California and the Golden West

California and the Golden West

Gazing across the spectacular Grand Canyon - an incredible panorama of colourful rock layers in red, copper and brown, with the silver Colorado River snaking its way along the base. This departure follows a shorter itinerary than our standard tour, concluding in the legendary ‘City by the Bay’, San Francisco. One of the longest running of our original holidays, our escorted tours to California are still among our most popular itineraries today. You’ll travel around California (nudging into neighbouring Nevada and Arizona), visiting great cities like Los Angeles and Las Vegas. You’ll drive along Route 66 and visit the spectacular scenery of Yosemite National Park. We’ll also spend two nights in Flagstaff: gateway to the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon.

What’s Included

• Return flights
• 12 nights in hotels and 1 in flight
• Mixed meal plan basis
• VIP door-to-door travel service
• Knowledgeable tour managers
• Travel in destination by coach
• Included excursions

• 2 days free time

  Excursions:

• Tours of Hollywood, San Diego and San Francisco (including Golden Gate Bridge)
• Visits to the artist colony of Sedona; and the Old Silver Mining Town of Calico
• Park entrance fees for Grand Canyon and Yosemite national parks
• Williams Depot and shoot-out re-enactment

Day 1: UK - Los Angeles - Redondo Beach

Titan’s VIP door-to-door travel service collects you from home for your flight to Los Angeles. On arrival, we’ll transfer to Redondo Beach.

Day 2-3: Los Angeles - San Diego

On our California holidays we'll stick to the coast for the first couple of days, starting in LA before winding our way south to San Diego. Guided tours will introduce us to some of both cities’ highlights - Hollywood, Sunset Boulevard, TCL Chinese Theatre (to see those all-important handprints), Balboa Park - and there’ll be plenty of time for you to relax and enjoy these seaside cities at your own pace.

Los Angeles guided city tour (morning day 2) San Diego guided city tour (morning day 3)

Day 4: Scottsdale

We travel from California to Arizona, arriving in Scottsdale in the afternoon.

Day 5: Sedona - Oak Creek Canyon - Flagstaff

The desert scenery of Arizona is a complete contrast to the Californian coast - but just as beautiful. En route to Flagstaff, we’ll stop off at Oak Creek Canyon, a 16-mile river gorge. Take in the scenery (think pine forests, burnt-orange sandstone formations and dramatic buttes) and spend time in the artist colony of Sedona.

Visit to artist colony of Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon (afternoon)

Day 6: Grand Canyon

Nothing can quite prepare you for your first sight of the Grand Canyon. This colossal geographical wonder is 277 miles long, 18 miles wide and one mile deep. Peer down and you’ll spot the silvery Colorado River flowing far below.

Get your adrenaline pumping and take to the skies on an optional helicopter ride over the canyon, or pull up a rock and ponder the incredible view. However you choose to view it, this inspiring sight is sure to inspire the creative photographer in you so be sure to charge your camera ahead of our visit today. This is a real highlight of our California tours.

Grand Canyon National Park (all day)

Day 7-8: Williams - Las Vegas

Sin City. The Entertainment Capital of the World. City of Lights. Las Vegas is all of the above and more. After stopping off for a Wild West shootout at Williams, we arrive at this oasis of indulgence in the heart of the Mojave Desert.

The city might seem a little overwhelming at first, but you don’t need to be a high roller or slots wizard to have fun here. Stop for a show (you’ll have plenty of choice!), visit Fremont Street - the ‘original’ Las Vegas - or walk along The Strip to soak up the weird and wonderful sights.

You’ll have the chance to visit the Hoover Dam on a short morning excursion - a spectacular engineering achievement built in the 1930s.

Williams Depot and shoot-out re-enactment (day 7 morning)

Day 9: Calico - Visalia

We cross the Mojave Desert en route to Calico, a once-thriving centre of silver mining, now an enjoyable reminder of the days when cowboys roamed its streets. We pause in Visalia for the night.

Visit the Old Silver Mining Town of Calico (morning)

Day 10: Yosemite National Park - Modesto

Yosemite is the headliner of all America’s national parks - and we’ll spend the day exploring some of its best bits. This natural sanctuary is a real feast for the eyes and for the soul. Take a deep gulp of fresh air, gaze up at the craggy mountain views and walk by postcard-pretty lakes and verdant forests.

We’ll stop to pose for a photo in front of El Capitan - an immense vertical rock formation and an icon of American wilderness. Waterfalls and streams, lakes and rivers, valleys and meadows - Yosemite is endlessly photogenic. After getting our fill of this natural wonder, we’ll continue west to Modesto.

Visit to Yosemite National Park (afternoon)

Day 11-12: San Francisco

We’ll enjoy two nights in the ‘City by the Bay’, with a full day at leisure. On a guided tour, you’ll have the chance to sample delicious street food in China Town, wander through Union Square and admire the city skyline as you cross the famed Golden Gate Bridge. With a full day to spend as you please, there’s so much to see and do. There’s notorious Alcatraz (you’ll need to have booked this independently before you left the UK); you could wander up and down the iconic streets, including zig-zagging Lombard Street; or maybe walk around the eclectic district of Haight-Ashbury (the heart of America’s ‘counterculture’ in the 1960s), so beloved of hippies, artists, writers and musicians.

Guided city tour of San Francisco (day 11 afternoon)

Day 13: San Francisco - In flight

Most of the day is free, before we transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK.

Day 14: UK

Upon arrival, your Titan vehicle will be waiting for the journey home.