Yosemite and Sequoia: John Muir's California

Tour begins: 5:00 PM, Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel. A transfer is included from San Francisco International Airport to the Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel – the city's first luxury hotel. Join us this evening for a welcome cocktail reception and dinner.

Head across the city for a morning sightseeing tour past some of San Francisco's iconic sites, including Union Square, Coit Tower and Fisherman's Wharf, before driving over the Golden Gate Bridge to the green canopy of Muir Woods, a coastal redwood forest preserved as a national monument. These towering ancient trees, some 20 stories high, are among the last remnants of a fog-shrouded primeval forest that once blanketed the northern coast. A self-guided tour along its winding walkways takes you through a shaded, misty world of slanted cathedral light, dense flora, and tranquil running streams – a place to feel the awesome power (and silence) of some of the tallest living things on the planet. Return to San Francisco late this afternoon; the remainder of the day is free to explore as you please.

Before there was a National Park Service, the job of policing and protecting the national parks belonged to the U.S. Army. At Sequoia and Yosemite, the parks' guardians were the Buffalo Soldiers, who rode out every spring from the Presidio, crossing 300 miles on horseback to the Sierra Nevada. Drive a route that follows the Buffalo Soldiers' path across the agricultural Central Valley. Stop in Fresno for lunch, then board a motor coach for the 7,000-foot climb to Sequoia National Park. Your destination is remote Wuksachi Lodge® on the park grounds. This afternoon, an expert from the Sequoia Field Institute describes how John Muir found and documented the "Giant Forest" in 1875, a perfect introduction to the park. Tonight at the lodge, a naturalist guides you through the spectacular constellations that fill the night skies.

Begin the day with privately guided walks among ancient Giant Sequoias soaring to the height of skyscrapers; your first walk is in the Giant Forest Grove to see the General Sherman Tree, estimated to be over 2,500 years old (and still growing). Next up is a walk along the "Big Trees Trail" at Round Meadow with an interpretive naturalist guide who will give you some amazing insights into the unusual ecosystem of the Giant Sequoias. Travels this afternoon inside Sequoia National Park are via small vehicles, accompanied by a guide; you'll hear stories of early park "personalities" such as John Muir, Charles Young and Stephen Mather, as well as climb the 400 steps to the top of Moro Rock for stunning views of the park and the peaks of the Great Western Divide (this is optional). The rest of the day is yours to explore as you wish. Possibilities include a visit to the Lodge Pole Visitor Center to learn about the amazing Buffalo Soldiers. Everyone returns to the Lodge late afternoon; the evening is free.

Depart Wuksachi Lodge this morning and travel to Tenaya Lodge for lunch, near the historic area of Wawona. Your visit to Yosemite begins with a film vignette by Ken Burns describing Muir's passion for the Yosemite Valley, and his activism to preserve it for future generations. Visit Glacier Point, a stunning overlook in Yosemite National Park offering panoramic views of iconic landmarks like Half Dome, Yosemite Valley, and Yosemite Falls. Mid-afternoon, enter Yosemite National Park from the south, arriving at The Ahwahnee – a historic masterpiece of stone, timber and soaring stained glass windows in the heart of Yosemite. Dinner tonight is at your leisure.

Yosemite "is the grandest of all the special temples of Nature I was ever permitted to enter," wrote Muir, who regarded such settings of awesome natural beauty as sacred places with restorative powers, "where the galling harness of civilization drops off and wounds heal, ere we are aware." Discover the park's power to move your spirit on a guided Yosemite tour that begins on the Valley Floor, stopping to view sites such as El Capitan, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, Valley View, etc. with opportunities to explore on foot. The afternoon is yours to enjoy the park at your own pace; optional activities are available (some at additional cost), including bicycling, a hike over the footbridge at Vernal Falls, and a visit to the Yosemite Indian Cultural Museum and Village. If you wish, join a naturalist for the "History of Climbing" program that traces the evolution of rock climbing in the park, from its early pioneering days to the modern era. It highlights significant milestones, legendary climbers, and the development of groundbreaking techniques that have shaped the sport. Through exhibits, guided tours, and educational presentations, visitors learn about the rich cultural and natural heritage of climbing in Yosemite, honoring its traditions while also embracing innovation and stewardship for the future.  The remainder of the day and evening is free to spend as you please.

Depart Yosemite and return to San Francisco, first visiting the Mariposa Museum, then driving across the populous Central Valley with a stop for lunch. Filmed narratives by Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan weave together the past seven days of history and nature, with insights you won't get anywhere else. One of the stories you'll hear relates to Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, a glacial valley that Muir fought unsuccessfully to save; in the 1920s, the federal government allowed its river to be dammed, turning the valley into a reservoir for the city of San Francisco. Today, a campaign continues, joined by the Sierra Club (which Muir founded) to remove the dam and restore the valley to its original state. "Mountain parks," Muir argued, "are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life..." an idea that remains controversial to this day. Arrive late afternoon at The Fairmont San Francisco, a Beaux Arts-style, premier hotel on Nob Hill – it's listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. Join us tonight for a farewell cocktail reception and dinner; the setting may be a long way from the Sierra Nevada, but Yosemite can never be left behind (and may be as close as your glass of tap water...).

Tour ends: San Francisco. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from The Fairmont San Francisco to San Francisco International Airport. You should allow two hours for flight check-in. If you wish to stay longer in San Francisco, ask about additional hotel nights.