California Dreaming: Yosemite, Death Valley & Coastal Camping
By NoSetDestination·Reviewed by the NoSetDestination editorial team·Published
·Updated
Your route7 stops · 7 days
Day 1Los Angeles/Santa Margarita
Day 2Santa Margarita
Day 3Santa Margarita/Yosemite National Park
Day 4Yosemite National Park
Day 5Yosemite National Park/Bishop
Day 6Bishop/Las Vegas
Day 7Las Vegas
Getting an early start in Bishop on Day 6 is the key timing decision to beat the heat before driving straight into Death Valley. Before that, trading the coast on Day 3 requires a long travel day inland toward Yosemite National Park. You'll spend Day 4 on the valley floor hiking the steep, wet Mist Trail up to Vernal Fall, then see the giant sequoias at Tuolumne Grove on Day 5.
A seven-day road trip from the Pacific coast to the Vegas Strip. The route cuts inland from LA for camping in Yosemite before crossing the desert flats of Death Valley.
The Route, Day by Day
Each leg of the journey mapped out — where the day takes you, what's actually on the ground, and things to consider when planning this trip yourself.
How to read this guide
The routeWritten as you'd travel it independently — where each day goes and what is actually on the ground.
DIY Reality CheckWhere doing it yourself gets hard: permits, closures, bookings that sell out months ahead.
G Adventures includesThe same route as one 7-day trip, booked start to finish — you can't buy a single day of it. These panels show what their price covers each day, so you can weigh it against doing it yourself.
Day 1 of 7
Los Angeles/Santa Margarita
LA Hits & PCH to Camp
This is a day-one-and-done for LA. The trip starts early with a quick drive-by of the city's greatest hits—Rodeo Drive, the Hollywood sign, Sunset Boulevard—before you leave the sprawl in the rearview. The real agenda is the Pacific Coast Highway. You'll head north, stopping in Santa Barbara for lunch on your own, then continue on to Santa Margarita. The day ends with setting up your tent at a campsite and grabbing a ride into nearby San Luis Obispo for dinner.
From travelers who've been to Los Angeles/Santa Margarita
Santa Barbara, California — by Pexels — James Lee
Hollywood, California — by Pexels — Dumitru B
Santa Barbara, California — by Pexels — Timmossholder
Santa Barbara, California — by Pexels — James Lee
Hollywood, California — by Pexels — Dumitru B
Santa Barbara, California — by Pexels — Timmossholder
Early morning sightseeing tour of Los Angeles highlights
Drive the iconic Pacific Coast Highway
Lunch stop in the coastal city of Santa Barbara
Where you stay: camping at Santa Margarita KOA
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Day 1 on the G Adventures trip
2
What their price covers on this day. It is part of the full 7-day trip — sold as one booking, not day by day.
Accommodation: camping at Santa Margarita KOA
Free evening for dinner in San Luis Obispo
DIY Reality Check: Securing a single coastal California campsite often requires booking six months in advance when reservations open on a rolling daily window. Independently, you'd also need to rent a vehicle large enough for passengers and gear, navigate out of Los Angeles, and then solve the evening's transit puzzle. The campsite is miles from downtown San Luis Obispo, leaving you to coordinate a taxi—at a cost of $35-$45 each way—or wait for a rideshare, where even the app warns of potentially long pickup times. A trip with a private vehicle and driver handles the campsite booking, transport, and dinner shuttle as a single coordinated plan.
Today is all about that classic Highway 1 scenery. You'll drive up the coast to San Simeon to see the elephant seals, a massive colony of them just lounging on the beach. A little further north, you'll hit Ragged Point for a solid hike down to a secluded beach. The afternoon is yours to sort out. You can head back to the coast near Avila to chill on the sand, or rent a bike and find a spot to watch the sun go down over the Pacific. It's a low-key day before heading inland tomorrow.
From travelers who've been to Santa Margarita
San Simeon, California — by Pexels — Yajun Dong
Central California Coast — by Pexels — Filip Filipovic
Central California Coast — by Pexels — Wallace Henry
San Simeon, California — by Pexels — Yajun Dong
Central California Coast — by Pexels — Filip Filipovic
Central California Coast — by Pexels — Wallace Henry
Watch the resident elephant seals sunbathe at San Simeon
Hike to the beach near Ragged Point
Where you stay: camping at Santa Margarita KOA
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Day 2 on the G Adventures trip
3
What their price covers on this day. It is part of the full 7-day trip — sold as one booking, not day by day.
Accommodation: camping at Santa Margarita KOA
Free afternoon for beach time or biking in Avila
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DIY Reality Check: The U.S. Geological Survey identifies the Big Sur coastline as one of the most landslide-prone areas in the western United States. This geological reality gives Highway 1 a long history of sudden, extended closures—sometimes lasting for months or even years. For an independent traveler, a single slide can sever access between the elephant seal rookery and Ragged Point, forcing a multi-hour inland detour that scraps the day's itinerary. A trip with a dedicated vehicle and operator absorbs this logistical risk, handling the real-time road monitoring and any necessary rerouting as part of the service.
Time to trade the coast for the mountains. After packing up camp, it's a long travel day inland toward Yosemite National Park. The drive cuts through California's Central Valley, with a necessary stop in Fresno to grab lunch before finishing the climb into the Sierra Nevada. You'll set up camp in El Portal, just outside the park boundary. The day wraps with your first look at the park itself, driving through the Arch Rock entrance and along the Merced River as the granite walls start to close in around you.
From travelers who've been to Santa Margarita/Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park — by Pexels — Stephane Christiaens
Yosemite National Park — by Pexels — Kinley Lindsey
Fresno, California — by Pexels — Leonard Suarez
Yosemite National Park — by Pexels — Zetong Li
Yosemite National Park — by Pexels — Stephane Christiaens
Yosemite National Park — by Pexels — Kinley Lindsey
Overland journey from the coast to the Sierra Nevada mountains
Lunch stop in Fresno
First views of Yosemite Valley via the Arch Rock entrance
Overnight camping near the park at Indian Flats Campground
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Day 3 on the G Adventures trip
2
What their price covers on this day. It is part of the full 7-day trip — sold as one booking, not day by day.
Transport: Overland journey from the coast to the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Meals: Breakfast
DIY Reality Check: As of 2026, the National Park Service requires non-U.S. residents aged 16 and over to pay a $100 per-person fee to enter Yosemite, in addition to the standard $35 vehicle entrance fee. An international couple arriving independently would face an unexpected $235 charge at the gate, while a group of four adults would owe $435. This policy applies to all 11 of the most-visited national parks, including those on commercial tours. A coordinated trip that incorporates park fees and facilitates this specific non-resident payment sidesteps a significant and surprising budget complication at the park entrance.
You have a full day on the valley floor, and your best move is to pick a big hike and go for it. The Mist Trail up to Vernal Fall is the classic choice for a reason—it's steep, wet, and delivers on the views. For something bigger, you can push on to Nevada Fall or tackle the trail to the base of Yosemite Falls. If your legs are shot, renting a bike is the easiest way to cover the flat valley floor, letting you cruise between viewpoints, meadows, and the river without committing to a major trek.
From travelers who've been to Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park — by Pexels — Moonpiczar
Yosemite National Park — by Pexels — Thomas K
Yosemite National Park — by Pexels — Elijahjcobb
Yosemite National Park — by Pexels — Jose Oliveira
Yosemite National Park — by Pexels — Moonpiczar
Yosemite National Park — by Pexels — Thomas K
Yosemite National Park — by Pexels — Elijahjcobb
Yosemite National Park — by Pexels — Jose Oliveira
Hike options: The Mist Trail, Yosemite Falls, or Nevada Falls
Opt to rent a bike to explore the valley floor
Where you stay: camping at Indian Flats Campground
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Day 4 on the G Adventures trip
3
What their price covers on this day. It is part of the full 7-day trip — sold as one booking, not day by day.
Accommodation: camping at Indian Flats Campground
Full free day to explore Yosemite National Park
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DIY Reality Check: Following the removal of the park's reservation system, parking in Yosemite Valley has become a significant logistical challenge. On one Saturday in early May 2026, all valley parking lots were full before 11 a.m., with entrance gate delays reaching 90 minutes. For an independent traveler, arriving after 9 a.m. on a busy day risks finding no parking at all, forcing them to abandon their plans. Furthermore, the trailhead for the Mist Trail at Happy Isles has no dedicated public parking; the nearest lot is a mile away, requiring a walk or a transfer to the free valley shuttle. A trip with a private vehicle that manages drop-offs and pickups eliminates the entire operational burden of securing a parking space within the park's severely limited capacity.
After packing up camp, the route cuts across the park's high country. First stop is Tuolumne Grove, a two-hour round-trip hike that drops you down among a few dozen giant sequoias. After lunch, you'll tackle the Lembert Dome trail for massive views over Tuolumne Meadows. The day's main event is the drive itself, traveling over the stunningly scenic Tioga Pass before a long, winding descent down the Eastern Sierra. You'll land in the small town of Bishop in the early evening to set up camp for the night.
From travelers who've been to Yosemite National Park/Bishop
Yosemite National Park — by Pexels — Kyle Karbowski
Bishop, California — by Pexels — Solyartphotos
Yosemite to Bishop — by Pexels — Xiaoyi
Yosemite National Park — by Pexels — Kyle Karbowski
What their price covers on this day. It is part of the full 7-day trip — sold as one booking, not day by day.
Accommodation: camping at Brownstown Campground
Transport: Overland journey to Bishop.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DIY Reality Check: The day's entire itinerary hinges on the Tioga Road, which the National Park Service typically keeps closed due to snow until late May or early June. However, predicting the opening is impossible; in heavy snow years, the road has remained closed until late June or even July. For an independent traveler, arriving to find the pass still closed for the season forces an eight-hour, 400-mile detour to the south to reach Bishop, forfeiting the planned hikes and scenic drive. A trip with a dedicated operator and vehicle absorbs this significant logistical risk, handling the real-time road monitoring and any necessary rerouting as part of a coordinated plan.
Get an early start to beat the heat. You're driving straight into Death Valley, the lowest, hottest, and driest place in North America. It's a morning of quick stops at otherworldly landscapes—the salt flats of Badwater Basin, the colorful rock of Zabriskie Point, and the Furnace Creek area. By midday, you're back in the van, heading out of the basin and on the long, straight shot to Las Vegas. The trip ends with a hard pivot from national parks to the neon chaos of the Strip. The night is yours to find a show or try your luck at the tables.
From travelers who've been to Bishop/Las Vegas
Death Valley National Park — by Pexels — Philevenphotos
Death Valley National Park — by Pexels — Vlada Karpovich
Death Valley National Park — by Pexels — Stephen Leonardi
Death Valley National Park — by Pexels — Philevenphotos
Death Valley National Park — by Pexels — Vlada Karpovich
Death Valley National Park — by Pexels — Stephen Leonardi
See Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America
Stop at Zabriskie Point for iconic views
Overland journey to Las Vegas
Where you stay: Golden Nugget Las Vegas
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Day 6 on the G Adventures trip
4
What their price covers on this day. It is part of the full 7-day trip — sold as one booking, not day by day.
Accommodation: Golden Nugget Las Vegas
Transport: Overland journey to Las Vegas.
Free evening to explore the Las Vegas Strip
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DIY Reality Check: The extreme heat in Death Valley presents a significant operational risk for standard vehicles. The National Park Service posts signs on steep grades advising drivers to turn off their air conditioning to prevent engine overheating—a counter-intuitive step in one of the hottest places on Earth. In the event of a breakdown, the NPS warns that emergency rescues are not always possible, as extreme heat can ground helicopters and endanger rescue crews. Furthermore, most rental car agreements forbid travel on the park's many unpaved roads, placing full liability for damage or retrieval on the renter. A trip in a commercial-grade vehicle with a professional driver mitigates this risk, handling the unique operational demands of the environment as part of the service.
The trip is officially over. After a final night in Vegas with the crew, it's time to pack up and say your goodbyes. You can depart at any time, as there are no activities planned for the day.
