California and Las Vegas

Day 1 Arrival in Los Angeles
You’ll fly to Los Angeles, arriving this afternoon where you’ll collect your rental car and proceed to your hotel, located close to the airport, for a stay of two nights in glamorous Los Angeles.

Day 2 Los Angeles, Anaheim area
Today is free to spend in Los Angeles. LA is of course a huge city, but it is relatively easy to get around on the extensive highway network and there are of course many choices on how to spend your day. You might want to spend a day at Disneyland or Universal Studios or head out to Santa Monica beach or see the boardwalk scene of Venice, and even explore glamorous Beverly Hills with its famous Rodeo Drive. Not forgetting a visit to Mann’s Chinese Theatre where the Oscars take place, and seeing the handprints on the Avenue of the Stars.

Day 3 Los Angeles to San Diego
Today, depart south out of the city along the Pacific coast towards San Diego. A pleasant place to stop is the historic mission of San Juan Capistrano, which is approximately midway between the two cities. Overnight in central San Diego, one of the most attractive cities in America located on the harbour. Relax and enjoy the sights of the harbour front, perhaps visit the MSS Midway aircraft carrier, or take in the green spaces of Balboa Park including the excellent San Diego zoo. This evening you may want to visit the bars and restaurants in the atmospheric restored area of the Gaslamp Quarter or see if a baseball game is on nearby!

Travel: 120 Miles / 195 Km

Day 4 San Diego to Palm Springs
Depart San Diego at your leisure, today’s route takes you from the coast and past attractive coastal towns, up through beautiful mountain scenery into the dry interior. Due to the great year round weather, Palm Springs is one of California’s most popular resort towns, a great place for shopping, eating, or relaxing by the pool and a great place to break your journey. Things to do include a tram ride up to Mt. Jacinto or a hike through Indian Canyons with waterfalls and palm trees.

Travel: 155 Miles / 248 Km

Day 5 Palm Springs to Las Vegas
Today you will drive on the open roads through the Californian desert. You can stop for a while to visit the Joshua Tree National Park, which encompasses the Mojave Desert and the Colorado Desert and you will see numerous of the distinctive trees that give the park its name, it is well worth a stop off. Continue through the romantic scenery of the Mojave Desert, and across into Nevada. After another hour or so into Nevada, you’ll see the bright lights of Las Vegas rising out of the desert, inviting you with the sights and sounds of ‘Sin City’ for a two night stay.

Travel: 270 Miles / 432 Km

Day 6 Las Vegas
Today you’ll have a full day to experience the sights and sounds of Las Vegas, with the kitsch and bizarre experiences offering so much to do. Explore the iconic casinos, do some shopping, relax by the pool, visit one of the huge numbers of bars and restaurants with something for all tastes. If you want to explore further afield you could book a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon, stopping at the Grand Canyon Skywalk or a tour to the massive Hoover Dam. In the evening, you can enjoy the unique Las Vegas nightlife and why not take in a show, there’s always something going on.

Day 7 Las Vegas to Death Valley
Today offers another extraordinary drive as you head back into California and below sea level as you drive into Death Valley. You’ll have plenty of time to explore Death Valley, a place of unexpected contrasts. See large sand dune formations, scuvalleys and volcanic craters and stay overnight at Furnace Creek, in an oasis away from the hot desert.

Travel: 140 Miles / 225 Km

Day 8 Death Valley to Yosemite
Today you will be driving from one of the hottest regions in the world to the cool mountains that surround Yosemite National Park, a region of unusual beauty. Between June and October, you can drive via Tioga Pass, weather conditions permitting, which is a spectacular drive up into the mountains past mammoth lakes and the high mountains of the Sierra Nevada. Alternatively you can take the longer route via Bakersfield and Fresno in the fertile central California valley.

Travel between 1 April – 10 June: 452 Miles / 728 Km
Travel between 11 June – 31 October (via Tioga Pass): 320 Miles / 515 Km

Day 9 Yosemite to San Francisco
If you didn’t have time yesterday, you can drive into Yosemite National Park this morning, a beautiful drive which takes you to Tunnel View to take in the panorama of the peaks of Half Dome and El Capitan. In the afternoon continue on down to the coast and the cosmopolitan city of San Francisco, where you’ll spend two nights.

Travel: 200 Miles / 320 Km

Day 10 San Francisco
Today you have a full day to enjoy the sights of San Francisco. Drive over the Golden Gate Bridge and visit Sausalito, or take a cable car up Nob Hill, explore the waterfront and visit Fisherman’s Wharf or even take a bay cruise and visit the infamous Alcatraz Island.

Day 11 San Francisco to Santa Barbara on the Big Sur
Today is one of the world’s most famous drives, with the journey south along the ocean on the Big Sur. There are several stopping places where you can take in the views, and you might want to stop in the charming town of Carmel for a bite to eat. After your drive along the Pacific Coast you’ll arrive in Santa Barbara on what is called the Californian Riviera. Santa Barbara is an attractive town with its Spanish colonial architecture, lovely restaurants and shops and an inviting beach.

Travel: 337 Miles / 542 Km

Day 12 Santa Barbara to Los Angeles
After a leisurely morning in Santa Barbara, drive back into Los Angeles as your journey comes full circle. Drop your car off at the airport in time to catch your flight back to the UK.

Travel: 90 Miles / 144 Km

Day 13 Santa Barbara to Los Angeles
You’ll arrive back in the UK this morning.

Tour includes:

Rental cars from small compact automatics to convertible sport cars and minivans
Accommodation as detailed
Sat-nav to help you along the way

On a Journey of Distinction, you are not merely a bystander. They believe that the wonders, customs and cultures you experience will live on in the core of your being. They even go so far as to say that one of their holidays will change your life forever.

Their combination of Tour Managers and Local Guides is what makes Journey of Distinction so distinctive. When you’re embarking on a voyage of discovery, it’s reassuring to know that a seasoned traveller is with you every step of the way; planning, organising, checking details and offering their advice and support. Their groups all depart from the UK, and no one joins us along the way, so you have the reassuring constancy of always knowing your travelling companions.

Our Opinion
“Limited to just 25 travellers per departure, every Journeys of Distinction escorted tour has an intimate, personal feel that makes for a more enjoyable experience.”