My family (2 adults, 3 children ages 9-13) will visit California in March. We are looking for reputable tour guides to service us on a tour from San Francisco to Yellowstone, and then on a multi-day tour (3-4 days?) from SF to LA along the coast (or this could be the other way around, LA to SF).

I have seen many tour companies offering these services with a wide range of prices. I would like to know of any reputable or recommended companies. I have search here, BBB, Yelp and TA and it seems like a mix of reviews no matter what. I am strongly considering a group called Take Tours, but would appreciate your feedback on this group or others. Of course Fodorites will know the real deal.

I know the best way to do this is on our own, but for a multitude of legitimate reasons we prefer a packaged tour.

As a secondary question we would like to see Sequoia, Yellowstone and Muir Woods during this trip. However, based on other threads we may need to narrow down the choices because they are all similar. Please advise.

Thanks in advance!

>>I have seen many tour companies offering these services with a wide range of prices.> Sequoia, Yellowstone and Muir Woods during this trip. However, based on other threads we may need to narrow down the choices because they are all similar.

Thanks for your input, Janis.

Can anyone else actually offer something helpful here? I'm not asking about price or whether or not my children are suited for tours. I am asking for recommendations about tour companies. TIA

In early March there may still be enough snow in Yellowstone that the only tour you will get would be on a snowmobile or snow buggy from West Yellowstone MT.
You should be able to get a bus tour from San Francisco over the Golden Gate Bridge to Muir Woods. The Coast Redwoods there are quite impressive.
The big trees in Sequoia/Kings Canyon are Sequoias and not Redwoods. You might want to try to get to Yosemite instead of Sequoia. If you can get to Merced, you can ride a YARTS bus into Yosemite and ride a different bus within the park.

I think you meanYosemite rather than Yellowstone.

Sorry can't help with tour recommendations, not familiar with any as I have never had a visitor who has taken one in California.

Goodness, yes, I meant Yosemite and we are going in May, not March, also a typo. Trying to plan 2 trips at once has my brain in a fog.

I have found two tour options for a coastal tour. Instead of Take Tours I think we are going to go with Explore California Tours, unless someone here steers me differently.

And you mean "Tauck Tours," correct?

I agree with other posters, have not heard from anybody who has actually taken such a packaged tour. But, the one that Tauck Tours offers seems that it would be ok if a bit pricy.

If it's Tauck, I've heard they're excellent. My grandparents used them a lot, but mostly in Asia not the US. I wouldn't have thought they're kid friendly, though? The impression I got from my relatives is that they were full of well heeled 60+ crowd.

Took a look at the other company. That price for their one way big sur trip is obscene, even given the price of hotels on the coast. And their website says they might be able to offer a triple or quad room but not gauranteed...but even then there are 5 of you, so what is your plan? Split into two different rooms?

I don't know. The trip looks good although speedy. I did Big Sur in double the number of days for about the same price of 1 person on that tour. I'd just Rent a car, even though you said you have legitimate reasons for not doing so.

Hi, Sludick and MarvelousMouse, and thanks so much for your input. I had actually started my research with Tauck Tours, as we have successfully used them before, but their dates do not align well with ours. Also I would prefer to end in LA, but most coastal tours return to SF. We are flying into SF but we have friends in LA that we are hoping to see at the end of the trip before we fly out of LA.

Here is Take Tours - http://www.taketours.com/los-angeles...tml#exclusions

And it looks like you saw the Explore California Tour. It is way more expensive, but I did negotiate a better deal than advertised. Viator offers the same tour for the same price but they do not allow children.

We would divide into two rooms (we usually have to do that anyway unless we get a large suite - our accommodations are always so expensive) and both companies allow a double/triple.

I agree that renting a car would be the best option, and if I were going by myself or with a different group that would be my preference. However, given some health constraints by my family, we really do need someone else to do the driving and guiding. We will handle SF on our own, and I feel ok about that but once we start moving I will need to leave the logistics to someone else so I can help with other things. We travel pretty often, and we have found this to be the best way to allow us to still travel as a family without compromising health issues.

Take Tours offers excellent reviews on their website, but looking elsewhere I see mixed reviews. I can only find one place with reviews on Explore California, and would prefer to hear from an unbiased source if possible, before booking.

My pick would be explore California. At first glance, Take's itinerary is not as interesting, or as well planned out, I feel. (Why on earth do they visit Stanford?) (Have been to everywhere except there on itineraries).

So in your shoes: I would do the explore California tour for big sur. Then pick your favorite lodging in Yosemite Valley and take yarts everywhere for YNP. Do Yosemite, then do SF by yourselves, with a day tour to the Muir Woods (lots of people offer this). Not sure what to tell you about LA. I don't know what the health issue is, And that could change advice. But currently I think the best thing would be to rent a car and visit what you want. There's a lot of cool stuff, but the Hollywood thing that the main tours do isn't for me. Any interest in the theme parks?

It would be easiest to cut sequoia imo.

The Take Tour sounds kind of terrible to me. "See Yosemite" one morning, then have lunch and drive the freeway down to Los Angeles all afternoon? And their "tour" includes a day touring San Francisco, which you would have already done.

Sorry that I don't know more about guided tours, or I would surely help you find something better. Are you locked into a certain amount of days for your trip, and are your air tickets already booked both into & out of San Fran?

Look at Caravan Tours which has a one-way tour ending in Los Angeles, and at least includes an overnight at Yosemite.

Caravan seems to have very good reviews and has been in business for 60 years.

I think only one night in Yosemite is practically a drive by, and a shame, but sure, other than that the itinerary incorporates everything else and doesn't look as terrible as Take.

One caveat is that I would double check to see just how much free time they give you in Monterey. 17 mile drive is pretty and all, but frankly with the kids I'd rather do an afternoon at the terrific aquarium.

OP- you've already got unbiased reviews elsewhere. You said they are mixed. The only place with all good reviews is the company's website and of course they'd only put good reviews up. Heck, good chance they fabricate reviews for their webpage.

This is so helpful, thank you! You've confirmed my thoughts/concerns about Take Tours.

We will add days before and after the coast trip so we were planning to do Yosemite and SF separately, before heading down the coast on the tour. Very similar to what you suggested MarvelousMouse. The tour ends in LA where we want to spend a day or two with friends before heading home. No theme parks for us.

I haven't booked flights yet, waiting for it all to come together so I am sure about the days and times.

I have not seen Caravan! I am excited to look at another possibility. I can't thank you all enough for thinking through this with me.

Viator does NOT do tours! They are consolidators; they offer booking the tours but tours are done by various tour companies ( likely the same ones you've already looked at).

DebitNM - I wondered about that! Good to know! I do think it's a separate company they are offering through Viator, though, as the Viator option does now allow children and the locations of accommodations are different. Either way - not doing Viator.

Take Tours has a reputation for catering to mainly Chinese visitors and eating in many Chinese buffet restaurants. I also do not like the motel they are putting you up in LA, it is in Lawndale which has a crime rate almost as bad as Inglewood.
I would agree with driving yourself if possible or maybe look at Cal Parlor Tours, at least one of their tours actually travels the Big Sur area. Almost all others do not.

Jamie - thank you for this. I don't think we will enjoy Take Tours. I will definitely add the Cal Parlor group to my list. Thank you!