Compare Best of the West 11 day tour Las Vegas to San Francisco Via the Southwest USA National Parks SWHDYSLODGE by Bindlestiff Tours vs California Dreaming: From Yosemite National Park to Napa and Sonoma Valley by Culture Trip

DAY 1 – ZION NATIONAL PARK
Leaving the bright lights of Las Vegas behind us for a while we head out to Utah’s finest National Park. Massive canyon walls and red sandstone cliffs ascend toward a brilliant blue sky. Challenge yourself to what’s considered the best half day hike in the southwest by hiking a narrow ridgeline to Angels Landing.
Take it easy exploring the pristine Emerald pools or enjoy a river hike deep in the narrows before enjoying a BBQ back at camp this evening.
DAY 2 – BRYCE NATIONAL PARK
A short drive today takes us to an elevation of 8000 ft into Bryce National Park. Take a stroll along the rim and marvel at the unique sandstone spires (hoodoos) that rise dramatically from the natural amphitheater. Hike down into the hoodoos for an up close and personal experience with this fascinating landscape.
A soak in the outdoor hot tub back at camp will ease those hiking muscles and a night around the campfire will end this day nicely.
DAY 3 & 4 – ARCHES AND CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARKS.
Explore this stunning landscape in a guided sunset hummer tour or hang of a sandstone cliff on one of our optional canyoneering adventures! Visit Arches National Park home to over 2000 arches for a hike up to Delicate Arch. Enjoy walks in Canyonlands National Park where the Green river meets the Colorado in some of the most spectacular scenery the southwest has to offer. Swap tales of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid who used the canyons to hide from the law in the late 1800’s, visit the local town and enjoy Utah’s greatest adventure capital.
DAY 5 – MONUMENT VALLEY
Headed south we wind our way through more of USA Southwest’s spectacular scenery to one of the most iconic locations on the planet. The background for many famous western movies and home to the Navajo Indians you are in for a real treat today. Hop onboard a 4X4 jeep and enjoy an included Navajo guided tour of Monument Valley. Camp right along the rim, get ready to gaze up at the amazing starry skies and bag your front row seat to a magnificent sun rise.
DAY 6 – ANTELOPE CANYON, HORSESHOE BEND, GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK SOUTH RIM
Enjoy an optional visit to the world’s most famous slot canyon- Antelope Canyon ($50-$60 pp) this morning followed by a scenic walk to view Horseshoe Bend before heading to the Grand Canyon
After a brief visit to a Navajo trading post we follow the mighty Colorado River through the painted desert to one of the seven natural wonders of the world! Take in a bird’s eye view on an optional helicopter ride, stroll along the rim at sunset, take a hike into the one of the deepest and most diverse canyons on earth or simply relax in one of the rim cafés and admire the view.
DAY 7 – LAS VEGAS
We get our kicks at Route 66 and arrive back in Sin City in plenty of time to relax poolside before heading for the strip for a night out.
DAY 8 – DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK
Las Vegas to Death Valley National Park Heading to California this morning you will embark on a guided tour of Death Valley National Park. Enjoy photo stops and shorts walks at Zabriskie Point , Artist’s Palette, Badwater Basin Salt flats, Furnace Creek Visitor Center, Devil’s Golf Course and the Mesquite Sand Dunes. After a picnic lunch drive spectacular scenery to the old Gold Rush Historic town of Bishop for your night stop.
DAY 9 – TIOGA PASS TO YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
Crossing the Tioga Pass* this morning provides an extremely scenic route passing by highlights such as Olmsted point, Lake Tenaya, Tuolumne Meadows and Mono lake en route to Yosemite Valley. Visit the Valley Visitor Center and exhibits, take a mini tour and get ready for a full day of exploration tomorrow.
* Weather permitting- In the event that the Tioga Pass is closed this tour will reroute through Lake Isabella instead of Bishop.
DAY 10 – YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK- FULL DAY
Spend a full day exploring the walks offered in the park. There are countless walks ranging from easy to strenuous or opt for a guided tour with your expert guide to the premier panoramas within the park such as Bridalveil Falls, Lower Yosemite Falls, views of Half Dome and El Capitan. You can also opt for some free time relaxing or cycling along the Merced River.
DAY 11 – YOSEMITE TO SAN FRANCISCO
Today we head to City by the Bay- San Francisco! Your 4-day adventure concludes with a fully guided city tour of this vibrant city. Stops include Fisherman’s Warf, Pier 39, Haight Ashbury and the Golden Gate Bridge. Tour ends approx. 5pm

Day 1: Welcome to the Hotel California

Accommodation: The Stanford Court

Activities Included: Welcome dinner of dim sum in Chinatown

Well, not quite – but your accommodation is just as lovely as the one described in the song. In fact, unlike the actual Hotel California, your hotel puts you on the edge of San Francisco’s storied Chinatown district, which – after you’ve met your group at 6pm – is where your journey starts. Our Local Insider will also accompany the group throughout the trip. A guided tour is followed by an authentic dim sum dinner, before rounding off with a cocktail at a top-secret speakeasy bar.

Day 2: Into the wild

Accommodation: Yosemite Bug Rustic Mountain Resort

Activities Included: Tuolumne Grove hike

After a full-American breakfast, you’ll head east towards the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas, stopping at the oldest bar in California, the Iron Door Saloon, for cold beer and buffalo wings. Next up is Tuolumne Grove in Yosemite National Park, where you’ll walk among giant sequoia trees – some up to 300ft (91m) tall – and spy the mountain peaks, El Capitan and Half Dome, from Tunnel View.

Day 3: Hiking, biking and a sunset view in Yosemite

Accommodation: Yosemite Bug Rustic Mountain Resort

Activities Included: Guided Yosemite Valley hike, Sentinel Dome hike with champagne

Optional Activities: Bike ride

Pinch yourself. Yes, you really have awoken in Yosemite. Breathe in a lung-full of fresh mountain air and enjoy a hearty California breakfast. Today is all about seeing the highlights of Yosemite. You decide what you’d like to do next: a full-day guided hike in Yosemite Valley, a leisurely bike ride, or an extended session in the eco-spa. Finish the day by ascending Sentinel Dome to watch the multicolored sunset.

Day 4: Sweeping meadow views and swimming in Tenaya Lake

Accommodation: Yosemite Bug Rustic Mountain Resort

Activities Included: Pothole Dome hike, Swimming at Tenaya Lake

Today, you’ll have the chance to beat the crowds and explore lesser-known spots within Yosemite. To start, you’ll take the high road to Tuolumne Meadows, a high-altitude area and the starting point of a short hike to the top of Pothole Dome. You might feel slightly breathless, but the panoramic views waiting at the top make it worthwhile. Later, cool off with a swim in Tenaya Lake, or pick a lakeside spot and lounge around while taking in your epic environs.

Day 5: Wine, wine and more wine in Napa and Sonoma

Accommodation: Best Western Dry Creek Inn

Activities Included: Napa bike tour

Wave goodbye to Yosemite and hello to California’s world-famous wine country. To make the most of your time (and wine) in the Napa Valley, you’ll get around by bike, before a gourmet lunch at chef Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery, served alongside the best wines from the region. And if that wasn’t enough, there will be time for more in the vineyards of Sonoma Valley on the way to your hotel in Healdsburg.

Day 6: Towering redwoods and road-trippin’ the Pacific Coast

Accommodation: Best Western Dry Creek Inn

Activities Included: Guided hike in Samuel P Taylor State Park, Road trip to Goat Rock Beach, Farewell dinner

Optional Activities: Swimming at Russian River

Your day begins with a morning stroll among towering redwood trees in Samuel P Taylor State Park, giving you the chance to work up an appetite for lunch at the Marshall Store in Tomales Bay, well-known for its Pacific oysters. The road trip continues after lunch with a drive along the coast and a stop at Goat Rock Beach, before pizza at the Russian River Brewing Company.

Day 7: Return to San Francisco

Activities Included: Lands End Trail hike

Optional Activities: Mission District tour

It may be your final day, but the trip is far from over. Back in San Francisco, there are a few more treats in store, including a hike along the Lands End Trail – a one-way clifftop route with amazing views over the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island. Lunch in the Mission District means one thing: the Mission burrito, popular since the 1960s and a must-eat if you’re in this part of town. You’ll also discover the local street art, which forms the largest concentration of murals in the world, before finally bidding farewell to your travel companions at the hotel at 3pm.