The Californian

Highlights

Sightseeing Highlights

Dining Highlights

First Class Travel Highlights

Luxury Private Car UK Transfers

Westin San Diego (MD)

Located in the heart of beautiful downtown San Diego, the 25 floors of guest rooms feature panoramic views of San Diego Bay, Coronado Island and the downtown cityscape.

Cambria Pines Lodge (SFC)

The Cambria Pines Lodge is nestled on 25 wooded acres and offers a peaceful, relaxing experience. Accommodation ranges from rustic cabins to elegant suites all with modern facilities surrounded by beautiful landscape.

Marriott Monterey (SFC)

Located within the heart of downtown Monterey and surrounded by the Monterey Peninsula, the hotel offers well-appointed guest rooms with spectacular views, heated pool, whirlpool and on-site fitness centre.

Yosemite View Lodge (MFC)

The Lodge has three pools and five spa tubs, including four outside on the patio. One of the outside pools and some of the spa tubs have views of the wild Merced River rushing alongside the hotel.

Sheraton Delfina Santa Monica Hotel (SFC)

Boasting exhilarating views of the Pacific, amenities include a fitness centre, fine dining at the full service restaurants and popular lounge and outdoor heated pool.

Hyatt Regency San Francisco (D)

Situated right on the Embarcadero waterfront, guests will enjoy the Eclipse Cafe and 13 Views coffee and cocktail bar and the 24-hour gymnasium.

Chinatown walking tour

"The best experience of San Francisco by Night." Start with a guided walking tour of Chinatown, one of the largest Chinese communities outside of China. Walk along Grand Avenue and explore Chinese markets, herb shops, a fortune cookie factory and much more (weather permitting). We then experience an authentic family-style Chinese feast at Hunan Home's Restaurant, which has won numerous awards for its exceptional food and service, including the Golden Award for the "Best Bay Area Chinese Restaurant" in the Chinese World Journal. After dinner, hop-on one of San Francisco's fabled Cable Cars, and ride along one of the city's most scenic routes. Here, we board our coach for our Illuminations Tour and see how the Crown Jewel of the Pacific shimmers at night! We'll drive past the glittering lights of North Beach, the Embarcadero, Fisherman's Wharf, Telegraph Hill, Coit Tower, the Broadway Strip, and the historic Ferry Building. We then drive across the Oakland Bay Bridge to Treasure Island, a former US Navy base, for a spectacular night panorama of sparkling San Francisco! Adult: $69.00

San Diego Zoo

Visit this world-famous zoo located in beautiful Balboa Park. The San Diego Zoo cares for over 3800 animals of 800 different species. You won't want to miss the new "Absolutely Apes" exhibit with its 110 foot long, 12 foot tall glass observation window for an unforgettable up-close experience with endangered apes. Stop by the Giant Panda Research Station and say hello to Little Su Lin, born on August, 2005. She and her mother, Bai Yun, are out and about in their luxurious accommodation (check times). Your admission includes the zoo bus tour, round-trip Skyfari Aerial Tram Ride, all shows and children's zoo.
Adult: $39.00 / Child: $28.00

San Diego Scenic Harbor Cruise and Historic Coronado

We start with a one-hour narrated boat tour of San Diego Harbor. Take in the Star of India, the U.S. Navy surface fleet, Coronado Bay Bridge and busy shipyards. On occasion, we'll see US battleships up close and personal when they're ported in the harbor. The views of both San Diego and Coronado, combined with the natural beauty of the harbor, make this a memorable hour out on the water. Next we'll be 200 feet above the bay as we drive across the famous Coronado Bridge, a unique 2.1 mile bridge with an 80 degree bend that opened in 1969 and connects San Diego to the "Crown City" of Coronado. Our next stop will be the iconic Hotel Del Coronado, a National Historic Landmark that opened in 1888. Charlie Chaplin, Babe Ruth, and Charles Lindberg, not to mention the last 10 US Presidents, have all stayed at the Hotel, and you'll see why. Movie buffs out there might remember the hotel from "Some Like It Hot" with Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis. You will have ample time to wander through "The Del" and soak in all of its grandeur. The final stop will be at the Coronado Ferry Landing Marketplace. The view and photo opportunities of the harbor with the San Diego skyline as a backdrop are worth the stop alone.
Adult: $35.00 / Child: $29.00 Minimum

Movie Stars Homes Tour

You've seen them in movies, now see where the stars actually live. Sit back and relax in the comfort of air-conditioned mini-buses and go where larger buses can't go. This guided two-hour tour takes in over 40 breathtaking mansions. In Beverly Hills and Bel-Air, you'll find there's no place like home for stars that may include Corteney Cox, Keanu Reeves, Tobey Maguire, Madonna, Halle Berry, Jackie Chan, Britney Spears, Winona Ryder and Nicholas Cage. In Holmby Hills, you'll see the notorious Playboy Mansion and the colossal home of producer Aaron Spelling. You may also pass the former estates of such legends as Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball, Gregory Peck, Jack Benny, Judy Garland, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, and some of your favorite TV and movie locations. $59.00

Monterey - Dinner at Bubba Gump

Who would have ever guessed an Academy Award winning film from 1994 would have something in common with great food? Enter Bubba Gump Shrimp Company Restaurant in Monterey. Perched right on the edge of majestic Monterey Bay in historic Cannery Row, the restaurant was modeled after the movie "Forrest Gump" which took home the Oscar more than a decade ago and remains a classic to this day. Forrest Gump loved his shrimp, and Bubba Gump Restaurant is no different. The restaurant is known for great seafood (not to mention award winning baby back ribs) all in a fun and festive atmosphere. Bubba Gump is also brimming with memorabilia from the movie itself, and if you're lucky the waiters and waitresses might even quiz you on your Forrest Gump trivia knowledge. Adult: $40.00

Golden Gate Bridge Walk & Sausalito

Given that this is San Francisco's and one of this country's most iconic landmarks, you must experience the Golden Gate Bridge in all its glory. There is no better way to experience the size and height of this bridge than walking across its length. So, bundle up (it can get quite windy) and get ready for a unique experience. We start off at the aptly named Roundhouse. Originally designed as a restaurant, it now houses the Golden Gate Bridge Gift Center. Watch the exhibit showing the cross-section of a cable before
heading off onto the bridge itself. At mid-span, we are 220 feet above the water's surface, and passing ships below look like small toys. As you stroll from one side of the bridge to the other (1.7 miles), you will learn who named it, how the structure cheated the laws of concrete and steel, and what members of the Halfway to Hell Club did to join it. Once across the bridge, we head for Sausalito where there is time at leisure to explore this quaint seaside village. We then board the ferry for the crossing of San Francisco Bay back to Fisherman's Wharf. Enjoy the best views of the city skyline and Alacatraz Island. Adult: $39.00

Afternoon Excursion to Sausalito

If you do not want to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, we offer a Sausalito-only option. Sausalito is a charming waterfront community that lies across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. Because of its Mediterranean flair and breathtaking views, it is often compared to the French Riviera, but the locals you'll meet are pure "California!" Sausalito hosts a thriving artist community and is home to many art galleries, quaint shops, waterfront restaurants, and open-air cafes offering spectacular views of San Francisco across the Bay. We then board the ferry for the crossing of San Francisco Bay back to Fisherman's Wharf. Enjoy the best views of the city skyline and Alcatraz Island. Adult: $39.00