San Diego Sunshine
From
Duration
Tour Type
Overview
Come Experience Beautiful Sunshine and Warm January Weather while Enjoying Fantastic Activities with Wonderful People!
Join us for a fun adventure to San Diego for some of the best weather in the United States! Ride the Surfliner train route down the Southern California coastline for an unparalleled view of the Pacific ocean. Explore the diverse neighborhood eateries between touring the Mission Basilica, USS Midway, the San Diego Maritime Museum, and Balboa Park. Visit the famed San Diego Zoo and tour all of San Diego’s highlights at your leisure on a hop-on-hop-off trolley. This trip has so much fun in the sun (while the beautiful Northwest experiences a typical January) that you will have to come along and see for yourself!
Day 1 – January 7: Arrival in San Diego
A luxury motor coach will perform pickups in Salem, Woodburn, and Tualatin along the way to the PDX Airport where we will board our direct flight to the sunny skies and beaches of San Diego! We will arrive in the afternoon, check into the Hampton Inn on the San Diego Harbor (the Maritime Museum is in front of the hotel), and freshen up for an outing to Little Italy to stretch our legs and have dinner in one of the local restaurants. The remainder of the warm evening is yours to enjoy! (D)

Day 2 – January 8: San Clemente, Surfliner Train, and Mission Basillica
This morning we will head out of San Diego after breakfast up the coast to San Clemente to enjoy the beach, pier, and quaint streets of the town. At this point, we will let the coach drive back to San Diego empty as we will board the Amtrak Surfliner for its stunning journey down the southern California coastline. We will have lunch on-board the train and disembark in San Diego. Visit the Mission Basillica, California’s first, and see a piece of history still used to this day. We will have a chance to return to the hotel to freshen up before heading out to dinner on the town. (B,L,D)

Day 3 – January 9: Trolley Day!
Today will be a choose-your-own-adventure day with your own hop-on-hop-off trolley pass. You will be able to board the trolley just in front of the hotel near the harbor where you can choose to sightsee from the trolley or get off at one of the many locations. If you want to spend more time around Balboa Park or the Hotel Coronado – this is your chance! This will be a fun and easy way to explore the areas that you wish. We will meet up in the late afternoon to go to dinner as a group before returning to the hotel to rest. (B,D)

Day 4 – January 10: Little Italy Market and Maritime Museum
This morning we visit the adjacent Little Italy Mercato and experience the largest Farmers’ Market in San Diego County to stroll among the food and craft vendors (or food carts if you wish). The group will then have ample time to explore 500 years of seafaring history at the San Diego Maritime museum. There will be time for the exhibits, historic ships (including the Star of India, the world’s oldest active sailing ship, and the Californian, California’s official state tall ship), and time to get out on the water and explore San Diego Harbor. Return to the hotel (it is across the street) to freshen up before dinner on the town. (B,L,D)

Day 5 – January 11: Balboa Park and the Hotel Coronado
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before venturing out to Balboa Park to visit its 16 museums, gardens, and memorials which cater to a wide variety of interests: Natural History, Space, Automotive History, Art and Photography, Culture, and more are represented in institutions around Balboa Park. Guests will be able to seek out those exhibitions that most interest them by utilizing a park pass allowing access to all. In the afternoon, explore the history and memories that the Hotel Coronado have created since it was built in the 1880s. Dinner will be with the group before returning to the hotel for the evening. (B,D)

Day 6 – January 12: USS Midway and San Diego Zoo
Guests have already experienced so much that San Diego has to offer – and today will add two iconic activities – The USS Midway and the San Diego Zoo! We will start the day with a docent guided tour of the USS Midway before having some additional time to explore on your own. Then head to the San Diego Zoo where animal encounters await the group; there will be plenty of time to enjoy the zoo and lunch will be on your own. This evening is our farewell dinner to revel in the fun and entertainment this escape to beautiful weather has brought. (B, D)
Day 7 – January 13: Journey Home
Our last day in San Diego! This will be a leisurely morning as the group will have an early afternoon direct flight back to PDX. A short drive will then take us to the airport where we will catch our direct flight back to PDX where a luxury motor coach will be waiting to take us back to our original point of departure. (B)