Tour Itinerary
The day begins with picking you up from your lodging between 8:15 and 9:15 am before heading North across the Golden Gate Bridge which offers great views of San Francisco Bay, the Bay Bridge, Alcatraz Island, the Marin Headlands, and Fisherman's Wharf.
We wind our way through the coastal mountains near Mt. Tamalpais (the highest point in the North Bay region) on our way to Muir Woods. There are great views of the Pacific Ocean and the dense forests that thrive in the foggy environment around the San Francisco Bay Area.
Maps and guides in hand we begin with a short walk in Muir Woods, a National Monument set aside in 1908 as a federally protected area. Here you will see the tallest trees on earth and a portion of a forest that used to cover large sections of the west coast. Now this is one of the only parts of the forest that has never been logged. The Coastal Redwoods will be towering above you as you walk along Redwood Creek, which flows from Mt. Tamalpais nearby.
Once in Muir Woods, you will have 1-1 1/2 hours to do what you like, hike the trails that are in and around the Monument, sit and reflect, check out the Visitors Center. From easy to strenuous, ocean views to deep woods, the sights, sounds, and smells are sure to remind the visitor what the woods are all about, and there is something for everybody.
Regrouping again a bit before noon, we make for the wine country stopping for a short break to grab lunch. After lunch we hit a few wineries for tasting in the famous Sonoma Wine Country. You will have a chance (if you are over 21) to taste a wide variety of wines at such places as Viansa, Homewood, Cline Cellars, and Benziger Family and Valley of the Moon.
You will also have a chance to see the beautiful valleys that have been supplying California and now the world with fantastic wines for over 60 years. The scenery of the rolling hills and the rows of wine grapes will amaze you as well as provide great snapshots. Becasue we limit the group size to 13 we are allowed some flexiblity in our intinerary. For lunch you may head to the town square of Sonoma where you can stop by Sonoma Jack Cheese Factory for some cheese samples or we may take some food to a winery for a relaxing picnic lunch. After tasting at 3-4 wineries we then head back to San Francisco passing by the seaside town of Sausalito dropping you at your lodging between 6:00 and 6:30pm.
Muir Woods and the Wine Country are open year round, but as you might imagine with any mountainous areas, conditions and sights can vary depending on the time of year. Water flows strongest in late winter, springtime and early summer.
The weather is warmest between May and October, with possible fog clearing by noon. Whatever time of year you choose to visit the Monument and Wine County we hope you'll be as impressed as most of our visitors, and if you have any questions simply contact us.
Detailed Itinerary
8:15 - 9:00 am
Hotel Pick up in Downtown San Francisco and Fisherman's Wharf
9:00 - 9:30 am Head across the Golden Gate Bridge and stop at lookout point for views of the bridge, San Francisco Bay, the City, Alcatraz and Marin Headlands (depending on the fog)
10:00 am - 11:30 am
Once in Muir Woods, you will have time to do what you like, hike the trails that are in and around the Monument, sit and reflect, and check out the Visitors Center.
11:30am - 5:00 pm
We head to the Wine Country, generally stopping in the historic town square of Sonoma for lunch and a tasting at the Sonoma Jack Cheese Factory. From there, depending on the group, we go to 3-4 wineries, we try to stop at ones that will give a good variety of what is happening in the Valley. From the small, one man winery, to one that has much higher production and food making, to a medium-sized family winery. Here you will get to taste their wines, learn about the region and the process and maybe even meet the winemakers.
5:00 - 6:00 pm
We start to head back towards San Francisco passing by the seaside town of Sausalito and then the Golden Gate Bridge stopping for photo opportunities (weather permitting).
6:00 - 6:30 pm
Return to your lodging in time for dinner.
INCREDIBLE ADVENTURES CANCELLATION POLICY
Minimum 20% fee charged for any cancellations once the tour is booked.
Cancellations less than 72 hours before trip departure are charged 30% of the total price.
Cancellations less than 24 hours before trip departure are charged 50% of the total price.
Cancellations less than 12 hours before trip departure and No-Shows are charged 100%.
No-Shows are not entitled to any refund and so are responsible for the full amount (100%) of the trip price. Customers are considered a No-Show if they cancel the morning of the trip, are not at the designated pickup location at the correct time, or for any other reason miss a tour without informing Incredible Adventures at least 12 hours prior to departure (such as not giving us their hotel info).
IMPORTANT! Your reservation is not guaranteed unless and until you call Incredible Adventures at least 72 hours in advance of the trip departure to confirm.