TakeTours Gotobus

DAY1 Arrival at Los Angeles International Airport:

We begin our tour by meeting in Los Angeles, where a tour guide will meet you at the Baggage Claim Area of the airport to guide you to the hotel if needed. Refer to Pickup & Drop-off for more information.

DAY2 Los Angeles - Grand Canyon West

In the morning we will depart for the West Rim of the Grand Canyon,** arriving at 4:00pm. After checking in at tonight’s hotel, the Hualapai Ranch, which is only a thousand feet away from the Canyon, we will visit Eagle Point and enjoy an Indian Culture Show, which features traditional Hualapai singing and dancing. From here we will move on to the famous glass-bottomed Grand Canyon Skywalk,* which extends over 4,770 feet of empty space above the Colorado River. Carefully designed for the safety of all visitors, the Skywalk allows a fantastic and unmatched view of the Canyon that you cannot miss! You will also have the opportunity to take a combined Colorado River Cruise and helicopter tour* of the Grand Canyon, which will give a spectacular view of the canyon from below and above. Now proceeding to Guano Point for a 360 degree view of the canyon, we will enjoy the beautiful sunset. After we return to the ranch, a dinner of BBQ ribs will be served along with a live country and western music show. After dinner, join us for a campfire party in front of the Grand Canyon, followed up with Karaoke to top off the evening!

DAY3 Grand Canyon West - Las Vegas

In the morning, don’t pass up the opportunity to watch the sun rise over the canyon, a spectacular sight that will fill you with awe. After breakfast, we will take a thirty minute wagon ride around the West Rim of the Grand Canyon and watch cowboys take part in mock gun fights and stunt shows. Then join us in a fun horse ride* with the cowboys! Afterwards we will depart from the Grand Canyon and continue on to Las Vegas. Once we arrive at 1:00pm, you will be free to explore America’s entertainment capital at your leisure. If you can break yourself away from the shopping, fine food, and casinos which the city is known for, join us on a night tour* where we will explore the city’s night life and watch the best-selling Jubilee Show!* A visit to Las Vegas would not be complete without this attraction.

DAY4 Las Vegas - Ethel M Chocolate Factory - Los Angeles

Today we will depart once again for Los Angeles, stopping at the nearby Ethel M Chocolate Factory and its Botanical Cactus Gardens in Nevada, which are open to the public. In the factory we will learn how this company produces their chocolate and visit their branch of M&M’s World, while the gardens display many fascinating varieties of cacti that will complete your trip through the deserts of Nevada! After a short visit, we will continue on our way to Los Angeles, arriving at 6:00 pm.

DAY5 Los Angeles - Solvang - Hearst Castle - San Francisco:

This morning we will depart from Los Angeles at 8:00am and drive along the scenic Pacific Coast Highway on the way to Solvang, a quaint little Danish town in the Santa Ynez Valley. From here we will continue north, arriving at noon in San Simeon for a visit to Hearst Castle,* a mansion built from 1919-1947 for the leading newspaper publisher William Hearst. The castle protects an extensive collection of artifacts from the Renaissance period, as well as lavish living and dining quarters and lush gardens. The gilt-lined Neptune and Roman Pools, fed by mountain water, are surrounded by Roman style pillars and statues. Visited by some of the world’s most famous figures, including Hollywood stars, Hearst Castle embodies a fascinating combination of both history and opulent living. After spending two hours exploring the mansion and grounds, we will travel to tonight’s hotel near San Francisco, arriving at 6:00pm.

DAY6 San Francisco City Tour:

Today we will take a tour of San Francisco, first visiting the world-famous Golden Gate Bridge, which was the longest suspension bridge in the world when it was first built in 1937 and has become an iconic international symbol of San Francisco. From there we will move on to Fisherman's Wharf, the historic base of San Francisco’s fishing fleet, the enormous Oakland Bay Bridge, and the famous Palace of Fine Arts, with its Roman and Greek style architecture, built around a small man-made lagoon. Finally, our tour of San Francisco would not be complete without a visit to the city’s Chinatown, the oldest Chinatown in North America and the largest Chinese community outside of Asia.

DAY7 San Francisco - Yosemite National Park* - Los Angeles:

We conclude our tour by departing at 8:00am for Yosemite National Park, arriving at noon at the park, world-renowned for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, glaciers, and Giant Sequoia groves. Breathtaking scenes like Bridalveil Fall, with its stream of water shooting over a high granite cliff to hover with a breath of mist below, and El Capitan, the immense stone monolith, will strike you with their sheer natural power. The Merced River, which meanders through Yosemite Valley, the enormous Half Dome granite formation, and Yosemite Falls, the highest waterfall in the United States, add to the spectacular natural wonders of the park. After our visit, we will return to Los Angeles, arriving around 6:30 pm. Please book a return flight departing from Los Angeles after 10:00pm.

*The visit to Yosemite National Park will be replaced by a 17 mile drive along Monterey Bay during the winter months (12/15/2013 – 2/27/2014).

Itinerary may vary depending on the day of departure.

*Optional activity, fee not included in tour price. See “Exclusions” for cost details.