The Perfect 3-Day Southern Utah Road Trip Itinerary from Las Vegas
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Southern Utah Road Trip from Las Vegas featuring Kanab
Solo travel means being able to build the exact trip you want — so when I had three days to spare, I mapped out a loop through Southern Utah starting and ending in Las Vegas, with Kanab as home base. This itinerary hits red rock state parks, slot canyons, a UTV tour, a winery, and one of the most photographed roadside attractions in Nevada, all without needing more than a rental car and a full tank of gas.
If you’re short on time but still want to see why Kanab is quietly becoming one of the best basecamps for exploring Southern Utah, this is the itinerary I’d hand my past self. Below is exactly how I spent my three days, plus a few things I wish I’d known before I left.
Tips for a Solo 3 Day Southern Utah Road Trip from Las Vegas
- Make sure your playlist is downloaded because you will not have service in certain parts
- Download offline Google Maps for when you lose service
- Restaurants close earlier than you think; make sure to check both closing and opening times.
- Book tours early!
- Bring an adapter for your rental car; Multiple cars that Enterprise had did not have the USB-C port.
3 Day Southern Utah Road Trip Day 1: Arrive in Vegas and Drive to Kanab
To get the most out of your 3 Day Adventure, make sure to fly into Las Vegas as early as possible. Las Vegas is the closest major airport to Kanab.
Once you finish with baggage claim, head to the shuttle to the rental car center to get your rental car so you can get started on to Southern Utah. I rented a Mitsubishi Outlander Sport for $121.27 for 3 days!
Valley of Fire
The Valley of Fire is located about 75 minutes outside of Vegas and costs $15 if you are not a Nevada Resident or $10 if you are a Nevada Resident to enter.
Please note: It is not a national park, so you cannot use the national park pass here.
From May 15 to September 30, some trails are closed to prevent heat-related medical emergencies and rescues.
So if you are interested in the Fire Wave, Seven Wonders Loop, White domes loop, and more, you will want to plan your trip to avoid this time.
As you are driving around the state park, you may run into rams and other animals, so make sure to provide space for them.
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I spent about an hour here driving around and exploring different areas before leaving to continue on my southern Utah road trip.
Lunch
I drove for about two hours and decided to stop for Mexican at Las Lupitas in Hurricane, Utah. I ordered Jamaica and Grilled Chicken tacos, but was exhausted and barely ate all of it. I took it to go just in case I wanted to eat it once I got to Kanab.
As a Black woman traveling solo, I did notice a few stares while I was in Hurricane — the only time that happened on the whole trip. It didn’t stop me from completing my errands, and it was really the only moment like that in three days.
If you are staying at a campsite and want to have s’mores, there is a Walmart not too far from Hurricane, Utah, that I stopped at to grab supplies.
The drive to the restaurant was so scenic. There were a few times that I had to pull over and admire the scenery during the drive.
This was my last stop before heading to Kanab, Utah, which took another 75 minutes.
Where to Stay in Kanab
For my first night in Kanab, I stayed at the White Camel.
There are only 3 domes at this campsite, and honestly, this was probably my best “camping” experience.
The white dome has a king-size bed in addition to a twin bed loft. There is also a bathroom and a kitchen inside.
In the back, there is a little patio, grill, and fire pit.
As the sun went down, I sat outside and roasted marshmallows until I was sleepy.
There is no TV, so bring any devices that you might need to catch up and reflect.
3 Day Southern Utah Road Trip: Day 2, Exploring Kanab
I woke up a little cold because I could not figure out how to turn off the vents, and once I finally did, I turned on the heat to get my day started.
Today is going to be full of adventure, so pack early and get ready to head out. Even though the weather started at about 60 degrees, it still felt really good outside, and I did not need a jacket.
Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park
So my first adventure for the day was about 35 minutes away from the glamping site. So keep that in mind when allocating your time.
I booked my tour for Sandboarding and Slot Canyons at Coral Pink Sands Dunes through Get Your Guide for $140 because I was solo and wanted to make sure I got to interact with other people.
The tour does not include entry to Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, which was $15, and on your route, you will lose service on parts of the route. They do take cards for the fee.
Since I was solo, I rode with the instructor, and we started off sandboarding for about an hour before heading to one of the slot canyons. This tour is done on UTVs and is family-friendly.
If you end up falling off your sandboard, the sand will end up everywhere. I am still finding sand everywhere 3 days later.
Lunch
After the tour ended, I headed to Rocking V Cafe for lunch. I had a burger, and it was so good! Rocking V Cafe is located back in Kanab, so it took about 30 minutes to get there, and my second tour was taking off from Moqui Cave, which is a few minutes away.
White Chamber and Peekaboo Slot Canyon Guided Tour
This is a 4-hour guided tour that includes hiking, a UTV ride, and a mini history lesson costing $180. The slot canyons you visit on this tour are completely different than the one you saw on the morning tour.
You drive everywhere on the UTV, and the first stop is White Chamber, where you park and hike for about 15 minutes. While this can be family-friendly, I’d make sure no one in your group is scared of heights before the climb up to White Chamber. It is a little slippery, and the guide did a great job of building in breaks for the group to catch their breath.
Afterward, you head to Peek-a-Boo Slot Canyon and learn more about the formation, how flash floods affect the area, and the different types of flowers and berries.
If you are going on this tour, buy the goggles! You are driving through sandy roads, and the sand is going to get everywhere.
Dinner
After checking into my new hotel and showering, I headed out to Wild Thyme for dinner, which was suggested by one of my guides, and it did not disappoint.
I got the salmon with a salad, and it was mouthwatering. They have indoor and outdoor seating, and the waitresses were very attentive.
Where to Stay in Kanab: Springhill Suites by Marriott Kanab
On my second night in Kanab, I stayed at Springhill Suites by Marriott Kanab. This hotel looks brand new and is very family-friendly. They include a continental breakfast in the morning and have both a hot tub and a pool outside. There is also a 24-hour fitness center.
Since the hotel is family-friendly, you might hear the pitter-patter of little kids in the mornings, so just keep that in mind when booking.
3 Day Southern Utah Road Trip Day 3: Kanab, Wineries, and Vegas
This final day covers a lot of ground and ends at the airport, but the stops built in give you good places to stretch your legs
Breakfast
While the Marriott does offer breakfast, I checked out Taro Coffee, which is only about a 2-minute drive from the Hotel.
I got their vanilla latte and an apple danish, and it was so good!
I would highly recommend checking out some of the local shops for breakfast if time allows.
I was told to check out Kanab Creek Bakery and Nomad Cafe, but due to the limited amount of time I had on my southern Utah road trip, I could not stop at every single place that I wanted to.
While I did go to Taro for coffee and an apple danish, I stopped by the continental breakfast for French toast before I headed up to my room to get ready for the day.
Belly of the Dragon
Located about 25 minutes from Kanab is the Belly of the Dragon. A man-made tunnel that has been weathered by flash floods to make it look how it does today.
Belly of the Dragon is a free, family-friendly hike that can be completed in under 30 minutes if you simply go through the tunnel and not the entire wash.
The temperature does drop as you get further in, and it gets darker as you get to the middle.
I spent about 20 minutes here before returning to the car. I did not walk all the way through because the day before, my guide showed me a snake that they found in a canyon, and I was scared, to be honest lol.
Bold and Delaney Winery
About 2 hours from Kanab is the Dammeron Valley. There are a few wineries to check out, but I headed to Bold and Delaney for their wine tasting for $25. As you are driving here, you will be going across time zones. I kept thinking I was going to be late for my reservation due to the time zone shifts.
To do your tasting here, you must make a reservation ahead of time by either calling or emailing.
You get to pick 5 1-ounce pours. I ordered a charcuterie board in addition, and one of the owners let me know what fruits and cheese to pair with the wines that I chose.
The highlight was that I tasted a bourbon wine. Basically, they used barrels that had been used to age bourbon and put wine inside to age.
After the tasting, make sure to take some time to walk through the vines.
Seven Magic Mountains
Seven Magic Mountains is about 25 minutes from the Las Vegas airport and 2.5 hours from the Bold and Delaney winery.
It is a free attraction, where you find 7 seven towers of stacked boulders painted in bright neon colors, each 30-35 feet tall.
This exhibit was only meant to last for two years, but it has been up since 2016.
I spent about 15 minutes here walking through the colorful rocks before heading back to my car because I needed to get gas before going to the airport.
There is designated parking, and when I went around 6 pm, it was not very crowded.
3 Days in Southern Utah Road Trip
By the time I pulled back into the rental car center and caught the shuttle to the airport, I’d sandboarded down massive dunes, hiked through two different slot canyons, tasted a bourbon-barrel wine, and stood in a man-made tunnel colder and darker than anywhere else on the trip. Three days sounds short for how much ground this route covers, but Vegas and Kanab are close enough that you’re never burning a full day just driving.
If you only have three days, this loop hits the best of Southern Utah without feeling rushed, a mix of red rock, slot canyons, a roadside art installation, and a stop most people don’t expect on a desert road trip: a full wine tasting. Book your tours early, especially the slot canyons, and give yourself a little buffer between stops in case you find somewhere worth lingering longer than planned.
Traveling solo as a Black woman through small-town Southern Utah, I was a little unsure what to expect going in. Outside of a few stares in Hurricane, I felt comfortable the entire trip. Every guide, server, and stranger I asked for directions was genuinely helpful, quick with tips, and happy to point me toward something I would’ve missed otherwise. So, as a solo black woman traveler exploring Utah, I would recommend it.
3 Day Southern Utah Road Trip Cost
| Rental Car | $121.27 |
| Gas | $84.33 |
| Stays | $330.17 |
| Winery | $70.92 |
| State Parks | $30 |
| Tours | $320 |
| Food | $146.04 |
| Tips | $20 |
Total Trip: $1122.72
| Travel Resources | Information about Resources |
| Airalo | If you need phone service while out of the country, check out Airalo to avoid all the fees. |
| Amazon | Find the perfect items for your next vacation! |
| Booking.com | If you want to book a mix of hotels and houses, check out booking.com! |
| Expedia | If you need a package that includes flight + hotel, or want to add a car? Expedia is the perfect site to book an entire vacation. |
| Priority Pass | If you do not have a credit card, you can still get lounge access by purchasing a Priority Pass Membership! |
| Ticketmaster | Heading to a concert or event, make sure to check out Ticketmaster. |
| Vrbo | Find the perfect rental house for your vacation and/or staycation. |
| Viator | The perfect place to find all your excursions and things to do in the many cities you visit. |
