FROM: LOS ANGELES TO LOS ANGELES
1N SEQUOIA & KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARK/ 1N YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK/ 1N MAMMOTH LAKES/ 2N LAKE TAHOE/ 1N SACREMENTO/ 1N NAPA VALLEY/ 1N BIG SUR/2N SANTA BARBARA
Beyond the glitz of Los Angeles, the startups of San Fransisco and the beaches of San Diego there is a whole new California that is just begging to be discovered. It’s full of adventure and luxury. There is beauty, there is food and there is the charm of California.
Pick up your car from the Los Angeles and reach the largest living things at Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks and drive along to the waterfalls and granites to Yosemite and the mountain town full of Mammoth Lakes. Follow a spectacular route to Lake Tahoe and continue onwards to the capital city of Sacramento. Take a wine filled train ride in Napa Valley before driving past San Fransico to see Carmel and Big Sur. Finally, for the finale make your way to the coastal town of Santa Barbara; and just a two-hour drive from where the journey started.
This is the perfect itinerary for those who have already been to the major tourist cities of San Fransico and Los Angeles!!
Pick up your self-drive car early in the morning and make a three-hour drive along the highway to reach the Ash Mountain Entrance of Sequoia National Park.
GRAB A BITE TO EAT: Right before you enter Ash Mountain Entrance of Sequoia National Park on highway 198 there is Antoinette’s Coffee & Goodies. With fresh coffee and goodies have your morning cup of café and sugar buzz just before you enter the National Park!
Discover SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK: Sequoia & King’s Canyon National Parks are home to natural wonders, from massive mountains to deep canyons and huge trees. Perhaps what is the most important to see here are Sequoia Grooves. Whether you see them from a car or hike to a remote grove the elevations, which range from 1,500 to 14,491 feet, are indeed breathtaking.
Start with the Giant Forest Museum. The museum is housed in the historic Giant Forest market building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. From here, stroll on easy paths (suitable for wheelchairs), including the Big Trees Trail and the General Sherman Tree Trail.
General Sherman Tree: General Sherman is the largest living thing in the world! It measures 103/31-meters around, and soars 275 feet/84 meters into the blue Sierra sky—and it’s still growing. It takes a good 20-30 minutes round-trip to see General Sherman.
The Must Do: Drive through the Tunnel Log to Crystal Meadow
Tunnel Log which is not technically a stop more like a drive through but it is impossible not to get down click a few pictures before you drive or walk through the fallen sequoia; which is the only tree you can drive through in this national park. The Crystal Meadow provides some great picnic spots where you can have your lunch. Though do make sure that the car fits through!!
A marble karst cave which gives a glimpse of geology in action. The structure of the cave is such that one needs to take an approximate 45 minute guided tour. Tickets are not sold at the cave itself and need to be purchased preferably online or at Foothills or Lodgepole Visitor Centers. Family tour is approximately for 50 minutes.
The Wuksachi Lodge is Sequoia’s best hotel both in its location and its quality. Located just 40 minutes from the Crystal cave it is striking stone-and-cedar mountain lodge surrounded by a mighty sequoia forest and soaring Sierra peaks. With limitless Wifi, natural wood décor and all the basic amenities it is as luxurious as it gets in Sequoia. Don’t forget to eat at The Peaks Restuarant at the Wuksachi Lodge.
After breakfast start towards to Yosemite National Park. Yosemite National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, that attracts 4 million visitors each year. The park itself covers more than 1,100 square miles, and it features stark natural beauty from the Yosemite Valley to the Tuolumne Mountains. It is stunning and perhaps for the most adventurers, it is a spot of adrenaline delight. You can, however, get a glimpse of its beauty through its major highlights.
After breakfast today a new adventure will take you to Mammoth Lakes and surrounding. Majestic in scale and awesome in its natural beauty, the year-round adventure land of Mammoth Lakes is one of those rare places that is unbelievably stunning. The name speaks to the size of the mountains, the expanse of the valleys, the incredible number of crystal clear mountain lakes and the endless opportunities for adventure just at the doorstep.
Firstly from Yosemite drive to Mono Lakes. The large shallow saline lake is known for its stunning tufas, calcium formations created when the lake’s water dropped. But the lake is also a vital habitat and nesting ground for migratory birds.
Next, drive to South Tufa Area and walk the loop trail—take the free guided tour if your timing is right (10:00 am). The reserve was established to preserve the spectacular “tufa towers,” calcium-carbonate spires and knobs formed by the interaction of freshwater springs and alkaline lake water. It also protects the lake surface itself as well as the wetlands and other sensitive habitats for the 1 – 2 million birds that feed and rest at Mono Lake each year.
Mammoth Lakes Basin is a beautiful alpine setting home to spectacular lakes. They are Glacier-carved lakes form the Mammoth Lakes Basin. Twin Lakes, Lake Mary, Lake Mamie, Lake George and Horseshoe Lake are nestled below jagged peaks and pine forest. It is easily accessible by car and can simply stop by the lakes for some gorgeous views. Follow Main Street until it becomes Lake Mary Road and proceed three miles, just a 10-minute drive from Mammoth Lakes. Total driving tour through the Lakes Basin will take 30 to 45 minutes excluding the scenic stops.
From Mammoth Lakes make your way to Lake Tahoe. Blue as a topaz and circled by majestic peaks, this High Sierra gem straddling the California-Nevada border is a bucket-list essential. Lakefront towns dot the shoreline, each with their own appeal. Winter and springtime snow lets you carve it up at world-class alpine resorts. Summer brings out the water toys—sailboats, stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, and almost anything that floats.
Take a small detour which should put you back no less than an hour and a half to explore one of the best Ghost Towns in the west. Located around 50 miles from Mammoth Lakes the last three miles can be a little difficult to navigate but well worth it. Bodie State Historic Park is a genuine California gold mining town. Visitors can walk down the deserted streets of a town that once had a population of nearly 10,000 people. A small part of the town has been preserved in a state of “arrested decay”.
Finally, reach the Lake Tahoe region. There are a lot of activities that are available in the Lake Tahoe Region. Visitors can choose from a range of activities that helps them decide what fits their taste. Cruises, hiking, concerts to dining there is just so much you can pack during your stay in Lake Tahoe.
Today you can choose from a range of activities. Keep the day open based on what you prefer. The variety of activities that you can choose at Lake Tahoe is as follows:
South Lake Tahoe concerts heat up in the summer and each year the Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys hosts some of the hottest music acts under the stars in their 4,000-seat amphitheater. Check out who is performing and get your tickets. Not just that the region is alive with festivals from free summer concerts on the beach, wine walks, art festivals to stand-ups there are simply so many things going on
Basecamp Beer Garden: Just a few blocks from the lake is Basecamp Hotel, a boutique hotel where locals and tourists (and their dogs) gather day and night to hang out, drink beer, play corn hole, listen to live music roast marshmallows in the fire pits, snack on pretzel bites and sausages, and make new friends.
Today make a short drive to the capital city of California Sacremento for a much-needed city break. Sacremento is often hidden in the bright lights of San Fransico and Los Angeles but it is a capital city in its own rights. It is quickly reinventing itself with a great art and culture scene, great restaurants, diverse wineries and even a good nightlife.
From there make your way to the fast-growing and booming Sacremento.
Explore the town your own pace. Make sure to stroll along the Riverfront Promenade, walk to the iconic Tower Bridge or visit the California State Capitol.
Enjoy the best of historic Old Town Sacramento and the modernity of downtown. The centrally-located Embassy Suites Sacramento-Riverfront Promenade hotel provides a comfortable all-suites experience. Located alongside the beautiful Riverside Promenade, Embassy Suites Sacramento – Riverfront Promenade is within easy reach of a number of notable shops, museums and many other attractions in the Sacramento district.
Leave early in the morning and make your way to the Napa Valley. California’s most famous wine address is Napa Valley, a 56-mile-long wine heaven with hundreds of wineries in everything from rustic barns to lavish castles and historic mansions. Explore the countless wineries and simply enjoy the way things are in Napa.
The train offers a full day winery tour to half day tours. There is also a lunch or dinner rain.
Drive from Napa Valley via Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach and Carmel by the sea to Big Sur. Big Sur is one of the world’s most unforgettable stretches of coastline. This roughly 90-mile-long stretch of redwood- and fog-trimmed waterfront between Carmel-by-the-Sea and Hearst Castle has no specific boundaries, no urban core, but with it’s with a magical allure that is almost palpable it draws people in. This is, quite simply, a place you want to be—bluffs, sea, and sky.
Bixby Creek Bridge, also known as Bixby Bridge, on the Big Sur coast of California, is one of the most photographed bridges in California due to its aesthetic design, “graceful architecture and magnificent setting”.
BIG SUR LODGE is located amidst the natural serenity that surrounds you, Big Sur Lodge offers the comfort and convenience of 62 cottage-style rooms with a wide array of options. And while you stay in the heart of the breathtaking beauty of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, even more, exciting adventures and activities lay ready just a short drive away.
Today drive along the coast and make stops at some of the iconic places in California. Marvel at the pool in Hearst Castle, walk along the beach at Morro Bay and finally make your way to the charming coastal town of Santa Barbara.
SANTA BARBARA – With its Mediterranean climate and cache of culture, this seaside city deserves to be called the “American Riviera”
Next stop on your coastal cruise is this elegant city hugging the coastal hills, where classic Spanish architecture gives the region a sun-washed European look straight out of the Riviera. The Santa Barbara may have a burnished antique look, the current fantasy of Spanish colonial-style architecture—all red-tiled roofs and whitewashed courtyards covered in climbing bougainvillea—didn’t take root until 1925, when an earthquake damaged downtown buildings, making room for a whole new style. And in this case, it was a romantic look back, a nod to the region’s first Spanish visitors more than 150 years before. The elegant building style has stuck around, and become the city’s visual touchstone.
Harbor View Inn is located just 1 minute away from the beach and 5 minutes’ walk from Stearn’s Wharf. The hotel has modern rooms, a full-service spa, on-site restaurants, and a fitness center.
Today enjoy a very low key day with most of the time spent on the beach. You can for breaks go for some shopping or grab some delicious seafood!
As your tenth night ends in Santa Barbara, the following day make your way to Los Angeles at your own pace. It is located just two hours away!!!
FROM: LOS ANGELES TO LOS ANGELES
1N SEQUOIA & KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARK/ 1N YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK/ 1N MAMMOTH LAKES/ 2N LAKE TAHOE/ 1N SACREMENTO/ 1N NAPA VALLEY/ 1N BIG SUR/2N SANTA BARBARA
Beyond the glitz of Los Angeles, the startups of San Fransisco and the beaches of San Diego there is a whole new California that is just begging to be discovered. It’s full of adventure and luxury. There is beauty, there is food and there is the charm of California.
Pick up your car from the Los Angeles and reach the largest living things at Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks and drive along to the waterfalls and granites to Yosemite and the mountain town full of Mammoth Lakes. Follow a spectacular route to Lake Tahoe and continue onwards to the capital city of Sacramento. Take a wine filled train ride in Napa Valley before driving past San Fransico to see Carmel and Big Sur. Finally, for the finale make your way to the coastal town of Santa Barbara; and just a two-hour drive from where the journey started.
This is the perfect itinerary for those who have already been to the major tourist cities of San Fransico and Los Angeles!!
Pick up your self-drive car early in the morning and make a three-hour drive along the highway to reach the Ash Mountain Entrance of Sequoia National Park.
GRAB A BITE TO EAT: Right before you enter Ash Mountain Entrance of Sequoia National Park on highway 198 there is Antoinette’s Coffee & Goodies. With fresh coffee and goodies have your morning cup of café and sugar buzz just before you enter the National Park!
Discover SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK: Sequoia & King’s Canyon National Parks are home to natural wonders, from massive mountains to deep canyons and huge trees. Perhaps what is the most important to see here are Sequoia Grooves. Whether you see them from a car or hike to a remote grove the elevations, which range from 1,500 to 14,491 feet, are indeed breathtaking.
Start with the Giant Forest Museum. The museum is housed in the historic Giant Forest market building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. From here, stroll on easy paths (suitable for wheelchairs), including the Big Trees Trail and the General Sherman Tree Trail.
General Sherman Tree: General Sherman is the largest living thing in the world! It measures 103/31-meters around, and soars 275 feet/84 meters into the blue Sierra sky—and it’s still growing. It takes a good 20-30 minutes round-trip to see General Sherman.
The Must Do: Drive through the Tunnel Log to Crystal Meadow
Tunnel Log which is not technically a stop more like a drive through but it is impossible not to get down click a few pictures before you drive or walk through the fallen sequoia; which is the only tree you can drive through in this national park. The Crystal Meadow provides some great picnic spots where you can have your lunch. Though do make sure that the car fits through!!
A marble karst cave which gives a glimpse of geology in action. The structure of the cave is such that one needs to take an approximate 45 minute guided tour. Tickets are not sold at the cave itself and need to be purchased preferably online or at Foothills or Lodgepole Visitor Centers. Family tour is approximately for 50 minutes.
The Wuksachi Lodge is Sequoia’s best hotel both in its location and its quality. Located just 40 minutes from the Crystal cave it is striking stone-and-cedar mountain lodge surrounded by a mighty sequoia forest and soaring Sierra peaks. With limitless Wifi, natural wood décor and all the basic amenities it is as luxurious as it gets in Sequoia. Don’t forget to eat at The Peaks Restuarant at the Wuksachi Lodge.
After breakfast start towards to Yosemite National Park. Yosemite National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, that attracts 4 million visitors each year. The park itself covers more than 1,100 square miles, and it features stark natural beauty from the Yosemite Valley to the Tuolumne Mountains. It is stunning and perhaps for the most adventurers, it is a spot of adrenaline delight. You can, however, get a glimpse of its beauty through its major highlights.
After breakfast today a new adventure will take you to Mammoth Lakes and surrounding. Majestic in scale and awesome in its natural beauty, the year-round adventure land of Mammoth Lakes is one of those rare places that is unbelievably stunning. The name speaks to the size of the mountains, the expanse of the valleys, the incredible number of crystal clear mountain lakes and the endless opportunities for adventure just at the doorstep.
Firstly from Yosemite drive to Mono Lakes. The large shallow saline lake is known for its stunning tufas, calcium formations created when the lake’s water dropped. But the lake is also a vital habitat and nesting ground for migratory birds.
Next, drive to South Tufa Area and walk the loop trail—take the free guided tour if your timing is right (10:00 am). The reserve was established to preserve the spectacular “tufa towers,” calcium-carbonate spires and knobs formed by the interaction of freshwater springs and alkaline lake water. It also protects the lake surface itself as well as the wetlands and other sensitive habitats for the 1 – 2 million birds that feed and rest at Mono Lake each year.
Mammoth Lakes Basin is a beautiful alpine setting home to spectacular lakes. They are Glacier-carved lakes form the Mammoth Lakes Basin. Twin Lakes, Lake Mary, Lake Mamie, Lake George and Horseshoe Lake are nestled below jagged peaks and pine forest. It is easily accessible by car and can simply stop by the lakes for some gorgeous views. Follow Main Street until it becomes Lake Mary Road and proceed three miles, just a 10-minute drive from Mammoth Lakes. Total driving tour through the Lakes Basin will take 30 to 45 minutes excluding the scenic stops.
From Mammoth Lakes make your way to Lake Tahoe. Blue as a topaz and circled by majestic peaks, this High Sierra gem straddling the California-Nevada border is a bucket-list essential. Lakefront towns dot the shoreline, each with their own appeal. Winter and springtime snow lets you carve it up at world-class alpine resorts. Summer brings out the water toys—sailboats, stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, and almost anything that floats.
Take a small detour which should put you back no less than an hour and a half to explore one of the best Ghost Towns in the west. Located around 50 miles from Mammoth Lakes the last three miles can be a little difficult to navigate but well worth it. Bodie State Historic Park is a genuine California gold mining town. Visitors can walk down the deserted streets of a town that once had a population of nearly 10,000 people. A small part of the town has been preserved in a state of “arrested decay”.
Finally, reach the Lake Tahoe region. There are a lot of activities that are available in the Lake Tahoe Region. Visitors can choose from a range of activities that helps them decide what fits their taste. Cruises, hiking, concerts to dining there is just so much you can pack during your stay in Lake Tahoe.
Today you can choose from a range of activities. Keep the day open based on what you prefer. The variety of activities that you can choose at Lake Tahoe is as follows:
South Lake Tahoe concerts heat up in the summer and each year the Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys hosts some of the hottest music acts under the stars in their 4,000-seat amphitheater. Check out who is performing and get your tickets. Not just that the region is alive with festivals from free summer concerts on the beach, wine walks, art festivals to stand-ups there are simply so many things going on
Basecamp Beer Garden: Just a few blocks from the lake is Basecamp Hotel, a boutique hotel where locals and tourists (and their dogs) gather day and night to hang out, drink beer, play corn hole, listen to live music roast marshmallows in the fire pits, snack on pretzel bites and sausages, and make new friends.
Today make a short drive to the capital city of California Sacremento for a much-needed city break. Sacremento is often hidden in the bright lights of San Fransico and Los Angeles but it is a capital city in its own rights. It is quickly reinventing itself with a great art and culture scene, great restaurants, diverse wineries and even a good nightlife.
From there make your way to the fast-growing and booming Sacremento.
Explore the town your own pace. Make sure to stroll along the Riverfront Promenade, walk to the iconic Tower Bridge or visit the California State Capitol.
Enjoy the best of historic Old Town Sacramento and the modernity of downtown. The centrally-located Embassy Suites Sacramento-Riverfront Promenade hotel provides a comfortable all-suites experience. Located alongside the beautiful Riverside Promenade, Embassy Suites Sacramento – Riverfront Promenade is within easy reach of a number of notable shops, museums and many other attractions in the Sacramento district.
Leave early in the morning and make your way to the Napa Valley. California’s most famous wine address is Napa Valley, a 56-mile-long wine heaven with hundreds of wineries in everything from rustic barns to lavish castles and historic mansions. Explore the countless wineries and simply enjoy the way things are in Napa.
The train offers a full day winery tour to half day tours. There is also a lunch or dinner rain.
Drive from Napa Valley via Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach and Carmel by the sea to Big Sur. Big Sur is one of the world’s most unforgettable stretches of coastline. This roughly 90-mile-long stretch of redwood- and fog-trimmed waterfront between Carmel-by-the-Sea and Hearst Castle has no specific boundaries, no urban core, but with it’s with a magical allure that is almost palpable it draws people in. This is, quite simply, a place you want to be—bluffs, sea, and sky.
Bixby Creek Bridge, also known as Bixby Bridge, on the Big Sur coast of California, is one of the most photographed bridges in California due to its aesthetic design, “graceful architecture and magnificent setting”.
BIG SUR LODGE is located amidst the natural serenity that surrounds you, Big Sur Lodge offers the comfort and convenience of 62 cottage-style rooms with a wide array of options. And while you stay in the heart of the breathtaking beauty of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, even more, exciting adventures and activities lay ready just a short drive away.
Today drive along the coast and make stops at some of the iconic places in California. Marvel at the pool in Hearst Castle, walk along the beach at Morro Bay and finally make your way to the charming coastal town of Santa Barbara.
SANTA BARBARA – With its Mediterranean climate and cache of culture, this seaside city deserves to be called the “American Riviera”
Next stop on your coastal cruise is this elegant city hugging the coastal hills, where classic Spanish architecture gives the region a sun-washed European look straight out of the Riviera. The Santa Barbara may have a burnished antique look, the current fantasy of Spanish colonial-style architecture—all red-tiled roofs and whitewashed courtyards covered in climbing bougainvillea—didn’t take root until 1925, when an earthquake damaged downtown buildings, making room for a whole new style. And in this case, it was a romantic look back, a nod to the region’s first Spanish visitors more than 150 years before. The elegant building style has stuck around, and become the city’s visual touchstone.
Harbor View Inn is located just 1 minute away from the beach and 5 minutes’ walk from Stearn’s Wharf. The hotel has modern rooms, a full-service spa, on-site restaurants, and a fitness center.
Today enjoy a very low key day with most of the time spent on the beach. You can for breaks go for some shopping or grab some delicious seafood!
As your tenth night ends in Santa Barbara, the following day make your way to Los Angeles at your own pace. It is located just two hours away!!!
We pamper you with beautiful memories.
I will be back soon
