West USA: Canyons, Coastline & Golden Cities

Arrive at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and enjoy a private transfer to your hotel in Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, or West Hollywood. After settling in, head to Santa Monica Pier — ride the Ferris wheel, walk the beach boardwalk, and watch street performers as the Pacific sun begins its descent.

Welcome dinner at a celebrated LA restaurant — perhaps oceanfront seafood in Malibu, contemporary Californian cuisine in West Hollywood, or world-class Mexican food on the Eastside. Los Angeles's dining scene is one of the most diverse and exciting in the world.

Guided tour of Hollywood and Beverly Hills. Walk the Hollywood Walk of Fame, see the TCL Chinese Theatre's celebrity handprints, and drive along Mulholland Drive for sweeping views of the city basin and the Hollywood Sign. Cruise down Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills — the world's most glamorous shopping street.

Visit the Getty Center — a stunning hilltop museum complex with world-class art collections (Van Gogh, Monet, Rembrandt) and breathtaking architecture by Richard Meier. The gardens and panoramic views of Los Angeles and the Pacific are magnificent. Alternatively, explore the Griffith Observatory for planetarium shows and iconic views of the Hollywood Sign.

Dinner and live music on the Sunset Strip, or explore the vibrant food stalls of Grand Central Market in Downtown LA — a century-old market hall now home to some of the city's most exciting street food vendors.

Depart Los Angeles and drive east through the Mojave Desert — a landscape of Joshua trees, red rock, and endless sky. Pass through historic Route 66 towns like Kingman, where the old highway's neon signs and diners evoke the golden age of American road trips.

Arrive at the Grand Canyon South Rim — and nothing prepares you for the first view. A mile deep, up to 18 miles wide, and carved by the Colorado River over nearly 2 billion years, the Grand Canyon is one of earth's most humbling natural spectacles. Walk along the Rim Trail as the afternoon light shifts across the layered rock formations.

Watch the sunset over the Grand Canyon from Mather Point or Yavapai Point — the rocks glow in shades of amber, rose, and deep purple as the shadows deepen. Dinner at your lodge, surrounded by the stillness and grandeur of one of the world's great natural wonders.

Join a guided hike along the Bright Angel Trail or the South Kaibab Trail — descending into the canyon with a knowledgeable naturalist guide who explains the geology, ecology, and indigenous history of this extraordinary landscape. The views with every turn are staggering.

Explore the South Rim's historic village — visit the Kolb Studio (perched on the canyon's edge), the Hopi House for authentic Native American art and crafts, and the Yavapai Geology Museum for an in-depth look at the canyon's formation. Drive along Hermit Road for a series of breathtaking overlooks.

Optional: helicopter tour over the canyon at sunset (an unforgettable aerial perspective). Dinner at the lodge, followed by stargazing — the Grand Canyon is a certified International Dark Sky Park, and the Milky Way blazes overhead on clear nights.

Depart the Grand Canyon and drive west through the desert towards Las Vegas. En route, stop at the historic Hoover Dam — an engineering marvel straddling the Colorado River between Arizona and Nevada. Walk across the dam, peer into the 220-metre drop of Black Canyon, and learn how this Depression-era project tamed a wild river.

Arrive in Las Vegas — the "Entertainment Capital of the World." Check into your luxury resort on the Strip. Take a leisurely walk along Las Vegas Boulevard, marvelling at the sheer spectacle — Venetian canals, Parisian streetscapes, Egyptian pyramids, and Roman palaces, all bathed in neon.

Dinner at a world-class restaurant helmed by a celebrity chef. Afterwards, catch a spectacular show — Cirque du Soleil, a headlining concert, or a magic act. End the evening with cocktails at a rooftop bar overlooking the Bellagio fountains.

A leisurely morning in Las Vegas — enjoy a lavish brunch buffet, browse the designer boutiques at the Forum Shops or the Wynn Esplanade, or relax by the pool. Optional: take a morning trip to the Valley of Fire State Park — Nevada's oldest state park, where vivid red sandstone formations blaze against the desert sky.

Fly from Las Vegas to San Francisco (approximately 1.5 hours). Arrive in the "City by the Bay" and transfer to your hotel in Union Square, Nob Hill, or the Embarcadero. Take an introductory walk through the city — ride a historic cable car up the steep hills for views of the bay, Alcatraz Island, and the distant Golden Gate Bridge.

Dinner in the vibrant North Beach neighbourhood — San Francisco's Little Italy — with authentic Italian trattorias, jazz clubs, and the legendary City Lights Bookstore (the birthplace of the Beat Generation). Sample cioppino (San Francisco's iconic seafood stew) and sourdough bread.

Walk or cycle across the Golden Gate Bridge — one of the most photographed structures in the world. Continue to the Marin Headlands for a postcard-perfect view of the bridge and the San Francisco skyline. Visit Sausalito, a charming waterfront town of art galleries, houseboats, and bayside cafés.

Explore Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39 — watch the sea lions basking on the docks, sample fresh Dungeness crab, and browse the waterfront shops. Take a ferry to Alcatraz Island for a fascinating audio tour of America's most notorious former prison, set on a rocky island in the middle of the bay.

Farewell dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant in the Mission District or Hayes Valley. San Francisco's farm-to-table ethos, fuelled by California's extraordinary produce, makes it one of America's greatest dining cities. Raise a glass of Napa Valley wine to an extraordinary Western adventure.

A final morning in San Francisco. Depending on your flight time, explore the colourful murals of the Mission District, browse the Ferry Building Marketplace for artisan foods (Blue Bottle Coffee, Cowgirl Creamery, Acme Bread), or drive through the Painted Ladies — the famous Victorian houses overlooking Alamo Square.

Private transfer to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) for your homeward flight. Depart with memories of canyon sunsets, desert highways, Pacific coastline, and golden bridges — the American West at its most magnificent.