California Holidays

There’s no better way to experience an American road trip than with the roof down and the wind in your hair. Enjoy panoramic views as you cruise along scenic highways, from coastal routes to vibrant city streets. Convertibles are perfect for the open road, and let’s face it, they’re just cool.

Top tips:

• Wear a secure hat and plenty of sunscreen
• Pack light and use soft bags because they'll fit into the trunk more easily

Add a touch of adventure and style to your journey with this upgrade and make every mile unforgettable.

This whale watching trip explores Monterey Bay, where marine life gathers unusually close to shore. Thanks to the bay’s underwater geography, boats don’t need to travel far offshore to find activity, which means more time with wildlife and less time in transit. You head out with experienced skippers, follow sightings as they develop, and see whatever turns up on the day, from humpbacks and grey whales to dolphins and sea lions.

Monterey Bay is one of the most reliable places on the California coast for whale watching. The skippers spend most days on this water, reading swell, bird activity and animal behaviour to decide where to go. The pace is unhurried, with time to stay with sightings rather than rushing on to the next location.

What you see varies by season and by day. Humpback whales are common and often active at the surface, grey whales pass through during migration, and blue whales appear in the warmer months. Dolphins frequently ride the bow wave, with sea lions and seabirds close by.

• Start times: 10am and 1.30pm 
• Duration: 3 hours
• Daily departures 
• Operates year round
• Group experience

With the All-Inclusive Pass from Go City, the more you see, the more you save. You have two, three, five or seven days to cram in as much as you can from a huge list of options, including Universal Studios, LEGOLAND, and Knott's Berry Farm. Head to Malibu for a Celebrity Homes Tour, hike up to Griffith Park to gaze at Los Angeles from the above or join the Californians on the Santa Monica boardwalk with a full-day rental of a bike or rollerblades. And you don't just have to look at the water, as a whale watching trip is yours if you want it. The complete list of over 40 tours and attractions is included with your Digital Pass. We endeavour to keep our descriptions up to date, however inclusions on sightseeing passes can change without our knowledge. Please check closer to your departure date for the most up to date list of included activities.

Sightseeing pass As many LA highlights as you can handle Over 40 tours and attractions to choose from

This helicopter flight is about seeing Los Angeles as a whole, rather than as a traffic-filled list of neighbourhoods. In about 40 minutes, you’ll move from working port to hillside glamour, from coastline to city grid, with a perspective that makes LA's scale click.

You’ll take off from Long Beach and begin over the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, among the busiest in the world and a reminder that this city runs on far more than film sets. From here, the route cuts inland past the Vincent Thomas Bridge and across the city towards the coast and the hills beyond.

As the helicopter climbs over Beverly Hills and Bel Air, the scenery shifts to winding roads, hidden homes, and long views stretching towards the Pacific. The Hollywood sign comes next, and this is where the aerial view really earns its keep. From the ground, the sign is surprisingly distant and often partially hidden. From the air, you see it head-on, framed by the hills it was built to sit on.

You’ll continue over Griffith Park and its hilltop observatory before crossing into Downtown Los Angeles, where the city tightens into a dense grid of towers, freeways, and sports and entertainment districts that show just how big and varied LA really is.

The flight finishes back over Long Beach, circling the waterfront and downtown area before passing the historic Queen Mary, a retired ocean liner from the 1930s that now sits permanently docked in the harbour. 

• Duration: 40 minutes
• Daily departures
• Operates year round 
• Group experience

This 30-minute helicopter flight swaps traffic for airspace and shows you why this stretch of coast keeps turning up in films, playlists, and daydreams. You’ll lift off from Long Beach and head south, following the curve of the Orange County coastline. From above, the mix becomes clearer: long sandy beaches, sudden rocky headlands, and neighbourhoods that seem designed to face the ocean.

You’ll pass over Seal Beach and Newport Beach, skim the cliffs around Dana Point, and see the greener, quieter pockets of Laguna Niguel laid out below. From the air, you’ll see the Pacific Coast Highway threading along the shoreline below, with dolphins and seals often visible in the water alongside it. 

The flight continues past surf beaches and coastal landmarks, including the Huntington Beach Pier, the compact charm of Balboa Island, and the layered coves of Laguna Beach. The scenery then opens up into the protected stretches of Crystal Cove State Park and the jewel-toned waters of Emerald Bay, where the coastline briefly forgets about development altogether.

The flight loops back over Long Beach to finish, passing the permanently docked Queen Mary and the working port before touching down. 

• Duration: 30 minutes
• Daily departures
• Operates year round 
• Group experience

This is a lively introduction to Los Angeles that gives you more than just drive-by views. Over the course of the day, you’ll explore the city’s most recognisable neighbourhoods and landmarks by sightseeing coach, with time to step out, look around, and get a feel for how LA actually works.

The tour begins in Hollywood, where you’ll walk along Hollywood Boulevard and the Walk of Fame, spotting the names that have shaped film, music, and pop culture over the decades. Nearby, you’ll see landmarks like the Dolby Theatre and hear the stories that give this stretch of pavement its reputation, for better and worse. At Santa Monica, you’ll have time to enjoy the ocean air and the famous pier, where beach culture, street performers, and fairground nostalgia all collide. 

You’ll also pass through Beverly Hills, known less for landmarks than for atmosphere, with its wide streets, palm trees, and carefully understated luxury. A stop at the original Farmers Market adds a welcome break, with time to browse, grab a bite, and see where locals have been eating for decades. It’s casual, varied, and a good reset before heading back out. The tour also takes in elevated viewpoints around Griffith Park, where you’ll see the Griffith Observatory and enjoy wide views across the city basin, a moment that helps pull the whole day together.

• Start time: 9.30am
• Duration: 6½ hours
• Daily departures
• Operates year round 
• Group experience

Over 48 hours, you can explore the city at your own pace using an open-top hop-on hop-off bus, with the freedom to get off where something catches your eye and jump back on when you’re ready to move on. The route links more than 40 stops across Los Angeles, covering everything from the revitalised downtown area to coastal favourites like Santa Monica. Whether you want to wander, shop, eat, people-watch, or stay on board and take it all in, the choice is yours.

The Hollywood Celebrity Homes Tour is included, a separate guided drive through Beverly Hills and the Hollywood Hills. This is your peek behind the hedges, passing the homes of well-known actors, musicians, and industry names, with context on how these neighbourhoods became so closely tied to Hollywood life. It’s more about setting the scene than pointing at front doors, and it adds a bit of insider colour to the wider city tour.

Together, the two experiences strike a good balance. The hop-on hop-off buses give you independence and flexibility, while the celebrity homes tour adds a distinctly LA layer you wouldn’t get on your own. It’s easygoing, adaptable, and ideal if you want to see a lot of the city without committing to a fixed schedule. 

• Duration: 48 hour pass
• Daily departures
• Operates year round
• Group experience

Hop on board a Big Bus Sightseeing Tour of the City by the Bay and catch the best views of its distinctive landmarks and hear live commentary about its history as you go. There are 20 stops all around spectacular San Francisco. You'll see the beautiful parks, architecture you'll recognise from the big screen, and pretty views from an open-top bus. Hop on and off to create a customised journey around the city. Your ticket also includes a choice of four walking tours. Explore either Chinatown, North Beach, Barbary Coast, or Fisherman's Wharf on foot - don't forget to check what time they start. The fun doesn't stop at night - your ticket includes a Night Tour of the city, a panoramic bus tour that starts by climbing historic Nob Hill for a magnificent close up of Grace Cathedral. The bus then makes its way across the Bay Bridge to Treasure Island to view the skyline. Back in the city, the tour concludes along the Embarcadero.

Hop-on-hop-off bus See all of San Francisco's can't-miss landmarks Includes a neighbourhood walking tour Includes a panoramic night tour by bus

Hop on a luxury motor coach for a fun-filled wander around San Francisco’s winding city streets. Uncover a profusion of famous landmarks and hidden marvels as you flit between The Golden City’s colourful neighbourhoods and be sure to seize every photo opportunity that comes your way. The endless rows of Victorian homes are enriched with character, while buzzing Chinatown is peppered with top tier eateries to grab an authentic Asian bite. Cravings curbed, it’s time to swap the hustle and bustle of the city for the bay as  you cruise to the ghostly enclave of Alcatraz Island for a tour of the maximum-security prison. 

• Duration: Four hours
• Departs: Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

Good to know
City tour stops with photo opportunities include: Golden Gate Bridge, Palace of Fine Arts, Twin Peaks, Land’s End Ocean Beach (Sutro Baths), Mission San Francisco de Asis (Mission district). Alcatraz audio guide included. Guests must be aged 5 years or older.

Wine connoisseurs, this one's for you. Board a luxury coach as you make our way to the postcard-perfect Napa Valley for a sun-splashed tour of America’s famous wine country. This full-day tour begins with a picturesque drive over the Golden Gate Bridge before arriving at Napa Valley and Sonoma Wineries for the ultimate tasting experience.  With plenty of fun, facts and souvenirs thrown in for good measure, this elegant tasting experience welcomes you to wrap your mouth around the finest wines Napa has to offer before swapping sips for snacks with a luscious lunch in Sonoma Square Plaza. 

• Duration: Eight hours
• Daily departures
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

Good to know
Timings available upon request. Luxury coach transfer is included. Wine tasting is included. Additional tastings and purchases can be made on the day.

Relish the opportunity to truly unplug and disconnect on this full-day tour of the breathtaking Yosemite National Park. Swap the lively hubbub of bustling San Francisco for the craggy scapes of California’s Sierra Nevada mountains and embrace a mesmerising mount of granite clifftops, verdant forestry and glittering lakes. With much to see, do and explore, this place plays home to a treasure trove of awe-inspiring vistas, hiking trails and food-with-a-view picnic spots. Seize every photo opportunity as you soak up the sights of Bridalveil Falls, El Captian and Half Down before witnessing the thundering crash of North America's tallest waterfall, Yosemite Falls.

• Duration: Full day
• Daily departures
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

Good to know
Timings will be available upon request. Includes transfers and entrance fee to the national park. Lunch is not included but can be purchased on the day.

This short but utterly fabulous seaplane flight takes off from the calm waters of Richardson Bay in Sausalito, just north of San Francisco. You’ll fly in a beautifully restored DeHavill and Beaver seaplane, a classic aircraft designed for water landings and low-level flying, with wide windows that make every seat a good one.

Once you’re airborne, the Marin coastline begins to fall away. Ahead, the Golden Gate Bridge comes into view. From the air, its red-orange arches stretch wide across the mouth of the bay and flying past them gives you a sense of scale and drama that’s impossible to get from the road or the pavement below.

The route traces the edge of the city, revealing San Francisco from angles most people never see. Alcatraz appears below as a compact, unmistakable silhouette in the water, while nearby Angel Island looks greener and quieter, layered with its own history. Along the shoreline, Baker Beach and Crissy Field unfurl where the city meets the Pacific, all open space and wind and light.

Further across the bay, you’ll spot the sweep of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, the rugged headlands of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and the Point Bonita Lighthouse clinging to the cliffs at the water’s edge. Throughout the flight, your pilot adds context and stories, helping connect what you’re seeing to how the city grew, moved, and defined itself around the water.

• Duration: 30 minutes 
• Daily departures 
• Operates year round
• Group experience

This 90-minute catamaran sail is an easy way to appreciate San Francisco from the water. Once you’re out on the bay, the views open up quickly. You’ll pass Alcatraz Island, follow the city skyline, sail under the Golden Gate Bridge, and head towards the edge of the Pacific.

It’s well-suited to first-time visitors who want a simple overview of San Francisco, and to return travellers who fancy doing something a bit different. In the summer months, it’s a perfect way to spend time outdoors without the crowds, though trips run year-round.

• Duration: 90 minutes
• Daily departures 
• Operates daily
• Group experience

San Francisco looks compact on a map. Then you meet the hills. And that’s where the e-bike earns its keep. This guided electric bike tour is a brilliant way to get your bearings in a city. Over around four hours, you will roll through some of San Francisco’s most characterful neighbourhoods while a local guide fills in the stories. The famous ones, the strange ones, and the ones you would never stumble across on your own.

You’ll start near Fisherman’s Wharf at Ghirardelli Square, once a working chocolate factory and now a very scenic place to begin. From there, the route heads through Hayes Valley, a favourite with locals thanks to its independent shops and excellent coffee culture. Then it is on to Alamo Square for the classic Painted Ladies view, instantly recognisable from films and TV like Vertigo, Mrs Doubtfire, The Rock and Full House.

There is time to pause in Haight Ashbury, the heart of the 1960s counterculture scene and former home to Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead. These days, it’s more vintage trainers than flower power, but the history is still very much part of the place. The ride finishes with an easy glide along the Panhandle of Golden Gate Park, a long green stretch that shows off San Francisco’s love of open space right in the middle of the city.

​

This guided bike tour is a classic San Francisco experience done properly. Over around three hours, you’ll follow the waterfront out of Fisherman’s Wharf, with a local guide setting the scene as you go. The ride begins along the coastal bike path, hugging the bay as the city slowly gives way to open views.

You’ll pass historic Fort Mason before rolling out towards Crissy Field, a former US Army airfield that now offers one of the best viewpoints in the city. On a clear day, the bridge stretches ahead of you in full cinematic mode, with Alcatraz sitting off to the side.

Then comes the main event. You’ll cycle the whole 1.7 miles of the Golden Gate Bridge itself, with time to stop along the way for the essential photos and to take in the scale of the thing. Once across, the mood shifts. The road drops gently downhill, and the pace relaxes as you follow the coast into Sausalito. It’s quieter and full of waterfront cafés, houseboats, and small shops that feel a world away from the city you have just left. The electric bikes make the whole route feel comfortably achievable, even with the bridge climb. At the end, most people choose to hop on the ferry back to Fisherman’s Wharf, watching the skyline drift past.

• Start time: 10am
• Duration: 3 hours
• Daily departures
• Operates year round
• Group experience