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Get a true taste of the Golden State as you tour Northern California passing cityscapes and seaside cliffs of the 17-Mile Drive. Explore California icons: Yosemite National Park, iconic Redwoods, and serene Lake Tahoe, topped off with tasty Napa Valley wines and a farm-to-table meal in Monterey.
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From the iconic to the unexpected, the city of San Francisco never ceases to surprise. Kick-start your effortlessly delivered Northern California holiday in the cosmopolitan hills of ‘The City’. Join your Travel Director and fellow travelers for a Welcome Reception at your hotel.
Trip Summary Accomodation IconHotel - Clift Royal Sonesta
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, a historical landmark linked to the American Civil War. This afternoon’s Your Choice Sightseeing offers a deeper look into two of the city’s iconic spots. A guided Golden Gate Bridge walk takes you 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). You’ll arrive in the quaint seaside community of Sausalito with time for shopping or lunch before finishing up with a different view of the bay: a relaxing ferry cruise back to the city. If you choose to explore Golden Gate Park with your Travel Director, you’ll love learning how this urban oasis of over 1,000 acres supports 7 distinct ecosystems as you stroll the green lawns, bridle paths, and lakes of this expansive park right in the heart of San Francisco.
Trip Summary Meals IconIncluded Meals - Breakfast
Day 3
Journey To Napa Wine Country
Start off your day with breakfast in San Francisco before we head out 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 fellow travelers.
Trip Summary Accomodation IconHotel - Embassy Suites Napa Valley
Travel 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. This evening, enjoy a Regional Dinner as you cruise on the beautiful Lake Tahoe.
Trip Summary Accomodation IconHotel - Lake Tahoe Resort
*Napa Valley Hot Air Ballooning (from Napa Valley area)
Rise early for the experience of a lifetime! Your hot air balloon flight begins at sunrise in the most scenic areas of the Upper Napa Valley – Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena, Calistoga, Capay Valley – as determined by the winds. Soar peacefully in colorful hot air balloons and float silently above the trees and fields, lush vineyards and orchards and world-renown wineries. The sensation of ballooning is very gentle and its calming effect seems to put the world below into perspective. Your pilots are all experienced, professional and FAA commercially rated. They are familiar with the valley and dedicated to ensuring that your ballooning experience is safe, informative, memorable and fun! Subject to weather conditions. Approx. duration: 3 hours.
Adult Price: $285.00*
* The Optionals and pricing listed here are a guideline only and subject to change.
Day 5
Embrace The Wilderness Of Yosemite National Park
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. (Weather conditions may cause the 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). 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 takes us overnight in the park.
Trip Summary Accomodation IconHotel - Yosemite Valley Lodge
Trip Summary Meals IconIncluded Meals - Breakfast
Day 6
Taste The California Difference
Tempt your taste-buds today with a visit to the Salinas Valley where you’ll join a Local Specialist for an agricultural education tour to learn about fruit, vegetables, and advanced farming techniques of the region that is known as the “Salad Bowl of the World”. Continue to Monterey where we’ll Connect With Locals for a farm-to-table Be My Guest dinner including the freshest local ingredients.
Trip Summary Accomodation IconHotel - Casa Munras Garden and Spa
Trip Summary Meals IconIncluded Meals - Breakfast, Be My Guest
Day 7
Witness The Incredible California Coast
The pinch me moments continue as we follow the sun-kissed California coast, cruising scenic 17-Mile Drive. We return to Monterey for a visit to Cannery Row, immortalized in the John Steinbeck novel. The rest of the evening is yours to explore Monterey’s vibrant street life or guests can visit on their own the world-renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium. Tonight, we join our Travel Director and fellow travelers for a festive Farewell Dinner.
California’s towering redwoods provide an imposing backdrop for this morning as we journey back in time to the era of lumberjacks and sawmills in a re-created 1890s logging camp, complete with general store and railroad depot. 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. Take a transfer to San Francisco International Airport or consider extending your stay.
Trip Summary Meals IconIncluded Meals - Breakfast
All optional experiences for this trip
Book with your travel director when you travel
Available on day 4
*Napa Valley Hot Air Ballooning (from Napa Valley area)
Rise early for the experience of a lifetime! Your hot air balloon flight begins at sunrise in the most scenic areas of the Upper Napa Valley – Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena, Calistoga, Capay Valley – as determined by the winds. Soar peacefully in colorful hot air balloons and float silently above the trees and fields, lush vineyards and orchards and world-renown wineries. The sensation of ballooning is very gentle and its calming effect seems to put the world below into perspective. Your pilots are all experienced, professional and FAA commercially rated. They are familiar with the valley and dedicated to ensuring that your ballooning experience is safe, informative, memorable and fun! Subject to weather conditions. Approx. duration: 3 hours.
Adult Price: $285.00*
* The Optionals and pricing listed here are a guideline only and subject to change.
All Optional Experiences
The Optionals and pricing listed here are a guideline only and subject to change.
Breakfast daily and up to half of your evening meals
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Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
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Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
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Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras
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Optional Experiences and free time
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LIVE, UNEDITED & INDEPENDENT TRAVELERS REVIEWS
Northern California Trip Reviews
Our guests are at the heart of everything we do, their feedback fuels our innovation, inspiring us to improve continuously and craft Simply The Best vacations. That's why we ask each of our guests to leave a third-party verified, independent review after every trip. As testament to our commitment we have been given the Trusted Service Award from Feefo, recognising we deliver exceptional experiences as rated by real guests.
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One of the best vacations!
Trip Rating
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5
Great trip for the money. All of our accommodations were wonderful!!! Food was also great! Tour director, bus driver and we’ll being director did a great job!!!
Trafalgar is the best tour company we ever dealt with for a vacation. They went above and beyond to make our trip so nice. Our travel director, Dave was fabulous. He also planned things for us to see and do that wasn’t on our itinerary. We will certainly travel with Trafalgar again.
Overall the hotels we stayed at were very good, though the Lake Tahoe Resort did not measure up to our standards. The Yosemite lodge was rustic but fit the setting perfectly.
Absolutely amazing! From itinerary, tour director, and seamless service and attention to detail, it was a once in a lifetime experience. The scenery was inspirational.
If you are looking even further ahead, this trip is available to book in 2023. Visit our website for dates and today’s best prices.
Be My Guest (BMG), Breakfast (B), Farewell Dinner (FD), Lunch (L), Regional Dinner (RD), Welcome Reception (WR)
Unless otherwise stated, trip prices are per person, land only, based on double occupancy and reflect applicable discount. Discounts are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice.
Trip prices are correct at the time of the products going live, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking. All trip information is correct at time of trips going live, however are subject to change - please confirm all details at time of booking.
Twin-share option not available for trips to South America, Costa Rica, Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, South Africa, Kenya & Tanzania, Botswana, Zambia or for any holiday & cruise combination, or in Asia and Eastern Mediterranean except Highlights of Turkey (without cruise) & Best of Turkey. It's also not available on Small Group trips. Guided Vacations included in this restriction are Newfoundland and Labrador (DNLA). Does not apply to trips operated by Inspiring Journeys & our Mini-stays.
For trips that are part of our Guaranteed Room Share, please note that there is a no smoking policy in all shared rooms. Solo travel is not accepted on guided Family Experiences holidays unless traveling as part of a family group.
Travel to Europe often requires an overnight flight. Please arrange your flights to arrive on or before day 1.
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