Ultimate 3 Month USA Road Trip Itinerary

Last Updated on 13th September 2023

This post about the ultimate 3 month USA road trip itinerary contains affiliate links.

Ultimate 3 Month USA Road Trip Itinerary - New York To California

Our 3 month USA road trip from New York to California was nothing short of amazing and even now, I’m still processing all the incredible things we saw, did and ate during our time in the United States.

After spending an amazing month in New York City over Christmas and New Year, I couldn’t imagine how our trip could get any better, but it really did just seem to get more and more awesome as we made our way across the vast country.

We spent the full 90 days of our allotted time in the USA (British citizens are entitled to a 90-day visa-free stay in the US with a valid ESTA) and every single moment is something I’ll cherish forever.

A cross-country American road trip is something I’d always dreamed of, but I assumed it would be something I’d do when I was more “grown-up”.

However, after the shambles of the last two years that the Covid pandemic caused, Matt and I were determined to get back out into the world again and start our dream life of full-time travelling and there was really no better place to begin again than the gargantuan United States of America.

✈️ COME TRAVEL WITH ME IN 2023/2024 ✈️

If you’ve been wanting to experience a bucket list trip, now is your chance to do it as I’m looking to host my very own group travel trips! 🤯

If you’re interested in joining, or just learning more about these trips, PLEASE fill this survey out to help me choose the destination, the dates, the activities and the cost! It only takes 2 minutes and it shows me where you might want to travel to! 👀

Top tours and attractions to experience on a 3 month USA road trip

We spent 3 months travelling across 18 states (however, we only spent some proper time in 15 states) via plane, train, bus, car and bicycle all the way from New York City to San Francisco in California. We used various modes of transport during our trip which was such a cool experience and instead of just driving the entire way across the country, it meant that we experienced numerous different ways of travelling across America.

I’m still struggling to process the fact that we’ve ticked off this incredibly huge bucket list experience (although there are definitely still many states that I’d like to visit!), but I’ve attempted to document our remarkable trip below in the form of my ultimate 3 month USA road trip itinerary.

In my guide, I’ve covered the exact route we used for our 3-month road trip USA itinerary, all the different modes of transport we used, where we stayed and a brief list of the top things to see and do in each place.

It’s an absolutely mammoth post, so I hope you’re ready to start planning your epic 3-month road trip across the USA!

I want to preface this epic 3-month USA road trip guide by really enforcing the fact that this was our route, so it’s very tailored to our personal experiences and preferences. For example, I don’t expect you guys to spend a month in New York City or a week in Richmond, Virginia as those were very unique experiences as part of our USA road trip. I do, however, hope that you can take a lot of inspiration from our road trip across America and I really hope that it helps you to plan your own epic cross-country USA trip!

Map of our 3 Month USA Road Trip

As you can see from the map above, we didn’t drive the entire way across America; we took several buses, trains and planes before we eventually hired a car in Dallas, Texas. I’m going to be writing an entirely separate post all about the driving part of our USA road trip, so that will be helpful for you if you only want to drive across America or if you only want to take a route from Texas to California.

We didn’t hire a car straight away in America as we weren’t sure if we even wanted to at all. I was very worried about driving in America, plus the cost of a hire car and gas prices put me off at first. However, it turned out to be the very best decision for the rest of our American road trip and I’m so glad we hired one in Dallas.

The first part of our trip was 1 month in New York City, so we didn’t use any modes of transport there apart from the subway. After that, we took multiple trains and buses from NYC to Washington, Richmond, Charleston, Savannah, Orlando and Miami and then we flew to New Orleans where we took a few more buses until we finally got to Dallas where we hired our car.

Below, I’ve included all the details of our 3-month American road trip itinerary, so I hope it helps you to plan your own amazing journey across the USA!

3-month road trip USA itinerary summary

New York
Washington D.C.
Richmond
Charleston
Savannah
Orlando
Miami
New Orleans
Austin
Dallas
Roswell
Albuquerque
Santa Fe
Colorado Springs
Denver
Glenwood Springs
Arches National Park
Dead Horse Point State Park
Bryce Canyon National Park
Zion National Park
Grand Canyon National Park
Flagstaff
Las Vegas
Joshua Tree
San Diego
Los Angeles
Kings Canyon National Park
Yosemite National Park
San Francisco

Day 1-31 of our 3 Month USA Road Trip – New York City

We started our epic 3-month road trip across the USA with a one-month stay in New York City. It’s been my dream to live in New York ever since I can remember so making it a reality, even if it was just for one month, was quite literally one of my biggest dreams come true.

Naturally, I don’t imagine that many of you guys will start your American trip by spending a month in NYC, but if you do decide to, I’ve covered everything you need to know about living in New York for one month in this post.

Where to stay in NYC

We lived in an apartment for the one month that we stayed in NYC, but I have also stayed in numerous hotels on my previous visits to New York.

My favourite hotels in New York City include:

Top things to do in NYC:

Go to SUMMIT One Vanderbilt
Enjoy drinks on the rooftop at 230 Fifth
Visit the Top of the Rock at sunset
Take a self-guided walking pizza tour
Hang out in Central Park

Check out my New York content here.

Days 31-33 – Washington D.C.

The National Mall - two days in Washington D.C.

After one month in New York, we got a bus to Washington D.C. for two nights. I’d been to D.C. twice before, so I’d already seen and done many things in the city, but it was Matt’s first time in the United States’ capital, so it was fun to explore the city with him.

Two or three days in Washington D.C. is more than enough time to see and do as many things as possible and while it’s not my favourite city in the US (it actually was before this trip, though!), I’d still recommend adding it to your USA road trip itinerary as there are some great cultural experiences to be enjoyed there.

Where to stay in D.C.

We stayed at the Motto by Hilton Washington DC City Center which was a great place to base ourselves while in D.C. It’s just a stone’s throw from the Capital One Arena and as it’s located in Chinatown, there are plenty of great places to eat around the hotel.

Top things to do in Washington D.C.

See the Lincoln Memorial
Walk the National Mall
Visit the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
See the National World War II Memorial
Check out the Thomas Jefferson Memorial

Here’s more of my Washington D.C. content!

Days 33-41 – Richmond, Virginia

We spent eight days in Richmond, Virginia, which as I said above, I wouldn’t expect you to add it to your USA road trip itinerary as it’s not your typical tourist city. However, my aunty, uncle and two cousins live in Richmond so we decided to head there for just over a week to spend some quality time with them.

I don’t get to see them very often so it was so incredibly lovely to spend that time with them as part of our road trip across America. If you do decide to go to Richmond, I’ve included a few ideas of the best things to do below.

Top things to do in Richmond

See the Virginia State Capitol
Visit the American Civil War Museum
Go to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Stroll through the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
Take a day trip to Kings Dominion

Days 41-44 – Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston wasn’t originally on our road trip itinerary from New York to California, but after hearing so many incredible things about it and after seeing that it was voted as the best city in America by Travel+Leisure, we decided to visit and I’m so glad we did!

It’s such a beautifully charming city with plenty of stunning architecture and lots of fascinating history, which can’t actually be said about an awful lot of US cities. If Charleston isn’t on your USA road trip bucket list, add it now!

Where to stay in Charleston

Our hotel in Charleston, Wingate by Wyndham Charleston Airport Colesium, was actually one of my favourite places that we stayed during our entire trip across America and even though it wasn’t in the best location for exploring Downtown Charleston, the room was huge and the bed was so comfy and it was just a really lovely place to stay.

Top things to do in Charleston

Take a tour of Magnolia Plantation
Go on a tour of Boone Hall
Admire St Matthew’s Lutheran Church
Wander around The Battery
Visit Charleston City Market

Read my ultimate guide to Charleston here.

Days 44-46 – Savannah, Georgia – 3 Month USA Road Trip

Savannah is another city that took me by surprise and it’s another great spot to visit on a trip across America. There aren’t tonnes of things to do in Savannah, so a day or two should be enough time to explore the city and check out some of the fun hotspots.

Where to stay in Savannah

We stayed at Days Inn by Savannah Airport for two nights and even though it wasn’t my favourite hotel, it gave us the chance to explore the awesome city of Savannah for a few days and it was one of the cheapest accommodation options in the city.

Top things to do in Savannah

Stroll through Forsyth Park
Spend an afternoon at Pour Larry’s Bar
Admire the beautiful Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist
Eat a delicious breakfast at Clary’s Cafe
Check out the River Street Market Place

Days 46-51 – Orlando, Florida

The best rides and attractions at Universal Studios

I never expected to visit any theme parks in Orlando, Florida on our road trip as I always assumed that you need to go on a huge two-week holiday there, but I was so happy that we carved out four days in our road trip schedule to visit Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.

Where to stay in Orlando

Where to stay at Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure

The hotel we stayed at in Orlando, Quality Inn at International Drive, was another one of my favourite hotels from our trip. While it’s not exactly anything special, our room was huge, it had a pretty sizeable pool and it was just 10 minutes from Universal Studios!

Top things to do in Orlando

Visit Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure Orlando
Go to Disney World
Ride the Orlando Starflyer
Spend a day at SeaWorld Orlando
Visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal

Days 51-54 – Miami, Florida

Check out the views from South Pointe Park Pier - Miami travel guide for first-time visitors

Miami, Florida turned out to be one of my favourite cities in America and despite the fact that I’m not normally the biggest fan of the heat, especially when it comes to city life, I truly fell in love with Miami.

The beaches here are as good as everyone says they are, the food is awesome and the whole area of South Beach and the Downtown metropolis area are so much fun.

Where to stay in Miami

Our hotel in Miami, SoBeNY The Variety, was by far the most expensive place we stayed during our coast to coast American road trip, yet it was also one of my least favourite places that we stayed during our trip. It’s a hotel that clearly used to be a hostel and while the rooms were nice enough and the location was pretty great, it was just far too expensive for what it actually is in my opinion.

Top things to do in Miami

Explore South Beach
Ride bikes across to Downtown Miami from South Beach
Get a Fat Tuesdays frozen cocktail
Check out the Art Deco District
Party on Ocean Drive

Check out my ultimate guide to Miami, Florida here.

Days 54-57 – New Orleans, Louisiana

From Miami, we decided to fly to New Orleans as there were very few places in between Miami and NOLA that we wanted to see, so it made the most sense for us to fly.

Unfortunately, if there’s one major place that we visited on our American road trip that I wouldn’t personally recommend, it would have to be New Orleans.

I was so disappointed to discover that I didn’t enjoy New Orleans very much, especially after hearing nothing but rave reviews from literally everyone I knew who had been, but it just didn’t do it for me.

However, I would never tell you not to go to a place as I’m a firm believer in encouraging people to visit new places and see what they think for themselves, but I wanted to give my honest opinion and say that I just didn’t love it as much as I expected to.

Where to stay in New Orleans

We stayed at Balcony Guest House in New Orleans which was a very adorable place to stay. It’s a guest house that very much feels like someone’s home and while we never actually met the hosts of the house, it felt very welcoming and it’s located in a nice neighbourhood of NOLA.

Top things to do in New Orleans

Eat a scrumptious beignet from Café du Monde
Go drinking down Bourbon Street
Explore New Orleans City Park
Admire the beautiful houses and buildings in the French Quarter
Check out Jackson Square

Days 57-61 – Austin, Texas – 3 Month USA Road Trip

Austin, on the other hand, was a city in the US that I really loved. While I didn’t think that there were tonnes of things to do there, Austin has one of the best nightlife scenes I’ve experienced in any major city around the world and it just has a very nice feel to it.

Where to stay in Austin

We stayed at Days Inn by Wyndham Austin/University/Downtown which was a nice enough motel but it wasn’t in the best location if you haven’t got a car (we didn’t at this stage), so the walk into the main part of the city was around an hour or so. It was a nice enough walk though, and it takes you through the university campus which is brilliant, so I wouldn’t actually mind staying there again, it would just probably be more convenient if you have a car.

Top things to do in Austin

Wander around the university campus
Eat some barbecue (Black’s Barbecue)
Check out the cool food trucks on Rainey Street
Have a stroll through Waller Beach at Town Lake Metropolitan Park
Spend an evening drinking and dancing on 6th Street

Dys 61-64 – Dallas, Texas

We mainly headed to Dallas to see one of my very good friends who’s originally from Doncaster (like me!) but has lived in the US for the last three years. It was so wonderful to see her and her beautiful one-year-old daughter and she made our time in the city very enjoyable.

We didn’t do loads of things while we were in Dallas and I definitely don’t think you need to spend four days there, but it’s a good place for a pit stop on a US road trip.

We also picked up a hire car in Dallas for the remainder of our road trip, so this is where the trip really gets interesting as we started to stay in a different town/city/state almost every night!

Where to stay in Dallas

We spent four nights in Dallas which you definitely don’t need to do, but we spent two of those with a friend of mine and two of them working. We stayed at the Comfort Inn & Suites Love Field – Dallas Market Center which was actually a pretty nice hotel. The location isn’t the best, but Dallas is so incredibly big that you really do need a car to get around the city (which is why we picked up a hire car here!).

Top things to do in Dallas

Visit the Fort Worth Stockyards
Watch the sunset over the city from the Ronald Kirk Bridge
Go to The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden
Check out The Sixth Floor Museum
Head to the top of the Reunion Tower

Days 64-65 – Roswell, New Mexico

On our first full day with our hire car, we made the 7+ hour drive from Dallas, Texas to Roswell, New Mexico. It felt so amazing to have our own vehicle to explore the country and even though I was incredibly nervous about hiring a car in America as I was scared that the roads would be too big and scary, I am beyond grateful that we did as it made the whole trip so much better and easier.

We really only wanted to visit Roswell because of all the alien connotations and the International UFO Museum was a great place to learn more about the history of the ‘Roswell Incident’, so if you’re into that kind of thing, definitely add Roswell to your American road trip bucket list.

Where to stay in Roswell

We only spent one night in Roswell and we stayed at the Days Inn by Wyndham Roswell (can you sense a theme of motels here?!) and it was a great place to stay for one night. The breakfast here was also one of the best we experienced out of all the free motel breakfasts on our trip which was a warm welcome as most of them were pretty terrible!

Top things to do in Roswell

Go to the International UFO Museum
Check out the alien-themed McDonald’s
Visit the Roswell Museum
Wander through the town and check out all the alien and space-themed memorabilia
Explore the Roswell Historic District

Days 65-66 – Albuquerque, New Mexico

The following day we left Roswell and made our way toward Albuquerque with a stop at White Sands National Park first. This was the first official national park of our road trip and it was a great way to officially begin seeing incredibly cool stuff while driving through the many terrains in America.

Albuquerque itself was also a nice enough place to visit and while I wouldn’t necessarily be in a rush to visit again anytime soon, it was a logical place to spend the night between visiting different national parks.

Where to stay in Albuquerque

We stayed at the GreenTree Inn Albuquerque North I-25 and while the staff here weren’t the friendliest, there are on-site laundry facilities and free breakfast, so it was a good enough place to spend the night on our road trip.

Top things to do in Albuquerque

Ride the Sandia Peak Tramway
Wander around the adorable Old Town and Plaza
Visit the Albuquerque Museum
Check out the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
Admire the beautiful San Felipe de Neri Church

Days 66-67 – Santa Fe, New Mexico – 3 Month USA Road Trip

After Albuquerque, we drove to Santa Fe and even though there isn’t loads to do there, it made sense for us to spend the night there so that we were in a good location to head to the Great Sand Dunes the following morning.

Where to stay in Santa Fe

The place we stayed in Santa Fe, Motel 6 Santa Fe, was one of my least favourite places that we stayed during our entire road trip. It was also one of the cheapest places we stayed, but Motel 6 are probably one of the least desirable motel chains in America as they just feel super seedy and dodgy and there are always weird people hanging around. I’d recommend splashing out even just $10 more a night and staying somewhere slightly nicer.

Top things to do in Santa Fe

Check out the Santa Fe Original Route 66 signs
Wander around Santa Fe Plaza
Visit the New Mexico Museum of Art
Go to the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA)
See the Palace of the Governors

Days 67-68 – Colorado Springs, Colorado

The next morning we ventured to the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve which was such an incredibly cool place to visit. I also just want to note that the way I’m writing these brief snippets makes it sound like everywhere is really close together, when in fact, it’s the total opposite!

We did almost 100 hours of driving just on our self-drive itinerary from Texas to California, and that’s without all the places we visited before we got to Dallas, so be prepared for an awful lot of driving if that’s the mode of transport you choose to travel across America!

After the Sand Dunes, we drove to Colorado Springs, which was our first stop in Colorado and even though we only spent one night there, it was a lovely little place to spend time on our road trip.

The drive from Santa Fe to Colorado Springs was around 5 hours, so we didn’t really do very much in the evening when we arrived apart from eating at Olive Garden and hanging out in the common room/kitchen of our hostel!

Where to stay in Colorado Springs

We stayed at the ColoRADo Adventure Hostel while in Colorado Springs and it was such a cool and fun place to stay; I kind of wished we could have stayed there longer! We met some really cool and interesting people at the hostel and there’s the cutest little hostel dog which is so funny and adorable!

Top things to do in Colorado Springs

Take a trip to the Garden of the Gods
Check out Pikes Peak
Head to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
Visit the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum
Stroll around Prospect Lake

Days 68-69 – Denver, Colorado

Once we’d had breakfast at the hostel in Colorado Springs, we were on our way again, this time to the nearby Garden of the Gods Park, just outside of Colorado Springs.

This place is absolutely awesome and definitely somewhere to add to your USA road trip itinerary. It’s free to visit and the rock formations throughout the park are absolutely incredible.

Visit Denver Colorado 3 month USA road trip

We then headed to Denver for the afternoon/night where we explored the Downtown area before heading back to our hotel and having a McDonald’s for dinner as it was starting to get ridiculously cold and we couldn’t be bothered finding anywhere proper to eat!

This is where the weather really started to get freezing cold for the next few days of our road trip!

Where to stay in Denver

The hotel we stayed at in Denver, La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Denver Gateway Park, was another one of the nicer places we stayed during our road trip across America. Again, it wasn’t anything flashy or fancy, but it just felt much smarter and cleaner than many of the other places we stayed and it was in a nice enough part of the city.

Top things to do in Denver

Take a trip to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge
Explore Downtown Denver
Spend an afternoon at Denver Zoo
See the beautiful Denver Botanic Gardens
Check out the Colorado State Capitol

Days 69-70 – Glenwood Springs, Colorado

Our morning started with a drive around the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge in Denver before driving through Glenwood Springs to Aspen where we spent a few hours frolicking in the snow and checking out the awesome mountains (there was a lot of snow and it was unfathomably cold!), before driving back to Glenwood Springs again to spend the night.

It might seem silly to drive through Glenwood to Aspen and then come all the way back again and we did originally intend to spend the night in Aspen, but the hotels were a minimum of $600 a night because it was peak ski season and we couldn’t justify spending that much money just for one night!

Glenwood Springs was a great place to stay, however, and I’m still glad we made the little detour to go to Aspen as it’s such a cool little place and I’d definitely love to head back there again one day for ski season (if I ever actually learn to ski, that is!).

Where to stay in Glenwood Springs

The place where we stayed in Glenwood Springs was perhaps one of the most beautiful in terms of the surrounding views as we woke up to many inches of snow and gorgeous snowy mountains all around us at Silver Spruce Inn. This was a wonderful place to stay and Glenwood Springs was a surprisingly lovely little town.

Top things to do in Glenwood Springs

Visit the Glenwood Hot Springs Pool
Eat at Glenwood Canyon Brewpub
Spend the day at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park
Relax at the Iron Mountain Hot Springs
Explore Glenwood Canyon

Days 70-71 – Moab, Utah – 3 Month USA Road Trip

The next day we woke up and made our way over the border into Utah which marked our 12th state of the trip!

Utah welcomed us with crazy amounts of snow and some of the most glorious scenery I’ve ever seen. Spoiler alert; Utah is probably my favourite state in the USA!

The first place we visited in Utah was Arches National Park, just a short 10-minute drive from where we spent the night in Moab. Arches National Park is undoubtedly one of my favourite places of our entire three-month cross-USA road trip and I really must insist that you add it to your itinerary because it’s such a ridiculously beautiful and amazing place!

Where to stay in Moab

The Inca Inn in Moab was a fine place for us to base ourselves once we arrived in Utah. We spent the night there after visiting Arches National Park and while it wasn’t my favourite place we stayed as the room wasn’t the cleanest and the shower fluctuated so much in pressure and heat, it was still an OK place to spend the night for a very cheap price.

Top things to do in Moab

Spend the day in Arches National Park
Explore the Potash Road Dinosaur Tracks and Petroglyphs
Check out the Sand Flats Recreation Area
Take a trip to Dead Horse Point State Park
Visit the Moab Museum

Days 71-72 – Panguitch, Utah

We started day 71 of our bucket list road trip across the USA by heading to Dead Horse Point State Park which is a place that easily rivals the Grand Canyon. This place was recommended to me by my very good friend and fellow travel blogger, Nele, and I am so glad we followed her advice because this place is absolutely freaking awesome!

Afterwards, we drove four hours across Utah to a tiny little town called Panguitch so that we were set up for the next day to head into Bryce Canyon National Park.

Where to stay in Panguitch

We stayed at the Color Country Motel in Panguitch and while the motel itself was a nice enough place to stay, there’s absolutely nothing in the town at all, so we actually struggled for something to eat when we arrived fairly late at night (we ended up eating at Subway at the gas station on the drive into the town!).

Days 72-73 – Big Water, Utah

The following day, we checked out of the motel in Panguitch and drove half an hour to Bryce Canyon National Park, which is another one of my trip highlights from our time in America.

This place is beyond beautiful and as I’d only ever seen pictures of it in the summer months, I was so shocked to see it completely covered in snow; it looked so otherworldly and magical. Please add Bryce Canyon NP to your USA road trip itinerary!

Zion National Park 3 month USA road trip

After Bryce, we drove approximately an hour and a half to our second national park of the day; Zion. This national park also needs to be on your USA bucket list and while I personally think that Bryce Canyon just trumps the top spot for me, Matt said he preferred Zion National Park, so you’ll have to visit both yourself and let us know which one you prefer ;). It’s a very tough call to make as they’re both so awesome and I’d highly recommend trying to add both to your road trip itinerary across America.

That evening, we drove to a little town called Big Water where we spent the night before heading into Arizona the following day.

Where to stay in Big Water

We stayed at Rodeway Inn & Suites Big Water – Antelope Canyon which is basically a motel on a ranch in the middle of nowhere and while there isn’t really anything to do in Big Water at all, it was an ideal spot for us to stay the night as we made our way into Arizona as it’s right next to the Utah/Arizona state border. This motel is also so lovely and homely, it has on-site laundry facilities and it was the cheapest place we stayed during our entire trip!

Days 73-74 – Flagstaff, Arizona

We were technically only in Arizona for 24 hours, but we managed to see and do quite a lot during that short window of time!

Firstly, once we’d driven over the border between Utah and Arizona, we went to Horseshoe Bend which wasn’t actually quite as cool as I thought it would be. It’s definitely an awesome feat of nature and I’d still recommend visiting, but the water didn’t look as nice as I’d seen in pictures online, but I think that’s because it hadn’t rained very much.

After Horseshoe Bend, we drove into the Grand Canyon National Park which was obviously another incredible highlight of our 3-month USA trip. I couldn’t get over just how big it is (did you know that it’s bigger than the state of Delaware?!) and I honestly think you could spend an entire week there and still not cover it all!

Unfortunately, we only spent a few hours at the Grand Canyon but this gave us time to embark on a few walks to various viewpoints so that we could see this remarkable natural landscape from a few different angles.

That evening, we drove to a place called Flagstaff which is actually a much bigger place than I first thought. We headed to the Lowell Observatory where we looked through several telescopes and learned plenty of awesome things about space. If you’re a bit of a space nerd, you’re sure to enjoy the Lowell Observatory, so if you pass through Flagstaff while you’re near the Grand Canyon, I think it’s worth making the stop to visit the observatory.

Where to stay in Flagstaff

The Travellers Inn in Flagstaff was definitely one of the worst places we stayed during our road trip across the USA. Even though it gets fairly respectable reviews on Booking.com, we really didn’t enjoy staying here; the staff took 15 minutes to come to the front door of the motel lobby when we rang the buzzer (even though there’s supposed to be a 24-hour front desk service), the room was really dirty and the shower was so filthy that we didn’t actually use it because it was so gross. I definitely wouldn’t recommend this place in Flagstaff, but there are numerous other hotels/motels in the city that would probably be much better; we only stayed here because it was by far the cheapest.

Top things to do in Flagstaff

Spend an evening at Lowell Observatory
Check out the North Pole Experience
Look out for the Route 66 signs

Days 74-77 – Las Vegas, Nevada – 3 Month USA Road Trip

Once we’d woken up from a not-so-great night’s sleep due to the pretty shoddy motel in Flagstaff, we made the four-hour journey to Las Vegas!

We were in Las Vegas for Matt’s 24th birthday which was such a ridiculously cool place to enjoy his birthday celebrations. We had so much fun exploring all the crazy cool hotels, gambling (and inevitably losing!) money in the casinos and eating some truly remarkable food.

I totally get that Vegas isn’t for everyone, but I do think it’s a place you should try and experience while on an American road trip, even if it’s just for one day so that you can get a feel for what this crazy city is like!

Where to stay in Las Vegas

We spent three nights at the SAHARA Hotel in Vegas and this was undoubtedly the nicest place we stayed on our 3-month road trip across America. Our room was absolutely beautiful, so clean and modern, and the only negative review I have to say about it is that the shower curtain didn’t go right down to the floor so the bathroom floor got soaking wet any time the shower was used.

Apart from that, the hotel is beautiful and it’s right at the top of the Strip so you get to enjoy walking all the way down to see every hotel and casino along the iconic Strip in Vegas.

Top things to do in Las Vegas

Watch the Bellagio Fountain show
Eat at Stripsteak in Mandalay Bay
Explore the spectacular Venetian Hotel
Go to the top of the Stratosphere observation deck
Check out the New York New York hotel and rollercoaster

Days 77-78 – Yucca Valley/Joshua Tree, California

After our three days in Vegas were up, we made our way into the fifteenth and final state of our American road trip; California!

Our first stop was Joshua Tree National Park where we embarked on a few hikes on some relatively short trails in the park (such as Arch Rock and Heart Rock) and even though we didn’t spend a tonne of time there, it was still so great to see and it’s yet another spot that I’d highly recommend adding to your USA itinerary for a 3-month trip.

We actually spent the night in Yucca Valley which is just on the outskirts of Joshua Tree National Park.

Where to stay in Joshua Tree

We stayed at Super 8 by Wyndham Yucca Val/Joshua Tree Nat Pk Area for one night once we arrived in California and while it wasn’t exactly the fanciest hotel we stayed in, it was more than nice enough and did the job for the night.

Top things to do in Joshua Tree National Park

Do the Arch Rock trail
Walk to see Heart Rock
Check out Keys View scenic point
Hike to the Skull Rock viewpoint
Go on a short walk on the Hidden Valley Nature Trail

Days 78-80 – San Diego, California

We’d heard mixed things about San Diego and while I personally really liked the city, I didn’t quite love it as much as New York, Miami or San Francisco, for example.

It is a really lovely city, however, with a lot of things to see and do and Balboa Park and the Gaslamp Quarter, in particular, are great places to hang out. While you’re in San Diego, be sure to get a burger from Hodad’s Downtown; it might not look like much, but Matt claims it’s the best burger he’s ever had (and he’s had a lot of burgers!).

Where to stay in San Diego

The Baymont by Wyndham San Diego Downtown where we stayed in the city was a great place to base ourselves as it’s in such a great location for exploring many of the city’s top sights and attractions. There was also free breakfast included and as we got a free room upgrade thanks to our Genius Level 3 status on Booking.com, we were given a room with two double beds. The only qualm I had about this hotel is that the people in the room next to us were ridiculously noisy all night until I called reception at around 4am and then they swiftly fixed the issue, so the staff were great. There’s also on-site parking, although it costs around $20 a day which is unusual for motels/hotels to charge for parking in the US.

Top things to do in San Diego

Eat the best burgers (Matt’s words!) from Hodad’s Downtown
Spend an afternoon in Balboa Park
Take a trip to Mission Beach
Eat and drink in the Gaslamp Quarter
Watch a college baseball game

Days 80-84 – Los Angeles, California

After our two nights in San Diego, we made the three-hour drive to Los Angeles which is a city that had been sitting firmly at the top of my to-visit list for many years.

We spent four nights in LA which I think is about the right amount of time that you need to spend in the city. I honestly didn’t realise just how huge Los Angeles is until we got there and started planning an itinerary of things to see and do and while it is possible to get around without a car, I promise it’ll make your life 100 times easier if you have your own vehicle as everything is so vast and spread out and public transport is pretty poor in the city.

We had an awesome few days in LA, exploring the Downtown area and visiting some of the city’s top beaches such as Santa Monica and Venice Beach and we also had a wonderful experience watching a magical sunset from the Griffith Observatory.

Where to stay in LA

Los Angeles is such a huge city that it was difficult to decide where to stay. In the end, we settled for Park Cienega Motel which I was a bit apprehensive about when we first arrived as it looked a bit odd, but it was in fact a really lovely place to stay in LA. It’s not really within walking distance to anything, however, so you will have to be prepared to drive in this crazy city!

Top things to do in LA

Spend the afternoon in Santa Monica
Check out Venice Beach and the Venice Canals
Visit the Griffith Observatory at sunset
See the Hollywood Sign
Go shopping on Rodeo Drive

Days 84-85 – Porterville, California – 3 Month USA Road Trip

After Los Angeles, we drove to Porterville, which is approximately a 3 hours drive north of LA. While we didn’t see or do anything in Porterville itself (largely because there aren’t many things to do there), we decided to stay here so that we would be close to the Sequoia National Park for a trip the following day.

The only thing we did when we arrived in Porterville was head out into the little town to a restaurant called The Vault Bar & Grill for something to eat. From checking various Google reviews, it seemed that Porterville has many highly-rated places to eat, so if you do happen to spend a night there, at least you know that you’ll be well-fed!

Where to stay in Porterville

America’s Best Value Inn Porterville was a very pleasant place to stay for the night in Porterville. Like many of the places we stayed on our cross-country American road trip, it wasn’t anything flash or fancy, but it did the job of letting us rest for the night without any complaints!

Days 85-86 – Mariposa, California

Once we’d left Porterville the following morning, we made our way to Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park where we saw the giant Sequoia trees. This place wasn’t my number one favourite national park (although it is hard to pick an absolute favourite as we visited so many incredible places), but it was still remarkable to see the giant trees, particularly the General Grant Tree which is so cool to see!

When we left the national park, we drove two and a half hours to our next hotel in a tiny town called Mariposa. We decided it was worth driving that far on this day so that we would be as close as possible to go to Yosemite National Park the following day.

Where to stay in Mariposa

Mariposa was the most adorable little town that I really wished we’d have spent more time in. We stayed at 5th Street Inn which was such a beautiful guest house with the loveliest rooms and the comfiest bed!

Days 86-87 – Merced, California

Yosemite National Park 3 month USA road trip

Yosemite is undoubtedly one of the most iconic national parks in the United States and in my opinion, perhaps the number one best national park in the whole country!

It’s a place I’d wanted to visit for so many years and I’m so happy that it not only lived up to my expectations, but it also far exceeded them! Despite several of the trails and roads being closed due to winter weather conditions, we still managed to enjoy plenty of the awesome things that Yosemite has to offer, including the iconic Dawn Wall (El Capitan), Tunnel View, Half Dome, Bridalveil Falls, Upper Yosemite Falls and Lower Yosemite Falls.

Yosemite National Park simply has to be on your 3 month USA road trip itinerary!

Where to stay in Merced

After a busy day of exploring Yosemite National Park, we stayed at Days Inn Merced/Yosemite Area as it was a logical place for us to spend the night after a busy day in the national park before we headed to San Francisco. It was a nice hotel with a pretty decent free breakfast and even though the surrounding area isn’t the nicest, it was a perfectly acceptable place for a rest stop on our road trip.

Days 87-90 – San Francisco, California – 3 Month USA Road Trip

Greetings from San Francisco mural and Umbrella Alley

Best views of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco:

The following morning, we drove the two and a half hours to San Francisco where we spent the last three days of our American road trip.

I absolutely adored San Francisco and it’s probably my second favourite city in the US (after New York). There’s so much to see and do there with plenty of great restaurants and it just has such a great vibe to it. I was a bit worried that we wouldn’t enjoy it as we’d heard very mixed reviews about it, but San Francisco completely exceeded all my expectations and it was such a brilliant place to conclude our epic 3 month trip across America!

Where to stay in San Francisco

Alpha Inn & Suites was the last place we stayed as part of our 3-month trip across America and we spent three nights there. It’s located in a pretty good location to many of the city’s top sights such as the Golden Gate Bridge and Lombard Street and the bar and restaurant scene in the surrounding area is brilliant.

Top things to do in San Francisco

Take a tour of Alcatraz Island
Check out the viewpoints of the Golden Gate Bridge
Eat at Super Duper Burger
Explore Fisherman’s Wharf and the sea lions on Pier 39
Play retro arcade games at Musée Mécanique

3 month USA road trip itinerary and travel guide

Writing this blog post has been such a good way for me to reminisce on our incredible time in America and I really hope it helps you to plan your own awesome USA road trip itinerary!

Related posts:

Pin for later – 3 month USA road trip

Do you have any of these places on your 3 month USA road trip itinerary? Would you like to add anywhere else to your trip? Let me know in the comments or on Instagram at @imjustagirl_16.

Ultimate 3 Month USA Road Trip Itinerary – New York To California