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Best of California (Small Groups, 9 Days)

9 days
From San Francisco to Los Angeles
4.8
7 traveler reviews
Best of California (Small Groups, 9 Days) - Insight Vacations

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Plan your adventure:
Fully Guided
An experienced guide will be with you for the entire tour
Guided in English
Group Size 20 - 24
Age range 5 to 99
Image of a map showing the route of the tour

Highlights

  • Ride a cable car through San Francisco
  • Explore Yosemite's majestic waterfalls
  • Tour a farm in the Salad Bowl of the World
  • Taste wines at a Paso Robles winery
  • Walk along Santa Monica and Venice Beach

Itinerary

Expand All
  1. Introduction
  1. Day 1 San Francisco, the City by the Bay.
  2. Day 2 Exploring San Francisco.
  3. Day 3 Yosemite National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  4. Day 4 Yosemite National Park to Monterey.
  5. Day 5 Monterey, the Cradle of History.
  6. Day 6 The American Riviera.
  7. Day 7 Santa Monica and the City of Angels.
  8. Day 8 The Glitz and Glam of L.A.
  9. Day 9 Depart Los Angeles.
Want to read it later?

Download this tour’s PDF brochure and start tour planning offline

What's Included

Expand All
  • Accommodation
  • Guide
  • Meals
  • Additional Services
  • Transport

What's Not Included

  • Flights
  • Insurance
  • Optional
  • Additional Services

Number of tours

716

Age Range

5 to 99 years old

Response time

12 hours

Response rate

100%

When you travel with Insight Vacations every second is magical. You won’t just see a destination, you will meet it, feel it and taste it. Travel in style and stay at premium hotels in the right location. Discover new cultures and people with authentic dining experiences that take you to the heart...

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Sustainability Initiatives

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Cancellation Policy

A transparent overview of applicable fees.

Travel Insurance

Be covered for any unforseen circumstances.

Customer Reviews

  • Overall Rating
    Excellent
    4.8
  • Itinerary
    Excellent
    4.6
  • Guide
    Excellent
    5.0
  • Transport
    Excellent
    5.0
  • Accommodation
    Excellent
    5.0
  • Food
    Excellent
    4.3
  • 4.5
  • Most Recent
  • Most Popular
  • Highest First
  • Lowest First
  • EW
    · November 15th, 2019
    Great trip overall. Too little time in Yosemite. Disappointed that our bus couldn't drive on the PCH from Monterrey to San Simeon. We didn't realize this when we booked and had been looking forward to that. Lynne Hendrick was a terrific tour guide and Travis was a wonderful, capable driver.
    Show more
    Insight Vacations commented on this review
    Thank you for sharing this with us, it is brilliant to read about your experience on the Best of California tour with Insight Vacations. We are very pleased to know that your Travel Director’s passion and knowledge of Italy set the tone for an amazing... Show more
    Trip date: October 2019
  • Best of California (Small Groups, 9 Days) reviewer 2
    · October 17th, 2019
    I normally travel on my own, but this time, I decided to go with Insight Vacations, as the tour looked great and I didn't want to do all the driving. I can certainly recommend Insight Vacations - book a tour with them if you enjoy travelling in style and exploring many sights within a short period of time. Our guide Jason was excellent, and the whole trip was extremely well organised. In my personal opinion, we could have skipped Yosemite National Park - it was the only place I wasn't overly impressed with, particularly with the accommodation and the staff there. The included meals were good but not great (I suppose it's difficult when you go in a group), so I could have done with a few more free evenings instead. But again, this was my personal opinion. Other than that, the trip was fantastic, and I left California with many unforgettable memories.
    Show more
    Insight Vacations commented on this review
    It certainly pleases us to learn that Jason went above and beyond to make your time in the United States a memorable one. Also, we are very happy to learn that you enjoyed your complete experience on the road. Furthermore, we truly look forward to... Show more
    Trip date: October 2019
  • LW
    · September 1st, 2019
    We had a really enjoyable bus tour. Great variety in the locations, really nice weather and it is a great way to see California in a short period of time. Our tour guide Linda and our bus driver Scott were fabulous. Linda kept us amused with her jokes and Scott was an excellent driver so I felt safe particularly on those hair pin bends into Yosemite and later into Malibu. Really highly recommend this trip.
    Show more
    Trip date: August 2019
  • LS
    · August 3rd, 2019
    Everything was amazing! We went to great places and saw a lot. The tour guide and bus driver were the best! I was so impressed by how organized it was.
    Insight Vacations commented on this review
    We are very pleased to hear that your time on the Best of California tour was a memorable one. On top of that, we hope that you were able to go back home with some amazing memories and we look forward to welcoming you back in the near future.
    Trip date: June 2019
  • T
    · June 25th, 2019
    It was my first time to USA and I decided to travel with Insight Vacations as I have great experience with this operator on my previous trips to Europe. Best of California has a good balance of cosmopolitan cities and beauty of nature. It allows me to meet up both my friends in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles respectively so that’s it! When I arrived into San Francisco, sense of familiarity from the city (Singapore) I came from. Westin St. Francis Hotel is the only hotel on Union Square and with cable cars just outside the doors. All the city’s best shopping, theatre, nightlife and dining options are just steps away. Being a wine lover, I am excited about the private tasting in Sonoma and had one of the best Sauvignon Blanc (I prefer red wine anytime). Welcome reception of champagne at Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa delighted everyone, this is my favourite hotel of the trip for its hospitality, room, ambience to the ala carte breakfast selections. Highlight dinner in El Dorado Hotel & Kitchen, love the cuisine with local wine, service and fellow travellers at the table! On route to Yosemite National Park, was not only comfortable with extra legroom space, the vantage point from the height of the motor coach and panoramic window view enable me to take some great photos. There were ample time for us to get around the national park. The majestic Yosemite Fall, shuttle service, visitor centre and restaurants are just directly opposite from the doorstep of our lodge. Hearst Castle brought me back to the 1930s during the social peak where their guest list comprised most of the Hollywood stars of the period; Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant and the Marx Brothers and etc. This 90,000 sqft estate was built between 1919 and 1947 by William Randolph Hearst, the publishing tycoon, and his architect Julia Morgan. Our local expert in Los Angeles is informative and we had the chance for a private tour of Los Angeles Theatre which was part of the city orientation. Despite the many highlights of this trip, one of the best highlight for me is the comraderies amongst the 32 fellow travellers including myself along with our Travel Director, Monica and driver, Kevin.
    Show more
    Best of California (Small Groups, 9 Days) customer review photo 1Best of California (Small Groups, 9 Days) customer review photo 2Best of California (Small Groups, 9 Days) customer review photo 3
    Trip date: June 2019
  • MG
    · August 27th, 2017
    The success of any tour depends on the itinerary,the tour director and coach driver. My recent tour had the best of these features.
    Trip date: August 2017
  • MA
    · June 15th, 2017
    We had an amazing experience with Darren, our driver and Anandji, our director on the Best of California tour. We got to see so many places, the hotels and included meals were all excellent. The bus is very comfortable, and the pace, although brisk, is quite doable. Anandji is so professional, patient and accommodating - we really enjoyed every moment of our trip! Thank you, guys!
    Show more
    Trip date: June 2017
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Good to Know

Tour ID: 192448

  • Currency
    $
    US Dollar
    USA
  • Plugs & Adapters

    As a traveler from England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa you will need an adaptor for types A, B.

    Type A
    USA
    Type B
    USA
  • Visa
    • Unfortunately we cannot offer you a visa application service. Whether you need a visa or not depends on your nationality and where you wish to travel. Assuming your home country does not have a visa agreement with the country you're planning to visit, you will need to apply for a visa in advance of your scheduled departure.
    • Here is an indication for which countries you might need a visa. Please contact the local embassy for help applying for visas to these places.
  • Payment information
    • For any tour departing before March 1st, 2025 a full payment is necessary. For tours departing after March 1st, 2025, a minimum payment of $200 is required to confirm your booking with Insight Vacations. The final payment will be automatically charged to your credit card on the designated due date. The final payment of the remaining balance is required at least 65 days prior to the departure date of your tour. TourRadar never charges you a booking fee and will charge you in the stated currency.
    • Some departure dates and prices may vary and Insight Vacations will contact you with any discrepancies before your booking is confirmed.
    • The following cards are accepted for "Insight Vacations" tours: Visa, Maestro, Mastercard, American Express or PayPal. TourRadar does NOT charge you an extra fee for using any of these payment methods.
  • Cancellation Policy
  • Accessibility
    Some tours are not suitable for mobility-restricted traveler, however, some operators may be able to accommodate special requests. For any enquiries, you can contact our customer support team, who are ready and waiting to help you.

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