Top Activities
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway: Visitors travel aboard the world’s largest rotating tramcar enjoying spectacular views of the desert below. At the top take a hike among majestic trees and enjoy quiet serenity. Two restaurants, gift shop, view points, and much more.
The Living Desert is a unique zoo and botanical garden that specializes in the deserts of the world. Giraffes, mountain lions, zebras, and cheetahs are just a few of the incredible animals that take you from Africa to North America. The botanical gardens include geographic replicas of areas as diverse as Baja California’s Viscaino Desert and the exotic deserts of Madagascar. Stop by our interactive Discovery Center, visit one of the largest G-scale model train displays, enjoy a Wildlife Wonders animal presentation, hike our nature trails, have lunch in one of cafes, or feed the goats in the Petting Kraal.
Indian Canyon: Consisting of Palm Canyon, Andreas Canyon and Murray Canyon, Indian Canyons offers hikers of all skill sets scenic trails with panoramic views. Abundant wildlife encounters are a daily occurrence in the canyon walls and the numerous natural springs.
BMW Performance Center West: Push a BMW to its limits and become a better driver with hands-on learning in our high performance M Schools. Now hosting groups and individuals for multiple BMW experiences, including Performance Center Drives, M Track Drives and the Ultimate BMW Mixer.
Joshua Tree National Park: Located one hour north of the Coachella Valley, Joshua Tree National Park covers 794,000 acres of two diverse desert ecosystems: the Colorado and Mojave Deserts. Take an easy drive for an afternoon or spend several days. Tour the Keys Ranch and hear the colorful story of the 60 years Bill and Frances Keys spent raising their five children in this isolate location. Stop at Joshua Tree, Cottonwood, or Oasis Visitor Centers for more info.
Ideas for First Time Visitors:
- Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
- Joshua Tree National Park
- Agua Caliente Indian Canyons
- Palm Springs Art Museum
- Palm Canyon Drive
- Ruddy’s General Store Museum
- Living Desert Zoo & Botanical Gardens
Ideas for Repeat Visitors:
- El Paseo Shopping Area
- San Jacinto Mountain
- Palm Springs Air Museum
- Jeep tour to San Andreas Fault Line
- Coachella Valley Preserve
- Wet ‘n’ Wild Palm Springs
- Morten Botanical Garden
Special Events
The largest gay dance party in the World. DJs, live performances, pool parties and more. Visit the website for complete details and party locations.
This unique festival features an eclectic mixture of landmark and obscure vintage movies from the classic film noir era. Visit the website for complete details and move schedule.
The experience is enhanced when embraced in the great outdoors amongst fellow music lovers. Better still in an intimate setting, where the distinction between artist and audience is blurred, and a passionate performance can be truly relished in close proximity to the stage. Add free water to patrons, no service charges on reasonably priced tickets, and well…..let the games begin. A family friendly global music experience.
Local Transportation
Cardiff Limousine & Transportation: Ground transportation, meet and greet services, transfers, tours, and dine-arounds using sedans, vans, SUVs, limousines, mini-coaches, limo-coaches, and Euro-style buses.
Celebrity Tours: Move your group throughout the Coachella Valley with ease. You are here for fun and Celebrity Tours will make it happen. Coaches of all sizes to meet your needs. Weddings, conventions, golf, shopping, airport, shuttle, from four hours to four months. Let the planners make your visit a pleasure.
Lin Lines: Luxury motorcoach and mini-coach ground transportation services. Serving the Coachella Valley and beyond since 1981.
Yellow Cab of the Desert: In our fast-paced world, sometimes you just need someone else to do the driving! Consider Yellow Cab of the Desert for your Desert area transportation needs.
Distance from Major Airports
Local Tour Guides
Desert Adventures: Since 1987, Desert Adventures has provided the most highly regarded outdoor adventures in the Greater Palm Springs area. As the original, largest, and most respected outdoor adventure and eco-tour company in the California desert, Desert Adventures offers a vast array of tour and activity choices. Contact: Kim Nilsson, [email protected]
Best of the Best Tours: The Best of the Best Tours is Southern California’s premier entertainment and informational tour service with professionally trained guides knowledgeable in all aspects of Greater Palm Springs. Contact Christy Regalado, [email protected]
Big Wheel Bike Tours: Founded in 1996, Big Wheel Tours offers various guided tours on bicycles, jeeps and hiking throughout Greater Palm Springs. Contact: Evan Trubee, [email protected]
Palm Springs Mod Squad Architecture & Design Tours: Your guide will lead you on “The Essential Palm Springs Tour”. This tour focuses on the six local architects that made Palm Springs the modern city it is today. These architects lived and raised their families in the city in which their buildings were built. Contact: Kurt Cyr, [email protected]
In addition to wonderful activity options in the area, iconic Southern California attractions such as Universal Studios Hollywood℠ and SeaWorld® San Diego are within reach.
Top Activities
Disneyland Park: For young and old, big and small – it’s the happiest place on earth! Build memories that will last a lifetime and discover the wonder of this magical, fantastical world. Within Disneyland Park, stories come to life around you, immersing you in tales from some of your favorite Disney films.
Disney California Adventure Park: Explore seven exciting lands that bring to life Disney and Pixar stories and characters through amazing attractions, entertainment and dining!
Angel Stadium: Watch your favorite Major League Baseball team live and in action at the Angel Stadium of Anaheim, home to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. With a seating capacity of 44,050, there is room for everyone to have fun! A plethora of special events are also hosted at the stadium throughout the year.
Knott’s Berry Farm: America’s first theme park started out as a berry stand in the 1920s has evolved into a world-class theme park, water park and hotel. Still proudly bearing the Knott’s Berry Farm name, the resort offers something fun for everyone!
Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament: North America’s #1 dinner attraction. A two-hour adventure of quality and family entertainment based upon the glory and chivalry of the Middle Ages. Guests experience spectacular pageantry, dramatic horsemanship, breathtaking swordplay, falconry and romance while feasting on a four-course banquet served in true medieval, pre-silverware fashion.
Ideas for First Time Visitors:
- Disneyland® Resort: Disneyland® Park and Disney California Adventure® Park.
- Shopping: South Coast Plaza® and The Outlets at Orange.
- Knott’s Berry Farm® followed by a dinner theater at Medieval Times® Dinner & Tournament or Pirate’s® Dinner Adventure.
- Day tours to Southern California attractions such as: Universal Studios Hollywood℠, SeaWorld® San Diego, San Diego Zoo® & San Diego Zoo® Safari Park, and LEGOLAND® California Resort. Anaheim’s central location makes it easy to visit all of the Southern California attractions.
Ideas for Repeat Visitors:
- Local shopping and dining favorites: Anaheim Packing District, Old Towne Orange and Downtown Santa Ana.
- Sporting events: watch a Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim® professional baseball game or go to an Anaheim Ducks™ professional ice hockey game.
- Sign-up for a surf lesson, go whale-watching, hop on a sport-fishing excursion and relax around a bonfire at one of Orange County’s iconic coastal cities.
- Line dancing at THE RANCH Restaurant & Saloon®.
- Island hop with a day trip to Catalina Island.
Special Events
The Gray Whale makes the most spectacular and longest mass migration of any marine mammal. Tens of thousands of gray whales migrate annually along the Newport Beach coastline from the summer
The Gray Whale makes the most spectacular and longest mass migration of any marine mammal. Tens of thousands of gray whales migrate annually along the Newport Beach coastline from the summer
Following the successful Art on the Walk kickoff event, Anaheim GardenWalk, a premier entertainment and dining destination in Orange County, will continue to showcase the work of Southern
Local Transportation
Anaheim Resort Transportation: Shuttle system that runs throughout the Anaheim Resort district and to nearby Orange County cities. All 20 routes begin and end at the Disneyland Resort and connects to nearby cities so guests can visit Knott’s Berry Farm, Medieval Times, South Coast Plaza, Bowers Museum and more.
Karmel Shuttle: Offering nine passenger vans, town cars, limousines, 23- to 31-passenger mini-coaches and 47- to 55- passenger, full-size coaches. Karmel provides transportation to/from airports, personal residences, businesses, Catalina Express terminals, cruise ship terminals, sporting events, concerts, restaurants, event venues and more! Karmel Shuttle can handle all passenger transportation needs.
Lux Bus America: Elite transportation company providing clientele with first-class service and equipment. Door-to-door service connecting travelers between Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Diego and Las Vegas hotels.
SuperShuttle: 24-hour dependable service also includes ExecuCar; an Executive Sedan Service, with friendly and professionally attired chauffeurs, available to the Greater Orange County and Los Angeles Areas. Meet and Greet services, point-to-point, charters and group rates are available.
Southern California Grayline: Daily sightseeing tours offering 17 exciting destinations. Courtesy pick up is available at most Anaheim area hotels. 56 passenger charter coaches, along with three double-deck coaches are available for local transfers, tours, airport services and convention shuttles.
Distance from Major Airports
- John Wayne Airport (SNA) – 15 miles (to downtown)
- Long Beach (LGB) – 23 miles (to downtown)
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) – 32 miles (to downtown)
- Ontario International Airport (ONT) – 34 miles (to downtown)
San Francisco is a unique blend of youthful exuberance and old world sophistication. The city boasts a dazzling array of world-class museums, restaurants and neighborhoods with their own distinct personality. There are more reasons than ever to leave your heart in San Francisco.
Top Activities
Contact: http://www.sftravel.com/explore
Ideas for First Time Visitors:
Golden Gate Bridge
Cable Car to Fisherman’s Wharf/Pier 39
Alcatraz
Golden Gate Park
Irish Coffee at Buena Vista Cafe
Ideas for Repeat Visitors:
Bike to Sausalito/return by Ferry
California Academy of Sciences
Angel Island
Beach Blanket Babylon
Neighborhoods: Castro and Soma
Muir Woods
Napa Valley Day Trip
Special Events
You might have heard that a little Broadway show called Hamilton is kicking off its revolutionary national tour right here in San Francisco (now through Aug. 5). It seems only right; after New York, few cities have as vibrant and historic a theater scene as San Francisco. So don’t despair if you’re among those who can’t be in the room where it happens. Check out any one of these stellar productions playing in San Francisco for a guaranteed great night at the theater. And don’t forget the always topical Beach Blanket Babylon which for more than 40 years has been taking on the famous and infamous. Recent additions to the characters in the show include Donald and Melania Trump, Vladimir Putin and Kellyanne Conway.
Almost any time of the year there’s a film festival unreeling in San Francisco. The fare ranges from the San Francisco International Film Festival, the longest-running film festival in the Americas, to the quirky Another Hole in the Head Genre Film Festival, which advertises itself as “three weeks of celluloid mayhem not usually found in your local Cineplex.
In San Francisco there’s apt to be a food experience that will pique the palate of most foodies and the fare literally run the gamut from A to Z: artichokes to Zinfandel. Here’s a quick calendar of some savory selections and if we’ve missed any, let us know. We’ve also included a few taste bud ticklers from the Northern California area as well.
To learn more about the local foodie scene try one of the food-focused tours or opt for a home-cooked meal arranged by EatWith which matches guests with hosts who range from professionally-trained Michelin-starred chefs to accomplished home cooks with a passion for great food. You can also find your next culinary adventure with these handy apps.
Local Transportation
http://www.sanfrancisco.travel/article/motorcoach-update
Distance from Major Airports
The city has acclaimed restaurants, trend-setting art and fashion scenes, and internationally flavored neighborhoods. Los Angeles has something for everyone.
Top Activities
Universal Studios Hollywood: Experience the magic of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ or walk through Springfield with The Simpsons™! With thrilling theme park rides and shows, a real working movie studio and Los Angeles’ best shops, restaurants and cinemas at CityWalk, Universal Studios Hollywood is fun for the whole family.
At Warner Brothers Studio Tour Hollywood, you will explore our iconic backlots, the archive, the Picture Care Vault. Plus, you’ll view one of our many soundstages where today’s hottest TV shows and movies are made. With actual filming happening all around you, no two tours are ever alike.
The Getty Center: Presents the Getty’s collection of European and American art from the Middle Ages to the present against a backdrop of dramatic architecture, tranquil gardens, and breathtaking views.
The Broad Art Museum: The Broad is a new contemporary art museum in downtown Los Angeles. The museum is home to the 2,000 works of art in the Broad collection, which is among the most prominent holdings of postwar and contemporary art worldwide. With its innovative “veil-and-vault” concept, the 120,000-square-foot, $140-million building features two floors of gallery space to showcase.
California Science Center: Reserve your tickets online to see Space Shuttle Endeavour – on display in the Science Center’s Samuel Oschin Pavilion. Free general admission includes over 100 hands-on science exhibits in immersive environments. Don’t forget to experience a film in the IMAX Theater, featuring LA’s largest screen.
Ideas for First Time Visitors:
- Starline Hop On, Hop Off tour – great overview of the city and also a great way to get around LA
- Universal Studios Hollywood – experience the Hollywood magic and visit the largest working movie studio
- Santa Monica Beach – great LA beach experience
- Endeavor Space Shuttle– visit the California Science Center to see space shuttle up close and watch a great video of the shuttle coming through LA
- Downtown – catch a professional game: LA Dodgers, LA Lakers, LA Clippers or LA Kings
Ideas for Repeat Visitors:
- Hike and Visit the Griffith Observatory – great hike at dusk followed with amazing city views
- Beverly Hills – stroll down Rodeo Drive
- West Hollywood – dine or experience nightlife on the famed Sunset Strip
- Natural History Museum – for unique collections of fossils, gems, gold and visit the new exhibit “Becoming LA”
- USS IOWA – visit a floating museum, known as “ The Battleship of Presidents,” having hosted 3 Presidents
Special Events
Dodgers vs. Giants
GRAMMY Museum Daily Admission
AGENTS OF CHANGE, 2016, Dirs. Frank Dawson, Abby Ginzberg. From the student-led strike at San Francisco State to the image of black students with guns occupying buildings at Cornell University, college campuses stood at the crossroads of the civil rights, black power and anti-Vietnam war movements at the end of the 1960s. This timely documentary profiles the young men and women at the forefront of the struggle for a more relevant and meaningful education, revealing the racial conditions that led to these protests and that still echo today. Panel discussion follows with co-director and SMC Dean Frank Dawson, SMC Associated Students president Terrence Ware and a representative from Black Lives Matter.
Local Transportation
Tourcoach Charter & Tours: TourCoach is recognized as the “most experienced” charter bus rental in Los Angeles. Since 1968, our President has dedicated his life to providing transportation services to passengers.
Ryan’s Express: Premier ground transportation service company that offers a wide range of vehicles and transportation services suitable for any event or need. Their fleet has been used for corporate events, road shows, meetings and conventions, school excursions, SPAB activities, intercollegiate athletics, personal transportation solutions and everything in between.
Global Transportation Charter: Comfortable, air-conditioned, late-model fleet offers sightseeing tours and charter services for small or large groups. The deluxe fleet includes passenger vans, 28-passenger minibuses and 60-passenger motor coaches to accommodate business meetings, conventions or private groups.
Go West Adventures Inc.: Has its own fleet of state of the art coaches, minibuses and vans, and offers competitive prices on all programs. Go West is happy to quote on any customized services and are looking forward to turning ideas into memorable experience for all their clients.
Karmel Shuttle Transportation: Karmel offers airport transfers, limousine rentals, charter bus, and motor coach rentals. In addition to their Van service Karmel Shuttle offers Towncars and all types of Limousines ranging in size from 6 passenger to 36 passenger. Their Charter bus division, provides 24 passenger mini-coaches up to55 passenger full size coaches.
Distance from Major Airports
- LAX – Los Angeles International Airport (to downtown) – 18 miles
Local Tour Guides
Marion Renk Rosenthal: German-born, French-educated, multi-lingual guide. Marion has resided in Southern California since 1986. Journalist and television field producer by profession, she authored two travel guide books and subsequently she has extended her work field into tourism since 1997 when she started working for LATCB. German, French, English and Spanish spoken. Contact: [email protected]
TWWOSW DBA DISCOVERY MANAGEMENT, LLC: Specialized company offering assistance in staffing, tour guides and logistical support for groups, conventions, and events. Serves Multi-languages. Contact: Susan Kaplon-Wong, Owner, [email protected]
Red Line Tours: Red Line Tours Hollywood Behind-the-Scenes is one of Hollywood’s most popular and enduring attractions and has become part of Hollywood’s modern history. Also offers step-on guide services. German, English and Spanish spoken. Contact: Tony Hoover, President, [email protected]
Kaoru Kanna: Travel Professional with in-depth knowledge of Los Angeles destination. Japanese spoken. Contact: [email protected]
