Western Wonders (8510)

12 days from Los Angeles to San Francisco

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From the gorgeous national parks to the exciting cities, this western U.S. tour through California, Arizona, and Nevada features natural wonders, scenic drives, deep canyons, and sparkling waterfalls—not to mention experiencing some of the world’s most famous cities. You’ll begin in Los Angeles with guided sightseeing in the “City of Angels.” Take a drive through Hollywood and see the legendary TCL Chinese Theater, the Dolby Theatre, home of the Academy Awards, and the Walk of Fame along Hollywood Boulevard. Stroll through the historic Farmers Market, with more than 80 shops and eateries followed by a visit to Santa Monica Pier. Travel through the California desert to Palm Springs and spend the night in this desert oasis. Continue to Scottsdale in the arid Arizona climate and visit Old Town where Western storefronts create an aura of the past. Visit Sedona with its massive red-rock formations and drive through scenic Oak Creek Canyon and the San Francisco Mountains before arriving at the glorious Grand Canyon, one of the seven Natural Wonders of the World. Stroll the Grand Canyon’s South Rim and stand in awe as you look out at the stunning vistas. Cross the Mojave Desert for the bright lights of Las Vegas with free time for a show, shopping, or trying your luck in the casinos. Continue to majestic Yosemite National Park to marvel at its giant granite domes, cascading waterfalls, and lush forests. Then on to the “City by the Bay” to take in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, Nob Hill, and Fisherman’s Wharf. Have free time to ride San Francisco’s iconic cable cars, visit Alcatraz Prison, the federal penitentiary that once housed Al Capone and other notorious criminals, or take an optional excursion to walk through the soaring 600-year-old redwoods of Muir Woods —the choice is yours! Breathtaking scenery, exciting cities, scenic drives, and more…this western U.S. tour is a perfect vacation for savvy, value-minded travelers.

The world is within reach with everything you need for perfectly affordable touring. Cosmos includes hand-selected accommodations, guided sightseeing, and seamless transportation between destinations—with value-minded travel lovers in mind. Explore with expert Cosmos Tour Directors and Local Guides, and private, first-class, air-conditioned motorcoach with free Wi-Fi (where available). Enhance your free time to explore like a local with your CosmosGO mobile app!

Your Tour Includes:
• Guided city sightseeing in Los Angeles and San Francisco
• Orientation tours of Palm Springs and Las Vegas
• Entrance fees and guided sightseeing in Grand Canyon National Park & Yosemite National Park

Dates & Prices Book Online

800.646.5374

Photo Highlights

Meals

Meals & Itinerary

3 Breakfasts

Notes:

• On vacations that include an overnight stay in Las Vegas, at least one member of the traveling party must be 21 years of age or older.

Itinerary

Day 1 LOS ANGELES

Welcome to Los Angeles! Your Tour Director is on hand from 3-6:00 p.m. to answer any questions.

Once settled, perhaps venture out and start exploring this vibrant city. Visit nearby art museums, The Broad or the Museum of Contemporary Art, or check out the local cuisine at one of the many restaurants in the area. Or opt to just relax at the hotel pool.

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Day 2 LOS ANGELES

Begin the day with a sightseeing tour of Tinseltown and drive through Hollywood to see the world-famous TCL Chinese Theatre—formerly Grauman’s)—site of Hollywood’s most famous movie premieres. See the Dolby Theater, the first permanent home of the glamorous Academy Awards, and the sidewalk stars on Hollywood Walk of Fame. Explore The Original Farmers Market, with more than 80 shops and restaurants then head to the Santa Monica Pier and the ultimate Southern California beach. The remainder of your day is at leisure. Your Tour Director will have suggestions for further exploration of the city.

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Day 3 LOS ANGELES–PALM SPRINGS

Journey to the desert oasis of Palm Springs where Hollywood stars, like Frank Sinatra, Cary Grant, and Elizabeth Taylor started coming to escape the public eye, buying ranch-style estates to enjoy the abundant sunshine and dry air. Today Palm Springs is known for its spas, resorts, and for hosting events like the Coachella Valley Music Festival. Get a view of the expansive valley on the optional Palm Springs Aerial Tram that has the world’s largest rotating tram car.

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Day 4 PALM SPRINGS–SCOTTSDALE AREA

Travel through cacti-covered desert toward Old Town Scottsdale, where Western storefronts create an aura of the past. Afterward, enjoy free time to explore a taste of the Old West with Western bars, wagon wheels, and abundant cowboy hats, making you feel like you’ve traveled back in time to the era of outlaws and saloons.

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Day 5 SCOTTSDALE AREA–SEDONA–GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK–WILLIAMS

First stop today is a visit to the red rocks of Sedona, known as a center for Southwestern and New Age arts. Climb through Oak Creek Canyon with its weather-sculpted formations of dramatic, color-tinted crags. Then pass by the San Francisco Mountains and beautiful pine forests to the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park and be awed by the grandeur and stunning vistas of this natural wonder of the world. See the canyon from the sky on an optional helicopter flightseeing excursion for thrilling views of the flame-colored walls plunging 6,093 feet into the Colorado River. Stay overnight in Williams, a picturesque mountain town with Route 66 as its main street.

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Breakfast

Day 6 WILLIAMS–LAS VEGAS

Cross the old Mojave Desert that still has traces of century-old ghost towns. Look out for Joshua trees, a species of the agave family that grows to 40 feet high and can live for more than 300 years. Arrive in the man-made oasis in the Nevada desert that is Las Vegas, a fantastic city of feverish gambling, neon lights, and entertaining shows. An orientation tour upon arrival shows off many of the themed casino resorts along the colorful “Strip.” This evening, consider a night on the town with an optional Brazilian steakhouse dinner followed by “Vegas! The Show,” and relive the iconic performances of Sinatra, Elvis, and more legends who made Las Vegas the “Entertainment Capital of the World.”

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Continental Breakfast

Day 7 LAS VEGAS

The day is free for exploring on your own. Perhaps try your hand at the blackjack table, check out some of the over-the-top hotel lobbies, shop, or lounge by the pool. Consider joining an optional excursion to see Hoover Dam, an engineering marvel, or opt for something a little more adventurous and take an optional Black Canyon Rafting trip on the legendary Colorado River.

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Day 8 LAS VEGAS–SELMA

Departing the neon lights of Las Vegas, continue across Nevada’s desert landscape before crossing into California. See the vast Mojave Desert, which covers one-fifth of California, and pass through some of the state’s most productive agricultural land then overnight in Selma in the central San Joaquin Valley.

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Day 9 SELMA–YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK–SONORA

This morning, enter Yosemite National Park that was established in 1890 as the nation’s third national park. Gaze at the wonderland of granite cliffs, towering pinnacles, cascading waterfalls, and giant sequoia trees. See magnificent Half Dome, El Capitan, and 620-foot Bridal Veil Falls before continuing to Sonora.

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Day 10 SONORA–SAN FRANCISCO

This morning, we head west to the “City by the Bay”— San Francisco, famous for its cable cars, which are the last manually operated cable car system in the world. After lunch, enjoy included sightseeing that takes in the spectacular Golden Gate Bridge, Nob Hill, and bustling Fisherman’s Wharf. This evening, perhaps venture out to try some of the city’s diverse and innovative culinary scene.

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Breakfast

Day 11 SAN FRANCISCO

The day is free for you to explore more of this fascinating city. Perhaps visit legendary Alcatraz Island, walk the colorful streets of Chinatown, or go on an iconic cable car ride. Or be humbled walking through the soaring 600-year-old redwood trees on an optional excursion to nearby Muir Woods. Or take to the water to view the stunning cityscape by boat on an optional scenic San Francisco Bay Cruise.

NOTE:
Consider advance ticket purchase for Alcatraz Island with the National Park Service.

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Day 12 SAN FRANCISCO

Your vacation ends this morning. You may choose to extend your vacation with extra nights and explore San Francisco further.

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Tour Director

With COSMOS, there’s no better way to get to know your destination than through the eyes of a Tour Director. We’d like you to meet one of our Tour Directors, who average over a decade of experience and are representative of the type of expert that will be with you on your vacation.

JOHN PLOSZAJ

Escorting tours for more than 20 years

“My favorite things to do include travel and meeting wonderfully interesting people from around the world. Luckily, I get to do both as a Tour Director! What I love most about my job is the chance to be an ambassador for the United States. To see the smiles on my travelers' faces at the end of a tour and to know they had a great time and learned a little something about our country is priceless.”

Accommodations

Optional Excursions

No matter what you’re into: food, wine, history, art, music or anything else, we give you the freedom to personalize your vacation with optional excursions that speak to your interests.

When you book your excursions with us, you can be assured that every optional excursion that we offer coordinates with the free time that you'll have in your destination, so you'll never have conflicts between included and optional activities. Our team of travel experts carefully selects each optional excursion that we offer to ensure that you receive the highest quality at a great value. Our tried-and-true partners have a finger on the pulse of the city in which they operate so they deliver the very best experiences. We offer experiences you cannot create on your own and because you’re booking with us, we coordinate all your transportation and timing needs.

The following optional excursions are examples only for this vacation. These may or may not be offered, and availability is subject to days of operation and seasonality. Please select a departure date to view optional excursions and pricing for a specific date (due to currency fluctuation, pricing shown is subject to change until purchased). Optional excursions are available for purchase on our MyCosmos site 90 days prior to the tour start date.

Price Ranges

$ ($50 USD and under)
$$ ($51 - $100 USD)
$$$ ($101 - $150 USD)
$$$$ (Over $150)

No Excursions are available at this time.

The "Starting at" or listed price is based on the lowest price available to book. Price is per passenger based on double occupancy and does not include International airfare; additional fees/charges are not included. If a price is crossed out, the new price includes a limited time promotional offer(s) – please review current promotions or deals for additional information. Some tours require intra-vacation flights (and in some cases intra-vacation segments must be purchased from Cosmos).