USA · CALIFORNIA TOURS

The 15 Best California Tours & Day Trips

169 tours  ·  from $13

Granite valleys at one end, desert at the other and eight hundred miles of coast between. These 15 pick the days worth giving up to a guide and a minibus, priced and paced, with a note on which need a dawn start.

Los Angeles: Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood - The first hour: backlot streets and working sound stages
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Los Angeles: Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood

1.Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 7,191 reviews · 3 hours · from $76Our pick

Spend three hours at a real working Hollywood studio. A guide such as Sarah, Jared, Nick, or Dan leads you around backlot streets and sound stages, followed by two hours exploring Friends, The Big Bang Theory, DC, and Harry Potter exhibits at your own pace. Bring government ID, plan for paid parking, and remember that video is not allowed.

“The tour was amazing the first hour you’ll be in a designated group and a guide will be driving you all around the studio and tell tou fun facts ours was Nick! Nick was amazing ~ then after you basically have all the time you want to tour on yourself the friends set big bang theory etc. and DC Harry Potter then shop merch all in all the $76 is so so so worth it the tour is great and you will love it especially if you are a fan of anything from WB!!!!!! I definitely recommend this one if you are in LA and want to do something nice”

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Full-Day Iconic Sights of LA, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Beaches and More - Santa Monica Pier and the Pacific start
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Full-Day Iconic Sights of LA, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Beaches and More

2.Full-Day Iconic Sights of LA, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Beaches and More

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6,147 reviews · 7 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $99Top rated

Spend about 7.5 hours touring Los Angeles by air-conditioned coach with an English-speaking driver-guide. Visit Santa Monica, Venice Beach, Rodeo Drive, the Original Farmers Market, Griffith Park, Griffith Observatory and Hollywood. Guides such as George, Colin, Jeff and Key are praised for lively commentary. Hotel pickup is available from select areas.

“There. Was a lot of walking. This was the first time the driver was not at the door or helping passengers on or off at all loading or unloading.”

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Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood - Riding through the backlot streets
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Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood

3.Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 5,246 reviews · 2 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $76

Spend about three hours at Warner Bros. Studio Hollywood with a guide and a group of no more than 14. Ride through working backlot streets, visit the Friends and Big Bang Theory sets, test green-screen effects, and explore Harry Potter and DC displays. Guides such as Maya, Maddie, and Javier add stories about film and television production.

“It's only a couple of hours long...but nit rushed. Part of the tour is lead by a tour guide and part is on your own.”

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Muir Woods and Sausalito (Return by Bus or Ferry) - Entering Muir Woods after the winding Marin drive
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Muir Woods and Sausalito (Return by Bus or Ferry)

4.Muir Woods and Sausalito (Return by Bus or Ferry)

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 5,098 reviews · 5 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $91

Spend 5 to 8 hours visiting Muir Woods and Sausalito from San Francisco by air-conditioned coach. You get 90 minutes among coastal redwoods, a Golden Gate Bridge viewpoint, and one hour in Sausalito. Guides such as Don, Jerry, George, and Judith add local stories. Choose a bus or ferry return, or upgrade to a bike ride.

“We were supposed to have a tour going to Muir Woods and Sausalito. We were SUPPOSED to have 90 minutes in Muir Woods and 60 minutes in Sausalito. Not until after we were in the bus and driving away were we told we would be taking a 2 hour drive (one way) to spend 60 minutes in Armstrong Park. (Muir Woods is about a 50 minute drive). Nobody was told this until we were already underway. Everyone thought we would be eating around 1:30 in Sausalito. Nobody had food and there was no food or water at Armstrong park. We were all very hungry. We arrived in Sausalito and had…”

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Big Bus SF: Hop-on Hop-off Tour with 17 Stops and Sunset Option - Recorded commentary and the open-top deck
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Big Bus SF: Hop-on Hop-off Tour with 17 Stops and Sunset Option

5.Big Bus SF: Hop-on Hop-off Tour with 17 Stops and Sunset Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 4,539 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $56

See San Francisco without renting a car on a 24 or 48-hour open-top bus pass covering 17 stops from Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39 to Golden Gate Park, Haight-Ashbury, Union Square, and the Golden Gate Bridge. Use the app for live bus tracking, listen to recorded commentary with supplied earbuds, and add a sunset tour, Chinatown walk, wine tour, or Aquarium of the Bay admission.

“Awesome views of San Franscisco, audio was not working on left side of bus, safe driver, learned a lot about the city.”

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Napa and Sonoma Wine Country Full-Day Tour from San Francisco - Roche Winery and the friendly first pour
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Napa and Sonoma Wine Country Full-Day Tour from San Francisco

6.Napa and Sonoma Wine Country Full-Day Tour from San Francisco

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 4,455 reviews · 8 to 9 hours (approx.) · from $165

Spend 8 to 9 hours crossing the Golden Gate Bridge and visiting three Napa or Sonoma wineries from San Francisco. You may taste at Roche, Artesa, Madonna, Jacuzzi, BR Cohn, or Robledo, with the lineup subject to availability. Guides such as Don, Debbie, Rick, and Thomas add history and wine-country context. Lunch in Sonoma Plaza is on your own.

“Have u tried gray line tours ..runs all the time ...bus tours ..tried all of them ..positive delightful ..hope to go again”

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San Diego Zoo 1-Day Pass: Any Day Ticket - Pandas, koalas, and the animals people plan around
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San Diego Zoo 1-Day Pass: Any Day Ticket

7.San Diego Zoo 1-Day Pass: Any Day Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 4,248 reviews · 1 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $78

Use your mobile ticket for direct entry to San Diego Zoo, then explore 100 acres of animal habitats and gardens. See pandas, koalas, apes, elephants, tigers, and more. Admission includes the Guided Bus Tour, Skyfari Aerial Tram, Kangaroo Bus, Africa Tram, shows, and children’s areas. Plan on several hours, comfortable shoes, and early arrival.

“Wear walking shoes so you can cover as much ground as possible. There is so much to see! Apes and monkeys were our favorite. Way way too many children there with poor supervision made it hard to watch gorillas for very long but that’s the only negative we experienced.”

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San Diego: USS Midway Museum Entry Ticket - The flight deck and 25 restored aircraft
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San Diego: USS Midway Museum Entry Ticket

8.USS Midway Museum Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 3,896 reviews · 365 days · from $41

Explore the USS Midway at your own pace with a six-language audio guide, restored aircraft, crew quarters, the engine room, flight simulators, films, and the 3D Battle of Midway Theater. Docents, including former service members, are stationed around the ship to explain how sailors lived and worked aboard this huge carrier.

“The volunteers for the Midway. Knowledgeable and friendly. Was a great day. Thank you”

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Small Group Yosemite and Giant Sequoias Day Trip from San Francisco - Tunnel View delivers Yosemite’s grand introduction
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Small Group Yosemite and Giant Sequoias Day Trip from San Francisco

9.Small Group Yosemite and Giant Sequoias Day Trip from San Francisco

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3,671 reviews · 14 hours (approx.) · from $239

Leave San Francisco before sunrise for a 14-hour minibus trip to Yosemite. You’ll walk through Tuolumne Grove, stop at Tunnel View, Bridalveil Fall, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, and El Capitan, with free time in Yosemite Valley. Guides such as Derek, Trevor, Kurt, and Steven add park stories, climbing films, and photo help.

“Kurttttt ! Don’t know how he does it on such a long day but great tour guide who goes above and beyond. Just be and on time and he’ll handle the rest. 10/10 !”

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San Francisco: Golden Gate Bay Cruise - Finding the Red and White Fleet at Pier 43 1/2
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San Francisco: Golden Gate Bay Cruise

10.Golden Gate Bay Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 3,644 reviews · 1 hour · from $38

Cruise from Fisherman’s Wharf beneath the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz Island on Red and White Fleet’s one-hour bay tour. You get recorded commentary in 16 languages, indoor and outdoor seating, an onboard bar, restrooms, and frequent departures. Bring a camera and an extra layer.

“For a tourist that is only in town for a few days, but wants the highlights tour and a very good description of the city and its history, this is the one for you. The tour was nice, breezy, and had incredible views.”

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San Francisco: Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Tour with 17 Stops - Fisherman’s Wharf and the waterfront start
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San Francisco: Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Tour with 17 Stops

11.Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Tour with 17 Stops

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3,600 reviews · 1 - 2 days · from $56

Ride an open-top Big Bus through San Francisco’s key districts, from Fisherman’s Wharf and Chinatown to Alamo Square, Haight-Ashbury, Golden Gate Park, and across the Golden Gate Bridge. Your ticket lasts 24 or 48 hours, with multilingual audio, app-based bus tracking, and optional extras such as a sunset tour, Aquarium by the Bay, or a Napa Valley wine trip.

“Timing was pretty good around 30 mins. That was the main concern”

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Yosemite Highlights & Giant Sequoias Day Tour from San Francisco - The 5:20 a.m. start and the long ride east
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Yosemite Highlights & Giant Sequoias Day Tour from San Francisco

12.Yosemite Highlights & Giant Sequoias Day Tour from San Francisco

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3,455 reviews · 14 to 15 hours (approx.) · from $219

Leave San Francisco before dawn for Yosemite with an English-speaking guide such as Glenda, Gino, Rob, or Andy. See Tunnel View, Bridalveil Fall, Yosemite Valley, El Capitan, and Valley View, then hike to Tuolumne Grove when conditions allow. Hotel pickup, WiFi, park entry for U.S. residents, and audio guides are included.

“Gino was really through with the whole itinerary and navigated it perfectly. He made good stop......”

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San Francisco Super Saver: Muir Woods & Wine Country w/ optional Gourmet Lunch - Morning pickup and the Golden Gate crossing
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San Francisco Super Saver: Muir Woods & Wine Country w/ optional Gourmet Lunch

13.San Francisco Super Saver: Muir Woods & Wine Country w/ optional Gourmet Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3,352 reviews · 11 hours (approx.) · from $179

Leave San Francisco early for Muir Woods, then visit three Napa or Sonoma wineries with tastings included. Guides such as Mark, Dustin, Ben, and Alberto add local history and humor. You can eat independently at Sonoma Plaza or upgrade to a three-course wine-pairing lunch. Hotel pickup, WiFi, and Golden Gate photo stops are included.

“Our driver/guide was full of knowledge and very funny! Lots of belly laughs! I certainly left there full of fascinating facts!”

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San Diego: Harbor Cruise - Naval Ships, Aircraft Carriers, and San Diego’s Working Harbor
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San Diego Harbor Cruise

14.San Diego Harbor Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,980 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $37

Cruise San Diego Bay from North Harbor Drive with indoor and outdoor seating, onboard snacks, and narration on the city, Navy fleet, shipyards, and landmarks. Choose one hour in North or South Bay, or take two hours for both. Rusty and MC JJ are among the standout narrators.

“I went there on my birthdayIt’s was my best experience. Me and my friends enjoyed alot. And who never had any kind of experience , should do Thankyou”

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San Francisco Love Tour - Haight-Ashbury and San Francisco’s music past
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San Francisco Love Tour

15.San Francisco Love Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,830 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $85

You’ll ride a ’70s-era VW bus from Fisherman’s Wharf through Haight-Ashbury, Chinatown, North Beach, the Castro, the Mission, and Golden Gate Park. Guides such as Cyrus, Ky, Kyle, and Tara bring local stories, music, humor, and personalized tips. Expect a small-group tour, two photo stops, and about two hours on the road.

“This was a fabulous tour filled with history, architecture, information about various neighborhoods woven with a generous amount of humor while riding in the VW bus! Cyrus was probably the best tour guide I’ve ever met! His love and understanding of the city were evident.”

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