$ ($50 USD and under)
$$ ($51 - $100 USD)
$$$ ($101 - $150 USD)
$$$$ (Over $150)
2025 Tour Details
From the City by the Bay to the City of Angels, this ten-day tour takes you to the top California sights that earned the Golden State its name. Yosemite’s Cathedral Spires, Big Sur’s rugged coastline, 17-Mile Drive’s spectacular views, and San Simeon’s Hearst Castle are just a few memorable Classic California experiences. Between the bright lights of Hollywood and the high style of Beverly Hills to the grapevines in wine country and farm-to-table cuisine in the Central Valley, this encompassing California vacation weaves in plenty of kickback time with visits to a Sonoma vineyard, the quiet Danish village of Solvang, and the tony resort zip codes of Monterey, Carmel, and Santa Barbara. Don’t forget your shades! [p]
To know more about the visas for this vacation, click here
The Big Sur visit and coastal route are dependent on current weather and road conditions on Pacific Coast Highway 1. Explore more in Southern California on the California Classics with San Diego Extension Tour! (Tour AAE)
ARRIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO Welcome to San Francisco! At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome drink.SAN-FRANCISCO-ALAMO-SQUARE.jpg
SAN FRANCISCO City by the Bay Enjoy morning sightseeing in one of the world’s most beautiful cities. Visit the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, including the Golden Gate Bridge and the Presidio. Free time this afternoon to explore the city. Ride the world-famous cable cars, shop in Union Square, or visit the Museum of Modern Art. Dinner at a local restaurant this evening.
Breakfast DinnerLOCAL FAVORITECULTURE & TRADITION As the song goes, you’ll leave your heart in San Francisco with a stroll through the exquisite Japanese Tea Garden. Walk the beautiful landscapes in the oldest public Japanese garden in the United States. Learn about the history of the park and enjoy time to explore the five acres of native Japanese plants, serene koi ponds, pagodas, and more.SAN-FRANCISCO-GOLDEN-GATE.jpg
SAN FRANCISCO–EXCURSION TO SAUSALITO & SONOMA Vineyards & Views Travel across the Golden Gate Bridge this morning to Sonoma for a local vineyard tour and tasting. Continue to the charming town of Sausalito for lunch on your own before returning to San Francisco. Consider a Gold and Ghost Tour optional excursion this evening to explore San Francisco after dark.
BreakfastTOUR HIGHLIGHTTASTES & TRADITIONS Cross San Francisco Bay on the iconic Golden Gate Bridge to spend time in Northern California’s wine country. Venture to Sonoma with its wealth of verdant vineyards for a wine tasting. Continue to Sausalito to enjoy waterfront views and breathtaking scenery in the charming village with a large variety of shops, restaurants, and art galleries.SONOMA.jpg
SAN FRANCISCO–YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK The Mountains are Calling Travel eastward through the Sierra Nevada Mountains to Yosemite National Park. A guided tram tour provides an introduction to the history and highlights of Yosemite National Park. Free time this evening.
BreakfastTOUR HIGHLIGHT NATURAL WONDERS Yosemite has innumerable lakes, meadows, ice-sculpted domes, forests, waterfalls, and unspoiled alpine scenery. Descend into the 4,000-foot valley for an open-air Valley Floor Tram to explore the famous sites of El Capitan, Cathedral Spires, Yosemite Falls, and Half Dome. Here, John Muir realized, “The mountains are calling, and I must go.” We think you’ll agree. YOSEMITE-NATIONAL-PARK-VIEW.jpg
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK–MONTEREY Giants of the Land and Sea Before departing Yosemite National Park, visit Mariposa Grove, home to many old-growth sequoias. Stand in awe as you look skyward at these massive giants, one of the Earth’s largest and longest living organisms. Then, on to the California coast to Monterey, home to the famed Cannery Row.
BreakfastTOUR HIGHLIGHT HISTORY & HERITAGE Immortalized by John Steinbeck in his novel of the same name, Cannery Row is filled with history and vibrant sights along the waterfront of Monterey Bay. Once a bustling district of sardine factories, the street is a brightly painted avenue of eateries and shops that harken back to a heritage of fishermen and rich stories. In the morning, stroll along the wharf for the chance to see whales, otters, and other sea creatures in the kelp forests of the Pacific Ocean shore.MONTEREY.jpg
MONTEREY. EXCURSION TO CARMEL Cottages & Cypress Trees This morning, spend your free time visiting historic Cannery Row. Other highlights today include a visit to the resort town of Carmel with a scenic drive along the famed 17-Mile Drive. Return to Monterey for free time before dinner at a local restaurant.
Breakfast DinnerTOUR HIGHLIGHTCULTURAL GEMS Feel the windswept spirit of the Pacific Ocean with a spectacular drive along 17-Mile Drive to the charming haven of Carmel-by-the-Sea. See its crooked cottages and twisted trees in the popular haunt of writers, artists, and celebrities. You’ll pass by sweeping sea views and rocky shores, visit the world-famous Pebble Beach Golf Course for a walk on the fairway, and see the iconic Lone Cypress clinging to its rocky perch.CARMEL-17-MILE-DRIVE.jpg
MONTEREY–BIG SUR–SAN SIMEON–SOLVANG California Gold Journey south through Big Sur to San Simeon and visit Hearst Castle. Continue to Solvang for a free evening.
BreakfastTOUR HIGHLIGHT LEGENDARY LIVES Visit the opulent mansion of legendary newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst, which houses splendid antiques, art treasures, and exotic possessions purchased at an estimated $50 million. Your guided tour shows off the highlights of the impressive 123-acre estate. SOLVANG.jpg
SOLVANG–SANTA BARBARA–LOS ANGELES Treasures & Traditions Explore the Danish town of Solvang and enjoy a Danish specialty at a local bakery. Then, travel through the Santa Ynez Mountains to beautiful Santa Barbara to visit the Old Mission Santa Barbara. Continue to metropolitan Los Angeles, the motion picture capital of the world.
BreakfastLOCAL FAVORITECULTURAL GEM Stroll the streets of Solvang and feel as though you’ve entered a charming Danish town with picturesque buildings and shops, restaurants and windmills that create a taste of Denmark in California’s Santa Ynez Valley. Enjoy a traditional Danish pastry at Mortensen’s famous bakery. TOUR HIGLIGHTHISTORY & HERITAGE Experience the beauty and history of California’s mission trail with a visit to Old Mission Santa Barbara. Soak in the stunning Spanish influence of the 1786 “Queen of the Missions” with its wrought iron, terra cotta, and carved wood. Feel the serenity amid its whitewashed walls and tile-roofed buildings below its chiming twin bell towers ringing out on the Camino Real above the beautiful Pacific Ocean. SANTA-BARBARA-MISSION.jpg
LOS ANGELES Spend Your Day Your Way in L.A. Morning sightseeing of this gigantic metropolis takes you from Olvera Street—the oldest thoroughfare in the city—to Hollywood. See the Sunset Strip and Beverly Hills. This afternoon, explore more of Los Angeles with your choice of included excursions. This evening, your Tour Director hosts a special farewell dinner at a local restaurant.
Breakfast DinnerTAKE YOUR PICK Explore your way today with your choice of excursions: ART HISTORY After lunch, visit the Getty Center & Museum to see a vast collection of art housed within its modern hilltop complex above Los Angeles. Here, a treasure trove of masterpieces is displayed with art from the Middle Ages to the present. OR: BEACHY KEEN Take a self-guided walk along the Santa Monica Pier; ride the Pacific Park Ferris Wheel for spectacular panoramic views of the Southern California coastline. LOS-ANGELES-BEVERLY-HILLS.jpg
LOS ANGELES Safe travels until we meet again! Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. You may choose to extend your time in Los Angeles and explore more on your own. Extra nights are available for purchase.
BreakfastLOS-ANGELES-SKYLINE.jpg
With Globus, there’s no better way to get to know your destination than through the eyes of your Tour Director. Averaging over a decade... we’d like you to meet a Tour Director, who is representative of the type of expert that will be with you on your vacation.
Escorting tours for more than 20 years
" Being a Tour Director has afforded me the opportunity to travel more than I would have ever dreamed. During my many years as a Tour Director, I have had the opportunity to lead tours in Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Hawaii, and the Western U.S. I am extremely proud of my home state of California. Come with me on tour and I will show you the unique beauty, ethnic diversity, tempting local cuisine, and, hopefully, help you spot a celebrity or two!"
Escorting tours for more than 15 years
" The West has been my home since I was born, and its incredible diversity has kept me engaged since my earliest memories. It is a world of iconic places and undiscovered gems waiting to be explored. Experience the bustle of its cities and the serenity of its open spaces, hear the stories of its people, and embrace the wonder of its beauty. No matter who you are or where you come from, there is something about the West that will never leave you."