Welcome to Los Angeles! Perfectly positioned on the golden shores of the Pacific Ocean, this sunshine-filled city offers a vibrant tapestry of cultures and creativity, all backed by the iconic Hollywood Hills. Join your tour group at Redondo Beach, a famously laidback surf town known for extraordinary sunsets and excellent seafood.
Enjoy the evening at your leisure – walk Redondo’s unique, horseshoe-shaped pier, check out the boutique-filled boardwalk or savour time spent on one of California’s most coveted beaches. If you’re lucky, you might spot a friendly dolphin – they’re known to swim near the shore.
Begin your morning with a short tour of three Los Angeles locations immortalised in pop culture. Take a walk down Hollywood Boulevard, one of the city’s most enduring and star-studded attractions, to the TCL Chinese Theatre – historic home of the Academy Awards ceremonies and more than 200 celebrity concrete impressions, including John Wayne’s footprints – before continuing to palm-lined Sunset Strip.
Then, travel to San Diego, renowned for its 70 miles of pristine beaches. Check into your hotel and enjoy the evening at leisure.
Today you’ll enjoy a full day soaking up San Diego’s good vibes. Take a short tour in the morning and explore some of this harbour city’s best – your travels could take you to Balboa Park, the city’s sprawling central park and cultural centre, or the sophisticated neighbourhoods of Downtown, La Jolla or the Gas Lamp Quarter.
Enjoy the afternoon at leisure – this is the perfect chance to check out the world-famous San Diego Zoo, renowned for the extraordinary size and scope of its conservation mission.
Today, travel approximately six hours from sunny California to the grand mesas of Arizona, arriving in the resort city of Scottsdale in the afternoon. It’s the perfect place to enjoy a margarita as you settle in and admire the state’s lush Sonoran Desert wilderness. Spend the evening at leisure – we recommend hitting Scottsdale’s historic Old Town, a wonderful place to get a glimpse of the city at its finest.
Leave bright and early for Sedona, Arizona’s vibrant artistic heart. Surrounded by spectacular red sandstone and emerald forests, it's a region that’s steeped in mystery and significance. After a brief stop, continue to Flagstaff, the first International Dark Sky City and gateway to the spectacular Grand Canyon. Spend the afternoon exploring the city’s historic downtown or visit Lowell Observatory, famous for discovering the existence of Pluto in 1930.
The Grand Canyon is one of the United States’ most awe-inspiring sights and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. As you stand on the edge of the massive drop, soak up the breathtaking immensity of it all – it is a moment that will stay with you for the rest of your life. Spend today exploring the region with your group, perhaps choosing to soar over the Grand Canyon in a helicopter or on a fixed-wing flight during an optional excursion.
Return to Flagstaff and enjoy your evening at leisure.
Optional Activity:
- Fly the Grand Canyon (from US$315 per person).
This morning, it’s a short drive westward through rambling pine forests on the historic Route 66 to Williams, one of the state’s most beloved frontier towns. After watching a theatrical cowboy shootout, proceed to Las Vegas, Nevada, America’s buzzing entertainment capital. A shimmering neon mirage in the heart of the infamous Mojave Desert, Las Vegas offers extraordinary experiences for every type of traveller. After checking in, enjoy the evening at leisure – we recommend taking the opportunity to wander the city’s hypnotic Strip, taking in every dazzling sight and sound as they come and maybe catching one of the many world-class theatrical performances, or even just a dueling pianos show.
Viva Las Vegas! A true cultural touchstone – affectionately immortalised everywhere from Ocean’s 11 to The Flintstone’s ‘Rock Vegas’ – the city offers unlimited possibilities. While highlights include such iconic casinos as MGM Grand, Caesars Palace and The Venetian, the city holds countless smaller secret delights for the intrepid traveller. Hit up The Mob Museum for a thoughtful survey of the Mafia’s involvement in the city’s development, or strike out to Chinatown for a glimpse of Las Vegas as it once was – and some of the best tiki bars in the country.
The day is yours at leisure – have fun!
Depart Sin City and head southward approximately two hours to Calico, once a thriving silver-mining town and now one of California's best-preserved ghost towns. After soaking up the history of the wild west, travel onwards to Visalia. Nestled in the foothills beneath the mighty Sierra Nevada ranges, it's the gateway to some of the state’s very best national parks.
In the morning, leave Visalia for one of the world’s greatest natural sanctuaries – Yosemite National Park. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site (naturally) and a constant revelation for locals and visitors alike – the park’s giant sequoia redwoods, spectacular cascades, gentle lakes and mighty granite shelves are all extraordinary. Today, you’ll have the chance to walk through forests of dogwood, sugar pine and white fir groves, past craggy mountains and shimmering waterways, all the while appreciating one of the United States’ greatest assets – its genuinely life-changing wilderness.
Continue to Modesto, a small city with a whole lot of heart, and enjoy the evening at leisure.
Leave Modesto early for the hills and waterways of San Francisco. You’ll be greeted by the city’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge, standing proud above the city's famous bay. Upon arrival, enjoy a sightseeing tour of the city’s most photographed sights, including Union Square, once used for military rallies during the American Civil War, and Chinatown, the oldest Chinese enclave in America and one of the largest in the world.
Enjoy the afternoon and evening at leisure – the city offers a dazzling collection of world-class restaurants and bars, including Smuggler’s Cove, the remarkable rum bar responsible for kicking off the modern tiki revival (and one of the most influential cocktail destinations in the world).
There’s so much to see and do in San Francisco, and today you’ll be able to catch it all at leisure. Highly recommended is Haight Street, the spiritual centre of the hippie movement in the late 1960s, and Golden Gate Park, bigger than New York’s Central Park and packed with wonder and whimsy. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is one of the country’s best. And you can strike out to Alcatraz Island by ferry for an introduction to the city’s notorious old prison. Wherever you end up, you’ll have a blast.
Wake early and bid goodbye to the hills of San Francisco as you head south to Monterey, a vibrant small city that was home to California’s very first newspaper (called ‘The Californian,’ naturally). Continue down the state’s famous 17 Mile Drive, widely considered one of the most spectacular coastal routes in the world, before stopping into Carmel-by-the-Sea for a light lunch (charges apply). Famous for its rich artistic culture, Carmel-by-the-Sea has been home to dreamers and visionaries since its inception. Continue to hug the Big Sur coastline before reaching Pismo Beach, a winery-blessed city that’s also renowned for its clams and free-spirited seasonal festivals and events.
Enjoy the evening at leisure – be sure to walk the beach promenade and soak up the ambience of this unique coastal city.
Please note:
- As 17 Mile Drive is a private road, it’s sometimes closed to the public. An alternate route will be used.
- Big Sur is currently closed due to rock slides. If it's closed during your tour, an alternate route will be used and no further part of the tour will be missed.
In the morning, return to Los Angeles via the delightful harbour town and well-known wine region of Santa Barbara. Even in California, a state legendary for its picture-perfect beaches, Santa Barbara is particularly renowned for its gorgeous sands and spectacular sunsets. Continue to Los Angeles, where you’ll enjoy your final evening in Redondo Beach.
Say farewell to Los Angeles and your fellow travellers as your tour comes to a close.