SHORE EXCURSIONS

Board the Alcatraz ferry and sail to the notorious prison that once housed the likes of Al Capone and the Birdman of Alcatraz. During your ferry ride, enjoy a panoramic view of the famous San Francisco skyline. Upon arrival, you'll tour the small jail cells as the audio narration brings you back to days gone by.

You'll return to San Francisco by ferry and board your motorcoach for a journey across the Golden Gate Bridge. After a stop at Vista Point for a fabulous view of the city, it’s a short ride into charming Sausalito. Here, take a stroll and browse some of the specialty shops or galleries.

Experience the thrill of an Iron Chef-style cooking challenge, where you can put your skills to the test with fellow passengers. With breathtaking rooftop views of San Francisco as a backdrop, classes are taught by local hosts who bring their expertise and passion to each session.

Spend hours with a chef as they demonstrate culinary techniques and provides cooking tips, all in the interest of improving your skills in the kitchen. Whether you are somewhat of a novice or a highly experienced cook, this course has plenty to offer. During the session, you will learn how to prepare dishes using seasonal ingredients that are nutrient-rich and responsibly sourced. You will also discover the principles of flavor composition so you can create memorable dishes without following a recipe when you return home. Much of the course will be hands on, allowing you to better understand the principles by practicing the techniques under the chef’s watchful eye. Afterwards, you will enjoy a lunch made with garden-fresh ingredients that reflect California international cuisine. The exact dishes will be determined by what’s in season, but past offerings have included Thai, summer vegetable galette, balsamic Swiss chard tart and buckwheat crepes with tarragon zucchini.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Spend time in a hands-on cooking class with an accomplished chef in her home kitchen.
• Learn techniques to better prepare nutrient-rich, responsibly sourced dishes.
• Gain an understanding of flavor composition so you can prepare meals without a recipe.
• Dine on dishes that reflect California cuisine.

OVERVIEW

Enjoy a delightful and spectacularly panoramic drive through San Francisco in the evening when the city is beautifully illuminated. With no stops along the way, you can comfortably settle into a seat and watch the ever-changing vistas as you follow a route past many of the most well-known attractions. The sights begin at Fisherman’s Wharf, whose iconic crab wheel-shaped sign is particularly easy to spot at night. You will then proceed into the Nob Hill district, from which you will enjoy a close-up view of Grace Cathedral. Its façade is typically illuminated with lights of different colors, making the cathedral look all the more glorious. Next, you will cross the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge to Treasure Island, which will afford extraordinary views of the skylines of both cities. Once you return to the mainland, you will drive to the Embarcadero, an ideal waterfront setting to view the Transamerica Building twinkling against the night sky.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Settle in for an evening drive through San Francisco when it is beautifully illuminated.
• See iconic attractions such as Fisherman’s Wharf, Grace Cathedral and the Embarcadero.
• Enjoy skyline views of San Francisco and Oakland from Treasure Island.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

San Francisco’s Chinatown is the original “Chinatown” and the oldest in the United States. Its restaurants are considered to be the birthplace of Americanized Chinese cuisine and its Dim Sum and Tea Houses are a major draw to the neighborhood. Today, experience a very traditional and authentic dinner with Dim Sum accompanied by a scenic exploration of the city and its dramatic bridge.

From the pier, depart along the waterfront, your drive begins as you travel west by Pier 39, lively Fisherman's Wharf, along the Marina District, by the Palace of Fine Arts and the Presidio to The Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center of the bridge offers excellent views of the iconic span and informative information and representations of the bridge’s history and engineering. The shop offers souvenirs and books memorializing the city and structure. You can even venture out onto the span if you wish.

Then head to the heart of Chinatown where you’ll enjoy dinner with Dim Sum at one of the neighborhood’s popular restaurants. Selections may include; Peking Duck, Shrimp, Pork & Soup Dumplings, Spring Roll, Pot stickers, Fried Rice, mixed vegetables and Chow Mein. Enjoy free time exploring Chinatown. Following Dinner, pass Union Square to Nob Hill where the exquisite Fairmont and Mark Hopkins Hotel and French Gothic façade like Notre Dame, Grace Cathedral stands.

If time and weather allows, travel to Treasure Island and see the beautiful view of the San Francisco skyline. Then it will be time to travel back to your ship along the way we will pass the Ferry Building as we drive along the Embarcadero to your pier.

Enjoy all that San Francisco has to offer including sightseeing, museums, galleries, shopping, and restaurants as this fully narrated tour allows you to hop-on or hop-off the bus at 16 of the city’s most popular sites. The open top double-decker bus provides fantastic views and a great atmosphere to explore. From Fisherman’s Wharf, Union Square and Little Italy, to the Golden Gate Bridge and The Presidio, our flexible approach to sightseeing allows you to enjoy your day at your own pace and according to you own interests. Enjoy entertaining, fun and informative recorded commentary in 6 languages including English, Spanish, French, Brazilian-Portuguese, German, and Italian.

On this tour, you will explore the postcard-perfect town of Sausalito and visit Muir Woods, home to some of the tallest and oldest trees in the world. Sausalito is a charming town and an artist's colony with a Mediterranean flair. Once a rumrunner's port, it hugs the hills above San Francisco Bay. You’ll have time to enjoy the bay views and browse boutiques, art galleries, as well as the arts and crafts shops along the waterfront.

You'll also visit Muir Woods, a 550-acre National Monument and home to towering coastal redwoods, some of the tallest and oldest trees in the world. During your approximately 1-1 1/2 hour stop here, you'll be given a map of the park illustrating the various trails for your self-guided tour.

Your scenic drive begins as you travel west by Pier 39, lively Fisherman's Wharf, along the Marina District, by the Palace of Fine Arts and the Presidio. You'll continue across the Golden Gate Bridge for a brief photo stop at Vista Point. Then it’s on to Sonoma for wine tasting, where you'll visit two wineries located in the Carneros Region.

You'll have time in between the winery visits for lunch on your own at Sonoma Town Plaza. This plaza offers a shady park, surrounded by charming boutiques and fabulous restaurants. You’ll return to San Francisco by way of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge to view the city's picturesque skyline.

Take in the jewels of the City by the Bay on this half day discovery of the “the City.”

From the pier, travel west passing fisherman’s wharf en route to view the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. Here you pause at the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center which offers excellent views of the bridge and informative information and representations of the bridge’s history and engineering. The ample shop offers souvenirs and books memorializing the city and bridge structure. From the Golden Gate to Land’s End, where the city meets the sea.

At Lands’ End, enjoy views over the Pacific Ocean while the nearby modern visitors center offers Indoor exhibits and videos on the natural and cultural history of the Land's End area, Sutro Baths and Sutro Heights. From the coast, drive along the Great Highway to Golden Gate Park on the way to one of the city’s numerous hills, Twin Peaks. At 922 and 904 feet, respectively, South Peak and North Peak are the second- and third-highest hills in San Francisco. Enjoy postcard views over the entire bay from the viewpoint here before beginning the route back to the water’s edge passing a number of historic neighborhoods and buildings before arriving to the pier.