10 days California Classics 2024 (Tour AA)
TOUR: AA
10 Day Tour from San Francisco to Los Angeles
When you hum along to California Dreamin’ on the radio, what wistful wonders come to mind? Giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park? Big reds in Sonoma? Mega stars in Los Angeles? Colossal mansions that dot the entire Pacific coastline? From the City by the Bay to the City of Angels, this ten-day tour of California reveals every heavenly sight that earned the Golden State its name. Yosemite’s Cathedral Spires, 17-Mile Drive’s Lone Cypress, and San Simeon’s Hearst Castle are just a few you’ll want your camera ready for. Between the high energy of Silicon Valley and the high style of Beverly Hills, this encompassing California vacation weaves in plenty of kickback time with visits to a Sonoma vineyard, the quiet Danish village of Solvang, and the tony resort zip codes of Monterey, Carmel, and Santa Barbara. Don’t forget your shades.
| Day | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive in San Francisco, CA | Welcome to San Francisco! At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and travelling companions for a welcome drink. |
| 2 | San Francisco | City by the Bay Enjoy morning sightseeing in one of the world’s most beautiful cities. See Golden Gate National Recreation Area, including the Golden Gate Bridge and the Presidio. Free time this afternoon to explore the city. Ride the world-famous cable cars, shop in Union Square, or visit the Museum of Modern Art. Dinner at a local restaurant this evening. Breakfast Dinner LOCAL FAVOURITE CULTURE & TRADITION As the song goes, you’ll leave your heart in San Francisco with a stroll through the exquisite Japanese Tea Garden. Walk the beautiful landscapes in the oldest public Japanese garden in the United States. Learn about the history of the park and enjoy time to explore the five acres of native Japanese plants, serene koi ponds, pagodas, and more. |
| 3 | San Francisco: Excursion to Sausalito & Sonoma | Vineyards & Views Travel across the Golden Gate Bridge this morning to the charming town of Sausalito. Continue to Sonoma for lunch on your own. Visit a local vineyard for a tour and tasting. Breakfast TOUR HIGHLIGHT TASTES & TRADITIONS Cross San Francisco Bay on the iconic Golden Gate Bridge to stroll the quaint artisan avenues of Sausalito. Enjoy waterfront views and breathtaking scenery in the charming waterfront village with a large variety of shops, restaurants, and art galleries. Venture to Sonoma with its wealth of verdant vineyards for a wine tasting. |
| 4 | San Francisco - Yosemite National Park | The Mountains are Calling Travel eastward through the Sierra Nevada Mountains to Yosemite National Park. Free time this evening. Breakfast TOUR HIGHLIGHT NATURAL WONDERS Yosemite has innumerable lakes, meadows, ice-sculpted domes, forests, waterfalls, and unspoiled alpine scenery. Descend into the 4,000-foot valley for an open-air Valley Floor Tram to explore the famous sites of El Capitan, Cathedral Spires, Yosemite Falls, and Half Dome. Here, John Muir realized, “The mountains are calling, and I must go.” We think you’ll agree. |
| 5 | Yosemite National Park - Monterey | Giants of the Land and Sea Before departing Yosemite National Park, visit Mariposa Grove, home to many old-growth sequoias. Stand in awe as you look skyward at these massive giants, one of the Earth’s largest and longest living organisms. Then, on to Monterey, home to the famed Cannery Row. Breakfast TOUR HIGHLIGHT HISTORY & HERITAGE Immortalized by John Steinbeck in his novel of the same name, Cannery Row is filled with history and vibrant sights along the waterfront of Monterey Bay. Once a bustling district of sardine factories, the street is a brightly painted avenue of eateries and shops that harken back to a heritage of fishermen and rich stories. In the morning, stroll along the wharf for the chance to see whales, otters, and other sea creatures in the kelp forests of the Pacific Ocean shore. |
| 6 | Monterey: Excursion to Carmel | Cottages & Cypress Trees This morning, spend your free time visiting historic Cannery Row. Other highlights today include a visit to the resort town of Carmel with a scenic drive along the famed 17-Mile Drive. Return to Monterey for free time before dinner at a local restaurant. Breakfast Dinner TOUR HIGHLIGHT CULTURAL GEMS Feel the windswept spirit of the Pacific Ocean with a spectacular drive along 17-Mile Drive to the charming haven of Carmel-by-the-Sea. See its crooked cottages and twisted trees in the popular haunt of writers, artists, and celebrities. You’ll pass by sweeping sea views and rocky shores, visit the world-famous Pebble Beach Golf Course for a walk on the fairway, and see the iconic Lone Cypress clinging to its rocky perch. |
| 7 | Monterey - Big Sur - San Simeon - Solvang | California Gold Journey south through Big Sur to San Simeon and visit Hearst Castle. Continue to Solvang for a free evening. Breakfast TOUR HIGHLIGHT LEGENDARY LIVES Visit the opulent mansion of legendary newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst, which houses splendid antiques, art treasures, and exotic possessions purchased at an estimated $50 million. Your guided tour shows off the highlights of the impressive 123-acre estate. |
| 8 | Solvang - Santa Barbara - Los Angeles | Treasures & Traditions Explore the Danish town of Solvang and enjoy a Globus Local Favourite Danish specialty at a local bakery. Then, travel through the Santa Ynez Mountains to beautiful Santa Barbara to visit the Old Mission Santa Barbara. Continue to metropolitan Los Angeles, the motion picture capital of the world. Breakfast LOCAL FAVOURITE CULTURAL GEM Stroll the streets of Solvang and feel as though you’ve entered a charming Danish town with picturesque buildings and shops, restaurants and windmills that create a taste of Denmark in California’s Santa Ynez Valley. Enjoy a traditional Danish pastry at Mortensen’s famous bakery. TOUR HIGHLIGHT HISTORY & HERITAGE Experience the beauty and history of California’s mission trail with a visit to Old Mission Santa Barbara. Soak in the stunning Spanish influence of the 1786 “Queen of the Missions” with its wrought iron, terra cotta, and carved wood. Feel the serenity amid its whitewashed walls and tile-roofed buildings below its chiming twin bell towers ringing out on the Camino Real above the beautiful Pacific Ocean. |
| 9 | Los Angeles | California Traditions Morning sightseeing of this gigantic metropolis takes you from Olvera Street—the oldest thoroughfare in the city—to Hollywood. See the Sunset Strip and Beverly Hills. Later, visit the Getty Museum. This evening, your Tour Director hosts a special farewell dinner at a local restaurant. Breakfast Dinner TOUR HIGHLIGHT ART & ARCHITECTURE Visit the amazing Getty Museum to see a vast collection of art housed within its hilltop complex above Los Angeles. Here, a treasure trove of masterpieces is displayed with art from the Middle Ages to the present |
| 10 | Los Angeles | Safe travels until we meet again! Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. You may choose to extend your time in Los Angeles and explore more on your own. Extra nights are available for purchase. Breakfast |