The Ultimate Northern California Coast and San Francisco Trip

Filoli Historic House & Garden is a magnificent 654-acre historic country estate in Woodside, California, featuring a grand Georgian Revival mansion, 16 acres of formal English Renaissance gardens, and expansive natural lands.The Estate and HouseBuilt between 1915 and 1917 for gold-mining magnate William Bowers Bourn II and his wife Agnes.The name "Filoli" is crafted from the owner's personal credo: "Fight for a just cause, Love your fellow man, Live a good life".Features a 54,000+ square-foot, 56-room Georgian Revival-style mansion showcasing early 20th-century luxury.The Formal GardensSpans 16 acres of structured, symmetrical "garden rooms" designed by artist Bruce Porter and horticulturist Bella Worn.Includes a famous Sunken Garden, yew-lined avenues, a one-acre walled garden with 10-foot brick walls, and a historic 6.8-acre Gentleman’s Orchard.Displays year-round seasonal blooms, from spring daffodils and tulips to summer roses, salvias, and zinnias.Natural Lands and TrailsEncompasses over 650 acres of protected natural landscape along the eastern slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

We will visit one of the largest mainland breeding colonies in the world for the northern elephant seal is at Año Nuevo State Park. It is a three-to-four mile moderate hike with varied terrain including sand dunes. Most groups require about two and a half to three hours to make the round-trip hike.

Today we will go whale watching in deep ocean via the Monterey Bay Submarine Canyon, featuring operators like Sea Goddess Whale Watching and Sanctuary Cruises. These are the rich feeding grounds with high sighting success for humpbacks, orcas, and blue whales.

The Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park is a historic, 5-acre garden featuring traditional elements like pagodas, koi ponds, a Zen garden, and a drum bridge, with a tea house and gift shop offering Japanese snacks and goods. Originally created for the 1894 Midwinter Exposition, it was expanded by Makoto Hagiwara and is known for its peaceful atmosphere, influenced by principles of miniaturization, asymmetry, and concealment. Visitors can enjoy tea, snacks, and authentic Japanese items

The San Francisco Botanical Garden is a 55-acre public plant showcase featuring over 8,000 different plant kinds, world-class global collections, and peaceful redwood groves inside Golden Gate Park.Key FeaturesGlobal Zones: Specialized microclimates representing regions like Australia, Chile, South Africa, and cloud forests of the Andes and Southeast Asia.California Native Garden: A serene area highlighting regional flora, complete with a towering coast redwood grove.Specialty Gardens: Includes the Fragrance Garden (designed for touch and scent), an Ancient Plants Garden, and a world-renowned magnolia collection