Itinerary Expand all Los Angeles to San Francisco Day 1 Start Los Angeles. Welcome to the 'City of Angels', Los Angeles. Feel the California sunshine on your face as you have a free day to take a bus over to Venice Beach and enjoy some family time on the shore. Visit the Venice Skatepark to watch the skaters' tricks, then stroll to Santa Monica Pier to ride the giant ferris wheel. A welcome meeting will be held at 18:00 hrs, where you will meet your tour leader and fellow travelling companions. La Quinta LAX (or similar) Day 2 Los Angeles. Today will bring out the child in everyone! Enjoy an included visit to Universal Studios where you can take a behind-the-scenes studio tour and ride the most exciting roller coasters on the planet. This is entertainment central for the whole family and the perfect way to experience Los Angeles after touring Hollywood. La Quinta LAX (or similar) Days 3-4 San Diego. Our California tour continues with a visit to the golden sandy beaches of San Diego. If you're looking for the perfect place to relax, but with enough activities to keep the kids entertained, then make sure you visit Mission Beach. Rent bikes, or rollerblades to cruise around on. Alternatively, for the more adventurous, try your hand at surfing the Californian waves. Enjoy an included picnic dinner on the beach - the perfect end to a perfect day. Optional Activities: Ocean Beach Surf and Skate - Surf Lessons: US$105 Rollerblading US$7 Bike rental US$7 Participatory Camping Campland on the Bay (or similar) Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 5 Lake Havasu. Home to the original London Bridge and designated as a recreational area, this desert oasis has become a mecca for water sports enthusiasts throughout the Southwest. With 300 days of sunshine a year and all the adventure you could possibly wish for, Lake Havasu is a great way to keep the kids entertained. Simply relax and go for a swim to cool off after a long day. Optional Activities: Watersports - Prices Vary (US$) Quality Inn and Suites Lake Havasu (or similar) Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Days 6-7 Grand Canyon (South Rim). Desert turns to pine covered plateaus as the earth opens to reveal one of the world's natural wonders, the Grand Canyon. This incredible spectacle is something truly special to witness, especially through the eyes of a child. Whether you decide to hike along the rim or take the more adventurous route into the canyon itself, you'll be amazed at the sheer beauty of the place. Carved over several millennia, this massive wonder of nature is 277 miles (445 kilometres) long, up to 18 miles (29 kilometres) wide and over a mile deep (1.6 kilometres). Snaking through the canyon floor is the mighty Colorado River, which runs 1450 miles (2330 kilometres) through seven American states and two Mexican states. You can explore the park at your own pace and we highly recommend a scenic helicopter flight over the canyon, which offers a unique bird's eye view that will amaze the whole family. Pop in to the Grand Canyon Visitor Centre to learn how the canyon was formed, then venture down the Bright Angel Trail to Plateau Point to let off some steam, or just stroll along the more leisurely West Rim Trail and catch the shuttle bus to Hermit's Rest. Finish off the day by enjoying a dinner with a view as you tuck into pizza and watch the sunset over the canyon, perfection! Optional Activities: Helicopter flight US$289 IMAX Theater US$10 Participatory Camping Campsite varies depending on departure Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 8 Route 66 - Las Vegas. Before arriving to the ultimate desert show stopper, Las Vegas, you'll travel down a section of the original Route 66 and stop at the town of Seligman, filled to the brim with pure Americana. Why not try a super thick milkshake at the all-American Snow Cap Diner? Next, is the desert city of Las Vegas - the ultimate entertainment experience. With its roller coasters, thrill rides, magic shows, amazing swimming pools and all-you-can-eat buffets, there's plenty for the whole family to see and do. Family friendly recommendations include Circus Circus and Treasure Island which are guaranteed to be a hit. In the evening walk the Strip and enjoy the bright lights and fountain displays. Alexis Park (or similar) Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Day 9 Keough Hot Springs. Make your way across the desert towards Keough Hot Springs, one of the largest natural hot springs in the Eastern Sierras. After all the excitement and the hustle and bustle from the previous day, this is the perfect place to relax and cool off in the sunshine. Participatory camping Brown's Campground (or similar) Meals included: Lunch Dinner Days 10-11 Yosemite National Park. Yosemite is one of California's most treasured national parks and it's easy to see why. Nestled high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, this is a natural playground of unspoilt forest and sheer granite walls rising thousands of feet over the valley floor. There's also plenty of wildlife to be spotted, including bears and coyotes. Whether inner-tubing down the meandering Merced River (in season) or hiking to the top of thundering Nevada Falls, Yosemite's towering cliffs, waterfalls and Giant Sequoias are sure to impress the entire family. Yosemite embodies the spirit of America's natural parks and its rugged, towering peaks and magnificent waterfalls have been immortalised by countless photographers. Trails throughout the park are as varied as the landscape and you'll no doubt find a trail that will appeal to you and your family. Take in the quintessential vistas of El Capitan, a 3,000 foot sheer rock face famous with rock climbers the world over. Other popular spots in the park are Bridalveil Falls, one of the most prominent waterfalls in Yosemite, and the famous granite Half Dome, a rock formation you will have seen before on countless postcards. At night, it's the ideal place to stargaze around the campfire as you toast marshmallows. Optional Activities: Bike Rental US$12-$34 Float Trip on the Merced River US$31 Participartory camping Yosemite Lakes RV Resort (or similar) Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 12 San Francisco. Continue on to San Francisco, or the 'City by the Bay', as it is commonly known. Why not stay on a few extra days and hop on a cable car, taking in Chinatown, before visiting the Aquarium of the Bay and the city's playful sea-lions at Pier 39? Head over to Golden Gate Park with a picnic and stroll across Golden Gate Bridge for inspired views of the city. A 'must do' in San Francisco is the offshore prison of Alcatraz, where you can learn all about the infamous inmates and their failed escape attempts. If you plan on doing this, you'll need to book in advance directly with the Alcatraz Cruises as it tends to book up fast. Your California family holiday ends at our gateway hotel at approximately 17:00 hrs. We can book you post-tour accommodation at our gateway hotel if required. If you are planning to fly tonight, please do not book a flight that departs before 21:00 hrs. Meals included: Breakfast
United States British, New Zealand, Swiss and most EU passport holders do not need a visa (and enter the country under the Visa Waiver Program), provided they are in possession of an onward air ticket when entering the USA. Visas for the USA are required by some nationalities and it is always best to check with the relevant embassies. All passengers travelling to and from the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) are required to hold a machine-readable passport (MRP). A MRP has the holder's personal details, e.g. name, date of birth, nationality and their passport number contained in two lines of text at the base of the photo page. This text may be read by machine. The US now charges $14 for the visa waiver program and must be paid by credit card. The US authorities have introduced a mandatory requirement for all passengers travelling under the Visa Waiver Programme to register for an Electronic Travel Authority. As of 21 January 2016, any person who has travelled to Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Syria, Libya, Somalia, or Yemen since March 2011, or have dual nationalities of these countries, may no longer qualify for the VWP. For additional specifics about the VWP please consult the VWP information on the U.S. Embassy London website. More information and all necessary Internet links can be found on our USA visas page.
Camping We use National and State Park campsites and also a wide assortment of private campgrounds. Most will have flush toilets and hot showers, however please be aware that some campgrounds may charge an additional fee of $1-$3 for showers. You will sleep in tents, which 2 people will share. Our camping equipment also includes field kitchens, inflatable sleeping pads, food storage and camp lanterns and chairs. Most campsites have a quiet time from 22:00 hrs to 07:00 hrs. Please respect your fellow campers who are there to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of camping. An essential part of a camping tour is helping out with the day to day camp duties and everyone will assist with the setting up and packing up of the campsite. Your tour leader will provide guidance on what to do, and typically it will only take 15 minutes to set up or break down the tents and camp kitchen. Before you know it you’ll be enjoying ‘home sweet home’ in the great outdoors. Your tour leader will also co-ordinate and assist the group with food shopping, preparing meals and cleaning up. Sharing the camp duties is a great way to bond with your fellow travellers and the group camaraderie is all part of the experience.
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