America’s Western Wonders

Itineraries

• Day 1 UK – Los Angeles
• Fly to Los Angeles today, where you’ll stay for two nights. Join your travelling companions for a welcome dinner and drinkthisevening.
• Day 2 Los Angeles
• We’ll get to know Los Angeles today on an included morning sightseeing tour of this sprawling city. Highlights include Hollywood, where we’ll see the TCL Chinese Theatre, whose courtyard features the hand and footprints of more than 200 stars of stage andscreen. This afternoon we offer an optional excursion to Warner BrosStudios. On a behind-the-scenes tour you’ll discover the secrets of Hollywood past and present and see how hit TV shows are made.
• Day 3 Santa Monica – San Diego
• This morning we’ll visit the chic coastal resort of Santa Monica, where you can take a stroll along the 100-year-old pier, a landmark which is lined with attractions including its famous Ferris wheel. We then continue to San Diego. After free time for lunch here,we include a tour of this delightful Spanish-influenced city.
• Day 4 San Diego – at Leisure
• Explore San Diego your own way today, or perhaps choose to join an optional cruise around San Diego Bay. As you sail on the calm waters, sit back and take in the views as youpass by Seaport Village, the seaside community of Point Loma and many other scenic attractions.
• Day 5 San Diego – Prescott
• We’re heading to Prescotttoday on a drive which takes us through a spectacular desert landscape. We’ll cross the border into the state of Arizona and an area known as the ‘Valley of the Sun’, thanks to its many days of sunshine and absence of rainfall for much of the year.
  On arrival in the town of Prescott, why not join our optional dinner, which is a traditional western experience not to be missed.
• Day 6 Grand Canyon
• Todayis the day that you visit one of the world’s most iconic natural wonders, the Grand Canyon, which is sure to be a highlight of your holiday. This 14-mile-wide gorge isa spectacular sight however viewed, but nothing quite compares to taking in its magnificence from the air. You can do that today if you choose to take an optional flight – a truly unforgettable experience.
• Day 7 Prescott – Las Vegas
• You’re going to travel on part of the legendary Route 66 today, as we journey westwards to Las Vegas. On the way we’re going to pass the mighty Hoover Dam, a feat of 20th century constructionwhich towers above the Colorado River. Built in 1935, this is still one of the country’s largest power plants and is a spectacular sight.
  An equally amazing sight is the desert city of Las Vegas, and if you want to see this dazzling neon-lit wonderland in all its glory you can join an optional tour tonight.
• Day 8 Las Vegas – at Leisure
• Today is free for you to explore Las Vegas at leisure. Take a stroll up and down the Strip and dip into the hotels that line it from the dancing fountains outside the Bellagio to the gondolas that traverse the ‘Grand Canal’ at the Venetian, there is so much to see anddo. Be sure to step inside as many as you can – you’ll discover everything from shopping malls and casinos to rollercoaster rides and even an aquarium.
  This evening why not join an optional excursion which gives you the chance to enjoy one of the famous Cirque duSoleil shows, with dinner included.
• Day 9 Las Vegas – Selma
• We’re going to drive back into California today, where we’ll stay overnight in Selma. Our journey will take us through the Mojave Desert, an arid landscape that is dotted with Joshua trees. These spiky evergreens grow nowhere else in the world, and are striking to see.
• Day 10 Yosemite National Park
• Yosemite National Park is best known for its abundance of waterfalls but during your full day here you’ll see so much spectacular scenery, from deep valleys and dramatic mountain peaks to ancient sequoias and towering granite monoliths. We’ll stay overnight in Mariposa before heading to San Francisco for a two-night stay.
• Day 11 Sausalito – San Francisco
• En route to San Francisco, we’ll pause at the pretty, waterfront community of Sausalito. With a great selection of restaurants, you’ll be spoilt for choice if you want a spot of lunch. We’ll then cross the iconic Golden Gate Bridge for an afternoon sightseeing tour of beautiful ‘city by the bay’ –San Francisco.
• Day 12 San Francisco – at Leisure
• We’ve left today free so you can explore at leisure. You could take a stroll to Chinatown, where Grant Avenue is the city’s oldest street, or maybe take a ride in one of the famous cablecars. We also offer a full range of optional excursions if you’d like to see more. You can take a thrilling helicopter ride over and under the Golden Gate Bridge, or join an ‘Escape from the Rock’ cruise, which takes us past the former island prison Alcatraz.
  This evening we will get together as a group and head to a restaurant on Pier 39 for dinner.
• Day 13 San Francisco – Monterey
• The picturesque Monterey Peninsula is our destination today, where a visit to the world-renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium is a must, and you can do just that on our optional excursion. More than 35,000 creatures, from otters and penguins to jellyfish and sharks, live in what is one of the world’s leading conservationorganisations.
• Day 14 Monterey – San Luis Obispo
• A drive along a section of one of America’s most famous and picturesque routes, the Pacific Coast Highway, takes us to the idyllic seaside town of Carmel. From here we’ll take the scenic 17Mile Drive through Pebble Beach and the coastal city of Pacific Grove to SanLuis Obispo, where we stay tonight.
• Day 15 San Luis Obispo – Long Beach
• You’ll experience even more beautiful scenery today as we take to the roadand head further down thecoasttoLong Beach. On the way we’ll stop at Santa Barbara, where we can take in the lovely views of gorgeous beaches and majestic mountains.
• Day 16 Long Beach – at Leisure
• You’ve a free day to spend as you please.You could soak up the sun on the beach, or why not join an optional excursion toCatalina Island. We’ll reach Catalina by ferry, and step ashore on the island for a tour. Boasting a Mediterranean climate, white sands and swaying palms, this is the perfect paradise island and you’ll have time at leisure to explore.
• Days 17 & 18 Los Angeles – UK
• We’ll transfer you to the airport in Los Angeles on day 17 for your return flight back to the UK, arriving on day 18.