Californias Gold Coast

Day 1: Arrive in amazing San Francisco
San Francisco, the beautiful city by the bay, wins awards year after year as the "world's favorite city" – from the cultural arts to intriguing architecture and diverse cuisine, discover what makes this city special. Join us tonight for a welcome reception and dinner at your historic hotel on Union Square, a San Francisco landmark since 1904.
Overnight: The Westin St. Francis, San Francisco, CA
Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2: Head to the wineries of the Sonoma Valley
This morning get a taste of what exciting San Francisco has to offer with a brief sightseeing tour that includes Nob Hill, Chinatown and Fisherman's Wharf. Head over the Golden Gate Bridge to the lush Sonoma Valley and a day exploring some of the world’s finest vineyards – a quintessential California travel experience. Following a winery tour, wine tasting and picnic lunch at the Viansa Winery, return to San Francisco mid-afternoon for an evening spent discovering more of the city on your own.
Overnight: The Westin St. Francis, San Francisco, CA
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch

Day 3: A taste of Gold Fever... and a taste of heaven in Yosemite
Travel through California's Gold Country, with its historic communities created during the Gold Rush boom years of the 1850s. Then head into the Sierra Nevada Mountains to Yosemite National Park for two nights at one of the most distinctive hotels inside a national park – The Ahwahnee, a National Historic Landmark built in 1927. Dine à la carte this evening in the award-winning Ahwanee Dining Room, where floor-to-ceiling windows look out on the grandeur of Yosemite.
Overnight: The Ahwahnee, Yosemite National Park, CA
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 4: Savoring a national treasure – Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park's unequaled splendors range from magnificent waterfalls to spectacular glacier-hewn gorges, and represent five of the seven life zones found in North America – all in an area about the size of Rhode Island. Start discovering it all with Tauck's enriching, privately guided two-hour morning walking tour of Yosemite with a local naturalist. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is then yours to explore as you please for the rest of the day.
Overnight: The Ahwahnee, Yosemite National Park, CA
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 5: Through "America's Salad Bowl" to Monterey
Departing Yosemite, visit the Mariposa Museum and History Center before your California travel adventure winds its way through the rich farmland of the San Joaquin Valley, dubbed "America's Salad Bowl." Stop in the quiet town of Merced, then continue on to fashionable Carmel-by-the-Sea on the Pacific coast, taking some time to explore the town's celebrated galleries and boutiques. Arrive in the beautiful, historic coastal city of Monterey for a two-night stay; your accommodation is set close to the famed Monterey Bay Aquarium. Dine at your leisure at one of Monterey's leading eateries.
Overnight: InterContinental The Clement Monterey, CA
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 6: In and around Monterey Bay – the Aquarium & 17-Mile Drive
A day of discoveries under and around Monterey Bay begin with a visit to the aquatic world of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, home to 200 award-winning galleries and exhibits featuring marine life from the waters of the bay and elsewhere. Catch a glimpse of the Monterey Peninsula's impressive homes and stunning beaches as you travel the 17-Mile Drive through Del Monte Forest to Cypress Point, home of the Pebble Beach golf course. The rest of the day is spent exploring Monterey as you please.
Overnight: InterContinental The Clement Monterey, CA
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 7: A day of drama – Highway 1, Big Sur and Hearst Castle
Tauck's California travel expertise takes you past redwood forests and playful seals along one of the most scenic drives in North America... Pacific Coast Highway 1. View the rugged coastline of Big Sur as the dramatic road weaves its way southward along the Pacific Ocean. Stop along the way to marvel at the elaborate adornments of Hearst Castle – the grandiose, "study in excess" estate of publisher William Randolph Hearst, and the model for the fictional "Xanadu" in the movie Citizen Kane – on a walking tour of the historic 165-room mansion. Today's final destination is your Pacific oceanfront resort on Shell Beach.
Overnight: The Cliffs Resort, Shell Beach, CA
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 8: From Santa Barbara, get ready for your close-up in Los Angeles
Journey along the coast to Santa Barbara, set against the Santa Ynez Mountains, where you'll have some time to explore the city and its Mediterranean-style courthouse. Then it's on to Los Angeles, one of the world's great entertainment capitals. Visit the magnificent J. Paul Getty Museum – featuring an extensive collection of pre-20th century European art, sculpture, antiquities, decorative arts and photographs – before arriving at your landmark Pasadena hotel, a longtime retreat for Hollywood celebrities.
Overnight: The Langham Huntington, Pasadena / Los Angeles, Pasadena, CA
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 9: California dreamin' in Hollywood, Capistrano and San Diego
Start the day with a hearty "Hooray for Hollywood" on a sightseeing tour of the entertainment capital and environs, including Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, Sunset Strip and Grauman's Chinese Theater. Then travel to San Juan Capistrano, the historic mission town famous for the swallows that arrive each March, before winding your way along the Pacific Coast to San Diego, for a two-night stay at a waterfront hotel spectacularly set on Mission Island in beautiful San Diego Bay.
Overnight: Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina, San Diego, CA
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 10: A private tour of the world's largest zoo & a dinner cruise too
This morning, enjoy Tauck's private insider's tour of the San Diego Zoo at Balboa Park, the largest zoo on earth, featuring more than 4,000 animals from around the world. The afternoon is free for you to spend in San Diego as you please; you may want to explore Old Town, or visit Seaport Village or the USS Midway Museum. Tonight, reminisce about your California travel adventures during an unforgettable cocktail reception and dinner cruise on San Diego Bay featuring gourmet cuisine.
Overnight: Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina, San Diego, CA
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 11: Journey Home
California travel with Tauck ends in San Diego. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina to San Diego International Airport; checkout time is 12:00 pm. Allow a minimum of two hours for flight check-in.
Overnight:
Meals Included: Breakfast

Don't miss our current specials: Tauck Tour Deals Traveling with a group of friends or family can add to the joy of any journey. Book a group of 10 on any Tauck land journey or cruise and the 11th guest travels FREE. Book a group of 8 on any Tauck Bridges family adventure and the 9th guest travels FREE Tauck Single Specials For those seeking singles tours, we are pleased to offer special values on select departures to our guests who choose to travel solo. You can travel with peace of mind, knowing that you are among like-minded travelers and will have all the day-to-day details handled for you! While everyone is welcome, on these select dates we offer special arrangements to those traveling solo at a reduced cost. Tauck Single Specials in North America Best of the Canadian Rockies Michigan's Lakes & Mackinac Island Charleston/Savannah Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia San Fransisco, Sonoma & Napa Valleys Tauck Single Specials in Europe A Week in Ireland A Week in Spain Mediterranean Discovery Istanbul and the Black Sea Treasure of the Mediterranean Cruising Mediterranean Shores The Blue Danube Holland Belgium in Spring Strasbourg to Prague Serenade The Rhine and Moselle Budapest to Amsterdam by Riverboat Budapest to the Black Sea Classic Italy Bellissima Northern Italy Italian Lakes, Venice, Florence and Rome A Week in Paris and Provence Tauck Singles Specials in Latin America Panama Canal & Costa Rica
Touring Date	Land Only	Land + Air	Single (Land Only)	Single (Land + Air)
8/20/2010 - 8/31/2010	$3,690
9/9/2010 - 9/20/2010	$3,690
9/19/2010 - 9/30/2010	$3,690
9/29/2010 - 10/10/2010	$3,690
10/9/2010 - 10/20/2010	$3,690
10/19/2010 - 10/30/2010	$3,690
Airfare Disclaimer A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARE: We encourage you to buy your airfare from the tour operator, because if your tour cancels then your airlines tickets will be covered. Purchasing flights separately at a lesser rate and incorporating it with a Non-Guaranteed Departure Date can result in loss of total cost of your flight investment. Depending on the fare rules, flights may be Non-Refundable and/or Non-Transferable. Neither the tour operator and/or Atlas Cruises & Tours will be held responsible for loss if a tour is cancelled for Lack of Participation. If you would like to check for discounted fares on Guaranteed Departures or for competitive pricing on air and hotel packages, we invite you to follow this link. Documents TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Necessary Travel Documents such as Passports and Visas is the responsibility of the traveler. Passports must be valid six months from your return travel date.

Yosemite National Park ~ San Francisco ~ Sonoma Valley ~ Monterey ~ Santa Barbara ~ Los Angeles ~ San Diego

Tauck Tour Deals

Tauck Single Specials

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