Best of the Pacific Northwest
Best of the Pacific Northwest
Best of the Pacific Northwest
8 Days Starting in Seattle, United States and ending in San Francisco, United States
Visiting: Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Redwood National and State Parks, San Francisco
Tour operator:
Tour code:
DPCCM20
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Tour operated in:
EnglishInterests:
Cultural, Foodie and Wine Tours, Gardens & Nature Tours, Wildlife Tours
Activities:
Tour Overview
Embark on an unforgettable journey through the Pacific Northwest, exploring the vibrant cities of Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco. Discover iconic landmarks like Seattle's Pike Place Market, Portland's International Rose Test Garden, and San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf. Marvel at natural wonders such as Multnomah Falls, the towering redwoods of Humboldt Redwoods State Park, and the scenic beauty of the Avenue of the Giants. Experience the unique culture and history of the region with visits to the Mount St. Helens Visitor Center and the Blue Ox Historic Village. Enjoy a blend of culinary delights, from a tour of TMK Creamery to wine tasting at Terra Vina Vineyard. With expert guidance and comfortable accommodations, this tour offers a perfect blend of sightseeing, relaxation, and cultural immersion. Join us for a memorable adventure from the Emerald City to the City by the Bay.
Must-see Highlights
- Discover Seattle, Portland, San Francisco
- Visit Mount St. Helens Visitor Centre, Portland's International Rose Test Garden, Yaquina Head Lighthouse, Seattle's Pike Place Market, Eureka's Blue Ox Historic Village and School, San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf
- View Multnomah Falls, Face Rock
- Scenic Drive through Humboldt Redwoods State Park, Avenue of the Giants, Bandon State Natural Area, Redwood National and State Parks
- Seattle: Tick the must-see attraction of Pike Place Market off your bucket list. At the oldest, continuously open farmers’ market in the country, take your time exploring the market’s stalls and shops spread across nine acres. Visit the historic arcade and make your way down winding alleys, stairways and lower levels for a sensory tour of sights, sounds and tastes. Be sure to stop by the Pike Place Fish Market, famous for its vendors who toss fish back and forth. Founded in 1930, the Pike Place Fish Market is an enduring Seattle institution and a one-of-a-kind experience.
- WA Parks Mt Saint Helens: Unlock the history and geology of Mount St. Helens at the Science and Learning Center featuring education-rich displays and a short film. You can take a short nature walk to an observation area with several telescopes. On a clear day, you’ll have a tremendous view of Mount St. Helens.
- Portland: Visit the oldest continuously operating public garden for showing – boasting over 10,000 rose bushes and 600 rose varieties sitting on 4.5 acres of land. Unlock the garden’s history, and you’ll learn how in 1888 Georgiana Burton Pittock, wife of pioneer publisher Henry Pittock, invited her friends and neighbours to exhibit their roses in her garden. After an annual rose show grew in popularity and size, Georgiana and her friends established the Portland Rose Society in 1889. A former Rose Society president chose the garden’s site and established a rose test garden in 1917.
- Hood River: Head to Multnomah Falls, Oregon's tallest waterfall at 620 feet. Learn how the falls are fed by underground springs from Larch Mountain and are usually highest during the winter and spring seasons. Multnomah Falls is also one of the best places in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area to study geology exposed by floods. As the most-visited natural recreation site in the Pacific Northwest, it's the ideal spot to snap pictures to add to your travel album.
- Yaquina Head Lighthouse: The Pacific Northwest promises you one iconic sight after the next. Visit Yaquina Head lighthouse, a beacon which has been guiding ships along the West Coast since 1873. Gaze up at this 93-feet-tall lighthouse perched on the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, stretching out from the Oregon coast one mile into the Pacific Ocean. Then visit the interpretive centre featuring exhibits on seabirds and marine life as well as human history. You can even see the wheelhouse of an historic ship, a recreated rocky island and its inhabitants and a full-scale replica of the lighthouse lantern as well as the nearby tide pools.
- North Bend: Get ready for beautiful scenery along Beach Loop Drive in Bandon State Natural Area. Peer out at rocky spires, offshore rock formations and sandy beaches filled with tide pools. Wind along the bluff to view the Pacific and the photographic offshore “sea stack” rocks as sea birds fly overhead. You can even spot part of Bandon’s residential area before returning to Beach Loop and continuing to Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint. Take the well-kept trail to the beach lined with information about the legend of the rock and see if you can spot the face peering up out of the water.
- Redwood National and State Parks: Welcome to Redwood National and State Parks. Take the winding, Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway through old-growth redwoods. Immerse yourself in the history of these towering trees and the legacy of Newton Drury, whose 40-year dedication helped preserve these forests and secure them as parklands in the 20th century. As you gaze at the giant trees, keep an eye out for the wild Roosevelt Elk herds that roam the park.
- Humboldt Redwoods State Park: Delve into the natural beauty of California at this park encompassing over 53,000 acres, nearly twice the size of San Francisco. Learn about its history, dating back to 1921, when the Save the Redwoods League dedicated the first Memorial Grove, Colonel Raynal C. Bolling Memorial Grove, in what is now known as Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Among the park’s diverse coast redwood ecosystem is the Rockefeller Forest, home to the largest remaining old-growth forest in the world and the 362-foot-tall, 17-foot-wide fallen Dyerville Giant.
- Avenue of the Giants: Welcome to the Avenue of the Giants. Located in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, this 31-mile road parallels Highway 101 and offers you a slower-paced route through southern Humboldt County to take in the scenery. Wind your way along its gentle curves passing secluded forests, campgrounds, picnic areas and access to the Eel River, a waterway with swimming, fishing and paddling spots. Perhaps pull off to explore one of the many trailheads along the avenue luring you into the redwood forest, each with its own magic.
- San Francisco: Unlock the local secrets of the city on an orientation tour with your Travel Director. Admire the eclectic mix of architecture from candy-coloured Victorian homes to modern, glittering skyscrapers. Framed by the historic North Beach neighbourhood and iconic Coit Tower, make your way to Union Square, a historical landmark linked to the American Civil War. In Fisherman’s Warf, freshly caught seafood tempts and the chime of the cable car reminds you that you're in one of the world’s great cities.
- San Francisco: Delve into Fisherman’s Warf, a neighbourhood encompassing the northern waterfront area of San Francisco from Ghirardelli Square or Van Ness Avenue east to Pier 35 or Kearny Street. Stroll along Pier 39 where the wooden pier is lined with restaurants, quirky shops and street performers as well as the notable aquarium.
Make Travel Matter®
Portland: Enjoy a tour of TMK Creamery where you’ll see where they make their cheese and ice cream. TMK is the world's only Farmstead Creamery + Distillery and sustainability is at the forefront of their operations. As you unlock the secrets behind their operation, you'll even meet the “Cowlebrities,” learning how the creamery has gotten creative by upcycling remnants from each of their processes into a consumable product. our experience supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.
Be My Guest
Wilsonville: See how Oregon wines are in a league of their own on your visit to family-run Terra Vina Vineyard. Over your Be My Guest experience, hear the story of founders Karl and Carole. Karl’s passion for understanding the origin of wines and his goal to create the big bold reds he preferred in Pinot Noir country have led him to constantly seek new varietals, blends and techniques from some of the most ancient wine regions of the world. Tour the vineyard, containing nearly 17 acres of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc before tasting some of their complex wines paired with a three-course, family-style lunch.
Stays with Stories
San Francisco: Unlock the spirit of San Francisco during your stay at the Beacon Grand. Since its 2022 re-opening, the Beacon Grand has celebrated its location in historic Union Square. Within its storied walls you’ll find tempting food and drink from Mediterranean flavours in The Post Room to splashy cocktails in the 21-st floor Starlite lounge led by award-winning bar connoisseur Scott Baird and Michelin-awarded Chef Johnny Spero.
Itinerary
Day 1: Hello Seattle
Location: Seattle
Accommodation: Sheraton Grand Seattle
Accommodation Name: Sheraton Grand Seattle
Meals Included: Dinner
Welcome to the Emerald City, named for its towering green forests. A mix of lakes and parks, a tech hub and a foodie paradise, Seattle is full of sights awaiting your discovery. Relax after your arrival or explore before joining your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a Welcome Dinner this evening.
Day 2: Morning At The Market
Location: Seattle
Accommodation: Dossier
Accommodation Name: Dossier
Meals Included: Breakfast
Unlock the best of Seattle this morning visiting the historic over-hundred-year-old landmark, Pike Place Market. Here at Seattle’s public market and one of the country’s oldest farmers’ markets, browse the stalls selling farm fresh produce and fish right out of Puget Sound. Perhaps taste-test local cherry preserves and find your perfect souvenir. Next up on an orientation tour led by your Travel Director, see the Space Needle built for the 1962 World’s Fair. Make your way to Tacoma for lunch followed by a visit to the Mount St. Helens Visitor Center to discover the stories behind the 1980 eruption.
Day 3: Portland, “The City Of Roses”
Location: Portland
Accommodation: Dossier
Accommodation Name: Dossier
Meals Included: Breakfast
Discover why Portland is dubbed “The City of Roses” on your visit to the International Rose Garden in Washington Park. Snap a photo and inhale the fragrance of the colourful blooms. Icons continue on your stop at Portland Women's Forum State Scenic Viewpoint. Capture the view of the historic landmark framed by the Columbia River Gorge. This gorgeous setting inspired the construction of the Historic Columbia River Highway in 1918 – the first road linking Portland and The Dalles. Your next iconic sight on your Pacific Northwest tour is Multnomah Falls before concluding the day back in Portland where you have the option to join a dinner cruise.
Day 4: Sights Of Oregon
Location: Oregon
Accommodation: The Mill Casino
Accommodation Name: The Mill Casino
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Get ready for a delicious MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at the TMK Creamery. Tour the creamery to learn about the production of cheese, ice cream, Cowcohol and hard spirits. Continue your culinary discoveries at Terra Vina Wines, a multi-generation, family-owned vineyard and tasting room in the northern Willamette Valley AVA. Your Be My Guest experience finds you enjoying a tour and tasting their Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc. Cap off the day at the iconic Yaquina Head Lighthouse before arriving in North Bend for the evening.
Day 5: On To California
Location: Redwood National and State Parks
Accommodation: Red Lion Eureka
Accommodation Name: Red Lion Eureka
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Your Pacific Northwest tour brings new sights with every turn. Make your way to Crescent City via the Scenic Loop Drive in Bandon. Take in the sights of Bandon State Natural Area from rocky spires to crashing waves, with a photo stop at Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint. More epic sights await on your drive along Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway through Redwood National and State Parks. This ten-mile drive through old-growth redwood forest in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park is the best way to see redwood groves otherwise only found in smaller, isolated places. Finish the day at Blue Ox Historic Village, one of the last remaining Victorian job shops in the U.S. Tour the facility and make your own card on the proof press. Dinner with your travel companions will find you reliving the highlights of the day.
Day 6: The Best Of The Redwoods
Location: San Francisco
Accommodation: Beacon Grand
Accommodation Name: Beacon Grand
Meals Included: Breakfast
Unlock California’s incredible scenery at Humboldt Redwoods State Park. View some of the world's most majestic ancient redwood groves within the 17,000 acres of the old-growth redwood forest – the largest expanse of ancient redwoods on the planet. Drive through the Avenue of the Giants which is famous for being the most scenic drive among the redwoods and has been called the finest forest drive in the world. You can breathe in fresh forest air and snap a few photos of these titan trees. Then make your way to San Francisco. You'll arrive in the city by the bay with a free evening to explore. Try local cuisine at one of the city’s iconic restaurants or seek out the best view of the glittering Golden Gate Bridge stretching across the bay.
Day 7: San Francisco
Location: San Francisco
Accommodation: Beacon Grand
Accommodation Name: Beacon Grand
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Fuel up for a full day of indulging in San Francisco’s many sites. Embark on a morning exploration tour that takes you from the hotspot of Fisherman's Wharf to Union Square. This afternoon, opt to take in more of the city on a Bay Cruise. Take advantage of photo opportunities with views in every direction as you sail past the famous Pier 39 sea lions and along San Francisco's historic waterfront, revealing the city's skyline. Conclude a big day in the big city over a Farewell Dinner with your travel companions.
Day 8: Farewell, San Francisco
Location: San Francisco
Meals Included: Breakfast
It’s been a memorable journey from Seattle to San Francisco discovering the many icons of the Pacific Northwest. Conclude your tour after saying goodbye to your travel companions and departing at leisure.
What's Included
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All porterage and restaurant gratuities
All porterage and restaurant gratuities are included in the tour package.
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Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing
Audio headsets are provided for flexible sightseeing during the tour.
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Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
Accommodation is provided in cherry-picked hotels that are tried and trusted.
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An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
The tour includes the services of an expert Travel Director and a professional Driver.
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On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilised.
Hotels of similar standard and location may be used if necessary.
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Breakfast daily and up to half of your evening meals
Daily breakfast and up to half of your evening meals are included.
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Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras
The tour includes must-see sightseeing and surprise extras.
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Optional Experiences and free time
Optional experiences and free time are part of the tour itinerary.
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All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
All hotel tips, charges, and local taxes are covered in the tour package.
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All transport and transfers shown
All transport and transfers as shown in the itinerary are included.
What's Not Included
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Personal expenses
Personal expenses such as souvenirs, additional meals, and drinks are not included.
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Travel insurance
Travel insurance is not included and is recommended to be purchased separately.
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Optional activities not listed
Optional activities not listed in the itinerary are not included.
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International flights
International flights to and from the tour start and end locations are not included.
Dining Summary
- 3 Dinner (D)
- 7 Breakfast (B)
- 1 Lunch (L)
Dive Into Culture
- Eureka: There's no better place to learn about craftsmanship from the 1800s than from the Victorian millwork specialists at Blue Ox Millworks. Stroll through the Historic Village containing a logging skid camp and working studios for blacksmithing, printing, fibre arts, sign painting, foundry, stained glass, pottery, lapidary and more. Watch woodworking equipment from the 1800s in action in the millwork shop where the millworkers make windows, doors, balusters and custom millwork. Learn how to apply the craftsmanship tools and millwork techniques of the last century to produce a small custom piece to take home with you.
Mode of Transport
Travel in comfort with all transport and transfers included, featuring scenic drives through iconic locations like the Avenue of the Giants and Redwood National and State Parks. Enjoy the convenience of flexible sightseeing with audio headsets and the expertise of a professional driver.
Accommodation
Experience comfort and style at the Sheraton Grand Seattle, Dossier, The Mill Casino, Red Lion Eureka, and Beacon Grand. These cherry-picked hotels offer a blend of modern amenities and local charm, ensuring a relaxing stay throughout your journey from Seattle to San Francisco.
Check out our Q&As
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What unique experiences can I expect at the Pike Place Market in Seattle?
At Pike Place Market, you can explore a variety of stalls and shops spread across nine acres, including the historic arcade and winding alleys. A highlight is the Pike Place Fish Market, famous for its vendors who toss fish back and forth, offering a one-of-a-kind experience.
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What can I learn at the Mount St. Helens Visitor Center?
At the Mount St. Helens Visitor Center, you can learn about the history and geology of the 1980 eruption through education-rich displays and a short film. You can also take a nature walk to an observation area with telescopes for a view of Mount St. Helens.
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What makes the International Rose Test Garden in Portland special?
The International Rose Test Garden in Portland is the oldest continuously operating public garden for roses, featuring over 10,000 rose bushes and 600 varieties. It has a rich history dating back to 1888 and offers a beautiful setting to explore and learn about roses.
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What is unique about the TMK Creamery tour in Portland?
The TMK Creamery tour offers a unique experience where you can see the production of cheese and ice cream at the world's only Farmstead Creamery + Distillery. The tour emphasizes sustainability and includes meeting the 'Cowlebrities' and learning about upcycling processes.
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What can I expect to see at the Yaquina Head Lighthouse?
At Yaquina Head Lighthouse, you can view the 93-feet-tall lighthouse that has been guiding ships since 1873. The site includes an interpretive center with exhibits on seabirds, marine life, and human history, as well as tide pools and a full-scale replica of the lighthouse lantern.
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What is the Avenue of the Giants known for?
The Avenue of the Giants is a 31-mile scenic road in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, known for its breathtaking views of ancient redwood groves. It offers a slower-paced route with access to secluded forests, picnic areas, and the Eel River, ideal for exploring the majestic redwoods.
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What can I experience at the Blue Ox Historic Village in Eureka?
At the Blue Ox Historic Village, you can learn about 1800s craftsmanship from Victorian millwork specialists. The village includes a logging skid camp and working studios for various crafts. You can watch woodworking equipment from the 1800s in action and create a small custom piece to take home.
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Who will be my travelling companions on the tour?
The beauty of taking a guided holiday with us is that you’ll have the opportunity to meet and travel with people from all over the globe.
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What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Vaccination against Covid-19 is not mandatory to travel with Trafalgar. However, we strongly recommend that guests are vaccinated before travelling. Please note that airlines and/or other authorities may have different requirements. It is the guest's responsibility to comply with these requirements at all times.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Since 1947
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Trafalgar is a founding partner of the TreadRight Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation established in 2008. So far, the charity has donated more than US$2 million to help underprivileged communities and support sustainable tourism around the world.
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
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Low Deposit
Trafalgar requires a minimum deposit of 350 USD per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 90 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of trafalgar charges.
Up to 91 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 90 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
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