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Quote CTH581
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Total Expected Local Fee: $572
Resort fees are paid locally and subject to additional local taxes. The amounts shown are based on current rates and may vary depending on the hotel and travel dates.
This 14-night self drive tour of California and Las Vegas takes in the highlights of Northern California and finishes on the Las Vegas Strip. You fly from the UK to San Francisco, collect your hire car when you leave the city, and drive through Napa Valley wine country, the alpine shores of Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park before crossing into Nevada. Return flights, car hire and hand-picked hotels are included in one tailor-made booking, and it is ABTA and ATOL protected.
Stay at The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel, a stylish hotel moments from Union Square, in an Executive Room with two queen beds, with the resort fee included. You won't need a car in the city, so your car hire starts on the day you leave and you save on San Francisco's overnight parking charges.
Things to do in San Francisco: walk or cycle across the Golden Gate Bridge, take the ferry to Alcatraz (book well ahead), ride a cable car over Nob Hill, explore Chinatown and North Beach, and see the sea lions at Pier 39 on Fisherman's Wharf.
Napa Valley is around an hour's drive north. Your base is Hotel Yountville, a boutique hotel in the valley's best-known food town, in a Deluxe Room.
Things to do in Napa Valley: visit family wineries and famous estates along Highway 29 and the Silverado Trail, ride the Napa Valley Wine Train, take a sunrise hot air balloon flight over the vineyards, relax in Calistoga's hot springs and mud baths, and pick up pastries at Bouchon Bakery in Yountville.
Drive around three hours east into the Sierra Nevada to the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino at Incline Village on the North Shore. The resort has its own private beach, a spa and a casino, and you'll stay in a balcony room with two queen beds.
Things to do in Lake Tahoe: drive the 72-mile loop around the lake, stop at the viewpoint over Emerald Bay, and swim or kayak in the clear water at Sand Harbor. In summer you can hike, paddleboard or take a paddle-wheeler cruise. In winter you can ski at Diamond Peak, Northstar or Heavenly.
Tenaya Lodge sits in the forest at Fish Camp, around two miles from Yosemite's South Entrance. Your Cottage Room gives you a quiet, lodge-style stay after a day in the park.
Things to do in Yosemite: walk among the giant sequoias of Mariposa Grove, a short drive from the lodge, then head into Yosemite Valley to see El Capitan, Half Dome and Yosemite Falls, which are at their best in spring. From late spring to autumn you can also drive up to Glacier Point for the classic view across the valley.
Finish with three nights at The Palazzo at The Venetian Resort, in a spacious Deluxe Suite right on the Las Vegas Strip. At the end of your stay, drop your car at Harry Reid International Airport and fly home to the UK.
Things to do in Las Vegas: watch the Bellagio fountains, see a headline show, take a gondola ride at The Venetian and explore Fremont Street. For day trips, you can visit the Hoover Dam or Red Rock Canyon, or take a helicopter flight to the Grand Canyon.
Every California fly drive we arrange is tailor-made. You can change the hotels, add nights or include extra stops, such as Monterey, Death Valley or the Grand Canyon. Our USA specialists plan realistic driving days, and the one-way car hire drop-off fee is included in your quote. Charter Travel has been arranging holidays for UK travellers since 1988.
All offers and prices are subject to availability at the time of booking and our terms and conditions. Selected travel dates apply. Offers are based on maximum occupancy for accommodation and based on a per person price unless stated otherwise. Resort fees/entrance fees are not included unless specified.
The tour is 14 nights. You spend three nights each in San Francisco, Napa Valley, Lake Tahoe and Las Vegas, and two nights in Yosemite, with return flights from the UK. We can lengthen or shorten any stay.
Yes. You collect the car when you leave San Francisco and return it at Las Vegas airport before your flight home. Hire companies charge a one-way drop-off fee for this, and we include it in your quote.
From around late May or June until the first heavy snow, usually in November, you can take the scenic Tioga Road (Highway 120) over the Sierra Nevada into the park. When it is closed, you drive round via the western foothills instead. Both routes take around five hours to Tenaya Lodge.
It is around 450 miles, or 7 to 8 hours' drive, via Fresno, Bakersfield and the Mojave Desert. If you'd like to break up the journey, we can add an overnight stop, such as Death Valley.
May to October is best, as all the mountain roads are usually open. September and October are particularly good: the weather is warm, it's harvest season in Napa Valley and the parks are quieter. In winter, Lake Tahoe is great for skiing, but you may need snow chains in the mountains.
Your car pays a park entry fee on arrival. In recent years Yosemite has also required advance entry reservations at its busiest times, so check the National Park Service website before you travel. We'll let you know what applies to your dates.
Yes. UK passport holders need an approved ESTA to enter the USA under the Visa Waiver Programme. Apply on the official US government website well before you travel.
