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. Tonight you will be free to enjoy the city at your leisure.

DAY2  Disneyland or SeaWorld San Diego

Disneyland

Today we will kick off our tour in Disneyland,** where we will enjoy the fun and charm of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle and the It’s a Small World cruise marquee, feel the thrills at The Haunted Mansion and Space Mountain, and meet all of our favorite Disney characters at Mickey's Toontown. Other attractions such as the Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye simulator ride and Tarzan’s Treehouse promise an unforgettably fun afternoon. For only $15.00 extra, stick around for Fantasmic!,* a nighttime show featuring fireworks, live acting, water effects, music, decorated rafts, and reworked Disney animation projected onto large mist screens. After a fun-filled day we will return to our hotel in Los Angeles.

OR SeaWorld San Diego

This morning, we will depart at 8:00 am for San Diego to enjoy the thriving city life and breathtaking scenery of the Gold Coast as we take a brief tour of the second-largest city in California. From there we will visit SeaWorld San Diego,** one of the most extensive marine life parks in the world, to enjoy its thrilling rides and entertaining animal shows. Performances by penguins, dolphins, sea lions, and Shamu the killer whale promise an afternoon full of amazement and laughter. In the evening we will return to our Los Angeles hotel.

DAY3 Los Angeles - Solvang - Hearst Castle - San Francisco

This morning at 8:00am, we will depart Los Angeles 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, the 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.

DAY4 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 Treasure Island, an artificial island in the San Francisco Bay. 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. We will have the afternoon to explore, shop in the city, or visit relatives. Alternatively, you may participate in a more in-depth city tour,* which will take us to the Castro District (America’s largest gay neighborhood), Saint Mary’s Church, the Twin Peaks, and the San Francisco City Hall.

DAY5 San Francisco - Yosemite National Park - Los Angeles

We begin the day by traveling to Yosemite National Park, arriving at noon at this world-renowned paradise of 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 the 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.

Note: The visit to Yosemite National Park will be replaced by the scenic 17 Mile Drive along Monterey Bay during the winter months (12/10/2011 – 2/29/2012)

DAY6 Universal Studios - Departure

Today we will conclude our tour, departing at 9:00 am for Universal Studios Hollywood,** home to a theme park and the biggest film studio in the world. On a behind-the-scenes tour of Hollywood's busiest backlot, we will learn how the studio’s movies and TV shows are filmed. From the thrilling simulator rides like Jurassic Park, Revenge of the Mummy, and King Kong: 360-3D to stunning cowboy stunt demonstrations, simulated earthquakes, and the famous WaterWorld show, it promises to be an exciting and entertaining visit. Afterwards, we will drop passengers off at the LA International Airport. Please book a return flight departing Los Angeles after 10:30pm.

Itinerary may vary depending on the day of departure.

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

** Mandatory admission fee not included in tour price. See “Exclusions” for cost details.