Coach / Bus Tours & Trips in Southwest USA
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10 best coach / bus Southwest USA tours
Compiled by
MelissaSouthwest USA travel expert at TourRadar
Magnificent West – 8 days
19 Reviews by TourRadar travelers“The trip was good, and I met some interesting people.”
Karlene, traveled in December
Red rocks and desert vistas await on this Southwestern route through Sedona's Oak Creek Canyon, Monument Valley's sandstone towers, and Antelope Canyon. The tour stops at Hoover Dam, Valley of Fire's crimson landscape, and Las Vegas Strip, with nights at LINQ Hotel.
Duration 8 days Destinations Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Carmel, San Francisco, Yosemite National Park, Las Vegas, Sedona, Monument Valley, Valley of Fire State Park Age Range All Ages Welcome Operated in English, German, Italian, Portuguese, French, Spanish, Chinese Operator Amadeo From
- US$1,570
LA to the Bay
24 Reviews by TourRadar travelers“The trip was a great experience thanks to Emily's friendliness and ability to adapt to each situation.”
JustinAviet, traveled in October
LA's Beverly Hills to Phoenix's Rustler's Rooste unfolds on this grand tour. Notable stops include Grand Canyon UNESCO site, Las Vegas Strip, and Route 66 landmarks across California, Arizona, and Nevada.
Duration 11 days Destinations Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Sedona, Grand Canyon National Park, Seligman, Las Vegas, Bass Lake, Yosemite National Park, San Francisco Age Range Ages 18-35 Operator Contiki From $3,135
20% Off- US$2,508You save $627
Best of the Canyonlands
5 Reviews by TourRadar travelers“Great tour of a vast part of our country.”
Nick, traveled in September
Luxury coaches wind through Arches' formations and Monument Valley's buttes. UNESCO-listed Mesa Verde, Navajo-guided tours, and Grand Canyon's South Rim showcase the best of the Southwest.
Duration 7 days Destinations Denver, Vail, Moab, Arches National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Monument Valley, Grand Canyon National Park, Las Vegas Age Range All Ages Welcome Operator Trafalgar From
20% Off- US$2,825
Modern coaches transport you from Grand Canyon's rim to Bryce Canyon's formations. Professional guides coordinate strategic stops at Navajo markets through desert landscapes.
Duration 7 days Destinations Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Carmel, San Francisco, Modesto, Yosemite National Park, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon National Park, Page, Lake Powell, UTSee all destinations Age Range All Ages Welcome Operated in English, German, Italian, Portuguese, French, Spanish, Chinese Operator Receptivo Aborigen Tours From $2,249
10% Off- US$2,024You save $225
Highlights of the Canyonlands
17 Reviews by TourRadar travelers“Wonderful locations, wonderful people we got to meet.”
Kelly, traveled in April
Luxury coaches roll from Las Vegas through Mojave Desert's vast expanse. Glen Canyon Dam, Antelope Canyon, and Monument Valley's iconic formations create unforgettable memories.
Duration 7 days Destinations Las Vegas, Grand Canyon National Park, Monument Valley, Page, Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion National Park Age Range All Ages Welcome Operator Cosmos From $1,969
13% Off- US$1,719You save $250
Golden West Adventure
119 Reviews by TourRadar travelers“Thoroughly enjoyed our trip. Thankyou so much.”
Wayne, traveled in September
Red rocks and desert landscapes showcase Scottsdale's Old Town and Sedona's natural beauty. Two nights at SLS Las Vegas complement optional Grand Canyon helicopter tours from South Rim.
Duration 14 days Destinations Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Scottsdale, Sedona, Grand Canyon National Park, Williams, Las Vegas, Yosemite National Park, Sonora, San FranciscoSee all destinations Age Range All Ages Welcome Operator Cosmos From
13% Off- US$2,959
Dreams of the West end in San Francisco
1 Review by TourRadar travelers“Wonderful tour! Highly recommend.”
Tf, traveled in June
The road from LA winds through Vegas Strip and Grand Canyon's rim. Historic Seligman on Route 66 and Death Valley's stark beauty unfold as expert guides narrate the journey.
Duration 10 days Destinations Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Flagstaff, Death Valley National Park, Bakersfield, Sequoia National Park, Fresno, Yosemite National Park, San Francisco Age Range All Ages Welcome Operator Europamundo From
13% Off- US$2,184
Las Vegas Strip to Grand Canyon's Bright Angel viewpoint unfolds by luxury coach. Route 66's historic Seligman and Death Valley's dramatic Zabriskie Point showcase the Southwest's diversity.
Duration 12 days Destinations Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Flagstaff, Death Valley National Park, Bakersfield, Sequoia National Park, Fresno, Yosemite National Park, San Francisco, MontereySee all destinations Age Range All Ages Welcome Operator Europamundo From
13% Off- US$2,620
Wonders of the American West (Classic)
10 Reviews by TourRadar travelers“Well planned and executed.”
Bernard, traveled in September
Narrated tram rides in Zion, thrilling ATV adventures in Monument Valley, and panoramic views along Grand Canyon's South Rim highlight this tour. A 40-seat luxury coach provides comfort with expert commentary.
Duration 10 days Destinations Las Vegas, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Capitol Reef National Park, Moab, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, DurangoSee all destinations Age Range All Ages Welcome Operator Insight Vacations From $5,525
10% Off- US$4,973You save $553
Best of the West
4 Reviews by TourRadar travelers“This was a fast but nice tour and it was perfect for a Solo Travler.”
Hear, traveled in October
Crimson cliffs of Sedona, Grand Canyon's Desert View point, and Historic Route 66 towns paint the perfect Southwest picture. Accommodations at Days by Wyndham Flagstaff and Golden Nugget Las Vegas, with optional Hoover Dam visits.
Duration 12 days Destinations Los Angeles, Anaheim, Santa Monica, Palm Springs, Phoenix, Sedona, Flagstaff, Grand Canyon National Park, Seligman, KingmanSee all destinations Age Range All Ages Welcome Operator Costsaver From $2,625
10% Off- US$2,363You save $263
What people love about Coach / Bus Tours in Southwest USA
- Magnificent West – 8 days
Everything was excellent, our tour guides were really good and accommodating!
TL;DR: Probably one of the - if not THE - best 2 weeks of my life. I couldn't have imagined it any better. If you want to travel the US and want a superb mix between astonishing nature, amazing beaches and not any less astonishing cities, this tour is for you. (This turned out to be more of a book than a review) I have to admit, before the tour started, I was kinda worried "what if I don't make friends with anyone?". I never really was an extrovert. Not an introvert either, I love talking with people I like and I am not shy either, I just usually take a while to get friends with people. But holy macarel, I probably made more and better friends in 2 weeks on this trip than I have in the last 2-3 years of my life. And to an extent, that's logical. As our trip manager James said in the beginning of the trip, we are all there for the same reason, we all spend 2 grand + (including the tickets to get to the US) for this trip and are just out to meet new people and have a great time. And boi, did I have that. Out of the ~50 people on this trip there is no one I wouldn't be stoked about meeting again. And sure enough I already have set up a meeting in just shy of two months in London with a couple of them. Back to the trip itself. It all started out in LA, where we stayed in the Kawada Hotel. And I gotta say, the Kawada Hotel was okay, but James did not lie when he said it only goes upwards from there. On the first evening upon arrival (I arrived the evening before the trip started) I met up with one guy of the trip that arrived at the airport around the same time as me and also wasn't going to make it to the kickstart meeting (an optional meeting the day before to get to know the tour guide and nail down some of the most basic stuff). He actually went on to become one of my "best buddies" along the trip (greetings to Emilliano). We were starving after our flights from Europe, so after checking into the Kawada Hotel, we went "Downtown" in LA, which was a pretty scary experience, at 7pm (after sunset). The Kawada Hotel seems to be located in what is not necessarily the high-life of LA, so everything looked kinda broken down and there were lot's of homeless people everywhere. It still was a cool experience, in a way, after it was over, but still, I would recommend firing up Google Maps and maybe taking an Uber. The actual location of the Hotel was good though. Alright, after we had a beer or two and something to eat, we got some sleep and the next day arose. We meet in the Hotel Lobby with the Trip Manager and the Bus Driver (Markus) and the people of the trip, and luckily there were no introductory games of any sorts :D We headed out Venice Beach and Santa Monica Pier, which were kinda disappointing, as they felt rather dead. The sun didn't really come out that day, at least not in the hours we were there, but it was still really cool and a nice way to get to know all the people and ask for their names for the 4th time. After that we checked into the hotel, and headed out to the Walk of Fame, where everyone was allowed to do whatever they liked. Generally, on this trip it was a really nice mix between being guided but also having enough time to spend on your own. After the Walk Of Fame, I had a small incident with a certain plant that happened to be legal in California, so I sadly missed out on the evening and had to take the Amtrak to San Diego the next day - whoopsie. So yeah, I guess, don't do that, at least not after a couple of beers and still jet-lagged. In San Diego we stayed in the Days Inn, which was amazing, the weather was brilliant and on the second day we just had the day to ourselves. We head to the beach, enjoyed the waves and had the best sandwiches I ever had (Miss B's Coconut Club), and then head to Pacific Beach where we met up with all the people (before we were just in a small group of 5-6 or so). After a beautiful sunset, we were given the option between pizza at the pool and party at the beach. Next day, wheels rollin' for Phoenix. By the way, just gonna throw this in here. Even the bus driver was amazing. So if you book this trip, and your trip manager is called James, and your bus driver Markus, you got the jackpot. Just the right mix between casual, professional and just a good buddy. You really can feel they just want you to have a great time, and even the long trips between destinations are never wasted. You always stop at something interesting, like a big Wal-Mart (probably less so exciting for US people), Seligman (Route 66) or in Sedona. Alright, arriving in Phoenix, we have a couple of hours for ourselves, and then just head out together into an included dinner, which was really cool, as it transitioned into the nightlife scene, which Phoenix is very well known for. And it did deliver. Some poor folks however have signed up for the Hot Air Balloon on the next day, which picked up the participants at 5am.. Luckily I forgot to sign up for it, but apparently it was amazing anyway. Sadly, that was all we got to see from Phoenix, which seems to be a very beautiful and interesting city - oh, and make sure to check out In n Out Burgers. We went there just after we arrived, and it was really a cool atmosphere and no comparison to McDonalds and BurgerKing. Those only exist on the West Coast (I have been told). Next stop: Grand Canyon. And boi, those people saying the scale doesn't come across in pictures were totally right. I probably had the best day on the whole trip on my second Grand Canyon day. The first night, we just went to a basic viewing point and 2 buddies and me went to see the moon rise, by accident, which actually turned out to be amazing. But yeah, on the second day, we had a helicopter ride over the grand canyon, and if you have the option on your trip, choose the 45min one over the 25min one. I took the longer one and it felt like 5 minutes of sheer awesomeness. After that, we had the day to ourselves and just took a bike ride along the rim, which turned out to be the perfect mix between getting around but also not dying in the sun. Make sure to pack some water! There are some spots along the track though where you can refill your bottles for free, though. In the evening, we all go together to watch the sunset over the rim, brought some snacks and drinks and had an amazing evening, followed up by some room parties that may have gotten slightly out of hand (shoutout @Bevan). Next Stop: Vegas! After watching "Hangover" on our way to Vegas, we finally arrive in Sin City! And I gotta say, I was super impressed. I was imagining vegas to be probably over-hyped and dirty or something, but it was just incredible. I don't want to tell too much here, but Vegas really is something special and I came away impressed. After two tiring days of Vegas, we head to Bass Lake / Yosemite (which apparently is pronounced djosemiti with stress on the "e"). We had super cool lodges there with an oven, two stories and awesome view on the lake, on which we had a boat tour at the second evening. On the first evening though we had an included pizza party with drinks around a campfire, which was not any less cool! On day 2 we also head out to the actual Yosemite national park, where the scenery was just mindblowing. Our last stop of the trip then was San Francisco, where I and also most of the other people booked an extra night to see the city (the tour actually is two merged tours, LA to the Bay and Wild Western (I think). So the Wild Western people had it included in their trip already, but not the LA to the Bay ones. James was super cool with it though and we basically continued as one group, we just had to book our hotel on our own if we were from the LA to the Bay). There we went to Pier 39 and took a catermaran cruise below the Golden Gate Bridge. After an included chinatown dinner, it sadly was time to say farewell. I am certain though to meet a lot of those amazing people again, so I got reasons to travel to Australia, the UK and New Zealand now :) So yeah, I hope you liked this "short summary" of the trip. If you are thinking whether you should do it, DO IT. #noregrets
LA to the Bay
My husband and I were originally going to drive this ourselves. We had seen a tour from another company with a similar itinerary and thought we might do it next year. On the spur of the moment I was looking online and encountered this Cosmos tour that was slightly shorter and cheaper than the other company. It fit into our schedule to do it this year so I went ahead and booked it. It surpassed our expectations and we had so much fun and met so many wonderful new friends from the US and abroad. The scenery speaks for itself but our tour guide Jeremy was so knowledgeable about the places we visited and it was so convenient to not have to drive ourselves and just sit back and enjoy the beautiful country we live in from a nice high motor coach. The driver, Chris was great and always made us feel safe. The coach was comfortable and clean and is an amazing way to see some of our beautiful natural wonders.
Highlights of the Canyonlands
What our customers ask about Coach / Bus Tours & Trips in Southwest USA
What are the key attractions covered on most bus tours in Southwest USA?
Southwest USA coach tours take travelers through the region's most notable national parks and cities. Visitors explore the depths of the Grand Canyon walk among the red rocks of Zion and see the distinctive hoodoos of Bryce Canyon. The journey includes time in vibrant cities like Las Vegas San Francisco and Los Angeles. Many tours stop at geological wonders such as Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend while providing opportunities to learn about Native American culture. A TourRadar review confirms the well-planned nature of these trips: "The whole tour was really great. All our destinations were amazing. The locations were perfectly chosen to see the best highlights of the Southwest."
What's the typical daily schedule like on a coach tour in Southwest USA?
Days begin between 8-9am with scenic drives broken up by stops at major attractions. Each destination gets about 2-3 hours of dedicated time. A typical day might include morning exploration at the Grand Canyon South Rim lunch in a nearby town and an afternoon adventure through Monument Valley. The schedule keeps a steady yet comfortable pace letting travelers make the most of each location. One TourRadar traveler shared about their Cosmos Western tour: "The daily schedule was very well organized with excellent timing at each stop to fully experience the magnificent landscapes and attractions while maintaining a comfortable pace." Most days wrap up at hotels between 5-7pm giving travelers time to relax and find dinner.
How much free time do I have to explore independently on a coach tour in Southwest USA?
Tours balance guided experiences with independent exploration offering 2-3 hours of free time at major stops. This allows travelers to discover viewpoints and trails on their own terms after guided introductions. Popular destinations like Las Vegas and certain national parks often include full free afternoons. A TourRadar traveler's experience on their Cosmos tour highlights this balance: "The pacing was perfect - we had guided experiences but also plenty of time to explore places like Zion National Park and Sedona at our own pace. Our overnight stay at the Yavapai Lodge inside Grand Canyon gave us extra time to enjoy sunrise and sunset views."
How do bus tours in Southwest USA accommodate stops for sightseeing and relaxation?
The tours plan regular stops every 2-3 hours balancing sightseeing with comfort breaks. At places like Bryce Canyon and Zion visitors get 30-45 minutes at various viewpoints for photography and short walks. Lunch stops in towns like Page Arizona or Moab Utah typically last 60-90 minutes. A TourRadar traveler on their Cosmos tour noted: "Our driver and guide were excellent at timing bathroom breaks and photo stops perfectly while ensuring we never felt rushed at the major attractions. The stop at the Cameron Trading Post near the Grand Canyon was a perfect midday break with great local food options."
What unique scenic experiences can travelers enjoy from the comfort of a bus tour in Southwest USA?
Modern coaches provide elevated views through large panoramic windows perfect for watching the Southwest's diverse landscapes unfold. Passengers see everything from Monument Valley's iconic buttes to the painted deserts near Cameron Trading Post. The buses access scenic routes like Oak Creek Canyon Road between Sedona and Flagstaff. A TourRadar traveler from their Cosmos Western Wonders tour shared: "The high vantage point of the coach gave us incredible views across the desert landscapes. Our guide provided fascinating commentary about geological formations and history while we drove through places like Red Rock Canyon and along the Virgin River Gorge."
What are the biggest time-saving advantages of traveling via coach tours in Southwest USA?
Tours streamline the travel experience by managing park entries accommodation bookings and transportation logistics. Guides help visitors avoid peak crowds while sharing insights about each location. The itineraries connect major sites across California Nevada Utah and Arizona in an efficient way that would be hard to replicate independently. According to a TourRadar traveler: "Led by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable CEO we met an awesome crowd of people from all over the world and saw some incredible sites from bustling cities to picturesque national parks."