San Francisco...And Beyond

Day 1 – Welcome to San Francisco!

From our departure points we’ll travel north this morning onboard a deluxe motorcoach towards San Francisco via the Central Valley, making several rest stops and a stop for lunch on your own along the way. Late this afternoon we’ll arrive in the “City by the Bay” and our hotel located in the heart of Fisherman’s Wharf. Known for its historic waterfront, delicious seafood, spectacular sights and unique shopping, Fisherman’s Wharf offers a wide array of things to do. We’ll enjoy a relaxing, four-night stay at the Argonaut Hotel, the award-winning, AAA Four Diamond boutique hotel with luxurious rooms within indoor corridors and the Blue Mermaid Restaurant. This full-service, nautical- themed hotel with seafaring décor is housed in Fisherman’s Wharf historic Haslett Warehouse building and is within walking distance of a variety of restaurants, shops, the Powell & Hyde Cable Car Turnabout, Ghirardelli Square and the Hyde Street Pier. Enjoy the balance of the evening at leisure.

Day 2 – San Francisco

Following an included breakfast at the hotel, we’ll be joined by a local guide for a comprehensive guided tour of San Francisco. Year after year, San Francisco wins awards as one of the “world’s favorite cities” and in 2023 was named one of National Geographic’s 25 Most Breathtaking Places. Hear stories of the city’s past and present as we travel past its most iconic landmarks like Coit Tower, Lombard Street, Ghirardelli Square, City Hall, Pier 39 and many more. We’ll travel through the city’s diverse neighborhoods including Union Square, the Financial District, the Civic Center, The Castro/Mission District, Haight/Ashbury, Chinatown, Little Italy, North Beach, the Embarcadero and Golden Gate Park. We’ll visit Twin Peaks for spectacular views of the city and the San Francisco Bay. Visit Lands End, the rocky and windswept shoreline at the mouth of the Golden Gate to admire Seal Rocks and Cliff House. In the Presidio of San Francisco we’ll visit the Palace of Fine Arts, one of the most photographed sites in San Francisco. Built in 1915 for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, the site features a classical Greco-Roman style rotunda with curved colonnades in an idyllic park setting. At the Civil War-era Fort Point National Historic Site we’ll take in spectacular views of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge before we cross the bridge and take in views of the San Francisco skyline from Vista Point. Enjoy time at leisure for lunch on your own and browsing in Sausalito, the charming, laid-back town with a Mediterranean vibe. This evening, enjoy an included dinner at a locals’ favorite. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 3 – San Francisco, Alcatraz Island

Following an included breakfast, we’ll visit Golden Gate Park – at 1,017 acres, it is one of the world’s largest urban parks. We’ll visit the de Young Museum with time at leisure to explore the various galleries of this San Francisco landmark that is housed in an architecturally magnificent, state-of-the-art facility that integrates art, architecture and the natural landscape. The museum features an outdoor sculpture garden, Tower Observation Floor and a collection consisting of priceless American art from the 17th through the 20th centuries. On view during our visit, Paul McCartney Photographs 1963-64: Eyes of the Storm, a special exhibition of more than 250 personal photographs by Paul McCartney providing a behind-the-scenes look at the meteoric rise of the world’s most celebrated band, The Beatles. We’ll continue to the historic Ferry Building on the Embarcadero waterfront and enjoy time at leisure at the Ferry Building Marketplace, the food hall that brings together the food traditions of the city. This afternoon we’ll board a ferry and make the short trip to Alcatraz Island for an “inescapable” experience. Once home to some of America’s most notorious criminals, the federal penitentiary that operated here from 1934 to 1963 brought a dark mystique to “The Rock.” The presence of infamous inmates like Al “Scarface” Capone, and the “Birdman” Robert Stroud helped to establish the island’s notoriety. Many people, though, are unaware of the wealth of other stories to be learned on the island. Alcatraz is home to rare flowers and plants, marine wildlife, and thousands of roosting and nesting sea birds. Civil War-era buildings dotting the island give insight into the 19th century when the island served as both a harbor defense fort and a military prison. You can also see visible reminders of the American Indian Occupation that started in 1969 after the prison closed. Included during your visit is the Alcatraz Cellhouse Audio Tour, a captivating tour that brings history alive through the actual voices of the correctional officers and inmates who lived on the island during the infamous Federal Penitentiary era. We return to the hotel with the balance of the evening at leisure. (Breakfast)

Day 4 – San Francisco at Leisure or Napa Valley

Enjoy an included breakfast and an entire day at leisure in San Francisco to complete your “bucket list.” Perhaps you’ll hop aboard a cable car for a fun and nostalgic ride to Union Square and back, rent a bicycle for a picturesque ride along the waterfront to Crissy Field, or grab a taxi or Uber for a ride to a museum or shopping area you’ve always wanted to visit. Or, take advantage of an optional full-day excursion to the Napa Valley for an additional $265 per person (including taxes, fees and customary gratuity; payable at time of your tour payment; minimum of 10 guests required). Those guests taking advantage of the Napa Valley optional excursion will depart the hotel this morning onboard our motorcoach and travel with our tour director to the Napa Valley – one of the most picturesque and widely recognized wine regions in the world. In downtown Napa you’ll board the Napa Valley Wine Train for a three-hour experience traveling through the heart of the Napa Valley on a 36-mile round-trip journey to St. Helena and back. The train cars are restored early 20th century Pullman cars that feature Honduran mahogany paneling, brass accents, etched glass partitions with plush armchairs that evoke the elegant glory days of luxury train travel of the early 1900s. Onboard you’ll enjoy a three-course, waiter-served lunch with choice of entrée as the lush vineyards of the Napa Valley landscape pass by. These guests will return to San Francisco late this afternoon. (Breakfast)

Day 5 – Harris Ranch, Journey Home

After an included breakfast, we’ll travel south through the Central Valley making several rest stops and a stop for an included lunch with choice of entrée at Harris Ranch, one of the first and largest “Farm to Fork” dining destinations in California. It ranks #3 among California’s independent restaurants based on sales volume and second in the state for meals sold! We return to our departure points this evening with many fond memories of our time in the “City by the Bay.” (Breakfast, Lunch)

While we make every effort to operate our tours as outlined in the itinerary, we ask for your patience, understanding and flexibility and to retain a sense of adventure while traveling with us. Situations may arise that necessitate changes to the itinerary. Should we need to adjust the itinerary either prior to or while on tour, these changes will be communicated to you and only done when absolutely necessary.