Days 1-3: Southern Nevada
Days one and two on the Strip and Red Rock as a warm-up. Day three drive to Valley of Fire in the morning, then push north on US-93 to Ely — it's a long 4.5-hour haul but the road is empty and beautiful once you clear Alamo. Sleep at the Hotel Nevada in Ely, an unrenovated 1929 property with slot machines in the lobby and rooms named after people who stayed there (Ingrid Bergman, Wayne Newton).
This is where the trip changes character. You are now on the Loneliest Road in America (US-50). Fuel up whenever you can — the stretch between Ely and Fallon has three gas stations across 260 miles and one of them (Middlegate) is a bar first.
Days 4-5: Great Basin and central Nevada
Day four drive 70 miles east from Ely to Great Basin National Park. Do the Lehman Caves tour (book six weeks ahead), drive the Wheeler Peak scenic road to 10,000 feet, and walk the bristlecone pine trail — these are the oldest non-clonal organisms on earth. Sleep in Baker at the Stargazer Inn. Day five backtrack through Ely and drive US-50 west to Austin or Eureka; both are 19th-century mining towns with one motel each. Sleep in Austin at the Cozy Mountain Motel.
Days 6-7: Reno and Tahoe
Day six continue US-50 west through Fallon to Carson City, then Virginia City for lunch and a walk down C Street. Push on to Lake Tahoe's east shore. Sleep at the Hyatt Regency Incline Village or a cheaper motel in Kings Beach on the California side. Day seven drive the Tahoe east shore: Sand Harbor, Cave Rock, Zephyr Cove. Lunch in Carson City, then fly out of Reno-Tahoe International — it's a 40-minute drive from Incline Village and much easier than driving all the way back to Vegas.
Good to know
Is this loop possible without a rental car?+
No. There is no passenger rail between southern and northern Nevada, and Greyhound covers only I-15 and I-80. US-50 and US-93 have zero public transit. Budget for a full week of car rental — one-way Vegas-to-Reno drop fees run $100 to $200.
What if I only have five days instead of seven?+
Skip Great Basin and go straight from Ely to Reno via US-50. You lose the caves and the bristlecones but keep the two anchor cities and Virginia City. Great Basin needs a full day plus a half day of driving each direction to be worth it.