California and Hawaii Multisport Self-Drive Tour Itinerary

Day 1 Start Your Tour in San Francisco

Pick up your rental car when you arrive in San Francisco and check in to your hotel. Explore the city and visit Pier 39 at Fisherman’s Wharf for clam chowder and a visit to the local colony of sea lions.
Overnight Location: Hotel in San Francisco
Distance: None
Meals: None

Day 2 Lake Tahoe Road Trip

Spend the morning visiting more of the San Francisco highlights, including Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and the famous row of Victorian houses known as the “painted ladies.”

Enjoy the drive through California’s wine country and into the mountains, where you’ll find Lake Tahoe. In the afternoon you can go snowshoeing to visit the unique Scandanavian-inspired Vikinghsholm Castle and enjoy the amazing view of Emerald Bay. You could also visit Hansen’s Resort for an afternoon of tubing or tobogganing.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Lake Tahoe
Distance: 198 miles
Meals: None

Day 3 Gondola to Heavenly

In the morning you can take the gondola from Lake Tahoe to the ski lifts at Heavenly Village. Enjoy skiing the slopes between California and Nevada at an altitude of 9800 feet. You can also get some thrills on the tobogganing runs or the mountain coaster.

If you’d prefer a more relaxing afternoon, you can take the scenic gondola ride and enjoy the mountain views from the lodge!
Overnight Location: Hotel in Lake Tahoe
Distance: None
Meals: None

Day 4 Ski Day

There are plenty of ski resorts in the area for you to choose from today. A great option is Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows, two connected resorts combining their hills for a massive ski area with runs for all levels of skiers. Ski the steepest slopes in the area at Squaw Valley, where they hosted the Olympics in 1960, or visit the quieter hills at Alpine Meadows.
Overnight Location:
Distance: None
Meals: None

Day 5 Journey to Sacramento

On your way to Sacramento, you’ll pass Kirkwood Ski Resort. Stop here for a few runs since they’re famous for their heavy snowfalls and excellent powder. When you arrive in Sacramento you can take a free guided tour of the Capitol buildings or visit Old Sacramento, where you’ll find wooden boardwalks and frontier shops and restaurants.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Sacramento
Distance: 200km
Meals: None

Day 6 Explore San Francisco

Today you’ll return to San Francisco, so take the opportunity to visit anything you may have missed during your first visit. You can visit Telegraph Hill and climb the Coit Tower for a panoramic city view, or stop by the historic China Town. Spend some time at the Presidio, an enormous park at Golden Gate Bridge where you’ll also find the beautiful Palace of Fine Art. If you’re in the mood for a museum, you can visit the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art or the Cable Car Museum.
Overnight Location: Hotel in San Francisco
Distance: 90 miles
Meals: None

Day 7 Say Aloha to Hawaii

Catch your flight to Honolulu and leave winter behind! On your first day in Hawaii, you can take a walk on the Waikiki Historic Trail to learn about the history of the city and enjoy the beautiful coast. You can also hike to the top of Diamond Head Crater for spectacular views of the whole island! Or, perhaps you want to post up on the golden sand with a mai tai in hand… We wouldn’t blame you.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Honolulu
Distance: Flexible
Meals: None

Day 8 Surfing at Waikiki Beach

Hawaii is known as a surfing mecca, so today you’ll visit Waikiki Beach for your own surfing adventure. Start the day with a private lesson to learn the basics or brush up on your skills. Then you can rent a surfboard and practice all day under the gorgeous Hawaiian sun!

Enjoy a spectacular sunset at the beach and then discover one of Honolulu’s many incredible restaurants for dinner.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Honolulu
Distance: None
Meals: None

Day 9 Visit Oahu’s South and North Shore

Today you can rent a board and hit the surf at the southern shores of Oahu, where the protected waters offer smaller waves for you to enjoy. Then, visit the North Shore to see how the pros do it! Watch world-class surfers from around the world carve the enormous waves as the sun warms your skin.

Enjoy the relaxed vibe at Haleiwa village and don’t leave this little surfer town without indulging in a fruit-flavoured shaved ice. Other ways to spend the day include snorkelling in Hanauma Bay or visiting Pearl Harbor.

End the day with a traditional Luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center for an authentic Hawaiian experience you’ll never forget.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Honolulu
Distance: None
Meals: None

Day 10 Discover the Volcano on Big Island

Catch a flight to the Island of Hawaii, also known as the Big Island, and head to Volcanoes National Park. Start with a visit to the Jaggar Museum to learn about the volcanic activity on the island, then take a drive around the crater. As you drive the Chain of Craters Road from the crater to the ocean you might be lucky enough to see some lava flowing! Participate in some of the park ranger programs or follow the short paths to explore this unusual park.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Volcano National Park
Distance: 47km
Meals: None

Day 11 Southern or Northern Route to Kona

Today you can choose between two routes to cross the island to Kona. The northern route will take you to Hilo where you can visit its historic downtown, then drive to Akaka Falls State Park to see the beautiful waterfalls. If you take the south route, you’ll go through Lava State Park, where you’ll discover the forest that was petrified by lava during the 1790 eruption. You can also visit the black and green sand beaches and the Pu’uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park, which is a sacred site to the Hawaiian people.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Kailua Kona
Distance: 165km
Meals: None

Day 12 Explore Kailua Kona

Enjoy a delicious local coffee this morning from one of the region’s coffee plantations. You have the entire day to explore however you’d like. You can take a kayaking trip to discover the Captain Cook monument or visit the Kaloko-Honokohau Historical park to learn about the history and culture of Hawaii. Visit some of the many beautiful beaches with different colours of sand, and look for wildlife like turtles, fish, and manta rays as you swim in the gorgeous water.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Kailua Kona
Distance: None
Meals: None

Day 13 Discover the Beaches of Big Island

Today you have a huge variety of beaches to explore. Swim the quiet waters of Kailua Bay or go to the Magic Sand or Honl’s Beach for some bodyboarding. Keauhou and Kamakahonu Bay are both amazing spots to go snorkelling, or you can visit the largest white sand beach on the island at Hapuna Beach State Park.

End your day with an excursion to Mauna Kea where you can watch a spectacular sunset.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Kailua Kona
Distance: None
Meals: None

Day 14 Tour Concludes

If you have time before your flight, you can make a final trip into town. Your tour officially ends and you can begin your onward travel.
Overnight Location: None
Distance: None
Meals: None