Route 66 Lite
Route 66. The Grand Canyon. Las Vegas. California. All in one incredible adventure.
Get your kicks on Route 66 with this fantastic 13-night self-drive adventure from Chicago to Los Angeles. Designed for travellers who want to experience the icons of America’s legendary Mother Road in a shorter, great-value itinerary, Route 66 Lite packs an incredible amount into one unforgettable journey.
Start beneath the skyscrapers of Chicago before following historic Route 66 through St Louis, Springfield, Oklahoma City, Amarillo, Santa Fe and Holbrook. Experience classic diners, neon signs, quirky roadside attractions and wonderfully nostalgic Route 66 towns before reaching Williams, your gateway to the magnificent Grand Canyon. From here, swap the Mother Road for the bright lights of Las Vegas, then cross the Mojave Desert into California and follow Route 66 all the way to its historic finish in Santa Monica. Two nights in Las Vegas and two nights in Los Angeles give you time to slow the pace and enjoy an unforgettable finale to your American road trip.
This is a special deal, no other offers can be combined with this already amazing deal!
Remember: We’re UK-based, and every holiday we create is fully flexible – you can add nights, upgrade hotels, or enhance your itinerary. We love designing tailor-made self-drive adventures just for you!
13 night self drive holiday for just £1,899pp including flights, accommodation & car rental
Highlights
Drive America’s Mother Road: Follow legendary Route 66 from Chicago towards the Pacific, discovering classic diners, neon signs, roadside oddities and nostalgic towns along the way.
Experience the Grand Canyon: Stay in historic Williams, the Gateway to the Grand Canyon, and visit the spectacular South Rim during your Arizona adventure.
Two Nights in Las Vegas: Swap Route 66 nostalgia for dazzling resorts, spectacular entertainment and the unmistakable neon glow of the Las Vegas Strip.
Finish at the Pacific: Reach Santa Monica Pier and celebrate beneath the famous Route 66 End of the Trail sign after an epic journey across America.
Your itinerary
DAYs 1-2: discover CHICAGO
Skyscrapers, blues and the beginning of Route 66
Welcome to Chicago and the start of an American road trip legend. With two nights in the Windy City, you’ll have time to explore the spectacular lakefront, stroll through Millennium Park to see Cloud Gate – better known as The Bean – and admire Chicago’s famous skyline from the Chicago Riverwalk. Head to Navy Pier, sample authentic deep-dish pizza and perhaps finish the evening with live Chicago blues. Most importantly, seek out the historic Begin Route 66 sign on Adams Street. Tomorrow you’ll leave the skyscrapers behind and point your car west – California and the Pacific Ocean await.
2 Nights in
Chicago, IL
Arrive &
Explore
DAY 3: CHICAGO TO ST LOUIS
Hit the Mother Road and head west
It’s time to get your kicks! Leave Chicago and begin your journey along historic Route 66, passing through classic Illinois towns and communities that have welcomed Mother Road travellers for generations. Look out for nostalgic filling stations, giant roadside characters and vintage Route 66 signs as you make your way south. Highlights along the wider route include Joliet, Pontiac and quirky roadside Americana before you cross the Mississippi River into Missouri and arrive in St Louis. The magnificent Gateway Arch dominates the skyline and symbolises America’s historic expansion west – perfectly fitting for your first night on the road.
1 Night in
St Louis, MO
300 miles
DAY 4: ST. LOUIS TO SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI
Classic Route 66 through the Missouri Ozarks
Leave St Louis and continue west through Missouri, where Route 66 winds through rolling countryside, small communities and wonderfully nostalgic roadside stops. Discover classic Route 66 landmarks and old motels as you travel towards the Ozarks, with plenty of opportunities to stop for photographs, grab lunch at a traditional roadside diner and soak up the atmosphere of the old highway. Your destination is Springfield, officially recognised as the Birthplace of Route 66 after the famous highway received its number following discussions involving officials here in 1926. It’s a city that remains immensely proud of its Mother Road heritage.
1 Night in
Springfield, MO
215 miles
DAY 5: SPRINGFIELD TO OKLAHOMA CITY
Small-town America and Route 66 nostalgia
Continue west through the heartland, crossing briefly through Kansas before entering Oklahoma – a state with one of the richest Route 66 legacies anywhere on the Mother Road. This is classic road-trip country, packed with vintage filling stations, old bridges, neon signs, diners and larger-than-life roadside attractions. Pass through towns including Miami, Claremore and Tulsa before continuing towards Oklahoma City. Once there, explore Bricktown’s restaurants and entertainment or visit the moving Oklahoma City National Memorial. Route 66 enthusiasts will find reminders of the Mother Road throughout the city, which has one of the longest associations with the highway.
1 Night in
Oklahoma City, OK
285 miles
DAY 6: OKLAHOMA CITY TO AMARILLO, TEXAS
Big skies, Texas plains and Cadillac Ranch
Leave Oklahoma City and watch the landscape open dramatically as you journey across western Oklahoma and into the Texas Panhandle. Route 66 classics appear throughout today’s drive, including vintage motels, restored filling stations and wonderfully eccentric roadside attractions. Stop in Clinton to discover more of the highway’s story before crossing into Texas and continuing towards Amarillo. Just outside the city lies one of Route 66’s most photographed attractions – Cadillac Ranch, where ten classic Cadillacs stand nose-first in the Texas dirt. Finish the evening with a taste of Texas, perhaps tackling a steak at the legendary Big Texan Steak Ranch.
1 Night in
Amarillo, TX
260 miles
DAY 7: SANTA FE OR ALBUQUERQUE
Route 66 meets the American Southwest
The scenery changes again as you leave the Texas Panhandle and enter New Mexico. Follow the Mother Road past classic Route 66 towns, abandoned roadside relics and wide-open landscapes beneath enormous Southwestern skies. Stop at the wonderfully nostalgic Midpoint of Route 66 in Adrian, marking the halfway point between Chicago and Los Angeles, before continuing through Tucumcari with its collection of colourful neon motels and vintage signs. Your destination is beautiful Santa Fe, where adobe architecture, Native American and Hispanic influences and the historic Plaza create one of the most distinctive stops anywhere on this journey.
1 Night in Santa Fe or
Albuquerque, NM
280 miles
DAY 8: HEAD TO HOLBROOK VIA PETRIFIED FOREST
Desert landscapes and the Petrified Forest
Leave Santa Fe and continue through New Mexico towards Albuquerque before heading west into the vast landscapes of Arizona. Today’s journey captures the romance of Route 66, with huge skies, desert scenery, trading posts and reminders of the old highway scattered along the road. One of the day’s great highlights is Petrified Forest National Park, where brilliantly coloured petrified wood, ancient landscapes and the spectacular Painted Desert create an unforgettable introduction to Arizona. Continue to Holbrook, another classic Route 66 town famous for its unmistakable Wigwam Motel and collection of nostalgic roadside Americana.
1 Night in
Holbrook, AZ
295 miles
DAY 9: HOLBROOK TO WILLIAMS (GRAND CANYON)
Stand on the corner in Winslow before reaching the Grand Canyon South Rim.
Today Route 66 delivers something truly special. Travel west through northern Arizona, passing classic Mother Road towns and high-desert scenery before arriving in Williams – the Gateway to the Grand Canyon. This wonderfully preserved Route 66 town is packed with neon signs, diners, souvenir shops and historic buildings, but its location makes it even more special: Grand Canyon National Park’s spectacular South Rim is approximately 60 miles north, making Williams an ideal base for experiencing one of the world’s greatest natural wonders.
Head to the South Rim and stand before a landscape almost impossible to comprehend, with vast layers of rock stretching towards the horizon and the Colorado River far below. Return to Williams afterwards for an evening soaking up the town’s unmistakable Route 66 atmosphere.
1 Night in
Williams, AZ
125 miles
DAYs 10-11: WILLIAMS TO LAS VEGAS
Route 66 icons before the neon lights of Vegas
Leave Williams and rejoin historic Route 66 for another memorable day on the Mother Road. Travel through Seligman, one of the towns that helped inspire the modern Route 66 revival, before continuing towards Kingman. From here, leave Route 66 temporarily and head north through the desert towards Las Vegas.
Two nights give you time to enjoy one of America’s most extraordinary cities. Walk the famous Strip, explore its spectacular themed resorts, watch the Bellagio fountains, experience a world-class show or head downtown beneath the dazzling canopy of Fremont Street. After days of classic roadside Americana and wide-open landscapes, Las Vegas provides a spectacular change of pace.
2 Nights in
Las Vegas, NV
215 miles
DAYs 12-13: LAS VEGAS TO SANTA MONICA
Across the Mojave to the End of the Trail
Leave Las Vegas behind and cross the vast Mojave Desert towards California, reconnecting with the spirit of Route 66 as you make your way towards Los Angeles. Classic desert communities, roadside relics and sweeping landscapes provide a final taste of the open road before the traffic, palm trees and neighbourhoods of Greater Los Angeles appear ahead.
Spend your final two nights enjoying Southern California. Explore Hollywood, Beverly Hills and the beaches of the Pacific coast, then make the pilgrimage to Santa Monica Pier, where the famous Route 66 End of the Trail sign provides the perfect photograph to celebrate your journey from Chicago to the Pacific. Dip your toes in the ocean, watch the sun set over California and raise a glass to completing America’s most legendary road trip before heading to the airport for your flight home.
2 Nights in
Santa Monica, CA
270 miles
May- Jun & Sept- Oct: Weather is likely to be pleasant for the entire trip. The midwest shouldn’t be too cold and the southwestern states shouldn’t be too hot.
We would expect maximum temperatures to be in the 20°C - 30°C range in the midwest and 25°C - 35°C in the south and southwestern states
Flight times to/from Chicago is around 8 hours and Los Angeles is approx 11 hours. You’ll drive through 3 time zones. Chicago is 5 hours and Los Angeles is 8 hours behind the UK.
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