San Francisco Bay Area Holidays & The Wine Region

Day 1 : Arrive Chicago

Day at leisure in the Windy City.

Chicago is a city for all tastes. As lovely as Paris with its striking architecture and leafy parks, as entertaining as London and as bustling as New York.

There are world class art galleries and museums, vibrant theatres, intimate blues and jazz clubs, comedy bars, acres of green and the city even has a beach! Getting around Chicago is easy with The Loop Skytrain in the central area, buses and well run  subway. The best introduction to the city is the Chicago North Shore Tour bus tour.

This 2-hour tour starts downtown and includes the lakeside sweep, the harbour and the world famous zoo before returning via Michigan Avenue and the night club area.

You'll love the shopping available along the "Magnificent Mile", the lively Chicago Blues Clubs and the amazing variety of eateries here. If you have time visit the impressive Buckingham Fountain, this is where iconic Route 66 starts or take a cruise on Lake Michigan.

Days 3-4 : Board the Empire Builder

Board the sleek Empire Builder for a 2 night voyage to Seattle winding through the remote rugged northern states. Pass through Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho before arriving in the cosmopolitan city of Seattle.

(All accommodation and food is included whilst on-board).

Day 5 : Arrive Seattle

Arrive refreshed in Seattle mid-morning and make your way to your hotel.

Days 6-7 : Seattle

Take time to explore the cosmopolitan city of Seattle, for a magnificent view a trip up the Space Needle is a must.

Seattle has one of the most scenic settings in America, curved around the shore of Elliott Bay, with lake Washington behind and the snowy peak of Mount Rainier hovering faintly in the distance. With glass skyscrapers gleaming across the bay the city combines its superb natural surrounding with a modern skyline.

Be sure to hop on a cruise of the harbour,  take a boat tour of the San Juan Islands, visit famous Pike's Place Market and eat in one of the fish restaurants along the harbour. 

Day 8 : Board the famous Coast Starlight train to San Francisco

Board the famous Coast Starlight train for an overnight trip to San Francisco. You'll cruise past Mount Rainier and journey through the Oregon and Northern Californian wilderness, before you pull into Emeryville just 12 miles from San Francisco. From Emeryville you will be transported by bus into the heart of the city.

(All accommodation and meals are included whilst you are on-board).

Day 9 : Arrive San Francisco

San Francisco is full of iconic images- those little cable cars climbing halfway to the stars, the scarlet slash of the Golden Gate Bridge, the dragon-adorned gateway to Chinatown, and the sombre, island-sited Alcatraz, once a formidable prison, now a tourist attraction.

Discover the attractions of this beautiful city en foot, by cable car or the superb BART system. See places like Union Square, The Presidio, Golden Gate Bridge, China Town, Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf.

Day 10 : San Francisco

It's a day of leisure today- why not head off to Fisherman's Wharf for breakfast, Chinatown for lunch and hop on a Bay Dinner Cruise in the evening.

Perhaps you'd like to hire a bike and rides across the Golden Gate Bridge or visit Golden Gate Park and stroll around the incredible, new Museum of Sciences?

Day 11 : Depart San Francisco

It's time to leave San Francisco for your mid afternoon flight home.

Why not extend your time in this stunning city by the bay, or perhaps venture just outside San Francisco and explore the Redwoods of Muir Woods?   

Call the travel experts at Bon Voyage to discuss your dream Northern Explorer tour.