Trip planner
Your road trip made to measure: choose your days, your airports and what you like. We pick the towns that fit best and put them in the route with the fewest hours behind the wheel.
Your 14-day road trip from Los Angeles
National parks: 7 towns, flying home from Los Angeles.
- Length
- 14 days, 13 nights
- Driving
- 1,760 km · 24 h 40 min
- A day, on average
- About 220 km
- Costs for 2, roughly
- €4,840
- A person
- €2,420
Change the nights at each town (0 skips it) or tick tours, then:
Direct flights from Amsterdam
Flight out: AMS → LAX
Flight home: LAX → AMS
You land at 11:40 (local time); with immigration and the rental car you're on the road around 13:40.
The flight home leaves at 13:50: return the car and be at the airport around 10:50.
Your flights for this trip
Choose a start date above, and the planner looks for the flights on the first and last day.
Your rental car for this trip
Choose a start date above, and the planner looks for a car from the first day to the last.
Day 1 · Land at Los Angeles (LAX), drive to Los Angeles
1 Los Angeles, CA
Sunset Boulevard's palm trees
- Day 1 30 km · 30 min –
- Day 2 no drive –
- The Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Hollywood sign
- Griffith Observatory at sunset
- Santa Monica Pier and Venice Beach
- The Getty Center
Another night here? With a second night: Universal Studios or Warner Bros., or Malibu's beaches along Highway 1.
Hotels in Los Angeles Comfort: a good hotel (3 stars)
FOUND Hotels, Santa Monica, Series by Marriott
★★★★★ · 9.0
from €200 a night
Residence Inn by Marriott Los Angeles LAX/Century Boulevard
★★★★★ · 8.8
from €150 a night
Holiday Inn Express Hollywood Walk of Fame by IHG
★★★★★ · 8.8
from €220 a night
Holiday Inn Express West Los Angeles by IHG
★★★★★ · 8.8
from €350 a night
Residence Inn by Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE
★★★★★ · 8.7
from €190 a night
Day 3 · Los Angeles, drive to Palm Springs
2 Palm Springs, CA
Past the wind farms into the desert
- Day 3 170 km · 2 h –
Hotels in Palm Springs Comfort: a good hotel (3 stars)
Hotel California - A Town & Desert Boutique Hotel
★★★★★ · 10.0
from €250 a night
Holiday House Palm Springs
★★★★★ · 10.0
from €440 a night
Inn at Palm Springs
★★★★★ · 9.8
from €130 a night
Del Marcos Hotel
★★★★★ · 9.4
from €210 a night
The Monkey Tree by AvantStay – Mid-Century Modern Oasis with Pool
★★★★★ · 9.4
Day 4 · Palm Springs, drive to Twentynine Palms
3 Twentynine Palms, CA
Joshua Tree National Park
- Day 4 80 km · 1 h 10 min –
- Day 5 no drive –
- Joshua Tree National Park: Hidden Valley and Skull Rock
- Cholla Cactus Garden
- Keys View over the Coachella Valley
- The darkest night sky of the trip
Another night here? With a second night: Palm Springs and its aerial tramway, or a sunrise climb in the park.
Hotels in Twentynine Palms Comfort: a good hotel (3 stars)
Cali Desert Oasis w/ Hot Tub + Mtn Views!
★★★★★ · 10.0
Chic Joshua Tree Pad w/ Mountain Views & Hot Tub
★★★★★ · 10.0
Cowboy Pool, Fire Pit, Backyard Chic Ranch Retreat Asteroid by Avantstay
★★★★★ · 10.0
Serene Home w/ Yard - 8 Mi to Joshua Tree!
★★★★★ · 10.0
Twentynine Palms Desert Oasis w/ Pool & Hot Tub!
★★★★★ · 10.0
Day 6 · Twentynine Palms, drive to Furnace Creek · a long driving day
4 Furnace Creek, CA
Badwater Basin in Death Valley
- Day 6 380 km · 5 h 40 min –
- Day 7 no drive –
- Badwater Basin, 86 metres below sea level
- Zabriskie Point at sunrise
- Artists Drive and Artists Palette
- Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
Another night here? With a second night: Dante's View and the Racetrack, or a night under the stars. Not in summer: it is the hottest place on earth.
Hotels in Furnace Creek Comfort: a good hotel (3 stars)
Day 8 · Furnace Creek, drive to Mammoth Lakes
5 Mammoth Lakes, CA
Tioga Pass and Mono Lake
- Day 8 330 km · 4 h 30 min –
- Day 9 no drive –
Hotels in Mammoth Lakes Comfort: a good hotel (3 stars)
Luxury Oasis Village Ski-in Ski-out
★★★★★ · 10.0
Luxury Townhome w/ Views, Private Jacuzzi & Garage
★★★★★ · 10.0
Mammoth Lakes Condo - Steps to Ski Lift!
★★★★★ · 10.0
Quiet, Updated, Corner Condo in the Village! Parking, Pool & Spa
★★★★★ · 10.0
Sherwin Villas Retreat
★★★★★ · 10.0
Day 10 · Mammoth Lakes, drive to Mariposa
6 Mariposa, CA
Yosemite Valley
- Day 10 210 km · 3 h 40 min –
- Day 11 no drive –
Hotels in Mariposa Comfort: a good hotel (3 stars)
Historic Mariposa Stagecoach Stop w/ Gas Fire Pit!
★★★★★ · 10.0
Oak Meadows House - A unique home near Yosemite
★★★★★ · 10.0
Peaceful + Private Mariposa Cabin on 2 Acres!
★★★★★ · 10.0
Private Hot Tub! Pet-friendly Mariposa Retreat
★★★★★ · 10.0
Waterfront Mariposa Hideaway: Hot Tub & Mtn Views!
★★★★★ · 10.0
Day 12 · Mariposa, drive to Three Rivers
7 Three Rivers, CA
Sequoia National Park
- Day 12 230 km · 3 h 10 min –
- Day 13 no drive –
Hotels in Three Rivers Comfort: a good hotel (3 stars)
Beautiful Retreat 4 Miles to Park Entrance Steps to Dining
★★★★★ · 9.8
Cozy Condo 4 Miles to Park Entrance with BBQ and Steps to Dining
★★★★★ · 9.7
Tranquil Retreat 4 Miles to Sequoia Park Entrance with BBQ and Balcony
★★★★★ · 9.7
Spacious sequoia Park retreat, best panoramic views
★★★★★ · 9.5
Muniz Village
★★★★★ · 9.4
Home again
Three Rivers to Los Angeles airport (LAX), fly home to Amsterdam.
With an early flight, spend the last night near the airport.
Arrange something yourself
A few days with family or friends, a train ride, local transport: a part of the trip you arrange yourself. No hotel and no tours of ours; without the car, no kilometres and no hire those days. Enter what it costs and it counts in the total.
On the road with Google Maps or Waze
Your trip from airport to airport, with the hotels you chose (or else the towns).
- No account needed: find it again under My trips.
- Take it on the road Your trip day by day on your phone, also without signal.
- Download for Google My Maps (KML) In My Maps: create a map, Import, and choose the file. It works in Google Earth too.
- The route in Google Maps
Drive there with Waze one destination at a time
What it costs, roughly
For 2 travelling together: the flights, the rental car, a room for every two at every stop, and the tours you tick in the plan above.
| Day | Date | Night in | °C | Km | Driving | Hotel | Tours | Car hire | Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | – | 30 | 30 min | €200 | – | €60 | €260 | |
| 2 | Los Angeles | – | – | – | €200 | – | €60 | €260 | |
| 3 | Palm Springs | – | 170 | 2 h | €160 | – | €60 | €220 | |
| 4 | Twentynine Palms | – | 80 | 1 h 10 min | €140 | – | €60 | €200 | |
| 5 | Twentynine Palms | – | – | – | €140 | – | €60 | €200 | |
| 6 | Furnace Creek | – | 380 | 5 h 40 min | €250 | – | €60 | €310 | |
| 7 | Furnace Creek | – | – | – | €250 | – | €60 | €310 | |
| 8 | Mammoth Lakes | – | 330 | 4 h 30 min | €160 | – | €60 | €220 | |
| 9 | Mammoth Lakes | – | – | – | €160 | – | €60 | €220 | |
| 10 | Mariposa | – | 210 | 3 h 40 min | €160 | – | €60 | €220 | |
| 11 | Mariposa | – | – | – | €160 | – | €60 | €220 | |
| 12 | Three Rivers | – | 230 | 3 h 10 min | €160 | – | €60 | €220 | |
| 13 | Three Rivers | – | – | – | €160 | – | €60 | €220 | |
| 14 | Flight home from LAX | – | 320 | 4 h | – | – | €60 | €60 | |
| On the road | €2,300 | – | €840 | €3,140 | |||||
| Flights, 2 return | €1,700 | ||||||||
| Total | €4,840 | ||||||||
| A person | €2,420 | ||||||||
Estimates in euros, to plan with: a return flight from Amsterdam, a mid-size car with insurance, a room for two at each stop, and the tours' usual prices. Fuel and meals are not included. The hotels' real prices are a click away at every stop. Check the flights: not every airport has a direct flight from Amsterdam all year. Prices as of 2026-10.
Add your own budget a day: food, fuel, parking, …
Fill in an amount for every day, or change a single day in the table. Empty is nothing: only what you fill in goes into the total.
| Day | Night in | Food and drink | Fuel | Parking | Entrance fees | Souvenirs | Other | Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Every day | Set in the form above | |||||||
| 1 | Los Angeles | €0 | ||||||
| 2 | Los Angeles | €0 | ||||||
| 3 | Palm Springs | €0 | ||||||
| 4 | Twentynine Palms | €0 | ||||||
| 5 | Twentynine Palms | €0 | ||||||
| 6 | Furnace Creek | €0 | ||||||
| 7 | Furnace Creek | €0 | ||||||
| 8 | Mammoth Lakes | €0 | ||||||
| 9 | Mammoth Lakes | €0 | ||||||
| 10 | Mariposa | €0 | ||||||
| 11 | Mariposa | €0 | ||||||
| 12 | Three Rivers | €0 | ||||||
| 13 | Three Rivers | €0 | ||||||
| 14 | Flight home from LAX | €0 | ||||||
| Your budget | €0 | €0 | €0 | €0 | €0 | €0 | €0 | |
Our suggestions are estimates a day, greyed in the empty fields: food and souvenirs a person, the rest for everyone, and fuel by the kilometres you drive that day. Change them to what suits you. Prices as of 2026-10.
Your trip as a booklet
The route map, every day with its drive and what to see, the excursions, the costs, a packing list and room for notes: print it yourself, or have it printed and sent as a book.
Have it printed Download (A5, PDF) A4
For a print shop
With 3 mm bleed and crop marks, the fonts embedded, the map in vectors. The whole booklet · The pages inside · The cover (add &spine= and the spine's width in mm from your printer)