Travel Kuoni

West Coast Golden Triangle Road Trip

Get to know San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas on a sensationally scenic road trip, including pitstops in handsome Monterey and star-studded Santa Barbara.

This trip links some of the USA’s best West Coast cities on a road trip along the famous Pacific Coast Highway before heading inland and finishing with the high rollers in Las Vegas. It’s a trip of contrasts, where you’ll compare the creative energy of San Francisco with the glamour of LA and get to see why Monterey and Santa Barbara are such coveted spots in California. A desert drive to Las Vegas provides the ultimate finale to an unforgettable adventure.

Self drive

Itinerary overview

Days 1-3

Spend some time in Golden Gate Park, visiting the brilliant museums like the California Academy o...

Day 4

Collect your hire car and drive south to gorgeous Monterey. Ignore the sat nav and take the coast...

Day 5

The drive from Monterey to Santa Barbara takes you on a coastal road through the epic scenery of ...

Day 6

With its Spanish-style architecture and beautiful beaches with a mountain backdrop, this Californ...

Days 7-9

Depending on where you want to stay in LA, it’s generally not far from Santa Barbara – around 90 ...

Days 9-11

As you drive across California through the Mojave Desert, the bright lights of Vegas await across...

Days 1-3

San Francisco

Spend some time in Golden Gate Park, visiting the brilliant museums like the California Academy of Science and the de Young Museum, or bike across the bridge for fabulous city views and a look over to Alcatraz. Perhaps you’d rather visit the infamous prison island in person or prefer to spend your day strolling along the waterfront, visiting the sea lions at Pier 39, or picking up artisanal treats in the market at the Ferry Building.

Major League Baseball Tickets
Miami

Enjoy the excitement of a thrilling Major League Baseball game. Subject to availability, we can arrange tickets for games which take place across the United States and Canada throughout the season which runs from March to November. Watch as the pitcher throws the ball as the batter takes aim to hopefully score a run. No matter which team you are cheering for, being in the crowd can be just as exhilarating as watching the game.

National Basketball Association (NBA) Tickets
Miami

If you are travelling to the United States or Canada between October and June, you may wish to include tickets to see a National Basketball Association (NBA) game. Subject to availability, we can arrange tickets so you can witness the speed of the game as the players power across the court to shoot at the hoop. As each quarter unfolds, the atmosphere being part of the crowd can be electrifying.

Bay Catamaran Sailing - Bay Sail
San Francisco

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

Napa & Sonoma Wine Tour
San Francisco

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.

Big Bus San Francisco Hop-On Hop-Off: 1- or 2-Day Ticket (Incl. walking tour)
San Francisco

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.

Golden Gate Seaplane Tour
San Francisco

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

San Francisco City Tour & Alcatraz
San Francisco

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.

The Best of San Francisco Electric Bike Tour
San Francisco

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.

Day 4

Monterey

Collect your hire car and drive south to gorgeous Monterey. Ignore the sat nav and take the coast-clinging Highway 1, routing past Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz. There’s plenty waiting for you when you arrive in this sought-after pocket of California. This area is home to the world-famous Monterey Bay Aquarium on Cannery Row, the scenic 17-mile drive around Pebble Beach, and fabulous bistros and wine cellars in oh-so-charming Carmel-by-the-Sea.

Chris' Whale Watching Tour
California's Central Coast

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

Day 5

SLO Cal/Pismo Beach

The drive from Monterey to Santa Barbara takes you on a coastal road through the epic scenery of Big Sur. You’ll want to stop along the way to get photos of the iconic Bixby Creek Bridge and park up to take the short hike to McWay Falls, an 80-foot waterfall.

Day 6

Santa Barbara

With its Spanish-style architecture and beautiful beaches with a mountain backdrop, this Californian beach town has an upscale feel. Hop aboard one of the red and gold open-air trolleys at Stearns Wharf for a narrated town tour, then find an al fresco restaurant for dinner to soak up the town’s feel-good energy at dusk.

Days 7-9

Los Angeles

Depending on where you want to stay in LA, it’s generally not far from Santa Barbara – around 90 miles away. Perhaps you’ll put down roots in Hollywood to hit the famous sights, although you could continue south through the city instead, searching out the surf-chic lifestyle of Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, or Laguna Beach.

Days 9-11

Las Vegas

As you drive across California through the Mojave Desert, the bright lights of Vegas await across the state border in Nevada. Spend a few days in this larger-than-life desert city, contrasting the marvel of the man-made strip with the extraordinary natural beauty of the Grand Canyon.

National Hockey League (NHL) Tickets
Florida

The National Hockey League (NHL) is something of an institution across North America. Established in 1917, 32 teams compete against each other in ice hockey from October to June. Subject to availability, we can arrange tickets so that you can be rink side to witness the power and speed of the players as they attack and defend across the ice.

Big Bus Las Vegas Hop-on Hop-off Tour - 2 Day Ticket
Las Vegas

Catch all the unmissable Las Vegas sights on a hop-on, hop-off bus tour. The routes are designed to take you to all of Las Vegas's famous landmarks, and your ticket is valid for two days. There are conveniently located bus stops to visit Las Vegas's top attractions, including Caesar's Palace, the Bellagio and The High Roller. It gives you the freedom to plan an itinerary and explore the best of Las Vegas's landmarks for as little or as long as you like, then hop on again when you're ready to move on.

As dusk falls, the city comes to life. Take in dancing fountains and erupting volcanoes as you travel the Las Vegas Strip. The tour leads you past casinos, wedding chapels, and historic landmarks before you enter downtown. Take a brief guided walking tour, then immerse yourself in a spectacle of live entertainment, street artists, costumed entertainers, and the famous Fremont Street Light and Sound show.

Las Vegas Strip Highlights
Las Vegas

When the sun sets over the city, the neon starts to glow and it takes on a totally different vibe. Get a different perspective on Sin City at night as you take to the skies above the iconic hotels, record-breaking landmarks, lively Downtown and of course – the iconic Bellagio fountains.

Good to know

Transfers are not included. If you require transfers, please speak to our experts about the Vegas VIP After Dark Tour.

Golden Eagle air tour from Boulder City
Las Vegas

This speedy out-and-back flight is the perfect way to see the Grand Canyon if you’re short on time. You’ll take off from Boulder City airport, fly over Lake Mead and Hoover Dam on your way to the West Rim of the Grand Canyon and be back at your Vegas hotel all within four hours.

Grand Celebration air tour
Las Vegas

Raise a glass to your Las Vegas stay on this luxe Grand Canyon helicopter flight. You’ll be whisked to the airport by limo and set off on your flight over the desert. Dip down below the canyon’s West Rim and land on a plateau where a picnic lunch and glass of champers will be served. Then you’ll swoop down along The Strip as you return to the airport.

King of Canyons with Papillon
Las Vegas

This is the most popular heli ride from Vegas and for good reason. Not only will you get to fly over the Lake Mead and the vast desert on the way to the Canyon, once you’ve reached the West Rim, you’ll descend over 900 metres and land on a plateau for some Champers and some refreshments before a return trip back over the Vegas Strip. Go at sunset for the ultimate aerial experience.

Grand Canyon South Rim Tour
Las Vegas

This is a full-day private tour from Las Vegas to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, designed to give you time to enjoy the viewpoints rather than rush you through them. You’ll travel in a purpose-built touring vehicle with a dedicated guide, explore several key stops along the rim on foot, and return to Las Vegas in the evening. It’s a long day on the road, but one that’s paced to make the distance worthwhile.

You’re picked up from your Las Vegas hotel in the morning and set off across the Mojave Desert. The drive takes about 4 to 4.5 hours each way, broken up by scenic stops and commentary. You follow sections of historic Route 66, passing wide-open desert landscapes and traces of the old Santa Fe Railway while your guide shares context about the region’s history, wildlife and early travellers. As you climb onto the Coconino Plateau, the scenery shifts to cooler air, pine forest, and mountain views. Your first stop is Mather Point, one of the most expansive viewpoints on the South Rim. This is where the canyon's scale really lands, with sweeping views stretching across the gorge and the North Rim visible on clear days.

From here, you’ll walk a short section of the Trail of Time to Yavapai Point, stopping at the Yavapai Geology Museum. Built right on the edge of the rim, the museum uses panoramic windows and clear displays to explain how the canyon was formed and to help you read the layers spread out before you. Next, you’ll head to Grand Canyon Village, the historic heart of the South Rim. This area developed in the early 1900s to support railway travellers and is now home to some of the park’s most characterful buildings. You’ll stop at Bright Angel Lodge, a stone-and-timber landmark sitting just feet from the canyon’s edge, with time for lunch and a wander. There’s a small history room, gift shop, and even a classic soda fountain and ice cream counter if that feels earned by this point.

Before beginning the return drive to Las Vegas, you’ll stop at a local trading post showcasing art, jewellery, and crafts made by Native American artisans. Breakfast, snacks, a picnic lunch, bottled water, and all park entrance fees are included, so the day runs smoothly from start to finish. It’s a long drive, but a thoughtfully paced one, and you’ll return to Las Vegas feeling like you’ve genuinely spent time at the Grand Canyon.

• Start time: 6am
• Duration: 12½ hours
• Daily departures
• Operates year round
• Group experience

Good to know
Non-U.S. residents must either purchase a $250 America the Beautiful Pass (covering up to four adults) or pay a $100 per adult Grand Canyon entry fee before their Hummer tour.

Death Valley Tour
Las Vegas

This full-day tour from Las Vegas is a journey into one of the most extreme landscapes on the planet. Just a few hours away from Vegas, Death Valley National Park reveals vast salt flats, sculpted rock and record-setting temperatures, all explored with a guide over the course of the day. You’ll visit key viewpoints, walk out onto the valley floor, and move through a landscape that feels stark and strange before returning to Las Vegas in the evening.

Inside the park, the first major viewpoint is Dante’s View, perched more than a mile above the valley floor. From here, you’ll look out over salt flats, colourful badlands, and the remnants of an ancient lake, a perspective that makes the scale of the place sink in quickly. You’ll spend time at Furnace Creek Visitor Centre, learning how life survives in such an unforgiving environment, before heading to Harmony Borax Works. 

Pass the jagged salt formations of Devil’s Golf Course, a landscape so rough and sharply eroded that, as the saying goes, only the devil could play a round here. Next comes Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America. You’ll have time to walk out onto the vast white salt flats and stand beneath the famous elevation sign marking 282 feet below sea level. It’s blindingly bright, surreal, and unlike anywhere else you’re likely to visit.

Before heading back, you’ll follow Artists Drive, a scenic loop through hills painted with natural reds, greens, and purples, then stop at the historic Inn at Death Valley. The final stretch includes a gentle off-road drive through Twenty Mule Team Canyon.

• Start time: 6am
• Duration: full day 
• Daily departures
• Operates year round 
• Group experience

Hoover Dam Top to Bottom
Las Vegas

This full-day tour from Las Vegas takes you through the Hoover Dam from every angle. You’ll float below it on the Colorado River, walk across the top, and head inside the powerhouse to see how it actually works. It’s a practical, well-paced day that combines engineering, history and time outdoors.

Before reaching the dam, you’ll pass through Boulder City, built in the early 1930s to house the thousands of workers who constructed Hoover Dam during the Great Depression. Unlike Las Vegas, it still has an old-school feel, and it plays a significant role in the story of how the dam came together under extraordinary conditions.

At Hoover Dam Lodge, you’ll have time to look through historic photographs before boarding a shuttle to the Colorado River. From there, you’ll take a gentle 90-minute float through Black Canyon, starting at the base of the dam. From the water level, the scale of the structure becomes very real, with sheer concrete walls, dramatic canyon cliffs, and a rare view back towards the dam’s spillways.

After the river trip, you’ll stop for a picnic lunch and a photo stop on the Arizona side of the dam, before heading up to the top. Standing more than 700 feet tall, Hoover Dam still supplies power and water across Nevada, Arizona, and California, and walking across it gives you time to take in both the engineering and the setting. You’ll then head inside for a guided tour of the Hoover Dam Power Plant.

• Start time: 8am
• Duration: 6½ hours
• Daily departures
• Operates year round
• Group experience

Bright Lights City Tour
Las Vegas

This early evening tour is an easy, guided way to see Las Vegas after dark. You’ll travel around the city in an open-air Pink Jeep Wrangler, stop at several of its most recognisable landmarks, and finish with a ride on the High Roller observation wheel. It’s relaxed rather than rushed, and it works well if you want an overview of the city at night without committing your entire evening to it.

The tour kicks off with a stop at the famous Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign. From there, you’ll cruise past a mix of classic and curious sights, including the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, familiar to anyone who’s ever dipped into Pawn Stars. As you roll along Wedding Chapel Row, keep an eye out for couples mid-celebration.

Next comes downtown Las Vegas, including the Arts District and Fremont Street, the city’s original heart. Once the first paved road in town, Fremont is now a four-block spectacle of light and sound, with a huge LED canopy overhead and zipliners cutting through the glow. It’s loud, unapologetic, and very Vegas, with plenty of stories attached.

You’ll then stop at the Las Vegas Sphere, the city’s newest headline act. With its fully programmable LED exterior, it’s less a building and more a giant digital mood ring. To round things off, you’ll take a ride on the High Roller observation wheel at The LINQ. Rising 550 feet above the Strip, it offers expansive views over the city, from the Bellagio fountains to the long sweep of hotels stretching into the distance.

• Start time: 6.30pm
• Duration: 3½ hours
• Daily departures 
• Operates year round
• Group experience

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01306 744 988

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Other Itineraries

Call our North America experts on

01306 744 988

Available until 5pm

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