One of the problems with organising USA holidays is choosing where to go, as there are so many fascinating places to visit. One option that will help you cut down on the number of decisions you will have to make is a tour of the West.

The area is packed with cosmopolitan cities, beautiful beaches and stunning natural attractions and two weeks spent exploring California, Arizona and Nevada will enable you to see the best of them.

You can begin your adventure in one of the most relaxed places you can visit on America holidays – San Diego. This city in Southern California has a wonderfully laid back atmosphere, thanks in part to the high number of long, sandy beaches on its coastline.

If you want to do more than simply work on your tan and watch the surfers during your time in San Diego, you can visit some of its fun tourist attractions, such as Legoland, SeaWorld and the famous San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

While the coastal region of the West is famed for its beauty, head inland and you will soon find plenty of uncompromising terrain. Your first view of this during your holiday will be as you pass through the Mohave Desert on the way to Lake Havasu City.

The destination is perhaps best known as the current home of London Bridge, after the city’s founder Robert McCulloch bought it, transported it to the States and had it rebuilt over a canal in 1968.

Travelling through the desert won’t quite prepare you for the next stop on your itinerary, the Grand Canyon, as very few of the world’s natural attractions can match this vast scar on the Arizona landscape.

A testament to the power of nature, the canyon formed by millions of years of the Colorado River forcing a path through the rugged wilderness is now 277 miles long and more than a mile deep and 18 miles wide in places.

You can book a flight over the canyon if you want an eagle-eye view of the unique rock formations and waterfalls, but many people prefer to see it on foot and choose to walk the South Rim Trail. The views here are spectacular, particularly if seen at sunrise or sunset.

From a great natural site your itinerary will take you to one of the most artificial places in the USA, the neon-lit streets of Las Vegas. This magnificently over-the-top city is all about having fun, whether you choose to do that at the roulette wheel in one of the lavish casinos, at some of its glitzy clubs or simply by taking a stroll down The Strip to take in some of the extraordinary sights.

After a stint in Vegas, your holiday will take you back to California and back to nature, with a couple of days in the beautiful surroundings of Yosemite National Park. The backdrop of mountains, forests and rivers is perfect for all sorts of outdoor pursuits, while wildlife lovers can hope to see black bears, bobcats, cougars and mule deer as they explore the park.

Next up is a place everyone should visit during California trips, San Francisco. Many big US cities have a culture all of their own, but few are as out of the ordinary as the one that can be found on the shores of San Francisco Bay.

The liberal attitudes of the local population meant the city became a focal point for the Summer of Love and you can still enjoy some of that feeling if you head for a night out in bohemian Haight-Ashbury.

Of course, San Francisco also has some great tourist attractions and you are sure to want to walk across Golden Gate Bridge, take a cable car ride and visit the notorious former prison at Alcatraz, which has inspired so many action movies.

The penultimate stop on your tour of the West will be a couple of days of relaxation on the beaches of Santa Barbara, before travelling to the final destination, Los Angeles.

If you are a film buff, you are sure to seize the opportunity to visit the Hollywood sign, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, the Walk of Fame and Universal Studios. But if you aren’t a big movie fan, you may just prefer to check out LA’s stylish shops and the notorious rock star haunts on Sunset Strip.