San Francisco, CA, USA→Las Vegas, NV, USA
“A six-day California-to-Nevada drive through wine country, Los Angeles and the Mojave”
Shared by a traveler · city-level only, no dates, private notes stay private

- ~18h 6m driving
- Day 1
- Day 2
- Day 3
- Day 4
- Day 5
- Day 6
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1
San Francisco → California
206 km2h 24mDepart 08:00
Day 1
San Francisco → CaliforniaPinnacles National Park
Volcanic crags, caves and possible condor sightings
Day 2
California → Los Angeles
463 km5h 34mDepart 08:00
Day 2
California → Los AngelesCope's Knotty Pine Cafe
Griffith Observatory
Iconic observatory overlooking Los Angeles and Hollywood
Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Boulevard landmarks and restored movie palaces
Musso & Frank Grill
Historic Hollywood dining room serving classic American dishes
The Hollywood Franklin Hotel
Mid-range Hollywood hotel with an outdoor pool and parking
Day 3
Los Angeles
87 km1h 33mDepart 09:36
Day 3
Los AngelesThe Getty
Major art collection amid landmark hilltop architecture
Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery
Landmark deli famous for substantial Italian sandwiches
Santa Monica State Beach
Wide Pacific beach beneath the landmark pier
3rd Street Promenade
Pedestrian shopping district with boutiques and street performers
Cassia
Acclaimed Southeast Asian cooking in a stylish dining room
Day 4
Los Angeles
45 km1h 18mDepart 08:00
Day 4
Los AngelesRépublique
Celebrated bakery breakfast inside historic architecture
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Major art museum beside the famous Urban Light installation
Grand Central Market
Historic food hall showcasing diverse Los Angeles cooking
The Broad
Contemporary art museum in a striking honeycomb building
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Frank Gehry landmark with sculptural stainless-steel forms
Bestia
Acclaimed Arts District restaurant for handmade pasta and pizza
Day 5
Los Angeles → Barstow
219 km2h 40mDepart 09:29
Day 5
Los Angeles → BarstowThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens
Art collections, rare books and extensive themed gardens
The Hat
Classic Southern California stand known for pastrami dip
California Route 66 Museum
Volunteer-run collection of Mother Road memorabilia
DiNapoli's Firehouse
Long-running local restaurant with hearty Italian cooking
Home2 Suites by Hilton Barstow
Modern suite hotel with ample parking near the interstate
Day 6
Barstow → Las Vegas
400 km4h 37mDepart 08:00
Day 6
Barstow → Las VegasKelso Dunes
Towering desert dunes reached by an unpaved access road
Kelso Depot Visitor Center
Restored railroad depot interpreting Mojave history
The Coffee Cup Cafe
Beloved diner serving hearty Southwestern breakfast and lunch
Esther's Kitchen
Arts District favorite for sourdough and seasonal Italian food
Before you go
Local tips
- 1Download offline maps for Pinnacles and Mojave National Preserve before leaving cellular coverage.
- 2Check same-day timed-entry availability for The Getty Center, The Huntington, The Broad and The Neon Museum immediately.
- 3Leave Los Angeles drives outside weekday commuter peaks; traffic can double cross-city travel times.
- 4Refuel in Barstow before entering Mojave National Preserve, where services are sparse.
- 5Use hotel or large museum lots and explore dense Los Angeles clusters on foot rather than repeatedly moving the SUV.
Good to know
- 1Temperatures at Pinnacles, Barstow and Mojave can exceed 38°C in September; stop hiking if heat illness symptoms appear.
- 2Kelso Dunes Road may be washboarded or sandy; drive slowly and avoid soft shoulders despite SUV clearance.
- 3Mojave National Preserve facilities can close with little notice after storm or infrastructure damage; verify conditions that morning.
- 4Los Angeles garages vary in height and space width; remove roof-mounted cargo and prefer surface parking where noted.
- 5California and Nevada have no passenger-vehicle vignettes on this route, but express lanes may require a FasTrak transponder.
- 6Never leave luggage visible in the SUV at urban trailheads, beaches, Hollywood garages or roadside Route 66 stops.
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