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11 Days California's Gold Coast Tour Package
Duration: 11 Days / 10 Nights
Priced From: $3,690 pp Dbl. Occ.
Dates: Apr - Oct
Discover the many treasures that lie along the Gold Coast with us on a California travel adventure. Experience the rugged natural beauty of Yosemite National Park and the spectacular coastal vistas along the incomparable Pacific Coast Highway. Enjoy the allure and glamour of city life in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego, where sightseeing includes Nob Hill, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the magnificent J. Paul Getty Museum. Unique experiences include a rail journey from San Juan Capistrano to San Diego; a privately guided walk with a naturalist in Yosemite; visits to the extraordinary vineyards of the Sonoma Valley, the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Hearst Castle; a private tour of the fascinating San Diego Zoo, and a special farewell dinner cruise on San Diego Bay. California travel with us also includes the very finest hotels each night, from award-winning city properties to luxurious coastal resorts.
Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrive San Francisco, a California travel highlight
California travel our-style begins at The Westin San Francisco Market Street at 5:30 PM. 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 us tonight for a welcome reception and dinner.
Meals: Dinner
Lodging: The Westin San Francisco Market Street, CA
Day 2 - Head to the wineries of the Sonoma Valley
This morning get a taste of what this exciting city 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 winery tour and a wine tasting are quintessential California travel experiences – and today's will be long remembered; return to San Francisco mid-afternoon for an evening spent discovering more of the city on your own.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Lodging: The Westin San Francisco Market Street, CA
Day 3 – A taste of Gold Fever... and a taste of heaven in Yosemite
Today in the Gold Country of California travel through 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. Following enriching, privately guided two-hour morning walking tour of Yosemite with a local naturalist, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is 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
Your California travel adventure winds its way through the rich farmland of the San Joaquin Valley, dubbed "America's Salad Bowl," with a stop in the quiet town of Merced, before continuing on to the Pacific coast. In fashionable Carmel-by-the-Sea, take some time to explore the town's celebrated galleries and boutiques. Arrive in the beautiful and historic coastal city of Monterey; your exquisite hotel is set within walking distance of Monterey’s famed Cannery Row and Fisherman’s Wharf. Dine at your leisure at the renowned Fresh Cream Restaurant overlooking Monterey Harbor; one of Monterey's leading eateries, it was voted by Condé Nast Traveler as one of America's best 100 restaurants.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Hotel Pacific, Monterey, CA
Day 6 - In and around Monterey Bay – the Aquarium & 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: Hotel Pacific, Monterey, CA
Day 7 - A day of drama – Highway 1, Big Sur and Hearst Castle
Our California travel expertise takes you on one of the most scenic drives in North America along 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 estate called "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 - Get ready for your close-up in 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 hotel adjacent to Beverly Hills in L.A.’s chic Westside.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, Los Angeles, CA
Day 9 - California travel dreamin' – a scenic coastal rail journey
Depart L.A. for some free time in San Juan Capistrano, the historic mission town famous for the swallows that arrive each March. Board the Pacific Surfliner for a scenic rail journey along the Pacific Coast through Del Mar, Encinitas, and Cardiff-by-the-Sea to San Diego, for a two-night stay at a waterfront hotel spectacularly set on Mission Island. A brief tour introduces you to this vibrant city on beautiful San Diego Bay.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina, San Diego, CA
Day 10 - A private tour of the world's largest zoo & a dinner cruise too
This morning, enjoy Our private insider’s tour of the San Diego Zoo at Balboa Park, the largest zoo on earth, featuring more than 4,000 animals from around the world. The afternoon is free for you to spend in San Diego as you please; you may want to explore Old Town, or visit Seaport Village and the USS Midway Museum. Tonight, reminisce about your California travel adventures during an unforgettable cocktail reception and dinner cruise on San Diego Bay featuring gourmet cuisine.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina, San Diego, CA
Day 11 - Journey Home
California travel with us ends in San Diego. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina to San Diego International Airport; checkout time is 12:00 pm. Allow a minimum of two hours for flight check-in.
Meals: Breakfast
Save time, money and stress!
For reservations: Fill out the vacation planner to be contacted by our California vacation specialist.
Contact: Travelwizard.com
Phone: 1-800-330-8820 or 1-415-446-5252
10/08
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