A Celebration of Roses

Today you're the star as you are met upon arrival at Los Angeles International Airport for an included transfer to Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel. Our "Celebration of Roses" Rose Bowl tour begins: 1:00 PM with optional excursions to the float building parade barns in Pasadena or the acclaimed Getty Center. Settle into your hotel this afternoon, stepping into the legendary lobby where film stars from Fred Astaire to Cesar Romero, Carol Lombard and more, would make themselves right at home. Since its opening in 1928, the hotel has enjoyed a high-profile celebrity clientele magnet, with rock stars from Elvis Presley to the spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, staying here. It is also renowned as the iconic setting for the movie, Pretty Woman, where Richard Gere fell in love with Julia Roberts in the 1990 film. Join us for welcome cocktails at our reception this evening at 6 PM, followed by a private dinner, Hollywood style, at your glamorous star-studded hotel.

Pioneers of Hollywood's film industry in the 1920s, the Warner brothers were four young men with stars in their eyes and big dreams in their hearts. While the world was smitten with the silent black and white films that were all the rage back then, the Warner brothers wanted to makes movies that spoke to their audiences even more, gambling on adding color and voices to the stories they showcased on the big screen. Their dreams paid off in 1927 when their first talking picture, The Jazz Singer featuring Al Jolson, was made. At the time The Jazz Singer consisted mostly of music with only a couple of hundred spoken words but it was an immediate success. By 1930, 40% of the nation's cinemas had sound systems installed. Movie stars such as Rudolph Valentino, Clara Bow, John Barrymore, Mary Astor, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and Greta Garbo found the spotlight, enchanting millions of movie goers with their acting charms. Learn firsthand about the history of the talkies and the stars that made them during today's tour of Warner Bros Studio, exploring 100 years of visual storytelling at one of the industry's oldest motion picture studios. Head off for lunch at a local restaurant, before an optional visit to the museum of your choice, including the Academy Awards Museum, Peterson Automotive Museum or LA County Museum of Art. This evening, a dine-around-dinner in Beverly Hills gives you the opportunity to enjoy a taste of Hollywood life, your way.  

Drive to Irwindale this morning for a behind-the-scenes visit to the Rose Parade Float Construction Barns. The 2025 theme of the Parade, "Best day ever!" celebrates life's best moments – those unexpected times that bring a smile, warm our hearts and fill us with joy. See where the magic happens as parade float designers bring their floral masterpieces to life for the New Year's Day parade. Watch as volunteer workers glue petals and blossoms over their float's specially built undercarriage made of steel and chicken wire, meticulously placing the flowers and other natural materials over every visible inch. You'll see the results of their efforts on New Year's Day, enjoying Tauck's specially reserved seats at the best place to see them on the 5 ½ mile parade route.   Then it's on to The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens in San Marino for an expertly guided tour of this collections-based educational and research institution. Surrounded by 120 acres spread across 12 specialized gardens, the property was originally the private estate of railroad magnate Henry Huntington, and today is one of Southern California's must-see cultural destinations. Its magnificent collections of rare books, manuscripts, and famous works of art include Gainsborough's The Blue Boy, Mary Cassatt's Breakfast in Bed, a Gutenberg Bible, an illuminated manuscript of Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, a First Folio edition of Shakespeare and more. The Library houses more than 11 million items spanning the 11th to the 21st century. The Art Museum features British, European, American, and Asian art spanning more than 500 years and includes more than 45,000 objects. And the Botanical Gardens dazzle with 16 stunning themed gardens with more than 83,000 living plants, including rare and endangered species, and a laboratory for botanical conservation and research. After your guided tour, enjoy time to stroll the grounds as you wish. Lunch today is a special treat as you are wined and dined at the San Antonio Winery, a family-owned winery established in 1917 and renowned today for its remarkable legacy spanning over a century in the world of winemaking. Take the scenic route back to your Beverly Hills hotel, enjoying ample time to get ready for tonight's gala New Year's Eve festivities, featuring a celebratory "Roaring 20s" theme and special surprises. We'll ring in the New Year with friendships old and new, honoring each US time zone with a champagne toast and a memorable rendition of Auld Lang Syne!

Happy New Year! Discover a uniquely American tradition more than a century old today, when members of a distinguished hunt club in Pasadena invited their former neighbors from the East Coast to a New Year's holiday that included a parade of flower-decked carriages and competitive games under the warm California sun. The earliest Tournament of Roses welcomed 3,000 spectators to its first parade filled with beautiful, horse-drawn carriages covered in flowers. More than a century later, the parade floats are a marvel of state-of-the-art technology, all tucked away beneath flowers and other all-natural materials. The festival bloomed as the years went by, and today the Tournament of Roses® has become synonymous with the imaginatively decorated floats of the Rose Parade® floats – as well as the annual Rose Bowl Game®. As you experience the themed festivities of the "Best Day Ever!", take in the marching bands from across the country, spirited equestrians and their mounts, and the creative floral floats from premier Grandstand seating on the first turn of the Parade route – the same view that the major television networks will have of the 136th Rose Parade in 2025! Then, football fans who wish to be in the middle of the action of the 111th Rose Bowl Game® may purchase optional tickets to the game to see "the granddaddy of them all" in reserved seats (for an additional charge; see pricing notes for details). If you're not going to the Rose Bowl football game, enjoy New Year's Day lunch at the Jonathan Beach Club in Santa Monica, situated beneath the bluffs of the Pacific Palisades with panoramic views of the ocean. Tonight, our farewell dinner at your Beverly Hills hotel promises a memorable ending to the "best day ever"! 

Tauck's Celebration of Roses Event ends at 9:00 AM. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from the Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel, to Los Angeles International Airport. Allow a minimum of two hours for flight check-in at the airport.