I have had nothing but great experiences with Backroads throughout my past 5 experiences with them…read more This highly anticipated hike in Yosemite did not meet my expectations right from the start. Other trips included guest numbers of between 9-11 with 2 guides and one support guide. This trip had 19 with the same ratio of a team. Pretty forgivable until you factored in there were only 2 vans with 21 of us crammed during each of the long distances between each hotel and hike. The longest drive was, as expected, between our San Francisco meet-up for the 4 hour drive to the park. Two vans made for a very squished drive for many of us. The first hotel, a one-night stay, found us in a parking lot facing room. For the $$$ Backroads costs, I expect more than the cheapest view in the hotel. I expect a room with a view. I wouldn't book a room on my own without a view, and I expected more on our first night. Our first night Backroads reception, something that is a tradition and combines meeting our fellow hikers with an included cocktail and nice dinner, did not happen. We were led to a lonely back room of the hotel. Here, dressed in our finery, we waited to be greeted with an offering of a cocktail. Instead, set up in the corner of this dank room was a server with a few bottles of wine. Confused, a few of us went to the bar and purchased our own drinks. Those who wanted a second glass of wine you were out of luck because the server closed up shop before one had a chance to ask. Our guides arrived and began to stumble through an explanation as to why we weren't having our dinners inside of the hotel: something to do with the hotel confusing our Backroads trip with another Backroads trip that is also on property. The bottom line was that the hotel could not accommodate our dinner choices. We were cordially invited to join the barbecue that was taking place for the Backroads biker group. We traipsed around the chilly outside of the hotel in our finery, down to a picnic area set up with picnic tables, a buffet, and a lot of families with their children running around having a grand time. We were instructed to pick up a tin tray with a paper plate and begin our choosing from the tables of food. Basically, we were met with the leavings of the previous Backroads barbecue. No freshly stocked trays. The hamburger/hot dog tray held at least an inch of grease with a few sad looking hot dogs and hamburgers. The salads were picked over. The dessert tray held toppled over dregs of cakes. My husband, who typically goes with the flow, was even more shocked than me. We took ourselves to the hotel restaurant, with its very ample available seating, and bought our own drinks and dinner. It was great. My issue is this: this option of dining in the restaurant instead of the barbecue was not offered. It should have been. This isn't a low brow touring company. The extra cost of their guests dining independently should have been eaten by Backroads. Not on us. The next day, not a word was mentioned by the guides about the previous night's fiasco. I spoke to the support guide about it on my own. She was stunned to learn about the whole affair as she was not present for it. She must have spoken to the guides about it because, later on, the guides brought it up with apologies. Yet, no mention was made of reimbursement of our dinner. The remainder of the trip was Backroads great. The guides are always tip-top, the variety of snacks are set up with flare, the park hotels are always special. The Yosemite hikes are spectacular. I contacted Backroads via email two times about my issues. I have never had to complain about their trips, but I felt that there is a discernible slip in the quality of their product. I asked to be called via phone so that I could have a dialogue with someone. I never received a call. Instead, all of us on the group received an email apologizing for the terrible first night's confusion, and we are offered a $250. credit good for two years towards a future Backroads trip. I am not finding this an acceptable peace offering. Actually, I would have preferred my reimbursement of $200. that we spent on our first night's dinner and a phone call. We have paid in full for another Backroads trip coming up on September. This will be the make-or-break for us. I think that had we not paid for this trip, we would be looking for a different tour group. There were enough small signs that show a slip in service and a cut in costs. I spoke to many of us on this trip, some experienced Backroaders and some brand new. There was a noticeable disgruntled atmosphere regarding the tight vans. One guest told me she ate only a baked potato at the barbecue. Another told me she ate one sausage. Many keep their disappointments to themselves. I asked around. Backroads needs to step up to the plate to ensure a better product in the future.

My wife and I participated in a weeklong bike tour of Nova Scotia. The trip was well organized and…read moreour guides were friendly, supportive and made the experience so much better. Biking: flexible routes and there were both e-bikes and standard bike riders in our group. The GPS made it easy to navigate. Very scenic routes and mostly in low traffic areas. Accommodations: All three hotels were different but excellent. Convenient locations close to places of interest. Meals: group dinners were all amazing quality with options including vegetarian. The guides provided really good lunches and there was an endless supply of snacks. This trip exceeded my expectations and I look forward to riding with Backroads again.

Extremely entertaining and spooky! We really enjoyed learning about places on and around campus,…read moreand exploring haunted buildings. Ying has so much knowledge and has really done her research, so by the time you're done, even skeptics may find their minds have opened just a bit. I appreciated hearing about Ying's own journey from simply documenting others to experiencing phenomena herself. Highly recommended!

This is a really fun tour of San Francisco and there's a Berkely tour! She is a great story teller,…read morehas done her research, and has experienced paranormal activity herself! The stories are true and the experiences are real! Bring a flashlight and your ghost hunting gear! I have been on the SF tour many times, so far my favorite experience is the Marine that refused to go into a famously haunted area.

This is to provide a "heads-up" for what to expect from the Telegraph Berkeley Historical Walking…read moreTour. This is also to supplement the Walking Tour, in case some of the more interesting points were missed. I doubt if this Walking Tour includes any of the really important things about Berkeley, such as Melvin Calvin's discovery of the Calvin Cycle, or the discoveries relating to vitamin B12 by Horace Barker, or the discovery by Gilbert Lewis of the covalent bond and his concept of electron pairs. Instead, the Walking Tour is more likely to disclose: (1) Anti-war demonstrations and riots; (2) Free Speech Movement; and (3) Curiosities, such as People's Park, Holy Hubert (evangelist), Pink Cloud (Berkeley Barb salesman), Pravda, the Hate Man, Stoney Burke (performs political comedy), and the successful and famous poet, Julia "Bubble Lady" Vinograd. And so, to prepare yourself for the Walking Tour, I suggest buying a copy of BLESS YOUR DIRTY HEART by Hubert Lindsey, a.k.a., Holy Hubert, and by buying two or three poetry books by Julia Vinograd. I suggest, CANNIBAL CASSEROLE to start out with. MY PHOTOGRAPHS. I took these photographs in the years 1969 to 1971. During the time I was taking freshman chemistry in Latimer Hall, us students were faced with a tough decision. Should we open the windows and let the stinky smell of our chemicals go out the window, or should we keep the windows shut to keep out the stinky smell of the tear gas that the Berkeley police were shooting at the rioters. The day after the riots, I would go out and collect spent tear gas bombs. I have a tear gas bomb that was a rubber ball with a valve on top, and another tear gas bomb that was a blue-painted can made of thick metal, with holes in the can to let the gas come out. I washed the residual tear gas out of the bombs by flushing water over the spent tear gas bombs in the bathroom sink in PRIESTLY HALL dormitory. My photographs show: (1) Bluegrass trio in Sproul Plaza with a mandolin case where you donate money, and where the mandolin case has a sign reading, "KITTY." The term "Kitty" is sometimes used to refer to a place for putting spare change. (2) Also on Sproul Plaza, people playing trombone and clarinet. (3) Holy Hubert on Sproul Plaza. One of the signs reads, "Jesus Christ is coming again to judge this world, follow Christ here on earth. Be persecuted and go to heaven not hell. Another sign reads, "REPENT-REPENT-REPENT Communist Party USSR Communist Party Red China Communist Party U.S.A. Marx-Lenin-Maotsetung ALL 3 ATHEISTS. Bible says Atheist=Fools. I won't follow fools. (4) Riot police on Telegraph Ave. escorting boy to paddy wagon. (5) Sandwich board on Telegraph Avenue. Sign reads, LEOPOLD'S RECORDS New Stones Album $5.99. (6) Boy gets put into paddy wagon, on Telegraph Avenue. (7) Four rioters on Telegraph. One of them flips bird at me. (8) Protest against Nixon and bombs. I took this photo at entrance to U.C. Berkeley campus. (9) Hippie is glad that LBJ died. See headlines from Berkeley Daily Gazette that reads, "Washington Funeral For LBJ." The sign attached to the wooden post reads, "ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL . . . ALICE STEWART & SNAKE . . . June 23." Please note that Alice Stewart & Snake also performed with Big Brother and the Holding Company, at Bimbo's in 1972. (10) Happy gathering on Telegraph. (11) People's Park with Pravda in the nude, as usual. (12) People's Park with row of four friends. (13) Happy gathering on Telegraph, near La Fiesta Mexican Restaurant. You can see GARDEN SPOT MARKET next to La Fiesta. But me and my roommates called this place the GARBAGE SPOT.

I checked out this tour on a recent rainy Sunday and as a Berkeley native learned so much I never…read moreknew about our local history, specific to Telegraph Avenue, Cal as well as Berkeley in general! It's a great tour and I'd recommend it to residents and visitors alike. It's a free app to download and my friend and I each but an earbud in our ear and walked the tour together. Totally recommend!

For those looking for something truly unique to do in the bay area, I highly recommend this tour…read more I'm not going to try and butter this review up here. Let's be honest - I am not a farm person. I appreciate a good meal but am not one who normally spends much time worrying about where my food comes from. So I expected to be bored on this trip, frankly. Boy was I wrong. This trip blew my expectations away. It was a great mix of different farms and different ways of doing things, and I felt like a kid again on a super-fun field trip where you got to explore and touch and watch the makings of where your food comes from. The farmers were genuine, down-to-earth people and were serious farm-fresh foodies. We literally had meals prepared for us by the farmers right in front of us and they were SO DELICIOUS. I got to pick my own tomatoes right off the vine. I even learned about fruits and vegetables I'd never even heard of. Oh, did I mention I got to try them out, too? The environment was relaxed. The guides were very knowledgeable and interesting. And the design of the event was really mellow but well planned. Did I mention the views? These properties are just amazing. What awesome country to get to go hang out in. Between all the exploring, wine, food and learning, the day went by fast and I got to take in a ton of beautiful sites. This tour was a find. After having my parents visit the bay area regularly and running out of creative things to do with them, I know where I am taking them next. What a great and unique thing to do on your weekend.

My wife and I went on a tour that took us up to Russian River without knowing what to expect…read more We've always been interested in gardening and farming, but weren't aware of organic farms open to the public where one could organize a tour and really explore the nuts and bolts. Bay Area Green Tours really came through in this regard, and they arranged everything beautifully. The most memorable stop was a farm run by a restauranteur and chef, and they went all out on the tour. We picked our own fruits and vegetables and the chef prepared them in a gorgeous outdoor setting. Meeting the family that owned and operated the farm was eye opening and educational. For example, the farmer/chef explained that his warm-loving citrus trees do much better at higher altitude up his hill rather than at the base due to the downhill sliding effect of cold air. Good eats, great people, and very educational. Not a bad way to spend a weekend or two!

My friends and family have made Citycruises a Thanksgiving tradition 3 years running. Perfect…read moretiming for sunset on the bay, excellent food, super friendly staff and crew, fun dancing afterwards.

We recently hosted our Team Building event here, and I must say, this was by fair the best event…read morewe've held anywhere! Throughout the entire process, our event coordinators have helped out with ALL of our details and went above and beyond with accommodating all of our needs! They definitely exceeded our expectations! Julio was our event host that evening and was there to assist the our planning committee with everything we needed! The entire crew were amazing, especially Dorothy! She was so sweet and we enjoyed having conversations with her. We had 1 bar tender for the night and he was awesome with service, especially with 55 of us! The food was also surprisingly delicious! I was expecting a cold meal since we're on a boat but everything was cooked to perfection! We booked a photo booth and DJ through Horn Blower as well, and both vendors also exceeded our expectations!! Thank you Horn Blower team for making this a memorable experiencing for us and all of your patience with all of our little details and changes throughout the process!

We had a great trip. We all really enjoyed our visit to India and found the people so warm and…read morehospitable. My favorite place was Jaipur! We have many, many good memories!!! The guides (PV, and Luv), our bus driver (Kailass), and the office staff (Kamal) at Chariot India were exceptional!! They were very accommodating, informative, attentive, and so friendly. Also, they were very punctual. We always felt happy and safe and very well taken care of! The extra service that my husband really appreciated was the bus driver taking our luggage for us when were traveling by train and airplane. It was so terrific to not carry those big suitcases to the train station and the airport. Arun, thank you for assisting us in preparing for this trip. You were very prompt in responding to us and our itinerary was good.

THT was used as an intermediary when my university was booking a study abroad trip. I knew when…read morebooking through a third party that there was gonna be an up charge for tickets and I was okay with that. Later found out was charged nearly double the going rates for tickets on the exact same flight through the exact same airlines. THT Booked NONREFUNDABLE tickets for twice the price of what a refundable ticket on the same flight cost. Which did not include any transportation to the airport or from the airport. Only for the flight. When confronted Ms Lama, stated the tickets were nonrefundable and said their would be a cancelation fee, funny enough with the $250 cancellation fee and her $100 service fee, if I canceled and rebooked I still would've saved over $100. Furthermore Ms.Lama spelled multiple students names wrong on the initial reservation and had to be fixed and checked. She made reservations and called and texted multiple students demanding credit card payments that day or we would lose the reservation. Overall part of the blame is on me for not doing my diligence and looking at tickets myself, part of the blame on the university for going through such a shady business. - upon further conference with other people who went on different study abroad trips shared similar experience when dealing with THT and Ms.Lama. Nonetheless would never recommend this business whether if it's a trip to Bhutan or a Uber to the closet bar. Hundreds of better options when looking for travel agency's.

Walt from Walt's Adventures adventuring at the Menagerie Hill Ranch in Vacaville, California…read more Life can be interpreted as more fulfilling when filled with adventures. It is wise to step outside your environment and, in the case of this current venture, go visit an Alpaca farm. The Menagerie Hill ranch has beautiful animals. The host was awesome and knowledgeable. We increased our knowledge of the animals and of the farm but also got to feed them. We also had the opportunities to get close and personal with them for pictures. They were all friendly and fluffy. I recommend this unique experience for all because if you do not just break your usual pattern to stop and smell the roses or to pet and feed an Alpaca, life will pass by before you know it. Put your life on pause just for a few hours and go see the Alpacas. They would like to share peace with you. You can find them at the Menagerie Hill Ranch

This was a memorable trip. We were originally slated to visit in late June before my birthday but…read moreboth Deb and Kirk were recovering from surgery. We stayed in touch over the next several weeks before settling on an August date. We braved the high temps and winding roads to arrive at the ranch. It's a beautiful space on a hillside and you can see the herd and their guardian llama as you pull into the parking lot. We learned a lot about the alpaca life cycle, fed the boys, and my daughter got to hold and carry a cria. We bought two cute alpaca shaped soaps. I didn't experience any of the negativity others have complained about. It is a working ranch so it's not a petting zoo or a tourist attraction. Go with the flow and you'll have a great experience.

We did the full-day tour with Muir Woods. This was an excellent tour. Our guide, Kevin, was a…read morelifelong San Francisco resident with a real love for the city. He provided interesting and informative commentary throughout the tour. It was a great way to see many local neighborhoods and attractions.

Despite living in California for about 40 years, my siblings and I had never visited Alcatraz, Muir…read moreWoods, or many of San Francisco's iconic landmarks. So, instead of our usual family trip to another country or state this summer, we decided to become tourists in our own backyard and booked an eight-hour San Francisco Alcatraz + City Tour, including Muir Woods and Sausalito. The tour cost $179 per adult (nine of us) and $169 for one child, and we even booked a hotel nearby the night before to make sure we'd be on time for our 9am start. We all met beneath the iconic Fisherman's Wharf sign, where Patrick was our guy! Patrick was knowledgeable, witty, and engaging--he kept us entertained with fascinating facts about San Francisco, fun trivia questions, and even handed out Ghirardelli chocolate as prizes. My man and I answered so many questions that we ended up with almost half the bag! Even though we were a bit hungover from pub crawling the night before, Patrick's energy kept us awake and involved. He thoughtfully included the three kids in our group, telling them to count Priuses on the street and quizzing them with their own set of trivia. Along the way, he pointed out some quirky facts, like there being more dogs than babies in San Francisco, and made sure everyone felt part of the experience. Patrick pointed out several billionaires' homes, as well as highlights like Chinatown and Japantown. We made a memorable stop at the Presidio and Fort Point for stunning views and photos of the Golden Gate Bridge. Patrick even volunteered to take group pictures for us and made sure we had time for restroom breaks. After crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, we made our way to Muir Woods. Though we only had an hour and a half--just enough time for my older siblings--my man and I left wanting more, wishing we could explore beyond the designated paths. The towering redwoods, some between 400 and 800 years old, were awe-inspiring. I'm sure there were even more breathtaking sights we didn't have a chance to see. Next, Patrick took us on a drive through Sausalito, pointing out popular restaurants and an old recording studio once frequented by celebrities. After dropping off a few tourists, he guided us to the starting point for our Alcatraz Tour and left us at Fisherman's Wharf for lunch. We felt a little sad knowing it was the last time we'd see him--at that point, we were on our own for the rest of the adventure. Although I've visited San Francisco many times--unlike my siblings--I still learned so much from the tour. We all had a great time, even my man who lived in the city for several years. While I initially thought the price was steep, by the end of the day, it felt completely worth it!

This tour was the perfect introduction to San Francisco! It gives you a great overview of the city…read moreby driving past many of the iconic landmarks in just a few hours, making it easy to decide where you want to come back and explore later. My tour guide was fantastic: friendly, knowledgeable, and full of fun facts, local tips, and recommendations that made the experience even better. I also loved that the group was small (about 8 people in the van), which made it easy to ask questions and actually see everything without feeling crowded. The three photo stops are short, but they're at excellent viewpoints and perfect for getting some Instagram-worthy pictures. As a solo traveler, I honestly can't recommend this tour enough. You get an incredible amount of value for the price, and it's a great way to get your bearings before exploring the city on your own. I'd recommend keeping notes of the places and recommendations your guide mentions so you can revisit them later. One thing that really stood out was the customer service. My original booking didn't meet the minimum group size, so I was moved to a different tour. Unfortunately, that caused me to arrive late, but the guide was incredibly gracious and made me feel welcome without any hassle. Whether you're traveling solo, with a partner, or as a family, I'd absolutely recommend this tour. It's one of the best ways to kick off a trip to San Francisco.

When we decided to visit San Francisco, I knew I wanted to do some kind of tour. I researched a…read morebunch of options and even considered one of the hop-on, hop-off buses, but then I came across the Painted Ladies Tour. I watched several videos, read reviews, and quickly realized this was a completely different kind of tour. The tour takes place in a vintage VW van that looks like something straight out of the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine. Honestly, even the vehicle itself makes the experience fun! It's also a much more intimate experience than a large bus tour, which was exactly what I was looking for. It ended up being one of our absolute favorite things we did in San Francisco. Our guide, Clay, met us just a couple of blocks from our hotel, which was another huge bonus. We didn't have to take any additional public transportation to get to the tour. It was my daughter and me, another mother and daughter, and their aunt, so we had a really small group. Clay made sure we rotated seats throughout the tour so everyone got a different perspective and everyone had a chance to sit up front for the best views. One of the first things Clay did was explain what actually makes a "Painted Lady" a Painted Lady. We got to see so many examples throughout the city, and one of our favorites was the Four Seasons. It was really interesting learning the history behind the homes rather than just driving past them and taking pictures. We drove through the Haight-Ashbury area, where Clay explained how housing costs and the population have changed over the years. We even saw the iconic home with the legs sticking out of one of the windows, which is a pretty funny representation of just how packed some of the homes became. We also got to see the former homes of Jerry Garcia, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix. Being able to see those places in person and hear the history behind them was really cool. Our first stop where we actually got out of the van was Alamo Square Park, where the iconic Full House opening scene was filmed. This was probably the number one thing my daughter wanted to see, so she was thrilled! We got out, took pictures, and Clay was kind enough to take pictures of both of us together so neither of us had to be the person left out of the photos. Next, we drove by the house from Mrs. Doubtfire. Clay actually happened to see them filming part of the movie when he was younger, which made the stop even more interesting. Then came another major highlight for my daughter--we got to see the school from The Princess Diaries! From there, we headed to the Palace of Fine Arts, where we learned about its connection to the World's Fair. We stopped to take pictures, and I have to mention one of my favorite random moments of the entire tour: seeing a Golden Retriever riding in a convertible, absolutely living his best life. It was one of those completely unexpected San Francisco moments that made the day even better. Since we were already in the area, we also stopped to take pictures with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. But the absolute highlight of the tour came next. Clay took us to Lombard Street, turned the music way up, blasted "Born to Be Wild," and let us cruise down the famous winding street with the windows down. We were all singing along, laughing, and taking in the experience. It was honestly one of the most iconic and memorable moments of our entire San Francisco trip. The tour was also perfectly timed. We spent the morning seeing so much of the city, but we were finished early enough to walk back to our hotel, have some downtime, and regroup before lunch. We never felt rushed, but we also didn't lose an entire day to the tour. I would absolutely recommend the Painted Ladies Tour to anyone visiting San Francisco. It's such a fun and personal way to see the city and learn about its history. Instead of sitting on a huge bus with dozens of other people, you're in a small group, getting to interact with your guide and really experience the city. And Clay was fantastic. He was knowledgeable, personable, and made the history fun for both the adults and the kids in our group. He took pictures for us, made sure everyone got a chance to experience the best seats, and really made the entire morning feel special. If you're looking for something more personal than a traditional sightseeing bus, I can't recommend this tour enough. Between the Mystery Machine-style van, the history, the movie locations, the Golden Gate Bridge, and singing "Born to Be Wild" down Lombard Street, this was easily one of our favorite memories from San Francisco.

This was a good tour, and the woods were so incredibly peaceful and really helped me remember how…read moresmall I am in this great big world. Those trees are massive! The women's restroom at the entrance of the trail is disgusting. There was literal fuzzy mold on the wall under the sink, used toilet paper all over the floor...it didn't appear to have been cleaned in weeks, at least. For the first time, I felt like I needed a hazmat shower after leaving there, and I say that after traveling across country and using countless public restrooms! The toilet paper is like wiping with a snowflake so you have to use a ton just to dry off the undercarriage.

My husband used to live in Santa Venetia, during his 5th through 7th grade, and we were taking the…read moreroute when he used to ride his bike to MUIR WOODS. With that said, I'm just reviewing the VIEWS to Muir Woods, by car, since that's what we did! There were a lot of twist & turns, roads with beautiful new homes (that weren't there before) & gardens! Awesome views along the way. We drove for over 1 hour, and we were trying to follow the path, when he was a boy. That was some adventure for him, and for us in our car . . . and he was able to find his way back home. If he had done that today? He would sure gotten lost without a GPS!