National Parks, Wineries and California Coast Adventures

Duration: 14 Days | 13 Nights
Destination: Las Vegas - Death Valley - Visalia - Sequoia & Kings Canyon - Yosemite - Napa Valley - San Francisco - Highway 1 - Paso Robles - Los Angeles - Catalina Island
Departure & Return Locations: Las Vegas, Nevada (LAS) / Los Angeles, California (LAX)
Group Size: Maximum 15 travellers in a private passenger van
Tour Style: Adventure touring and sightseeing - Grade 2
Languages: English, with selected departures also conducted in German

Four national parks, two wine regions and the best of the California coast in a single fortnight. This small group tour runs from Las Vegas to Los Angeles through Death Valley, Sequoia, Kings Canyon and Yosemite, then swaps desert and granite for the vineyards of Napa Valley, the cable cars of San Francisco and the cliffs of Highway 1. It is a touring trip rather than a hiking one - the walking is leisurely and the emphasis is on getting to the places at the right hour, which is why Death Valley is reached in the late afternoon light and the sand dunes are walked after dark under some of the darkest skies in North America. A day cruise to Catalina Island and a farewell dinner in Los Angeles close it out.

Day 1: Arrive in Las Vegas
Make your own way from the airport to the hotel by shuttle or taxi and settle in after the long flight. The evening is free before the tour begins.
Overnight: Tuscany Suites & Casino, Las Vegas

Day 2: Death Valley National Park (B/L)
Meet your guide in the hotel lobby for the briefing, then walk the Las Vegas Strip before heading out in the early afternoon for Death Valley. This is one of the hottest places on earth, with summer temperatures above 49C, and the plan is to be inside the park as the evening light softens. Explore the eroded badlands below Zabriskie Point and the salt flats at Badwater Basin, 86m below sea level. After dark there is a walk out onto the sand dunes - Death Valley is an International Dark Sky park and the Milky Way is startling here. The night ends with a swim in the hotel's spring-fed pool. Drive: 200km, around 2.5 hours.
Overnight: The Ranch at Death Valley

Day 3: Death Valley to Visalia (B/L)
A leisurely breakfast at Furnace Creek and then more of the park - the ruins of the Harmony Borax Works, the Mesquite Flat sand dunes, the old stage stop at Stovepipe Wells, and the marble-walled Mosaic Canyon that most visitors drive straight past. Leave through Panamint Springs and climb west into the forests of central California, ending the day at the gateway town for Sequoia and Kings Canyon. Drive: 506km, around 5.5 hours.
Overnight: Comfort Suites Visalia

Day 4: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (B/L)
The winding Sierra Drive climbs out of Visalia through Three Rivers and straight into old growth forest. Today runs the length of the Generals Highway with stops at the General Sherman Tree - the largest living thing on earth by volume - the Kings Canyon Overlook, the Lost Grove and the Big Stump Grove, a sobering reminder of what nineteenth century logging took. In the afternoon the road drops through Fresno and Oakhurst to the western gate of Yosemite. Drive: 390km, around 4 hours.
Overnight: Yosemite View Lodge, El Portal (2 nights)

Day 5: Yosemite National Park (B/L)
An early breakfast buys a full day on the Yosemite Valley floor. The walking is easy and unhurried, with time for photographs and for wandering off on your own. Lie back at the backpackers' campground and look up at Yosemite Falls and Half Dome, then spend the afternoon at a slower pace, with a swim in a quiet eddy of the Merced River before the drive back to the lodge.
Overnight: Yosemite View Lodge, El Portal

Day 6: Yosemite to Napa Valley (B/L)
The road out through Big Oak Flat gives you a part of Yosemite you have not yet seen and a last look back into the valley, passing the Tuolumne Grove and the old mining town of Groveland. From there it is west and north into Napa Valley, famous for its vineyards, its wineries and its small, walkable towns. The day finishes with a tasting at a local winery before checking in. Drive: 320km, around 4.25 hours.
Overnight: Holiday Inn Express, Napa Valley (2 nights)

Day 7: Napa Valley Wine Day (B/L/D)
A sleep-in after a week of early starts, a slow breakfast and a walk around Napa. At 10am the group boards the wine trolley for a tour of the valley's wineries and the country between them. The trolley is included; tastings and drinks are paid locally. The day closes with an included group dinner at a local restaurant.
Overnight: Holiday Inn Express, Napa Valley

Day 8: Welcome to San Francisco (B/L)
South across the Golden Gate Bridge, with stops on both sides for the view out to Alcatraz Island. Your guide walks you through the layout of the city so you can strike out on your own tomorrow. In the afternoon an included tour of Alcatraz - the federal prison on the rock in the bay, with its cell blocks, its escape stories and one of the best views back at the skyline. Evening free on the waterfront. Drive: 90km, around 1.25 hours.
Overnight: Hotel Caza Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco (2 nights)

Day 9: San Francisco at Your Own Pace (B/L)
The day is yours, with an included cable car day pass to get you up the hills. Work the waterfront at Fisherman's Wharf, take in the Golden Gate Bridge, walk the streets of Chinatown - the oldest in North America - then the murals of the Mission District and the paths of Golden Gate Park. If there is time left, the Painted Ladies at Alamo Square and the Haight-Ashbury are both worth the ride.
Overnight: Hotel Caza Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco

Day 10: Highway 1 to Paso Robles (B/L)
South out of the city on the Pacific Coast Highway, with the ocean on one side and the redwoods on the other. Past Half Moon Bay to Santa Cruz for the first stop - a coffee on the pier and sand underfoot - then around the bay to Monterey for lunch and a wander through the old downtown. The afternoon runs inland to Paso Robles, the other half of California's wine story and a good deal quieter than Napa. Drive: 340km, around 3.5 hours.
Overnight: Paso Robles Inn

Day 11: Paso Robles to Los Angeles (B/L)
More coast today. Down to Pismo Beach, then Gaviota where Highway 1 rejoins the 101, and on to Santa Barbara to stretch the legs, eat lunch and see the Spanish colonial downtown. From Ventura the road runs through Malibu with the Pacific Palisades above it, reaching Santa Monica before turning inland. A drive through Beverly Hills on the way to the hotel rounds off the day. An early night is worth it - tomorrow starts before dawn. Drive: 380km, around 5 hours.
Overnight: Miyako Hotel, Los Angeles (3 nights)

Day 12: Catalina Island Cruise (B/L)
An early start for the 7.30am boat from Long Beach. The crossing takes about an hour, long enough for a coffee on the water and a look at the day's options. Breakfast with the group once you land at Avalon, then the island is yours - zip line, Jeep tour, glass-bottom boat, the botanical garden, the spa, or a drink on the beach. Lunch in the old downtown, a second activity in the afternoon, and the 7.30pm boat back. The island excursion is included in the tour price.
Overnight: Miyako Hotel, Los Angeles

Day 13: Los Angeles (B/L/D)
The last full day together, spent working through the city - Rodeo Drive, Hollywood, the Walk of Fame and Melrose Avenue in the morning. The afternoon heads for the water at Venice Beach, Manhattan Beach and finally the Santa Monica Pier. An included farewell dinner in town closes the trip. Drive: 112km, around 2 hours.
Overnight: Miyako Hotel, Los Angeles

Day 14: Departure from Los Angeles (B)
The tour ends after breakfast. Make your own way to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) - there is a range of options by shuttle, rideshare and taxi to suit your timing and budget - or stay on in California under your own arrangements.

Tour Price
• Price shown is per person, twin share, for the travel period indicated.
• Single supplement applies for a single room throughout - please ask us for the current figure.
• 2027 departure dates and rates are yet to be released by the operator. Contact us for the current departure schedule and confirmed pricing before advising your client.
• Available as a private departure for groups from 6 travellers - ask us for a quote.
• All prices displayed are subject to availability and can be withdrawn or varied without notice.
• Prices are guaranteed once the booking is confirmed by us and paid in full by the due date.
• Itineraries are subject to change.

Inclusions:
• 13 nights accommodation in 2-3 star hotels with private facilities
• 13 breakfasts, 12 self-made picnic lunches and 2 dinners
• Private 15 seat passenger van throughout, with trailer depending on group size
• Services of an expertly trained, multilingual tour director, certified in First Aid and CPR and registered as an official national parks guide
• National park entrance fees, tours and sightseeing as specified in the itinerary
• San Francisco cable car day pass
• Alcatraz Island tour
• Napa Valley winery visit and wine trolley tour
• Catalina Island cruise

Exclusions:
• International and domestic flights, airport taxes and airport transfers
• Meals not listed in the itinerary, including most dinners
• Travel insurance, which is compulsory on this tour
• US visa or ESTA and any associated fees
• Medical treatment
• Wine tastings and drinks on the Napa wine trolley, paid locally
• Optional activities on Catalina Island such as the zip line, Jeep tour, glass-bottom boat and spa
• Gratuities for the tour leader, suggested at US$15-20 per person per day
• Hotel porterage, laundry, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages
• Anything not specifically mentioned as included

Please note:
• Departures starting before June or after late October may detour via Sonora Pass, because snow closes the Tioga Pass Road through Yosemite. Tioga Pass usually opens on the Memorial Day weekend at the end of May and closes with the first heavy snow. These departures stay at the Hampton Inn & Suites, Bakersfield in place of The Ranch at Death Valley.
• This is a touring trip with some long driving days and occasional rough roads, and it sometimes reaches remote areas where facilities are basic. The walking is leisurely, but we recommend being able to walk on undulating terrain for an hour or more, and building that up over the three months before departure.
• Days 9 and 12 are self-directed. Guide services and transport are not provided on those days beyond what is listed as included.
• Optional extras are quoted in US dollars, as published by the operator, and are payable locally. Our tour price is shown in Australian dollars and is converted at the rate applying when the booking is confirmed.
• Advance booking is strongly recommended - these departures are small group and sell out.

Please refer to our Standard Booking Conditions for booking terms and conditions.