Top California Culture - page 3

Enjoy easy skip-the-line access to the California Academy of Sciences with this pre-paid ticket. Walk right in to explore the museum's 4-story rainforest, planetarium, and aquarium, plus the new Tiny Chef, Big Impact exhibit celebrating small actions for the planet.

See paintings, sculptures, photography, and more from the world’s top modern and contemporary artists at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, located near Union Square. This general admission ticket grants access to all seven floors featuring more than 30,000 pieces, the largest living wall in the US, outdoor gardens, and six terraces. Recharge at onsite restaurants or browse the gift shop during your visit.

Enjoy a different perspective and admire San Francisco and its surrounding sights from the water on a San Francisco Bay sailing cruise. Onboard a catamaran, sail past the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, legendary Alcatraz Island, and the hamlet of Sausalito. Take advantage of great photo ops while you soak up the sea breeze during this scenic tour.

Spend an evening gourmet wining and dining aboard the ‘Spirit of San Diego,’ enjoying top-notch food and drink while you soak up skyline views. During this San Diego dinner cruise, you sip a complimentary cocktail and enjoy live on-board entertainment as you cruise 25 miles of California’s coastline and gaze at the stars above.

Experience the magic of Hollywood and see where your favorite movies were made during this guided tour of Warner Bros. Studio. Join your guide and a small group to explore back-lot sets and sound stages, see the famous Central Perk cafe from “Friends,” and learn about green-screen technology. For a grand finale, become a part of your favorite DC Universe and Harry Potter movies on recreated sets.

Explore Sonoma Valley wine on a small-group tasting tour from San Francisco to boutique wineries, making sightseeing stops along the way. Cross the Golden Gate Bridge, enter Sonoma's rolling landscape of golden hills and vineyards, and enjoy a series of guided tastings, learning about Sonoma wine varietals and terroir as you sip. After your time in Sonoma, pause in the artists' colony of Sausalito, with the option to return to San Francisco by ferry for great views across the San Francisco Bay.

Cars are mostly banned on Catalina Island, and trying to see the highlights of the island’s vibrant harbor area on foot is a recipe for blisters. On this express private tour, visit coastal Avalon by chauffeured golf cart, covering more sights in less time than you could on your own. Along the way, learn about the island’s history and unique lifestyles of its few thousand residents.

Come aboard the Privateer, your sailboat for the evening, for a a scenic small-group cruise along the San Francisco Bay. As you set off on the water, you'll enjoy sightseeing at the most beautiful time of day—sunset. Coast along and look out for local landmarks like Alcatraz, the Sausalito shoreline, and the Golden Gate Bridge, all with two drinks of choice in your hand.

Savor the best of Napa and Sonoma wine country with ease on this full-day tour from San Francisco. Cross the Golden Gate Bridge, enjoy scenic photo stops, and visit renowned wineries in Napa and Sonoma. Taste award-winning wines, explore charming Sonoma Plaza, and discover gems that can include Artesa Winery and Madonna Estate. Enjoy guided commentary, round-trip transport, and tastings, making this tour a relaxing and memorable one.

Join this group walking tour that takes you all the way to the Hollywood sign in a short amount of time. You’ll still get a great walk in, with a few photo spots with great views thrown in there too. Your guide will tell you loads of stories about Tinsel Town and what makes Hollywood the special place it is. Meet your guide and group at the designated spot, and start your hike to the famous Hollywood sign.

See the L.A. coast from a private helicopter with a 30-minute, narrated flight from Long Beach, and take in California’s most iconic vistas. Watch for surfers as you soar over the breaks at Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, and the Port of Long Beach. Glide past iconic landmarks like the Queen Mary and the Battleship USS Iowa Museum. Admire the natural beauty of Abalone Cove Shoreline Park as well as cliffs, caves, and waves along Palos Verdes.

Follow your guide on the easiest route to reach the Hollywood Sign on this narrated walking tour. All ages are welcome, so bring the entire family. Make sure your cameras are charged for taking shots of views of the Pacific Ocean, Santa Monica Beach, the Hollywood Reservoir, the Hollywood Sign itself, and much more. Ask your guide for any other LA tips if you like, too.

Ride a double-decker sightseeing bus to San Francisco's most famous landmarks with a hop-on hop-off bus pass valid for 24 or 48 hours. Visit big-name attractions such as Pier 39, the Palace of Fine Arts, and Union Square. Explore at your own pace, hopping off at any of 17 stops. Add-on options include Aquarium by the Bay admission, a digital Chinatown walking tour, a panoramic sunset tour, and a half-day wine tour

Taste your way through San Francisco's Chinatown, and discover its rich culture, on this walking food tour with a small group. Explore the roads less-taken, and enjoy five different tastings, which can include dim sum, roast duck, and more. Along the way, hear interesting stories about the history of the neighborhood.

Explore some of the best eats in the Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego—and learn insider facts and stories about its sordid past—on this two-in-one, small-group walking tour. Join an expert guide who has the inside scoop on the district's hopping restaurant and bar scene. Sample delicious dishes at several eateries, sip drinks, and learn about the neighborhood's past as a notorious red-light district.

If you are a first-time visitor to Los Angeles, this small-group tour is an excellent way to see the city. Starting at the Dolby Theater, you'll visit the highlights of LA and Hollywood, as well as a few unexpected, lesser-known spots. Your guide is a skilled photographer and will take fantastic photos of you at the best spots.

Get an overview of San Francisco's city sights and its nearby nature in one convenient tour. Learn about the city's neighborhoods from a Bay Area local, discovering spots you might otherwise miss. See the stunning redwood trees in Muir Woods National Monument, snap photos at Golden Gate Bridge, and enjoy free time to explore the waterfront at Sausalito.

Enjoy two quintessential experiences when you visit Alcatraz Island and cruise the San Francisco Bay—and make exploring simple—with this convenient tour package. First, depart from Pier 33 to Alcatraz Island; after a ranger talk, you can explore at your own pace with an audio guide. Upon returning to the mainland, hop aboard your next cruise from Pier 39 and look forward to getting up close and personal with the Golden Gate Bridge.

Explore Tijuana, Mexico, without getting lost on this day trip from San Diego, a great choice for first-time visitors. Visit cultural attractions, sample authentic Mexican street food at a sidewalk taco stand, and do some shopping and sightseeing. Opt to walk or take public transportation and experience the city like a local. Your guide can suggest stops and adapt the itinerary to fit the needs of the group.

If you fancy yourself a foodie or culture enthusiast, don’t miss this walking tour of San Francisco’s Little Italy—the neighborhood of North Beach. Voted one of the 15 best foodie tours in the USA by U.S. News, join an insider guide and experience a slice of the top things to do in North Beach, such as tasting coffee and witnessing bread being freshly made. Soak up the lively atmosphere of one of the city’s most popular districts as you learn about its cafes and bakeries and see landmarks like Saints Peter and Paul Church.

See the L.A. coast from the sky with an exciting, 15-minute private helicopter tour from Long Beach. Swoop above the iconic Queen Mary ocean liner, hover over downtown Long Beach and see the imposing Battleship Iowa moored in the city's bustling port. Enjoy seaward views of Catalina Island and the curving Pacific coastline before touching back to Earth at the Long Beach helipad.

Enjoy the special opportunity to explore the only publicly accessible battleship on the West Coast—and learn all about its wealth of history—when you book advance tickets to the USS Iowa. Active since 1943, the ship has seen conflicts from World War II to the Korean War. With the accompanying mobile app, you’ll hear stories from soldiers and veterans about wartime life, and will have multimedia accompaniments to your excursion. Upgrade your experience to include guided tours of exclusive areas.

Enjoy an immersive walk through some of San Francisco’s most popular downtown neighborhoods—and get a local perspective on the city that you’d otherwise miss—on this guided walking tour. In just half a day, discover highlight areas from Chinatown and ritzy Nob Hill to historical Jackson Square, North Beach (San Francisco’s Little Italy), and more. As you go, learn insider facts and stories from your guide.

Experience San Francisco the easy way and that take the stress out of planning with this hassle-free guided tour. Skip securing hard-to-get Muir Woods parking or juggling multiple reservations—this tour has got it all covered. With a local guide leading the way, explore the city’s neighborhoods, snap photos at the Golden Gate Bridge, stroll beneath towering redwoods, drive through Sausalito with a chance to view this artists’ enclave. If you take the morning departure, you have the option to stay in Sausalito and take the ferry back to Fisherman's Wharf. Ferry ticket not included. To keep the adventure going, upgrade to include entry to Alcatraz.