Wine and Gourmet Tour of California

Make your own way to Zurich Airport. Direct flight with SWISS to San Francisco. Transfer to the centrally located Beacon Grand Hotel****, close to Union Square. Dinner in a local restaurant.

The morning begins with a fascinating guided city tour. Experience the magic of San Francisco first-hand, starting at Union Square. You will pass Lombard Street with its hairpin bends and beautiful planting, and ride the historic cable cars, those world-famous, rattling cable trams that turn a journey over the city's steep hills into a real adventure. You will also see the vibrant heart of Chinatown.

The tour ends at Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39. Get to know the lively harbour district with its famous sunbathing sea lions and freshly caught seafood. Lunch awaits you here. Afterwards, our wine expert will introduce you to the secrets of Californian wines in a wine course, including a small wine tasting: «Welcome to the Golden State of Wine!» The rest of the afternoon is free for your own discoveries. Dinner is at your own arrangement. Overnight at the Beacon Grand Hotel****.

Excursion to Muir Woods National Monument, a well-known conservation area just under 15 kilometres north of San Francisco. It protects one of the last remaining ancient forests of coast redwoods, which are among the tallest tree species on earth. Take a stroll and marvel at these giants, which capture most of the sunlight. In their shade, a specialised mix of other coniferous and deciduous trees thrives. Continue to Sausalito, a picturesque coastal town just north of the Golden Gate Bridge, known for its artists' colony, colourful houseboats and magnificent view of the San Francisco skyline.

Stroll through the town and take time for lunch at your leisure. A ferry ride from Sausalito back to San Francisco follows. Enjoy an unforgettable front-row view of the glittering San Francisco Bay. As the boat glides gently through the water, the historic prison island of Alcatraz passes majestically by. On the horizon, the Golden Gate Bridge spans the bay in all its orange splendour, perfectly completing this spectacular panorama. Dinner together in San Francisco. Overnight at the Beacon Grand Hotel****.

You leave San Francisco and drive to the Napa Valley, the world-renowned heart of Californian winemaking, famous above all for its first-class, powerful Cabernet Sauvignons as well as outstanding Chardonnays and Merlots. The series of wine tastings begins in St. Helena at the Heitz Cellar Winery with a tour, tasting and light lunch. This traditional winery delights with its long-lived, elegant single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons. Continue to the Hotel Napa Valley Marriott****. Dinner at leisure.

The day begins with a scenic drive through the Napa Valley. It reveals a postcard landscape of endless, gently rolling vineyards, historic stone wineries and magnificent oak trees, framed by the picturesque backdrop of the Mayacamas Mountains. In the late morning you reach the winery of the Swiss vintner Donald Hess, Hess Persson Estates. A tour, wine tasting and light lunch await you here.

The elegant Cabernet Sauvignons and Chardonnays come from the high-altitude 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 the Napa Valley and combining art with winemaking there. Rest of the day at leisure. Overnight at the Hotel Napa Valley Marriott****.

Today the nearby, sunny Sonoma Valley awaits you. A culinary paradise, known not only for its internationally acclaimed wines such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but also for first-class artisan cheeses. Thanks to the Mediterranean climate, centuries-old olive trees also flourish in the region, and award-winning extra virgin olive oils are pressed locally. Visit and tasting at an olive oil mill. You will see the traditional pressing equipment and learn about the differences between extra virgin olive oils, infused oils and balsamic vinegars.

Later you visit a cheese dairy right on the historic Sonoma Plaza. Take a look behind the scenes and enjoy generous tastings of Californian cheeses. On a subsequent visit to a cooperage you will experience first-hand the fascinating traditional craft, in which master coopers shape the fine barrique barrels for later wine maturation from solid oak using fire and precise bending. Dinner together in a local Michelin-starred restaurant. Overnight at the Hotel Napa Valley Marriott****.

In the morning you drive to Sonoma. At the Ridge Lytton Springs winery you will enjoy a tour with wine tasting and a light lunch. The vines of Ridge Lytton Springs thrive in California's Dry Creek Valley on nutrient-poor, barren soils of silica-rich clay (gravelly clay), which retain moisture superbly 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 souvenirs. Dinner is at your own arrangement. Overnight at the Hotel Napa Valley Marriott****.

Today you leave the Napa Valley. You drive into the Santa Cruz Mountains to the Thomas Fogarty Winery. Visit, tasting and light lunch at the winery with its wonderful views. The winery is particularly known for its elegant, terroir-driven Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, which thrive in the cool high altitudes of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Next it's on 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 leisure. Overnight at the Portola Hotel & Spa, Monterey****.

Today's programme is full of highlights. You first 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 elegant Pebble Beach invites you to a refined aperitif overlooking the roaring sea, before you continue to the idyllic artists' town of Carmel-by-the-Sea.

Here you stroll through picturesque, boutique-lined lanes straight down to the powder-white sandy beach framed by cypress trees for a relaxing walk. At the Wrath Wines wine bar, a final wine tasting follows with a light lunch. Later, in the historic, beautifully restored Mission San Carlos Borromeo, you delve deep into California's Spanish colonial history and its peaceful gardens. A walking tour of Monterey completes this eventful day. Farewell dinner together in a local restaurant. Overnight at the Portola Hotel & Spa, Monterey****.

Day at leisure. Let the whole journey pass in review and choose your own 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 individual journey home.

Minimum 12, maximum 25 persons