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San Francisco Tours and Vacation Packages

  • San Francisco's iconic Golden Gate Bridge opened in 1937

Few American cities capture the imagination like San Francisco. For decades, it has embodied the notion of a progressive America, whether you’re talking about politics or technology. Yet long before Silicon Valley moved in, San Francisco was a haven for Americans who didn’t fit in. Asian Americans, the LGBTQ community, hippies, and the Beat Generation… all have played their part in San Francisco’s story, shaping and being shaped by this city on the bay. These days, even if hippies have been replaced by hipsters, San Francisco’s charm remains undiminished, showcasing how beautiful and diverse an American city could be.

It's hard to talk about San Francisco without mentioning its biggest icons. A marvel of engineering, the Golden Gate Bridge dominates the skyline, connecting the city with Marin Headlands. Alcatraz continues to fascinate visitors drawn to its daring tales of escape and infamous roster of former inmates. If you’re feeling energetic, climb the steps up attractive Lombard Street while cars weave down its famous switchbacks, or soak up the tourist kitsch of Fisherman’s Wharf and snap a photo of the sea lions at Pier 39.

But to get into the real San Francisco, you need to explore its neighbourhoods. Chinatown offers great shopping and arguably America’s most authentic Chinese food and atmosphere, particularly in its narrow laneways. On its edges, you can visit several San Francisco institutions. City Lights Booksellers & Publishers proudly displays its Beat Generation roots on three levels of the written word. The San Francisco Cable Car Museum invites you to step aboard the city’s most beloved mode of public transport and see how it’s evolved over the years, while Coit Tower offers sweeping views over the Bay Area.

 

Once the centre of San Francisco’s hippie movement, The Haight still invites visitors to wind back the pace and explore, while street musicians keep things lively in the shadow of colourful Victorian mansions. The Castro has played a key role in the emergence of America’s LGBTQ culture and equality and remains an important hub for the community today. The Mission district is the centre of Latin and Hispanic life in San Francisco, while SoMa (South of Market) has undergone radical changes in recent decades, as tech companies have set up shop, inspiring a wide range of bars, boutiques, and cafes to spring up around them.

You’ll definitely want to devote a day to Golden Gate Park. Larger than New York’s Central Park, this might be the most beloved urban green space in California. Yet it’s also a cultural hot spot, with the California Academy of Sciences and the de Young Museum bringing together science and art respectively. Be sure to explore the Japanese Tea Garden and the Botanical Garden, or hire a bike and ride all the way out past the windmills to Ocean Beach, and dip your toes in the Pacific.

Whether it’s to visit or start a new life, people from all parts of the world have always been drawn to San Francisco. The only way to fully appreciate it is to visit for yourself and write your own tale of the city.

Whether it’s to visit or start a new life, people from all parts of the world have always been drawn to San Francisco. The only way to fully appreciate it is to visit for yourself and write your own tale of the city.

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San Francisco, United States

  • Cities and Canyons

    FIRST-CLASS | SELF DRIVE: Bookended by Las Vegas and San Francisco, this is a trip that combines fantastic urban experiences with breathtaking landscapes of unimaginable shapes, sizes and colours. Drive the largest remaining stretch of Route 66 enroute to the Grand Canyon, followed by an opportunity to see Utah’s ‘Mighty Five’. Add Monument Valley and Yosemite and you have material for several dinner parties.
    Duration:
    15 Days
    Prices From:
    AU$ 4,926
    Trip Type:
    Self-Drives
    United States See Trip Details

  • Postcards Of California: San Francisco, Yosemite, Highway 1 to Los Angeles & More

    FIRST-CLASS | SELF DRIVE: What can you say about driving Highway One from San Francisco to Los Angeles, except that you absolutely must do it at least once. Driving south, with the Pacific at your right, the views opening ahead of you are breathtaking. The stretch between Carmel and San Simeone is delightfully rugged and dramatic, but is soon followed by whimsical tiny beach enclaves, worth a quick stop. 17-Mile Drive, Big Sur, Santa Barbara, and Malibu add their iconic names to a truly exquisite trip.
    Duration:
    8 Days
    Prices From:
    AU$ 2,794
    Trip Type:
    Classics (Bestsellers), Self-Drives
    United States See Trip Details

  • Artisan Adventures in the Wild Northwest: San Francisco, Redwood National Park, Mount Rainier, Seattle & More

    FIRST-CLASS | SELF DRIVE: Enjoy an exhilarating journey that starts in the City by the Bay and travels north through breathtaking parts of Oregon until you reach Seattle in the state of Washington. It’s a trip packed with spellbinding landscapes such as the Avenue of the Giants, thirty-one miles of magnificent Redwood trees, the spectacular Oregon Dunes and Columbia River Gorge. In between you can discover stops for world-class wine and excellent cheese-making in Sonoma County, quaint towns and artists’ enclaves with amazing craft breweries and tasty seafood from Puget Sound, once you are in Seattle.
    Duration:
    11 Days
    Prices From:
    AU$ 3,950
    Trip Type:
    Active & Adventurous, Self-Drives
    United States See Trip Details

  • The Great West: Los Angeles, Scottsdale, Las Vegas, San Francisco & More

    DELUXE | SELF-DRIVE: The name of this trip says it all. Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas provide urban atmosphere and glitz, while the vistas you encounter at the Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zion, Yosemite, and Death Valley are a dazzling mix of breathtaking and enchanting. Add intriguing drives through desert landscapes and a delightful coastal journey along the Pacific.
    Duration:
    21 Days
    Prices From:
    AU$ 7,451
    Trip Type:
    Active & Adventurous, Self-Drives
    United States See Trip Details

  • Western Values: Los Angeles, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, San Francisco & More

    MODERATE | SELF DRIVE: Breathtaking canyons, the magnificent Mojave Desert, Joshua Tree, Lake Powell, and Yosemite are among the dramatic highlights of this heady mix of stunning western landscapes. Los Angeles bookends your trip, but the stretch from San Francisco to Carmel-by-the-sea and Santa Barbara adds gorgeous Pacific coastline scenery. As for entertainment, how about stops in Laughlin, Fresno and, of course, Las Vegas.
    Duration:
    14 Days
    Prices From:
    AU$ 3,461
    Trip Type:
    Self-Drives
    United States See Trip Details

  • Splendours of the West: Los Angeles, Phoenix, Las Vegas, San Francisco & More

    MODERATE | ESCORTED COACH TOUR: Sandwiched between two superb cities, Los Angeles and San Francisco, your trip is packed with spectacular stops every day. The Grand Canyon, Bryce and Zion offer breathtaking canyon vistas, while the iconic landscapes of Monument and Death Valley contribute magic of a different kind. Sedona, Yosemite, Palm Springs, and the glitter of Las Vegas complete a stellar line-up.
    Duration:
    11 Days
    Prices From:
    AU$ 3,481
    Trip Type:
    Escorted Coach Touring
    United States See Trip Details

  • Pacific Northwest Wine Trail: San Francisco, Napa Valley, Portland & More

    MODERATE | SELF DRIVE: Approach this trip with grape expectations. Napa will be the most recognizable name to many, but wine connoisseurs will also know about Rogue Valley and Willamette Valley in Oregon. The possible wine tastings on this trip are endless. Tasting rooms are on outdoor terraces, chateaus, on the Napa Valley Wine Train, in historic hotels and on splendid lawns, but wherever they are breathtaking views are always on the menu. So are gourmet cheeses, spreads, salamis, charcuteries, truffles, and fresh baked breads that invariably accompany wine pairings. Yes, there are other pursuits to make this journey to remember. The mineral hot springs and historic mud baths of the Silverado Trail, a hike to the summit of Mount St. Helena, a visit to stunning Crater Lake National Park and lunch in Sausalito.
    Duration:
    13 Days
    Prices From:
    AU$ 3,870
    Trip Type:
    Self-Drives
    United States See Trip Details

  • San Francisco Highlights

    FIRST-CLASS | TAILOR MADE: From twisty Lombard Street to beautiful Golden Gate Park, San Francisco is one of America's great walking cities. Stroll the Embarcadero or sample Dim Sum in Chinatown. Enjoy the twinkling city lights from atop Twin Peaks or simply explore the city’s eclectic mix of neighborhoods as well as its great history in contemporary music. Napa, Sonoma, and Yosemite are easy inclusions, or embark on California's ultimate scenic route, Highway 1 to Los Angeles.
    Duration:
    4 Days
    Prices From:
    AU$ 936
    Trip Type:
    Stopovers/City Breaks, Tailor-made Travel Ideas
    United States See Trip Details
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