California Tours

Tips for the driver and guide weren't included in the tour price, so I handed those over day by day, though I can't recall the exact amount now. Having a guide along the whole route meant I didn't have to worry about the logistics myself.

The tour was excellent. The tour guide was very cooperative and friendly. He took all efforts to make the tour a memorable. We could see the hidden treasuries of American national parks. My score for the trip as well as Guide is 10 out of 10.

We started under the archway and wound through alleys, stopping at a bakery that's been there since 1924 for moon cakes and going inside the fortune cookie factory. With all the tastings plus a sit-down meal, I felt the tour was packed with things to do.

This North Beach walking tour took me to family-run spots passed down since the early 1900s, from espresso to cannoli. Our local guide shared Beat generation stories, and passing City Lights Bookstore felt special.

The redwoods were really impressive and it felt very peaceful walking among them. The Muir Woods admission was included in the tour, which was convenient. The one-hour stop in Sausalito felt a bit short for me, so I took the ferry back to San Francisco on my own; that fare was extra.

The coach had around thirty-something seats, the chairs reclined, and there was Wi-Fi and charging ports. For several long driving days, it was more comfortable than I expected.

On the fourth day we drove from Las Vegas all the way to Joshua Tree, stopping in Twentynine Palms for lunch along the way, and that stretch of desert highway felt long. Once inside the park I saw the Cholla Cactus Garden and Skull Rock; the cacti stood packed together and glowed gold in the sun, and I just stood there taking it in for a while.

The five nights of hotels were included in the tour price, and even though we changed towns most days, my luggage stayed with the coach so I barely had to think about it. Breakfast was included one morning and I sorted out the rest myself, which I got used to.

On the last day we headed into Yosemite, and breakfast at the hotel was included before we set off. Half Dome and El Capitan felt weightier than in photos. The falls weren't at full flow that day, but standing below them I could still feel the force.