Route 66 Tour: America's Legendary Road in 15 Days, 2026 Itinerary Guide
Summarize this guide with AI
Review the key points quickly in the AI tool you prefer.
Gemini opens the app and copies the prompt to your clipboard; paste it into the window that opens. If copying fails, take the prompt from below.
Copy the prompt by hand
MBD Travel's Route 66 tour follows America's legendary highway from end to end in 15 days and 14 nights. You fly from Istanbul to Chicago with Turkish Airlines and home from Los Angeles. The coach route starts at the official Route 66 sign in Chicago and finishes at Santa Monica Pier, the road's official end. On the way it crosses Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California. It suits travellers who want the classic roadside stops without driving themselves. Hotels, transfers and the named sightseeing are in the package, and a Turkish-speaking tour leader stays with the group throughout. Lunch and dinner are left to you.
Week one: Chicago to Tulsa
The flight lands in Chicago in the morning. On arrival, the first day includes a panoramic look at Grant Park, Buckingham Fountain and Michigan Avenue. It also includes the Cloud Gate sculpture (The Bean) in Millennium Park. Day two starts at the Route 66 beginning sign and heads south through Illinois. You see the Joliet welcome centre and the Gemini Giant in Wilmington. You also see the old Ambler's Texaco station in Dwight and the Route 66 museum and murals in Pontiac. The night is in Springfield, Illinois, where the programme shows Abraham Lincoln's home from the outside and visits the old Illinois State Capitol.
Day three's first stop is the Ariston Café in Litchfield, one of the oldest restaurants on Route 66. The tour then crosses into Missouri for the Gateway Arch on the Mississippi and the old Union Station in St. Louis. Day four is built around Meramec Caverns. The itinerary calls it the route's most popular cave complex. There are photo stops at the murals of Cuba and the giant rocking chair in Fanning. The night is in Springfield, Missouri. Day five crosses three states. First comes Galena in Kansas, the town that inspired the film Cars. Then comes Oklahoma, where Tulsa's Blue Dome District and the Cyrus Avery Bridge close the week.
Week two: New Mexico, Arizona and the run to the Pacific
Day six follows one of the best-preserved stretches of the road. You pass old filling stations in Sapulpa, the Rock Café in Stroud and the Round Barn in Arcadia. Then you go on to Oklahoma City. Day seven stops at Lucille's Historic Roadhouse in El Reno and the Texas state line sign, with the night in the Santa Fe area. New Mexico brings the Midpoint Café, the halfway point between Chicago and Los Angeles. It also brings the neon motel signs and Blue Swallow Motel of Tucumcari, and a walking tour of historic Santa Fe. Albuquerque's Old Town and the 66 Diner come next, then the Continental Divide and a night in Gallup.
In the second week the route reaches Arizona. You see Petrified Forest National Park, the Painted Desert, the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook and the Standin' on the Corner park in Winslow. The night is in Flagstaff. Day eleven runs through Seligman. The itinerary describes it as the place where the Route 66 spirit was born. Then come Peach Springs and Kingman, before the Mojave crossing to Las Vegas. Day twelve is a full free day in Las Vegas. Day thirteen runs via Barstow to Santa Monica Pier, followed by a Los Angeles tour of Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Sunset Strip.
The 15 days at a glance
Day 1: Istanbul to Chicago on Turkish Airlines TK185, panoramic tour on arrival.
Day 2: Route 66 starting sign, Joliet, Wilmington, Dwight and Pontiac, night in Springfield, Illinois.
Day 3: Litchfield, then St. Louis with the Gateway Arch and Union Station.
Day 4: Meramec Caverns, Cuba and Fanning, night in Springfield, Missouri.
Day 5: Galena in Kansas, then Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Day 6: Sapulpa, Stroud and Arcadia to Oklahoma City.
Day 7: El Reno and the Texas state line, night in the Santa Fe area.
Day 8: Midpoint Café, Tucumcari and Santa Fe.
Day 9: Albuquerque, the Continental Divide, night in Gallup.
Day 10: Petrified Forest, Painted Desert, Holbrook and Winslow, night in Flagstaff.
Day 11: Seligman, Peach Springs and Kingman, across the Mojave to Las Vegas.
Day 12: A free day in Las Vegas.
Day 13: Barstow and Santa Monica Pier, then a Los Angeles city tour.
Day 14: Free time in Los Angeles, evening flight home on Turkish Airlines TK010, night on board.
Day 15: Arrival in Istanbul.
What is included and what is not
- Included: round-trip economy flights with Turkish Airlines, Istanbul to Chicago and Los Angeles to Istanbul.
- Included: 13 hotel nights in 3-star hotels along the route (Courtyard by Marriott or similar), the fourteenth night being the return flight.
- Included: a professional Turkish-speaking tour leader, all sightseeing named in the programme, including Meramec Caverns, Cadillac Ranch and the Oatman stretch.
- Included: airport, hotel and route transfers. City entry and exit taxes. Parking and toll fees along the route. One 20 kg checked bag per person.
- Not included: the US visa fee.
- Not included: lunch and dinner.
- Not included: personal expenses and some national park entrance fees not named in the programme.
- Not included: tips for the tour team, for which the product page gives a recommended amount per person.
- Optional add-ons: Universal Studios, an extra Las Vegas day, Hollywood studio tours and a dedicated Route 66 photo session.
There is no scheduled departure for this tour right now. You can leave an advance request on the tour page, and our sales team will call you when a date opens. The page shows a last price of 4,590.00 USD per person. This is not a booking, and no payment is taken.
Good to know before you book
Route 66 departures run on a short calendar rather than every week. There is no scheduled departure right now. You can leave an advance request on the tour page, and our sales team will call you when a date opens. The page also states that all guides on the programme speak Turkish. The flights are Turkish Airlines TK185 out at 06:30 and TK010 back from Los Angeles at 20:00. The return flight lands in Istanbul the following evening.
Can I book the Route 66 tour now?
Not right now. The tour page says the tour has no scheduled departure. You can leave your phone number on the page, and our sales team will call you when a date opens. This is not a booking, and no payment is taken.
How many nights is the Route 66 tour?
15 days and 14 nights according to the product page. That is 13 nights in hotels along the route and one night on the return flight from Los Angeles to Istanbul.
Where does Route 66 officially end?
At Santa Monica Pier in California. The tour reaches it on day 13 and continues with a Los Angeles city tour covering Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Sunset Strip.
Do I need a US visa for this tour?
Yes. The product page lists the US visa fee among the services not included in the price.
Are meals included on the tour?
Lunch and dinner are listed as not included. The day-by-day programme starts most mornings after breakfast at the hotel.
What language do the guides speak?
Turkish. The product page states that all guides on the programme speak Turkish.
This route is also covered in Turkish on the MBD Travel blog. For other long, multi-stop trips, start from the multi-centre holiday page.
