Northern California

Kick-start your effortlessly delivered Northern California holiday in the cosmopolitan hills of ‘The City’. Join your Travel Director and fellow travelers for a Welcome Reception at your hotel.

Admire the eclectic mix of Victorian and Modern architecture, vibrant culture, and cuisines of one of the world's most livable and iconic cities. Embark on a morning exploration tour that takes you from the lively hotspot of Fisherman's Wharf to Union Square, a historical landmark linked to the American Civil War. This afternoon guests will take a walk across the iconic Golden Gate Bridge - Once called "the bridge that couldn't be built," today it is one the seven wonders of the modern world. The rest of the afternoon guests are free to explore on their own. Guests can perhaps take a ride on the 150 years old San Francisco Cable car, The only moving national monument in the country and perhaps take a walk through Chinatown's alleyways, the oldest Chinese community in the US.

This morning you'll depart San Francisco and head to Napa - with a stop in Sonoma - California wine country. Here, we'll visit a local winery and enjoy unique experiences and exploration of wine with a tasting. They'll visit a 4TH GENERATION FAMILY-RUN WINERY. Enjoy an included lunch this afternoon with fellow travelers. After the tasting you'll head to your home for the night in Napa.

Travel through the scenic fertile Sacramento River Valley to find yourself in the alpine splendor of Lake Tahoe. Its clear blue waters surrounded by evergreen pines and rocky outcrops provides you with a picturesque scenery to behold. Guests will enjoy a sunset dinner cruise on an authentic paddle wheeler boat on the freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. They'll get to enjoy the incredible Tahoe sunset, incredible views, and local cuisine and live music, with views over Emerald Bay.

Touch the sky and embark on a scenic road-trip into the Sierra Nevada mountain range, winding along the Tioga Pass to California’s UNESCO-listed Yosemite National Park. (Weather conditions may cause the Tioga Pass to be closed to traffic, typically from mid October to the end of May. In this case, an alternate entry point to Yosemite will be used). Marvel at the incredible natural beauty that inspired naturalist John Muir to dub Yosemite Valley the “Incomparable Valley”, passing the colossal granite faces of El Capitan and the misty splendor of Bridalveil Fall. Tonight, our Stays With Stories takes us overnight in the park.

Leave Yosemite behind and visit the Salinas Valley where you’ll love this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience where you'll join a Local Specialist for an agricultural education tour to learn about fruit and vegetable production and advanced farming techniques of the region that is known as the "Salad Bowl of the World". Their mission is to "educate our guests about wine, agriculture, and the rich history and beautiful environment of the Monterey Bay region." They'll visit an artichoke farm for a uniquely California taste. Continue on to Monterey where this evening you'll 'Connect with Locals' for a farm-to-table Be My Guest dinner at Happy Girl Kitchen - the meal highlights the freshest local ingredients. Todd and Jordan Champagne began happy girl kitchen co. out of the sheer love of food. After working on farms for years and preserving the glut of our California seasons, Todd and Jordan have been lauded as key members in the thriving food community of California’s Central Coast.

The pinch me moments continue as we follow the sun-kissed California coast, cruising scenic 17-Mile Drive. This drive has dramatic coastal cliffs, snow-white beaches, mystical forests and iconic golf courses. Discover one of the most scenic drives in the world as you meet the inspiring Lone Cypress, ponder the giant trees at Crocker Grove, digest the untouched beauty at Fanshell Beach. We return to Monterey for a visit of Cannery Row: the waterfront street bordering the city of Pacific Grove, but officially in the New Monterey section of Monterey, California. It was the site of a number of now-defunct sardine canning factories. John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row captured life in Cannery Row during its industrial heyday. Today it has a bit of everything: history buff info, shopping, food, and nature. The rest of the evening is yours to explore Monterey's vibrant street life. Tonight, we join our Travel Director and fellow travelers for a festive Farewell Dinner.

California’s towering redwoods provide an imposing backdrop for this morning as we journey back in time to the era of lumberjacks and sawmills in a re-created 1890s logging camp. We continue to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park where we’ll have an opportunity to walk amongst these giants that have stood for over a thousand years. We return to the golden city of San Francisco where you might consider extending your stay. Airport drop off at 1:00p.m., please be aware when booking fights.