Western Sun

Itinerary

Day 1, Los Angeles & Santa Barbara

What better start than a tour of Hollywood before we nip up the coast to Santa Barbara, "a gem of a coastal city" and a definite celeb magnet with a Spanish flavour. Mountains loom on one side and surf laps the other, with the temperatures remaining high month upon month; it's a great winter getaway. Accommodation: Camping included

Day 2-3, San Francisco

Early prospectors scoured far-off hills, but these slopes are pure gold. San Francisco is "Everybody's Favourite City" with its endless options: walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, ride the cable cars up and down the fabled, steep streets, view the Bay and Alcatraz on a sunset sailboat ride, shop in Chinatown and Union Square and experience the varied nightlife in North Beach or Haight-Ashbury! Accommodation: 2 en-route hotel nights paid locally

Day 4-6, Yosemite National Park & San Joaquin Valley

Leaving San Francisco, we travel east through "Gold Country" into the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the forested granite peaks of Yosemite National Park. Depending on when you touch down, you'll be crunching about in either walking boots or snowshoes. Frozen waterfalls and snowy sequoias and zig-zagged summits look darn spectacular. Between untamed wildernesses, clap your eyes on the green, green farmland of the San Joaquin Valley, whose crops are arranged in neat rows. Accommodation: 3 en-route hotel nights paid locally

Day 7-8, Death Valley National Park

It's Earth's fiercest hotspot in summer, but it's a whole other story in winter. The perfect winter destination: Death Valley National Park offers thrilling hikes, sunsets that set the whole sky aflame, brilliant night skies and sightseeing opportunities from Dante's View, Zabriskie Point, Golden Canyon and the Great Sand Dunes. Accommodation: Camping included

Day 9-10, Las Vegas

Back to the modern world with a bang - Las Vegas - the greatest show on earth! Cruise "The Strip" in a super-stretch limo, indulge in an all-you-can eat buffet, take in a show or just watch the amazing crowds, neon signs and attractions that many hotel casinos have to offer. And if that's not enough, take a helicopter flight down The Strip or just gamble the night away in one of the world class casinos. Accommodation: 2 en-route hotel nights paid locally

Day 11, Zion National Park

The Southwest's most famous National Parks are next, starting with Zion National Park. Zion mixes peaceful beauty with powerful landscapes. The tree-lined Virgin River meanders below massive, cathedral-like, sandstone walls soaring several thousand feet into the sky. Take the signature Emerald Pools trail to green-tinged waters, cascades and sandcastle-like hunks of amber stone. Accommodation: 1 en-route hotel night paid locally

Day 12, Monument Valley

No need to unpack tents. Experience Native American life first-hand, staying in an authentic Navajo hogan surrounded by the spectacular beauty of their land, in the heart of Monument Valley. Feel free to poke around their back yard, a vast expanse of orange and red dust, after our Navajo guided jeep tour through the valley. Accommodation: Camping included

Day 13-14, Grand Canyon National Park

Just when the scenery seems unbeatable, journey to the Grand Canyon, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Walk along the rim, hike down a canyon trail, or take a scenic flight; whatever the choice, it will forever create a vivid and indelible memory of this special place. Accommodation: 2 en-route hotel nights paid locally

Day 15, Sonoran Desert

South to the Sonoran Desert, stark, but strikingly scenic. Opt in for a bona fide cowboy camp. It's basic but hey, that's what makes it authentic! With silhouetted cacti for company, a trillion stars overhead and a bunch of stories to swap, this experience is right up there... and the food's good too! Accommodation: Camping included

Day 16, Tucson

Welcome to Old Pueblo, home of year-round sunshine. If the town has you feeling all 'Wild West', so will its surroundings; and those cactus spiked dust trails are a hit with mountain bikers. Accommodation: Camping included

Day 17, Joshua Tree National Park

Not to be confused with U2 and Bono, the winding trails and hulking granite put on a top show all the same. The prickly trees themselves are oddball creations and, at dusk, they look totally surreal. Accommodation: Camping included

Day 18-19, San Diego

San Diego not only has the best climate in America but also the best beaches. Bronze up on Mission Beach, go on a serious shopping splurge in Seaport Village, make a splash at SeaWorld Adventure Park, check out the fascinating zoo then take your tan into the nightspots of the Gaslamp Quarter. Accommodation: Camping included

Day 20, Los Angeles

We head back to LA and check out Hollywood Boulevard before the end of our adventure. Tour ends at approx. 17:00 hrs in Los Angeles on day 20.