Cruise San Francisco Bay for water-level views of the city’s skyline and historic waterfront. Sail past the sea lions at Pier 39 and look back towards the piers and hills that shape the city’s shoreline.

The boat offers open views and photo opportunities that feel distinct from sightseeing on the streets. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Walk through Portland’s International Rose Test Garden in Washington Park, where thousands of rose bushes display an array of colours and fragrances when in bloom. Its hillside setting offers a peaceful place to appreciate the flowers behind Portland’s nickname, the City of Roses.

Established in 1917, the garden has long been a place to trial rose varieties. Its living collection reflects a local passion for roses that grew from community exhibitions in the late 19th century.

Explore Humboldt Redwoods State Park on a drive along the Avenue of the Giants, a road that winds through ancient coast redwood groves. Take in the immense trunks and shaded forest scenery, with opportunities to pause for photographs and fresh forest air.

The park protects one of the world’s largest remaining expanses of old-growth redwoods. Travelling beneath its canopy reveals both the scale of these trees and the conservation efforts that kept this landscape standing.

View Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge, where water drops in two tiers for a total of 620 feet. Feel the cool spray and take in the falls against steep, mossy rock walls.

Fed largely by underground springs, the waterfall changes character with the seasons. Its setting reveals the dramatic terrain of the gorge and offers one of Oregon’s most recognisable natural scenes, with Benson Bridge spanning the space between the falls’ two drops.

Visit Yaquina Head Lighthouse, the 93-foot beacon standing on a headland above the Oregon coast. See its striking position over the Pacific and learn how its light has helped mariners navigate this shoreline since 1873.

Explore the Yaquina Head Interpretive Center for exhibits on lighthouse history, seabirds and marine life. The surrounding headland adds a vivid coastal setting of ocean winds, rocky shore and tide-pool habitats.

• 3 Dinner (D)
• 7 Breakfast (B)
• 1 Lunch (L)

• Deluxe coach travel
• Selected hotel dinners plus a locally hosted meal
• 4-star stays

• Seattle: Tick the must-see attraction of Pike Place Market off your bucket list. At the oldest, continuously open farmers’ market in the country, take your time exploring the market’s stalls and shops spread across nine acres. Visit the historic arcade and make your way down winding alleys, stairways and lower levels for a sensory tour of sights, sounds and tastes. Be sure to stop by the Pike Place Fish Market, famous for its vendors who toss fish back and forth. Founded in 1930, the Pike Place Fish Market is an enduring Seattle institution and a one-of-a-kind experience.
• WA Parks Mt Saint Helens: Unlock the history and geology of Mount St. Helens at the Interpretive Center featuring education-rich displays and a short film. You can take a short nature walk to an observation area with several telescopes. On a clear day, you’ll have a tremendous view of Mount St. Helens.
• Portland: Visit the oldest continuously operating public garden for showing – boasting over 10,000 rose bushes and 600 rose varieties sitting on 4.5 acres of land. Unlock the garden’s history, and you’ll learn how in 1888 Georgiana Burton Pittock, wife of pioneer publisher Henry Pittock, invited her friends and neighbours to exhibit their roses in her garden. After an annual rose show grew in popularity and size, Georgiana and her friends established the Portland Rose Society in 1889. A former Rose Society president chose the garden’s site and established a rose test garden in 1917.
• Hood River: Head to Multnomah Falls, Oregon’s tallest waterfall at 620 feet. Learn how the falls are fed by underground springs from Larch Mountain and are usually highest during the winter and spring seasons. Multnomah Falls is also one of the best places in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area to study geology exposed by floods. As the most-visited natural recreation site in the Pacific Northwest, it’s the ideal spot to snap pictures to add to your travel album.
• Yaquina Head Lighthouse: The Pacific Northwest promises you one iconic sight after the next. Visit Yaquina Head lighthouse, a beacon which has been guiding ships along the West Coast since 1873. Gaze up at this 93-feet-tall lighthouse perched on the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, stretching out from the Oregon coast one mile into the Pacific Ocean. Then visit the interpretive centre featuring exhibits on seabirds and marine life as well as human history. You can even see the wheelhouse of an historic ship, a recreated rocky island and its inhabitants and a full-scale replica of the lighthouse lantern as well as the nearby tide pools.
• Redwood National and State Parks: Welcome to Redwood National and State Parks. Take the winding, Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway through old-growth redwoods. Immerse yourself in the history of these towering trees and the legacy of Newton Drury, whose 40-year dedication helped preserve these forests and secure them as parklands in the 20th century. As you gaze at the giant trees, keep an eye out for the wild Roosevelt Elk herds that roam the park.
• Eureka: There’s no better place to learn about craftsmanship from the 1800s than from the Victorian millwork specialists at Blue Ox Millworks. Stroll through the Historic Village containing a logging skid camp and working studios for blacksmithing, printing, fibre arts, sign painting, foundry, stained glass, pottery, lapidary and more. Watch woodworking equipment from the 1800s in action in the millwork shop where the millworkers make windows, doors, balusters and custom millwork. Learn how to apply the craftsmanship tools and millwork techniques of the last century to produce a small custom piece to take home with you.
• Humboldt Redwoods State Park: Delve into the natural beauty of California at this park encompassing over 53,000 acres, nearly twice the size of San Francisco. Learn about its history, dating back to 1921, when the Save the Redwoods League dedicated the first Memorial Grove, Colonel Raynal C. Bolling Memorial Grove, in what is now known as Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Among the park’s diverse coast redwood ecosystem is the Rockefeller Forest, home to the largest remaining old-growth forest in the world and the 362-foot-tall, 17-foot-wide fallen Dyerville Giant.
• Avenue of the Giants: Welcome to the Avenue of the Giants. Located in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, this 31-mile road parallels Highway 101 and offers you a slower-paced route through southern Humboldt County to take in the scenery. Wind your way along its gentle curves passing secluded forests, campgrounds, picnic areas and access to the Eel River, a waterway with swimming, fishing and paddling spots. Perhaps pull off to explore one of the many trailheads along the avenue luring you into the redwood forest, each with its own magic.
• San Francisco: Delve into Fisherman’s Warf, a neighbourhood encompassing the northern waterfront area of San Francisco from Ghirardelli Square or Van Ness Avenue east to Pier 35 or Kearny Street. Stroll along Pier 39 where the wooden pier is lined with restaurants, quirky shops and street performers as well as the notable aquarium.
• San Francisco: Discover the best of San Francisco as you admire the mix of Victorian and modern architecture at Alamo Square, take in the historic grandeur of City Hall, and explore the natural beauty of Golden Gate Park. Then head to the waterfront to soak up the lively atmosphere of Pier 39, all while enjoying the city’s vibrant culture and unforgettable views.

Trafalgar

Meet your Travel Director and fellow travellers over a welcome dinner in Seattle. It is a hosted introduction to the people sharing your journey, rather than a meal on your own.

Settle into the Emerald City, a place shaped by Puget Sound, surrounding forests and a lively food culture. The dinner offers a chance to connect with the group and hear about the Pacific Northwest experiences ahead.

Explore Pike Place Market, Seattle’s century-old public market overlooking Elliott Bay. Browse produce stands, small shops and seafood counters, and watch the lively exchanges at the Pike Place Fish Market.

Opened in 1907, the market remains a working gathering place for farmers, makers and shoppers. Its arcades and lower levels offer a close look at Seattle’s food traditions, from Pacific seafood to locally made preserves.

Join a Travel Director-led orientation tour of Seattle, taking in the city’s distinctive setting and driving past the Space Needle. Built for the 1962 World’s Fair, its slender silhouette remains one of the city’s most recognisable sights.

The drive introduces a city where waterfront heritage meets contemporary design and technology. See how Seattle’s neighbourhoods sit between the waters of Puget Sound and the green landscape that gave the Emerald City its nickname.

Visit the Mount St. Helens Interpretive Center near Castle Rock to explore the volcano’s geology and the events surrounding its 1980 eruption. Exhibits and a short film explain how the blast reshaped the mountain and its surrounding landscape.

Look across the wetlands from the observation area, where clear conditions can reveal views of Mount St. Helens. The visit brings a deeper understanding of the volcanic forces that continue to shape the Pacific Northwest.

Tour TMK Creamery near Portland to see how its team makes cheese, ice cream and Cowcohol. Meet the dairy’s resident “Cowlebrities” and learn how a working farm connects milk production with the finished products.

TMK combines a farmstead creamery and distillery, finding uses for remnants from its processes rather than simply discarding them. This MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience highlights practical approaches to responsible consumption and production.

Tour family-run Terra Vina Vineyard in Oregon’s northern Willamette Valley and taste its wines alongside a three-course, family-style Be My Guest lunch. Explore the vines and learn about the family behind the estate.

Founders Karl and Carole have pursued expressive reds in a region best known for Pinot Noir. Hear how grape varieties including Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc, together with ideas drawn from older wine regions, influence their approach to winemaking.

Pause at Portland Women’s Forum State Scenic Viewpoint for a sweeping look into the Columbia River Gorge. Frame the river, forested slopes and Vista House at Crown Point in photographs from this elevated vantage point.

The view recalls the ambition behind the Historic Columbia River Highway, an early scenic road designed to reveal the gorge’s landscape to travellers. It is a chance to see how the river has carved a route through the Cascade Mountains.

Travel the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway through Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, part of California’s Redwood National and State Parks. The winding road passes directly through old-growth groves, bringing the scale of the coast redwoods into view from beneath their canopy.

Named for conservationist Newton B. Drury, the parkway reflects decades of work to protect these forests. Keep watch for Roosevelt elk, which roam the park’s meadows and woodland edges.

Tour Blue Ox Historic Village in Eureka, a working centre for traditional Victorian-era crafts. See historic trades and equipment at the millworks, and make your own card on a proof press.

Blue Ox preserves the skills used to produce the detailed woodwork associated with 19th-century buildings. Its workshops offer a tangible look at craftsmanship, from printing to millwork, with a hands-on keepsake to take away.

Explore San Francisco on an organised city tour, taking in Fisherman’s Wharf and Union Square. Experience the bustle of the northern waterfront, from its piers and seafood traditions to the shops and street life around Pier 39.

The wider city exploration reveals San Francisco’s contrasting neighbourhoods and architecture, including sights such as Alamo Square, City Hall and Golden Gate Park. It is a broad introduction to the city’s waterfront heritage, Victorian streets and urban green spaces.

Join an optional dinner cruise during your stay in Portland and see the city from the water while enjoying an evening meal. The changing riverfront views offer a different perspective on Oregon’s largest city.

This is a relaxed alternative to dining ashore, pairing conversation and a meal with the movement of the boat and the lights of the waterfront. The experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.