Best of the Pacific Northwest

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 will be free in the late afternoon to explore Seattle at your leisure.

Washington's Puget Sound is a haven for whales. Today we drive to Puget Sound 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 you’ll enjoy an afternoon hike to Marymere Falls from Lake Crescent. You can expect fairy-tale scenes and you follow the picturesque path through towering forests painted in a verdant green moss. A relatively relaxed walk, you’ll experience flat trails until reaching a set of stairs shortly after two bridge crossings, from here it won’t be long until you reach the falls and marvel at the 90-foot cascades.

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

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.

After breakfast we hit the road for Mt Rainier National Park. Upon arrival we will head out on the leisurely Nisqually Vista Loop Trail for views of the rocky river valley and the Nisqually Glacier. You’ll follow a paved path that’s lapped by a sea of greenery (featuring wildflowers if you’re lucky), framed by towering pine trees. Tonight, the evening will be at your leisure to settle into your new hotel.

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.

This afternoon we hit the road for Portland where you’ll have the option to join a food and drink tour (at your own cost) through one of the city’s neighbourhoods.

Good morning, Portland! A meeting will take place at 9am to welcome any new travellers joining you for the next part of your adventure. Then set out for 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.

This morning head to Warm Springs for a Native American River to Table experience provided by The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. 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.

After breakfast, head out on a half-day guided kayaking adventure at Cascade Lakes, high elevation mountain lakes in the dramatic Cascade Range. Float along with your group as you take in views of the Three Sisters, Broken Top, and Paulina Peak. 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.

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.

You’ll spend the day heading south into Northern California 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.