01
Detour
Yosemite National Park
Worth the detour if Tioga Pass is open (roughly June–October): granite walls, waterfalls, and Glacier Point. Adds a day but it's the trip's crown jewel.
Road trip guide
San Francisco
Las Vegas
San Francisco to Las Vegas Road Trip
570 miles from the Golden Gate to the neon — canyons, Route 66 ghost towns, and the Mojave in between.
- Distance
- ~570 miles
- Drive time
- ~9 hours (direct)
- Suggested
- 4 days
- Best season
- Spring & fall (the Mojave is brutal in midsummer)
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The drive from San Francisco to Las Vegas is one of the great American road trips — and how you route it changes the whole trip. The fast way (I-5 to CA-58) covers 570 miles in about nine hours; the memorable way threads Yosemite's high country, the old Route 66 towns of the Mojave, and a ghost town or two before the Strip lights up the horizon.
This guide lays out the classic stops, a relaxed four-day plan, and what to expect at each one. When you're ready, let Wanderply build your version — it plans the days around your pace and must-dos, then narrates every stop like a podcast for the drive.
The route
Stops along the way
02
Overnight / food
Bakersfield
The Central Valley's country-music town and a natural first-night stop. Great basque food and a good base before the climb into the mountains.
03
Roadside
Tehachapi Loop
A famous railroad spiral where a mile-long train crosses over itself. A quick, free photo stop as you climb out of the valley.
04
Route 66
Barstow & Route 66
Mother Road murals, the Route 66 Mother Road Museum, and classic neon. The gateway to the Mojave.
05
Ghost town
Calico Ghost Town
A restored 1880s silver-mining town in the hills above Barstow — mine tours, wooden boardwalks, and desert views.
06
Nature
Mojave National Preserve
Singing sand dunes, Joshua tree forests, and lava tubes — a quieter, wilder alternative to the interstate straight-shot.
07
Destination
Las Vegas
The Strip, the Sphere, world-class dining, and a base for day trips to Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon's West Rim.
Suggested plan
A 4-day skeleton
Day 1
SF → Yosemite high country
Leave the Bay early, climb into the Sierra, and overnight near the park (or Bakersfield if you're skipping Yosemite).
Day 2
Down to the Mojave
Descend through Tehachapi to Barstow. Walk Route 66, tour Calico Ghost Town, overnight in Barstow.
Day 3
Mojave to the Strip
Detour into Mojave National Preserve, then roll into Vegas by evening. Check in, hit the fountains.
Day 4
Vegas day
Sphere, a Strip walk, and a day-trip option to Hoover Dam or Red Rock Canyon.
Hear every stop, narrated for the drive.
Wanderply doesn't just plan the San Francisco → Las Vegas route — it narrates every stop like a podcast you play in the car, with the history and the story of each place. And it all works offline, the whole way.
Build this trip & hear it →Loading typical conditions in Las Vegas…
Good to know
Frequently asked
How long is the drive from San Francisco to Las Vegas?
About 570 miles and 9 hours non-stop via I-5 and CA-58. With stops and a Yosemite detour, plan on 3–4 days.
What's the best route?
The fastest is I-5 south to CA-58 east through Bakersfield and Barstow. The most scenic adds Yosemite (when Tioga Pass is open) or the eastern Sierra via US-395.
When is the best time to make this drive?
Spring and fall. The Mojave Desert stretch is dangerously hot in July and August; Yosemite's high passes are closed in winter.
Is it worth stopping, or should I just drive straight through?
The stops are the trip. Calico Ghost Town, Route 66 in Barstow, and Mojave National Preserve turn a long haul into a real adventure.
Make it yours in two minutes.
Tell Wanderply your dates, pace, and who's coming — it builds a day-by-day plan around your must-dos and narrates the whole drive.
Plan your San Francisco → Las Vegas trip
