California Overview
Stretching some 1,288km (800 miles) North to South, California offers a huge diversity of landscapes, from Yosemite National Park and the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the north to Channel islands National Park and Joshua Tree National Park in the South. Explore its exciting cities – ride a cable car to attractions in sophisticated San Francisco, head to the zoo or go shopping in sunny San Diego and discover the famous film and TV industry in glamorous Los Angeles. Discover palm tree lined Beverly Hills boulevards with enormous mansions; sunny beach boardwalks with funfairs and rollerbladers, scenic highways skirting dramatic coastal drop-offs, and secluded paths meandering through groves of giant redwood trees.
California oozes culture, style, and sophistication. The state has its own genre of cuisine, the nation’s top wine region, and a very long list of cool, relaxed beaches and hideaways that warrant a lingering visit. It’s for these reasons that California occupies the imagination of the entire world.
We offer all types of holidays in California, which can be tailor-made to suit your interests, timeframe and budget. Whether your interest is in driving one of the world’s most scenic roads – Highway 1, on an independent self-drive, hiking the John Muir Trail, or marvelling at the scenery on an escorted tour, we can help you experience California in a way that suits you.
California Highlights
San Francisco and The Golden Gate Bridge
One of the most beautiful cities in America, San Francisco should be on everyone’s must-see list. The ocean and hills provide a stunning natural setting, but the quaint neighborhoods, historic sites, green spaces, inspiring cultural institutions, and relaxed attitude are what truly make this city special. The iconic Golden Gate Bridge is one of the key sights and what many people call to mind when they think of the city, and even California.
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park in Northern California is one of the United States’ most scenic and most visited national parks. The mountains, valleys, rivers, and spectacular waterfalls have drawn tourists for decades. Most of the key sights and things to do in Yosemite National Park are in Yosemite Valley. Carved by glaciers during the last ice age, the granite walls and huge waterfalls are some of the most outstanding features in the park. This is where you’ll find the big name attractions, like Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, and El Capitan.
Disneyland
Disneyland, located in Anaheim, is California’s premier family destination and has been for decades. This massive amusement park is home to all kinds of rides, games, shows, and entertainment, complete with restaurants and hotels.
Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park contains some of California’s most inhospitable terrain, with extreme heat that has left this desert area strangely beautiful. Salt fields, dry parched land, sand dunes, mountains, and a lake that lies below sea level create a unique landscape in this remote valley.
Big Sur
This beautiful stretch along the Central Coast of California offers a chance for visitors to get back to nature. Camping and hiking are two of the most popular activities in the area, and Garrapata State Park and Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park are some of the best places for these pursuits.
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe lies high in the Sierra Nevada mountain range and is a popular year-round destination. The blue lake, with it’s turquoise coves and surrounding mountain scenery, is a summer playground for boaters, beach goers, campers, and nature lovers. You’ll find outstanding hiking trails for all abilities in the mountains and along the shoreline.
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
Home to the largest trees on earth, a visit to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks is a bucket-list event. The sequoias here are the largest living things in the world, and many of them are more than 2,000 years old, with some even over 3,000 years old. These adjacent parks cover an area of mountains with majestic granite peaks, deep gorges, lakes, rivers, and forests, but they are quite different from each other. If you are planning on visiting both parks, you will need at least a couple of days.
Joshua Tree National Park
This park is truly a jewel in the desert. The Joshua trees bring a type of magic to this otherwise lunar-like landscape, where giant boulders and rock formations create unique shapes that capture the imagination. The park covers 800,000 acres and offers a range of diverse sites that include much more than just the Joshua trees. The Cholla Cactus Garden, where chollas stretch out endlessly along the hillside to the mountains beyond, the ruins of the historic Keys Ranch, the giant palms of the Lost Palms Oasis, and the vista from over 5,000 feet at Keys View are just some of the highlights.
Best Time to Visit California
The weather in California is beautiful, and it really is a year-round destination. California’s climate is Mediterranean-style with warm, dry summers and mild, damp winters. Along the coast the average temperature through the year is 21°C, and it gets up to 27°C in summer. North of Monterey you might get some fog along the coast in the mornings and evenings. Inland the temperatures are more extreme and in the mountains winters get cold and snowy.