San Francisco and Wine Country Delights 2012

Itinerary

Day 1
ARRIVE SAN FRANCISCO (3 NIGHTS)
Welcome to San Francisco and Wine Country! Take a complimentary transfer to your tour hotel. Your Tour Director is at the hotel this afternoon to answer any questions. At 6 p.m., gather at the hotel with your Tour Director and fellow travelers for a Welcome Reception.

Hotel: Hyatt Regency San Francisco (MD)
 
Day 2
SAN FRANCISCO SIGHTSEEING
After a leisurely breakfast, begin your day with the locals and a visit to San Francisco’s famous Saturday morning Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. Browse Northern California’s bounty of organic produce and flowers from small regional farmers and ranchers, artisan specialties and gourmet street fare. Continue to San Francisco’s favorite attractions -- Union Square, crooked Lombard Street, Golden Gate Park and Fisherman’s Wharf. After some time on your own for lunch, set out for a real insider's experience of Haight Ashbury, ground zero for the hippie generation in the ‘60s. Join a local guide to walk in the footsteps of Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead and learn about the impact of the alternative rock culture on San Francisco and the world. This evening, join your Tour Director on a walking tour through Chinatown, exploring the neighborhood’s fascinating history. Inhale the pungent scents of the tea and herbal shops, admire the Chinese-style buildings, and stop at the Golden Gate Cookie Factory to watch (and sample) how fortune cookies are made. Save room for tonight’s Highlight Dinner, a traditional banquet at a popular Chinese restaurant.

Meal(s): (Full Breakfast / Highlight Dinner)
 
Day 3
SAN FRANCISCO AT LEISURE
You have the entire day to explore glorious, exciting, eccentric San Francisco on your own. Ride the cable cars, shop Union Square, visit the museums and gardens of Golden Gate Park or take a boat ride to visit the former prison on the island of Alcatraz. If you’re a foodie, you can eat your way through San Francisco’s eclectic neighborhoods on an optional Tastes of the City tour. You can also venture further away on optional trips to Carmel and Monterey, Muir Woods National Monument or Yosemite National Park. Your Tour Director will be happy to help make any arrangements for you.

Meal(s): (Full Breakfast)
 
Day 4
SAN FRANCISCO - SONOMA - NAPA (4 NIGHTS)
Leave your hearts in San Francisco as you set out in search of Bacchus in California’s world-renowned Wine Country. Join a local guide for a walk through the Asia-inspired woodland of Quarryhill Botanical Garden in Sonoma’s Valley of the Moon. Pass through the quaint towns of Glen Ellen and Kenwood before arriving in Sonoma for some free time and lunch on your own. Stroll historic Sonoma Plaza, flanked by the Presidio and Mission San Francisco de Solano – the last California mission built – and browse the unique gift shops. This afternoon, retreat to a private blending lab at Ravenswood Winery and create, taste and bottle your own perfect combination of Carignane, Petite Sirah and Zinfandel.

Meal(s): (Full Breakfast)
Hotel: River Terrace Inn (SF)
 
Day 5
NAPA VALLEY EXCURSION
Starting with a visit to downtown Napa and the Oxbow public market, today is a day devoted to tasting the savory, sweet, salty and spicy s of California Wine Country. Sample creamy, pungent and delicate locally produced artisan cheeses; nibble on cured salami and specialty sausages; and sate your sweet tooth with a tasting of decadent chocolates. You’ll have a chance to shop for your own treats before traveling on to the quaint town of St. Helena and the V. Sattui Winery. After touring the winery, prepare your palate for tasting an outstanding selection of wines and relax at a picnic Highlight Lunch on the beautiful grounds. This afternoon, the tables are turned as you join a hands-on cooking class at a famous culinary school and take your turn at preparing your own dinner. You’ll group into teams with your fellow travelers and prepare a delicious four-course gourmet meal alongside top chef instructors. When finished, toast your efforts with a glass of champagne and hors d'oeuvres before enjoying the fruits of your labour at a Highlight Dinner paired with locally produced wines.

Meal(s): (Full Breakfast / Highlight Lunch / Highlight Dinner)
 
Day 6
NAPA AT LEISURE
You have a free day to explore Napa on your own! Spend the day around town, enjoy a leisurely lunch at one of the charming restaurants or shop for antiques and crafts. If you are feeling extra adventurous, join an optional sunrise balloon flight over the vineyards or a journey through the bucolic countryside with lunch aboard the vintage rail cars of the Napa Valley Wine Train.

Meal(s): (Full Breakfast)
 
Day 7
CALISTOGA EXCURSION
Travel the scenic drive north to St. Helena and visit Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park, the site of a water-powered grist mill where early Napa Valley settlers gathered. Then, join a guided private tour of Castello di Amorosa, a 107-room, Tuscan-style castle and winery, complete with a moat, chapel and torture chamber. Learn how the castle vintners combine traditional wine making methods with modern technology to produce wines similar to the hand-crafted wines from Italy’s Tuscany and Umbria regions. And, you’ll taste the wine, of course! Lunch is on your own in bubbly downtown Calistoga, noted for its hot springs and geyser. Continue on to explore the art and vineyards of the award-winning winery Clos Pegase and sample some of its estate wines. This evening, celebrate a wonderful vacation with a Be My Guest Farewell Dinner at a winery where you’ll also enjoy a private tour and sample estate-produced wines and olive oil.

Meal(s): (Full Breakfast / Be My Guest dinner)
 
Day 8
NAPA - DEPART SAN FRANCISCO
Wrap up your Wine Country sojourn this morning with a tour of the beautiful chateau and vineyards of Domaine Carneros. Learn the secrets of sparkling wine production and toast your fellow travelers with a seated tasting of sparkling wines. Before you know it, it will be time to say one last ‘Cheers’ in California – take your complimentary transfer to San Francisco International Airport, or to the tour hotel in San Francisco if you wish to extend your stay.

Meal(s): (Full Breakfast)

What's Included

Sightseeing Highlights

• San Francisco: Enjoy a city tour exploring the main attractions; take a guided walking tour through Chinatown.
• Sonoma and Napa Valleys: Journey along the scenic Valley of the Moon, Carneros Highway and Silverado Trail, dotted with wineries.
• Glen Ellen: Explore the Quarryhill Botanical Garden with an expert guide.
• Ravenswood Winery: Blend your own wine at a private seminar.
• Sonoma: Partake in a fun hands-on cooking class at a renowned culinary school.
• St Helena: Enjoy a tour and tasting followed by a picnic lunch at V. Sattui Winery. Visit the mill at Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park.
• Clos Pegase: Enjoy the art and sample the varietals on this guided tour.
• Castello di Amorosa: Enjoy a private guided tour of the castle followed by a tasting of five wines.
• Nicholson Ranch Winery: Admire the sweeping views and taste fine wines on this exclusive tour.
• Domaine Carneros: Tour the winery, visit the beautiful chateau and enjoy a tasting of various sparkling wines.

Dining Highlights

• 7 full breakfasts
• Picnic Highlight lunch at a winery in St. Helena
• Local Highlight Dinner with wine in San Francisco
• Private cooking class and Highlight Dinner with wine in Sonoma
• Be My Guest Farewell Dinner with wine at a Sonoma Valley winery
10 meals in total (see day by day Itinerary)

Travel Highlights

• Includes all First Class features
• Airport transfers are provided on Day 1 and Day 8
• Capture treasured memories of your trip with a complimentary group photo taken at a landmark location.