Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
California, Las Vegas & the Grand Canyon, San Francisco
100% customisable for you
Pack your bags and grab your passports, because your reconnect holiday in the USA begins today. After speeding through security and relaxing in the airport lounge, hop aboard your afternoon flight from London to San Francisco, which will take around 11 hours.
Due to the time difference, you'll arrive in the evening, so drop your bags at your hotel before heading out for a tasty dinner – our local Concierge is on-hand to recommend the best places to eat depending on what you fancy after a long day of travelling.
Rise and shine: it’s your first day in San Francisco. This morning, we’ve arranged a guided tour to learn about both the highlights and hidden secrets of this legendary city. After a trip to Union Square and the shopping district Downtown, take the cable car up Nob Hill through Chinatown and Russian Hill and back down to Fisherman's Wharf. Explore the bustling waterfront, stopping at street vendors and museums (and keeping your eyes peeled for Pier 39’s cute California sea lions). Finally, visit Chinatown for some tasty food and souvenirs, or head to North Beach for Italian restaurants and bohemian coffeehouses.
After a busy day of exploring, head out this evening to Alcatraz Island. Having served as a Civil War fort and one of the most notorious federal penitentiaries in US history, this historic site is a must-visit. Spend time learning about the lives and crimes of the island's prisoners, and visit the cells of its most famous residents.
Once you’ve soaked up Alcatraz’ history, head back into the city for a tasty dinner before flopping into bed, ready for more exploring tomorrow.
After an all-American breakfast this morning, collect your rental car for an action-packed adventure into the Muir Woods Redwood Forest. It’s just a speedy 30-minute drive north of the city – via the Golden Gate Bridge, no less – to reach the park, which is part of a vast redwood range that spans from the Oregon state border down to the Californian coast.
Only a limited number of visitors are allowed to enter the park each day, so you'll be able to truly reconnect with nature in a peaceful environment. Wander along the park’s paths, marvelling at the towering redwood trees and keeping an eye out for local insects, mammals and birds, including black-tailed deer, northern spotted owls and winter wrens.
Once you’re suitably wowed, head back to the city to spend the rest of the afternoon as you wish – our clued-up Concierge is on hand to offer recommendations for local landmarks or renowned restaurants.
It's a long day of driving today, but your next destination is well worth the journey. Rise bright and early for the four-hour drive from Frisco to Yosemite National Park, renowned for its ancient trees, granite cliffs and tumbling waterfalls.
Head towards the edge of the park to master an entirely new skill: panning for gold. Starting with a geology lesson (which is far more fun than it sounds, we promise), you'll learn how and why gold travels downstream, about the Gold Rush era that dominated the region, and how to pan for gold yourself (although we can't guarantee you'll head home as rich as Croesus, sadly).
After (hopefully) striking gold, head to a nearby lodge to relax for the rest of the evening – you’ve earned it after all that driving.
You’ll have got a flavour for Yosemite yesterday, but today is your chance to really get to know this iconic national park. You'll be collected from your lodge in the morning to meet your expert guide, who’ll tailor your hike to suit your wants and abilities. Whichever trail you take, expect to be amazed by the stunning views and beautiful flora and fauna.
Your ranger will teach you about the local wildlife and help you reconnect with the nature that surrounds you, even sharing some wilderness survival tips and tricks along the way.
After a few hours of hiking (and potentially a quick dip in the river, if you fancy it), arrive at the camp where you'll be staying tonight. Everything will have been set up for you ahead of time so that you can quickly settle into camp life and enjoy a delicious dinner under the stars this evening.
After waking up in nature this morning, you’ll be transferred back to your lodge to spend the rest of today as you wish. As walking is a great way to reconnect, we’d recommend leaving the car behind and taking the Yosemite shuttle around the park, watching the beautiful scenery as it whizzes past the window.
Whenever you’re ready, hop off the shuttle and choose your next hike from a trail map, ranging from leisurely strolls through valleys rich with plant life to challenging treks climbing to lofty elevations.
It's time to say goodbye to Yosemite and hello to Mammoth, a three-hour drive away. If you’re lucky enough to be visiting between April and November, drive via the beautifully scenic Tioga Pass, which traverses the park. If not, don’t worry: there are plenty of other pretty routes out of Yosemite.
You’ll reach Mammoth around lunchtime, so enjoy a tasty lunch and stretch your legs before heading out on a mountain bike for a gentle, mile-and-a-half ride downhill through a scenic section of the park.
After a busy day of outdoor adventures, head back to your hotel to rest, relax and refuel before tomorrow’s drive to Death Valley.
Another day, another national park. This morning, you’re back behind the wheel for the four-hour drive to Death Valley. Spring and autumn are the best times to visit, as you can avoid the high temperatures of July and August, but it's still manageable even in the height of summer.
Made up of over three million acres of wilderness and hundreds of miles of backcountry roads, this is a playground for those who want to truly escape city life and immerse themselves in nature. Death Valley is home to exciting trails and fantastic scenery to enjoy, both on foot and by road or mountain bike, so take your pick and head out into the park.
After a day of reconnecting with nature in the valley, settle in for a night under the stars. Tuck into a delicious supper, then you’ll be joined by an astronomy expert for a stargazing session to learn the basics of navigating by the stars.
Today marks quite a change of pace on your reconnect holiday in the USA, as you drive two-and-a-half hours from Death Valley across the California/Nevada state border to Las Vegas. Along the way, watch the mountains and lofty trees morph into skyscrapers and neon signs as you slide into Sin City.
You'll be spending two nights here, so you'll have plenty of time to make the most of this buzzing city. We can think of lots of ways to spend the afternoon, but some of the highlights include the Titanic Exhibit at the Luxor, the fine art gallery at the Bellagio and the Neon Museum.
There are also many places to enjoy dinner, depending on what you fancy, so don’t be shy to ask your Concierge for recommendations. After a tasty meal, head out to see one of the city’s many shows, such as the world-famous Cirque du Soleil – you are in Vegas, after all…
Today is yours to spend as you wish, whether that's relaxing at your hotel and soaking in the desert sun or heading out to the streets of Vegas to see the bright lights again.
Fancy a bit of action and adventure? Seeing as you're so close, we can organise a helicopter trip to see the Grand Canyon today. The drive out into the desert takes about four hours, but the 45-minute flight is well worth it to see and appreciate the sheer scale of this bucket list hotspot.
Rise bright and early today, because it’s time to begin the journey to Zion National Park. After two-and-a-half hours on the road, you’ll reach Springdale, the gateway to the park (and where you'll be staying tonight).
After a tasty lunch at your hotel, spend the rest of the day hiking in Zion, one of the most beautiful national parks in the USA. There are a number of trails to choose from, but whichever way you go, you'll be treated to a view of dramatic red cliffs cascading into valleys of lush green.
If you’d like to add a bit of history to your hike, we can recommend the best trails to take to see some of Zion's famous petroglyphs (rock art). These ancient images, which depict geometric patterns and animals, were created over the centuries by various indigenous peoples, such as the Anasazi.
Come evening, enjoy a delicious dinner and rest in Springdale ahead of another long drive tomorrow.
Today is yet another bucket list-ticking day on your reconnect holiday in the USA. After a hearty breakfast, leave Springdale behind and begin the four-and-a-half-hour drive to Monument Valley. The journey takes you through some of Utah and Arizona’s best scenery, passing through Zion National Park as well as Vermilion Cliffs National Monument and Grand Staircase National Monument.
Once you arrive, stretch your legs and spend some time relaxing before heading out on a sunset tour. Don’t be surprised if the landscape looks familiar: its dramatic scenery has been used as the backdrop to numerous Western films. Watching as the sunset casts light around the valley’s buttes (flat-topped and steep-sided hills), especially the majestic Mitten Buttes, is something that has to be seen to be believed.
Today, you'll be exploring Monument Valley with a local Navajo guide, who will tailor the tour to suit you. Going beyond the tourist-trodden path, your expert guide will reveal some of the secrets of the region, filling you in on the history of the land and the Navajo people who call it home.
After a full day of exploring, getting back to basics and being at one with the land, head back to your hotel for a well-deserved dinner and a rest ahead of your last full day tomorrow.
It’s back in the car today for the final leg of your American road trip. The journey from Monument Valley to Scottsdale takes around five hours, but we’d recommend leaving early to give yourself enough time for some scenic stops along the way.
Coconino National Forest makes an excellent stop along the way. Hop out of the car to stretch your legs on some of the forest’s fantastic hiking trails, such as the route to Fossil Creek, home to a series of picturesque springs.
In Scottsdale, drop off your bags and get back into the car (for the last time, we promise) for the 40-minute drive to Saguaro Lake to watch the sunset. Once you arrive, either drive to a lookout point (our Concierge can recommend the best spots) or book a seat on the historic Desert Belle boat to watch from the water. Keep an eye out for local wildlife too, such as coyotes, bobcats and bighorn sheep.
Your flight home doesn't leave until this evening, so the morning is yours to enjoy. If you’d rather take it slow, enjoy a leisurely American breakfast and a stroll around Scottsdale – but if you’d prefer one last adventure, head out to the Wild West town of Tombstone, just under a three-hour drive away (worth one more drive!).
As one of the last remaining Wild West towns – complete with the tagline that the town is 'too tough to die' – Tombstone is a must for culture and history lovers. On the drive back, you could even squeeze in a visit to the San Xavier del Bac Mission, a historic Catholic mission near the city of Tucson.
However you decide to spend your day, head towards Phoenix Airport in plenty of time this afternoon to drop off your car and board your overnight ten-and-a-half-hour flight back home. You’ll arrive in the UK at breakfast time the next morning, feeling relaxed and restored after two weeks reconnecting with nature.
Everything in this itinerary is entirely customisable, down to the smallest details. Here are some more suggestions of what could be included
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
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Our team of destination experts will get to know you and your unique requirements for your holiday
We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
All of our holidays include little extras designed to make a big difference to your trip, from fast-tracking you through airport check-in and security to our network of local Concierges
