Watch the sun dip behind the desert as you sink into your Palm Springs hotel pool. Or, perched on the Sunset Cliffs of San Diego, it’s Champagne picnics as the Pacific Ocean turns a darker shade of blue. Luring you just two hours outside of Los Angeles, San Diego & Palm Springs holidays are grown-up California spring break style out on the ocean, cruising palm-lined millionaire mansions or stumbling upon high-end restaurants locals try to keep a secret. Coachella Festival has put Palm Springs on the map again, but long before the hippy tassels and cowboy boots of A-list partygoers descended, the likes of Frank Sinatra, Greta Garbo and Elvis Presley were hiding out here. Surrounded by the San Jacinto Mountains, mid-century modern architecture and botanical gardens, it’s all country-club luxury and unpretentious glamour. So beautiful are the front doors of houses, that one even has its own Instagram hashtag - #ThatPinkDoor. And if you ever fancy leaving your pool, there’s always a soak in the Desert Hot Springs or the Aerial Tramway up to Chino Canyon for a romantic summit dinner. San Diego is as well heeled as Palm Springs but with a livelier fashion, surf and arts scene. Whether you’re ocean bound, strolling the exquisite Balboa Park Gardens or enticed by the best Mexican restaurants north of the border, you’re in prime position for some of the most beautiful beach towns in the state. Our hand picked holidays to San Diego & Palm Springs include Pacific Coast hideaways with beachfront rooms and iconic architecture. It’s all glitzy coastal La Jolla vibes, snorkelling in reef protected waters and crossing that distinctive blue bridge to exclusive Coronado Island. Our Personal Travel Experts know the best hotels to stay in, whether you want a sultry desert break or an oceanfront resort. Give us a call and we’ll help craft your dream San Diego & Palm Springs holiday.
7 Hotels, 3 Tours, 1 cruise
There are magical misty mornings in San Francisco. Not the kind of dreary fog you might be used to – more a steamy, enchanting haze that permeates the Golden Gate Bridge all the way down to the Bay. If it’s not this natural Pacific Ocean wonder you come to photograph, make it the dazzling views Twin Peaks edge or the surreal crookedy curves, stately mansions and hairpin turns of Lombard Street. The ‘City of the Bay’s’ pretty, hilly neighbourhoods are candy-coloured Victorian houses but also Silicon Valley high-tech start-ups. You’ll find the golden era of mid century glamour in oyster bars but then modern glass and steel skyscrapers soaring 46 floors high. San Francisco holidays may be famous for Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge, but there’s also the French neoclassical Palace of the Legion Honor, City Hall’s Beaux architecture and the theatrical remains of the Palace of Fine Arts. Whether you’re walking Postcard Row’s Painted Ladies or climbing Amazonian rainforest inside the greenest museum in the world, beauty filters through the sidewalks on holidays to San Francisco. Sail the Bay under the glow of the Golden Gate Bridge, soar down the hill on those iconic cable cars or get your fix of fuzzy feels visiting the legendary 300 or so Pier 39 sea lions who’ve lounged on the docks for nearly 30 years. The sea lions turn up for the herrings but the locals come for the clam chowder and Bubba Gump shrimp. You’ll soon realise there’s a big food scene in San Francisco experienced through a love of farm-to-table dining and top chef molecular restaurants. And if that’s not enough, you’re only an hour and half drive from Napa Valley Wine Country. Whether you want beautiful Bay views and regal interiors or a hip hotel in the heart of the city’s shopping district, our Personal Travel Experts are on hand, in store or by phone, to help craft your San Francisco holiday.
5 Hotels, 5 Tours, 8 Experiences
The stretch of coast between San Francisco and Los Angeles plays host to one of the world’s most famous self-drive routes – State Route 1 or the Pacific Coast Highway. Pass towns such as Monterey and Carmel-by-the-Sea before heading in to the most spectacular region of all – Big Sur. Here the twisting road hugs the hillsides and cliffs that dip down to the edge of the Pacific Ocean.
7 Hotels, 4 Tours
California’s northern destinations are a paradise for lovers of great food and drink as well the great outdoors. Heading north east away from the metropolitan delights of San Francisco takes you to the winelands of Sonoma and Napa Valley. Enjoy the beautiful landscapes, explore wineries and sample premium wines.
3 Hotels, 1 Tour
Home to the lowest point in the country and the highest point in the lower 48 states, California’s National Parks are lands of extremes. The mountainous landscapes of the Sierra Nevada and the vast deserts, mountains and sand dunes of Death Valley sit side by side in the eastern reaches of the state – be prepared for awe-inspiring drives and unforgettable outdoor adventures.
6 Hotels, 2 Tours
San Diego & Palm Springs
San Francisco
California's Central Coast
Napa & Sonoma Wine Countries
Yosemite, Sequoia & Death Valley National Parks
