West Coast Express: Multilingual Escorted Tour from Las Vegas to San Francisco in 4 or 5 Days, via Death Valley, Yosemite, Monterey & the 17-Mile Drive

Day 1 – Las Vegas → Death Valley → Bakersfield (410 miles / 660 km)

Meet at the Sahara Las Vegas hotel for an 8:30 am departure with a multilingual guide to Death Valley, the largest national park in the contiguous United States and one of the hottest places on Earth, with record temperatures above 130 °F (56 °C) and depressions reaching 282 feet (86 m) below sea level. Continue to Bakersfield (or Visalia). Overnight.

If temperatures exceed 105 °F (41 °C), Death Valley will be replaced by Valley of Fire State Park for the safety of participants.

Day 2 – Bakersfield → Yosemite → Modesto (323 miles / 520 km)

Breakfast. Continue to Yosemite National Park: granite peaks, waterfalls sending up clouds of spray, wildflower meadows, the monumental El Capitan, one of the tallest granite monoliths in the world, and the dramatic Half Dome. You will also see the giant sequoias, the largest trees on Earth. Continue to Modesto. Overnight.

Day 3 – Modesto → Monterey → Carmel → 17-Mile Drive → San Francisco (242 miles / 389 km)

Breakfast. Depart for Monterey, set on a bay protected as a national marine sanctuary, with a historic district that preserves its Spanish and Mexican roots. Short stop in elegant Carmel, then drive the 17-Mile Drive, a breathtaking oceanfront scenic road. Continue to San Francisco through Silicon Valley. Overnight.

Day 4 – San Francisco

4-day option: buffet breakfast and a free day to explore the city. End of services. The airport transfer is not included; we can arrange it on request, together with extra nights.

5-day option: buffet breakfast. In the morning, enjoy a guided city tour of San Francisco, a multicultural city once called the “Paris of the West,” famous for its hills, breathtaking views and its iconic Golden Gate Bridge, often wrapped in morning fog. In the afternoon, take the Alcatraz cruise and visit the legendary prison with an audio tour (unescorted). Overnight.

Day 5 – San Francisco (5-day option only)

Buffet breakfast. Free time, then shared shuttle transfer to San Francisco International Airport. End of services.

Itinerary Map

Hotels (or Similar)

• Day 1 · Bakersfield – Fairfield Inn Bakersfield Central
• Day 2 · Modesto – DoubleTree by Hilton Modesto
• San Francisco – Hotel Caza Fisherman’s Wharf (Day 3 with the 4-day option; Days 3–4 with the 5-day option)

Hotels may be replaced with properties of equal or higher category.

Extra nights: on request, we can book hotel nights in Las Vegas before the tour and in San Francisco after the tour, as well as airport transfers.

Optional Excursions

• San Francisco by Night (5-day option)

• BOTH OPTIONS
• 3 nights in tourist-class hotels (4 nights with the 5-day option, including 2 in San Francisco)
• Daily breakfast (3 breakfasts with the 4-day option, 4 with the 5-day option)
• Motorcoach or minivan, depending on group size, departing from the Sahara Las Vegas hotel
• Multilingual guide (English, Italian and Spanish): through Day 3 with the 4-day option, until the end of the San Francisco city tour with the 5-day option
• Admissions: Death Valley National Park, Yosemite National Park, 17-Mile Drive
• Porterage at all hotels (one suitcase per person)
• 5-DAY OPTION ONLY
• Second night in San Francisco
• Guided city tour of San Francisco
• Alcatraz cruise with an audio tour of the prison (unescorted)
• Shared shuttle transfer to San Francisco International Airport

• International and domestic flights
• ESTA or U.S. visa
• Hotel nights in Las Vegas before the tour and arrival transfer in Las Vegas
• Additional nights in San Francisco
• Airport transfer in San Francisco with the 4-day option
• Lunches, dinners and beverages
• Optional excursions
• Gratuities for guide and driver
• Travel insurance
• Personal expenses, resort fees and hotel extras
• Anything not expressly listed in the inclusions

2027 Departures

Tour languages: English, Italian and Spanish (multilingual guide)

Monday departures

Friday departures

Dates apply to both options.

Important Notes

• Departure point: Sahara Las Vegas hotel, 8:30 am on Day 1. Hotel nights in Las Vegas before the tour and the arrival transfer are not included; we can arrange them on request.
• End of tour – 4-day option: services end on Day 4 after breakfast. The guide accompanies the group through Day 3. The airport transfer is not included.
• End of tour – 5-day option: the guide accompanies the group until the end of the San Francisco city tour on Day 4. The Alcatraz cruise is self-guided with an audio tour. On Day 5, the airport transfer is by shared shuttle.
• Death Valley: the visit cannot be guaranteed if temperatures exceed 105 °F (41 °C). In that case, for the safety of participants, the group will visit Valley of Fire State Park.
• Multilingual guide: the tour is led by a guide speaking English, Italian and Spanish.
• Children: minimum age 7. The child rate applies up to age 15 when sharing a room with at least 2 paying adults in existing bedding. Maximum 2 children per room.
• Rooms: rooms have a maximum of 2 beds. A double room for a couple may have one bed (King or Queen); twin beds must be requested at booking and cannot be guaranteed.
• Hotels: a credit or debit card is required at check-in for incidentals. Hotels usually place a hold of about USD 200, released at check-out; it may take up to 7 days to show on your card.
• Cash and gratuities: we recommend bringing U.S. dollars in cash. Gratuities are not included; recommended: USD 6 per person per day for the guide and USD 5 per person per day for the driver.
• Changes: the operator may substitute hotels and restaurants with others of equal or better quality and modify the program for operational or weather reasons. No refunds are given for unused services.

Cancellation Policy

• 31 days or more before departure: no charge
• 30–15 days before departure: 50% of the tour price
• 14–10 days before departure: 75% of the tour price
• 9 days or less before departure: 100% of the tour price

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