Transport & Accommodation

·      Return flights with Continental Airlines from Dublin to Los Angeles via Newark

·      11 nights superior hotel accommodation in the USA

·      Daily buffet breakfast and 5 evening meals

·      Local Joe Walsh Tours touring guide throughout

·      Entrance to all attractions on the itinerary unless otherwise stated

·      Luxury touring coach as per itinerary

·      Assistance of Hugh Mulrooney throughout

Optional

·      Hoover Dam

·      Helicopter Flights

·      Shows

·      and much more…

Detailed Itinerary

Day 01 – Los Angeles

On arrival in Los Angeles you will be welcomed by our Joe Walsh Tours representative and transferred to your hotel. After check-in procedures are completed, there will be a chance to settle into your hotel and relax.

Day 02 – Phoenix via Palm Springs

You will start your day with a short visit at the Santa Monica Pier and drive where Historic Route 66 ends. Leaving Los Angeles behind we travel towards the rugged San Jacinto Mountains and Palm Springs, a pretty pastiche of swaying palm trees, a lively downtown area and immaculately kept golf courses. We continue across the desert to Arizona’s State Capital, Phoenix.

Day 03 – Grand Canyon via Sedona, Oak Creek Canyon

We will travel through the Sonorant Desert, the richest, most biologically diverse desert ecosystem in the Americas. Continue to Sedona and see the spectacular red rock scenery. Situated in a unique geological area, Sedona is encircled by distinctive red-rock monoliths with such names as Cathedral and Coffee Pot. Then drive through the breathtaking Oak Creek Canyon before arriving at Grand Canyon National Park. Visit lookout points along the South Rim to fully experience this mile-deep canyon.

Day 04 – Tuba City

As you journey further today, you will enter the Navajo Indian Reservation, passing the trading post of Cameron. Continue through the Painted Desert to tour Monument Valley, an area that embodies perhaps the most definitive and iconic images of the American West. Overnight at the first motel to be built on Hopi tribal land. You will be able to view a wide variety of Hopi art as well as the culturally rich Hopi decorated hotel.

Day 05 - Las Vegas

We will travel today trough Zion National Park and see the massive rock formations carved by wind, time, and the Virgin River. This afternoon experience the contrast of Las Vegas, the dazzling “Entertainment Capital of the World,” where round-the-clock shopping, nightly shows, and of course gambling are available. Zion National Park entrance included.

Day 06 – Las Vegas

Today is at leisure for you to enjoy the many attractions that Las Vegas has to offer. In addition to world-class shopping, bustling casinos, and Broadway-caliber shows, you might simply stroll the famous Strip to take in its amazing sights or take advantage of some of the optional tours.

Day 07 – Mammoth lakes via Death Valley

Having enjoyed the fast pace of glamorous Las Vegas, it will be a sharp contrast this afternoon to enter the quiet and extreme environment of Death Valley. Stop at Zabriskie Point and Furnace Creek Ranch before continuing across the valley and ascending the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the alpine resort town of Mammoth Lakes. The area gained prominence as a gold mining town in the 19th century, but today it’s the superior ski terrain and staggeringly beautiful mountain vistas that attract visitors from near and far. Death Valley National Park entrance included.

Day 08 – Lake Tahoe via Bodie Ghost Town

Today, we drive admiring spectacular views of Sierra Nevada Mountains to gorgeous Lake Tahoe. You will also see Bodie Ghost Town – one of California's best ghost towns. Tucked in the high sierra foothills, this town of 20 grew to a thriving city when gold was discovered in 1877. Buildings from the original town and mine still exist in a state of decay. Original furniture and stocked shelves were left as they were found. A cemetery exists up on a hill outside of town and tells a tale of the harsh winters miners experience. Bodie Ghost Town admission included.

Day 09 – Napa Valley via Sacramento

We start the day with a short visit in Virginia City, a 19th century mining metropolis where the Old West comes to life. Continue to Sacramento, capital of the “Golden State,” and headquarters of current California governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger. A stop will be made in the Old Town, once a bustling center of the Gold Rush and terminus of the Pony Express.

Day 10 – San Francisco

Today you will have a chance to taste famous California Wines in the beautiful Napa Valley. Later on our way to San Francisco we will stop in Sausalito, a Mediterranean-like community with elegant hillside homes facing the bay and a unique colony of floating homes moored along the waterfront. You will have time to stroll Downtown Sausalito, a National Historical Landmark District offering many fine shops, galleries and restaurants. We continue to San Francisco through the Golden Gate Bridge and enjoy the evening at leisure, perhaps riding on a cable car, visiting the shops around Union Square, or taking a stroll around Fisherman’s Wharf. Entrance and wine tasting at 2 wineries is included.

Day 11 – San Francisco

This morning we take a city tour including Union Square, the Civic Center and Fisherman’s Wharf. The crests of many of the city’s hills, particularly Twin Peaks, afford matchless views of downtown San Francisco and the East Bay. Standing on a hilltop, watching the fog swirl in through the Golden Gate, it is easy to understand why many consider San Francisco the most beautiful city in America. You will also take a ferry to Alcatraz where you will have a chance to step back in time and experience the legendary island that has been a civil war fort, a military prison and one of the most notorious federal penitentiaries in US history.

Day 12 – San Francisco

After breakfast you will be transferred from your hotel to San Francisco airport.

Notes

·      Prices are per person sharing twin/double rooms with facilities

·      Single rooms are on request and supplements apply

·      Travel insurance €40 for persons up to 69 years

·      Prices are exclusive of taxes €214

·      Non-refundable deposit of €200 is required at time of booking