Northern California Self-Drive
Overview
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Itinerary
Today you begin your journey by boarding your international outbound flight to San Francisco.
Enjoy a full day exploring San Francisco. You may wish to take a boat trip out on the bay, visit Chinatown with its quirky shops and decorative gate, take a stroll along Fisherman's Wharf and see the sea lions at Pier 39 or take a trip on one of the city's iconic cable cars.
Take a boat trip out to the former prison island of Alcatraz. Here you can enjoy an audio tour of the old prison, learning about the lives of former inmates and ways in which they attempted to escape. Afterwards, you may wish to cycle over the Golden Gate Bridge, have lunch at Fisherman's Wharf, or take a ferry to the lovely bayside suburb of Sausalito.
Collect your hire car and drive around north over the Golden Gate Bridge to the rolling vineyards of Sonoma County, around an hour away. This afternoon you could visit some of the area's vineyards to sample locally produced wines and indulge in an al fresco lunch.
Spend a full day exploring Sonoma at your own pace. You could visit some more vineyards and join a wine tasting tour to sample wines tailored to your preferences. Alternatively, visit Sonoma Barracks to learn about the Bear Flag Revolution of 1847, when California sep...
Journey north along the beautiful coastline of northern California to Trinidad. The drive takes around five hours, but there are many scenic state parks to stop at on the way. Highlights include Point Arena Lighthouse, the Victorian town of Mendocino with its pastel-p...
Leave Trinidad behind this morning and drive for around four and a half hours north to Mount Shasta. Along the way you pass through the beautiful scenery of Trinity National Forest and Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, where you could stop for a stroll and a picni...
There is time to relax and enjoy the area's natural beauty this morning before you make your way north, through dramatic mountain scenery, to Crater Lake National Park in southern Oregon. The journey takes around three hours and takes you through the Winema National Forest.
Enjoy a full day at this dramatic volcanic lake, where the bright blue waters contrast sharply with the verdant rocky scenery. We recommend taking a boat trip to Wizard Island in the middle of Crater Lake. This miniature cinder cone supports a variety of plant and ani...
Leaving Oregon behind, travel five hours south back into California, arriving into Redwood National Park. The journey takes you through the Rogue River National Forest and the Cascade Mountains provide an impressive backdrop. You may wish to stop to explore the caves ...
Spend the day on a guided tour to learn about the enormous redwood trees of Redwood National Park. Some of the trees here can grow up to 100 m (328 ft) in height and are over 2,000 years old. Your guide will talk about the trees and their history, as well as the park's wildlife - look out for herds of elk, which thrive in these coastal forests.
Drive for around two and a half hours to the pretty Victorian town of Mendocino on the coast. Here you can explore its old painted houses and art shops, as well as cafes and wineries. You may wish to visit the nearby Montgomery Woods State Park to admire more ancient redwoods, or head to Mendocino Bay for incredible coastal views.
Make your way south along the coast and back to San Francisco - a drive of around three hours. Once at the airport you can drop off your hire car before boarding your onward flight.
Arrive home today to complete your journey.
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Dates & Availability
Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Audley Travel.
The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.
Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.
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Tour Operator
Our trips don’t come off the shelf. There’s no set recipe. Each itinerary is tailor-made down to the finest detail, built around your tastes and interests. Quite simply, we listen to what you want and then carefully design an individual trip to match, working to your budget and with an absolute commitment to quality.
We have experts for each and every one of our destinations, with the knowledge that comes from having visited many times or even lived there. Our specialists will design a trip around you, show you the highlights from a different angle, and introduce you to places and experiences that others might miss.
Our flexibility promise
As the world adjusts to travel in times of uncertainty, we want you to be able to look ahead to your next trip knowing you can change your plans if needed. And, with specialists who are experts in their destinations and remain your single point of contact before and while you travel, we promise you can book with us in absolute confidence.
Our flexibility promise
Change your plans free of charge up to 30 days before departure
We’ll move your travel dates or switch the value of your booked trip to another destination at no expense to you up to 30 days before you’re due to depart. You’ll receive a 100% travel credit equivalent to the amount you paid toward your original booking.
Valid for new bookings made on or before October 31, 2020, for travel by Dec. 31, 2021. Travel dates may be moved to departures up to December 31, 2022. Excludes select cruises and airfare. Additional charges may be incurred based on changes to your trip such as accommodation and/or seasonality.
Full-refund guarantee on trips close to home
14-day cancellation policy for trips to the US, Canada or Caribbean
We want to help you navigate the uncertainty that remains around travel by giving you the flexibility to book a trip to any of our destinations in the United States, Canada or the Caribbean this year in complete confidence. With our 14-day cancellation policy, you can cancel your trip up to two weeks before you’re due to depart for any reason and receive a full refund, when you book your trip on or before October 31, 2020 for travel before December 14, 2021**.
Valid on new bookings within the US, Canada or Caribbean made on or before October 31, 2020 for travel by December 14, 2021. Certain policy variations may apply dependent on property selection and dates. Specific details will be provided by your specialist. Any portion of a new booking paid with an existing travel credit will be refunded in the form of a travel credit. Excludes flights and select properties.
Set your travel plans in motion with a video appointment
Talking face to face with your specialist can be an invaluable starting point for sharing thoughts and ideas as you begin to imagine your next trip. You can take as much time as you need to speak to your specialist and discuss all your plans with one of our video appointments. Just think of it as your own personal webinar — your specialist will share a wealth of insight, aided by images, maps and other visuals, to inspire you and provide advice for your trip, based on what you want to experience.
It's easy to arrange
- Book a video appointment (we’ll ask you for a few details about your travel plans).
- One of our specialists, who’s an expert in your chosen destination, will get in touch to arrange a time and date to suit you. If your travel companions are in different households, we’ll invite them to join, too, so you can all chat together.
- Your specialist will send you a link to your video appointment by email. We suggest using a computer or laptop, which means there’s no software to download.
- Settle down with a drink, click on the link to join the appointment and your specialist will be there to welcome you.
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