from $77 Alcatraz ticket with ferry and self-guided city app
Ferry to the island and the cell-house audio tour, bundled with an app-based city guide. The simplest way to secure an Alcatraz date.
California tours & tickets
The experiences worth booking ahead, ranked and grouped by destination. Every product is real and bookable on GetYourGuide.
You do not need a tour for everything in California, but some things are far better booked in advance: Alcatraz ferries have limited seats, studio tours run to a timetable, wine country is safer with a driver, and a guided day trip is the simplest way to see Yosemite or Death Valley without a car.
Below is our ranked shortlist for the whole state, followed by the top picks for each destination. Each destination also has its own tours page with a longer list and live availability.
The California top 10
Ranked on how much of the state’s character each one delivers, traveller ratings and value.
- Check price & availability
Alcatraz ticket with ferry and self-guided city app
The essential San Francisco ticket: ferry to Alcatraz plus the cell-house audio tour. Dates sell out, so reserve early.
San Francisco · from $77 · ⭐ 4.5 - Check price & availability
Yosemite day trip from San Francisco with giant sequoias hike
A long day, but the highest-rated way to see Yosemite Valley and walk among giant sequoias from San Francisco without driving.
Yosemite · from $229 · ⭐ 4.9 - Check price & availability
Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood
A working film studio seen from the inside — backlots, sound stages and famous sets.
Los Angeles · from $79 · ⭐ 4.6 - Check price & availability
Monterey Bay whale-watching tour
Monterey Bay’s deep submarine canyon brings whales close to shore in every season.
Big Sur & Monterey · from $75 · ⭐ 4.8 - Check price & availability
Napa Valley wine tasting by open-air trolley with lunch
Several Napa tastings with lunch and no one in your group having to drive.
Napa & Sonoma · from $145 · ⭐ 4.5 - Check price & availability
USS Midway Museum entry ticket
An aircraft carrier turned museum on the downtown waterfront; allow three hours.
San Diego · from $39 · ⭐ 4.8 - Check price & availability
Universal Studios Hollywood general admission
Theme park and working studio in one; a date-specific ticket bought ahead saves queueing at the gate.
Los Angeles · from $100 · ⭐ 4.6 - Check price & availability
Death Valley guided day tour from Las Vegas
Death Valley’s headline viewpoints in one guided day from Las Vegas, with someone else handling the desert driving.
Death Valley · from $175 · ⭐ 4.9 - Check price & availability
Lake Tahoe daytime scenic cruise
Lake Tahoe’s clear water and Emerald Bay seen from the deck of a boat.
Lake Tahoe · from $105 · ⭐ 4.5 - Check price & availability
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway round-trip ticket
A rotating cable car from the desert floor to cool pine forest at about 2,600 m (8,500 ft).
Palm Springs & Joshua Tree · from $35 · ⭐ 4.6
Prices are indicative “from” prices in US dollars and ratings are as shown on GetYourGuide when we last checked; both change often.
Top picks by destination
Three of the best for each hub. Open the destination’s tours page for the full list.
San Francisco
from $77 from $135 Inside Alcatraz tour with bay cruise
Combines the Alcatraz visit with a separate cruise under the Golden Gate Bridge — two of the city’s essentials in one booking.
from $159 Alcatraz with Muir Woods and Sausalito
A full day: a guided trip to the redwoods and Sausalito in a small group, plus your Alcatraz ticket.
Los Angeles
from $100 Universal Studios Hollywood general admission
A dated one-day ticket to the theme park and its famous Studio Tour tram ride through the backlot.
from $79 Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood
A guided look at a working studio — backlot streets, sound stages and sets and props from well-known films and series.
from $32 Hollywood, Beverly Hills and celebrity homes by open-air bus
An inexpensive narrated drive through Hollywood, the Sunset Strip and Beverly Hills, with a longer option that adds more stops.
San Diego
from $39 USS Midway Museum entry ticket
Entry to the aircraft carrier moored downtown, with a self-guided audio tour and restored aircraft on the flight deck.
from $70 San Diego Zoo admission ticket
One-day admission to one of the world’s best-known zoos, set in the gardens of Balboa Park.
from $57 Hop-on hop-off narrated trolley tour
A loop of the main sights — Old Town, the Embarcadero, the Gaslamp Quarter, Coronado and Balboa Park — with commentary from the driver.
Yosemite
from $220 Yosemite full-day tour with lunch and hotel pick-up
A guided day in the park starting from the southern gateway area, with the main valley viewpoints and lunch included.
from $229 Yosemite day trip from San Francisco with giant sequoias hike
The highest-rated day trip from the city: valley highlights plus a walk among giant sequoias, with pick-up.
from $202 Yosemite and giant sequoias day tour from San Francisco
A long-running coach tour to Yosemite Valley with free time to walk and a stop at a sequoia grove.
Napa & Sonoma
from $145 Napa Valley wine tasting by open-air trolley with lunch
A replica cable-car trolley carries a small group between several Napa wineries, with a picnic-style lunch on the way.
from $264 Napa Valley Wine Train: Gourmet Express lunch or dinner
A multi-course meal served in restored vintage Pullman carriages on a return rail journey between Napa and St Helena.
from $145 Sonoma Valley wine trolley tour with lunch
The Sonoma counterpart: an open-air trolley from Sonoma Plaza to family-run wineries, with lunch.
Lake Tahoe
from $105 Lake Tahoe daytime scenic cruise
A relaxed cruise across the south end of the lake towards Emerald Bay, with wide views of the surrounding peaks.
from $125 Scenic sunset cruise with drinks and snacks
The same waters in the evening light, with refreshments on board — the classic Tahoe outing.
from $117 Emerald Bay cruise with full bar
A highly rated small-boat trip from South Lake Tahoe into Emerald Bay, past Fannette Island and Vikingsholm.
Big Sur & Monterey
from $75 Monterey Bay whale-watching tour
The area’s most-reviewed trip: a cruise from Fisherman’s Wharf to the edge of the submarine canyon with marine naturalists on board.
from $62 Dolphin and whale-watching boat tour
A slightly shorter cruise looking for whales, dolphins, sea lions and seabirds in the bay.
from $79 17-Mile Drive guided e-bike tour
An easy electric-bike ride from Monterey along the coast through Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach to the Lone Cypress.
Santa Barbara
from $28 Santa Barbara trolley tour
A narrated loop past the mission, the courthouse, the waterfront and the smart residential hills — the quickest overview of the city.
from $53 Harbour wildlife kayak tour
A gentle guided paddle around the harbour and out past the wharf, looking for sea lions, seals and seabirds.
from $45 Santa Barbara coastal yacht cruise
A short cruise along the shoreline with views back to the city and mountains.
Palm Springs & Joshua Tree
from $35 Palm Springs Aerial Tramway round-trip ticket
A ten-minute ride in a rotating cabin from the desert floor to pine forest at about 2,600 m (8,500 ft), with trails and viewpoints at the top.
from $175 San Andreas Fault open-air jeep tour
A guided drive onto private land along the famous fault line east of Palm Springs, with canyons, a palm oasis and geology explained.
from $159 Palm Springs celebrity homes and architecture tour
A small-group drive past the mid-century houses of Hollywood’s golden age, with the stories behind them.
Death Valley
from $175 Death Valley guided day tour from Las Vegas
The most-reviewed option: a small-group day covering the principal viewpoints, including Badwater Basin and Zabriskie Point.
from $165 Death Valley and Rhyolite ghost town day trip from Las Vegas
Adds the ruins of the gold-rush town of Rhyolite, just outside the park in Nevada, to the main valley sights.
from $249 Death Valley sunset and stargazing tour from Las Vegas
A later departure timed to catch evening light on the dunes or badlands and the night sky before driving back.
Sequoia & Kings Canyon
from $134 Sherman Tree and Congress Trail guided walk
A guided walk through the heart of the Giant Forest, with the ecology and history of the sequoias explained along the way.
from $70 Giant Forest hike with a naturalist
A shorter small-group walk among the big trees, led by a naturalist.
from $25 Group stargazing programme
An inexpensive evening session under the dark skies of the Sierra foothills, with a guide to point out what you are seeing.
Anaheim & Disneyland
from $94 Los Angeles highlights sightseeing tour from Anaheim
A full-day guided coach tour from Anaheim hotels to Hollywood, Beverly Hills and the beaches — LA without the driving.
from $85 Los Angeles sightseeing tour from Anaheim and Buena Park
A highly rated alternative day tour of the city’s main sights, with pick-up in the Anaheim and Buena Park area.
from $100 Universal Studios Hollywood general admission
A dated one-day ticket to the film-themed park and studio tour in Los Angeles; make your own way there.
GetYourGuide
More California tours, live
Real-time availability from GetYourGuide across the state.
How to book well
- Book Alcatraz first. Tickets are released in advance and summer dates often sell out weeks ahead; combination tours can have seats when plain tickets do not.
- Check the meeting point. Day trips to Yosemite and Death Valley leave very early from specific hotels or pick-up zones.
- Look at the cancellation terms. Most GetYourGuide products allow free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead, which helps if fog, fire or road closures change your plans.
- Theme-park and studio tickets are tied to a date. Prices vary by day, and weekdays outside school holidays are usually cheapest.
- National park entry fees are generally not included in tour prices unless the listing says so.
California tours: FAQs
Can I visit Yosemite as a day trip from San Francisco?
Yes, but it is a 14–15 hour day with about four hours’ driving each way. It works well as a guided tour; if you have time, staying one or two nights near the park is far more relaxed.
Are Disneyland tickets sold on GetYourGuide?
At the time of writing we could not find Disneyland Resort park tickets among GetYourGuide’s Anaheim listings, so we do not link to any. Buy them from Disney or an authorised seller. Universal Studios Hollywood tickets are available and are listed on our Los Angeles and Anaheim pages.
Do tours include hotel pick-up?
Some do, many use a central meeting point. The details are on each product page; check before booking if you are staying outside the centre.
Is it better to drive myself or take tours?
A mix works best. Drive the coast and the national parks if you are comfortable with long distances; use tours in the cities, for wine tasting and for very long day trips.
Plan your trip
Coast, cities, parks and vineyards — book the big-ticket days first
Alcatraz ferries, Yosemite day trips, Hollywood studio tours and wine-country drivers are limited and sell out weeks ahead in summer. Compare the best California tours and reserve in a couple of taps.