Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
USA - Chicago - San Francisco
100% customisable for you
Private transfer to your hotel close to the Magnificent Mile. Three-nights' accommodation in contemporary accommodation with personalised service and minimalist aesthetics – with subtle neutral tones, dark wood, marble, slate and contemporary art on display throughout the hotel.
Two days to take the pulse of the Windy City, a true architectural achievement, the birthplace of the blues and a safe green haven.
Things to do and experience – Stroll through the parks, especially the Millennium Park by Lake Michigan, which is dotted with sculptures and interactive fountains with giant screens. Take a walk along Lake Michigan. Visit one of the countless museums. In the evening, attend a stand up-show performed on Broadway or a sporting event. Chill out in a little blues or jazz bar.
In the Itinerary - An architectural cruise along the Chicago River to admire the city's most beautiful buildings from the water. Though a fire devastated it in 1871, Chicago was rebuilt by the greats of 20th-century architecture (Sullivan, Burnham and Frank Lloyd Wright), and it bursts with creative inspiration. It has an almost futuristic style that gives this city unprecedented architectural value. Embark on a cruise aboard the First Lady, among skyscrapers, to admire the city's fifty most beautiful buildings, including the Willis Tower, Navy Pier, Wrigley Building, Tribune Tower, Merchandise Mart and Lyric Opera. The guides are all volunteers for the Chicago Architecture Foundation. An evening at Andy's Jazz Club (dinner and show) is also pre-booked. This is one of the legendary clubs on the South Side and West Side where jazz greats have performed.
Board in the early afternoon at Chicago's Union Station for a unique, two-day, two-night journey from the Midwest Plains to the great outdoors of the American West, via the Rockies and the Sierra Nevada. There are nearly 2,500 miles, 52 hours, seven states and 32 stops between California and our final destination. Often, there isn't a road, only the railway line. Noses are pressed against the window (or looking up through the panoramic roof), marvelling at the landscapes as they go by. Perhaps the most spectacular part is between Grand Junction and Salt Lake City, where the train crosses arid deserts and gradually ascends into the Utah massifs.
To see on the way - Iowa Villages. Sunrise on Nebraska Grain Plains. Climbing through the Rocky Mountain. The Colorado River Rapids. The Utah Ochre Canyons. The Great Salt Lake. The California Lakes and Forests. San Francisco Bay...
The train crosses Suisan Bay, San Pablo, and finally San Francisco during the last hour of travel towards the Pacific. Terminus across the bay, in Emeryville. The railway company schedules the transfer to San Francisco and accommodation for three nights just a stone's throw from Union Square, in a quiet and welcoming atmosphere.
Between its hills and cable cars, colourful houses are visible from Union Square to Golden State Park. In San Francisco, the bridges surrounding Alcatraz, the winding Lombard Street and the little Victorian dolls house homes create a postcard image of a legendary place.
In the itinerary - Discover the city accompanied by a local. They will guide you as you discover the Ferry Building, its role in the city since the Gold Rush era, and then the wharves of Embarcadero, which offer panoramic views of the bay, and a mural in an old post office. Next, ascend in cable car, the famous funicular of the 1870s, to the summit of Nob Hill to see beautiful palace-hotels and the Grace Cathedral, reminiscent of Notre-Dame in Paris. The tour ends with a visit to the Cable Car Museum. The next day, there's a pre-booked catamaran cruise across the bay. From the sea, in fading daylight, the city presents itself in a whole new way: this is an opportunity to glide under the Golden Gate Bridge to reach Alcatraz.
Optional - A magical seaplane ride over San Francisco Bay and its surroundings.
Private transfer to the airport and catch your flight home. Overnight flight, arriving the next day.
Everything in this itinerary is entirely customisable, down to the smallest details. Here are some more suggestions of what could be included
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
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Our team of destination experts will get to know you and your unique requirements for your holiday
We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
All of our holidays include little extras designed to make a big difference to your trip, from fast-tracking you through airport check-in and security to our network of local Concierges
