For all the good reasons, this is one of our most popular destinations: delicious local food, fantastic wines and beautiful rural scenery. It appeals equally to the connoisseurs, the casual wine and food curious, or the traveler just looking for a relaxed time in a peaceful setting. From famed Napa vineyards to tiny wineries in Alexander Valley, from renowned restaurants in Sonoma to artisan cheese-makers in Nicasio, there are infinite possibilities for every taste. Combined with a stay in San Francisco, this is the perfect family vacation or romantic getaway.
Length of trip: One week, easily extended to 10-12 days or more
Start-end points: San Francisco
Best time to travel: All year-long
Character: Sophisticated, elegant, relaxed. Urban experience, nature, history and culture.
Intensity level: Easy and relax, comfortable and pampered
A rich blend of sophisticated San Francisco, California's dramatic Pacific coast, unique marine wildlife, Santa Cruz's “surf” culture and historic old Spanish missions. Iconic Route 1 meanders through pristine coastal beauty and rugged mountain ranges, breathtaking scenic hikes, innovative local cuisine at wineries and charming oceanfront communities. From observing the elephant seals at Año Nuevo to hikes at Point Lobos, to strolling the boardwalk in Santa Cruz, this is a breathtaking journey for all.
Length of trip: 10-12 days, easily extended to 14 days or more
Start-end points: San Francisco
Best time to travel: All year
Character: Combination urban, nature and road-trip
Intensity level: Adaventurous
Just east of San Francisco and past the Central Valley, the scenery changes dramatically. At the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, the adventurous traveler enters a world of tall mountains, deep rivers, lush redwoods forests and rustic communities where gold panning is still an honorable occupation. This is the Gold Country and the getaway to one of the most iconic places on earth, Yosemite. From the tiny gold-rush era towns of Sonora to the timeless granite majesty of Half-dome and El Capitan, this is a journey through history and awe-inspiring natural wonders.
Length of trip: 10 to 14 days
Start-end points: San Francisco
Best time to travel: Spring/Summer/Fall
Character: Combination urban, rural and nature
Intensity level: Easy to moderate
Just north of the Bay of San Francisco, a whole new world awaits the curious traveler. With its distinct history and culture, this incredibly diverse region is a micro-cosmos of the best that Northern California has to offer. From lush redwood forests and gushing rivers to wine-growing valleys and small-town farming communities, from old lighthouses on the rugged coastline to tiny fishing villages, from an ancient Russian fort to the quaint artists’ colony of Mendocino, this is a journey of discovery of both of the past and the future of California.
Length of trip: 10 to 14 days
Start-end points: San Francisco
Best time to travel: Spring/Summer/Fall
Character: Combination urban, nature and road-trip
Intensity level: Easy and relax
This tour is the quintessential California Coast experience. It should definitely be on the list of the traveler looking to understand what makes the Golden State tick in all its complexity, contradictions and beauty. From visiting iconic Los Angeles to relaxing in beautiful laid-back Santa Barbara, from wine tasting in Santa Ynez to exploring its grand old Spanish Mission, from cruising along Big Sur and Monterey Bay to experiencing sophisticated San Francisco. Discovering two polar-opposite cities joined by a classic coastal road-trip: It hardly gets any better than that.
Length of trip: 14 to 18 days
Start-end points: San Francisco or Los Angeles
Best time to travel: All year-long
Character: Combination urban, nature and road-trip
Intensity level: Easy and relax
The Sierra Nevada and Lake Tahoe area are among the most beautiful regions in California. With infinite opportunities for enjoying nature and outdoors adventures, this trip combines hikes and bicycle rides on beautiful trails, water sports in pristine lakes and exciting visits to charming Old West small towns. Reno and Sacramento are nearby. Starting or ending the trip with a few days in San Francisco, the adventurous traveler can add a four-wheel-drive jeep excursion on the world-famous Rubicon Trail to complete the experience of this immense natural playground.
Length of trip: 5 to 7 days (+ option San Francisco)
Start-end points: San Francisco, Sacramento or Reno
Best time to travel: Spring/Summer/Fall
Character: Combination rustic urban, nature and outdoors adventures
Intensity level: Moderate
From busy Los Angeles or Las Vegas, the adventurous traveler rapidly enters the world of stunning beauty and expanse of the Mojave Desert and Death Valley. The scenery then changes dramatically as the road follows the foothills of the Easter Sierra Nevada, climbing to the high mountain passes of Yosemite before winding down through the Gold Country to San Francisco on the Pacific Ocean. Stark desert and remote mountain lakes, ghost towns and Indian reservations, natural hot-springs, granite peaks and the City-by-the-Bay: an adventure of a lifetime.
Length of trip: 15 - 21 days
Start-end points: San Francisco, Los Angeles or Las Vegas
Best time to travel: Spring/Summer/fall
Character: Combination urban, nature and road-trip
Intensity level: Easy to moderate
This tour is one of the “classic” road trips throughout the American Southwest and its main National Parks. It should be definitely on the list of anyone looking for a genuine American experience in all its complexity, contradictions and beauty. It offers a rich combination of stunning landscapes, fascinating cultures and unique experiences. From hiking along the rim of the majestic Grand Canyon, to dining in out-of-the-way tiny ghost towns, to meeting with Native-Indian elders, this trip will leave the travelers with life-long unique memories.
Length of trip: 10 to 21 days
Start-end points: Las Vegas, Phoenix, Salt Lake City or Los Angeles
Best time to travel: Spring, late summer/fall
Character: Road trip, with multiple destinations
Intensity level: Moderate
With the “The four Corners” as its geographic center, Indian Country is an immense landscape of red buttes and vast valleys, of Pueblo villages perched on high mesas and Anasazi dwellings under rocky arches, of deep canyons accessible only on horseback or rugged vehicles. With a history and culture going back for millennia, this is the ancestral home of the sovereign Navajo Nation, Hopi, Zuni and Pueblo Indians. This is the mythical land of the Grand Canyon and Mesa Verde, Canyon de Chelly, Taos Pueblo and Chaco Canyon.
Length of trip: 10-14 days (or more with regional excursions)
Start-end points: Phoenix, Las Vegas, Santa Fe, Denver or Salt Lake City
Best time to travel: Spring, summer and fall
Character: Unique nature, native history and culture
Intensity level: Moderate to challenging
With its unparalleled concentration of iconic landmarks, culture centers, rich history and immense diversity of people, New York City is one of the great global travel destinations. This trip combines urban and cultural excursions in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Harlem, as well as exploring lesser-known locations on the outskirts and outside the city itself. Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, dining in Harlem, enjoying a show on Broadway, strolling on the High Line, gallery-hopping in Chelsea, or relaxing in Central Park: just a few components of the ultimate urban experience.
Length of trip: 8 to 14 days
Start-end points: New York City
Best time to travel: Spring/Summer/Fall
Character: Urban and culture
Intensity level: Easy and relax
From its humble beginnings on the shore of Puget Sound, to a booming Klondike Gold Rush town, to becoming the birthplace of numerous celebrated American enterprises, Seattle never ceases to reinvent itself. A sense of adventure permeates this vibrant city, famous for its coffee and market places, its myriad of micro-breweries, unique museums and iconic sites. But Seattle is also the gateway to the natural wonders of the Northwest, from the majesty of the Olympic Peninsula, to the idyllic San Juan and Orca Islands, and on the British Columbia and Alaska.
Length of trip: 7 days (or more with regional excursions)
Start-end points: Seattle, Portland or Vancouver
Best time to travel: All year long
Character: Urban and vibrant, nature
Intensity level: Easy and relax
The Capitol, the White House, the National Monument and the Lincoln Memorial are, naturally, the must-visit iconic sites of Washington DC. But visiting charming Georgetown, exploring historic Alexandria or taking a cruise on the Potomac will equally satisfy the curious traveler and it seems that every other day, another amazing museum opens on the Mall. Philadelphia, the birthplace of the United States has its own treasure trove of historic sites. The “City of Brotherly Love” is also the perfect gateway to Amish Country and the Harrisburg area.
Length of trip: 10 days (or more with regional excursions)
Start-end points: Washington DC, Philadelphia, New York or Boston
Best time to travel: Spring, summer and fall
Character: Urban and vibrant, nature and culture
Intensity level: Easy and relax
Las Vegas conjures many images in the traveler’s mind: a fantastical megapolis of casinos and resorts glimmering in the arid Nevada desert, a colorful history involving movie stars and gangsters alike. All true … and so much more. With the rebirth of the Old Las Vegas district, world-class restaurants, fantastic shows and extravagant hotels, the city that never sleeps has reinvented itself as a prime holiday destination. It is also the gateway to ghost towns, Route 66, Death Valley, the Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon and more. Love or hate Las Vegas, do not miss it.
Length of trip: 7 days (or more with side excursions)
Start-end points: Las Vegas
Best time to travel: All year long
Character: Urban and vibrant
Intensity level: Easy and relax
A journey of discovery of Hawaii
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A journey of discovery of the Virgin Islands
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This classic American road trip takes the adventurous traveler on a journey to experience the beauty, complexity and contradictions of the American South. Past and recent historical events, rich cultures and unique natural landscapes define the diverse character of this journey. Visiting the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis Tennessee, listening to music on Beale street, revisiting Elvis and other rock and Blues legends at the famous Sun studios, traveling though the bayou swamps of Terrebonne , experiencing the "fais dodo" Cajun culture in Lafayette and the joyful renewed vibrancy of New Orleans: a trip of a lifetime.
Length of trip: 15 to 21 days
Start-end points: Memphis to New Orleans
Best time to travel: All year-long
Character: Combination urban, nature and road-trip
Intensity level: Easy to moderate