The day has come for you to embark on your American adventure. The first stop on your tour is New York City.

No matter what time of day you arrive, there is something very special about flying to New York. The many skyscrapers rise majestically into the sky, and you sense that the city stretches over a huge area.

After your arrival, you go through immigration, pick up your luggage and follow the signs to your preferred means of transport. It is easy to take the train, a taxi or an Uber to central Manhattan, where you will be staying.

Maybe you should already this evening explore some of the options in the local area, get a bite to eat outside the hotel or taste the local dessert classic, New York style cheesecake?
Welcome to The Big Apple.

Today you really start exploring the city that never sleeps.

Do as the locals and start the day with breakfast in one of the area’s many cozy cafés.

Afterwards, a fantastic cruise around southern Manhattan awaits you. Your voucher will state the meeting place and possible departure times, and you must be at the stated address no later than 45 minutes before your chosen departure.

Sailing around Manhattan is simply a must when visiting New York. This is where you really sense the size of the city as the many skyscrapers rise up in front of you. On the cruise, you will also pass the iconic Statue of Liberty, originally a gift from France in 1885 in honour of the two countries’ alliance during the French Revolution and to recognise America as a freedom-fighting country. The cruise continues past One World Trade Center and onwards under the historic bridges, Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge and Williamsburg Bridge, before the boat returns to the starting point.

After an exciting cruise, you have undoubtedly become inspired to explore new areas further on land. You decide the programme for the rest of the day yourself.

We highly recommend that you visit Central Park to enjoy the tranquillity of the city’s vast green oasis. New Yorkers hang out here, and there is something very special about sitting on a bench surrounded by trees while you can glimpse the tops of the city’s tall buildings. At Central Park Boathouse, you can rent a rowboat and sail out onto the beautiful lake, The Lake, where it is not uncommon to spot turtles. Also in Central Park, at Strawberry Fields, you will find John Lennon’s memorial in the form of a beautiful mosaic.

You can also revisit the iconic bridges on land with a bicycle ride or walk across, for example, the Brooklyn Bridge, which is an attraction in itself, with views of both Manhattan and the borough of Brooklyn. If you walk all the way across the bridge, you can enjoy lunch with a beautiful view of Manhattan in the area called DUMBO.

You may appropriately conclude the day in the best cultural fashion with a Broadway show (should be booked well in advance).

Today there are no planned excursions, and it is entirely up to you what will happen. You only need to step outside the hotel to feel the vibrant city life around you.

You can book one of the excursions below (or take inspiration from them), and you can also just take the day as it comes.

You should not miss out on a trip high up with a visit to Rockefeller Center, or maybe you would like to walk along the old train tracks which have today been transformed into a beautiful route at High Line Park. If you are feeling hungry, you can visit the huge food market at Chelsea Market and indulge in, for example, the famous crispy mozzarella sticks and freshly made noodles.

If you are into art, history and archaeology, you can visit one of the city’s impressive museums such as Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Solomon R. Guggenheim and Museum of Natural History, which you may know from the film ‘Night at the Museum’.

Conclude your evening like a local by visiting one of the many blues or jazz bars in the area around the NOHO neighbourhood.

Today, you leave the metropolis of New York and head for another big city: San Francisco.
You check out of your hotel and book a taxi or an Uber to the airport in New York. The hotel can also help book a transfer for you. You will find information about which airport, departure terminal and departure time on your itinerary. From New York, you will fly west to San Francisco, which is located at the northern end of the State of California.

On arrival, you will collect your luggage. In the arrivals hall, you follow the signs to your preferred means of transport into the centre of San Francisco, where you will be staying. It is up to you how you will get to the hotel, but the options are many and easily available. You can, for example, take the train that departs from the terminal or take an Uber/Lyft or a regular taxi.

Already on arrival at the hotel, you will have noticed the steep streets, the charming townhouses and the rails in the road from the fully functional cable cars. And right here in central San Francisco, you will be staying for the next 3 nights. Take advantage of your central location and head out for a bite to eat at one of the area’s many restaurants or cafés.

Frisco, San Fran, Fog City… a popular place has many names, and ahead of you are some eventful days in perhaps the world’s most charming city, San Francisco.

Over the next few days, you can take in the city at your own pace. The city is perfect for both travellers who want to stroll around and those who want to be active and experience a lot.

The easiest way to get around the city is by bus or the famous cable cars that run between Union Square and the harbour area at Fisherman’s Wharf. You can, for example, take the Powell-Hyde Cable Car line, which has been transporting people across the city’s steep streets since 1878. Maybe you will be lucky enough to get a standing place on the side of the cable car, so that you can really feel the wind in your hair when the cable car rushes down the hills. Tickets for the cable cars can be bought at one of the turning points and are available as single or full-day tickets.

Do not miss out on a trip across the city’s landmark Golden Gate Bridge. After crossing the bridge, you can enjoy unforgettable views of San Francisco Bay and the rooftops of the city in the background. You can get here on a hop-on hop-off bus, or you can rent a bicycle and use the cycling path of the bridge. The biggest selection of bicycle rental operators can be found in the area around Fisherman’s Wharf. Continue your bicycle ride to the nearby town of Sausalito, which will charm you with its inviting pedestrian high street and a large range of eateries and shops. From here you can take a ferry back to Fisherman’s Wharf.

From several places in San Francisco, you will have a view of the world-famous prison Alcatraz, which, from 1934-1963, housed America’s most hardened criminals, including the gangster Al Capone. Today, the prison is a popular museum which you can explore at your own pace with headphones on, while former inmates recount their time on the prison island (Alcatraz tickets are limited in number and should therefore be booked well in advance of your stay).

You can also look forward to visiting the city’s distinctive areas, such as the iconic Victorian and pastel-coloured houses at Alamo Square, strolling through the beautiful Golden Gate Park or watching the famous sea lions fight for space at Pier 39. We also highly recommend that you take time for a tour of San Francisco’s Chinatown, one of the world’s oldest and largest Chinatowns outside of Asia. Here you can both taste Asian cuisine and shop in the small stores, which offer an abundance of everything from kimonos to beautiful, decorated teapots, porcelain and waving cats.

It is time to leave San Fran. After breakfast, you pick up your rental car a short distance from the hotel (details can be found on your voucher). Pack some supplies for the car and set off on your Californian road trip. You can look forward to today’s drive, where you will really feel the contrast between city and nature when you watch San Francisco’s skyscrapers disappearing in the rear window and being replaced by barren desert landscapes and later the Sierra Nevada mountains on the horizon. This is the location of Yosemite National Park.

Look forward to the last hour’s drive towards the Yosemite Valley (via Arch Rock Entrance), where you will drive in stunning beautiful mountain scenery with the roaring Merced River by your side.

The national park stretches over a large area of more than 3,000 km² and offers many enclaves of special natural surroundings. Here you can expect waterfalls, giant trees and pine cones as well as hikes in unique surroundings. And maybe you will be lucky enough to see one of the insect and berry-eating black bears that are quite shy of people and prefer to stay far away from busy areas. However, deer is a more common sight in the valley.

There are hiking trails of many levels of difficulty, and you can get useful guidance about suitable routes in the park’s Welcome Center.

Length of today’s drive: approx. 300 km

It is possible to upgrade your rental car when booking the tour. Get in touch with your travel specialist if you want more information.

Reservations are required to enter Yosemite National Park on selected dates – especially during the high season. As there is a limited number of places, you should make a reservation as soon as possible. Follow the instructions here.

Today, even more vantage points await you, and you set your own pace.

You get around the Yosemite Valley easily with the park’s free shuttle bus. The shuttle bus makes stops near several popular waterfalls, and you can hike the rest of the way.

In Yosemite Valley, it is also possible to rent a bicycle, and you can use the paved cycling paths to ride from one waterfall to the next, while you simply enjoy the sight of the huge rock walls and trees around you. A good place to enjoy a snack is at the small stretch of sand at Swinging Bridge Picnic Area, where you have a view of the waterfall Yosemite Falls.

You can also take the car to one of the most beautiful vantage points in the park, Tunnel View, from where you will have stunning views of Yosemite Valley, Bridalveil Fall and the famous mountains El Capitan and Half Dome.

During the summer months, when the snow has melted, Glacier Point is one of the vantage points that you should not miss out on. You can drive up here by car, and you can also book a bus ride here (is booked directly in the park on a first-come, first-served basis or via pre-booking by telephone, which you can read more about here). If you are up for a hike down from the vantage point, you can also take a bus up to the vantage point and hike down via the Four Mile Trail.
From Glacier Point, you can also see an exceptional sunset – namely the moment when the sun casts its orange glow on the big mountain, Half Dome.

Today it is time to leave Yosemite National Park and head back towards the coast. But in the United States, driving is rarely just about getting from A to B. There is always something to see along the way, and today is no exception.

When you leave your hotel, you should set the GPS to drive via Mariposa Grove. Here you will find a grove with some of the world’s largest trees – the giant sequoia trees – which can easily be accessed via the landscaped paths (except there is snow in the winter season). Here you feel really small among the huge trunks, and, not least, at California Tunnel Tree, which it is possible to walk through.

When you arrive in Monterey later in the day, it is an obvious choice to head to the city’s harbour area, which was originally the centre of the leading sardine canning industry in the United States. Today, the area contains restored sardine canning factories and fishermen’s houses, which have been converted into cafés, restaurants and small shops where you can buy everything from salt, cheese and coffee to ceramics and paintings.

We recommend starting at the old fishing quays at Old Fisherman’s Wharf, where the ‘shrimp dog’ dish is a local classic if you are feeling peckish. From here, you can follow the path along the waterfront to Monterey Harbor. You will end up at the popular Cannery Row – the main street made famous after the publication of author John Steinbeck’s eponymous novel.

End the day eating a delicious ‘clam chowder’ on the waterfront with a view of pelicans diving for their dinner right here in Monterey Bay.

During the summer months, you can take advantage of the free shuttle bus that runs between Fisherman’s Wharf, Cannery Row and Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Length of today’s drive: approx. 300 km

Sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean, mountains, wildlife, waterfalls and small Californian towns. Today’s route has a lot to offer as you drive in a southbound direction towards Santa Barbara. You can get here either via the iconic road, Highway 1 – one of the world’s most beautiful stretches of coastline– or inland via the mountains (Highway 101), which has beautiful views of vineyards and meadows, and where you will see several roadside stalls offering everything from locally grown oranges to cherries.

No matter which route you choose, you are guaranteed a day of beautiful scenery and an encounter with the Californian local community. Get off to an early start in the morning, so that you will have plenty of time to enjoy the day at a leisurely pace.

The rugged California coast is home to a wealth of animal species, and it is not uncommon to spot otters, dolphins, eagles, pelicans and even zebras. And even though it sounds strange with zebras right here, it is nevertheless true. They belong to Hearst Castle, the castle of the publishing tycoon William Randolph Hearst located in the small town of San Simeon, and the zebras can typically be spotted from the road as you drive by. San Simeon is also known for its huge elephant seals that fight and roar at the water’s edge at San Simeon State Beach.

One of the hidden gems on the route is undoubtedly the small town of Morro Bay. Here, the quiet life by the sea is led, and the town has eternal views of the beautiful and volcano-created rock formation in the bay, Morro Rock. If you need to stretch your legs, you can drive out to the rock and go for a walk around it. Right at Morro Rock, there are often many sea otters floating contentedly on the surface of the sea.

Shortly before arriving in Santa Barbara, you pass Santa Ynez Valley, where the so-called ‘Danish town’ of Solvang is located. Windmills, thatched houses, clogs and confectioners are a common feature of the town. In Santa Ynez Valley, you will also find a large number of wineries that are worth visiting if you want to take a bottle of the local California grapes with you.

The last stop of the day is beautiful Santa Barbara, known for its Spanish-inspired houses, white sandy beaches and a charming city centre with shops and restaurants around State Street. Here it is an obvious choice to end the day with a good dinner.

Length of today’s drive: approx. 370 km

If you want a shorter driving day, you can instead stay overnight in Morro Bay, Pismo Beach or Solvang. Get in touch with your travel specialist and inquire about your options.

Today your route is not so long, so you have plenty of opportunity to spend part of the day in Santa Barbara. Start the morning with a walk along the harbour promenade, from where you can go kayaking or do as the locals and jump on a paddleboard. Or maybe you will spend the morning with a nice brunch followed by some shopping before heading towards Los Angeles.

Do not pack your towel or swimwear too far away. On your way to Los Angeles, there are plenty of opportunities for taking a dip in the Pacific Ocean at one of the many beaches you pass on the day’s stretch of road, for example at popular beaches such as Carpinteria, Zuma and Malibu Beach. If necessary, set the GPS to drive along the sea via Zuma Beach, where you pass the cozy bay, Paradise Cove. Here you will find Paradise Cove Beach Café, where you can enjoy a refreshment with your feet in the sand.

Later in the day, you will arrive at your hotel in Los Angeles. The rest of the day is at your leisure, but you will probably like to end the day with a dip in the pool and a good dinner – right?

Length of today’s drive: approx. 165 km

The next few days, you will be on your own in Los Angeles. A city with a lot to see – and great distances. A significant part of the city’s identity is linked to the film industry, which, with its rise in the early 1900s, put Hollywood on the map.

The glamorous feather boas and cigarette holders are a thing of the past, but Hollywood is still regarded as the centre for showbiz celebrities, and you have not really experienced Los Angeles without visiting Hollywood. You could park your car in the Ovation Hollywood Mall and walk from here to the streets of the stars, Walk of Fame, where, over the years, celebrities have been allocated a star with their name on it embedded in the sidewalk. From Ovation Center, you can also take a selfie with the Hollywood Sign in the background.

However, the best way to experience the sign is from the city’s beautiful vantage point at Griffith Observatory, where you get relatively close to the Hollywood Sign and are, not least, also rewarded with panoramic views of the huge city.

You can also choose to purchase as an add-on a guided tour that will take you to the famous stops in Hollywood and Beverly Hills, and you may even spot a celebrity along the way.

You can also drop by Venice Beach, which is a gathering point for many types of people, art, cafés and restaurants. You can also head to Santa Monica, which is located nearby. Here you will find a funfair on the beach and a charming car-free shopping area at Third-Street Promenade. We highly recommend a bicycle ride on the paved path between the two beaches.

Los Angeles also rhymes with entertainment – and especially of the cinematic kind. It is obvious choice to set aside a day to go ‘behind the scenes’ in one of the city’s film studios. You can buy a ticket to either Warner Bros. or Universal Studios. In both places, you will get an insight into the production and creation of the films you probably ate popcorn to in a cinema once. Below you can get an insight into what the different parks have to offer.

If you are more into art, the city has a large selection of museums. Among the popular ones is the Getty Center – a museum with an impressive collection of art from the Middle Ages to the present day. The architecture of the place is an equally important part of the visit here, and from the café there is a unique panoramic view of the city.

Today you head towards San Diego, where the final part of your Californian adventure awaits you. There are no planned activities for today except for the drive, where you have the opportunity to turn onto the last part of the scenic Highway 1. Here you can see some of California’s most expensive properties in the front row to the Pacific Ocean, and the many surfers who are patiently waiting in the ocean for the next ‘good’ wave.

It is up to you whether you want to drive straight to the hotel and relax – or whether you want to start exploring the city already today.

San Diego has its very own vibe. A ‘beach city’ and the ideal place for days shrouded in a good combination of relaxation and plenty of opportunities for small excursions.

San Diego borders on Mexico, and the Mexican roots are highly noticeable in the city. The city is a true melting pot of cultures, big city, history and nature, and it has a wealth of environments and atmospheres well worth experiencing. The city’s charm and calm pace leave you with the feeling that people lead ‘the good life’ here.

Length of today’s drive: approx. 190 km

The next few days are spent in beautiful San Diego.

San Diego is especially known for the life around the sea and the bay, Mission Bay. It is nothing short of fantastic to rent a bicycle and follow the boardwalk along the sea at a leisurely pace and continue around the bay. Along the bay, there are small cafés and restaurants where it is an obvious choice to enjoy a relaxing moment and take in the view of the sea and passers-by.

The city has a string of exciting attractions, and you can be inspired by or purchase as an add-on one of our optional excursions below.

Popular stops include the La Jolla district, which is especially known for its beautiful beach at La Jolla Cove, where surfers, swimmers and sea lions all fight for space.

In San Diego Harbor, you can visit the aircraft carrier USS Midway, which today serves as an interactive museum. Here you get an insight into life on board an aircraft carrier, and you can experience fighter jets up close. Here, there is also an F-16 simulator where you can live out your inner pilot dream.

You can also visit the Mexican quarter, Old Town, or sample the many dishes that can be found in the charming restaurant areas in Little Italy and the Gaslamp Quarter. Do not miss out on a local classic: a shrimp or fish taco offered in many of the city’s eateries. Especially the restaurant World Famous at Pacific Beach is one of the locals’ favourite places to enjoy this dish.

Or take a trip to Coronado Island, from where you get the stunning views of San Diego’s downtown. The charming peninsula is known for its beautiful beaches and the historic wooden hotel from 1888, Hotel Del Coronado, which has been used in movies with famous actors and actresses such as Marilyn Monroe.

If you are into shopping, you might consider Las Americas Premium Outlets. From here you can see across the border to Mexico.

Today it is time to return to Europe. You check out of your hotel and drive towards the airport in accordance with your time of departure. Your car rental voucher will state exactly where and when the car must be dropped off at the latest. The process is straightforward, and your luggage will afterwards be brought to the airport. You will then fly to Europe with connecting flight(s) along the way.

If you want to extend your stay with more beach holiday or a visit to an American city, you will continue to your chosen destination.

Length of today’s drive: approx. 11 km

You land at your chosen airport after a memorable tour.