Northern California
From CAD $5,064
Guarantee
Group Tour
Easy
Rating
(10 reviews)
Experience Overview
Get a taste of the Golden State on this tour of Northern California. Explore California icons: Yosemite National Park, the iconic Redwoods, and serene Lake Tahoe. Try Sonoma Valley wines and a Farm-to-Table meal in Monterey.
Highlights
Dining Summary
- 3 Dinner (D)
- 7 Breakfast (B)
- 1 Lunch (L)
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: Discover the best of San Francisco as you admire the mix of Victorian and modern architecture at Alamo Square, take in the historic grandeur of City Hall, and explore the natural beauty of Golden Gate Park. Then head to the waterfront to soak up the lively atmosphere of Pier 39, all while enjoying the city’s vibrant culture and unforgettable views.
- 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.
- Sonoma: You'll explore Sonoma's town square, a charming historic gem surrounded by adobe buildings, boutique shops, and inviting wine tasting rooms. With its relaxed atmosphere and scenic beauty, the square perfectly captures the essence of California wine country.
- Napa: Enjoy a visit to California State Capitol and indulge yourself in the rich history of this country.
- Lake Tahoe: Enjoy a scenic drive through the Sierra Nevada mountain range as you make your way through the Tioga Pass.
- Yosemite National Park: 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.
- 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". Your experience supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.
Must-see Highlights
- Explore Salinas Valley with a Local Specialist
- Visit Local Sonoma Country Winery, Yosemite National Park, Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, quaint Carmel-by-the-Sea, Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
- View Palace of Fine Arts and Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California State Capitol in Sacramento, Tunnel View in Yosemite
- Scenic Drive along spectacular 17-mile Drive, through Wine Country and Tioga Pass
- Cruise San Francisco Bay
Trafalgar Difference
- Yosemite National Park: Stay at the Yosemite Valley Lodge located close to Yosemite Falls in the middle of the national park.
Trip Details
Product Code: 19106
Tour Type: Group Tour
Accommodation: Deluxe
Transport: Private
Guide Language: English
Travel Styles:
Family, 55+
Tour Operator:
Trafalgar (CA)
Supplier Code: 319.549A
Starts: San Francisco, United States Of America
Finishes: San Francisco, United States Of America
Duration: 8 days
Departures: Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Easy
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
- On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilized.
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $5,064 ($633 /day)
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 dinner at your hotel.
Accommodation: Beacon Grand
Meals: Dinner
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 liveable and iconic cities. Embark on a morning exploration tour that takes you from the lively hotspot of Fisherman's Wharf to Union Square. 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 evening tour of the city, starting with a walking tour of Chinatown, followed by a dinner on iconic Pier 39 and concluding with a city Illuminations tour.
Accommodation: Beacon Grand
Meals: Breakfast
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, learn how this iconic engineering marvel was constructed. Continue to Sonoma Valley. Today, you'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.
Accommodation: Flamingo Resort & Spa
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
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.
Accommodation: Harvey's
Meals: Breakfast
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.
Accommodation: Yosemite Valley Lodge
Meals: Breakfast
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 you’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.
Accommodation: Casa Munras Garden Hotel & Spa
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
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. Return to Monterey, home to Cannery Row, immortalized in the John Steinbeck novel. Tonight, join your Travel Director and fellow travelers for a festive dinner.
Accommodation: Casa Munras Garden Hotel & Spa
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
California’s towering redwoods provide an imposing backdrop this morning. Continue to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park where you’ll have an opportunity to walk amongst these giants that have stood for over a thousand years. 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.
Meals: Breakfast
Similar Tours
Tour Operator
Trafalgar (CA)
Family owned and run since 1920, The Travel Corporation (TTC) is the world leader in immersive travel experiences across an extensive range of travel categories. Each year TTC's 40 award winning hospitality and travel brands connect over 1 million happy travellers to the world. We give you access to the 12 DMC’s behind these brands, so you can build your business by capitalizing on the extensive experience, local expertise, and financial assurance of TTC. LOCAL EXPERTISE The world leaders in travel for over 100 years, we offer unparalleled local expertise with a global footprint. Our 12 DMCs, led by experienced in-destination teams, deliver experience rich travel solutions in more than 80 countries. Additionally, our market based teams are on hand to support across our 40 offices worldwide
In Business Since 1931
Reviews
Rimma Mogilevsky - Traveled, April 2024
Well organized and informative travel. This is my second trip with Trafalgar. Excellent service! Well organized, I have been lucky to have fantastic their directors both times. The hotels were fine, the food was great. Most importantly for me, the trip was informative, with plenty of free time. Drivers were safe and knew the best approaches to sites. This is a comprehensive, well planned itinerary. Well organized by our tour guide *Personal information removed by Feefo*, who has many interesting facts to share. The trip was timed well to include a beautiful wine tasting experience on Mother’s Day. There was plenty of free time, dining arrangements were very nice. Additionally, we had an excellent optional evening tour of China Town in SF. Be my guest dinner was fun and very well done. Overall, excellent trip!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/28/2024
Trusted Customer - Traveled, June 2024
Northern California is Beautiful! Always have had wonderful guides on all our Trafalgar trips. They can make or break a tour and *Personal information removed by Feefo* and our other guides made the trips informative and fun. *Personal information removed by Feefo* was a great guide. The sights were spectacular and we gained a new appreciation of the Golden State. Loved Yosemite and Monterey.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/25/2024
Trusted Customer - Traveled, May 2024
Busy but saw many places and was a great vacation. Tour guide *Personal information removed by Feefo*. excellent!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/17/2024
Trusted Customer - Traveled, May 2024
The tour guide *Personal information removed by Feefo*. was wonderful. He was informative, thorough and helpful. The bus driver *Personal information removed by Feefo* was excellent. Despite the turns and twists of our route I never felt insecure with him driving. The itinerary got us to places few other tours get to. However the hotels in a couple of places could be improved. The breakfast in Monterrey was the most minimal I've ever had.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/10/2024
Trusted Customer - Traveled, May 2024
There is a fair amount of walking on this trip. The hills in SanFrancisco were difficult for me. Our tour director *Personal information removed by Feefo* was very knowledgeable and made the trip interesting. The days were filled with experiences, going full speed from 8 am to 4 pm. I wish we would have had more time to visit Carmel and Monterey.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/21/2024
Jane Murphy - Traveled, November 2024
Couldn’t wish for better service good information comfortable coach well organised tour maybe consider a different hotel in yosemitie ? Would be my only feedback. A fantastic way to see so much of california I loved the trees in yosemitie and the redwood forest would have liked more time in each location extending the trip but had a great time was made to feel very welcome and included.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 11/30/2024
Mark Harris - Traveled, November 2024
California Dreamin. Trafalgar made our vacation a dream of a lifetime. What a great trip and thank you to Trafalgar for making it happen. From all of the great hotels, sites, food and comradery with our fellow travelers. We can’t thank our tour director enough, *Personal information removed by Feefo* for his hard work on making sure that we had a great time. And we can’t forget our motor coach driver *Personal information removed by Feefo* for driving us safely on our tour. Trafalgar thank you again for a trip of a lifetime.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 11/26/2024
Trusted Customer - Traveled, October 2024
Northern California trip. Our Guide and coach driver were friendly, knowledgeable, accomadating and very welcoming
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 11/23/2024
Trusted Customer - Traveled, May 2024
It was a wonderful trip. Robert our tour guide knew so much about the area from having grown up around there it was really great the beauty of the mountains and the water Tahoe and the Monterey Bay we're also gorgeous so much fun with the other travelers we got along so well. John our driver could maneuver that bus between the smallest areas he was a great driver.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 11/20/2024
Karen Morella - Traveled, October 2024
Good sampler of northern California! Everything was fine but I wish they offered transfer from the airport. Very good overview of the area covered..
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 11/17/2024
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