Vegas to San Fran

Customer Reviews

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  Nena P

  · September 18th, 2019
  - good choice of activities + good mix - i especially loved the non-touristic, but amazing activities (f.e. hot river, best smoothie place, pizza spot in the grand canyon...) - Shane could give lots of info about America - the small groups - eye for sustainability - the clear communication and explanations - Shane found a good balance between fun en strict. - the mix of very different people - the cosy and respectful atmosphere
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  Trip date: July 2019
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  Rebekah G

  · September 18th, 2019
  The trip was seamless in many ways. Obviously there were a few hiccups, but it was so nice to just sit back and allow someone else to plan the details while I enjoyed the whole experience.
  Trip date: June 2019
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  Claire G

  · September 18th, 2019
  Loved every second of the trip we always knew where we were headed and what was on the agenda for the day. The activities were great and we learned about each area we were going to. I liked the overall organisation of the trip and how everyone chipped in and helped with making food and cleaning up. It made sure everyone was included and got to know each other
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  Trip date: June 2019
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  David K

  · September 18th, 2019
  First let me state that the trip I was on started in New York but our group leader gave us the reference for the last leg only. The itinerary for this trip is excellent, the extra day stopovers have been well thought out, driving time is comfortable with regular restroom breaks and the hotels were of a high standard with all the facilities I would expect. Regrettably though I found our guide to unnecessarily rush things which spoilt it for several of the group. I (and others in our group) considered that our group leader was going through the motions with no passion for the job and an extension of this was that our group leader more often than not was a loner preferring to get up last and go to bed earliest and with a few exceptions not be a part of the group as such until the final leg from Las Vegas to San Francisco. Whilst we did get information along the way it was minimal and because of that lack of information some of the group missed out on several of the trips. We were regularly told of our tipping responsibility and how much our group leader expected and the subject of tipping was actually put onto the itinerary board on the last day of each leg of the tour. Other than being strong headed to the extent of not taking advice or refusing suggestions to help all concerned my biggest gripe with our group leader was that the biggest responsibility of any group leader (do not lose any of your group) was broken. And the abandoned party was me. My synopsis is as follows: Philadelphia: An interesting stopover Washington: The bike ride was excellent, at a casual pace taking in lots of historic buildings etc. Blue Ridge Mountains: Breath taking Views Nashville: Wonderful. My only criticism of the itinerary is that it should take in an extra night here. Memphis: Very interesting and in the evening we went for what was to be the only proper sit down meal with our guide. On the walk to Graceland though our group leader walked so fast that half the group (including a 63-year-old lady suffering from bronchitis) were left about seventy yards behind almost losing touch. From this point of the tour onwards the lady was not really comfortable on account of everything being so rushed. I had stated to our group leader before the trip started that I was a senior citizen so would obviously like to be given the relevant discounted rates where available. I missed out on the Washington Bike tour and said nothing. When the same thing happened at Graceland (despite reminding our group leader immediately before paying for the tickets) I questioned it and the group leader advised that we couldn’t get a discount because we were a group. Absolute rubbish as we had all paid the full single rate. Discounted senior rates were captioned everywhere so I then questioned it with the lady on the ticket desk who advised I should discuss it with the person who paid for the tickets. Only then did the group leader personally offer the $5. difference (not $7. as it should have been). This was the first of a few questionable issues with our group leader concerning money. New Orleans: Again our group leader rushed through town with us in tow showing us the sights (that we could have and did see the next day) instead of going straight to a fancy restaurant we had pre-booked. The result was we were given takeaway containers when the meals came. Carlsbad; Due to our group leader using a big paper map instead of GPS we got lost on the way resulting in a 1 mile detour and arriving late at camp. Carlsbad caves are magnificent and free as part of the trip but it wasn’t until we left them that we discovered that there was an audio tour option for an extra $5. which most of us would have preferred. Our group leader did not make us aware of this option. Roswell: General consensus in our group was that the museum was a little silly and more suited to children. Santa Fe: Our group leader dismissed this place with “there’s nothing there” when in fact it is a quaint little town that is home to the oldest house and oldest church in the USA. Mesa Verde National Park. The trips of which there are I think four normally have to be booked in advance. When we arrived only one was available and that included climbing ladders and crawling through small holes which the females of our group declined and consequently missed out by experiencing no trips. This I feel our group leader should have forewarned us of and taken advance bookings accordingly. Monument Valley: Magnificent. Just like you see in all the cowboy movies. The overnight stay with the locals Navoho Indians I would recommend. Grand Canyon: Magnificent, however….. Our group leader suggested that we buy meat from the kitty for a BBQ but was oblivious to the fact that BBQ equipment in the camp has to be booked in advance. This was pointed out by one of the group who had been there before and the BBQ idea was rightly abandoned as we found no equipment to be available when we got to camp. Following the BBQ fiasco followed another instance of our group leader being a loner having arranged a group pizza evening several miles away from camp. Half of our group and the group leader were together at the camp only three hours before the meeting time and then our group leader went solo to the meeting place with no explanation in the touring van leaving the rest of us to get two busses to the rendezvous. Unfortunately, it rained in the night and snowed in the morning which resulted in a unanimous vote to leave for a hotel. Not only because of the weather but because the tents were inadequate should it rain and consequently anything in them, including us got wet. I cannot understand the logic of supplying tents that require the addition of a tarpaulin under the ground sheet. I have camped outdoors in all weathers throughout my life and this procedure was abandoned in Europe in the 197s when adequate tents were first mass manufactured. When stating that we would be claiming any extra over expenses, at first our group leader said the only accommodation available was an 18 bed dormitory sharing with unknowns, despite some of our group having paid a single supplement. When some of the group (not me) commented that this was not acceptable we were eventually offered double rooms which we (not Intrepid) had to pay $31.5 per person for. Hoover Dam: A half hour stopover only and we were not advised that there are guided trips available that most of us wanted to go on but could not due to the time limitation. Las Vegas: Excellent stopover and a breath of fresh air to escape our group leader for a few days. We were however first forced by our group leader to throw tens of dollars of food away, including bottles of relish, sauces and mustard with a nine-month expiry date that could have been kept in our hotel fridges. One of the middle leg (ending in Las Vegas) group questioned the expenditure that had been handled by our group leader but there was a reluctance to submit any copies of the food receipts. The issue was pursued and we were eventually all given a $4. refund on that leg of the trip. Las Vegas was also the pick up point of a new group of four young females who were put in a separate chore group on their own by our group leader instead of mix and match with the group who had been with the trip since New York and who obviously knew the ropes. This could have created a “us and them” situation but we rose above it. Death Valley: Other than being the hottest place on the planet there’s nothing much to see but that’s just my opinion and of course others will find it interesting. Yosemite Valley: Amazing to witness the giant sequoia trees in real life. The view from Upper Yosemite falls is even more stunning as if there isn’t enough on ground level to see. This was however when our group leader broke the cardinal sin of losing one of the group. Our group leader told us when we arrived at the visitors centre that this would be our last chance to use a restroom with a flush so I went. Coming out a few minutes later our group had disappeared so I waited twenty minutes but, nobody re-appeared. As the visitors centre was not to open for another 3 minutes I ventured off solo, initially got lost, and eventually got on the trail I needed to be on 45 minutes after everybody else. Finally, it should be pointed out that the wi-fi was fine until, but virtually non existent after New Orleans except for in the Hotel at Las Vegas. There were other irritating niggles numerous to mention but as is tradition on such trips, a birthday receives some kind of recognition by the group leader. There were two 5th birthdays inside a week on our trip and our group leader was oblivious to this. The sad thing for me is that I booked this through Tour Radar on the back of a trip I did in South Africa which surpassed all of of my wildest expectations. Our group leader was brilliant and went way beyond the call of duty, becoming part of the group from the word go and there until the very end. I will definitely book through Tour Radar again but it is highly unlikely that I will ever use Intrepid in the future.
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  Trip date: May 2019
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  Julia

  · August 4th, 2018
  I don't think she was well trained to listen to her clients....she would cut us off as we asked questions....no sense of mutuality and consultation at all. There was red alert in Yosemite Valley on the last day of our trip; the alert said that no one should go on a hike that day (near Yosemite Park but very close to the federal park ...it was Lakes Yosemite.) I shared the red alert (I took a picture of the red alert to send to you). Mollie seemed to be afraid of asking the people above her any questions...she felt she could not go up the ladder if things were not going well. She always said that she had not heard from her boss so she could not act differently, even in case of red alerts and emergencies. She seemed to be afraid of contacting her superiors. I am an author of a book and do a lot of speaking engagements globally; unfortunately, my story with your company leads to an interesting story I have to share with my global clients/audiences. The last straw was when she dropped off all the younger people at their youth hostels, etc. and left me hanging in front of Hilton Hotel (where an older couple were staying). I am 77 years old and kept up well with all the younger hikes...I kept up with the pace and the miles ofhiking (except for the last day when the red alert appeared on the computer screen). I was protesting the second class treatment I was receiving from Mollie; a person overheard our conversation and walked me 4 blocks to the BART station. The irony of the matter is: my request was to drop me off at ANY Bart station that was convenient for her vehicle. Instead of taking my suggestion for ANY station, she insisted on dropping me off at the UNION BART and then indicating that she could not drop me off since it was a very busy thoroughfare, configuration, etc. I felt she was ingenuous since I had specificed ANY BART station would be o.k. with me. I felt Mollie was not trained well by your company....she did not know how to make clients feel good when Death Valley was cancelled (totally understandable), when Yosemite National park was closed, when we could not see the Golden Gate Bridge because the fog was so heavy. In spite of all the setbacks, all could have been overcome with a tour guide who could display a sense of humor and camaraderie. Because of the poor training, I did not enjoy my trip. In fact, there was no special instruction on how to get to the bathroom at night in the dark if one had to go at 2 a.m., etc. A young gentleman at one of the camp sites had to go with me from camp encampment to camp encampment helping me get to my tent --at 2 a.m. It might have been dangerous for me looking very lost; but fortunately, my angels were watching over me. Please train your tour leaders better and in different circumstances. I am requesting a 50% refund of my trip; the other 50% I will give you all the benefit of the doubt and hope that you can do a better job of training your tour leaders so that others will not have to experience what I experienced. Thank you for listening and understanding......Mahalo, Julia Estrella
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  Trip date: July 2018