Today you will enjoy a guided exploration of evocative San Francisco. Begin with a tour of the city’s iconic neighborhoods: Little Italy, Chinatown, and the Marina, via a combination of walking the city's notorious hills and private vehicle. You may also visit Pier 39, the Palace of Fine Arts, Golden Gate Park, Fisherman's Wharf, the Mission District, and Haighty Ashbury. After lunch, walk or bike across the Golden Gate Bridge and take as many pictures as your camera has room for before returning to the city on an unforgettable sunset cruise across the Bay. After the cruise, return to your hotel for an evening at your leisure.

Today you’ll embark upon your exploration of the famous Highway 1 along the Pacific Coast. After crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, we recommend pausing for a photo at the Marin Headlands which enjoy timeless views across the bridge of the San Francisco Bay. Next, check out the Muir Woods for your first glimpse of California’s famous Giant Redwood trees. Continuing up the coast arrive to Hog Island Oyster Company for a fresh seafood lunch. Enjoy an optional tour of the farm or continue to explore the charming town of Jenner by the Sea. Top it all off with a world-class dining experience at the famous River’s End, boasting views of both the Russian River and the Pacific Ocean.

After breakfast, enjoy a leisurely drive along the secluded coastal highway north of Bodega Bay, surrounded on all sides by the redwoods of Mendocino. Upon arrival at Mendocino’s windswept, ocean-facing bluffs, you’ll meet with a local guide and chef who will treat you to an organic picnic meal on the sea cliffs. Next you'll embark upon a short walking tour through town, featuring the area's local history ranging from lumberjacks and fishermen through to 60's counterculture and modern-day artisans. For the remainder of the afternoon and evening, take a relaxing walk along the coast, or enjoy a spa treatment in your beautiful seaside hotel.

Today you’ll bid the Pacific coast farewell, passing through the redwoods along rural Highway 128. We suggest a stop at Big Hendy Grove, an accessible and little-visited old-growth redwood grove just off the highway. Continue to Sonoma County, home to many of California’s famous wineries and craft breweries. Enjoy a private tour at any of our boutique family wineries or local craft breweries before retiring to one of Sonoma County’s intimate locally run bed and breakfasts.

Today begins with a dreamy sunrise ride in a hot air balloon, watching the mists rise over the rows of vines. After touchdown, your local sommelier docent will take you on a once-in-a-lifetime tour of Napa Valley’s world-famous wineries. Begin with a ride aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train (complete with a gourmet lunch) before enjoying private tastings at whichever boutique wineries take your fancy. Private vehicles with drivers are available to allow you to fully enjoy the best of California wine worry-free. End the day at a boutique bed and breakfast for a farm-to-fork dining experience that highlights the best flavors of wine country.

Welcome to California’s motherlode. The small town of Sonora harkens back to a Gold Rush past where 49ers flocked into the Sierra Foothills of California in search of gold. By 1849, mining camps had sprung up across the region which was soon integrated as a state in 1851. The important way station of Sonora retains its Gold Rush history and also boasts charming Victorian-era B&Bs and excellent restaurants.

Departing Sonora in the morning, you will travel along Highway 49, the gold country corridor that follows the route of the 49ers who came here in 1849 in search of Gold. En route you’ll experience the burgeoning wine region of California’s Sierra Foothills before arriving to the small gold mining town of Nevada City. In the evening you are free to explore the quaint town’s many boutique shops and excellent dining options.

Nevada City (population 3000), is the county seat of Nevada County. It has evolved from its gold mining roots to become a bohemian playground of artists, craft brewers and urban refugees from California’s expensive cities. Its charm is unmistakable and your guide for the day will take through the town’s history right up to the modern day. The evening will be spent enjoying the best entertainment and food this little town has to offer.

Just north of Nevada City you’ll enjoy one of the most remote stretches of Highway 49, meandering alongside the Yuba River through a gorgeous natural corridor, you’ll walk in the footsteps of the gold mining pioneers who built these mountain roads to reach their claims. By lunch you will arrive to the town of Downieville, (population 250) where your local guide will immerse you in the local culture. Leaving Downieville, you will continue along the Yuba River through a succession of small towns as you climb high into the mountains eventually arriving to North Lake Tahoe and your hotel for the night.

Lake Tahoe is one of the natural wonders of the Western United States. Enjoy a laid back morning on the lakeshore, go for one of the many day-hikes in the surrounding hills for a sweeping view of the deep blue Tahoe waters, or relax in your beautiful lakefront hotel before either returning to San Francisco or continuing your adventure down the Highway 395 corridor.