Wine and Gourmet Tour California

Independent journey to Zurich Airport. Direct flight with SWISS to San Francisco. Transfer to the centrally located Beacon Grand Hotel****, in the immediate vicinity of Union Square. Dinner in a local restaurant.

The morning begins with a fascinating guided city tour. Experience the magical charm of San Francisco up close, beginning at Union Square. You will pass Lombard Street with its hairpin bends and lovely planting, and ride the historic cable cars, those world-famous rattling cable trams, for which the journey over the city's steep hills becomes a real adventure. You will also see the vibrant heart of Chinatown. The tour ends at Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39, where you can get to know the lively harbour district with its famous sunbathing sea lions and fresh seafood. Lunch awaits you here. Afterwards, our wine expert will introduce you to the secrets of California's wines in a wine course, including a small wine tasting: 'Welcome to the Golden State of Wine!' The rest of the afternoon is yours to explore. Dinner is at your own leisure. Overnight stay at the Beacon Grand Hotel****.

Excursion to Muir Woods National Monument. This well-known protected area lies just under 15 kilometres north of San Francisco. It protects one of the last remaining primeval forests of coast redwoods, which are among the tallest tree species on Earth. Admire these giants on a walk, as they intercept most of the sunlight. In their shade, a specialised mix of other conifers and broadleaf trees develops. Continue to Sausalito, a picturesque coastal town directly north of the Golden Gate Bridge, known for its artists' colony, colourful houseboats and the magnificent view of the San Francisco skyline. Stroll through the town and take time for a free lunch. This is followed by a ferry ride from Sausalito back to San Francisco. Enjoy an unforgettable front-row seat on the sparkling San Francisco Bay. As the ship glides gently across the water, the historic prison island of Alcatraz drifts majestically past. On the horizon, the Golden Gate Bridge stretches across the bay in all its full, orange splendour, perfectly completing this spectacular panorama. Dinner together in San Francisco. Overnight stay at the Beacon Grand Hotel****.

You leave San Francisco and drive to Napa Valley, the world-renowned heart of California's winemaking, famed above all for its first-class, powerful Cabernet Sauvignons as well as outstanding Chardonnays and Merlots. The round of wine tastings begins in St. Helena at the Heitz Cellar Winery with a guided tour, tasting and lunchtime snack. This traditional winery impresses with its long-lived, elegant single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons. Continue to the Napa Valley Marriott Hotel****. Dinner at your own leisure.

The day begins with a scenic drive through Napa Valley. It reveals a picture-postcard landscape of endless, gently rolling vineyards, historic stone buildings and magnificent oak trees, framed by the picturesque backdrop of the Mayacamas Mountains. In late morning you reach the winery of Swiss winemaker Donald Hess, Hess Persson Estates. Here you will be welcomed for a visit, wine tasting and lunchtime snack. The elegant Cabernet Sauvignons and Chardonnays come from the high, volcanic soils of Mount Veeder. The Swiss pioneer Donald Hess revolutionised the wine region by recognising the enormous potential of viticulture in the rugged mountain sites of Napa Valley, and by combining art with winemaking there. The rest of the day is at your free disposal. Overnight stay at the Napa Valley Marriott Hotel****.

Today you will visit the nearby, sunny Sonoma Valley. A culinary paradise which, besides its world-class wines such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, is also known for first-class, artisan cheeses. Thanks to the Mediterranean climate, centuries-old olive trees also thrive in the region, from which award-winning, native olive oils are pressed on site. Visit with tasting at an olive oil mill. You will see the traditional press and learn the differences between extra virgin olive oils, infused oils and balsamic vinegars. Later you visit a cheese dairy directly on the historic Sonoma Plaza. Take a look behind the scenes and enjoy extensive tastings of California's cheeses. A subsequent visit to a cooperage gives you a close look at the fascinating traditional craft in which master coopers shape the fine barrique casks for later wine maturation from solid oak, using fire and precise bending. Dinner together in a local Michelin-starred restaurant. Overnight stay at the Napa Valley Marriott Hotel****.

In the morning you drive to Sonoma. At the Ridge Lytton Springs winery you will enjoy a guided tour with wine tasting and lunchtime snack. The vines of Ridge Lytton Springs thrive in California's Dry Creek Valley on nutrient-poor, stony soils of silica-rich clay (gravelly clay), which hold moisture excellently and give the vines a natural balance. In the afternoon, drive to Napa and visit the Oxbow Public Market. A lively market hall, perfect for handmade cheese, fresh oysters, local coffee and also for souvenirs. Dinner is at your own leisure. Overnight stay at the Napa Valley Marriott Hotel****.

Today you leave Napa Valley. You drive into the Santa Cruz Mountains to the Thomas Fogarty Winery. Visit, tasting and lunchtime snack at the winery with a magnificent view. The winery is particularly known for its elegant, terroir-driven Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, which thrive in the cool high elevations of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Afterwards, continue to Half Moon Bay & Pigeon Point Lighthouse. You stop at the dramatic cliffs of Half Moon Bay. A little further south stands the historic Pigeon Point Lighthouse, one of the tallest lighthouses in the USA. Continue to Monterey. Dinner at your own leisure. Overnight stay at the Portola Hotel & Spa, Monterey****.

Today is a day full of highlights. First you follow the famous 17-Mile Drive, which winds along the rugged coast of the Monterey Peninsula and fascinates with dramatic views of the Pacific, majestic golf courses and landmarks such as the legendary 'Lone Cypress'. After this scenic drive, the glamorous Pebble Beach invites you to an elegant aperitif overlooking the crashing sea, before continuing to the idyllic artists' town of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Here you stroll through the picturesque lanes lined with boutiques, straight down to the powder-white sandy beach framed by cypress trees, for a relaxing walk. At the wine bar of Wrath Wines comes a final wine tasting with lunchtime snack. Later you immerse yourself deep in Spanish colonial history and the peaceful gardens of the historic, beautifully restored Mission San Carlos Borromeo. A town walk through Monterey rounds off this eventful day. Dinner together at a local restaurant. Overnight stay at the Portola Hotel & Spa, Monterey****.

Free day. Reflect on the whole journey and decide on your highlight of the tour before a transfer through Silicon Valley to San Francisco Airport. In the evening, direct return flight with SWISS to Switzerland.

Landing in Zurich in the afternoon and independent journey home.

Minimum 12, maximum 25 people