Northern California
8 Day California Tour of San Francisco | Operated by Trafalgar
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8 Days
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1 Country
United States -
8 Cities
San Francisco, Sonoma, Santa Rosa, Napa, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite National Park, Salinas Valley, Monterey -
12 Meals
4 Dinners, 7 Breakfasts, 1 Lunch -
Pace: Leisurely
3 or more nights in 1 destination. Requires 1-2 miles of walking per day to participate in top sites primarily flat surfaces and with some stairs.
Trip Itinerary
From the iconic to the unexpected, the city of San Francisco never ceases to surprise. Kick-start your Northern California holiday in the cosmopolitan city by the Bay. Join your Travel Director and fellow travelers for a Welcome Dinner at your hotel.
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.
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 your fellow travelers.
Enjoy a visit to California's State Capitol before traveling 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.
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. 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 brings us into the park at Yosemite Valley Lodge.
Tioga Pass: weather conditions may cause 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 entering through the west side of the park. While this may not cause a change in overnight, sightseeing will be affected this day.
After breakfast, head to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias (seasonal), home to over 500 mature trees and the largest sequoia grove in Yosemite National Park. Continue to Monterey where we’ll Connect With Locals and enjoy a Farm-to-Table Be My Guest experience including the freshest local ingredients. Meet Todd and Jordan Champagne who have been dedicated to providing simple, delicious and farm driven foods for the local community from their storefront Happy Girl Kitchen Co.
The pinch-me moments continue as we follow the sun-kissed California coast, cruising scenic 17-Mile Drive. 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. You'll visit one of the oldest family farms in Monterey County and taste a local delicacy. We return to Monterey, home to Cannery Row, immortalized in the John Steinbeck novel. You’ll have some time to unwind at your hotel or stroll through the streets of Monterey. Tonight, join your Travel Director and fellow travelers for a festive Farewell Dinner.
California’s towering redwoods provide an imposing backdrop for this morning. 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. Complimentary airport drop off at San Francisco International Airport is scheduled for 1:00 PM. Please be aware when booking your flights.
Price Includes
What's 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
- - On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilized.
- - 4 Dinners (D)
- - 7 Breakfasts (B)
- - 1 Lunch (L)
- Indulge in the many sites that San Francisco has to offer. From the eclectic mix of Victorian and modern architecture to its vibrant culture and tasty cuisines.
- Enjoy a visit to the lovely seaside community of Sausalito where you will have time to shop or grab a bite for lunch.
- Finish up your day with a ferry across San Francisco Bay and admire all of the great sights along the way.
- 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.
- Visit Napa Valley and bask in the wonderful sights of this city.
- Enjoy a visit to California State Capitol and indulge yourself in the rich history of this country.
- Enjoy a scenic drive through the Sierra Nevada mountain range as you make your way through the Tioga Pass.
- Explore the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, the largest sequoia grove in Yosemite. Located in the southern portion of Yosemite, Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias is home to over 500 mature giant sequoias and holds an important place in history. Learn how in 1864, in the midst of Civil War, President Lincoln signed legislation protecting the Mariposa Grove and Yosemite Valley for "public use, resort, and recreation." This marked the first time in history when the federal government set aside scenic natural areas for protection. Mariposa Grove was later added to Yosemite National Park in 1906.
- 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.
- Bask in Carmel's beautiful natural scenery and rich artistic history.
- 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.
- Visit a local winery and enjoy a unique experience and exploration of wine before sitting down to eat a tasty lunch with your fellow travelers.
- Stay at the Yosemite Valley Lodge located close to Yosemite Falls in the middle of the national park.
- 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.
- 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".
Optional Experiences
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.
Guided Chinatown Walking Tour, Pier 39 and City Illuminations Tour (Available on Day 2)Explore the Chinese markets, herb shops, a fortune cookie factory and more (weather permitting), before dining family-style with a Chinese feast at Great Eastern. After dinner, board your motor coach 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: $88 Child Price: $88