Day 1: San Francisco
Arrive at San Francisco International Airport and transfer independently to your hotel. Your guide will meet you this afternoon at the hotel.
Day 2: San Francisco
This morning, join a half-day city tour which includes Union Square, the Civic Center and Fisherman’s Wharf. From the top of Twin Peaks, enjoy the spectacular view and see for yourself why many consider San Francisco the most beautiful city in America. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure in “the City by the Bay”, perhaps a cable car ride to Fisherman’s Wharf where one may enjoy a “Taste of San Francisco”: local seafood, famous sourdough breads or decadent Ghiradelli’s Chocolate. Or take a stroll by Sea Lions’ Marina to observe them frolic and play. Be sure to gaze across the bay to Alcatraz Island where “America’s Most Wanted” such as Al Capone and ”Machine Gun” Kelly were incarcerated. Or visit Union Square for a shopping stop at Macy’s Department Store. Your guide will be on hand to assist you in planning your next two days in the city.
Day 3: San Francisco
Join an optional tour to Monterey and Carmel. Travel along the Pacific Coast to the Monterey Bay Peninsula. Visit Cannery Row, made famous by the John Steinbeck novel. Your optional package includes admission to the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium, showcasing some 200 exhibits on marine life and one of the most respected aquariums in the world. Continue on the 17-Mile Drive, admiring the natural scenery and gorgeous homes. Enjoy time in the charming community of Carmel, known for its art galleries and shops before returning to San Francisco.
Day 4: Yosemite Area
Join the group for an included all day adventure to Yosemite National Park. Known for its magnificent waterfalls (seasonal), granite peaks and remarkable wildlife, Yosemite is one of America’s favorite National Parks. We will explore the park by motorcoach, but you will also have time on the valley floor to enjoy the spectacular scenery and enjoy an included all American picnic.
Day 5: Las Vegas
Today, travel through the Mojave Desert on your way to Las Vegas. A late afternoon arrival in the dazzling “Entertainment Capital of the World” will give you enough time to start enjoying this fantastic city right away. Your ATI Tour Director will assist you in arranging all you want to do whether it is shopping, seeing a show, enjoying the fine dining, or joining an optional evening tour.
Day 6: Las Vegas
This morning we stop at the iconic Las Vegas Welcome Sign where you may wish to capture a photo memory of Las Vegas before making your way to an included day trip to the Grand Canyon. On the way, admire the beauty of Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the U.S. formed by the Hoover Dam. At the Grand Canyon, you will have time to explore the views on your own and if you choose, join an optional helicopter trip over the canyon, or walk on the Skywalk platform.
Day 7: Las Vegas
The day is yours to choose how you spend it. Maybe do a little shopping at one of the fine shopping outlets in Las Vegas, lounge by the pool or join an optional tour to Death Valley National Park. The lowest (below sea level) and hottest region in the western hemisphere.
Day 8: Los Angeles
Today your journey takes you from Las Vegas through Palm Springs, the winter playground for Hollywood royalty, with its lively downtown area and immaculately kept golf courses at the base of the rugged San Jacinto Mountains. This city in the desert was once known as the winter retreat of stars like Frank Sinatra, Jane Russell and Elvis Presley. Today it is a flourishing resort town with great shops, restaurants and year round desert climate. A sea of wind turbines mark the entrance to this desert oasis. Along the way you will pass through Indio, home to the International Date Festival due to the abundance of this crop in the Coachella Valley. In the late afternoon, arrive in Los Angeles.
Day 9: Los Angeles
This morning, you will enjoy a comprehensive city tour of Los Angeles including the hip Santa Monica, glamorous Hollywood and posh Beverly Hills. You will be able to stop by the “finish line” of Historic Route 66, see an iconic Californian lifeguard tower made famous by “Baywatch”, walk on the boulevard of stars and take a great photo of the famous Hollywood sign. The afternoon is yours to explore more on your own or join an optional excursion to Universal Studios where you will learn all about how movies are made.
Day 10: Los Angeles
Today enjoy an optional full day excursion to San Diego. Travel south through San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente to San Diego, the second largest city in California. San Diego enjoys year round mild weather and a location on the San Diego Bay. Enjoy a city tour including the historic Old Town, the Gas Lamp district, and the bay front picturesque Seaport Village. For a different view of the city, you can join an optional cruise on the bay before returning to Los Angeles in the late afternoon.
Day 11:
That’s a wrap!” We hope you have enjoyed your tour and that you return soon to visit another area of America the beautiful!
