GOLDEN GATE TOUR ITINERARY
16th July – 28th July 2010
View Golden Gate Tour in a larger map
Days 1 & 2. We begin our tour in Las Vegas, where we’ll stay for two nights at the Excalibur Hotel, right on The Strip, with all it’s wonderfully over the top hotels! We’ll have our welcome breakfast meeting on day 2, where you’ll be briefed on the routes & roads, paying particular attention to safe riding practices.
The rest of the day you are free to do as you please. There’s so much to see in this gamblers’ paradise, from the dancing waters at the Bellaggio, to the calm canals complete with singing Gondoliers at the Venetian. Check it all out, have a little flutter, lose your jetlag and acclimatise to the heat.
Day 3. The day we’ve all been waiting for! After an early breakfast, we’ll go to EagleRider to pick-up our bikes. Once everyone is confident, we’ll leave Las Vegas & head west to Death Valley, the lowest place in North America, & the hottest place on earth! A series of sweeping mountain curves will take us hundreds of feet below sea level to the valley basin, & the ancient mudflats of long-forgotten seas. More mountain curves will take us up into the cooler & more comfortable air of Mammoth Lakes, where we’ll stay overnight, & look back on our incredible day!
Day 4. From the lowest place in North America yesterday, we’ll ride Tioga Pass today, the highest pass in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, on our way to Yosemite National Park. Who said America was all long, straight roads? Yosemite is breathtakingly beautiful, & famous for it’s Giant Sequoia groves, granite cliffs, waterfalls & streams. Oh, & don’t forget to look out for bears!
Day 5. After another ride through Yosemite’s stunning roads, we’ll be heading westward to the coast, & into Marin County, an area renowned for it’s natural beauty, & a very desirable place to live if you can afford it! From the headland here we’ll catch our first glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge, then ride across it as we enter San Francisco, for our welcome two-night stay.
Day 6. Free day to explore this vibrant city. You absolutely must take a ride on a tramcar, visit the shops (& the seals) on Pier 39, eat ice cream at Giradelli’s, & check out Lombard Street, the ‘crookedest street in the world!’ The infamous Alcatraz prison stands on a rock in the bay, once the home of notorious criminals but now a tourist attraction.
Day 7. Back on the road again today, & leaving San Francisco we’ll be riding on Highway 1, along the spectacular coastline of the Pacific Ocean. A slight detour inland will take us to visit Alice’s Café, a favourite haunt of bikers, the most famous of whom was Steve McQueen. Then it’s back on PCH as we ride towards the Big Sur & Monterey.
Day 8. Continuing on the fabulously scenic Pacific Coast Highway, we’ll visit the picturesque town of Carmel, where Clint Eastwood was once the mayor. Be sure to look out for migrating whales, which can sometimes be seen as they come up for air off this dramatic coast. Overnight near Pismo Beach.
Day 9. Today we continue south towards Los Angeles, through the famous resorts of Santa Barbara, Malibu Beach & Santa Monica. We'll meet up with Kevin, our friend and local LA guide, for an evening bike tour around Hollywood, Beverly Hills, & Rodeo Drive, followed by dinner on Sunset Boulevard.
Day 10. Heading south from Los Angeles, we’ll ride cool winding mountain roads, eventually coming down to Lake Elsinore, then on through the San Bernadino National Forest towards Palm Springs, where we’ll spend the night.
Day 11. Leaving Palm Springs, we’ll ride through the amazing landscape and rock formations of Joshua Tree National Park. We’ll join the Historic Route 66 as we head into Nevada and Laughlin, for our overnight stay in this bustling gambling town on the Colorado River.
Day 12. Today we’re crossing the magnificent Hoover Dam, built in the 1930’s to harness the power of the great Colorado River. Then it’s back across the Nevada desert to Las Vegas, to return our bikes and later meet up to recap the good times at our farewell meal.
Day 13. Depart for Las Vegas McCarran Airport, homeward bound.
Prices.
2 people sharing 1 bike & 1 room £1599 each
2 people, 2 bikes, 1 room £2045 each
1 person, 1 bike, single room £2995
N.B. This itinerary may change slightly subject to availability.
In the case of major Exchange Rate fluctuations, we reserve the right to alter prices & issue a currency surcharge/refund if necessary.