 9-seater van
Local taxes
Fuel
2 guides from our team
Accommodation in double hotel rooms, except for 1 night in four-bed houses
Entrance to the national parks we visit
4 hotel breakfasts

Not included

Personal expenses
Meals
Entrance to Antelope Canyon
Entrance to Alcatraz prison
Entrance to Universal Studios
ESTA fee (~€40)

Before you get in the van for the West...

Most people come soloBy day two, that has changed.
We will rack up a lot of kilometresLos Angeles, desert, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, sequoias, San Francisco. One of our longest roadtrips in kilometres. You just settle into the van.
A different place almost every night11 nights in 8 different places, twin hotel rooms and one night in four-bed houses. Coming solo? You share with someone of the same gender.
A small suitcase and a backpackYou are allowed 23 kg, but the van has 9 seats and the bags travel with us every day. A small suitcase up to 12 kg and a backpack.
Desert, fog and everything in between, in one weekHeat in Death Valley, cool air in Yosemite and among the sequoias, fog in San Francisco. Dress in layers.
The optional extras and the ESTA are on youUniversal, Antelope Canyon, Alcatraz and the ESTA (about 40 €) are not in the price. Neither are meals, except the breakfasts listed.
Good to know

If you have travelled to Cuba since 12/01/2021, or to Yemen, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or North Korea since 01/03/2011, you cannot travel on an ESTA.

It does not mean you cannot join the trip, you will just need to apply for a US visa.

It is for you if…

  • you love the road: music, random conversations and a landscape that changes every hour outside the window
  • you do not mind early starts and sleeping in a different town every night
  • you want the West like in the films, but not from a coach
  • you are up for coming in as strangers and leaving as a new crew

It is probably not for you if…

  • long hours in the van wear you out
  • you want to unpack once and stay put
  • you want all-inclusive hotels and comforts
  • you are expecting a classic organised tour with a guide and a coach

Moments

376 moments from 12 previous departures
Altervan trip leaderSecure your seat with a depositEasy cancellation

Itinerary · day by day

The group in front of the Hollywood Sign01

Arrival in Los Angeles

The group in front of the Hollywood Sign
We land around half past one in the afternoon, in the golden light only this city has. We drop our bags at the hotel in Hollywood and head out for a first, easy walk: the palms of Beverly Hills, the Hollywood Sign up on the hill, the Walk of Fame with its stars, performers and neon. A first day that works like a trailer for what is coming.
Palm trees and sunset on Santa Monica beach02

Santa Monica, Venice and Hollywood

Palm trees and sunset on Santa Monica beach
The morning has two options. Anyone who wants to spends a few hours at Universal Studios (optional, at your own cost). The rest of us wander around Hollywood: small studios, vintage shops and neighbourhoods full of old stories. From midday we are all at the beach: Santa Monica Pier with skaters, surfers, street artists and a speaker in every group, then Venice Beach, the most colourful corner of the city, for sunset. In the evening, Hollywood again.
The group with the Altervan banner on the Route 66 shield, from above03

Route 66

The group with the Altervan banner on the Route 66 shield, from above
Today we join the most famous road in America. Old signs, retro petrol stations, small towns that time drove past. Stops at the classic points of the route and on to Seligman, the most authentic stretch of Route 66: neon, diners straight out of a cartoon and locals who greet you with "hey folks, welcome to town". A pure roadtrip day.
Morning at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon04

Grand Canyon

Morning at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon
In the morning we reach the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. The landscape opens in front of you like a book: layers of earth, colours that change with the light, a silence that swallows every sound. We go from viewpoint to viewpoint with no rush. In the afternoon we continue north to Page, our base for the next two days.
The Horseshoe Bend loop from above05

Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend and Lake Powell

The Horseshoe Bend loop from above
The day with the big highlights of the area. We start with Antelope Canyon (optional, at your own cost), the best known slot canyon in the world: light comes in from above and slides along the curves of the rock. Then Horseshoe Bend, where the river makes a huge horseshoe and you stand right on the edge. In the afternoon, Lake Powell, water mirroring the sky and a sunset that stays with you.
A selfie above the Las Vegas Strip at night06

Las Vegas

A selfie above the Las Vegas Strip at night
On the road to Las Vegas. We stay at the Luxor, the pyramid with the beam of light shooting into the sky. In the evening we go out on the Strip: themed hotels, music, lights everywhere and an energy that never stops. You have seen it in a thousand films. Now you are inside it.
The group walking down the road in Death Valley07

Death Valley

The group walking down the road in Death Valley
We enter Death Valley, a landscape that does not look like Earth. Sand dunes, heat shimmering in the air, colours changing every few minutes. Stops at the iconic spots and, of course, the classic Altervan surprise stop. Night in Bakersfield to rest.
The group inside a fallen sequoia trunk08

Sequoia National Park

The group inside a fallen sequoia trunk
The world of the giants. The sequoias stand like towers and the light comes through the trunks as if from another planet. The park museum, a walk along a forest trail and a stop at General Sherman, the largest tree on Earth. A day that leaves you quiet.
The group in front of El Capitan in Yosemite09

Yosemite

The group in front of El Capitan in Yosemite
Yosemite is a painting at full scale: valleys, waterfalls, rock faces rising to the sky, cool air and trails. Every stop is for a photo, and for something more. It is the day you say "yes, this is a roadtrip".
The whole group in front of the Golden Gate10

San Francisco

The whole group in front of the Golden Gate
We arrive in San Francisco and the energy changes: more artistic, more relaxed, more human. We cross the Golden Gate, often wrapped in fog as if it were guarding it, see the Painted Ladies and climb a hill with the whole city spread out below like a carpet.
Sea lions at Pier 39, Alcatraz behind11

Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf and Chinatown

Sea lions at Pier 39, Alcatraz behind
Anyone who wants to takes the morning boat to Alcatraz, the island prison (optional, at your own cost). Then Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39 with the sea lions putting on their own show, and a walk to Chinatown, one of the liveliest corners of the city. A day with many different faces.
Morning coffee on a San Francisco hill12

Coffee, a walk and goodbye California

Morning coffee on a San Francisco hill
Last morning on the West Coast. Coffee, an easy walk, the last photos, and off to the airport. The trip ends the way it should: full.

The route

Route map: Los Angeles → Laughlin → Grand Canyon South → Page → Las Vegas → Death Valley → Bakersfield → Kingsburg → Oakhurst → San FranciscoLOS ANGELESLAUGHLINGRAND CANYON SOUTHPAGELAS VEGASDEATH VALLEYBAKERSFIELDKINGSBURGOAKHURSTSAN FRANCISCOUNITED STATES OF AMERICA · 10 STOPS · ROADTRIP · 2.560 KM

Open the route in Google Maps ↗

Gallery · Western USA

25 photos
The group in front of the Hollywood SignPalm trees and sunset on Santa Monica beachThe group with the Altervan banner on the Route 66 shield, from aboveBurgers and milkshakes in an old Route 66 dinerA stop with the van on an empty Mojave desert roadMorning at the South Rim of the Grand CanyonThe group above Horseshoe Bend before sunsetLight inside Antelope CanyonThe group under a rock arch in ArizonaSunset at Lake PowellOur vans at the Utah welcome signA selfie above the Las Vegas Strip at nightThe Las Vegas signThe group walking down the road in Death ValleyDeath Valley sand dunes at sunsetThe group inside a fallen sequoia trunkAt the base of a giant sequoiaThe group in front of El Capitan in YosemiteTunnel View in YosemiteThe whole group in front of the Golden GateFog around the Golden GateThe Painted Ladies in San FranciscoSea lions at Pier 39, Alcatraz behindMorning coffee on a San Francisco hillLos Angeles from Griffith Observatory

Answers to your questions

Do I need a visa for the USA?

Not with a Greek passport, the ESTA is enough: an electronic travel authorisation for tourism of up to 90 days. You apply online at esta.cbp.dhs.gov, it costs about 40 dollars, it is valid for 2 years (or until your passport expires) and it is usually approved within minutes. It must be completed at least 72 hours before the flight, and the cost of the ESTA is not included in the price. No stress: before the trip we guide you through the application step by step.

I have travelled to Cuba, Iran or another "red" country. What do I do?

If you have been to Cuba since 12/01/2021, or to Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen or North Korea since 01/03/2011, you cannot travel on an ESTA. The same applies if you also hold citizenship of Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Syria or North Korea. It does not mean you cannot come: you apply for a US tourist visa (B-2) at the US Embassy in Athens, with an appointment, a fee and an interview. Interview waits run into months, so start as soon as you book.

What documents do I need?

A biometric passport that is valid, ideally for at least 6 months after your return, for peace of mind. An ID card is not enough. At the airport you may be asked to show where you are staying and your return ticket, and you will have all of that from us.

What luggage do I bring?

Your ticket includes a 23 kg suitcase, but the van has 9 seats and the bags travel with us every day. So you come with a small cabin suitcase of up to 12 kg and a backpack. Come on, do not make that face. It all fits.

Where do we sleep?

11 nights in 8 different places. Hotels with twin rooms, and one night in four-bed cabins with two twin rooms each. Coming solo? You share with someone from the group of the same gender. We sort out the pairing, or small groups form at the airport and you decide.

How do I book my seat?

With a deposit of 850 € per person. You pay the rest in instalments, up to one month before departure.

What if I need to cancel?

Everything about cancellations is in our General Terms of Participation, section 5. If anything is not clear, ask us before you book.

Am I insured?

Our office provides public liability insurance for all its trips. It is not health insurance, though. In the USA a hospital visit costs a lot, so make sure you take out private travel health insurance before you leave. It is cheap compared to what it covers.

What is not included in the price?

Meals (except the breakfasts listed), your personal expenses, the ESTA and the optional extras: Universal Studios, Antelope Canyon and Alcatraz. We talk it all through together in the Viber group we set up, and you decide later.

What weather should I expect and what should I pack?

Late November into December, all in the same week: heat in Death Valley, cool air in Yosemite and among the sequoias, fog in San Francisco and cold nights in the desert. Dress in layers, bring a warm jacket and comfortable shoes.

Card or cash? Do I need an adapter?

Card everywhere, you will hardly see cash. A few dollars for tips. Sockets are Type A/B at 110-120 V, so bring an adapter. For internet, check what your provider offers for the USA or get an eSIM. We send you the details before we leave, so no worries.

How many hours will we spend in the van?

A lot. It is one of our longest roadtrips in kilometres, with days that take us from the desert to the mountains. You just settle in, look out of the window, sing along and ask for toilet stops. If long hours on the road wear you out, read “Before you get in the van for the West” first.

What travellers say · Western USA 5.0 · 316 Google reviews
Waitlist 17–29 NOVEMBER 2026
Join waitlist