Itinerary

Day 1–Seattle-Board Amtrak's Pacific Coast

Welcome to the Emerald City! The fun begins this morning as we depart from Seattle’s King Street Station on Amtrak’s Coast Starlight. Enjoy a full day of daylight rail travel through beautiful Washington State and Oregon. Settle into your sleeping accommodations after a wonderful meal in the dining car. (L, D onboard train)

Relive the golden age of cruise ships with an overnight stay on the majestic Queen Mary.

Another full day of daylight rail including the spectacular coast of California. Enjoy the scenery from the Pacific Parlour Car, complete with afternoon wine tasting. Arrive Los Angeles and check in to the Queen Mary, one time luxury ocean liner, now a floating hotel! (B/L/D on board train)

Day 3: Embark on the Monarch of the Seas

Enjoy an included breakfast aboard the Queen Mary. Explore this grand ocean liner that once sailed the oceans of the world, or the many attractions of Long Beach. In the afternoon, transfer to the cruise terminal to board Royal Caribbean's Monarch of the Seas cruise ship. Settle into your cabin and enjoy the amenities of this intimate ship. (B, D)

Get pampered over 4 nights on Royal Caribbean's Monarch of the Seas.

Day 4: Full Day Port Of Call In San Diego

Dive into a mecca of activities. Optional tours include SeaWorld, the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park, Balboa Park and historic Old Town– all designed to fill your day with excitement and memories. If it’s art and history you seek, you’ll find it here. San Diego boasts the largest concentration of museums west of the Mississippi. (B, L, D)

Day 5: Full Day Port Of Call Catalina Island

California’s only island resort city is on Santa Catalina Island.This gorgeous island is 21 miles long and 8 miles wide.The scenery is stunning, with steep cliffs plunging vertically six to eight hundred feet to the ocean below. Visit the Casino Building, the island’s most famous landmark, the colorful murals, and the island’s Botanical Gardens. (B, L, D)

Beautiful Catalina Island is just one of the many highlights on the cruise portion of your tour!

Cantina, Mariachi and Margarita are words that come in handy when you visit Ensenada in Mexico’s Baja. But so will “wow” when you see La Bufadora, a natural geyser spraying 50 feet in the air.The beaches are “bella” and “Que ganga” is what you’ll say at the shops of Avenida Lopez because it means “What a bargain!” Have a day of fun in Mexico’s sun! (B, L, D)

Day 7: Disembark-Hollywood Tour

Returning to Los Angeles, we disembark the Monarch of the Seas and enjoy a day of sightseeing with a celebrity tour of Hollywood! Check-in to deluxe hotel accommodations for the evening and enjoy a festive dinner with fellow passengers. (B, D)

Day 8–Los Angeles–Coast Starlight

This morning board Amtrak’s Coast Starlight for our northbound trip to Seattle. Enjoy the beautiful California coastline and Amtrak’s onboard hospitality. (L, D on board train)

Day 9–Pacific Coast–Arrival in Seattle

Enjoy a final day of daylight rail and the scenery of Oregon and Washington as we make our way home to Seattle. Approximate arrival time is 8:30pm. (B, L, D on board train)

You never know who you’ll run into in Hollywood!

Train

Great Train Escapes is Americas newest daylight sightseeing train.

Tour Directors
You are on vacation, so leave everything to our professionals. Our guides take care of you from start to finish of the trip. They will ensure that your luggage, room keys and dining experiences are all well taken care of. Our Tour Directors are our hallmark. They are specialists whose active commentary will enhance your appreciation of the area's history, culture and wildlife. You can always rest easy knowing that your Tour Director will take care of your special needs, so every moment will be one that you cherish! Gold

Leaf Service
What a gorgeous way to sightsee! On board our train, we provide you with spacious, comfortable reclining seats, picture windows and a non-smoking environment. Air conditioning provides optimum comfort and restrooms are convenient. So relax, breathe in the fresh air and bring your camera along to photograph some of the ever changing scenery.

Deluxe Motorcoaches
Our motorcoaches are luxurious with large non-glare windows, which brings the scenery up close to you. Air conditioning provides optimum comfort, and washrooms are convenient. To guarantee your safety, we choose only drivers with years of experience and excellent safety records.

Comfortable high quality Accommodations
Your comfort is our paramount concern, so we have selected the best hotels available. We are in constant search of first class service and reliability. Each accommodation has a special flavor; from classic inns, to comfortable new high-rise hotels. The vast majority of hotels are able to provide twin bedded rooms. During the height of the season, occasionally twin bedded rooms are not available, in which case we would provide a Queen or King bedded accommodation. Roll away beds are available only upon request, but are not guaranteed.

Dining Experiences
Excellent dining throughout. We often feature elaborate buffets at both breakfast and dinner, a la carte dining with a selection of entrees and of course local favorites.

Airfare and Airport Transfers
Our booking agent will assist in securing the best available airfare. Since tour members frequently arrive at different times and sometimes on different days, we do not arrange for transfers from the airport. Please refer to your final tour documents for information on transfers to your hotel.