Travel itinerary:

We will tailor your private custom tour itinerary to your special needs and expectations so you can make the most of your vacation. There is no bad time to visit Lake Tahoe–it is a mecca for year-round outdoor activities and offers endless attractions for all ages, regardless the season, making it the perfect destination to create lifelong vacation memories. For a vacation destination, Tahoe has it all to satisfy the whole family… a destination that offers endless entertainment options with indoor and outdoor activities to amuse travelers of all ages.
During summer, you may go sightseeing, swimming, take a thrilling whitewater rafting outdoor adventure, kayaking, jet skiing, parasailing, paragliding, boating, sunset dinner cruises, hiking, cycling, boating, air tours (hot air balloon or helicopter tours), and water sports are popular among the many other options and outdoor activities.
In winter, Lake Tahoe is a wonderland and a paradise for winter sightseeing and sports activities for skiers, nature lovers, photographers, skating, snow tubing and sledding, snowmobile adventures, ski lessons, sightseeing tours for visitors who wish to discover more of California’s attractions and Nevada’s Wild West sights including Reno, Carson City or Virginia City.

Day 1 – Suggested Private Tour Itinerary

Your passionate and knowledgeable tour guide will meet and greet you in the lobby of your hotel in San Francisco Bay Area, and will head east towards Yosemite National Park, via San Francisco Bay Bridge. You will first drive through California’s Central Valley, the state’s agricultural hub, which is America’s top fruit and vegetable producer. Farming is a large part of the economy here and Central Valley has a family tradition of farming handed down from generation to generation. You will discover year-round harvesting activities, regardless of the season. The valley is always green and you can stop at a fruit barn or a fruit stand and buy berries, strawberries, blueberries, cherries, peaches, walnuts pistachios, tomatoes, garlic and many more. Or you can stop for breakfast in Central Valley, which is located 2 hours’ drive from San Francisco. There are many interesting areas, towns and large malls in Central Valley where your driver will schedule a stop or two, for you to purchase items you may need for the trip (food, clothes, sunglasses, vegetables, fruit and drinks). You can even find a pharmacy in the mall as well. Please let us know in advance if you suffer from motion sickness or have issues with heights and elevation. Some people underestimate this aspect and end up visiting only 50% of the sights,as they have to make an excessive

Day 2 – Suggested Private Trip Itinerary

After breakfast (not included in the tour price), get ready for a truly fulfilling journey from Yosemite National Park to Lake Tahoe. Yosemite National Park is the crown jewel of California and one of the top 10 must-see National Parks in the world.
Glacier Point. Embark on a new journey and outdoor adventure that will take you up to the high country to visit Glacier Point, a spectacular overlook thatoffers stupendous views of the Yosemite Valley, waterfalls, wild meadows and the high sierra peaks. This legendary site was visited by iconic figures like Teddy Roosevelt, John Muir Woods, Ansel Adams, and became an icon for photographers and nature lovers.
Located on the south wall above Yosemite Valley, Glacier Point is an exhilarating experience. Visitors, who make their way to the high country of Glacier Point, will be mesmerized for hours by the sweeping, breathtaking views of the Sierra Nevada mountains and alpine vistas.
Glacier Point road, which provides the only access by car to this amazing overlook, usually opens around late May or early June, depending on weather conditions and closes by September or October.
Some attractions within the Yosemite National Park are seasonal like Tuolumne Meadows, Tioga Pass, Glacier Point and the Yosemite groves of sequoias. These sites are closed in winter, so we use alternative routes,with additional attractions and side trips to other locations and sights in Tahoe and Yosemite. For instance, when Tioga Pass and Glacier Point are closed, we offer you alternative sites that may include a walking tour to places like Mirror Lake loop(seasonal mostly in spring).This is a fairly easyfamily-oriented hike – the lake offers beautiful reflections of surrounding rocks and cliffs in the water. This isone of thebest meadows of Yosemite wilderness to spot wildlife like bears, and a mecca for photographers. Take a hike to one of Yosemite’s majestic falls and enjoy spectacular views.
Afterwards, we will head to one of the Yosemite groves of giant sequoias (the largest known trees living on earth),unless this has been already done on day 1. These massive and ancient giant sequoias live in three groves in Yosemite National Park. Your tour guide will drive to one of the best groves of giant sequoias based on road and weather conditions (weather permitting), and will hike with you to marvel at these ancient sequoias. This hike is usually a 1 to 2-hour round trip loop of around 2.1 miles (3.1 km). The difficulty rating is about 6 out of 10, which makes it accessible to most visitors who can walk or hike. It can be a bit challenging to some visitors, with a steady climb at the end on the way back to the parking lot.
California Gold Country: When Tioga Pass road(located between Yosemite and the Eastern Sierra where a major highway leads to Tahoe) is closed due to heavy snow that may start as early as October and remains closed until June or July, we will drive through the infamous, yet legendary, California Gold Country on day 2 and day 3 of your adventure.
California Gold Country’s main back road is Highway 49.It is guaranteed to satisfy your wanderlust with a Western and Wild West spirit – a true gateway to exploring many historic mining communities of the 1849 California gold rush.During California’s Gold Rush, over 25 million ounces of gold were mined from the Sierra Nevada foothills. The discovery of gold in 1848 sparked the largest mass migration in U.S. history, with more than 300,000 pioneers heading west this region of California.
Let us take you back in time to the days of California Gold Country era and show you the most authentic gold mining towns and villages along the way as we head north to Lake Tahoe. This back road is a great road trip that will take you to the warm sunny side of California lush valleys, pristine meadows, green hillsides at the Sierra foothills, a picturesque winding road through hills dotted with oak trees and farmhouses and vineyards. We will drive for about 3 to 4 hours before we get to South Lake Tahoe area before sunset(depending on weather and traffic conditions), where we will drop you off at your hotel at Lake Tahoe. You will experience Lake Tahoe nightlife and enjoy one of the many venues available at your hotel or in thearea, including diverse shows catering for all tastes, or elegant restaurants for dining with views of Lake Tahoe. There are all kinds of entertainment and venues in Lake Tahoe’s casinos and ski villages and resorts.

Day 3 Itinerary:

What can you expect from this outdoor adventure on the 3rd day? After your breakfast (not included in the tour price), your tour guide will meet you in the lobby of your hotel to organize and customize your last day trip, based on your preference and special request. The tour guide will suggest various options and sightseeing tours. Some activities may require reservations in advance, so please discuss this on day one with your tour guide so he or she can make the required reservations. These activities include snowmobile rental, a helicopter air tour, boat charter or booking a cruise ship tour on the Lake. Most other activities such as skiing or sightseeing, does not necessarily need a prior arrangement or reservation. Your tour guide will be on hand to assist you in this regard.

Regardless of the season, you will always enjoy a scenic drive that takes you around Lake Tahoe. There will be stunning photo stops along the way as you drive around Lake Tahoe where you can capture beautiful landscapes, fantastic waterfalls, state parks, majestic alpine vistas and spectacular sights.

In summer and the fall, Lake Tahoe visitors can explore both shores of Lake Tahoe -the California and Nevada side. Many stop scan be scheduled along Lake Tahoe state beaches to swim, enjoy one of the water sports adventures, take a helicopter ride over Lake Tahoe Basin, or any other outdoor activities you may choose (these optional attractions and activities are not included the tour package).
In winter, Lake Tahoe offers endless activities and outdoor adventures based at one of Tahoe’s top ski resorts like Heavenly, Sierra, Alpine meadows, North Star, or Squaw Valley Ski Resort. This includes skiing, snowboarding or renting a snowmobile.

You may also take the famous gondola at Heavenly Ski Resort in South Lake Tahoe or the Aerial Tram at Squaw Valley, all the way up to the high country and enjoy stunning views of the entire Lake Tahoe region. Take in the spectacular views or play in the snow, rent a snowmobile, go tubing or sledding with your friends, kids and family, take a ski lesson package with ski lift tickets and ski rental equipment included, go to snowshoe, go shopping at the local charming boutiques, or at one of the largest shopping outlets in Northern California. Couples may enjoy a romantic getaway and go for wine tasting, hit the slots or tables at the friendly South Lake Tahoe famous Casinos, or take a romantic cruise ship dinner on Lake Tahoe anytime of the year. There are many more options which your tour guide will be offering you.
Sit back, relax, enjoy the views and leave the driving and guiding to us. You will return to your hotel or home in San Francisco late afternoon around 6 or 7pm.
When the pick-up and drop-off are outside of San Francisco, the time and length of the tour may be reduced accordingly, as we are based in San Francisco Bay Area.

Included: All applicable taxes, as well as pick-up and drop-off in San Francisco Bay Area. Enjoy 3 days of Yosemite National Park and Lake Tahoe private guided tour in a luxury vehicle. State park entrance fee tolls, parking valets and ski resort parking fees are all included in your tour price, as well as hotel accommodation,if you chose our tour package with hotel. We include a three-star hotel based on availability. If you wish to upgrade and enjoy a more luxurious hotel or resort, we recommend that you book your own hotel accommodation as we do not work on commission.

Not included: Our Tahoe tour prices do not include your meals, ski resort rental equipment, ski resort lift tickets and resort fees, ski lessons, overtime, any site or attraction fees, optional activities, features, optional tours or excursions. Driver’s gratuity is not included(15% tip is customary in the US).

Tips for visitors and hikers

– If you are subject to car or motion sickness, please consider asking your doctor for recommended medication. Some visitors underestimate this aspect and end up visiting only 50% of the tour as they suffer from this or altitude sickness and make an excessive number of stops along the way. Please consult your doctor and ensure you have the appropriate medication in advance.
– Consider leaving unnecessary luggage at your hotel and travel light so you have more room in the vehicle.
– Wear clothes and shoes suitable for walking and hiking (Snow shoes in winter are recommended, and a swimsuit to enjoy the hotel’s swimming pool and hot tub).
– Bring sunscreen, bug spray, extra memory cards, and batteries for your camera (if applicable).
– Warm layers for cooler weather and a raincoat for summer showers.
– Drink lots of water due to the high altitude and don’t hike alone, as we offer fully-guided tours.
– We are not responsible for injuries or accidents that may occur during this trip, in or out of Yosemite National Park. Please read our terms and conditions for more information.
-Expect rugged terrain with narrow, steep, and very curvy hiking trails to the sequoias. Also, be prepared for a downhill hike and then back uphill to the parking lot. The trail is very steep right at the beginning on the way back up but mellows out as you get closer to the parking lot. It depends on the grove your driver will choose for you, but they all require hiking. The elevation at the trail head of both top groves is about 6,200 feet (1,860 meters). The most popular is the Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias, the distance is about 2.5 miles (4 km) round trip and takes about 1.5 – 2 hours of hiking, and recommended for everybody who can hike including kids.
-California Gold Country: When Tioga Pass road (located between Yosemite and the Eastern Sierra where a major highway leads to Tahoe)is closed due to heavy snow that may start as early as October until about June or July, we will drive through the infamous, yet legendary, California Gold Country on day 2 and day 3 of your adventure.
-Please note that we may start in Lake Tahoe first, and then head to Yosemite National Park or vice versa.This will depend on the hotels’ availability, the season,the weather and road conditions. We do not work on commission, so you are welcome to book your own hotel, but if you don’t want to deal with these details, we can take care of that on your behalf when you choose the option ‘hotel included’ from our shopping cart.

Hotel Reservation:

To keep costs down, we charge each guest only about $100 per night,for a three-star hotel in and around Yosemite Valley area, based on availability. However, if you have high expectations of the hotel accommodation, and wish to upgrade, we recommend that you choose your own hotel and book it directly with the required resort or hotel. The Majestic hotel (the former Awhanhee) is the only 4-star hotel in the Yosemite Valley where a suite may go from $600 to$1200 per night based on availability and the season. Please note that there are a very limited number of hotels in Yosemite, and they are often sold out 6 to 12 months in advance, so the sooner you book the better. However, we often manage to get a hotel reservation nearby Yosemite Valley, in one of the small resort or motel style hotels in the area,for reservations closer to the tour date.

Yosemite -Tahoe 3-Day Tour Prices

For a party of 7 people or less, we recommend the SUV option unless you have too much luggage.
This SUV tour is totally private and the price is posted online is per person.

This SUV tour is totally private and the price is per person. You can either book your own hotel or choose the option “accommodation included”

Our Terms, Refund and Cancellation Policy are as follows: