Quick answer
Spend four days on the East Coast (three in New York and a day trip to Washington DC), then fly to Las Vegas for the Grand Canyon, continue to Los Angeles for Universal Studios and finish in San Francisco. Book an open-jaw ticket into New York and out of San Francisco. Mid-range land costs start at about ₹2,20,000 per person.
The route
- Delhi
- New York
- Washington DC
- New York
- Las Vegas
- Grand Canyon
- Los Angeles
- San Francisco
- Delhi
Day-by-day plan
- 1
Day 1
Arrive in New York
Morning: Land at JFK or Newark and take a pre-booked transfer or the AirTrain and subway into Manhattan.
Afternoon: Check in, rest, then walk the south end of Central Park and along Fifth Avenue.
Evening: Times Square after dark and an early dinner; jet lag hits hard on the first night.
Stay: Midtown Manhattan
Stay awake until at least 9 pm local time to reset faster.
- 2
Day 2
Statue of Liberty, Lower Manhattan and Broadway
Morning: First ferry from Battery Park to Liberty Island and Ellis Island.
Afternoon: 9/11 Memorial and Museum, Wall Street, then walk across Brooklyn Bridge to DUMBO for the skyline.
Evening: A Broadway show in the Theater District.
Stay: Midtown Manhattan
Book Statue of Liberty tickets only from the official operator, Statue City Cruises.
- 3
Day 3
Museums, Central Park and the view from the top
Morning: Cycle Central Park's loop, then the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the American Museum of Natural History.
Afternoon: Rockefeller Center, St Patrick's Cathedral and shopping on Fifth Avenue.
Evening: Top of the Rock at sunset, then dinner in Jackson Heights for Indian food or Koreatown nearby.
Stay: Midtown Manhattan
- 4
Day 4
Day trip to Washington DC
Morning: Early Amtrak train from Penn Station, about three hours. Start at the Capitol and the Library of Congress.
Afternoon: Walk the National Mall to the Washington Monument, the White House and the Lincoln Memorial, with a stop at the free Air and Space Museum.
Evening: Evening train back to New York.
Stay: Midtown Manhattan
Swap this day for Niagara Falls by flying to Buffalo if the falls matter more to you.
- 5
Day 5
Fly to Las Vegas
Morning: Morning flight from New York to Las Vegas, about five and a half hours. You gain three hours.
Afternoon: Check in on the Strip and rest by the pool.
Evening: Walk the Strip: the Bellagio fountains, the Venetian and the Sphere lit up.
Stay: Las Vegas Strip
Compare room prices including the nightly resort fee, which is added on top.
- 6
Day 6
Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon
Morning: Pick up a hire car and drive to Hoover Dam, then on towards the South Rim, about four and a half hours in total.
Afternoon: Mather Point and a walk along the Rim Trail.
Evening: Sunset at Hopi Point on the free park shuttle.
Stay: Tusayan or Grand Canyon Village
Non-US residents aged 16+ pay a USD 100 park surcharge on top of the vehicle fee, so carry passports.
- 7
Day 7
Sunrise at the canyon, then Los Angeles
Morning: Sunrise at Mather Point, then a short walk below the rim on the Bright Angel Trail.
Afternoon: Drive back to Las Vegas, return the car and take the one-hour flight to Los Angeles.
Evening: Dinner in Santa Monica or Hollywood.
Stay: Hollywood or Santa Monica
- 8
Day 8
Universal Studios Hollywood
Morning: Arrive at opening and do the Studio Tour first, before the queues build.
Afternoon: Harry Potter, Super Nintendo World and the lower-lot rides.
Evening: Walk the Hollywood Walk of Fame and see the Hollywood sign from Griffith Observatory.
Stay: Hollywood or Santa Monica
- 9
Day 9
San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge
Morning: Early flight to San Francisco, about 90 minutes.
Afternoon: Hire bikes, cycle across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito and take the ferry back.
Evening: Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39, then a cable car ride up Powell Street.
Stay: Union Square, San Francisco
Fog often lifts only by late morning, so the bridge is best after 11 am.
- 10
Day 10
Alcatraz and the flight home
Morning: Alcatraz island tour, booked weeks ahead, or Lombard Street and Chinatown.
Afternoon: Head to San Francisco airport for your flight home, non-stop or via the Gulf or Europe.
Evening: Overnight flight to India.
Is 10 days enough for the USA?
Ten days is enough for a first look at both coasts if you fly between them and accept a packed pace. This route gives New York three full days, adds Washington DC as a train day trip, then covers the West with one internal flight from New York to Las Vegas and two short hops to Los Angeles and San Francisco.
How should you book flights for this route?
Book an open-jaw ticket, into New York and out of San Francisco. It usually costs about the same as a return to one city and saves a day of backtracking. Book the three internal flights at the same time; fares climb sharply in the last month.
What will it cost?
Mid-range land costs start at about ₹2,20,000 per person, twin sharing. That covers nine nights in 3★–4★ hotels, internal flights, two days of car hire, Amtrak to Washington and the main tickets, excluding international flights. The full breakdown, with flights from Indian cities, is on our USA trip cost page.
How can you adapt it?
- Families with young children: drop Washington DC and add a second day in Los Angeles for Disneyland.
- Nature lovers: replace Universal Studios with a night in Yosemite on the way to San Francisco.
- Niagara instead of DC: fly New York to Buffalo, about 75 minutes, and stay a night at the falls.
If you do not already hold a valid US visa, apply first. Interview waits in India have been running at 10–12 months. See our US visa guide.
For timing and hotel areas, see the best time to visit the USA, things to do and where to stay in New York.
Frequently asked questions
Can I see both the East and West Coast of the USA in 10 days?
Should I drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco?
Is a Grand Canyon day trip from Las Vegas enough?
How we checked this page
Last reviewed
Written and fact-checked by the Elitech Travels editorial desk in New Delhi, drawing on our consultants' day-to-day booking work and the official sources below. Rules, fares and fees change — always confirm anything critical with the issuing authority before you travel. Our editorial policy.
