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2011 Itinerary
10 days from $3770 per person
single Supplement available
Day 1 - Arrive in amazing San Francisco
San Francisco, the beautiful city by the bay, wins awards year after year as the "world's favorite city" - from the cultural arts to intriguing architecture and diverse cuisine, discover what makes this city special. Join your fellow travelers tonight for a welcome reception and dinner at your historic hotel on Union Square, a San Francisco landmark since 1904.
Meals: Dinner
Lodging: The Westin St. Francis, San Francisco, CA
Day 2 - Head to the wineries of the Sonoma Valley
This morning get a taste of what exciting San Francisco has to offer with a brief sightseeing tour that includes Nob Hill, Chinatown and Fisherman's Wharf. Head over the Golden Gate Bridge to the lush Sonoma Valley and a day exploring some of the world's finest vineyards - a quintessential California travel experience. Following a winery tour, wine tasting and picnic lunch at the Viansa Winery, return to San Francisco mid-afternoon for an evening spent discovering more of the city on your own.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Lodging: The Westin St. Francis, San Francisco, CA
Day 3 - A taste of Gold Fever and Yosemite
Travel through California's Gold Country, with its historic communities created during the Gold Rush boom years of the 1850s. Then head into the Sierra Nevada Mountains to Yosemite National Park for two nights at one of the most distinctive hotels inside a national park - The Ahwahnee, a National Historic Landmark built in 1927. Dine à la carte this evening in the award-winning Ahwanee Dining Room, where floor-to-ceiling windows look out on the grandeur of Yosemite.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: The Ahwahnee, Yosemite National Park, CA
Day 4 - Savoring a national treasure - Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park's unequaled splendors range from magnificent waterfalls to spectacular glacier-hewn gorges, and represent five of the seven life zones found in North America - all in an area about the size of Rhode Island. Start discovering it all with Tauck's enriching, privately guided two-hour morning walking tour of Yosemite with a local naturalist. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is then yours to explore as you please for the rest of the day.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: The Ahwahnee, Yosemite National Park, CA
Day 5 - Through "America's Salad Bowl" to Monterey
Departing Yosemite, visit the Mariposa Museum and History Center before your California travel adventure winds its way through the rich farmland of the San Joaquin Valley, dubbed "America's Salad Bowl." Stop in the quiet town of Merced, then continue on to fashionable Carmel-by-the-Sea on the Pacific coast, taking some time to explore the town's celebrated galleries and boutiques. Arrive in the beautiful, historic coastal city of Monterey for a two-night stay; your accommodation is set close to the famed Monterey Bay Aquarium. Dine at your leisure at one of Monterey's leading eateries.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: InterContinental The Clement Monterey, CA
Day 6 - Monterey Bay - the Aquarium and 17-Mile Drive
A day of discoveries under and around Monterey Bay begin with a visit to the aquatic world of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, home to 200 award-winning galleries and exhibits featuring marine life from the waters of the bay and elsewhere. Catch a glimpse of the Monterey Peninsula's impressive homes and stunning beaches as you travel the 17-Mile Drive through Del Monte Forest to Cypress Point, home of the Pebble Beach golf course. The rest of the day is spent exploring Monterey as you please.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: InterContinental The Clement Monterey, CA
Day 7 - A day of drama - Highway 1, Big Sur and Hearst Castle
Tauck's California travel expertise takes you past redwood forests and playful seals along one of the most scenic drives in North America... Pacific Coast Highway 1. View the rugged coastline of Big Sur as the dramatic road weaves its way southward along the Pacific Ocean. Stop along the way to marvel at the elaborate adornments of Hearst Castle - the grandiose, "study in excess" estate of publisher William Randolph Hearst, and the model for the fictional "Xanadu" in the movie Citizen Kane - on a walking tour of the historic 165-room mansion. Today's final destination is your Pacific oceanfront resort on Shell Beach.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: The Cliffs Resort, Shell Beach, CA
Day 8 - From Santa Barbara, get ready for Los Angeles
Journey along the coast to Santa Barbara, set against the Santa Ynez Mountains, where you'll have some time to explore the city and its Mediterranean-style courthouse. Then it's on to Los Angeles, one of the world's great entertainment capitals. Visit the magnificent J. Paul Getty Museum - featuring an extensive collection of pre-20th century European art, sculpture, antiquities, decorative arts and photographs - before arriving at your landmark Pasadena hotel, a longtime retreat for Hollywood celebrities.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: The Langham Huntington, Pasadena / Los Angeles, Pasadena, CA
Day 9 - Hollywood, Capistrano and San Diego
Start the day with a hearty "Hooray for Hollywood" on a sightseeing tour of the entertainment capital and environs, including Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, Sunset Strip and Grauman's Chinese Theater. Then travel to San Juan Capistrano, the historic mission town famous for the swallows that arrive each March, before winding your way along the Pacific Coast to San Diego, for a two-night stay at a waterfront hotel spectacularly set on Harbor Island Drive in beautiful San Diego Bay.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: The Langham Huntington, Pasadena/Los Angeles, Pasadena, CA
Day 10 - Journey Home
Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from The Langham Huntington, Pasadena, Los Angeles to the Los Angeles International Airport. International Airport. Allow a minimum of two hours for flight check-in.
Meals: Breakfast
special single value departures priced from $4681 are available on select dates.
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