The Golden Coast & National Parks

To Los Angeles

Meet the rest of your group and Tour Manager at the Courtyard by Burbank Hotel in Burbank. On Day 2, we enjoy a tour of Los Angeles, an iconic American city, taking in Hollywood and the Chinese Mann Theatre, which plays host to the annual Oscars ceremony. After some time for lunch, we transfer to the Burbank Studios for a short guided tour, ahead of an evening at leisure.

The Coast Starlight to Monterey

This morning we travel on board the iconic Coast Starlight for a daytime journey along the stunning Pacific Coast shoreline. We reach the Pacific Coast at Ventura, at which point the Coast Starlight begins to head north, hugging the coastline and following the Pacific Coast Highway.

Relax in the sightseer lounge and enjoy spectacular views through floor-toceiling windows of vast stretches of pristine beaches as the train hugs the rugged coast north of Santa Barbara. Entering the Salinas Valley we pass the Santa Lucia and Diablo mountain ranges en route to Salinas, from where we make a short coach transfer to Monterey for two nights at the Casa Munras Hotel & Spa.

Carmel and Big Sur to San Francisco

Our coach collects us this morning as we head to Carmel, where Clint Eastwood was once mayor, a charming town that has attracted artists for decades. On our way, we explore the wonderful Californian coastline, including the exclusive residences of 17 Mile Drive and the attractive waterfront of Cannery Row.

San Francisco

We head to San Francisco today, taking the beautiful Pacific Highway and enjoying the gorgeous coast on our way. Your evening is at leisure to settle in.

We enjoy a sightseeing tour on Day 6, visiting some of the cosmopolitan city's most famous sights, including the Golden Gate Bridge and popular Fisherman's Wharf. This afternoon we have some time at leisure. You may like to board a ferry at Pier 33 and cross San Francisco Bay to the infamous island of Alcatraz, which once held the gangster Al Capone.

Through California to Yosemite and Turlock

This morning we depart from Oakland by train on the San Joaquin route through California's Central Valley, bordered on the west by coastal mountain ranges and on the east by Yosemite National Park.

At Turlock we transfer by coach into Yosemite proper for a tour of the Valley Floor, taking in spectacular views of Half Dome at the eastern end of Yosemite Valley, which peaks at 4,000 feet, the 3,000 foot El Capitan and the thundering Bridalveil Falls. We spend tonight in the Hampton Inn Turlock.

To Bakersfield and Las Vegas

We rejoin the San Joaquin line today as we travel to Bakersfield. From here we continue by coach across the Mojave Desert, passing small, isolated villages and abandoned ghost towns. Eventually, the tall buildings and bright lights of Las Vegas appear on the horizon. You are at leisure in Las Vegas on Day 9.

Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, and Monument Valley

Located in Utah, Zion National Park is a spectacular sight for those who travel through it, which we do this afternoon. The intense, cliff like mountains rise completely vertically from a verdant valley floor, through which a gorgeous blue river flows.

On the morning of Day 11, our first destination is Bryce Canyon. Far less well known than the world-famous Grand Canyon, but no less spectacular, Bryce Canyon is an incredible selection of enormous natural amphitheatres and 'hoodoos', thin spires of umber-coloured rocks. After some free time to explore and perhaps enjoy lunch, we head on to Monument Valley, passing Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell on our way. Instantly recognisable for being the setting for countless cowboy films in the 'Golden Age of Westerns' era, there is time to take photos and admire the scenery before heading to our hotel for the night.

To Williams and the Grand Canyon

After breakfast this morning, we drive to the railroad town of Williams, where we spend the night at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel. Our journey takes us along the incredible Monument Valley loop drive, where you can spot many sites made famous by old Western movies.

On Day 13, we travel by rail to the incredible Grand Canyon on board the Grand Canyon Railway. We journey in vintage carriages hauled by historic locomotives to see one of the world's most awe inspiring sights, the Grand Canyon. We arrive at the South Rim, the Canyon's main viewpoint and an ideal base to experience the dramatic vistas. We return to Williams on the Grand Canyon Railway, and our evening is at leisure.

The monuments and parks of Arizona and home

We begin our day by heading to Sedona, by way of Oak Creek Canyon. This is a truly lovely drive, as the warm colours of the mountains mix with the verdant green of the forests that cover them. We visit Montezuma Castle National Monument, a fascinating structure built into the cliffside by the Sinagua people between 1100 and 1425 AD. We continue to Camp Verde State Historical Park to enjoy lunch. From here, we head to Phoenix.

Later this afternoon, your tour concludes and you are free to make your way to the airport for your flight home.

Recommended Airports

For this tour, we recommend you arrive into Bob Hope Airport (BUR), which is approximately 1.5 miles from your first hotel. Our recommended departure airport is Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), which is situated approximately 166 miles away from your final hotel.

Departure Times

You may check in at the first hotel on your itinerary anytime after 14:00; this is where you will meet your Tour Manager.