Meet up with your fellow travellers and Tour Manager before heading straight out into the city that mixes up glamour, grit and the American Dream: Los Angeles. It’s packed with legends, full of energy and there are loads of things to do.

We head to mythical Hollywood and onto holy ground for the stars. Check out the Kodak Theatre, where the Oscars are held every year and the Chinese Theatre, where so many greats have pressed their hands into the famous cement stars.

We’ll cruise down the hottest shopping street in LA, Melrose Avenue, and one of the best areas for nightlife, the Strip (Sunset Boulevard), with its billboards, clubs and eateries, before getting a glimpse at one of the world’s wealthiest suburbs in Beverly Hills, where your Tour Manager will give you the background on the who’s who of Hollywood

A little further west and we arrive in Santa Monica, LA’s oldest beach resort. Known for its liberal vibes, art galleries and wide sand beaches, Santa Monica is all about the California coast lifestyle. Your Tour Manager will give you some history on the city and then show you the famous pier, which serves as a permanent amusement park, complete with a solar powered Ferris wheel.

Later, we travel out to LA’s quirkiest suburb where anything goes: Venice Beach. A favourite hang out spot for locals, colourful Venice Beach attracts all sorts of people. Get a feel for street life when you hit the buzzing broadwalk, where performers, tattoo artists, hair braiders, musicians and roller bladders gather. Make sure you check out the markets and stalls, as well as the greased-up body builders pumping iron at the famous open air gym, Muscle Beach.

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This morning, we board our flight for San Francisco. Colorful, cosmopolitan and creative, San Francisco is packed with characters, free-thinkers, and artists. You’ll see the signs of its recent history where it served as the hub of the gold rush, as well as the center for Beatnik and Hippy cultures.

Get familiar with this buzzing city as your Tour Manager shows you around San Francisco’s key sights. Walk across San Francisco’s landmark suspension bridge, the Golden Gate. We stop off at Fisherman’s Wharf for a slice of the historic waterfront lifestyle, where you can order some fresh fish or crab from sidewalk stands. You’ll also check out the city’s iconic row houses on Alamo Square.

Thriving with activity, Chinatown is a fun, kitsch experience. Your Tour Manager will take you there to see its hidden spots tonight. Learn about the history of the gold rush as you walk through the bustling district, past traditional herb-sops, Buddhas, and flashing neon lights. Then eat together at one of its many authentic restaurants.

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With 2 full days here, get a real feel for San Francisco and its hilly streets. Chalk up a local experience by jumping on a cable car and exploring the city. If you’ve booked ahead of time, catch a ferry out to Alcatraz, the former island jail that once held A-list criminals like Al “Scarface” Capone, Soviet spies and crime bosses. Walk around the old cells and get the background on these bad boys.

You could turn back the clock to the “Summer of Love” with a visit to cool Haight-Ashbury, the center point of 1960s alternative culture. Once packed with 75000 hippies, it now has chilled-out cafes, record stores, second hand clothes shops and bookstores to rummage through.

With over 3000 places to eat and drink, San Francisco has more choice per capita than anywhere else. Head to the city’s gritty Latin American quarter, Mission District, for Mexican tacos or El Salvadorian pupusas (corn flat breads stuffed with cheese, pork or beans) or hit North Beach for some Italian.

Tonight there’s an optional sunset sailing out on San Francisco’s famous bay.

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Get ready to arrive in larger-than-life Las Vegas – a man-made entertainment oasis smack in the middle of the desert. Often dubbed Sin City, it’s all about glitz, neon lights, and excess.

See the bright lights of this city and its world-famous casinos in a first taste of Vegas kitsch as the group heads down the main drag, the “Strip”, and your Tour Manager fills you in on the story behind Vegas.

Then cruise downtown to Freemont Street and experience a slice of the spectacular at a light and laser show in a massive pedestrian mall.

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Leaving Las Vegas behind, we catch a flight and hit New York next. Cool, chic and pumping with urban soul, this is one knock-out town. From yellow cabs to delis, from hit shows to cutting-edge galleries, from iconic monuments to street culture, this city has it all.

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Get familiar with the Big Apple as your Tour Manager shows you round New York’s core spots today. You’ll kick start the day as your Tour Manager opens up Manhattan. See the USA’s economic heart on Wall Street and the famous stock exchange NYSE, before checking out the cultural hub of Harlem and the famous Apollo theater, where jazz, blues and soul greats like James Brown performed.

You’ll see Museum Row, which includes some of the world’s most prestigious museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim Museum.

Check out the towering Rockefeller center, which took 70 000 workers to build, the Gothic St Patrick’s Cathedral and the exclusive jewelry store, Tiffany’s before making a sobering stop at the World Trade Center Site, where the Twin Towers once stood.

Get up close to one of the world’s most recognizable icons, the Statue of Liberty.

After dinner tonight, we’ll all head down to Times Square. Take in the bright night lights of this popular meeting point, right in the thick of the theater district. With free time, maybe you could catch a late show, New York style. Or else, with so much variety and so many places to go, head out with some friends and explore the city’s incredible nightlife.

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With a free day, you can take off at your own pace and discover more of the ultimate big city.

Get on 2 wheels in a fun optional guided tour and peddle your way through Central Park, New York’s heart and “lungs”. Our Local Guide knows this popular haunt’s hidden spots and will tell you all about this iconic green space.

Otherwise, get familiar with New York’s various flavors and step into its global kitchen. Try some hand made pasta in atmospheric Little Italy, or authentic noodles from a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in bustling Chinatown. Pick up a bagel and some salami from a deli or buy an authentic American hot dog from a street stand.

Use your free time to explore New York’s vibrant and diverse neighborhoods up close. Soak up the bohemian feel of the former center point of the folk movement, Greenwich village. This hub of alternative culture still has a buzzing street life and cute, sidewalk cafes. Take a walk through stylish Soho and check out its hip, funky boutiques, the warehouse district and its trademark iron architecture.

Shopping-wise, New York is one of the world’s hottest cities and a leading trend-setter, so get some tips from your Tour Manager on where to go for the latest fashions.

If you’re into the hit show “Sex and the City”, don’t miss your chance to find out more with our fun optional locally guided tour around the girls’ favorite city hot spots in New York this afternoon.

Use your free night to head back to your favorite city spot for a cocktail or ask your Tour Manager for some fresh ideas and head out with your friends.

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Start the day of with an adrenaline-pumping optional ride on the famous Hudson River. Hit speeds of up to 72km/hr(45mph) and check out Manhattan’s incredible skyline from the water.

Otherwise, use your free time to get out of the city for a change of scene. Head out to beautiful Brooklyn by walking over the historic Brooklyn Bridge or visit the colourful suburb, the Bronx, known for its zoo and botanical gardens.

For something different, hit the Lower East Side and learn about New York’s mixed history and immigrants at the Tenement Museum. If you’re feeling hungry, visit the Chelsea Market – it’s packed with gourmet foods from brownies to lobster.

Tonight is the last night on tour, and we’re going to make it unforgettable. After a farewell dinner, we’ll head straight to the top of New York’s most famous landmark, the Empire State Building. Take in the gorgeous night lights of Manhattan and sweeping views over the city from 102 floors up.

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Your tour ends this morning so it’s time to say goodbye to your new friends and Tour Manager.