The West Coast of America

We meet our Tour Manager and group at the airport today, and fly from London Heathrow to San Francisco. On arrival, we check into our hotel before some free time.

On Day 2, we join a coach for a half-day's sightseeing tour. San Francisco is filled with incredible sights, such as the iconic Golden Gate Bridge which spans a mile over the Pacific Ocean. This afternoon you are free to continue exploring. Perhaps take a closer look at attractive Fisherman's Wharf, or the infamous prison island of Alcatraz.

Today, we depart San Francisco along the San Joaquin route which takes us through California's Central Valley by rail. We arrive at Merced, where we transfer by coach into incredible Yosemite National Park. Here, we enjoy a tour of the valley floor and see the Half Dome, which stands 4,000 feet above the valley, as well as the thundering Bridalveil Falls, which sends water tumbling down an enormous height of 617 feet.

From the natural beauty of Yosemite, we head to the glamorous and glittering sights of Las Vegas. We continue by train to Bakersfield, heading across the eerily beautiful Mojave Desert, past derelict ghost towns and atmospheric villages. The buildings and lights of Las Vegas soon appear on the horizon. We stay here for the next 2 nights.

On Day 5, you are free to discover Las Vegas for yourself. With no end of entertainment, Vegas is a favourite city for tourists, with an incredible selection of resorts, casinos, and shows.

We depart Las Vegas by coach and cross from Nevada to Arizona. On our way to Flagstaff, we stop off at the Hoover Dam. This masterpiece of engineering was built during the Great Depression of 1936 as an attempt to control floods and produce hydroelectric power. It is now one of the most visited attractions in the United States, and provides enough electricity to serve 1.3 million people across Arizona, Nevada, and California. We travel further along legendary Route 66, stopping off in Kingman for a short break before checking into our hotel in Flagstaff.

Today is an undoubted highlight of our holiday, as we visit the Grand Canyon. We begin by travelling on the Grand Canyon Railway in fully restored vintage-style carriages, as we journey to the South Rim of the natural wonder. It is from here that it's possible to see way out over the incredible canyon, forged by the powerful Colorado River over millions of years.

We make the return journey on the Grand Canyon Railway, then travel back to Flagstaff and join Amtrak's overnight service on the Southwest Chief to Los Angeles. The journey takes us through the heart of the western side of the USA.

We arrive into Los Angeles this morning, where we have a halfday tour. We visit famous Hollywood Boulevard, which features the numerous stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as well as the TCL Chinese Theatre, home of the Oscars. The rest of your day is free. You could explore the boutiques on Sunset Strip, or visit the famous Venice Beach Boardwalk.

This morning, we take a ride on the Coast Starlight. The train hugs the coast along the Pacific Coast Highway, offering wonderful sea views. We enjoy the sights of the mesmerising Salinas Valley and the Santa Lucia and Diablo mountain ranges en route to Salinas, where we disembark and transfer to Monterey. On Day 10 you are free to explore.

Today, we transfer to San Francisco airport for our return flight
to London Heathrow, landing on Day 12.