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Northern California

Operated by: Trafalgar

8 Days from $3,290 per person
APR - OCT 2023
Northern California

Countries Visited

United States ...more United States

Locations Visited

San Francisco, Napa, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite National Park, Salinas Valley, Monterey ...more San Francisco, Napa, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite National Park, Salinas Valley, Monterey
  1. Day 1 Hello San Francisco

    From the iconic to the unexpected, the city of San Francisco never ceases to surprise. Kick-start your effortlessly delivered Northern California holiday in the cosmopolitan hills of ‘The City’. Join your Travel Director and fellow travelers for a Welcome Reception at your hotel.

    meals Welcome Reception
    hotel The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel
  2. Day 2 Dive Into Eclectic San Francisco

    Fuel up for a full day of indulging in San Francisco’s many sites. Admire the eclectic mix of Victorian and Modern architecture, vibrant culture, and cuisines of one of the world's most livable and iconic cities. Embark on a morning exploration tour that takes you from the lively hotspot of Fisherman's Wharf to Union Square. This afternoon offers a deeper look into two of the city’s iconic spots. After lunch, enjoy a relaxing ferry cruise to the quaint seaside community of Sausalito with time for shopping. This evening is at your leisure. Perhaps choose to join an optional guided walking tour of Chinatown including a delicious feast and a city illumination tour.

    meals Breakfast
    hotel The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel
  3. Day 3 Journey To Napa Wine Country

    Start off your day with a guided Golden Gate Bridge walk across the 1.7-mile span of the magnificent "bridge that couldn't be built." As you gaze across the water (one the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, learn how this iconic engineering marvel was constructed). Continue to Sonoma and Napa Valley. Today, we'll visit a local winery and enjoy a unique experience and exploration of wine with a tasting. Enjoy an included lunch this afternoon with fellow travellers.

    meals Breakfast, Lunch
    hotel Embassy Suites Napa Valley
  4. Day 4 Entice Your Senses At Lake Tahoe

    Travel through the scenic fertile Sacramento River Valley to find yourself in the alpine splendor of Lake Tahoe. Its clear blue waters surrounded by evergreen pines and rocky outcrops provides you with a picturesque scenery to behold. This evening, enjoy a Regional Dinner as you cruise on the beautiful Lake Tahoe.

    meals Breakfast, Dinner
    hotel Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel
  5. Day 5 Embrace The Wilderness Of Yosemite National Park Stays With Stories

    Touch the sky and embark on a scenic road-trip into the Sierra Nevada mountain range, winding along the Tioga Pass to California’s UNESCO-listed Yosemite National Park. (Weather conditions may cause the Tioga Pass to be closed to traffic, typically from mid October to the end of May. In this case, an alternate entry point to Yosemite will be used). Marvel at the incredible natural beauty that inspired naturalist John Muir to dub Yosemite Valley the “Incomparable Valley”, passing the colossal granite faces of El Capitan and the misty splendor of Bridalveil Fall. Tonight, our Stays With Stories takes us overnight in the park.

    meals Breakfast
    hotel Yosemite Valley Lodge
  6. Day 6 Taste The California Difference Make Travel Matter Connect with Locals

    Leave Yosemite behind and visit the Salinas Valley where you’ll love this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience with an agricultural education tour to learn about fruit, vegetables, and advanced farming techniques.  Continue to Monterey where we’ll enjoy a Farm-to-Table Be My Guest Experience made with the freshest local ingredients.

    meals Breakfast, Dinner
    hotel Casa Munras Garden Hotel & Spa
  7. Day 7 Witness The Incredible California Coast

    The pinch me moments continue as we follow the sun-kissed California coast, cruising scenic 17-Mile Drive. We return to Monterey, home to Cannery Row, immortalized in the John Steinbeck novel. The rest of the evening is yours to explore Monterey’s vibrant street life or on your own take a trip to the world-renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium. Tonight, join your Travel Director and fellow travelers for a festive Farewell Dinner.

    meals Breakfast, Dinner
    hotel Casa Munras Garden Hotel & Spa
  8. Day 8 Take A Walk Through The Redwoods

    California’s towering redwoods provide an imposing backdrop for this morning as we journey back in time to the era of lumberjacks and sawmills in a re-created 1890s logging camp. We continue to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park where we���ll have an opportunity to walk amongst these giants that have stood for over a thousand years. We return to the golden city of San Francisco where you might consider extending your stay. Airport drop off at 1:00pm, please be aware when booking fights.

    meals Breakfast
Northern California Guided Tour Map
Price Includes

Whats Included

  • An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
  • Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
  • All porterage and restaurant gratuities
  • All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
  • Breakfast daily and up to half of your evening meals
  • Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras
  • Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing
  • All transport and transfers shown
  • Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
  • Optional Experiences and free time

Dining Summary

  • 1 Welcome Reception (WR)
  • 7 Breakfast (B)
  • 1 Lunch (L)
  • 3 Dinner (D)

Be My Guest

  • Monterey: Visit Happy Girl Kitchen in Monterey, where your hosts share their knowledge and love of food using the freshest ingredients during an outstanding farm-to-table experience.

Iconic Experience

  • San Francisco: Indulge in the many sites that San Francisco has to offer. From the eclectic mix of Victorian and Modern architecture, its vibrant culture and their tasty cuisines.
  • San Francisco: Enjoy a visit to the lovely seaside community of Sausalito where you will have time to shop or grab a bite for lunch.
  • San Francisco: Finish up your day with a ferry across San Francisco Bay and admire all of the great sights along the way.
  • San Francisco: Walk across and marvel at this modern wonder of the world. Golden Gate has the second-longest main span in the Americas and is one of the most internationally recognized symbols of San Francisco and California.
  • Napa: Visit Napa Valley and bask in the wonderful sights of this city.
  • Napa: Enjoy a visit to California State Capital and indulge yourself in the rich history of this country.
  • Lake Tahoe: Enjoy a cruise along Lake Tahoe and admire its clear blue waters and the surrounding evergreen pines and rocky outcrops.
  • Lake Tahoe: Enjoy a scenic drive through the Sierra Nevada mountain range as you make your way through the Tioga Pass.
  • Pebble Beach: The stunning California coast passes by you, cruising scenic 17-Mile Drive. This drive is full of dramatic coastal cliffs, snow-white beaches, mystical forests and iconic golf courses.
  • Monterey: Bask in Carmel's beautiful natural scenery and rich artistic history.
  • Santa Cruz: Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains is famous for the 40-acre grove of redwood trees. You can enjoy hiking and other outdoor activities on more than 4,650 acres of forested and open land.

MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®

  • Castroville: Visit the Salinas Valley for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience as you join a Local Specialist for an agricultural education tour. Learn about fruit and vegetable production and advanced farming techniques of the region that is known as the "Salad Bowl of the World".

Must-see Highlights

  • : Explore Salinas Valley with a Local Specialist
  • : Visit Yosemite National Park, Sausalito, quaint Carmel-by-the-Sea, California State Capitol, and Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
  • : Scenic Drive along spectacular 17-mile Drive, through Wine Country and Tioga Pass
  • : Cruise San Francisco Bay and Lake Tahoe

Trafalgar Difference

  • Napa: Visit a local winery and enjoy a unique experience and exploration of wine before sitting down to eat a tasty lunch with your fellow travellers.
  • Yosemite National Park: Stay at the Yosemite Valley Lodge located close to Yosemite Falls in the middle of the national park.

Whats Included

  • : An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
  • : Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
  • : All porterage and restaurant gratuities
  • : All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
  • : Breakfast daily and up to half of your evening meals
  • : Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras
  • : Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing
  • : All transport and transfers shown
  • : Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
  • : Optional Experiences and free time

Dates & Prices

Prices shown are per person based on two people sharing a twin room. To request a personalized travel quote, click "Request Quote" and a Travel Specialist will send your custom quote including airfare if requested.

Online Booking Process

Onlinebookingprocesssteps
August 2023
AARP Members Save up to $100
Aug 25 Fri
Sep 1 Fri
AARP Members Save up to $100
DOUBLE OCCUPANCY PRICE/PERSON
$3,312
September 2023
AARP Members Save up to $100
Sep 8 Fri
Sep 15 Fri
AARP Members Save up to $100
Guaranteed Departure This departure is guaranteed
DOUBLE OCCUPANCY PRICE/PERSON
$3,429
October 2023
AARP Members Save up to $100
Oct 6 Fri
Oct 13 Fri
AARP Members Save up to $100
DOUBLE OCCUPANCY PRICE/PERSON
$3,290
Optional Add-Ons

Optional Experiences are subject to change. Your Travel Director will supply you with a final list of Optional Experiences available on your trip. Optional Experiences cannot be booked online; they can be purchased during your trip through your Travel Director.

San Francisco

Available on Day 2

Guided Chinatown Walking Tour, Chinese Dinner and City Illuminations Tour

Explore the Chinese markets, herb shops, a fortune cookie factory and more (weather permitting), before dining family-style with a Chinese feast. After dinner, board your motorcoach for the City Illuminations Tour. Drive past the colorful signs and glittering lights of North Beach, the Embarcadero, Fisherman’s Wharf, Telegraph Hill, Coit Tower, the Broadway Strip and the historic Ferry Building. After crossing the Oakland Bay Bridge to Treasure Island, catch a spectacular night panorama of sparkling San Francisco!
Adult Price: $66

Reviews
Service
Vacation
Independent Reviews
Julie Brown
Review date: Wednesday, August 25, 2021
Service
Originally our reservation was made in 2020, then cancelled and rebooked in 2021.
Vacation
We sure did see "highlights" of Northern California. The itinerary was packed full. In future, for me, I would like a bit more down time in the hotels. Our days were full and we didn't get a chance to enjoy the areas we stopped at for the one night stays.
Karl Andersen
Review date: Monday, August 2, 2021
Service
My party of three——my daughter Julie Brown, my wife Joanne and myself——thoroughly enjoyed our experience of Northern California with Trafalgar. Our team was professional and thoroughly practical in bringing us safely around fire and storm.
Response from Grand European Travel:
We are so happy that your family had a great time and that the California fires didn't affect your ability to enjoy yourselves. We are happy that everyone is safe and sound with memories of a splendid vacation.
Wednesday, August 4, 2021
Vacation
Our party of three thoroughly enjoyed our traveling team bringing us safely through our Northern California tour.
Debra Waguespack
Review date: Monday, August 2, 2021
Service
Wonderful tour director and driver. very organized and very fun!!!
Vacation
wonderful hotels and meals. made good friends on this trip. tour director was excellent. great itinerary.
Response from Grand European Travel:
That is fantastic to hear! Thank you for booking with us and for sharing the memories of your trip.
Wednesday, August 4, 2021
Trusted Customer
Review date: Saturday, June 29, 2019
Service
David Frontella did a wonderful job. All of my questions were answered quickly.He always returned my phone calls efficiently. Good job Dave
Vacation
It was a great trip; we visited many beautiful places. Would definitely use GET to plan my next vacation
Lucille Giambalvo
Review date: Friday, May 31, 2019
Service
The agent made the process easy and pleasurable.
Vacation
Our Director, Daniel Hernandez was great fun and had lots of interesting information re: our tour spots. Our Driver, Angel did a great job taking us around. Hotels, restaurants, places of interest were all great.
Jerry Schrager
Review date: Saturday, July 7, 2018
Service
Very impressed with all services and the Tour was everything we could have hoped for. The TD. Monte McCann was exceptional, the best. Our bus driver, Angel Gonzalez was perfecto, very congenial!!
Vacation
Value was there, hotels, stops, extras, all added to the tour!
Joan Schrager
Review date: Saturday, July 7, 2018
Service
This was our fourth trip with GET and have loved them all! Amazing itineraries, wonderful tour guides, and a great way to travel!
Vacation
Great company to work with!
Carmen Ziegler
Review date: Saturday, June 30, 2018
Service
The agenda was what I expected. Four out of the five hotels were excellent. Our leader was very informative and knowledgeable.
Vacation
Read the previous statement.
Vera Grainger
Review date: Saturday, May 26, 2018
Service
Courteous/knowledgeable director and coach driver. Well laid out schedule. Excellent accommodations and meals. I will be using GET/Trafalgar again.
Vacation
Quality service for a fair price.
Donna Griffith
Review date: Saturday, May 26, 2018
Service
Booking was easy and any questions that I had were always answered, either by phone or email.I got really helpful information about arrival and departure times in relation to the beginning and end of the tour in San Francisco so that I could arrange my flights. Also, I appreciated the early booking, AARP and previous booking discounts.
Vacation
There was great value for the price. I got early booking. AARP and frequent traveler discounts. The hotels, sites visited and meals provided were all top rate. I saw every thing that I wanted to see and even more that I had no idea about but thoroughly enjoyed. The tour director, Danny Hernandez, went above and beyond to keep us safe, happy and informed. The tour bus driver, Wray, with Royal Coach was very safety conscious and pleasant. I also really liked being able to book a room to myself.
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