Sold Out! Cherry Blossom Tour in San Francisco

A morning non-stop flight from Minneapolis to San Francisco (not included in the tour price) will
land in time to board a motorcoach and go have lunch at a true California experience: In-N-Out
Burger (on your own). From here, head north to the Sonoma Botanical Garden, where East meets
West in a place dedicated to Asian & Californian native plants. Their cherry blossoms should be
in full bloom! After a guided tour, the bus will go to your hotel in downtown Santa Rosa and after
checking in, meet the group in the lobby to walk to the first dinner with your fellow travelers to
California (included). 

A buffet breakfast at the hotel is included every day of the tour to prepare you for a full day of
activities. Today begins with a short walk to the Luther Burbank House & Gardens. You’ll learn
on a guided tour how world-renowned horticulturist Luther Burbank lived here & experimented
with plants for almost 50 years. Afterwards, walk into downtown Santa Rosa for lunch (on your
own) before boarding the bus to the Armstong Redwoods State Natural Preserve. Here, be awed
by the magnificent Sequoia sempervirens. The day will end at a winery, with a guided garden
tour, small plates & wine pairings (included) as you get to know the others on the tour better. 

Check out of the hotel and say farewell to Santa Rosa to depart for the University of California
Botanical Garden in Berkeley. On a guided tour, learn how, as one of the most diverse plant
collections in the country, it’s famous for a large collection of rare and endangered species.
Following lunch (on your own), enjoy a one-hour narrated cruise on San Francisco Bay, sailing
under the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz Island, getting a view of the city where you’ll
be for the next four days. After checking in to your conveniently-located hotel at Fisherman’s
Wharf, walk as a group to dinner on the bay (included).

Today the tour heads southeast, starting at the Filoli House & Gardens, a 100-year-old country
estate set in16 acres of formal gardens on the eastern slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains. After a
tour and lunch there (on your own), depart to see more cherry blossoms, this time at the San
Mateo Japanese Garden, designed by landscape architect, Nagao Sakurai of the Imperial Palace of
Tokyo. Next, for a view of San Francisco contrasting with the Bay cruise from yesterday, stop at
Twin Peaks. At almost 1000’ of elevation, you’ll have 180° views of the city and its surroundings.
Back at the hotel, enjoy dinner and the evening on your own.

The entire day today will be spent in the Gardens of Golden Gate Park, starting with the Japanese
Tea Garden. Originally built as part of a sprawling World’s Fair in 1894, their cherry blossom
trees bloom throughout its five acres in the spring. From there, walk to the Conservatory of
Flowers, the oldest building in the park, constructed in 1879. The greenhouse and garden has an
impressive collection of rare and exotic plants. Following lunch (on your own), enjoy a guided
tour of the San Francisco Botanical Garden, with almost 9,000 different plants from around the
world. After a full day of plants and flowers, end it with dinner and an evening on your own. 

Considered one of the most scenic roads in the country, 17-Mile Drive through Pebble Beach and
Pacific Grove hugs the Pacific coastline and passes numerous scenic attractions. Soak in the
views while driving and then during a lunch stop (included) along the route. To continue your
visual enjoyment of the area, you’ll have free time in charming Carmel-by-the Sea, with its
storybook cottages, art galleries, Carmel Mission Basilica and beautiful sand beach. After a lovely
day southwest of San Francisco, you’ll again have an evening on your own back in the city, to
continue enjoying all the city has to offer

Spend today at the 58th Annual Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival in Japantown. It
opens at 11 a.m. with demonstrations, displays, workshops, lectures and food options, with the
Grand Parade stepping off at 1 p.m., complete with the Queen and her Court. After spending
some more time in the area after the parade, the bus will return you to the hotel for a rest before
walking with the group to a nearby restaurant for the Farewell Dinner (included). Here you can share with your new friends, stories and memories of the time spent in the San Francisco area.

After all the tours and activities of the past few days, there hasn’t been much free time for you to
explore sites that may be of interest to you, so this morning is unscheduled for you to do just that.
You may: ride a cable car; explore the oldest Chinatown in North America; climb the Filbert
Street steps; walk down Lombard Street, “The Crookedest Street in the World;” visit Ghirardelli
Square; walk to the Wave Organ or see California Sea Lions at Pier 39. A bus will depart from the
hotel at 12:30 p.m. for San Francisco International Airport and an afternoon non-stop flight back
to Minneapolis.