Gear up for your full-day Yosemite adventure with early morning pickup from your San Francisco hotel. Relax aboard your 20-passenger luxury biodesel van across the Bay Bridge, offering great views of San Francisco Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz.Making your way across the Central Valley — one of the largest agricultural regions in the United States — make a 10-minute stop at a street-side fruit stand for a chance to purchase some fresh local nuts or fruit. Continue through the cattle and horse ranch lands of the Sierra Nevada foothills and Gold Country — the heartland of the California Gold Rush of 1849.After a 4.5-hour drive, arrive at Yosemite National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls, massive sequoia groves and biological diversity. Start your visit with a 1.5-hour driving tour through the park’s main attraction, Yosemite Valley, a glacial valley full of amazing rock formations and waterfalls. As youre in a small group, you’ll enjoy multiple photo stops, and access areas that big bus tours cant.Admire famous Half Dome, depicted in famous photographs by Ansel Adams, and watch rock climbers scale El Capitans 3,000-foot (914-meter) sheer granite rock face. Enjoy incredible vistas from the Tunnel View overlook, and end your tour near the base of Yosemite Falls, the tallest waterfall in North America. There are a variety of options here for lunch (own expense).After lunch, you’ll have three hours to explore the park at your leisure. Rent a bike and pick a trailhead for an epic cycle around the valley, or embark on foot on one of the many hiking loops. For less active folks, check out the visitor’s center, the Ansel Adams Gallery and the Ahwahnee Hotel for unique insights in the park’s history, legacy and beauty. Re-group in the late afternoon for the journey back to San Francisco, stopping for a short break en route. Approaching the city in the evening, capture a stunning downtown skyline view from the Bay Bridge before arriving back at your hotel.Ad
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