Death Valley
Yosemite National Park
Highway 1
17 Mile Drive
Hearst Castle
Santa Monica
Las Vegas
Please note that this is just an example itinerary of a California and Grand Canyon fly drive. Due to the sheer size of the West and the vast distances you often need to cover in order to visit the places you wish to see, we offer many different variations of this holiday.
If you do have a different route or length of holiday in mind, please email or call us on 01892 511894 so we can begin to tailor your own unique holiday. We offer shorter versions of this popular itinerary if you have less time to sepnd in the West.
Day One - Los Angeles
Arrive Los Angeles and collect your hire car at the airport. Head into the seaside city of Santa Monica which will be your base for the next three nights. Santa Monica is one of the most agreeable towns in the Los Angeles area. With it's early 20th century pleasure pier, numerous hotels and restayrants overlooking the Pacific Ocean, pedestrian friendly downtown area and colourful Main Street district it makes a great place to stay. The heart of Santa Monica is the Third Street Promenade, a pedestrian mall between Broadway and Wilshire Boulevard. Here you'll find street entertainment, restaurants, bars and movie theatres galore. Meantime the 20th century pier, called Pacific Park is filled with plenty of activities such as a roller coaster and huge Ferris Wheel.
Days Two & Three - Los Angeles
This vibrant city is made up of five main areas - Downtown, Hollywood, Westside, Coastal and the Valleys. There is so much to do in this city and you have two whole days to do it all! Take a tour of Hollywood, or a tour of the Stars Homes, stand in your favourite stars footsteps at Manns Chinese Theater, visit Universal Studios, the Hollywood Bowl and have you your picture taken at the famous Hollywood sign on Mt. Lee.
You have many more choices today! Drive south to Anaheim, the home to Disneyland since 1955. In nearby Buena park there is also Knotts Berry Farm, an alternative and excellent theme park.
Alternatively, explore the long ocean pier and arty shops of Santa Monica, the small-craft harbour of Marina del Rey and the innovative architecture of Venice. Stroll along the Ocean Front Walk in Venice to see the non stop bustle of skaters, street artists and entertainers.
Stay 3 nights.
Day Four - Palm Springs (109 miles)
Today you will be leaving Los Angeles and heading east on the Interstate towards Palm Springs, a town where the first hotels were built for those who sought the health benefits of the natural hot springs and desert climate. From the late 1920's it became popular as a resort areaand as a winter getaway for Hollywood stars. Today, with it's enviable climate and many shops and restaurants Palm Springs makes a convenient and interesting stop en route to Arizona.
A must do in Palm Springs is the Aerial Tramway. The cable car climbs nearly 6000 vertical feet from the desert floor to the San Jacinto Mountains in about 14 minutes. You will notice a dramatic change in temperature as you step out from the cable car into the pine forest, so be sure to bring a jumper!
Days Five & Six - Sedona (372 miles)
Today you have a long but interesting drive inland to Sedona in Arizona. This journey takes you parallel with the Mexican border and then north through the hot desert of the Imperial Valley. Continue into the cooling Prescott National Forest and north into Sedona, an artists colony filled with shops of native American art and jewellery. You have two nights in Sedona.
Take time to enjoy the red rock beauty of Sedona. Take a pink jeep tour and explore the backcountry and learn about the Native American culture. You could take a birds eye view of the Red Rocks State Park in a hot air balloon for some fantastic photographic opportunities or relax around town, buying gifts in the enticing shops. Stay 2 nights.
Day Seven - Grand Canyon (108 miles)
Leave Sedona and head north through the beautiful Oak Creek Canyon, with a stop at Slide Rock State Park for a chance to swim and slide in the springfed Oak Creek. Drive through Flagstaff and into the Kaibab National Forest. Once at the Grand Canyon you can explore the south rim and stay for the spectacular sunset.
Stay 1 night.
Days Eight & Nine - Las Vegas (289 miles)
Get up early to experience the sunrise over the Grand Canyon before leaving the Park. Travel east towards Las Vegas, allowing for a stop at the fascinating Hoover Dam, which impounds Lake Mead and powers the electric Las Vegas. Arrive in Las Vegas with time for an evenings entertainment in the many casinos. Spend two nights here - This Accommodation is NOT included as there is such a huge variety of hotels and their rates fluctuate greatly throughout the year. We can give you a list of prices for a range of properties here depending on your proposed travel dates.
The neon tribute to tinselled affluence, Las Vegas booms 24 hours a day. Glitz and escapist fun are supplied by colossal hotel/casino complexes. Enjoy theme parks, medieval banquets, musical revues, magic shows and of course the gaming tables and casinos.
Stay 2 nights.
Day Ten - Death Valley (129 miles)
Leave the bright lights and head through the Amargosa Desert towards Death Valley. Stop at Zabriski point for a panoramic view of the valley. There is a visitors centre at Furnace Creek that has literature on drives and sights to see.
Stay 1 night.
Day Eleven to Thirteen - Yosemite (308 miles)
Todays drive offers you a complete contrast in landscapes from the desolation of Death Valley as the drive takes you into the high Sierra Nevada Mountains via Bishop to the Tioga Pass and onto Yosemite National Park.
Enjoy all the magnificent splendour of Yosemite. Drive to Mariposa Grove to see the sequoia trees, visit the historic village of Wawona, enjoy the vast and fantastic view of the valley from Glacier Point overlook and hike back down the 8 mile trail to the valley floor.
Make sure you also take a hike or two to see some of the many waterfalls in the park, hire a bike to take you around the valley floor, join a horseback trip through the park or even learn to mountaineer.
Stay 3 nights
Days Fourteen to Sixteen - San Francisco (207 miles)
Head west towards San Francisco, travelling through countryside laced with waterways, orchards and vineyards. San Francisco is home to a multicultural and multiethnic society that form the diversity of neighbourhoods, each with its own identity. Enjoy the exotic bustle of Chinatown, relax into the cafe life of North Beach and shop until you drop around Union Square
Get to know 'The City' today. Pick a walking tour and stroll around the fascinating neighbourhoods, hop on and off the cable cars to get you up the long hills, get a great view of the city from Coit Tower, cruise over to Alcatraz or take a classic 1955 Mack Fire Engine tour of the city.
Explore the countryside around San Francisco, visit Muir Woods and the great sequoias, relax in bohemian Sausalito, take a hot air balloon over the Wine Country - with some wine tasting afterwards! Hop on the ferry to Angel Island State Park or Tiburon and have a picnic. Stay 3 nights.
Day Seventeen - Morro Bay/Highway 1 (244 miles)
Take the slightly longer coast road for this journey, as the Monterey Peninsula and the Big Sur comprise the most spectacular shorelines. Plan to spend the day on the road with leisurely stops in Monterey and Carmel. Also spend some time at Hearst Castle, one of the most extravagant private homes in the world, packed with art and treasures, before stopping overnight in lovely Morro Bay.
Day Eighteen - Santa Barbara (106 miles)
Leaving Morro Bay after breakfast you will continue your journey along california's breathtaking Highway 1, undoubtedly one of the most remarkable drives in the whole of the USA. Linking a string of quintessential California towns and resorts, this scenic road offers a landscape of superb ocean views, plunging cliffs and rolling hills. Driving south towards Santa Barbara you will pass through some of Southern California's most beautiful wine country made famous by the fil 'Sideways'. Stay 1 night.
Day Nineteen - Los Angeles/Home (95 miles)
Today you will have time for some last minute souvenir shopping in Santa Barbara, before leaving for Los Angeles airport to drop off your car and board your overnight flight home.
Total Mileage - 1967 miles
Package Includes:
- 18 nights accommodation and tax
- A travel packet with itinerary, maps, suggestions, brochures
Not Included:
- Flights to and from the UK
- Meals unless mentioned
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