• See the Hollywood Walk of Fame and take a tour of a famous movie theatre
• Visit the iconic Santa Monica Pier at sunset
• Experience a guided tour of the legendary Spanish mission at San Juan Capistrano from a Local Expert
• Relish a lovely holiday dinner at one of California’s oldest restaurants
• Stroll through an authentic local farmers’ market
• Feel the sand beneath your feet during a special Laguna Beach excursion
• See holiday lights sparkle at a stunning Mystery Destination
• Enjoy a one-day park-hopper pass to Disneyland and California Adventure Park

• Private transportation from Los Angeles International airport to your hotel
• 7 nights of accommodation at superior, centrally located hotels
• A private tour of a classic Los Angeles movie theatre 
• Walking tours of Old Town Pasadena and Mission San Juan Capistrano
• Excursions to Laguna Beach, Old Towne Orange, and Coronado Island (San Diego)
• Special stops at two Mystery Destinations
• Visits to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Santa Monica Pier, Chinatown, Olvera Street, and an authentic local farmer’s market
• A one-day park-hopper pass to Disneyland and California Adventure Park
• Private air-conditioned transportation via coach between all California cities
• 10 Meals – 7 breakfasts and 3 multi-course dinners
• All hotel taxes, tips, and porterage fees
• A Tour Leader to handle all logistical aspects of your tour and guide your group from start to finish

DAY 1:  ARRIVAL IN LOS ANGELES

Arrive at Los Angeles International Airport where a Blue Onyx Travel representative will direct you to your private air-conditioned transportation en route to your Los Angeles hotel.  At 7 p.m. your group will meet in the hotel lobby for a brief orientation and then proceed to a lovely welcome dinner.

MEAL:  Dinner        ACCOMMODATION:  Hampton Inn and Suites Americana (3 nights)

DAY 2:  HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME, HISTORIC HOLLYWOOD THEATRE, SANTA MONICA PIER, SPECIAL HOLIDAY DINNER

After a leisurely morning, you’ll head over to the Hollywood/Highland area where your Tour Leader will show you the best place in which to take that all-important selfie with the Hollywood Sign.  You’ll have some free time to roam around the Walk of Fame and find the stars of your favorite celebrities, followed by a tour of a famous Hollywood theatre.  In the early evening, your group will journey to the iconic Santa Monica Pier to watch the sunset.  

MEALS:  Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 3:  LOCAL FARMERS’ MARKET, WALKING TOUR OF PASADENA, OLVERA STREET, CHINATOWN

You’ll depart your hotel in the morning for visits to Chinatown and L.A.’s historic Olvera Street.  Afterwards, you’ll have time to explore the first of two Mystery Destinations that this tour has to offer.   Next you’ll spend some leisure time at a local farmers’ market in one of California’s delightful small towns.  Finally, you’ll enjoy a walking tour of Old Town Pasadena including a stop at Pasadena’s unforgettable City Hall.    Before returning to your hotel, you’ll have a multi-course holiday dinner at one of the oldest continuously operating restaurants in California.

MEAL:  Breakfast

DAY 4:  LAGUNA BEACH, ORANGE, MYSTERY DESTINATION

After checking out of your Los Angeles hotel, you’ll have an extended stop at one of California’s most beautiful beaches in Orange County.  Afterwards, you’ll enjoy a brief walking tour of Old Towne Orange, which boasts an endless supply of great restaurants and charming antique stores.  After lunch and leisure time, it’s off to the second and final Mystery Destination (hint:  Christmas lights).  

MEAL:  Breakfast        ACCOMMODATION:  Springhill Suites by Marriott Anaheim (2 nights)

DAY 5:   DISNEYLAND!

In the morning, your Tour Leader will guide you on a 10-minute walk from your hotel to The Happiest Place on Earth:  Disneyland!  Survive an attack by the Pirates of the Carribean, seek auto racing glory at Radiator Springs, endure the scary ghosts at the Haunted Mansion, and rub elbows with Mickey Mouse himself!  The great thing about your included park-hopper pass is that it gives you full access not only to Disneyland but also to the neighboring California Adventure Park.  

You will also be awarded a MaxPass – a digital service which not only allows unlimited downloads of PhotoPass pictures, but also permits you to book FastPass reservations for specific rides right from your smart phone.  Prior to entry, your Tour Leader will provide a thorough overview of the salient aspects of this monumental double-theme park complex.

INSIDER TIP:   The only way to get on the Star Wars:  Rise of the Resistance ride is to book your reservation digitally on the Disneyland app.   Download the Disneyland app on your smart phone prior to arrival at the park, and listen carefully to the instructions of your Tour Leader.   

MEALS:  Breakfast       

DAY 6:  GUIDED VISIT TO MISSION SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, FREE TIME IN SAN DIEGO

After such a busy day at Disneyland, it’s important to have time to decompress.  Therefore, the only scheduled item on your agenda for today is a half-hour walking tour of the Mission San Juan Capistrano.  After the tour and a bit of leisure time, you’ll head to San Diego where the day is yours for exploration and restoration.   Perhaps a stroll to the nearby Gaslamp District or Little Italy is in order.    

MEAL:  Breakfast          ACCOMMODATION:  Towneplace Suites San Diego (2 nights)

DAY 7:  TOUR OF OLD TOWN, EXCURSION TO CORONADO

Today, your group will meet with a Local Expert who will walk you through the history of America’s Finest City.  Later, your Tour Leader will take you on an excursion to beautiful Coronado island, home to the historic Hotel Del Coroando and a variety of memorable beaches and neighborhoods.  Just after sunset, a special venue awaits you for your farewell dinner.

MEALS:  Breakfast, Dinner     

The Weather

December weather in southern California tends to be sunny and mild with occasional rainfall.  Highs generally reach the high 60’s to low 70’s, with lows in the high 40’s to low 50’s.  The average daily amount of sunshine in southern California in the month of December is 7 hours.

We advise our guests to bring sunscreen with them to California, no matter what tour they choose.

Bugs and Pests

There shouldn’t be a problem with bugs and pests in the month of December.

Physical Activity of Tour

On a scale of 1 to 10, the level of physical activity of this tour is 6, which is moderate.  Although some days will incur a great deal of walking, there aren’t that many stairs to climb and all of our hotels have elevators.  Please note, however, that there will be a great deal of walking during your day at Disneyland.

Potential Problems

We urge our guests to use common sense on our tours.  Be wary of strangers offering you something or trying to sell you something.  Keep guard of your important belongings, such as purse, wallet, keys, and cell phone.  Pickpocketing, while less prevalent in the United States than in other places, does exist.  

We also urge our guests to use extra caution while crossing the street.  Walk defensively and look in every direction before crossing. Don’t walk distracted.

What to Bring

We urge our guests to pack light.  As previously stated under our Terms and Conditions, all of our guests are allowed one carry-on measuring 45 linear inches (22 x 14 x 9) and a personal item, such as a laptop bag or purse.  We strongly recommend bringing travel size toiletries.

Our Bus Journeys

The bus journeys on this particular tour tend not to be very long.  Two or three hours is the most we will drive on any given day on the way to the next stop.  We offer our guests one complimentary refrigerated beverage per day while traveling on the bus. Occasionally, we will offer snacks as well. The overall capacity of our tour buses will always exceed the amount of guests on our tours by at least 50%, in order to give our guests the opportunity to stretch out and feel more comfortable.

Our Hotels

We always book hotels that are centrally located, highly rated, and close to attractions.  Having said that, there are a couple of things that one should understand about our hotels, especially if you are from overseas.  American hotel rooms, while usually bigger than hotel rooms in other parts of the world, may not have the exact same amenities that you are used to.  Likewise, breakfast isn’t the same in every hotel and different hotels often have wildly different viewpoints about what constitutes a full breakfast.  Having said that, we always strive to book hotels which offer the most complete breakfast possible, with some even being made to order from time to time. 

Our Restaurants

We strive to treat our guests to lunches and dinners at restaurants with interesting settings and this tour is no exception to that concept.  Whether it be on the marina in Monterey, at the creekside in San Luis Obispo, or at the top of a hotel in downtown San Francisco, Blue Onyx Travel will always seek out compelling venues for your included meals.

Currency Exchange and Credit Card Usage

For our guests from overseas who are booking this tour, your Tour Leader will be able to tell you where to exchange currency and there will usually be a place to do so within walking distance of your hotel.  Most major banks will be able to exchange any currency that you have brought with you, for a small fee.

Simply using an ATM machine to withdraw cash can be the most cost effective option to get U.S. currency as the exchange rate is generally more favorable.  However, many U.S. ATM machines charge a small fee for this service. Moreover, your home bank might charge fees as well, so we advise you to find out exactly how much it will cost you to use an American ATM machine to withdraw currency.  Sometimes, if your home bank is affiliated with an American-based bank via an ATM network, then you might not have to pay any fees at all. Bank of America, for instance, is part of the Global ATM Alliance. If your home bank is part of the same alliance, then you should be able to use a Bank of America anywhere in the United States to withdraw cash, without having to pay a fee.

A common mistake that foreigners make when withdrawing U.S. currency from our ATM machines is by performing the transaction in their home currency when prompted by the ATM machine.  This is a surefire money-losing proposition; don’t do it.

Of course, the best option for any foreign traveler coming to the United States is to exchange currency before arriving in the United States.  Your home bank should be able to get you the best possible exchange rate, thus saving you quite a bit of money.  The only drawback to this plan is that this could result in you having to carry around a moderate to high amount of cash while traveling, not to mention that you may have a bunch of unused cash at the end of the trip.

If you don’t want to go through the hassle of exchanging cash, you can always try using a credit card.  Most American businesses accept foreign credit cards, but be advised that – you guessed it – there is usually a small fee that accompanies such transactions.  You will also want to find out – you guessed it – if your home bank charges a fee as well.

The Tour Leader

All of our Tour Leaders must undergo a rigorous training course designed to help them handle not only the ups and downs of a tour group situation, but also the disparate personalities that they might encounter.  All of our Tour Leaders are thoroughly background checked and must adhere to a strict code of conduct at all times. You can rest assured that we are placing you with a Tour Leader who has your best interests at heart.