Los Angeles

3-Day California Coast Tour: Santa Barbara, San Francisco and Yosemite

Name: 3-Day California Coast Tour: Santa Barbara, San Francisco and Yosemite
Brand: Empire Vacations
SKU: 3857SFOYOS
Price: 620.00 USD
Rating: 4.0 (77 reviews)

Los Angeles, USA

3 Day California Coast Tour Santa Barbara San Francisco and Carmel

3 days
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

See the best that California has to offer during this 3-day, 2-night West Coast tour, covering some of the Golden State’s top cities and outdoor areas. Start your trip in Los Angeles, snaking north by van or motor coach through California hotspots including Santa Barbara, Solvang, Yosemite National Park, Carmel, San Francisco and Hearst Castle. It’s a memorable opportunity to explore one postcard-worthy destination after the next. Your tour of the California coast also includes two nights of accommodations and a driver-guide.

3-day California coastal tour
Visit the Spanish Mission in Santa Barbara and discover the Danish town of Solvang
Walk along the beautiful boardwalk of Carmel
Take a cruise around San Francisco Bay and visit Fisherman’s Wharf on a city tour
See San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, Union Square and Chinatown
Explore Yosemite National Park or Hearst Castle (depending on the season)
Ride in an air-conditioned van or motorcoach

What's Included

Professional tour guide
Transportation by 15-passenger van or a full-sized bus
Sightseeing in Santa Barbara, Carmel and San Francisco
2-night hotel accommodation including tax and Continental Breakfast
Bay cruise in San Francisco
Wifi on bus only
Entrance to Yosemite Park in Summer (April-October)
Breakfast (2)

Gratuities
Other meals
Tips

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting points

Select a meeting point

Type to search

Start time

06:30 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Don’t limit your California trip to just Los Angeles and San Francisco. Instead, take this 3-day, 2-night trip through some of the state’s most beautiful coastal towns and gorgeous outdoor scenery, offering a great chance to get a taste for the legendary beauty of the Golden State.

Begin your trip on the morning of your first day from either the Los Angeles Farmer’s Market or the Four Points by Sheraton in Culver City. Your drive will wind its way out of the urban grid of L.A. and snake its way along the Southern California coast to Santa Barbara, a one-time site of a colonial Spanish mission. Head next to Solvang, a charming community with a strong Danish heritage that is evident in its architecture, stores and bakeries. You’ll then continue your drive along the jaw-dropping California coast, passing through Carmel-by-the-Sea before ending your day in Santa Clara near the Bay Area’s Silicon Valley.

Spend day two exploring lovely San Francisco, including a cruise from Fisherman’s Wharf to visit the Golden Gate Bridge and circle the notorious prison on the island Alcatraz. Spend your afternoon on a sightseeing tour to explore the city’s numerous historical sights and diverse neighborhoods.

Your day three itinerary depends on the season, with those visitors joining in the summer months heading to Yosemite National Park, while those visitors who join in the winter continuing to Hearst Castle (for trips after November 1st). Both sites offer an incredible wealth of terrain and attractions to explore. Finish your California trip back in Los Angeles in the evening.

Help create a better planet for everyone to travel and explore. We have partnered with One Tree Planted to plant one tree for every passenger that travels with us along with an extra tree for anyone that books multiple trips.

Day 1

LOS ANGELES – SANTA BARBARA – 17 MILE DRIVE – CARMEL

8 Stops

Old Mission Santa Barbara

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Solvang Visitor Center

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Cannery Row

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

17-Mile Drive

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Stearns Wharf

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Old Mission Santa Barbara

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Solvang

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Silicon Valley

Admission Ticket Free

Accommodation: San Francisco – Springhill Suites by Marriot

Meals: Not included

Day 2

SAN FRANCISCO – BAY CRUISE – GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE – CHINATOWN

4 Stops

San Francisco City Hall

3 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Downtown Sausalito

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Twin Peaks

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Chinatown

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Accommodation: Modesto – Best Western Palm Court Inn (In Winter Monterey/Holiday Inn hotel)

Meals: Breakfast

Day 3

SAN FRANCISCO – YOSEMITE – LOS ANGELES

5 Stops

Yosemite Valley

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Yosemite Falls

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Cannery Row

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Carmel

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

17-Mile Drive

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Accommodation: Not included

Meals: Breakfast

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Stroller accessible
For tours with fewer guests, vans may be substituted
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Tours can be bilingual/multilingual as they are offered in many different languages

Maximum of three people per room. If traveling with a party of 4 or more, or desire to have separate rooms please make separate bookings.
Children under the age of 2 are free, please advise at time of booking if infant is traveling
Infant seats available
Luggage is limited to one piece and a small carry on per person
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Returns to original departure point at 7pm
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 50 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Frequently Asked Questions

The answers provided below are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.

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Q:Is hotel pickup included for the 3-Day California Coast Tour?

A:Hotel pickup is not available for this tour. You will have to make your own way to one of the meeting locations listed in the 'Departure & Return" section above.

Feb 2022

Q:How do I know which departure point to use for the 3-Day California Coast Tour?

A:The tour picks up at both pick up points for every departure. You can contact the local operator at the phone number on your ticket to coordinate pickup details.

Feb 2022

Q:Is parking available at either of the pickup points for the 3-Day California Coast Tour?

A:Parking is available at both departure locations. Parking rates apply and may vary. You may also take a ride-share such as Uber or Lyft or use public transportation to either location.

Feb 2022

Q:What type of vehicle is used for the 3-Day California Coast Tour?

A:Depending on the group size, you will travel in either a comfortable air-conditioned bus or van.

Feb 2022

Q:Is Wifi available during the tour?

A:Wifi services are available on full-size coaches only. Mobile wifi is not designed to support streaming services.

Feb 2022

Q:Can I bring an infant with me on the 3-Day California Coast Tour?

A:Children under 2 years old travel free as lap children with a paid adult who will be responsible for the behavior and wellbeing of any passengers on their reservation

Feb 2022

Q:Do I have to advise that I will be bringing an infant ahead of time?

A:Yes - Please specify that you will be bringing an infant (along with infant age) in the "Special Requirements" box at checkout.

Feb 2022

Q:Are car seats available for use during the 3-Day California Coast Tour?

A:Yes - If you require a car seat, please notate the request in the "Special Requirements" box at checkout. The local operator provides car seats but requires at least 24 hours notice.

Feb 2022

Q:Can I bring a stroller for my child?

A:Yes - Please notate that you will be bringing a stroller with approximate folded dimensions in the "Special Requirements" box at checkout if you plan to bring one.

Feb 2022

Q:Can I bring luggage with me on the 3-Day California Coast Tour?

A:Yes - Luggage is limited to one piece and a small carry-on per person - there are no restrictions on size/weight.

Feb 2022

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.0

77 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 77 reviews

Awesome and Amaaaaziinnng!!!!! ;)

Lawrence_Z, Nov 2023

Was a great experience overall. The tour guides Pasquale and driver Jacob)were very nice experienced and knowledgeable. Takes the relief of driving and figuring out where to go and what to see. This tour provides everything and above with great spots to see and take amazing pictures. According to my wife this was a dream come true, so fellas I highly recommend this tour. Will be using this company for now on for any future trips. Five stars across the board!!!

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Hello Thank you for your review We are glad that you had an amazing time on our tour and that our team made this experience memorable for you. We look forward to hosting you again soon Stephanie Empire Vacations

We visited a lot of great...

Caroline_G, Oct 2023

We visited a lot of great places, however there was just far too much driving spread across 3 days. I think it would be much more comfortable to spread the tour across 4 days. Although I'm glad I did the tour, I wouldn't recommend it as I found it exhausting spending so much time on a bus.

Response from Host, Oct 2023

Hello Thank you for your review We are glad that you enjoyed an action packed tour that includes Santa Barbara, San Francisco, and Yosemite. Stephanie Empire Vacations

Suitability

Ajay_S, Sep 2023

Availing the trip made us possible to explore coastal and central California in a minimum possible time

Response from Host, Oct 2023

Hi Ajay Thank you for yoru review We are glad you had a nice time and that we made this experience memorable for you Stephanie Empire Vacations

Rushed trip.

Anonymous, Sep 2023

Your was quite rushed with not much time at each stop for sightseeing. Would have been better with smaller groups. No time to go to gift shops only short time to return to buses. Would have liked extra time at stops.

Response from Host, Oct 2023

Hello Thank you for your review. Time flies when you are having fun! We look forward to hosting you again Stephanie Empire Vacations

Loved the tour in San...

Barbara_S, Jun 2023

Loved the tour in San Francisco. Saw all the highlights. We were kept busy from early morning to evening. Lots of stops to keep us moving. Enjoyed seeing Pebble Beach and Yosemite.

Response from Host, Jun 2023

Hi Barbara Thank you for your review We are glad that you enjoyed your tour to Santa Barbara, San Francisco and Yosemite. We look forward to hosting you again Stephanie Empire Vacations

Everything was perfect in...

Cheryl_d, Feb 2022

Everything was perfect in this tour. Especially when we drove along Pacific Coast Highway, very stunning. We had an amazing tour guides Jacob and Brenda, they did an excellent job. Best tour that I ever had so far.

Response from Host, Feb 2022

Thank you for your wonderful review! We are happy to hear you enjoyed the tour so much especially the Pacific Coast Highway along with our guides. We hope to host you on another tour in the future. Roie Empire Vacations

Good Time

Sandra_M, Sep 2021

Had a great time our tour guide Jacob was very knowledgeable. The hotel accommodations were very good. The weather was not on our side when we stopped in Twin Peaks, but otherwise it was a good time.

Great tour guide and views

Joon, Jul 2021

We had a great wonderful tour guide, Brenda. She is knowledgeable, patient, apologetic and friendly. The tour is great. We would have added another star but… The downfall was the driver, Jenner. He drove aggressive and erratic. At one point the tour guide had to drive. Towards the end of the tour we had to switch buses and driver. Our drive home was scary and horrible.

Response from Host, Jul 2021

Hi Joon, Thank you for your review and feedback. This was our first tour post Covid and after looking into this matter we discovered the following: During the tour, we identified that the driving provided was unsatisfactory The tour escort that replaced him, started with our company as a professional driver 6 years ago. We no longer use that specific driver for any of our tours. Please know that the health and safety of all of our passengers is a top priority for our company. We hope that you give us the opportunity to host you on another of our tours in the future. Thanks again for your review. Empire Vacations Team

A Great Three Day Tour of California

PETE_K, Mar 2019

We visited areas and locations from LA to and including SF. A well organized, pleasant and informative itinerary. . The weather was just right. It was sunny and not cold at all. Very nice indeed. Our tour guide (Dorit), a very knowledgeable and always courteous individual, did outstanding work throughout. Both, Dorit and Leo (our driver) were fantastic

This tour would have been amazing...

Elizabeth S, Feb 2018

This tour would have been amazing but for the fact that the tour director, Dorit, refused to stop at any of the scenic viewpoints along the Carmel "17 mile" drive along the seashore or in the mountains where scenic views of the sea were located. Dorit failed to read the interests of her clients.

The iternary of the trip was good...

Sanjeev W, Oct 2017

The iternary of the trip was good but the condition of the bus was terrible. The 3 day trip when you think that you have booked the best tours , right on the 1st day bus broke down and we had to wait for 1 and half hr. The 1st afternoon after 4.30 pm schedule was gone as there was no time and again the bus broke before in middle of nowhere reaching the hotel. So in total on the first day 3 hours was gone. It was scary. At around 7.30pm finally we started and slowly driver drove us down the hotel. We came from India to visit US west coast and it was lifetime experience for us. It is request the faluty bus to be discotinued and people are not discomforted. On the final day when the bus was to drop them to LA , it again broke down. Worst was the driver and guide were laughing and it looked like this happened quite a lot and was very common. It was worst experience by us and even after booking through what seemed like best tours and paying so much experience was below par and do not want to travel again with viator.

We couldn't have had a better time...

THERESALYNN_B, Sep 2017

We couldn't have had a better time. Giovanni and Gary looked after us very well. There were a few issues with the buses but calls were made and replacements came as soon as possible. Gary was a very good and patient driver and was able to assess the bus issues fairly quickly. Anne has mobility issues and was accommodated very calmly and professionally and made to feel very comfortable by both Gary and our tour guide Giovanni. We had to miss a couple of the walking tours but Gary was good about letting us hang around the bus while the others were gone. We really appreciated his attention for us. Giovanni is quite a character - lots of fun, lots of laughs, very knowledgeable, patient and obviously cares about his groups. He is multilingual and had to communicate in three languages, which he did with ease and humour. He made everyone welcome and he was very approachable when it came to asking questions, taking pictures different groups, etc. Anne and I agree that he is very good at what he does and hope many others are lucky enough to travel with him one day. If we ever do a tour in the L.A. area again, we would love to be on one of his tours. Thank you for a very memorable holiday. Anne and Terry

Our tour guide Giovanni was...

Barbara M, Sep 2017

Our tour guide Giovanni was excellent couldn't wish for anyone better, but the bus broke down on the first day leaving us sitting for 2 hours while they tried to fix it, hoping it was ok we set off again only to go a few minutes up the road before it broke down again. Another hour and we finally make it to our hotel at 10pm checked into our hotel, but still hadn't had dinner .We missed seeing Carmel and Monterey because of the breakdown. The only choice we had for dinner at that time of night was Denny's, but we had to walk over train tracks and rubbish down a very dark path to get there ,so not happy. Giovanni tried his best to make up for it the next day and added a couple of extra sight seeing spots. The next hotel was ok but no elvator so had to carry your bags upstairs,the breakfasts at both hotels were poor and at La Quinta they were renovating so no where to sit to eat your breakfast we took it back to our room.The actual tour was very good very hectic and tiring not recommended for young children. We had to change buses on the last day as some were going on to Las Vegas we were 10 mins from our hotel and the bus broke down again, so Giovanni gave us taxi money to get to our hotel.Overall a good tour but they need to service their buses more often and look into the accommodation.

I am extremely disappointed by this...

Edwina_K, Sep 2017

I am extremely disappointed by this trip and i find it to be a waste of money and time during what was supposed to be a vacation. On the first day our bus broke down in the middle of nowhere, and we waited for 5 hours to get it fixed instead of getting an alternative one, we ended up going directly to the hotel and missing on litterally half the program. I know that accidents happen but there should have been an alternative ready. What is worse is that it happened again on the last day on our way back. The bus broke down again and we were dropped in a station without internet. there was a terrible lack of organisation then, some people left in taxis and some waited for another van to come. It felt completely unsafe and unorganized. And still, after all that, they forced us to tip the bus driver when it should have been optional. The last day we hardly had any time to spend in the Yosemite park they asked us to take a couple of pictures and we were rushed to leave.

Hi I'm Sue. Firstly let me say that...

Susan_P, Feb 2017

Hi I'm Sue. Firstly let me say that Dorit was an extremely knowledgeable, caring and patient guide. This tour packs a lot into the three days, but you never felt rushed. The hotel rooms were all acceptable and there were many stopovers to enable us to take photographs of the magnificent scenery. I especially enjoyed the drive along the Pacific Coast Highway. we even managed to see elephant seals. Santa Barbara, Carmel, Monterrey and Hurst Castle were also great places to visit. I would recommend this trip to anyone.

I recommend this tour FOR SURE...

DANIELA_S, Oct 2016

I recommend this tour FOR SURE!!! Last week i had 3 days of unforgettable experience!!! Amazing views!!! They love what they do and because of that is possible to have an amazing experience. The infrastructure bus/hotel is very good too. Special thanks to our guide Giovani who made every effort to enable this amazing tour and thanks to Yoko for the sweet company! I really appreciated these days with you!

Wonderful tour. Driver and tour...

Bipin L, Sep 2016

Wonderful tour. Driver and tour guide were very good, very helpful showing us many sights in the 3 days. Highly recommend this tour to anyone wanting to see the sights between LA and San Francisco.

This tour was amazing! Dorit was an...

Coleen_D, Sep 2016

This tour was amazing! Dorit was an outstanding guide, she made everyone feel valued. Her shared her knowledge of each area that we visited. Be prepared to be exhausted and amazed!

Hi, my name is Tim. I've just done...

Daniel S, Sep 2016

Hi, my name is Tim. I've just done the 3-day-tour to San Francisco. These past 3 days were absolutely amazing! Our tour guide Giovanni and our driver Jeff were super friendly and very well organized. Giovanni gave us so much inside information about California and brought us to the most stunning views all over the Westcoast. He took very good care of us and you can really feel his passion and excitement for guiding this tour. He said: "If you are happy, I am happy". And so it was, I enjoyed every second of our tour and thus highly recommend to experience it on your own. At last, I just want to thank Giovanni and Jeff for everything they have done for us. It was a pleasure!

The tour was very nice,the tour...

Naresh_O, May 2016

The tour was very nice,the tour guide Dorit whom we wud give 10/10 was excellent, she made the tour along with the driver who was also very good a memorable one. It took us approx 6 hours to reach SF, but we had about 4 wonderful breaks of 20 min. each at diff. places of sight seeing and Dorit made it absolutely wonderful by explaining the sights in details. Nevertheless there are few things which Viator should address- 1. The seating in the Mercedes van was good for 7 persons the rest of the four had to struggle a bit, it was nice of tour guide Dorit, who recommended the rotation of seats after few hours, which was accepted by travellers with a bit of resentment. let me also state that the 11 seater coach/van was brand new. 2.It would be very nice if a place like Carmel is shown little more and a short tour of the new Museum in San-Francisco is added. 3.La Quinta hotel should be changed to either Marriott,Hilton or Holiday inn chain of hotels.

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