WILD AND BEAUTIFUL CALIFORNIA 2024

Day 1 - San Francisco, California

Arriving in San Francisco, we will be met by our tour manager, Brandon Smith and private motor coach for our drive to the hotel where we will spend the next three nights. After check-in at the Marriott Union Square the rest of the afternoon and evening are free at leisure.

Day 2 - Bay Cruise and Sausalito

After a hearty buffet breakfast, please meet in the lobby at 9:00 a.m. to enjoy our morning sightseeing tour of San Francisco. Highlights include, Mission Dolores, Twin Peaks, the Civic Center, Union Square and the Golden Gate Bridge. We will have 90 minutes of free time to enjoy lunch and shopping before our Cruise on San Francisco Bay.

After the cruise we will head out to Sausalito for some shopping, dinner and free time

Day 3 - San Francisco

Today we head north to Napa and Sonoma Valleys.

At lunch time free time in the charming historic plaza of Sonoma

We will have time for wine tasting (not included) in one of the numerous tasting rooms around the square, or just to grab lunch at one of the numerous cafes and restaurants as well

After Sonoma we will continue to Santa Rosa for a visit to the Charles Schultz, (creator of “peanuts”) museum

Following the visit to the museum we will have time for dinner in santa rosa before heading back to the hotel via the Golden Gate Bridge

Day 4 - Drive to Yosemite National Park

After breakfast, meet in the lobby with your bags at 9:00 a.m. for our drive to Yosemite National Park and the Yosemite View Lodge in EI Portal where we will send the next two nights. We will travel into the Sierra Nevada Mountains and pass through the historic gold mining towns of the great California Gold Rush. We will have a panoramic tour of the park before arriving to the hotel. Arrival time should be approximately 5:00 p.m. After check-in at the Yosemite Lodge the rest of the evening is free for leisure.

Day 5 - Yosemite National Park

After a full breakfast buffet at the hotel, this day is free to explore Yosemite Park. Hike the nature trails through giant cedar, pine and fir trees or just simply relax in the splendor of the park. After returning back to the hotel, the rest of the evening is free for leisure.

Day 6 - Sequoia National Park

After breakfast at the hotel, check-out and be in the lobby with your bags at 9:00 a.m. We will drive south through the San Joaquin Valley for a visit to Sequoia National Park, famous for its giant sequoia trees. Overnight in Visalia at the Visalia Marriott

Day 7 - San Luis Obispo

After breakfast, meet in the lobby for our full day excursion to San Luis Obispo. Highlights include the Santa Lucia Coastal range, an Opolo Winery Tour (where we will enjoy wine tasting with snacks), and after wine tasting we will spend some time in downtown Paso Robles

Upon arrival to San Luis Obispo free evening to enjoy the Thursday night Farmers Market. Overnight at the Hotel Wayfarer, Tapestry Collection by Hilton

Day 8 - Hearst Castle and Carmel, Monterey

This morning we head north and we visit Hearst Castle (grand rooms tour)

We will then drive north to charming Carmel by the Sea for some time to explore the town. We will continue on to Monterey where we will spend the next two nights. After check-in at the hotel the rest of the evening is free for leisure. Consider an enjoyable walk along the oceanfront trail near Fisherman's Wharf.

Day 9 – 17-mile drive, Cannery Row

After breakfast at the hotel, be in the lobby at 9:00 a.m. for our departure. Highlights for today include, the scenic 17-Mile Drive with a stop at the Pebble Beach Golf Course , Cannery Row where you can stroll around the quaint shops, visit the aquarium (not included) and more. A farewell dinner is included at Fisherman's Wharf.

Day 10 - The Steinbeck Museum, San Francisco-Newark

Following a buffet breakfast at the hotel and some free time in the morning, we check-out and head to the Steinbeck Center in Salinas for a visit to the museum

After the visit we start our drive to the SFO international airport, with a stop around San Jose for dinner before our redeye flight

TOUR FEATURES: The Wild and Beautiful California Tour is a fully-escorted, air-inclusive package with ten days (nine nights) of accommodations in excellent hotels with American breakfasts daily in San Francisco, Yosemite, Visalia, San Luis Obispo and Monterey. Just some of the many highlights included in this tour are a full day sightseeing tour of San Francisco including a Bay Cruise; visits to Napa Valley, Sausalito, Santa Rosa and Sonoma; day trips to the magnificent Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks; a lovely tour of the Grand Rooms of the Hearst Castle and the charming town of Carmel; wine tasting with snacks at the Opolo Winery in San Luis Obispo; the “17-Mile” drive, the Steinbeck Museum, the Charles Schultz Museum and Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey; a farewell group dinner in Monterey and much more (see above itinerary). Remember also that this is a fully-escorted tour, with the group’s own full-time tour manager (Brandon Smith), private motor coaches and drivers, and a full-time ArawjoTours Tour Representative (Dianne McAloon). It is an outstanding package. Our tours, unlike our competitors, also INCLUDE AIR (group flights out of Newark on United Airlines). Past groups who participated in this trip enjoyed the experience very much, and we are confident you will too.