Specialties
Quintessential Tours offers escorted, customized, private tours for small groups in California and the Western United States. Destinations we serve include California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and Colorado. Every tour is customized to each client's individual interests and needs, and escorted by a committed guide, who serves as driver, tour guide and personal assistant throughout the tour.
As can be seen from some of the reviews, we also offer local wine tours near our home base in Santa Cruz County, California.
History
Established in 2002.
Our business began as a vacation planning business; we designed custom tours for people who were visiting California and the Western United States. For each client, we created a customized itinerary, tailored to their interests and needs, recommended and booked all of their local arrangements, and facilitated the smooth progress of their trip with a pack of materials, and by maintaining regular contact with the client and with local suppliers throughout their visit.
In 2004, we had our first request to actually drive and guide a tour. The two senior citizens from South Africa were particularly persuasive, and we decided to give it a go. 2 weeks with clients on the road were all it took to convince us that this was the direction in which we wanted our business to go. We applied for the necessary permits, changed our website, and have been guiding our tours ever since. While we specialize in California and the Western US, we have taken clients to 28 different states.
Meet the Business Owner: Bob C.
I caught the travel bug when I was 19, and my best friend and I decided to take a summer traveling around the United States in a broken down old work van that we bought for about 3 times what it was worth. Hooked, I continued to travel the US throughout college, and continued after college traveling for nearly 3 years throughout Europe, and parts of the Middle East.
After working for several years in the Silicon Valley madness of the late 90's, I decided it was time to pursue my dream of taking my love of travel and turing it into a career. I now make my living vacationing with families from around the world, deriving great pleasure from seeing places I've always loved through the eyes of first-time visitors. I know. Tough job. :)