Highlights of America's West Coast

We fly from London Heathrow to San Francisco, our base for the next two nights. After checking into our hotel, there's some free time for you to settle in or start sightseeing.

Day 2 includes a half-day city tour that takes us to the Golden Gate Bridge, spanning a mile over the Pacific Ocean, where we see the outstanding views across the bay, and Fisherman's Wharf, home to a unique colony of sea lions. With more free time, you might like to visit the nearby island of Alcatraz, a notorious former prison, or the impressively steep Lombardy Street.

We journey by rail from Oakland, travelling along the San Joaquin route through California's Central Valley. Arriving at Merced, we transfer by coach into incredible Yosemite National Park. Here, we enjoy a tour of the dramatic valley floor with a local expert who takes us to Half Dome, standing 4,000 feet above the eastern part of the valley, as well as the world-famous El Capitan and thundering Bridalveil Falls, which sends water cascading down a 617-feet drop.

From the natural beauty of Yosemite, we head to the glamorous and glittering sights of Las Vegas. Taking the train from Merced to Bakersfield and continuing our journey by coach to Las Vegas, we head across the eerily beautiful Mojave Desert, past derelict ghost towns and atmospheric villages. The buildings and lights of Las Vegas soon appear on the horizon, our hedonistic base for two nights.

On Day 5, you are free to discover Las Vegas for yourself. With no end of entertainment, Vegas is a favourite city for tourists, with an incredible selection of resorts, casinos, and shows to enjoy as well as fantastic spas and restaurants at many of the vibrantly themed hotels.

We continue by coach to Arizona. On our way to Flagstaff, we stop off at the Hoover Dam. This masterpiece of engineering was built during the Great Depression of 1936 as an attempt to control floods and produce hydroelectric power. It is now one of the most visited attractions in the United States and provides enough electricity to serve 1.3 million people across the states of Arizona, Nevada and California. Joining the legendary Route 66, we stop off in Kingman for a short break before checking into our hotel in Flagstaff for the night.

Today is an undoubted highlight of our holiday, as we visit the Grand Canyon. We board the heritage Grand Canyon Railway, travelling in fully-restored vintage-style carriages as we journey to the South Rim of one of the world's most breathtaking natural wonders. From our incredible viewpoint, it's possible to see across all the peaks and valleys of this incredible canyon, forged by the powerful Colorado River over millions of years. Leaving the Grand Canyon behind, we make our way by coach to Lake Havasu for the night. This city is home to an unusual attraction; just a short walk from our hotel you'll find a Georgian-era bridge that once spanned the River Thames but was relocated to Arizona in the 1960s.

We arrive in glamorous Los Angeles this morning, where we have a half-day tour. We visit the famous Hollywood Boulevard, home to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, as well as the TCL Chinese Theatre, where the Oscars are held each year. The rest of your day is free to explore. You could enjoy browsing the upmarket boutiques, bars, restaurants and clubs on Sunset Strip or stroll Rodeo Drive, home to some exclusive shops such as Tiffany's, Chanel and Versace. You may prefer to visit famous Venice Beach Boardwalk or Santa Monica Pier or head to the Griffith Observatory for a sighting of the renowned Hollywood sign. For a real taste of the entertainment industry's impact on the city, make your way to Universal Studios and learn all about the magic behind the movies.

We board Amtrak's Coast Starlight service, admiring the wild views as our train hugs the shoreline along the Pacific Coast Highway. We enjoy the sights of the mesmerising Salinas Valley as well as the Santa Lucia and Diablo mountain ranges en route to Salinas, where we disembark for a coach transfer to Monterey, our home for tonight.

On Day 10 you are free to explore the dramatic scenery of northern California.

Returning to San Francisco by coach, we head to the airport for our overnight flight to London Heathrow.

We land back in the UK on Day 12.