Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
California: Yosemite, Sequoia and the Big Sur Coast
8 days round trip from San Francisco: two nights at Yosemite, two inside Sequoia and Kings Canyon, then Highway 1 through Big Sur to Monterey.
8 days · Round trip from San Francisco · up to 12 guests
A meadow on the Yosemite Valley floor, with Half Dome on the skyline Photo: Jon Sullivan, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yosemite_meadows_2004-09-04.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from San Francisco
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Daily walks of 2 to 6 km, mostly on flat or paved park trails at 1,200 to 2,200 m above sea level. The steepest part is about 350 steps up Moro Rock in Sequoia. Any walk can be shortened or sat out, and an easy and an active choice are written into the park days. The two longest drives are about five hours, broken by lunch and a walk.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 725 (estimated price)
- Season
- May to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- A guided walk on the Yosemite Valley floor at 8 am, from Lower Yosemite Fall across Cook's Meadow to the Merced River
- Two nights at Yosemite, so the day starts in the valley rather than four hours away
- Glacier Point in the late light, looking across to Half Dome
- The General Sherman Tree before the crowds, then time to linger on the Congress Trail
- Two nights inside Sequoia and Kings Canyon, with the General Grant Tree on the way in
- Elephant seals at Piedras Blancas, then McWay Falls and Bixby Bridge on Highway 1 through Big Sur
- Point Lobos and a farewell dinner in Monterey
- A walk onto the Golden Gate Bridge on the last day, on the way to the airport
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 725 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in San Francisco
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to your hotel in San Francisco
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in San Francisco
Fly into San Francisco International Airport (SFO). We meet arrivals at set times through the day and drive you about 30 minutes north to a central hotel; the pick-up windows come with your final itinerary. If you land early, the city is good on foot: ride a cable car over Nob Hill, walk the Embarcadero to the Ferry Building, or look out to Alcatraz from the waterfront. Alcatraz tickets often sell out weeks ahead, so book them yourself before you fly if you want to go. At about 6 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group at the hotel for a short briefing: how the days are paced, what to pack for cool mornings at 2,000 m and fog on the coast, and how the food-storage rules work in parks where black bears live.
Evening
Then we walk to a welcome dinner nearby. The Golden Gate Bridge comes at the end of the trip, on the way back to the airport, so a late flight in cannot cost you it.
Included
- Pick-up at San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner in San Francisco
Optional experiences
- Alcatraz (book your own tickets ahead)
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
Across the Central Valley into Yosemite
San Francisco to Yosemite Valley on Highway 120
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Yosemite National Park
- Drive about 4 h
We leave at 8 am, cross the Bay Bridge and head east through the orchards and farmland of the Central Valley.
Afternoon
It is about four hours of driving in all, and we break it with a sit-down lunch in the Gold Country foothills on Highway 120 before the climb into the park. After the Big Oak Flat entrance the road drops toward the Merced River and the valley opens up: El Capitan, a granite wall about 900 m high, is the first giant you meet. We stop in El Capitan Meadow to look for climbers on the face, then walk the short path to the foot of Bridalveil Fall, which blows sideways in the wind. In the late afternoon we check in for two nights in the valley or at El Portal, just outside the park gate, so tomorrow starts in Yosemite instead of four hours away.
Evening
The evening is free: walk down to the river, or eat early and rest.
Included
- Drive from San Francisco to Yosemite with your guide
- Sit-down lunch in the Sierra foothills
- Yosemite National Park entry
- El Capitan Meadow and Bridalveil Fall
Free time: Evening free in Yosemite
Activity: Short walks only today, about 2 km in all.
Yosemite Valley on foot, then Glacier Point
A guided walk on the Yosemite Valley floor, then up to Glacier Point
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Yosemite National Park
- Drive about 2 h
At 8 am, before the valley car parks fill, a local naturalist guide walks the valley floor with us. We start at Lower Yosemite Fall, at the foot of Yosemite Falls, which drop about 740 m in three steps, cross Cook's Meadow with Half Dome and Sentinel Rock above, and follow the Merced River to Swinging Bridge. Along the way you hear how glaciers shaped the valley, how the Ahwahneechee people lived here, and how Yosemite became one of the first protected landscapes in the US; it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The walk is about 5 km on the flat.
Afternoon
Lunch is in the valley, then the early afternoon is yours. At about 4 pm we drive up past Tunnel View to Glacier Point, about 975 m above the valley floor, where Half Dome, Vernal and Nevada Falls and the high country catch the late light.
Evening
We are back in the valley for dinner on your own.
Included
- Guided walk on the Yosemite Valley floor with a local naturalist guide: Lower Yosemite Fall, Cook's Meadow, the Merced River and Swinging Bridge
- Lunch in Yosemite Valley
- Glacier Point in the late afternoon (in season)
Optional experiences
- Bike rental in Yosemite Valley
Easier option: Stay in the valley after lunch: ride the free valley shuttle, visit the Yosemite Museum, or rest, and rejoin the group for dinner.
More active option: Walk down from Glacier Point to the valley floor on the Four Mile Trail with your guide, about 7.5 km and 975 m of descent, 3 to 4 hours, instead of riding back.
Free time: Early afternoon free in the valley
Activity: Glacier Point Road is usually open from late May or June into the autumn. When it is closed we go to Tunnel View and Valley View for the evening light instead.
Tunnel View, Grant Grove and into Sequoia
Yosemite Valley to Tunnel View and Fresno, then Grant Grove in Kings Canyon and the Generals Highway into Sequoia National Park
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Sequoia National Park
- Drive about 5 h
Morning
We leave at 8 am and stop first at Tunnel View, where El Capitan, Bridalveil Fall and Half Dome line up in the morning sun. Today is one of the two longest days, about five hours of driving, because no road crosses the Sierra between Yosemite and Sequoia: we go down through the foothills and around by Fresno, about two and a half hours, with a coffee stop in Oakhurst.
Afternoon
We break the drive with a sit-down lunch in Fresno at about 11:30, then climb Highway 180 for about an hour and a quarter to Grant Grove in Kings Canyon National Park, first protected in 1890 as General Grant National Park. A short loop leads to the General Grant Tree, named the Nation's Christmas Tree in 1926, and through the Fallen Monarch, a hollow sequoia trunk you can walk inside. The last hour is on the Generals Highway, with a stop at the Kings Canyon Overlook for the view into the high country, and we reach our lodge inside the parks at about 4:30 pm for two nights.
Included
- Tunnel View in the morning
- Sit-down lunch in Fresno
- Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks entry
- Grant Grove: the General Grant Tree and the Fallen Monarch
- Kings Canyon Overlook on the Generals Highway
Free time: Evening free at the lodge
Activity: About 2 km on paved paths in Grant Grove, at about 2,000 m.
The Giant Forest
A day in the Giant Forest: General Sherman, the Congress Trail, Moro Rock and Crescent Meadow
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Sequoia National Park
- Drive about 1 h
Staying inside the parks means we reach the General Sherman Tree, a short drive from the lodge, before about 9 am, ahead of the day visitors. It is the largest known living tree on Earth by volume, about 84 m tall and more than 2,000 years old. From there the Congress Trail, a paved loop of about 3.2 km, winds through the House and Senate groups of sequoias.
Afternoon
We do not rush it: there is time to stop and look up, and if the group wants longer, your guide extends the stop and shortens the afternoon. Lunch is a picnic by a meadow in the Giant Forest, followed by the Giant Forest Museum. From the museum we ride the park shuttle along the Moro Rock and Crescent Meadow road, which is closed to vehicles over 22 feet. We climb about 350 steps to the top of Moro Rock for the view over the Great Western Divide, walk through or past Tunnel Log, a fallen sequoia cut through for the road, and stroll the edge of Crescent Meadow. We are back at the lodge by mid-afternoon, and the rest of the day is free.
Included
- The General Sherman Tree early in the morning
- The Congress Trail with your guide, extended on request
- Picnic lunch in the Giant Forest
- Giant Forest Museum
- Moro Rock and Crescent Meadow by park shuttle, with a walk through or past Tunnel Log
Easier option: Skip the Moro Rock steps and stay with the sequoias around the Giant Forest Museum and Round Meadow.
More active option: In the free late afternoon, walk the Tokopah Falls trail from Lodgepole with your guide, about 5.5 km return along the Kaweah River to a granite cliff and waterfall.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 6 km on foot in all, at about 2,000 m, with about 350 steps up Moro Rock. The Moro Rock and Crescent Meadow road is closed to vehicles over 22 feet, so we reach Moro Rock, Tunnel Log and Crescent Meadow on the park shuttle from the Giant Forest Museum; when the shuttle is not running, we use a confirmed alternative such as a smaller vehicle. We confirm before you travel.
From the big trees to the coast
Sequoia National Park down the Generals Highway to Three Rivers, then Paso Robles and Cambria
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Cambria
- Drive about 5 h
A last walk in the Giant Forest first: at about 8 am we take the Big Trees Trail, a level loop of about 1.2 km around Round Meadow, while the low sun lights the red trunks. We leave at 9 am. The Generals Highway drops about 1,400 m in a long series of bends to the Kaweah River, about an hour to Three Rivers, with a stop at Hospital Rock to see pictographs painted by the people who lived here. This is the second of the two longest days, about five hours of driving, because the parks lie far inland from the coast.
Afternoon
From Three Rivers it is about three and a half hours across the Central Valley and the coast hills, broken at Paso Robles, a wine-country town, with a sit-down lunch, then Highway 46 to Cambria. We reach Cambria at about 4 pm; the day has little slack, so stops are kept short.
Evening
Before dinner on your own, walk the boardwalk along Moonstone Beach, where the light goes gold over the Pacific.
Included
- The Big Trees Trail in the Giant Forest
- Hospital Rock pictographs
- Sit-down lunch in Paso Robles
- Moonstone Beach boardwalk in Cambria
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Cambria
Activity: Easy walking only: about 3 km in all.
Highway 1 through Big Sur
Cambria to Piedras Blancas, Big Sur and Point Lobos, then Monterey
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Monterey
- Drive about 3.5 h
We drive north at 8:30 am, and twenty minutes later stop at the Piedras Blancas viewing area, where northern elephant seals haul out on the beach below the boardwalk all year; winter and spring bring the most. From Ragged Point Highway 1 runs along the cliffs of Big Sur, with the Santa Lucia Mountains dropping straight into the sea. At Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park a short path leads to the overlook above McWay Falls, which falls about 24 m onto a cove beach.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal in Big Sur, then Bixby Creek Bridge, built in 1932 high over a canyon mouth. At Point Lobos we walk the Cypress Grove Trail among wind-bent Monterey cypress and look for sea otters and harbour seals in the coves.
Evening
We reach Monterey in the late afternoon for free time on the waterfront before a farewell dinner. If a slide closes Highway 1, we drive inland on US 101 to Monterey and see Point Lobos and Bixby Bridge from the north; McWay Falls is then lost.
Included
- Piedras Blancas elephant seal viewing area
- Highway 1 through Big Sur with your guide
- McWay Falls overlook, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
- Sit-down lunch in Big Sur
- Bixby Creek Bridge
- Point Lobos State Natural Reserve entry and the Cypress Grove Trail
- Farewell dinner in Monterey
Easier option: Stay at the McWay Falls and Bixby Bridge viewpoints, a few minutes from the van, and sit out the Point Lobos walk.
More active option: Add the South Shore Trail at Point Lobos to the Cypress Grove loop, about 5 km in all along the coves.
Free time: Late afternoon free in Monterey before dinner
Activity: About 4 km of walking in short sections on coastal paths. Big Sur is often foggy in summer mornings and clears through the day.
The Golden Gate Bridge and home
Monterey to the Golden Gate Bridge, then San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- Breakfast
- Drive about 3.5 h
Start with an early walk along the Monterey waterfront on your own, past Fisherman's Wharf and Cannery Row, where sea otters often float in the kelp just offshore. We leave at about 9:30 am and drive north through the Santa Clara Valley and the Peninsula, about two and a half hours, to the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge. This is the finale, kept for the last day so that nobody misses it to a late flight on day 1. We walk out on the bridge's sidewalk toward the south tower, high above the water at the mouth of the bay, with Alcatraz, the city and the Marin Headlands around you; the bridge opened in 1937.
Afternoon
After a quick lunch near the bridge on your own, it is about 40 minutes to San Francisco International Airport (SFO), arriving at about 2:30 pm. Your guide sees you to departures. Book a flight leaving after about 5 pm.
Included
- Walk onto the Golden Gate Bridge with your guide
- Drop-off at San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
Easier option: If your flight leaves before about 5 pm, we can drop you at SFO on the way north at about noon, and you skip the bridge walk.
Free time: Early morning free in Monterey
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 5 pm. If you are staying on in San Francisco, we can drop you downtown instead of at the airport.
- San Francisco1 night
- Yosemite National Park2 nights
- Sequoia National Park2 nights
- Cambria1 night
- Monterey1 night
- San Franciscoend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Yosemite's waterfalls are fullest in May and June and can shrink to a trickle by late August; Glacier Point Road is usually open from late May or June into the autumn. Summer days in the Central Valley often pass 35 C while park mornings at 2,000 m are cool, and the coast is often foggy from June to August. Look for mule deer and black bears in the parks, elephant seals at Piedras Blancas all year (the most in winter and spring), and sea otters and harbour seals at Point Lobos and Monterey.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want to sleep in or by the parks rather than see them on day trips
- Walkers who like 2 to 6 km a day on good paths, with a harder option on some days
- Anyone who wants park fees, lunches and the Yosemite walk settled in one price
- Solo travellers and couples who prefer hotels and lodges to camping
Not for you if you want
- Travellers who want Death Valley, Las Vegas or Los Angeles on the same trip
- Hikers looking for long trail days or Half Dome
- Those who want a city break: San Francisco gets an arrival night and a last-day bridge walk
- Travellers who need step-free access at every stop (Moro Rock and some viewpoints have steps)
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- San Francisco1 night
- Yosemite National Park2 nights
- Sequoia National Park2 nights
- Cambria1 night
- Monterey1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights: 1 in San Francisco, 2 in Yosemite Valley or at El Portal by the park gate, 2 at a lodge inside Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, 1 in Cambria and 1 in Monterey
- Hotels and park lodges of a 3-star-plus standard with private bathrooms; we name each one when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- A private air-conditioned van with seats for 14, for at most 12 guests, and a professional driver
- Park shuttles where the parks require them
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip, who leads and narrates rather than drives
- A local naturalist guide for the Yosemite Valley walk
Activities
- Entry to Yosemite National Park and to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, including the surcharge for non-US residents where it applies
- Guided Yosemite Valley walk: Lower Yosemite Fall, Cook's Meadow, the Merced River and Swinging Bridge (Yosemite)
- El Capitan Meadow, Bridalveil Fall, Tunnel View and Glacier Point in season (Yosemite)
- Grant Grove with the General Grant Tree and the Kings Canyon Overlook (Kings Canyon)
- The General Sherman Tree, the Congress Trail, the Big Trees Trail, and Moro Rock and Crescent Meadow by park shuttle with a walk through or past Tunnel Log (Sequoia)
- Moonstone Beach (Cambria)
- Piedras Blancas elephant seal viewing area (San Simeon)
- McWay Falls and Bixby Creek Bridge on Highway 1 (Big Sur)
- Point Lobos State Natural Reserve entry (Carmel)
- Walk onto the Golden Gate Bridge (San Francisco)
Meals
- 7 breakfasts
- 6 lunches on days 2 to 7: sit-down lunches, plus a picnic in the Giant Forest
- Welcome dinner in San Francisco and farewell dinner in Monterey
Not included
- International flights to and from San Francisco
- ESTA or US visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Lunches on days 1 and 8; dinners on days 2 to 6 and day 8
- Drinks
- Tips for your guide and driver (optional; guidance sent with your booking)
- Optional activities such as Alcatraz, bike rental in Yosemite or the Monterey Bay Aquarium
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 725 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Seven nights in hotels and park lodges, 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 2 dinners, airport transfers at SFO, a private van with a driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, entry to Yosemite and to Sequoia and Kings Canyon with the non-resident surcharge where it applies, the guided Yosemite Valley walk, Point Lobos entry and every visit in the day plan.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests in a van with seats for 14, so there is room for day packs and everyone can hear the guide on the trails and at the viewpoints.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group for all 8 days, with a separate professional driver so the guide can talk rather than drive. In Yosemite a local naturalist guide leads the valley walk. We name your guide when we confirm your dates.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderate. Most days have 2 to 6 km of walking on flat or paved trails at up to about 2,200 m. The hardest part is about 350 steps up Moro Rock, which you can skip. The optional Four Mile Trail descent from Glacier Point is the one demanding walk.
I am travelling solo. Do I pay a single supplement?
Only if you want a room of your own, which is from CAD 725 more. If you would rather share, ask when you book and we will try to pair you with another solo guest at the twin-share price. Solo travellers get the same seat, meals and guide as everyone else.
When is the best time to go?
May to October. May and June bring Yosemite's waterfalls at their fullest; July and August are warm in the parks and often foggy on the coast; September and October are quieter, with the falls lower. Glacier Point Road usually opens from late May or June.
Are park fees and the new non-resident fee included?
Yes. Entry to Yosemite and to Sequoia and Kings Canyon is in the price, including the surcharge on visitors who are not US residents where the parks charge it, and so is Point Lobos. You will not pay anything at a park gate.
How long are the drives?
Most days are under four hours. The two longest days, Yosemite to Sequoia and Sequoia to the coast, are about five hours each, because no road crosses the Sierra between the parks and the parks lie far inland. Both are broken by a sit-down lunch and a walk. Big Sur is about three and a half hours with many stops.
Why does the trip not include Death Valley?
Death Valley adds at least one very long driving day and is extremely hot from May to September. We use those days for two nights in each park and the Big Sur coast instead. If you want Death Valley, ask for a private trip and we can quote an extension.
What if Highway 1 through Big Sur is closed?
We drive inland instead. If a slide closes Highway 1 between Cambria and Big Sur, we go north on US 101 to Monterey, then visit Point Lobos and drive a short way south to Bixby Creek Bridge. McWay Falls and the southern Big Sur coast are lost that day. We check road closures before departure and tell you of any change.
Do I need a visa?
Canadian citizens need only a valid passport. Most visitors from Visa Waiver countries need an approved ESTA before flying, and others need a US visa. We do not arrange these, so apply well before you travel.
How does booking work, and can we choose our own dates?
Pick a small-group date and request to book: we confirm within 24 hours and take no payment until then. Hotel names, airport pick-up windows and the day plan come with your confirmation and again about 7 days before you travel. For your own dates, choose the private trip, or ask from the dates section for an independent quote.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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