Northern USA

Arrival at Las Vegas International Airport marks the beginning of an extraordinary journey.

After the hotel transfer, there’s time to explore one of the most eccentric cities in the world. Along the famous Fabulous Las Vegas Strip, over six kilometers of dazzling lights and spectacular architecture, you’ll find iconic hotels and casinos, dancing fountains set to music, and astonishing replicas: from an Egyptian pyramid to Venice’s Grand Canal, all the way to the Eiffel Tower. A stop at the Stratosphere Tower is a must: at 329 meters high, it offers breathtaking views of the city, illuminated at night by millions of lights.

The atmosphere is over the top, a whirlwind of sounds and colors that envelops anyone on the Strip. Shows, entertainment, and gambling follow one another without pause, but even those who prefer to simply observe can experience the magic of Las Vegas by strolling through its streets.

Departure takes place early in the morning to take advantage of the cooler hours. Leaving Las Vegas behind, the road leads toward Red Rock Canyon, with its imposing rock formations, and then on to Tecopa. A stop at a charming café in Shoshone precedes entry into one of America’s most fascinating places: Death Valley.

The park, spanning over 1.34 million hectares, is a land of extreme contrasts: towering sand dunes, vast salt flats, and colorful sandstone canyons. Here lies the lowest point on the continent, Badwater, 86 meters below sea level, while the peaks of Telescope Peak rise above 3,300 meters. Summer temperatures reach 50°C, making this the hottest and driest place in the United States.

The route continues along Artist’s Drive, a scenic road winding through the mountains, where minerals tint the volcanic rocks in shades of red, pink, yellow, green, and purple. Then comes the climb to Dante’s View and a stop at Zabriskie Point, one of the park’s most iconic vistas, shaped by the sediments of an ancient lake that dried up millions of years ago.

The day begins early to make the most of the cooler hours. The road crosses the desert to reach the Valley of Fire, named for the intense red of its sandstone formations dating back to the age of dinosaurs. The rocks display hues ranging from white to pink to the brightest orange.

After taking in the most striking views, the journey continues toward Zion National Park, a unique place where towering rock formations and deep gorges tell millions of years of geological history, carved by the Virgin River’s erosion.

Amid white, pink, and red rocks, you arrive at Bryce Canyon National Park, famous for its natural amphitheaters and iconic hoodoos, spires sculpted by erosion. The 17-mile Bryce Canyon Scenic Drive offers spectacular viewpoints such as Bryce and Inspiration Point, while along the way you can admire the Natural Bridge, a natural arch measuring 85 meters in length and 125 meters in height.

The winding road continues through the Petrified Forest near Escalante, where prehistoric remnants emerge from the earth. Climbing toward the Dixie National Forest, the red sand gives way to grass and trees, while Route 12 reaches an altitude of 2,860 meters, offering views so vast that it’s hard to resist stopping at every turn to admire from above the last mapped area of the United States.

In the evening, the journey leads to Capitol Reef National Park, established in 1971 and located in southern Utah. With its narrow shape and a length of over 160 km, it is considered one of Utah’s best-kept secrets. The roads that cross it are surrounded by stunning rock formations, delivering unique emotions to those who travel this route through landscapes that seem to belong to another world.

Leaving Capitol Reef National Park behind, the route crosses the San Rafael Desert, where the gaze drifts across endless horizons and the only sign of human presence is the motorcycles gliding along the ribbon of asphalt. The road runs alongside the Colorado River along the spectacular Highway 128, one of the most scenic in the United States, until reaching Moab.

From here, the journey continues to Arches National Park, traversed by the panoramic Arches Scenic Drive, an 18-mile route offering breathtaking views of majestic rock arches sculpted by the wind over millions of years. Among the most iconic spots are La Sal Mountains and Courthouse Towers, where you can admire imposing monoliths such as The Organ, Tower of Babel, Sheep Rock, and Three Gossips.

The following day is dedicated to relaxation and excursions. Moab, a charming town and the off-road capital, offers countless activities: e-biking, rafting, 4x4 adventures, ATV rides, and tours to Canyonlands National Park, which unfolds along the banks of the Colorado River.

A free morning for excursions or a stroll through Moab’s shops, before resuming the journey among spectacular rock formations such as Wilson Arch, Church Rock, Mexican Hat, and Navajo Twin Rocks. The road crosses remote desert landscapes and scenic stretches, skirting isolated villages, until reaching the Four Corners region, where Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico meet.

After a stop at Twin Rocks Trading Post, the route continues toward Mexican Hat, a town named after a curious sombrero-shaped rock. From here, an off-road section offers breathtaking views of the Valley of the Gods, before reaching the Arizona prairies and, in the evening, the legendary Monument Valley, famous for its monoliths and sunsets that have served as the backdrop for countless Western films.

The following day is devoted to visiting Antelope Canyon, a natural masterpiece of sandstone sculpted by millennia of floods. Its walls, rising over 45 meters high, narrow in some places to just 60 centimeters, creating spectacular plays of light. In the afternoon, the journey continues to Page, on the shores of Lake Powell, a 650 km² artificial lake created by the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam.

After a moment of relaxation, you can explore the lake by boat. The day concludes with sunset at Horseshoe Bend, a dramatic meander of the Colorado River nestled within Glen Canyon: after a short hike, the view from 300 meters above offers one of the most breathtaking panoramas of the entire trip.

After several days among canyons, plateaus, deserts, and Navajo settlements, the journey heads back toward “civilization.” The morning begins on the lakeshore, with panoramic views of the canyon, the Little Colorado River Gorge, and the vast horizons of Navajo Nation, where modernity has left the Native American environment largely untouched.

The route follows a beautiful road through the forest to the Grand Canyon, an immense gorge carved by the Colorado River, stretching for 445 km and plunging to depths of over 1,800 meters. In the afternoon, the journey reaches Williams, a charming western-style town with saloons and vintage cars lining its main street.

The following day promises a relaxing ride west toward Nevada. The route reaches Seligman, where vintage-style shops take you back in time. From here, you join the legendary Route 66, the “Mother Road,” the first federal highway built in the 1920s to connect Chicago to Los Angeles. Stop at Hackberry, with its old gas pumps, rusted signs, and classic ’50s cars, and visit the Route 66 Museum in Kingman.

The road continues through the Black Mountains to Oatman, a tiny town frozen in the Mojave Desert, famous for the burros strolling along Main Street and its mining heritage. Finally, you take US 95 toward Bullhead City and the Hoover Dam. At sunset, the lights of the Strip appear on the horizon: it’s the last night in the city, with memories of intense days and unforgettable landscapes that will remain etched forever.