Best of USA - West Coast
Landscapes and legends draw adventurers to the West, where a good day includes locavore dining, vineyard wine-sipping, wildlife-watching, Native American history and outdoor adventure.
Great Outdoors
Western USA gives depth and beauty to the American wild. The landscapes here are stunners, from the high Rockies to the dramatic coastline, from the Great Plains' hypnotizing big-sky horizons to Glacier, Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. Some of America's most iconic animals animate the wild, including grizzlies, wolves, elk and bison. Elsewhere, surfers, kayakers and beachcombers flock to sunny San Diego and the rocky, mood-filled beaches of Oregon and Washington. Red rocks, plunging gorges and prickly-pear deserts lure hikers and cyclists to the Southwest and Grand Canyon. Over in the Rockies, snowcapped peaks offer world's-best skiing and snowboarding.
Grapes, Green Chiles & Going Local
Fish tacos in San Diego, Sonoran dogs in Tucson, trout and bison in the Rockies, green and red chiles in New Mexico and wild salmon in the Pacific Northwest: regional specialties here are as diverse as the landscapes. One commonality? Chefs and consumers alike are focusing on fresh and locally grown food, a locavore trend that started in the West. Wine producers have embraced this eco-consciousness in an industry where Napa and Sonoma increasingly share the spotlight with Washington, Oregon and central California. And then there's the proliferation of microbreweries who understand that for people out West, small means beautiful.
Urban Allure
Western cities have distinct personalities. In California there's the hey-bro friendliness of San Diego, the Hollywood flash of Los Angeles and silicon-meets-bohemian in San Francisco. Further north in Seattle, cutting-edge joins homegrown, often over a cup of joe. Rootsy vibes and outdoor fun pair in Denver, while patio preening and spa pampering give Phoenix a strangely compelling spoiled vibe. Artsy, historic Santa Fe is a world unto itself. And then there's Vegas, a glitzy neon playground where you can get hitched in the Elvis Chapel, spend your honeymoon in Paris and then bet the mortgage – all in the same weekend.
Hands-On History
Climb a wooden ladder into a cliff dwelling, poke around the ruins of a Pony Express station, contemplate where Native American tribes drove buffalo herds over cliffs, or simply join the congregation inside a 1700s Spanish mission. What else is there to explore? Crumbling forts and trading posts. Abandoned ghost towns. Adobe pueblos. Petroglyphs etched onto boulders and cliff faces. Wander historic sites like these for up-close and evocative links to the region's rich, multilayered past. And excellent museums? Western USA has them, many of them, in abundance.
Photos
Itinerary
- Day 1
Arrival San Francisco
Arrival at San Francisco airport, meet & greet by our representative, transfer to hotel for check in
San Francisco is one of the world's top travel destinations. With incredible sightseeing, famous tourist attractions and eclectic neighborhoods, it's no wonder that over 16 million tourists visit the Golden Gate City annually. It is situated along the shore of a large bay sheltered behind the California Coastal Mountains. Steep streets lined with Victorian era houses, a great turquoise bay surrounded by low mountains, and antique cable cars that still shuttle passengers up and down the city slopes all make San Francisco one of the most picturesque cities in the US. It has a very moderate climate with warm summers and chilly winters but without extremes
Rest of the day at leisure
Dinner & overnight at San Francisco - Day 2
San Francisco - Sightseeing
After breakfast, proceed for city tour
Visit following attractions
Golden Gate Park : An engineering masterpiece, this bridge, built in 1937, towers with sturdy grace over the Golden Gate. Stretching over 4,200 feet, it is every bit as awesome an accomplishment in suspension-bridge engineering today as it was over half a century ago
The Golden Gate Park : Stretching from Stanyan Street to the Pacific Ocean, the lush landscaping features ever-changing settings at every turn. There are trails for walking, jogging, biking, horseback riding, as well as a golf course, lawn bowling greens, soccer fields and a baseball diamond
Japanese Tea Garden : Located in Golden Gate Park , this garden is a marvel of the landscape architects art. This traditional Japanese garden covers five acres. Several paths take you by an authentic pagoda, a monumental Buddha, a miniature waterfall, and over an acutely arched bridge that no kid can resist
Lombard Street : This picturesque stretch of Lombard Street has eight angles along a single block. They twist at very acute angles, making for very slow going if you are in a car, though, oddly enough, cars were the reason for designing the street this way back in 1922, the idea being that this design would make it easier for them to negotiate the steep 16-percent grade. The drive is usually bumper-to-bumper and in the summertime, there is almost always a line of cars waiting to take the drive down, so a stroll is a good option, especially when the hydrangeas along the sidewalk are in bloom
Fisherman's Wharf : Fisherman's Wharf remains one of San Francisco's most popular tourist destinations. The Wharf consists of a long, coast side row of seafood restaurants, street vendors, souvenir stores, and beautiful ocean scenery. Fisherman's Wharf was originally a major fishing pier, and although the fishing industry is still alive today, the main focus of this specific coastal area is its historic tourist attractions
Beach : Visit some of the beautiful beaches of San Francisco such as Ocean Beach, Baker Beach, Aquatic Park, East Beach & Stinson Beach
Dinner & overnight at San Francisco - Day 3
San Francisco - Sightseeing
After breakfast, excursion to Napa Valley for Wine Tour
Napa Valley, the esteemed wine region whose name has become synonymous with great vino, is a region of rolling hills coated with vineyards. There are so many that it can be hard to know which wineries to visit. That element is taken care of for you on this guided 8- to 9-hour tour, which includes stops at three boutique wineries. After getting picked up at your San Francisco hotel, enjoy the ride to Napa Valley. Listen as your guide regales you with stories about San Francisco's diverse neighborhoods as well as about the history of the city and of Napa as you make the short drive to wine country. Visit three family-owned, award-winning wineries and sample five or six types of wine at each stop. Experts offer a detailed explanation of how the wine is made. You'll impress your friends with your newfound knowledge of Napa Valley wines.Stop for lunch (own expense) at the Oxbow Public Market in Napa, where the food choices include everything from artisanal sandwiches and pizza to oysters and ice cream. At the end of the tour, with your appetites for food and wine sated
Back to San Francisco
Dinner & overnight at San Francisco - Day 4
San Francisco - Free day
After breakfast, day is at leisure to explore city on your own
Dinner & overnight at San Francisco - Day 5
San Francisco to Yosemite National Park
After breakfast, transfer to Yosemite National Park
Yosemite is absolutely splendid in any season, but there is a lot more to the area than just the park. Yosemite is one of the most popular visitor destinations in the United States. Not just a great Valley...but a shrine to human foresight, strength of granite, power of glaciers, the persistence of life, and the tranquility of the High Sierra
On arrival check in at hotel
Rest of the day at leisure
Dinner & overnight at Yosemite National Park - Day 6
Yosemite National Park - Sightseeing
After breakfast, proceed for city tour
Yosemite National Park - Yosemite is the most visited National Park in the United States, with over 3.8 million people each year, many of whom only spend time in the seven square miles (18 km2) of Yosemite Valley.[3] Designated a World Heritage Site in 1984, Yosemite is internationally recognized for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, Giant Sequoia groves, and biological diversity.[3] Almost 95% of the park is designated wilderness
Valley Glacier Point - It is a viewpoint above Yosemite Valley, in California, USA. It is located on the south wall of Yosemite Valley. The point offers a superb view of Yosemite National Park, including Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, Vernal Fall, Nevada Fall, and Clouds Rest
Dinner & overnight at Yosemite National Park - Day 7
Yosemite National Park to Las Vegas
After breakfast, transfer to Las Vegas
Las Vegas is the most populous city in Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. Las Vegas, which bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, is famous for the number of casino resorts and associated entertainment
On arrival check in at hotel
Rest of the day at leisure
Dinner & overnight at Las Vegas - Day 8
Las Vegas - Sightseeing
After breakfast, proceed for day trip to Grand Canyon
No matter how much you read about the Grand Canyon or how many photographs you've seen, nothing really prepares you for the sight of it. One of the world's seven natural wonders, it's so startlingly familiar and iconic you can't take your eyes off it. The canyon's immensity, the sheer intensity of light and shadow at sunrise or sunset, even its very age, scream for superlatives
At about two billion years old – half of earth's total life span – the layer of Vishnu Schist at the bottom of the canyon is some of the oldest exposed rock on the planet. And the means by which it was exposed is, of course, the living, mighty Colorado River, which continues to carve its way 277 miles through the canyon as it has for the past six million years
Dinner & overnight at Las Vegas - Day 9
Las Vegas - Free day
After breakfast, day is at leisure to explore city on your own
Dinner & overnight at Las Vegas - Day 10
Departure Las Vegas
After breakfast, transfer to airport for onward flight
Notes
Round the Year Destination ... Extention availalbe to East Coast of USA
Hotels
Tour Inclusions [Best of USA - West Coast]
- 4 nights San Francisco
- 2 nights Yosemite
- 3 nights Las Vegas
- Daily breakfast
- All transfers and excursions throughout the program as per Itinerary
Notes on itinerary
All our itineraries are "Just for Ideas" ... We will get to know you and customise an itinerary just for you that matches your requirements ... dates of travel, category of hotels, preferred airline, flexibility in choosing sightseeing, mode of travel between cities, etc.
Many of our clients have us design more relaxing, slower paced holidays with more in-depth experiences whereas some simply want to visit various destinations and cover only the highlights.
Together, we will determine the ideal route, pace of travel, accommodations, levels of pampering, style of touring, sightseeing to be included, dining preferences, adventure levels, options to meet locals, dates of travel & much more ! and based on this arrive at a price.
Do feel free to get in touch with us by a quick call on +91 79 29602961 or a short mail on mail@destinations4india.com ... Looking forward
