Best of Pacific North West

Welcome to Seattle, the city famous for coffee, grunge, tech and some talented fishmongers. Your trip starts with a group meeting at 10am, followed by a VIP food tour of the iconic Pike Place Market. Sample delights like freshly baked breakfast treats, seasonal produce and hot-smoked salmon. You’ll also get a lesson in bean-to-bar chocolate making and get to chat directly with local merchants, including those famous fish-throwers. If you’re still hungry afterwards, you can grab something for lunch in the market (at your own cost) before we take a short drive through the neighbourhood of Fremont for a bit of sightseeing and beer tasting. Check out the wonderfully quirky Fremont Troll statue – a massive sculpture under the George Washington Memorial Bridge created by local artists. Take in unrivalled views of the Seattle skyline from Gas Works Park, a former coal gasification plant that has been converted into parkland, with the old plant repurposed into the landscape.

Finally, finish your tour of the area with a stop at Fremont Brewing, a family-owned brewery featuring small-batch beers and zero-waste production processes. The brewery uses on-site generated steam and invests 60% of its energy into renewable sources to reduce its carbon footprint. Afterwards, you’ll be driven back to your hotel and have a free late afternoon to explore Seattle at your leisure.

Included Activities:
-Seattle - Leader led walking tour of Fremont
-Seattle - Food Tour of Pike Place Market

Washington's Puget Sound is a haven for whales. Today we drive to Puget Sound (1.5hrs) and board our boat in search of whales. In this area humpback whales, minke whales, grey whales, and orcas have been seen. Sit back, keep your eyes peeled and enjoy the cruise. Back on dry land we make our way to Olympic National Park, our first stop being the Elwa Klallam Heritage Centre. The centre is home to an exhibit: c'ix'íc'n: A Klallam Village. Artifacts have been recovered from the ancient village site near Ediz Hook and are now on display in the Great Hall of the centre. The Village site is over two thousand years old and is the largest excavated in Washington State.

Our hotel for the next 2 nights is in Sequim which is located along the Dungeness River near the base of the Olympic Mountains.


Included Activities:
-Port Angeles - Elwa Klallam Heritage Center visit
-Puget Sound - Whale Watching

Today we’ll explore one of the most iconic sites on the Olympic Peninsula: The Hoh Rainforest. This UNESCO Biosphere reserve offers a lush green canopy blanketed with mosses and ferns. Unchanged for thousands of years, this constantly misty and noticeably silent environment invites quiet contemplation as well as offering up a variety of walks and hikes. You may even encounter some of the herds of Roosevelt Elk that call the Hoh Rainforest home.

Included Activities:
-Olympic National Park - HOH Rainforest visit
-Olympic National Park - Hiking

After breakfast we hit the road for Mt Rainier National Park. The drive will take us 3 hours through the scenic Washington State landscape. Upon arrival we will head out on the leisurely Nisqually Vista Loop Trail for views of the rocky river valley and the Nisqually Glacier. Tonight we will settle into our hotel.

Included Activities:
-Mt Rainier National Park - Hike

Spend today exploring the iconic Skyline Loop Trail of Mt Rainier National Park. With creek-fed waterfalls, meadows of wildflowers, scampering marmots, and spectacular views of both Mt Rainier and the Nisqually Glacier, you can’t go wrong with a day hiking the park’s most famous path. On clear days, you may also get to spot the neighbouring peaks of Mt St Helens, Mt Adams and Mt Hood. Stop for a picnic lunch midday and soak up the beauty of Washington state’s most famous geological landmark.

This afternoon we hit the road for Portland (approximately 2.5 hours’ driving time). In Portland, you have the option to join a food and drink tour (at your own cost) through one of the city’s neighbourhoods.


Included Activities:
-Mt Rainier National Park - Hike

Welcome to Portland! Your tour starts at 9am with a group meeting followed by a Food Carts of Portland bike tour. Portland’s famous food carts are scattered throughout the city and your expert guide knows the most delicious ones to check out. Work up an appetite with on this easy 8-12 mile (11-17 km) culinary cycling experience where you’ll get to sample everything from Oregon farm-to-table delights to snacks to satisfy late-night cravings. This evening, you might like to head out for a casual meal with your group or check out Portland’s local bar scene.

Included Activities:
-Portland - Food Carts of Portland bike tour

After breakfast, head to Warm Springs for a First Nations River to Table Native experience provided by The Nez Perce Tribe. This meal acknowledges the place salmon have played in tribal history, when these fish were sold to, and traded with, neighbouring tribes, settlers and explorers. Share a simple salmon picnic lunch which celebrates this ancient tradition. From here, it’s a one-hour drive to Bend and your hotel. Tonight, your group might like to check out one of the restaurants in the historic Old Mill District.

Included Activities:
-Warm Springs - Native American River to Table lunch

After breakfast, head out on a half-day guided kayaking adventure along the Upper Deschutes River, one of the West’s most famous and celebrated rivers. Paddle past the Old Mill District, a historic area formerly occupied by two lumber mills, and float with your group across Bend’s serene Mirror Pond. In the afternoon, you may like to take a stroll through Drake Park or along the river, or admire the many historic buildings around town. This evening, join your group for sundowners at the Crux Fermentation Project where you can sample local brews, grab dinner from one of the many food carts, and enjoy views of the Cascade Range.

Included Activities:
-Bend - Kayaking

After an early breakfast, drive to Crater Lake National Park which was formed when an eruption triggered the collapse of a tall mountain peak. It’s home to the deepest lake in the USA, a scenic wonder which has attracted artists, photographers, and sightseers from around the world. You’ll have plenty of time to enjoy a picnic lunch and admire the lake’s beautiful blue water and surrounding scenery before the drive to Medford where you’ll spend the night at a hotel.

Included Activities:
-Crater Lake National Park - Walk

After breakfast, you’ll spend the day heading south to our overnight stay in Santa Rosa, arriving in the late afternoon when you’ll have some free time to wander around town, grab a bite to eat, or maybe visit a wine bar.

Leaving Santa Rosa early, we make our way to the coast today. Our first stop is Goat Rock and the Sonoma Coast State Park. You can take a walk along a nearby beach to spot resting sea lions (if the season is right) and admire the rugged coastline, crashing waves, and precarious point lighthouse. Keep an eye out for migrating grey whales. There are quite a few beach walks and coastal trails, so the weather and the group’s appetite for activity will help decide which one to take. After your walk rolling up your sleeves and have a go at shucking your own oysters! Not only will you be tasting the best oysters in a beautiful picnic setting, you’ll also be supporting a fellow B Corp and climate action champion. In the afternoon it's time to head back to San Francisco, but not before one last chance to soak up some more of the area’s incredible scenery. Make your way to Muir Woods National Monument and be dwarfed by the old-growth coast redwoods, the tallest living things in the world. Take a loop hike through a cathedral of giant trees. We will arrive back in the city around 5pm where your adventure ends.

Included Activities:
-Muir Woods National Monument hike
-Sonoma Coast State Park - walk
-Tomales Bay - Hog Island oyster tasting