California Travel Advice, California Trip Planning & California Itineraries

California tours, sightseeing, things to do

Tours, sightseeing tours, activities & things to do | Viator.com

California

Trip Planning & Itineraries

The American Dream has always flowed west, lured by the promises of California. Eureka! cried the gold miners in 1848 - I've found it. Eureka! cried naturalist John Muir and industrialist William Randolph Hearst. Eureka! cried Steve Jobs and Marilyn Monroe.

By many measures, California remains the biggest, most dynamic, most diverse, most forward-thinking state in the nation. Ask yourself where we'd be without the vacuum tube, personal computers, the Internet, Frisbees, fortune cookies, the seedless watermelon, McDonald's and Mickey Mouse.

Spotlight on California: Top 3 Cities

San Francisco: Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf and Napa Valley wine region

Los Angeles: Hollywood & movie stars, theme parks and great food

San Diego: Beaches & surfing, the famous zoo and day trips to Mexico

Suggested Itineraries in California

The native Californians in the Viator office have done the San Francisco to Southern California road trip dozens of times (we estimate close to fifty times between the four of us). Whether you're headed to San Francisco, Los Angeles or San Diego, check out our suggestions on where to stop along the way and how to have a great drive.

San Francisco Tours & Things to Do

If you're only going to try one thing in San Francisco that gets you outside and has a great view - trap on a helmet and bike across the Golden Gate Bridge. Biking not your bag? Then opt for the must-see attraction of San Francisco, Alcatraz, or take a walking tour of one of San Francisco's great neighborhoods.

Los Angeles Tours & Things to Do

If you're looking at just one or two days in Los Angeles consider stretching your legs on a walking tour of downtown or Hollywood. Or maybe get the adrenaline flowing at some of the great theme parks in Southern California. Or check out LA from the air and see the freeway traffic you're not stuck in.

San Diego Tours & Things to Do

Now is a great time to hit the water - take in a surf lesson or go kayaking in San Diego and La Jolla. If you prefer to stay dry take a trolley tour of charming San Diego or check out Balboa Park. Old Town has some great restaurants and nightlife. If you're ready to hit the clubs, pick up a VIP Nightclub Package for an unforgettable night on the town.

Best of California: Top Travel Experiences

Theme Parks: Get your adrenaline pumping at these amusement parks

Helicopter Tours: See the beautiful scenery from high in the sky

California wine tasting and winery tours

Wine Tasting: Taste the wines from California's famous wine regions

Best of California: Top 3 Hotels

Below are just a few of the many hotels California has to offer. Thinking about renting? Book California vacation rentals on HomeAway.com. Or browse California hotels at Uptake.com.

La Pensione Hotel San Diego

With a Mediterranean-meets-California feel, the picturesque La Pensione Hotel is a great-value choice in the lovely Little Italy. It is temptingly close to the district's eateries and bistros, cafes and shops. Follow your nose, which, on the light sea breeze, may have picked up a trace of a simmering sauce or two.

Deetjen's Big Sur Inn

Nestled among redwoods and wisteria along Castro Creek, this enchanting conglomeration of rustic rooms and cottages was built by Norwegian immigrant Helmuth Deetjen in the 1930s. He salvaged the redwood to add on more rooms and cottages - now totaling 20 thin-walled units - for the myriad transients who were showing up at his doorstep.

Villa Royale Inn Palm Springs

If the mid-century cocktail glam of other local resorts leaves you cold, this may be the place for you. The 1947 Villa Royale has 31 cozy rooms and suites, all in three acres of charming Tuscan-style grounds bursting with bougainvillea and palms. A top hideaway for grownups on a honeymoon or a kiss-and-make-up weekend.