Enjoy travelling iconic roads under endless skies and come away with a greater understanding of this great land and all of its peoples. Explore San Francisco’s diverse neighbourhoods and the city’s waterfront including a ride on the iconic Cable cars. Enjoy scenic bike ride across the Golden Gate Bridge and Bay Cruise,  experience the grandeur of Yosemite National Park, walk the charming streets of Santa Barbara, known as America’s Riviera, experience the rugged Pacific coastline along Highway 1 through Big Sur, explore the Monterey Bay, including the coast hamlet of Carmel and much more.

Day 1: San Francisco

Arrive in San Francisco and transfer independently to your hotel where you will meet with your tour director in the evening. Overnight at The Park Central San Francisco or similar.

Day 2: San Francisco

This morning, a fun and exciting city tour provides an overview of the city and enables you to truly appreciate many of San Francisco’s most famous sights, including Chinatown, Union Square, and Fisherman’s Wharf. Your tour will include a ride on one of San Francisco’s historic cable cars. And for an extra thrill, consider hanging off the running board, Doris Day-style. As no visit to San Francisco would be complete without taking a cruise on the Bay or crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, in the afternoon we collect a bike from Fisherman’s wharf and pedal across the Golden Gate before boarding a ferry back across the Bay, passing the famous PIER 39 sea lions along the historic waterfront which reveals the city’s spectacular skyline. Be sure to take full advantage of prime photo opportunities with unobstructed views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the notorious Alcatraz Island. This evening you may join your tour director for dinner at a specially selected restaurant in the lively Chinatown neighbourhood of the city (optional). Overnight at The Park Central San Francisco or similar. Breakfast included.

Day 3: San Francisco

Your tour director is on hand to assist with making your plans for the day: perhaps another cable car ride to Fisherman’s Wharf where you may enjoy a “Taste of San Francisco” – local seafood, famous sourdough breads or decadent Ghiradelli’s Chocolate. Or take a stroll by Sea

Lions’ Marina to watch them frolic. Be sure to gaze across the bay to Alcatraz Island where

“America’s Most Wanted” such as Al Capone and “Machine Gun” Kelly were incarcerated. Or visit Union Square for a shopping stop at Macy’s Department Store. If you would like to explore beyond the city, we recommend you embark on a wine tasting tour to Napa Valley, world renowned for its fine wineries and beautiful scenery. Or you may choose to take in the natural wonder of the Bay Area by hiking through the “enchanted” forest at nearby Muir Woods (optional). Overnight at The Park Central San Francisco or similar. Breakfast included.

Day 4: San Francisco – Yosemite – Yosemite Gateway

This morning we journey east toward the tranquillity of California’s High Sierras and Yosemite

National Park’s nearly 1,200 square miles of mountainous terrain. Once inside the park you will be introduced to some of Yosemite’s most famous and awe-inspiring scenery, including Yosemite. Falls, Half Dome, El Capitan, Tunnel View, and Bridalveil Falls. Postcard-perfect pictures abound so be sure to have your camera ready. Overnight at Hotel Piccadilly or similar. Breakfast included.

Day 5: Yosemite Gateway – Mojave Desert - Las Vegas

Today travel through the Mojave Desert en-route to Las Vegas. A late afternoon arrival in the dazzling “Entertainment Capital of the World” will give you enough time to start enjoying this fantastic city right away with an exciting evening tour featuring the famed casinos along the Strip followed by a visit to Downtown Las Vegas, where you will enjoy the glitzy lights of the Freemont Experience. Overnight Excalibur Hotel & Casino or similar. Breakfast included.

Day 6: Las Vegas – Grand Canyon West – Las Vegas

Begin the day with a stop at the iconic Las Vegas Welcome Sign where you may wish to capture a photo memory of Las Vegas before making your way on an included day trip to the Grand Canyon’s West Rim. On the way, admire the beauty of Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the U.S. formed by the Hoover Dam. At the Grand Canyon West, you will have time to explore the views on your own and if you choose, join an optional helicopter trip over the canyon, a float on the Colorado, or walk on the Skywalk platform. The rest of the day at leisure.  Overnight at Excalibur Hotel & Casino or similar. Breakfast included.

Day 7: Las Vegas – Palm Springs – San Diego

Depart from Las Vegas through Palm Springs, the winter playground for Hollywood royalty, with its lively downtown area and immaculately kept golf courses at the base of the rugged San Jacinto Mountains. This city in the desert was once known as the winter retreat of stars like Frank Sinatra, Jane Russell and Elvis Presley. Today it is a flourishing resort town with great shops, restaurants and year round desert climate. A sea of wind turbines mark the entrance to this desert oasis. We continue south to San Diego, a city known for its beaches, parks, and perfect climate. Enjoy the evening at leisure and perhaps visit some of the vibrant neighbourhoods of San Diego. Overnight at Comfort Inn & Suites San Diego Zoo/SeaWorld or similar. Breakfast included.

Day 8: San Diego

Explore California’s second largest city with your tour director. The relaxed seaside surf vibes of neighbourhoods such as Sunset Beach provide a quintessential California Coastal experience. During your tour, you will witness the central role of the American Navy in this port city. You may choose to enjoy one of San Diego’s many attractions such as Sea World or the World Famous San Diego Zoo. In the evening, we recommend checking out another of the city’s bustling neighbourhoods or perhaps a dinner cruise on the bay (optional).Overnight at Comfort Inn & Suites San Diego Zoo/SeaWorld or similar. Breakfast included.

Day 9: San Diego – The OC – Los Angeles

This morning we head north along the SoCal coast toward Orange County, or the OC, as it has come to be called by the locals. Enjoy the atmosphere of cliff-side Laguna Beach, with its local art galleries and vibrant surf culture. Continue onward to Los Angeles, America’s second largest city, a sprawling metropolis and the home of America’s entertainment industry. Enjoy an evening at leisure. Take time to explore LA’s smaller neighbouring city of Long Beach, with one of the largest ports in the United States and is also home to a historic ocean liner, the Queen Mary, which you may choose and explore (optional).Overnight at Crowne Plaza LA Harbor or similar. Breakfast included.

Day 10: Los Angeles

Embark upon an extensive and entertaining insider tour of Los Angeles that will deliver a true taste of Southern California with a visit to the most popular seaside communities like Venice whose boardwalk is famous for its Muscle Beach, and Santa Monica, home to one of California’s oldest pleasure piers. You’ll catch a glimpse the glitz and glamor of Beverly Hills, where you just might cross paths with a celebrity shopper or two along Rodeo Drive. Enjoy local flavours at the LA Farmer’s Market before making your way to Hollywood, where you’ll check out the Stars on the Walk of Fame, the celebrity hand and footprints at the Chinese Theatre, and of course the Hollywood Sign! An afternoon either hiking the Hollywood Hills to the Griffith Observatory or partaking in the thrills offered at Universal Studios (optional) is recommended. Overnight at Crowne Plaza LA Harbor or similar. Breakfast included.

Day 11: Los Angeles – Malibu – Santa Barbara – Central Coast

Depart LA and travel through the coastal hamlet of Malibu, home to celebrities and recluses alike, this enclave is like none other in California. Continue north up Pacific Coast Highway (called PCH by locals) to Santa Barbara, where palm-lined walkways border white sandy beaches. Known as the “American Riviera” for its similarities to the South of France, enjoy local food and wine during a lunch stop. Make sure to check out the city’s unique Spanish architecture at its beautiful City Hall before continuing to a quaint central coast town for an overnight stay. Overnight at Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Santa Maria or similar. Breakfast included.

Day 12: Central Coast – Hearst Castle – Big Sur - Monterey

Head north along Highway 1 to one of California’s most unique destinations, Hearst Castle. Built by newspaper baron William Randolph Hearst, the eclectic collection of old world architecture and grand gardens is situated amidst a stunning coastal landscape that will leave you in wonder. Continue up the curvy coast road through Big Sur, a cliff-side retreat where viewpoints over the rugged Pacific coastline are truly unparalleled. Continue onward over the famed “Bixby Bridge” to Monterey, California’s first capital city, where you will be able to enjoy you evening at leisure with recommendations from your tour director. Overnight at Lighthouse Lodge* or similar. Breakfast included.

Day 13: Monterey / Carmel – San Francisco

This morning you will experience all that the Monterey Peninsula has to offer by visiting the quaint village of Carmel after an exhilarating journey along one of the most scenic roads in the world, 17-Mile Drive. Afterwards, take in the sights, sounds and smells of Monterey at Old Fisherman’s Wharf and explore Cannery Row’s historic waterfront district, John Steinbeck’s inspiration for his novel of the same name. You may choose to visit the world renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium where you will be able to see and even interact with local aquatic wildlife, including the Aquarium’s most famous and adorable Sea Otter residents. In the afternoon, pass the fertile valleys of Castroville and Santa Clara en-route back to where you started your unforgettable journey, San Francisco. Overnight at Four Points SFO Airport or similar. Breakfast included.

Day 14: San Francisco Departure

Your West Coast Insider tour has come to an end. Transfer independently to the airport for your return flight home. Breakfast included.

Package inclusions:

• Return flights on Emirates  
• 13 nights’ accommodation in 3- and 4-star hotels across San Francisco (3 nights), Yosemite (1 night), Las Vegas (2 nights), San Diego (2 nights), Los Angeles (2 nights), Central Coast (1 night), Monterey (1 night) and San Francisco (1 night)
• English Multilingual (EM): English narration guaranteed as one of the languages 
• Tour of San Francisco exploring diverse neighbourhoods and the city’s waterfront including a ride on the iconic Cable cars
• Bike ride across the Golden Gate Bridge and Bay Cruise
• Evening tour of Las Vegas
• Visit to Grand Canyon’s West Rim
• Visit the desert oasis and celebrity hideaway of Palm Springs
• City tour of San Diego,
• Tour of Los Angeles
• Visit to Hearst Castle

Package exclusions:

• No meals
• Optional excursions. These need to be booked separately.
• Personal expenses
• Local taxes
• Travel Insurance

Tour Dates: Friday Departures

28 May 2021

25 June 2021

23 July 2021

20 August 2021

03 September 2021

T&Cs:

Terms and conditions apply. Prices are subject to change without prior notice. Seats are subject to availability at the time of booking. Hotels are subject to change due to availability on each departure.

CTA:

To book your tailor-made tour please contact Emirates Holidays or your local travel agent or visit emiratesholidays.com