Description
Extended Program which adds 2 nights pre-tour in San Francisco, 2 nights post-tour in Los Angeles, the city tours and the transfer out to the airport through hotel shuttle.
All breakfast included.
Program
DAY 01 SATURDAY: SAN FRANCISCO, CA (EXTENDED PROGRAM ONLY)
Arrival day in San Francisco. The rest of the day is at leisure. San Francisco is one of the most beautiful cities in the US. It’s a compact and approachable place, where downtown streets rise on impossible gradients to reveal stunning views of the city, the bay and beyond. San Francisco is culturally vibrant and ethnically diverse; as a result, it has evolved into the urban jewel of California’s coast. Very typical for this city are the cable cars and rows of elaborate redwood Victorian-Style houses. Curiously, it contains the biggest China Town outside China.
Accommodations: Park Central San Francisco or similar (2 nights)
DAY 02 SUNDAY: SAN FRANCISCO, CA (EXTENDED PROGRAM ONLY) Breakfast
Half Day City tour departs at 08:15 Hrs from the Park Central San Francisco Get to know this exiting city through this half-day tour which will include highlights such as the Civic Center, Japan Town, St. Mary’s Cathedral, the Twin Peaks and the Golden Gate Bridge. The tour will conclude at one of the area’s most popular destinations, Fisherman’s Wharf. The Wharf offers unobstructed views of infamous Alcatraz Island and consists of a long, coast-side row of seafood restaurants, street vendors and entertainers, souvenir stores, and beautiful ocean scenery. The rest of the day is yours to explore the city on your own, or join one of the optional excursions.
Optional Day Excursion – Lombard Street and Sausalito Take a ride to the top of Lombard Street, known as “the world’s crookedest street” Once at the bottom; you will board the bus that will transport you across the bridge to Sausalito a historic town that dates back over 100 years. After some leisure time in Sausalito, a scenic ferry ride will bring you back to San Francisco.
DAY 03 MONDAY: SAN FRANCISCO – YOSEMITE NP – TULARE, CA Breakfast
San Francisco Departure – Participants should meet in the lobby of the Park Central San Francisco at 07:00 Hrs for a 07:15 Hrs departure.
This morning we have a scenic drive toward the country’s most famous National Park, Yosemite. Yosemite offers breathtaking views and natural variety of plants and animals. Within the Park, Yosemite Valley’s seven square miles is the most known area. It encompasses Yosemite Falls, the famous El Captain and Half Dome granite monoliths, and foggy Bridalveil Falls. The overall scenery is spectacular, views of sheer granite walls, ice-sculptured domes, thundering waterfalls, alpine peaks, glaciers, and flowered meadows are a common occurrence here. A final stop will be at the might Sequoias of Mariposa Grove before we continue to Tulare for the night.
Accommodations: Best Western Town & Country or similar (1 night)
DAY 04 TUESDAY: TULARE – DEATH VALLEY NP – LAS VEGAS, NV Breakfast
A morning drive takes us to Death Valley, a desert of streaming sand dunes, snow-capped mountains and multicolored rock layers. It is also one of the most arid places on earth and the hottest and driest of the National Parks within the United States with temperatures reaching 134°F / 56.6°C in the summer. Surprisingly, an average yearly rain-fall of 2 inches/5 cm has proven sufficient for the over 900 species of plants and animals that thrive in this harsh environment. We will stop for a spectacular view of the Panamint Mountains and Sand Dunes and at Furnace Creek where you may want to choose to have a light lunch (on own). Our journey continues to the exiting city of Las Vegas. Las Vegas is the most dynamic and spectacular city on earth; it boasts the vast majority of the world’s largest hotels which attract thirty-seven million visitors each year who come to see the amazing spectacle that are the hotels themselves. *When temperatures exceed 110° Fahrenheit, travel trough Death Valley will not be possible for safety reasons and an alternate route will be taken to Las Vegas and a visit to the Calico Ghost Town will be included.
Accommodations: Harrah’s Las Vegas or similar (1 night)
Optional Evening Excursion – Las Vegas This tour takes you to Fremont Street with its aluminum barrel vault canopy covered with 12.5 million LED lights, multiple lasers, strobes and a state-of-the-art sound system that come alive several times a night during extravagant themed shows on the famous Las Vegas strip. This is an introductory tour of Las Vegas by night.
DAY 05 WEDNESDAY: LAS VEGAS – RED CANYON – BRYCE CANYON NP, UT Breakfast
Leave the glitter of Las Vegas behind for Utah. After a mornings drive we take a walk through Red Canyon before we continue to Bryce Canyon. Bryce is known for some of the most colorful rock formations in the world which have been sculpted by erosion into pillars called ‘hoodoos’ and other fantastic forms. We will walk into the canyon to experience the canyon up close. Iron oxides give red, yellow and brown tints to the limestone, while manganese oxides lend a lavender hue. The most brilliant hues in the park come alive with the rising and setting of the sun. Do not miss the opportunity for star gazing, as the clean air and lack of lights create a spectacular view.
Accommodations: Bryce View Lodge or similar (1 night)
DAY 06 : THURSDAY: BRYCE – CAPITOL REEF NP – DEAD HORSE POINT SP – MOAB, UT Breakfast, Lunch
Today we continue through Canyon Country to Capitol Reef National Park, known for its vivid sandstone formations and fruit orchards. The sandstone formations, cliffs and canyons, follow a 100-mile long bulge in the earth’s crust called the Waterpocket Fold. We will stop at Fruita, a designated picnic area for a box lunch. Next we visit Dead Horse Point which offers a spectacular view of Canyonlands, this is one of the most photographed scenic vistas in the world. The overlook provides a breathtaking panorama of Canyonlands’ sculpted pinnacles and buttes. We continue to Moab for the night.
Accommodations: Moab Downtown Hotel or similar (1 night)
Optional Afternoon Excursion - Jeep Tour Shafer Trail in Canyonlands Experience the excitement of 3 hours in the heart of Moab’s famous redrock. High atop the Mesa descend via the steep switchbacks of Shafer Trail in Canyonlands Island in the Sky area. Travel a portion of the White Rim and finish near the Colorado River corridor below
DAY 07 FRIDAY: MOAB – MONUMENT VALLEY – HORSESHOE BEND – PAGE, AZ Breakfast
Today is a visual feast as we travel to Monument Valley which offers the most enduring and definitive images of the American West. The isolated red mesas and buttes surrounded by empty, sandy desert have been filmed and photographed countless times over the years for movies, advertisements and holiday brochures. Beautiful Lake Powell was created in 1963 as the Glen Canyon Dam filled the from the Colorado River. We will visit the dam and enjoy the viewpoints before following the Colorado River on its way south and walk out to viewpoint where it bends around a sandstone monolith at Horseshoe Bend. Accommodations: Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Page Lake Powell or similar (1 night)
Optional Day Excursion – Monument Valley Tour For a memorable experience, take the optional Monument Valley Tour with a local Indian guide. See the towering cliffs, mesas and the unique sandstone formations that punctuate the sometimes barren landscape. These aspires rise into strange formations that have inspired names such as “Three Sisters”, “The Thumb”, and the most famous of all “Totem Pole”.
DAY 08 SATURDAY: PAGE – GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK – WILLIAMS, AZ Breakfast
Optional Day Excursion - Antelope Canyon This morning enjoy an optional tour of spectacular Antelope Canyon, the often photographed slot canyon. Carved from the Navajo sandstone over the course of countless millenniums, slot canyons are majestic and narrow passages, just enough space for a small group to walk the sandy floor and for the occasional shafts of sunlight to shine down from above. The sunlight filtering down the curved sandstone walls makes magical, constantly changing patterns and shadows in many subtle shades of color.
En route to the Grand Canyon we make a stop at the Cameron Trading Post where you may purchase local Indian crafts. The tour continues to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon for a visit to Desert View, Mather Point, Yavapai and Bright Angel Lodge. The Grand Canyon is one of the seven natural wonders of the world, its amazing landscape awes and inspires. The canyon offers spectacular vistas, majestic rock formations, and experiences to savor for a lifetime. It is a steep-sided gorge carved by the Colorado River over a six million year period. The Canyon is between 1500 and 2700 meters above sea level.
Optional Day Excursion - Flight over the Grand Canyon This afternoon enjoy an optional helicopter or airplane flight over the Grand Canyon. Get an exclusive bird’s eye view of this magnificent wonder. See the difference between the North and the South rims, for starters, one is 365 meter higher than the other; experience the splendor of Kaibab National Forest and the imposing Tower of Ra among other equally impressive sights.
Continue to the city of Williams located on famous Route 66 for the night.
Accommodations: La Quinta Inn & Suites Williams or similar (1 night)
DAY 09 SUNDAY: WILLIAMS – SELIGMAN – PALM SPRINGS, CA Breakfast
Today we take a scenic drive along iconic Route 66. Known as the “Mother Road”, it is first highway connecting the east and west coasts. We’ll stop at quirky Seligman, the birthplace of Historic Route 66, famous for its vintage character and roadside art. Lake Havasu City, on the Colorado River, is the next stop to shop or have lunch before we continue across the dessert to Palm Springs. The resort town situated in the shadow of the San Jacinto Peak is home to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, where your ride today is included on the largest rotating aerial tramway in the world. Over two-and-one-half miles long, you’ll get a unique view on the breathtaking cliffs of Chino Canyon.
Accommodations: The Saguaro Hotel Palm Springs or similar (1 night)
DAY 10 MONDAY: PALM SPRINGS - LOS ANGELES, CA Breakfast
Our next stop in the City of Angels, Los Angeles where we will tour the city. Some of the highlights include Grumman’s Chinese Theatre, Beverly Hills, home to the rich and famous and the world-famous shopper’s paradise Rodeo Drive! Keep your eyes open and your cameras ready, here you may spot a celebrity around any corner. We will visit other famous landmarks including Olvera Street and Santa Monica, the terminus of Route 66.
Accommodations: Holiday Inn Los Angeles Airport (1 night)
DAY 11 TUESDAY: LOS ANGELES, CA Breakfast
Depending on flight schedules there may be time for some last minute shopping. Transfer on own to Los Angeles International Airport via the free hotel shuttle.
Price includes
2-Night pre-tour accommodations in San Francisco
Porterage: San Francisco only
San Francisco City Tour (Half Day)
Meals: Daily Breakfast
8-Night accommodations including applicable taxes in featured (or similar) accommodations
Meals: Daily Breakfast, 1 Box lunch
Exclusively Italian speaking tour director for the duration of the program
Air-conditioned transportation as per itinerary, transportation equipment will be adjusted to the
group size. In case of very small groups (12 or less persons) where a Mercedes Sprinter / Ford Transit style vehicle will be used a Driver/ Guide will be conducting the tour.
Transfer out to LAX via hotel shuttle
Sightseeing: Yosemite, Death Valley, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Dead Horse Point to view Canyonlands, Monument Valley, Grand Canyon
Admissions: National Parks and National Monuments as featured
Aerial Tram Palm Springs
Price does not include
Meet & Greet and Transfers
Porterage
All personal expenditures
Optional excursions
Tips and gratuities
Italiano
Русский
