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• Per Diem Lookup

Frequently asked questions, per diem

What is per diem?

How do I find the per diem rate for (city/county, state)?

What is the difference between non-standard areas (NSA) and standard CONUS locations?

How are the CONUS per diem rates set for NSAs?

How does GSA set boundary lines for where per diem rates apply?

How can a CONUS non-standard area (NSA) receive a special review?

How can I request the establishment of a new NSA?

What if a city is not listed on the CONUS Per Diem website?

Can hotels refuse to honor the per diem rate to federal government employees and federal government contractors?

Is the hotel’s GOV rate the same as the federal per diem rate?

Are lodging taxes included in the CONUS per diem rate?

Are taxes and gratuity (tips) included in the Meals and Incidental (M&IE) expense rate?

What is considered an incidental expense?

How often is a study conducted on the M&IE expense rates?

What is the M&IE reimbursement rate during the first and last travel day?

Can I combine the lodging and M&IE per diem rates ("mix and match") in order to get a nicer hotel room or spend more on meals?

Do I need to provide receipts?

What do I do if there are no hotels available at per diem?

Do I receive a meal reimbursement for day travel away from my regular duty station?

How much per diem can I pay a contractor?

How much can a trucker deduct for meals per day?

Per diem is an allowance for lodging, meals, and incidental expenses. The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) establishes the per diem reimbursement rates that federal agencies use to reimburse their employees for subsistence expenses incurred while on official travel within the continental U.S. (CONUS), which includes the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia. The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) establishes rates for travel in non-foreign areas outside of CONUS, which includes Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories and possessions. The U.S. Department of State establishes rates for travel in foreign areas. For more information on rates established by DOD and the State Department visit travel.dod.mil and aoprals.state.gov .

Please visit www.gsa.gov/perdiem  to find the rates. Click on a state on the map to view that state's rates or enter the location in the search box. Even though some cities are listed for your lookup convenience, not all cities can or will be listed. To look up the county a destination is located in, visit the Census Geocoder . If neither the city nor county you are looking for is listed on the GSA per diem rate page, then the standard CONUS rate applies.

Non-standard areas (NSAs) are frequently traveled by the federal community and are reviewed on an annual basis. Standard CONUS locations are less frequently traveled by the federal community and are not specifically listed on our website.

Per diem rates are set based upon contractor-provided average daily rate (ADR) data of local lodging properties. The properties must be fire-safe and have a FEMA ID number. The ADR is a travel industry metric that divides room sales rental revenue by the number of rooms sold. All rates are evaluated to ensure that they are fair and equitable in the GSA and Office of Management and Budget approval process. For more detailed information, visit the Factors Influencing Lodging Rates page.

5 U.S.C § 5702 gives the Administrator of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) the authority to establish the system of reimbursing Federal employees for the subsistence expenses (lodging, meals, and incidentals) of official travel. The law governs how GSA sets rates today, and allows the GSA Administrator to establish locality-based allowances for these expenses with a reporting requirement back to Congress. The law was established to protect Federal employees by fairly reimbursing them for travel expenses. In addition, if a Federal employee cannot find a room within the established per diem rates, the travel policy allows the agency to reimburse the actual hotel charges up to 300 percent of the established per diem rates.

The per diem program has several standards that it follows in its systematic structured per diem methodology. The first level is having a "standard rate" that applies to approximately 85 percent of counties in the continental United States.

It is GSA's policy that, if and when a Federal agency, on behalf of its employees, requests that the standard rate is not adequate in a specific area to cover costs of travel as intended by the law, GSA will study the locality to determine whether the locality under study should become a "non-standard area." If the study recommends a change, a change will be implemented as deemed appropriate. GSA has implemented a process to review and update both the standard and non-standard areas annually.

The standard "boundary line" for where non-standard areas apply is generally one county. This is the case for approximately 85 percent of the non-standard rates that GSA sets. However, in some cases, agencies have requested that the rate apply to an area larger than one county, such as a metropolitan area. In a very small number of cases, an agency can and has requested that a rate apply to just a city and not the entire county. In some rural areas, a rate sometimes applies to more than one county due to lack of an adequate data sample to set a rate otherwise.

GSA uses the Federal Information Processing Series (FIPS) code standard for its apply areas. While GSA often uses ZIP codes to select hotel data samples, the apply area is coded by a FIPS code, unless a Federal agency only wants the rate to apply to certain ZIP codes. These codes are managed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to ensure uniform identification of geographic entities through all federal government agencies.

In order for GSA to conduct a "special" review of a non-standard area (NSA) during the current fiscal year, a Federal Agency Travel Manager or an equivalent individual in grade or title must submit a signed letter on agency letterhead or stationery stating that the present per diem rate is inadequate. The request should contain the following information:

• The geographical areas you want us to study, especially ZIP codes.
• The property names (including addresses, ZIP codes, and rates) where your federal travelers stay while on temporary duty travel and those properties (including addresses, ZIP codes, and rates) that will not honor the federal lodging per diem rate.
• The number of times actual expenses were used and/or federal travelers had to use another lodging facility to stay within the maximum allowable lodging per diem rate, which resulted in additional transportation expenses (rental car, taxi) being incurred.

All valid requests postmarked no later than 12/31 will be eligible for this review. All valid requests received after 12/31, but before 4/1 will be evaluated during the following fiscal year's annual review cycle. After all the requirements are submitted, GSA will obtain updated data from our contractor to determine whether a per diem rate should be increased, decreased or remain unchanged. We will conduct no more than one "special" review for a particular NSA annually.

Letters should be sent to: General Services Administration, Office of Government-wide Policy, 1800 F St. NW., Washington, DC 20405. For more direct service, please also scan and email your request (a signed letter on agency letterhead must be attached) to [email protected] .

The procedure and the request deadline are the same as FAQ #6. However, requests received after 3/31 will not be included in the following fiscal year's annual review cycle because the annual review will have already begun.

If a city is not listed, check to ensure that the county within which it is located is also not listed. Visit the Census Geocoder to determine the county a destination is located in. If the city is not listed, but the county is, then the per diem rate is the rate for that entire county. If the city and the county are not listed, then that area receives the standard CONUS location rate.

Hotels are not required to honor the federal per diem rates. It is each property’s business decision whether or not to offer the rate. Hotels also may or may not choose to extend the rate to other individuals, such as government contractors.

Hotels sometimes offer a "GOV" rate, which might be different than the federal per diem rate. If it is higher, you need to receive approval for actual expense prior to travel in order to receive full reimbursement. It is the traveler’s responsibility to know the federal per diem reimbursement rates, and should not assume a GOV rate is the same as the federal per diem rate. See the FTR Chapter 301, Subpart D-Actual Expense and follow your agency's guidelines.

Lodging taxes are not included in the CONUS per diem rate. The Federal Travel Regulation 301-11.27 states that in CONUS, lodging taxes paid by the federal traveler are reimbursable as a miscellaneous travel expense limited to the taxes on reimbursable lodging costs. For foreign areas, lodging taxes have not been removed from the foreign per diem rates established by the Department of State. Separate claims for lodging taxes incurred in foreign areas not allowed. Some states and local governments may exempt federal travelers from the payment of taxes. For more information regarding tax exempt status, travelers should visit the State Tax Forms page.

Yes, the meals and incidental expense (M&IE) rate does include taxes and tips in the rate, so travelers will not be reimbursed separately for those items.

The Federal Travel Regulation Chapter 300, Part 300-3 , under Per Diem Allowance, describes incidental expenses as: Fees and tips given to porters, baggage carriers, hotel staff, and staff on ships.

An M&IE study has traditionally been conducted every three to five years. Based upon the recommendations of the Governmentwide Travel Advisory Committee, GSA began reviewing rates every three years starting with rates for FY 2016.

On the first and last travel day, Federal employees are only eligible for 75 percent of the total M&IE rate for their temporary duty travel location (not the official duty station location). For your convenience, the M&IE breakdown page has a table showing the calculated amount for the "First and Last Day of Travel."

For federal employees, the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) does not make a provision for "mixing and matching" reimbursement rates. The lodging per diem rates are a maximum amount; the traveler only receives actual lodging costs up to that maximum rate. Therefore, there is no "extra" lodging per diem to add to the M&IE rate. Likewise, the M&IE per diem cannot be given up or transferred to lodging costs. See FTR 301-11.100 and 301-11.101 for more information.

For any official temporary travel destination, you must provide a receipt to substantiate your claimed travel expenses for lodging and receipts for any authorized expenses incurred costing over $75, or a reason acceptable to your agency explaining why you are unable to provide the necessary receipt (see Federal Travel Regulation 301-11.25 ).

You may ask your agency to authorize the actual expense allowance provision. The Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) 301-11.300 through 306 notes that if lodging is not available at your temporary duty location, your agency may authorize or approve the maximum per diem rate of up to 300% of per diem for the location where lodging is obtained. You should also ensure you have checked www.fedrooms.com to confirm there are no rooms available at per diem in the area where you need to travel.

According to the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR), travelers are entitled to 75% of the prescribed meals and incidental expenses for one day travel away from your official station if it is longer than 12 hours. Please see FTR 301-11.101 .

GSA establishes per diem rates and related policies for federal travelers on official travel only, and cannot address specific inquiries concerning the payment of contractors. If the contractor is on a federal contract, check with the contracting officer to see what is stated in their contract. Contractors should also check the travel regulations of their company.

GSA establishes per diem rates, along with its policies for federal employees on official travel only. Truck-related questions should be addressed either to the Department of Transportation ( www.dot.gov ) or the Internal Revenue Service ( www.irs.gov ).

PER DIEM LOOK-UP

1 choose a location.

Error, The Per Diem API is not responding. Please try again later.

No results could be found for the location you've entered.

Rates for Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. Territories and Possessions are set by the Department of Defense .

Rates for foreign countries are set by the State Department .

2 Choose a date

Rates are available between 10/1/2021 and 09/30/2024.

The End Date of your trip can not occur before the Start Date.

Traveler reimbursement is based on the location of the work activities and not the accommodations, unless lodging is not available at the work activity, then the agency may authorize the rate where lodging is obtained.

Unless otherwise specified, the per diem locality is defined as "all locations within, or entirely surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city, including independent entities located within those boundaries."

Per diem localities with county definitions shall include "all locations within, or entirely surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city as well as the boundaries of the listed counties, including independent entities located within the boundaries of the key city and the listed counties (unless otherwise listed separately)."

When a military installation or Government - related facility(whether or not specifically named) is located partially within more than one city or county boundary, the applicable per diem rate for the entire installation or facility is the higher of the rates which apply to the cities and / or counties, even though part(s) of such activities may be located outside the defined per diem locality.

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Premier Private Custom Tour Specialist

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The ultimate San Francisco full day private custom tour

• Description

Cancellation & Refund Policy

Tour overview: .

This is the ultimate San Francisco full-day discovery tour, designed to explore breathtaking sights, iconic places, and unique hidden gems unknown to 90% of visitors to San Francisco. Enjoy the city at your own pace, with many photo stops. The tour starts in the exciting metropolis of San Francisco. Our luxury SUV tours are conducted by local, passionate and highly trained tour guides, many of whom are bi-lingual or multi-lingual, and have earned hundreds of 5-star reviews on TripAdvisor. Our tours are open to solo travelers, couples, families, friends, as well as corporate and incentive groups. For larger groups, we are happy to accommodate you in separate SUVs for up to seven guests, or in small luxury vans which accommodate up to fourteen guests.

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Visit the four corners of San Francisco with Golden Horizon Tours.  There is no need to waste time and money booking several tours with different companies, as we will bring you to all the best places including internationally renowned sites, as well as many that even locals don't know about. In addition to being a city rich in culture and history (most notably, the arrival of those seeking their fortunes during the Gold Rush), San Francisco's neighborhoods are very distinctive, ranging from hip and trendy to the beautifully elegant, and everything in between. With the city's reputation as a technology hub and foodie destination, there is something for everyone to enjoy and savor on this full day guided and custom tour.

We will provide ample photo stops and give you time to buy souvenirs along the way in your own time. Enjoy the views atop Nob Hill where the silver and railroad barons built impressive mansions, the cable cars ‘climbing halfway to the sky,’ Union Square with its glamorous shops, Chinatown (the first in North America and largest outside of Asia) - with an optional stop for fortune cookies, North Beach known as ‘Little Italy’ with pizzas to suit all tastes, and the multi-million dollar homes in Pacific Heights. Marvel at Golden Gate Park with its many wonders, including lakes, waterfalls, windmills, bison herd, museums, botanical gardens, the Japanese Tea Garden where you can enjoy a cup of hot tea in their rustic chalet, the Conservatory of Flowers with its exotic collection of flora, the De Young Art Museum ranked in the top five art museums in the U.S., or the famous California Academy of Sciences with its huge IMAX Theater, albino alligator, and exotic birds, which are sure to excite families with kids. We will drive up to Twin Peaks, the highest point in the city, to enjoy sweeping and panoramic views of San Francisco and the bay beyond, visit the famed Haight-Ashbury, capital of the hippie movement of the 1960s and home to Jerry Garcia, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, the eclectic Castro District, the scenic hills of Noe Valley, and Mission Dolores, the oldest surviving building in San Francisco. A particular highlight is crossing the Golden Gate Bridge for spectacular photos in the Marin Headlands.

Along the way, your tour guide will share stories from history, as well as tales of contemporary life in this famed city. You may enjoy your lunch (not included in tour price) at one of the celebrated ethnic restaurants in the Mission District, including typical Peruvian, Argentinean, Mexican, Puerto Rican, French and Indian cuisine, or North Beach, home to a variety of Italian restaurants, or opt for spectacular views at the Cliff House or Beach Chalet overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Alternatively, as we will be driving over the Golden Gate Bridge, you may choose to have lunch in the picturesque town of Sausalito.

Whether you are a first-time visitor or a repeat customer, your itinerary will be tailored to your expectations and tour needs. Please let us know more about your priorities, points of interest, and requirements, so we may prepare your tour accordingly.

Benefits of our private San Francisco tours:  A private SUV tour of San Francisco provides you and your family, friends, or your own private party with a wonderfully comfortable drive, access to exclusive districts, scenic hills and winding streets that are prohibited to large van and bus tours. Your passionate and knowledgeable driver-guide is dedicated to making sure you have a terrific tour and won't miss out on the unique sights of the “City by the Bay.” Our prices are competitive, and our service is unmatched. We provide quality over quantity and are committed to excellence and exceeding your expectations. Our expertise, experience, and unique style make us stand out as a well-respected leader in the tour industry. Come and join us for the tour of a lifetime!

Private Custom Description

Visit the four corners of San Francisco with Golden Horizon Tours.  There is no need to waste time and money booking several tours with different companies, as we will bring you to all the best places including internationally renowned sites, as well as many that even locals don't know about. In addition to being a city rich in culture and history (most notably, the arrival of those seeking their fortunes during the Gold Rush), San Francisco's neighborhoods are very distinctive, ranging from hip and trendy to the beautifully elegant, and everything in between. With the city's reputation as a technology hub and foodie destination, there is something for everyone to enjoy and savor on this full-day guided and custom tour.

We will provide ample photo stops, and give you time to buy souvenirs along the way in your own time. Enjoy the views atop Nob Hill where the silver and railroad barons built impressive mansions, the cable cars ‘climbing halfway to the sky,’ Union Square with its glamorous shops, Chinatown (the first in North America and largest outside of Asia) - with an optional stop for fortune cookies, North Beach known as ‘Little Italy’ with pizzas to suit all tastes, and the multi-million dollar homes in Pacific Heights. Marvel at Golden Gate Park with its many wonders, including lakes, waterfalls, windmills, bison herd, museums, botanical gardens, the Japanese Tea Garden where you can enjoy a cup of hot tea in their rustic chalet, the Conservatory of Flowers with its exotic collection of flora, the De Young Art Museum ranked in the top five art museums in the U.S., or the famous California Academy of Sciences with its huge IMAX Theater, albino alligator, and exotic birds, which are sure to excite families with kids.

We will drive up to Twin Peaks, the highest point in the city, to enjoy sweeping and panoramic views of San Francisco and the bay beyond, visit the famed Haight-Ashbury, capital of the hippie movement of the 1960s and home to Jerry Garcia, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, the eclectic Castro District, the scenic hills of Noe Valley, and Mission Dolores, the oldest surviving building in San Francisco. A particular highlight is crossing the Golden Gate Bridge for spectacular photos in the Marin Headlands.

• Complimentary pick-up and drop-off

Tour Prices

Private tour by suv.

This SUV tour is totally private and the price is per person.

Book this Tour by SUV

Select date from calendar.

Select Number of guests

Private tour by minibus (van).

This VAN tour is totally private and not available for public  or individual reservations. The price is per party and not per person.

Book this Tour by VAN/A 14-PASSENGER MINIBUS

Included:  Pick-up and drop off in San Francisco downtown or Fisherman’s Wharf, all applicable taxes, a private 8-hour guided tour from 9 am to 5 pm, unlimited photo stops and a personalized private tour itinerary, you will not be disappointed.

Not included:  Meals, driver’s gratuity (15% ), overtime and optional activities or sites’ entrance fees.

Term & Refund Policy

General terms, declined transactions, other terms and information, additional terms & tips for visitors and hikers.

More Terms and Miscellaneous

Our Terms, Refund and Cancellation Policy are as follows:

-91% of the total amount will be refunded to your credit card if you cancel your trip at least 15 business days prior to the scheduled tour (or the date of the tour or service). The remaining 9% covers the required transaction fees; that’s 4.5 % per each transaction (booking is one transaction and refunding is a second transaction for which we get charged as well). (weekends and holidays don’t count).

-50% of the total amount will be refunded if the tour is canceled at least 7 business days prior to the scheduled tour date or service. (weekends and holidays don’t count).

-15% of the total amount will be refunded if the tour is canceled at least 5 business days prior to the scheduled date of the tour (weekends and holidays don’t count).

-0% of the total amount will be refunded if the tour is canceled 4 business days, or less, prior to the day of the scheduled tour or service. This includes no-shows. (weekends and holidays don’t count)

Please note that all refunds are subject to credit card and merchant’s fees imposed on us by credit cards companies and merchant banks or providers. The average amount of credit cards and merchant’s transactions fees may range between 3.9 % to 9.8% of the total amount of your purchase (transaction) based on the type of credit card you use when booking this tour, the credit card issuer, country and conversion fees we are subject per transaction. Many foreign countries apply additional origination and conversions fees.

Important: Please note that we reserve the date(s) you requested and booked on our website for you and we decline taking other tours for these date(s) to honor yours. We keep a tour guide and a luxury vehicle on hold and make all required reservations and arrangements for you and your party, so please don’t change the date or cancel at the last minute as we have other customers and tours to honor.

– Reservation and Confirmation: As soon as you book online, a merchant receipt is generated automatically and sent to you via email. We will also confirm your reservation by email and send you a tour voucher or email confirming your booking date, tour and pick-up time. This tour confirmation or voucher is only valid for the specific date(s) you reserved on our website, and only valid for the names listed on the booking. You can’t transfer the names or ask for a different date(s), as we have other tours to honor. You may not change the tour date within 15 days from the date of the scheduled tour you booked, and there will be no alternative days offered.

In an effort to honor all tours, we reserve the right to partner with other tour operators, freelancers, and/or our sister companies. The exact name and contact information of your tour operator will be stated on your tour voucher and the trip confirmation will be issued especially for you after we received your approved transaction.

-All tours are subject to availability as we may get several tour requests at the same time. Approved payment transactions do not guarantee your tour unless it has been confirmed via email.

Please note that when transactions are declined, we do not receive any information in this regard, so  do not expect your reservation to be in place unless you received written confirmation.  Please contact us asap, but do not expect us to honor your tour without an email confirmation and tour voucher from us.

If your booking was declined by your own bank, this is often due to a mismatch between your bank information (such as the names on the credit card, zip/postal code or billing address) compared to the bank information you provided on our website when placed your order. Sometimes, transactions are declined due to insufficient funds as well. Your tour(s) will not be confirmed until your new transaction is approved by your own bank. We apologize for the inconvenience, but your own bank did so to prevent fraud and protect your credit card information or due one of the above factors.

All our tours are subject to availability even when the transactions are approved. We will get back to you as soon as possible and let you know if the required tour(s) and date(s) still available. Also, all our tours are conducted in English unless otherwise stated in the email or tour voucher confirmation we will send you soon, once your transaction is approved.

We reserve the right to offer you suitable substitutes or changes to your itinerary, tours or services due to special events, weather conditions, road closures, vehicle breakdowns, unpredictable circumstances, unavailability and/or due to last minute reservations. We assume no responsibility for delays caused by accidents, breakdowns, unforeseen accidents or events, road, weather conditions and/or all other circumstances beyond our control. We do not guarantee to arrive to, or depart from, any point at a specific time for the same above considerations. However, we will do our very best to honor your tour itinerary and schedule accordingly.

Hot-Air Balloon Special Cancellation and Refund Policy: This is an 8-hour guided tour (door to door when leaving from San Francisco or 6 hours when leaving from Napa or Sonoma Valley).

Your balloon ride will be scheduled before sunrise depending on weather conditions. Your safety is our #1 priority. Some rides may launch from other sites like Yolo County or Pope Valley when Napa weather conditions don’t allow us to fly the balloon. Balloons will never fly when it rains or in winds higher than 12 mph.

Heads-up: The hot-air balloon pilots offer alternative launching sites when Napa Valley weather conditions don’t permit them to take off from the valley. This maximizes your chances to fly from other sites even when weather conditions are not ideal in Napa.

Non-refundable for No-Show or last-minute changes: Our office staff will notify you by 5 pm the day prior to your hot-air balloon tour (generally, we pick our customers between 4 and 5 am at your hotel in San Francisco or Napa). If we are unable to reach you before 5 pm the day prior to your balloon tour because you don’t respond to your email or cellphone, or because you decided not to return our calls, your driver will still show up at 4 am as scheduled. However, if you don’t wake up , this will be a no-show and therefore, the entire cost will be non-refundable as per our refund terms and cancellation policy.

The Refundable Portion of the balloon ride: If you decide to cancel the balloon ride portion of the tour, you must do so at least 72 hours in advance. The hot-air balloon ride is only refundable when the pilot cancels it the same day due to bad weather or for any other considerations. If you cancel the balloon reservation is 72 hours in advance; the tour guide will pick you up at 9 am instead of 4 am and proceed with the wine tour as scheduled.

The wine tour itself is not refundable regardless of weather conditions. However, if you wish to proceed and take your chance, your tour guide will pick you up as scheduled at 4 am. Please keep in mind that we have reserved this day just for you and turned down other reservations to honor your tour, we still get charged and pay all wages and business expenses. For that, only the hot-air balloon ride portion of this package is refundable IF YOU CANCEL IT BEFORE 5 PM THE DATE PRIOR TO YOUR TOUR . If so, you will receive a $190 refund per person, which will be credited back to you within 7 business days. If you book directly with Viator, please review their own terms and policy .

Again, no changes or modifications are accepted within 72 hours prior to your trip. We close our office at 5 pm and your driver goes as early as 7 pm to be able to wake up at 2 am and come over to the office to pick up the required vehicle and meet you at 4 am at your hotel.

We are extremely transparent about these unforeseen weather conditions ,cancellation policy and terms. Please read these terms carefully so we avoid any misunderstanding or blame. Our drivers are humans and go to bed incredibly early to be able to show up at your hotel at 4 am. Please do not make any last-minute changes after 5 pm the day before your departure/tour. We will not even get your message until the next day!

Wheelchair and Handicap Accessibility issues: We apologize but our vehicles are not equipped with wheelchair access. There is no room for a wheelchair in our vehicles unless it’s a very small and foldable wheelchair. However, the main concern is the customers’ ability to get it in and out of the vehicles for liability issues. When kids, seniors, and wheelchairs are part of the tour, this will slow down the trip, and requires overtime. $179 will be charged to your credit card for each additional hour added to the tour after 12 hours by van, and $129 per hour when touring by SUV.

Pets:  Pets are not allowed in our vehicles out of respect for those who have allergies to pets.

Smoking:  Our vehicles are also non-smoking.

Clothing:  Please be prepared for cold weather, slippery roads and hiking trails, so have comfortable waterproof hiking shoes to walk on the snow in winter and spring. This long day-tour is hard on kids and seniors, we therefore recommend the overnight tour package.

Parks, Attractions and Site’s Closures:  We are not responsible, nor liable, for road and weather conditions. State and national parks’ closure can happen at any time and without a prior notice, due to bad road and weather considerations. No refund will be issued, regardless the reasons for which the trip may not reach its destination. If you cancel or stop the tour for personal or medical reasons, there will be no refund or change of tour or dates offered either.

Guided tours in foreign languages: All tours in foreign languages are subject to extra fees to cover tour guides or freelancers we may hire to honor your tour in the required language.

Travel Agents:  Travel agents are liable for 20% gratuity when their customer does not tip the driver or tour guides. We require customers’ full name and contact information from all travel agent or the tour will be cancelled. Travel agent are also liable for all overtime when their clients do not pay for, and a credit card will be needed on file. Due to high cost of conducting business in California, we barely cover our business expenses and wages, therefore, all our tours are non-commissionable rates.

Gratuity: 15 to 20% gratuity is required and customary in the USA. Generally, a tip may vary between 15% to 20% of the total purchase amount, or it can be a flat amount that is near the appropriate percent. It really depends upon the situation, and your generosity because without gratuity tour guides can’t thrive in this expensive state of California, and without tour guides, we can’t run this business. Thank you for your generosity and understanding.

Muir Woods National Monument new regulations: Once in Muir Woods National Monument, you’ll find out that it has become less crowded and even very peaceful because Muir Woods has become the first national park to require reservations in advance with special commercial and parking permits. This extra cost and in addition to the complicated reservations process turn off manty visors and tour companies from visiting Muir Woods. No one can visit or access Muir Woods anymore without prior reservations and permits. But don’t worry, thanks to our private tours and small group custom trips, we will take care of all the required arrangements and offer you a worry-free tour package, we do reserve and pay for your parking and Muir Woods permits, however, your Muir Woods tickets are not included in the tour price and will be at your charge ($10 per person, but may go up again).

Please note that tour guides are not allowed to conduct guided tours to Alcatraz or Muir Woods. Your Alcatraz and Muir Woods are self-guided tours as stated on our website (an audio self-guided tour on your own for Alcatraz prison). Also, in order to keep the cost down, we therefore do not include a drop-off at your hotel after you visit Alcatraz, so you don’t pay overtime or have a driver waiting for you while visiting Alcatraz Island. The Fisherman’s Wharf hotels are walking distance from Alcatraz landing. Public transportation is very affordable and available everywhere.

Alcatraz tours and tickets and the use of our online calendar: The only online calendar available on our website is extremely hard to manage and update on daily basis. This calendar governs all our tours and available in over 10 different languages which multiplies the number of tour options by 10! When Alcatraz tickets are sold out, we cannot simply block the calendar for these particular date(s) because this will prevent all other clients from booking any of our tours in 10 different languages, this would put us all out of business! Alcatraz represents only 1% of our tours and it’s extremely impossible to block the calendar each time Alcatraz is sold out. For that reason, we have amended these terms and conditions on our website stating clearly unequivocally the following terms regarding Alcatraz tour and tickets:

-All our tours including Alcatraz are subject to availability even if the transaction is approved. We do reserve the right to void or refund your transaction when Alcatraz tickets are sold out, this is totally out of our hands as the only provider of Alcatraz tickets and tours are governed by the U.S. National Park Service.

-We do require 8 business weeks in advance when booking our Alcatraz tour during the peaks season, holidays and week-ends. The peak season refers to the period of April to the end of October.

-We reserve the right to offer you alternative tours when Alcatraz is sold out, if you decline our offer, we simply and fully refund your transaction which takes about 10 business days before your funds are available to you as stated above under section “voided and refunded transactions” clause.

Common mistake some customers do: When Alcatraz tickets are sold out, customers rush desperately to book directly Alcatraz tour on our website without taking the time to review our terms and conditions in this regard, we are not to blame in this case as we made it extremely clear that we have no control over Alcatraz tickets when they are sold out, for that reason we do require at least 8 business weeks booking in advance!

The misconception about private tours: There a misconception about private tours. Yes, public large bus group tours are more cost-effective for the operator, than private tours. In essence, the input cost of private tours and public tours are roughly the same - both provide one driver or a tour guide, one vehicle, same trip length whilst both companies assume the same business expenses and commercial insurance liability. However, private tour operators (like ours) make 90% less profit than public group tours, because all our resources are dedicated to a small group (couples or families), whilst the pubic tour operators make 10 times more profits thanks to the volume(quantity)! We, on the other hand, focus on quality as we never share our private tours with other customers. Yet, although we provide a higher quality tour service, and incur even greater expenses in many cases, the profit margins are limited. This makes some of our private tours barely profitable due to the increasing cost and liability of conducting business in California.

– If you are subject to car or motion sickness, please consider asking your doctor for recommended medication. Some visitors underestimate this aspect and end up visiting only 50% of the tour as they suffer from this or altitude sickness and make an excessive number of stops along the way. Please consult your doctor and ensure you have the appropriate medication in advance.

– Consider leaving unnecessary luggage at your hotel and travel light so you have more room in the vehicle.

– Wear clothes and shoes suitable for walking and hiking (Snow shoes in winter are recommended, and a swimsuit to enjoy the hotel’s swimming pool and hot tub).

– Bring sunscreen, bug spray, extra memory cards, and batteries for your camera (if applicable).

– Warm layers for cooler weather and a raincoat for summer showers.

– Drink lots of water due to the high altitude and don’t hike alone, as we offer fully-guided tours.

– We are not responsible for injuries or accidents that may occur during this trip, in or out of Yosemite National Park. Please read our < href="/terms-conditions">terms and conditions for more information.

-Expect rugged terrain with narrow, steep, and very curvy hiking trails to the sequoias. Also, be prepared for a downhill hike and then back uphill to the parking lot. The trail is very steep right at the beginning on the way back up but mellows out as you get closer to the parking lot. It depends on the grove your driver will choose for you, but they all require hiking. The elevation at the trail head of both top groves is about 6,200 feet (1,860 meters). The most popular is the Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias, the distance is about 2.5 miles (4 km) round trip and takes about 1.5 – 2 hours of hiking, and recommended for everybody who can hike including kids.

-California Gold Country: When Tioga Pass road (located between Yosemite and the Eastern Sierra where a major highway leads to Tahoe) is closed due to heavy snow that may start as early as October until about June or July, we will drive through the infamous, yet legendary, California Gold Country on day 2 and day 3 of your adventure.

-Please note that we may start in Lake Tahoe first, and then head to Yosemite National Park or vice versa. This will depend on the hotels’ availability, the season, the weather and road conditions. We do not work on commission, so you are welcome to book your own hotel, but if you don’t want to deal with these details, we can take care of that on your behalf when you choose the option ‘hotel included’ from our shopping cart.

Hotel Reservation: To keep costs down, we charge each guest only about $100 per night, for a three-star hotel in and around Yosemite Valley area, based on availability. However, if you have high expectations of the hotel accommodation, and wish to upgrade, we recommend that you choose your own hotel and book it directly with the required resort or hotel. The Majestic hotel (the former Awhanhee) is the only 4-star hotel in the Yosemite Valley where a suite may go from $600 to $1200 per night based on availability and the season. Please note that there are a very limited number of hotels in Yosemite, and they are often sold out 6 to 12 months in advance, so the sooner you book the better. However, we often manage to get a hotel reservation nearby Yosemite Valley, in one of the small resort or motel style hotels in the area, for reservations closer to the tour date.

Foreign Languages: Our tours are conducted in English unless otherwise indicated on your tour voucher. Some foreign languages are subject to additional fees. For all foreign languages, you must book a Private Tour and not a semi-private tour to enjoy the tour in the required language (subject to availability). Additional fees may apply on any additional foreign languages. All semi-private tours are conducted in English and can be shared with other clients. Semi-private tours will no longer be available on our website. Please book your private tour asap as our tour bilingual tour guides are booked up months in advance.

Miscellaneous: Meals and tour guide/driver gratuities are not included in our tour price unless indicated on your tour voucher or email confirmation.

Tour prices do not include additional fees including wine tasting, accommodations, and entry fees to see attractions and sites, winery tours, unless otherwise indicated on your tour voucher or email confirmation.

-All vehicles operated by Golden Horizon Travel Inc are non-smoking according to state and federal laws.

-Golden Horizon Travel Inc reserves the right to hire independent tour guide/drivers, subcontractors and/or contractors to facilitate our tours, shuttle services and travel packages.

-In the event that we are unable to facilitate your tour due to weather and/or road conditions, we will attempt to reach each location, site and destination using alternative routes, but we are not liable nor responsible for these unforeseen weather/traffic conditions. No refunds will be available.

-All photos or videos taken by our staff of our customers or passengers, during the capacity of the tour, trip or transfer, may be included on our website. Customers hereby agree to the use of these photos and videos and under no circumstances can customers dispute.

-No substitution or refunds for any unused part of the tour(s) will be issued. All sales are final.

-No refunds will be issued for a no-show or unused portion of the tour.

-All refund and/or voided transactions paid on our website by credit or debit cards or via PayPal may take up to 2 weeks before you receive the funds (refunds) back into your account.

Our hot-air balloon rides are no guaranteed to depart and arrive back in Napa Valley and subject to last-minute cancelation for weather considerations. Golden Horizon Travel inc reserves the right to fly anywhere within 80-mile radius of Napa Valley dependent on the weather conditions.

-We reserve the right to refuse service to any person or business who may refuse to comply with our safety instructions, our tour itinerary, or to anyone who may pose a threat to our customers and/or our tour guide-drivers. Screaming at or insulting tour guide-drivers or fellow passengers or third-party businesses and subcontractors is not acceptable under any circumstances and will terminate and cancel your tour without any refund. Discrimination against a customer or a tour guide–driver for any reason is not acceptable either under any circumstance.

Cancellation due to unforeseen weather conditions: Weather/Unforeseen Circumstances like fires, landslide, road closure, vehicle breakdown, employees or driver’s medical emergency or due other weather conditions or unforeseen circumstances; we revere the right to offer you alternative tours, destinations for the same amount of time.

Very Important!  Before you book Alcatraz nigh tour:

  Alcatraz night tour requires 70 business days advance booking

2. This shopping cart calendar shows availability because it can't be blocked for only one product as it  governs over 200  products and tours on our website in 10 different languages!

3. All reservations are subject to availability even if your transaction is  approved. Your transaction will be voided if you book an Alcatraz night tour within 69  days.

4. Please reach out to us via our live chat before you book Alcatraz night tour due to the  extreme challenge with Alcatraz night tour tickets availability.  Alcatraz National Park Service only offers this tour from Tuesday through Saturday for only a few visitors(like a lottery) , and that’s only available in the summer!

5. Alcatraz is managed by the national park service; we have no control over their policy and tickets’ availability.

6. We are not blame if you ignore these terms and conditions when booking Alcatraz night tour online

Modifications of these terms and conditions: Golden Horizon Travel Inc and its affiliated websites or contractors reserve the right to change any of these terms and conditions under which this website is offered. We reserve the right to change our web contents, update our terms and privacy policy anytime and at our discretion without a prior notice. Learn more about our privacy policy and complete terms and conditions   

SAN FRANCISCO TOUR TESTIMONIALS

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SAN FRANCISCO COMBO TOURS REVIEWS

Authentic testimonials.

San Francisco & Alcatraz - Great Experience

I have always wanted to go to Alcatraz Island with my wife, and we finally got to do it. I consulted the online reviews and decided to go with Golden Horizon Travel. We booked Yosemite 3-day tour , Silicon Valley and San Francisco tours through them; they exceed our expectations.

SF + Alcatraz Island Tickets "The Rock"!

We took a tour with Golden Horizon as we got cancelled at last-minute by another company due to the lack of Alcatraz tickets, which we prepaid thru the interne, but, when we arrived at Fisherman's Wharf to embark the ferry, they had no reservations for us! Watch out when you book online and trust Golden Horizon reviews – they saved the day. You’ll not be disappointed.

San Francisco city tour & Alcatraz prison evening tour.

We booked the Napa Valley and Alcatraz combo tour thru Golden Horizon tour, almost 2 months in advance, and we are so glad we did. It was so hard to find availability for Alcatraz night tour. Napa Valley is beautiful, and the wines are outstanding, but Alcatraz was our favorite experience.

Must See attraction while visiting San Fran!

Alcatraz and San Francisco combo tour is highly recommended. It’s super fun, informative and saves time. Great ride across the san Francisco bay, the ferry was crowded but it was cool. The walking tour with headphones is awesome and informative.

San Francisco city tour & Alcatraz at night experience

Unfortunately, we were not able to get same day tickets to Alcatraz Island, but our tour guide managed to get us night tickets to Alcatraz prison the next day. We were so lucky and grateful - we even booked 2 more tours with this company – they are the best! Alcatraz at night is a must-see attraction for all visitors. The rangers’ talk and the audio-walking guided tour complete each other.

San Francisco city tour &, Muir Woods and Sausalito Combo Tour

San Francisco city tour and Alcatraz now require advanced booking, which we didn’t know. I’m so glad we found this company, they accommodated our last-minute request, and provided us with tickets to muir woods and Alcatraz… Leo is an amazing tour guide.

Alcatraz at night is a must-see activity

Alcatraz at night is a must-see activity while visiting San Francisco Bay Area. The now-abandoned maximum-security prison can be visited at night, and it’s much better than the day tour. Golden Horizon and Adam deserve 10 stars!

Alcatraz day trip from San Francisco

We recommend the San Francisco and Alcatraz tour package. We got to see the best places in the city and enjoyed a free afternoon walking tour at Alcatraz Island. The views of the city and the golden gate bridge from Alcatraz are spectacular.

Our Bucket List Overflowed - San Francisco Experience

Our Bucket List Overflowed, a wonderful day in an amazing park with the perfect tour guide!

Katheryn Kennedy - London, UK

The best experience ever!

A wonderful tour package in Yosemite National Park and San Francisco with Adam. This tour has totally exceeded expectations! The best experience ever!

Erin M. Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

Unforgettable & Fantastic!

Unforgettable & Fantastic! trust their reviews and believe what you read on Trip Advisor; they are consumed professionals.

Chris G., Dallas, Texas

Just Magnificent & Just Stunning!

5-stars to our tour guide Adam, he made this journey unforgettable. He is an expert photographer too!

M. Hachadourian. Greenwich Village, New York

Fun, informative & very professional

10 Stars! Fun, informative, flexible, indulgent, patient,& very professional guides in a warm & engaging manner.

Jarmila Sramkova. Prague, Czech Republic

Believe every good thing you read about this tour company

Believe every good thing you read about this tour company; you will not be disappointed!

Mike and Jane - Nashville

Treated like King & Queen!

Treated like King & Queen! OUTSTANDING and A MUST See!! Without any hesitation, 5 stars!

Loreena’s family Madrid, Spain

They are consummate professionals

They are consummate professionals who really care a lot for their customers' wellbeing and experience- a must do!

Rob & Marhta Baton Rouge

Unforgettable experience!

Impressive! Their Ability of organization, understanding , customizing , entertaining , educating - make them the best at what they do. What unforgettable experience with Buddy!

Natasha C Calgary, Canada

Outstanding bucket-list destinations!

Outstanding tour package to San Francisco, Yosemite ,Mammoth Lakes , Sequoia national park , Death Valley , San Francisco and Alcatraz with Adam and Jonathan . I've run out of superlatives to describe this unforgettable and once-in-a-lifetime experience ...10 STARS + & Highly Recommended

Holly Millard- Holly Millard, IN

"Stop reading reviews and book with Golden Horizon!"

5-Star TripAdvisor Review You won't be disappointed if you use Golden Horizon for all your tours! Top notch service!

Susan.S- McAllen, Texas

Top-Notch VIP Service!"

A 6-star experience! Their tag line is to “exceed expectations” and they certainly delivered. From the moment of making a booking to the actual tours - Superb!

Superdin0-Singapore

A sight definitely worth seeing!

I highly recommend this SF, Muir Woods and Marin County outdoor adventure with Golden Horizon Travel, even If you are in average physical shape. There are all kind of stops and easy hikes along offering 360 degrees breathtaking views.

Stop reading reviews and book with Golden Horizons

Stop reading reviews and book with Golden Horizons. .... we highly recommend this tour company, their tour guides are passionate, fun and very knowledgeable. San Francisco is amazing city and Muir Woods is so beautiful and enjoyable. Highly recommend

Outstanding tour guides & fun tours

My husband, daughters and my son , and I took a day tour of San Francisco, and second day adventure to Muir Woods and each with Adam to Muir Woods and Stinson Beach. Both trips exceed our expectations.

I highly recommend this tour company when Alcatraz tickets are sold out

We purchased the combo tour through Alcatraz Tours since the date was sold out for the solo Alcatraz Tour. Adding the city tour and Angel Island was a great trip by ferry as it took us around Alcatraz Island and Angel Island. Alcatraz island is so beautiful! I loved the Alcatraz audio tour as well. The guided tour is extremely interesting and provided an accurate picture of the story of Alcatraz prison and inmates. It was a good length of time and we got a great deal of information without becoming too long and boring. I highly recommend this tour company ‘Alcatraz Tours Inc.’ When Alcatraz tour and prison tickets are sold out, they have a reserve of Alcatraz tickets on hold purchased in advance. Their private guided city tour is a 5-star experience and worth every penny.

Julescup11 Saint Louis, Missouri

5 stars Travel Services: Tranquility in the hands of professionals.

Our travel agent in Veracruz Mexico booked the San Francisco tour package with hotel accommodation included. However, the online tour agency with which we originally booked our Alcatraz and Muir Woods package turned out to be a fraud, a fiasco, a company with little reliability, we were calling by phone and we have never been able to get through, they are locate overseas! Two days before leaving our country, our Alcatraz tours were canceled at the last minute and there was no way to get tickets for Alcatraz or any of the destinations because they were sold out.

Fortunately, we found this local company Golden Horizon Travel: www.goldenhorizontravel.com and this was the only tour operator that could help us with our last minute reservations, they provided us with excellent customer service and always responded promptly in Spanish, and they even assigned us a Spanish tour guide: our both excursions were totally private and in Spanish, our tour guides were incredible, very professional, attentive and cordial and the best of all is that the agency also got us the tickets to visit Alcatraz Island and also for the Redwoods Muir Woods Park despite this last-minute booking. We also took advantage and went to Sonoma Valley and Marín County with them. This Company offers best tours and many options to choose from for all travelers; they are very professional, and they go out of their way to offer to please their customers. All the other websites we found were resellers or fake or they were not even located in California, none of them bothered to answer our phone calls or emails, and neither did they offer guided tours in Spanish. MY best advice for everyone, look for Local Operators and avoid websites and companies that are not in San Francisco! This Tour Operator is underrated and deserves more credit for their excellent customer service. 100% WORTH THE MONEY & HIGHLY RECOMMEND

Silvia Sampiery Veracruz Mexico

Nine days: San Francisco, Alcatraz, California Monterey, Hearst Castle , and Yosemite tour package

We waited 2 weeks to review to be sure we weren't still dreaming. It was that great a time with Golden Horizon, starting with a full day in San Francisco with Mary, a native of The City, so we really experienced S.F. Then with Adam for 3 days to Monterey and Carmel, including somehow a front-row seat next to the 18th green during a PGA event a Pebble Beach without passes. He taught us to be great actors! A dream picture op for this golf fan. Then Leo took us to the coast beyond Big Sur, including a tour of Hearst Castle, then for 3 plus days in Yosemite and across the Sierras and back to S.F. All this during a stretch rare in CA of perfect weather when "Carl" never showed up. (They name the fog "Carl"). These folks couldn't have been more knowledgeable or considerate, especially getting us to every place we gave them on a considerable agenda before we even met them on day one. We saw and did far more than we expected, and they went well beyond the schedule hours every day. If this reads over-the-top, it's because our experience was way over-the-top. They certainly exceeded our expectations, just as they said they would, and we are so glad we traveled with Golden Horizon.

Richard & Karen WILD Logansport , IN

"Great way to see the best sights of San Francisco"

Four of us from Australia were picked up in a luxury SUV by Mary, who was just great, she felt like a family member, so friendly and very relaxed, we were never hurried. Being in the SUV was great as we got to drive down narrows treat like Lombard St (prohibited to larger vehicles).

Jenny B Mullumbimby, Australia

"A perfect day in San Francisco"

Jon drove us into every corner of the city and entertained us with narration that was lively and full of intriguing historical and cultural details. He was thoroughly professional and considerate and engaging; we whole-heartedly recommend him and Golden Horizon!

Cokie54 Indianapolis

"The "One & Only" way to see SF"

I have to say Buddy's knowledge of the city is exceptional and his enthusiasm in sharing this knowledge is unsurpassed. I will definitely recommend Golden Horizon Travel to anyone who is looking for a way to explore the city with an articulate, educated and enthusiastic guide who without doubt made our holiday in San Francisco complete. A 5*PLUS experience! We had a fabulous time.

Ally Clark Newcastle Upon Tyne

"Best private tour"

Our private tour with Mary was the absolute highlight of our time in San Francisco. We were really able to see and enjoy so much of the city. Mary was so knowledgeable and insightful, and by the end of our day together she felt like a new friend. The tour delivered even more than we had expected and was a truly memorable experience. Your city is lovely, and Mary is a gem! We will definitely recommend this tour to our friends and will be sure to use Golden Horizons again when we return to the area.

"Best Guide & Tour Ever!"

Patricia was fantastic. She provided the most fantastic tour I've ever taken. We loved listening to her Irish accent, and she knows San Francisco inside and out. Patricia went out of her way to show us everything we wanted to see. She also takes great pictures. You won't be disappointed. We also had a great Napa and Sonoma wine tour with Jon. Golden Horizon does a great job.

Rachel S Appleton, Wisconsin

"Great half-day tour and a wonderful tour guide"

My wife and I went on a half-day tour of San Francisco. Our tour guide was Patricia. She was extremely nice to us and very knowledgeable. Her passion for the city was obvious. We had a great time, learned a lot, and got some awesome recommendations for dinning.

"Great intro to the city"

We took a morning SF city tour with Tom. Best choice we could have made for our first day! He made sure to stop at all of the major sights, giving us a lot of "insider" information about each place. He was very flexible, allowing us to take extra time at some vistas, and take extra pictures at others. Great combination of driving and exploring - so much to see that a 1/2-day tour is the way to go to get a flavor of what to visit more in-depth another day. Highly Recommended and Well worth the price!

ndoak1 Saint Paul, Minnesota

"Lovely lady and a great tour"

We had Patricia as our guide to show us San Francisco in an SUV. Patricia was chatty, knowledgeable, very friendly and interested in the tour. She made an effort to show us everything we wanted to see and more things we were not even aware of. I recommend this company and Patricia to any visitors to this wonderful city.

"Private SUV Tour"

We booked a private SUV tour and as first-time visitors to SF it gave the whole family a wonderful and insightful introduction to an amazing City. We had a great time with our guide, Patricia, she was not only very knowledgeable but she made a real effort to make every moment special and she was good fun, running over by 30 minutes to make sure we didn’t miss anything. One of the best tours that we have had and the whole family thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Peter H Liverpool, United Kingdom

"The best tour ever!"

There isn't enough words to describe what a great tour we had! Tom was AMAZING. He was professional, knowledgeable and extremely passionate about the city and making sure the tour was everything we wanted. He made the tour personal to us, after finding out my Husband is military he made sure we knew about the military history etc. Throughout the planning process the company was great, always responded to my emails, even when we changed our hotel last minute, it was no problem and Tom was there with a huge warm greeting!!! Thank you again Tom and Golden Horizons tours, My husband is often deployed and we have rare opportunities to have a mini vacation and you made our day thank you thank you!!!!!

cnmegbu Omaha/Canada/Germany

"SF Muir Woods Tour Reviews"

"San Francisco & Muir Woods Sightseeing" We spent a superb day our tour guide with Patricia from Golden Horizon Tours. Everybody enjoyed Patricia’s broad knowledge on historical as well as socio-cultural backgrounds of the bay area. Patricia guided us through SF & Muir Woods park redwoods and well lived up to our high expectations completely! Our rating is "six stars" ;-)

Nick W Zurich, Switzerland

"Best day trip and tour guide ever"

I cannot speak highly enough about our guide Tom who was not only extremely knowledgeable but also passed on his sense of passion and respect for his town and his adopted country. Thanks again Tom -we will be sure to use Golden horizon again on our next visit to the San Francisco bay area.

Kobie D Surfers Paradise, Australia

"Muir Woods & Sausalito half day tour"

Peter was an excellent tour guide, very informative, engaging and hilarious. We all had a fantastic time on the half day tour of Muir Woods/Sausalito… Towards the end of the tour, the sun came out and we had a perfect view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Nicole T Portland, Oregon

"Best Decision- Best Tour Ever!"

Without any hesitation I recommend Golden Horizon Travel to all! My family's amazing day/tour with our guide, Adam, to wine country was 5+ out of 5!! He arranged perfect tastings for our family, taking into account the varied interests of the four of us. It's obvious he is passionate about his work, which certainly shows not only in how he handles situations but his interactions with us as well. Knowledgeable he is! We appreciated how he so freely, casually shared and explained to educate us. And, we appreciated the spur of the moment short, side trips that enhanced our memorable day. This was my favorite day of our San Francisco vacation. Adam put a smile not only on my face, but also in my heart. We were blessed to share the hours with him!!! Thanks, Linda

Linda K Chagrin Falls, Ohio

"Private Tour Raves!"

Jon was a FIVE STAR guide! And, his all-day private SUV tour of San Francisco, Muir Woods, & Sausalito was a FIVE STAR tour all the way! The best I can remember anywhere, and that's saying something, considering all we've done all over the world…Jon keeps an ongoing narrative about EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE. He's brilliant. We could listen to that voice all day. And, one would never imagine he had a care in the world outside bringing his client the most memorable experience possible. We will never forget your most EXCELLENT tour! Nor your company. Nor Jon, for that matter. Thank you VERY much for that day.

Lou S Redondo Beach, Calif

"Great way to see the sites of SF"

Our San Francisco Alcatraz combo tour did exceed our expectations! We highly recommend this tour company for families with kids.

Eliana Landez Austin, Texas

"Muir Woods/SF Alcatraz"

My wife and I took two private tours; the first was San Francisco/Alcatraz combo custom tour and the second was Muir Woods/Sausalito. Our whole experience was awesome and outstanding. Thank you for the great experience.

Joe T Evans, Colorado

"Great way to see Alcatraz & SF!!"

We had a 12 hour wait until our next flight in San Francisco. We arrived early in the morning, went first to Alcatraz and after that the tour guide, Anton, from GHT came and picked us up by the Pier. We had booked the city tour and learned SO much, and saw so many things, places, and views! Anton was VERY knowledgably, so we kinda' felt we were on a tour with "google. We definitely recommend GHT, you will not be disappointed!

Scott D Dayton, Ohio

"The only way to see Alcatraz"

Book your Alcatraz and city combo tour with Golden Horizon, you will not be disappointed! Ask for Mary, she is awesome!

Lady Ceci Haugesund, Norway Senior Contributor

"SF/Alcatraz-we became a prisoner to your company"

We booked a San Francisco/Alcatraz private tour, we were picked up exactly on time in a squeaky-clean SUV by Patricia, a wonderful Irish Lass. She was very knowledgeable of San Francisco and we hit all the major sites. If we had a special request, she graciously accommodated... I am a prisoner to your company, if we return, I will definitely book with you again, we tried one other company and there was No Comparison for the individualized custom service received with your company-5 STARS!

Travelling_norm Top Contributor

"Outstanding San Francisco & Alcatraz combo tour"

My partner and I booked the San Francisco Alcatraz combo tour. We were lucky to get tickets to Alcatraz with such a short notice! Our city tour with Adam was very interesting and amazing...Our experience within Alcatraz Island was terrific ...

Many S Puerto Rico

"Great escapade to Alcatraz"

We took the half day tour with Alcatraz tour in afternoon and it was so worth the money I couldn't of imagined the trip without taking the tour with Peter… It was the perfect pace… Nothing but good things to say about this company!

bhorner3 North Carolina Senior Contributor

Five Star City Tour

My wife and I joined our two traveling companions on two custom half-day tours with Golden Horizon and our fab Kiwi guide, Jon. On day 1, after our arrival on a Princess cruise ship, we did a full city tour, ending with Jon dropping us off for a night-time visit to Alcatraz. We were greeted bright and early the next morning for day 2, which included Muir Woods and Sausalito and areas around the Golden Gate Bridge. All in all, the experience was fabulous...& highly recommend GHT!

Bernadette T Brisbane, Australia

I cannot speak highly enough about our tour with Golden Horizons

We all had a great time seeing the main tourist sites of your wonderful town. I cannot speak highly enough about our guide Tom who was not only extremely knowledgeable but also passed on his sense of passion and respect for his town and his adopted country.

Kobie, Australia

City tour by SUV, the best way to go

One advantage you have with the SUV tour is that you get to drive on Lombard St where tour buses are not allowed. Jon also took us right under the Golden Gate bridge where no other tourists were around. Thanks so much for a great experience!

TripAdvisor user "SF Night Tour Reviews" 5-Star Trip Advisor Review

"Highlight of our girls’ trip!"

San Fran is amazing by night! You got to so it with Mary who was our driver and we are SO HAPPY we got her! She took us around to some neighborhoods; this was essential to experience authentic areas of San Francisco by night. The views were breathtaking at night! She was our photographer and storyteller. Thank you so much Mary and to Golden Tours for matching us up with such a FAB lady! :)

"5 Stars-San Francisco by Night"

We were very pleased with our night tour; the city of San Francisco is totally amazing at night. Height-Ashbury, North Beach, Twin Peaks and Treasure Island are a must-do at night.

Visited March 20 Jody S Los Angeles Ca

"Bay Cruise Tour Reviews"

"A fun bay cruise guided tour experience in San Francisco bay" We booked a San Francisco and bay cruise combo tour with Golden Horizon Travel and we had a very fun city tour and a fabulous bay cruise guided tour experience in San Francisco Bay...

"A great cruise ship trip!"

We enjoyed Mary's city guide tour by luxury SUV, especially with a lifetime citizen of the city and her knowledge of the area. It was a morning well spent! The afternoon 1 hour bay cruise was fun and cool...

Pat L bhorner3, North Carolina Senior Contributor

"A very cool San Francisco bay cruise experience"

We booked your San Francisco bay cruise combo tour; it was windy in the bay but well worth it. We had a private sightseeing tour by SUV for 5 hours with your company and that was a great way to see San Francisco narrow streets and scenic neighborhoods. It was exciting driving on Lombard Street … Thank you for accommodating our last-minute booking.

ERICA H Binghamton, WI Contributor

San Francisco and Alcatraz

Our private tour with Mary was EXCELLENT and FUN!!! Mary drove us around in San Francisco and told us about history and contemporary "fun knowing". She is grown up in SF and had great knowledge. Before the trip, our kids complained that 4 hours were too long, but when the tour was over they thought the 4 hours went too fast.

It was a perfect start to our SF stay that covered the entire SF and we learned a lot and we had fun. . My partner did not have a ticket to Alcatraz but Mary managed with the impossible to find a ticket in the ferry zone, which we appreciated a lot !! Going on a tour with Mary was optimal! Comfortable car, only we in the car, very personal. Since Mary knew Sweden and Finland meant that we clicked fine from the very firts moment!!

marilouises2018 Pasadena CA

All day private tour of San Francisco and afternoon Alcatraz tour

Alcatraz was fascinating and Golden Horizon was able to accommodate us with tickets on short notice due to a cancellation. Our full day private driving tour of San Francisco with Tom was totally delightful. Not only was Tom, our guide, fully informed about the nuances of the city history but a terrific conversationalist providing a very relaxed and pleasant day. AND, he dropped us at a local Dim Sum café for an excellent and very reasonable lunch. We would recommend the entire experience as a 5-star excellent time.

Cedar Park, Texas

San Francisco and Alcatraz Tour Private SUV Tour with Mary

We had a blast on this tour and Mary was a terrific tour guide! We got to see nearly everything we wanted to see in San Francisco in one day - without having to plan a route or drive amongst the locals. Mary is a San Francisco native and is extremely knowledgeable about the city and its history. Having the tour guide handle the Alcatraz tickets is another nice perk that will make your visit to San Francisco that more stress-free. Be sure to let her know if you like "Star Wars" - she will have an awesome, unlisted stop waiting for you!

JCAU99 Huntsville, Alabama

Muir Woods/SF Alcatraz

The wife and I took two private tours the first was San Francisco/Alcatraz and the second was Muir Woods/Sausalito. Our tour guide Jon had a wealth of knowledge of the history of San Francisco as well as Muir Woods and Alcatraz. Our whole experience was awesome! we were allowed to make the changes we wanted to, which was great it gave us more time in Muir Woods as well as the other places that we wanted to see. It was a wonderful surprise when Jon took us to a couple of places that were not on the itinerary. I would highly recommend any of the tours we took as well as any others Golden Horizon has to offer as I'm sure they are just as wonderful. I know that if we are ever back in the area, we will certainty use this service again. Thank you for the great experience.

Our trip to San Francisco

I booked the 1/2 day San Francisco tour including tickets to Alcatraz. That morning, Mary met my husband and I in the lobby of our hotel. She was already waiting for us when we came out of the elevator a little early! Picked us up in a spotlessly clean black suburban. We toured the city in style, so thankful Mary is a great driver because I would have hated for my husband to have to maneuver through that madness! By the time the tour was over we had learned so much history we would have never learned on our own. Mary is a local, and her stories really added to the tour. Before she left us at the ferry to Alcatraz she gave us our tickets along with a wealth of information to help us finish our trip successfully. We missed her and talked about her for the rest of our trip!

12 ret Virginia

Alcatraz prison and Redwoods tour with Pat , she deserves an "A"+

Alcatraz prison and Redwoods tour with Pat , she deserves an "A"+ muir woods was crowded but still a nice place to visit. We only had a day in SF, and made a good use of our short stay in sfo. Alcatraz prison was the highlight of our a trip, morbid but very interesting to see and learn about its famous inmates like Al Capone...

joelsabourin Quebec City, Canada

Mary was wonderful

Took a city tour of San Francisco which ended with a trip to Alcatraz. Mary was a wonderful guide, picked us up promptly at our hotel in a clean, comfortable Explorer. Saw much of San Francisco that we would not have been able to see without a car and got much background information. The tour is not cheap, but one is well cared for. Worth it.

smurfdb Winter Haven

Alcatraz island prison was on our bucket before we travelled to san Francisco

Alcatraz island prison was on our bucket list before we even traveled to California, we wanted to go there so badly, and we did, we are so glad we took the time to visit Alcatraz island. Alcatraz prison may seem morbid and awkward because of all the sad and morbid stories of solitary confinement we all heard and read here or there, but more you learn about it from the audio guided tour, more get inserted in the story of Alcatraz solitary confinements, the infamous escape from Alcatraz, and learn the story of the prison and about the inmates from the officers own perspective. I highly recommend the combination Alcatraz island and San Francisco city tour, you don’t have to worry about how to get Alcatraz tickets and how to get there, these guys are very professionals and made our trip very enjoyable.

andymartinsons Santa Fe, New Mexico

We visited Alcatraz prison at night - it’s Spooky!

We traveled from San José, Costa Rica to San Francisco in California to visit Alcatraz Island and Yosemite National Park. Initially, we could not find a specialized tour guide in Spanish to take us to Yosemite park and to see the giant sequoias. But thank God we found this tour company. We were lucky as they also had tickets to Alcatraz Island at night, even though it was sold out everywhere else they managed to secure our booking for the nigh tour the same day. What a great surprise to discover that the booking agent of the company spoke fluently Spanish, she was very friendly and helpful. Not only did she get us a private tour of Yosemite in Spanish with a bilingual guide, but she also managed to get us Alcatraz tickets for the night tour at a last-minute. That was totally unexpected and super cool. We cannot thank you enough for your excellent customer service and for making the extra effort to get book Alcatraz tickets for us despite this short notice. The night tour of Alcatraz is a bit “spooky”, but very interesting, the US park rangers accommodated us with only a small number of visitors, guided us through the prison and provided a lot of historical information about Alcatraz prison and famous prisoners like Al Capone, as well as the story about the escape from Alcatraz” El misterio de la fuga de Alcatraz”.

Lucia and Yolanda M. Vasquez San Jose Costa Rica

I highly recommend this combination Alcatraz and city tour

We booked the combined tour of Alcatraz and San Francisco through Alcatraz Tours. The date we wanted to book to visit from Alcatraz Prison was sold out, but it's the only local travel agency that really helped us with our last-minute booking despite the odds. All the other websites that we tried are fake or are not even located in California! None even bothered to answer our telephone calls. I highly recommend this combo Alcatraz /city tour and this tour operator. Well worth It.

Phillipe-M. Toulouse, France

Alcatraz night tour is a must-do but book your tickets WELL in advance!

We booked our Alcatraz night trip with Alcatraz tours in February, but we were not visiting San Francisco until late May. This was the right thing to do as all Alcatraz night tours got sold out in March! The ferry trip to Alcatraz island was quite nice and took us less than 20 minutes to reach Alcatraz island. We really enjoyed this night excursion of the prison. No, it was not creepy at all. Dress appropriately/ bring layers - it gets cold and foggy out there.

Eartha-brghamsa Northern Cape, South Africa

Alcatraz prison night tour is awesome

My wife and I booked our Alcatraz prison tickets online through this tour company, combined with a trip to Napa Valley wineries. We love beer, but we wanted to try some wines for a change. So, we tasted great deal of red and white wines in Napa wine country. Then, we drove back to San Francisco and got dropped off at Pier 33 to take the ferry to Alcatraz island. Alcatraz night tour was on our bucket-list before we even travelled to California, we were so excited when they dropped us off at Alcatraz ferry lines. The night tour boat departed from the dock at 3:50pm. We enjoyed great views of the city of San Francisco and the Golden Gate bridge as we were sailing to Alcatraz island. Once at the island, US park rangers split visitors into groups and started the night guided tour at different times. If you have difficulty walking up hills, they have a tram you can ride both ways at no extra cost. The narration of the self-guided tour is really informative and exciting. We highly recommend Alcatraz prison night tour to all travelers. The only thing I didn’t like is that many sections of Alcatraz island are closed to the public at night unlike the day tour. That’s why they only allow one group per night, I guess they want to they keep it under control. Use this tour company, you won’t be disappointed.

Lee Sanders Quebec ,CA

Alcatraz night tour with our kids - absolutely excellent and worth every penny

We booked the night tour with Alcatraz Tours, and that was an excellent tour experience. Really well organized and informative. We learned a lot about Alcatraz prison on the night tour, and I can thoroughly recommend Alcatraz night tour even for families with kids. Wear comfortable flat walking shoes and extra layers as it gets chilly on the island, and I also recommend a flashlight and an extra charger for your smart phone. That’s was an excellent trip for the whole family and worth the money and time.

Our Night Tour of the Rock “Alcatraz”

My wife and I really enjoyed our night guided tour of Alcatraz prison with the local tour guide who was a volunteer. The ferry ride was quick and smooth offering nice views of the San Francisco skyline and bridges. US park rangers were very helpful, engaging and informative and the audio guided tour was a good experience.

Tampa Bay, FL

Wonderful night tour experience like a “fairy tale”.

Wonderful night tour experience with lots of history and interesting stories. Alcatraz prison is not like any other jail where inmates could escape from so easily. We realized how hard it must have been to get out of ‘The Rock’ and still wondering how those 3 guys escaped Alcatraz at night! It’s like a ‘fairy tale’, spooky but in a good way… the pace of the tour was just right and well done.

“Muir Woods and Alcatraz combo tour”

Our Muir Woods & Alcatraz combo tour was exactly what we needed as we only had one day in San Francisco before we traveled to Napa Valley for a wedding we were invited to. The tour is well worth the money that you spend. The big redwood trees in Muir Woods forest are impressive but the forest was a bit crowded as well as Alcatraz island. However, this combo tour must be on everyone’s bucket-list. Both places are very popular and worth the money. I would recommend starting the tour early to visit the redwoods and beat the bus tours and large crowds. This way you get to enjoy peace and quality time in Muir Woods before it gets too busy.

Alcatraz prison is a former maximum-security prison located on Alcatraz Island, but the island is much smaller than we through. The trip by ferry took us about 20 minutes from the Fisherman’s Wharf to the island. I recommend Alcatraz electric carts for those who can’t walk uphill. My grandmother couldn’t walk all the way up to the prison, but their electric cart was very convenient for her. We took more time in the prison and returned to the Fisherman’s Wharf in late afternoon. We also enjoyed the Fisherman’s Wharf souvenir shops, seafoods restaurants and got to see the seals there. I recommended in this tourist area after Alcatraz tour.

Molina-cpr@mex-df

Definitely a 5-star: Alcatraz and redwoods experience

Whether you live in San Francisco Bay Area or visiting San Francisco from the US or overseas, this day trip is a must-do for all ages and even for folks with mobility issues. Alcatraz island and prison are one of the most handicap accessible tours and places I've ever been on. Alcatraz guided tour is amazing. Yet, it can be a little confusing unless you follow the guided trail step by step. The ferry ride to Alcatraz island offers beautiful views of San Francisco downtown, the islands in the bay like Angel island, Treasure island and bridges like the Golden Gate bridge. Be on time for the ferry departure or you get turned away as they only allow the exact time and departure stated on each ticket. Alcatraz tickets are so valuable and hard to find, we were lucky we got a last-minute cancellation from Alcatraz Tours, otherwise we would have missed out on the best attraction in California. Many visitors show up at last minute by the ferry terminal looking for tickets and willing to pay any price to get their hands-on tickets to Alcatraz, but these rare tickets and get sold out weeks and months in advance.

Definitely a 5-star experience for this Alcatraz and redwoods combo tour. Our tour guide drove us away from Muir Woods traffic jams to a small forest of redwoods in Marin County. We were the only one a roaming through these tall and towering redwoods. It was so nice to enjoy nature without putting up with traffic and a horde of people pushing and shoving like in Muir Woods. I’ve been there, and I honestly prefer these alternative groves of redwoods we went to visit in Marin county. This tour company and tour guide are highly recommended.

Frank Seah Singapore Reviewed 2 years ago

Great way to see Alcatraz & San Francisco !!

We did not expect to see so much of the city in one day. Jon, our tour guide, was very friendly, informative and an accommodating guide. Thank you so much for a great day! This tour is highly recommended. Reviewed yesterday

Mytraveltyme Dr.Yin Chan: Australia

Awesome Alcatraz island & Redwoods combo tour

This day trip to Alcatraz island is awesome regardless how foggy the bay area can be. We got to Pier 33 on time, and the tour guide took care of our Alcatraz tickets. We didn’t have to worry about parking or reservation, as he showed us around before we embarked on the ferry to Alcatraz prison. There is a good self-guided audio tour of the cells and we could hear the guards and inmates’ voices in the background. It’s like living the experience and getting the feel of how this morbid and remote federal prison operated. Don’t forget to pick up the headphones as you enter the prison on top of the hill. My mom can’t walk so we hopped on the so called “SEAT” electric tram (Sustainable Easy Access Transport). Alcatraz island is a national park - there are park rangers on hand who help visitors with all kinds of information. I recommend that you book this redwood and Alcatraz excursion in advance. We had a hard time to find ferry tickets to Alcatraz until we landed on this website www.alcatraztoursf.com. Their combo tour is worth the money and saved us the hassle and stress. The operator was very helpful, and their tour guide was knowledgeable and professional, yet very funny. He adjusted the tour to our kid’s mood and crankiness. Don’t go to Muir Woods forest. I heard terrible things about this overcrowded place. Let this tour company take you to this hidden forest of redwoods somewhere nearby San Francisco in Marin Count. I can’t remember the name of this redwood forest, but we were the only ones there when we got there, the trees are massive and impressive, plus the landscape is picturesque. Last, get inline early to Alcatraz ferry terminal so you can get the best seat in the house on the third floor!

Dammy K. Reviewed 11 months ago

Muir Woods and Alcatraz combo tour

Our Muir Woods and Alcatraz combo tour was exactly what we needed as we only had one day in San Fran. The tour was well organized, and we certainly got our money's worth … Muir woods national monument definitely worth a detour. This remote park of big redwoods is very beautiful and a fantastic option for families with young children. I recommend this combo tour of Alcatraz and redwoods. It is worth the money and saves a lot of hassle and worries, as both places require special permits and advanced reservations.

Frank V. Montreal , Canada

ALCATRAZ IS ABOVE EXPECTATIONS

Despite Muir Woods traffic and large crowds, we enjoyed our trip. But we loved Alcatraz island even more. This is a must-see attraction when vising the Bay area. I recommend this tour company. The tour guide and this company are awesome, very reliable and responsive. We had a good experience and the tour with their tour guide was informative and fun.

Margie GAILLO

“Awesome bay cruise around Alcatraz Island”

This is a great alternative tour experience when Alcatraz tickets are sold out. We were disappointed as we didn’t manage to get Alcatraz tickets. Next time, we will anticipate and book Alcatraz tickets in advance. We were happy with this trip, as it combined our city private tour and the ferry cruise around Alcatraz island. We managed to get to see the city top attractions in a half-day tour, and that was the perfect way to do it. The cruise ship trip was over an hour, a trip that took us in the San Francisco bay, around Alcatraz Island, and under the Golden Gate Bridge. We had a trip the next day to Hearst Castle with this tour company, and it was our last day in California. We had a blast in Big Sur, and we enjoyed Hearst castle tour very much. It was a long day trip, but well worth it.

[email protected]

“Alcatraz Island is outstanding, but book your tickets in advance”

Alcatraz Island tour is outstanding, and the prison is a stunning place. This is my favorite attraction in San Francisco Bay Area. Book your Alcatraz ferry tickets in advance, as these valuable tickets get sold out weeks and months in advance, we booked our Alcatraz tickets two months in advance. Tour companies are obviously not allowed to sell Alcatraz tickets individually anymore, so we had to book Alcatraz prison tickets combined with a city tour. Our tour guide, Jonathan, was amazing and fun. We highly recommend this hassle-free combo tour. It’s fun, informative and exciting and worth every penny. I got to say, the energy and the impression you get when vising Alcatraz is something you need to experience for yourself.

Fran02558@Real

“The Beautiful Island of Alcatraz”

From the city tour to Alcatraz Island, we and our kids had an amazing adventure. It is a bit cold in San Francisco Bay in summer ironically. But were very interested in the criminology and forensic stories of Alcatraz and San Quintin prison like Charles Manson, the Zodiac, Fong “Little Pete” Ching, Zebra killers, Felix Mitchell, the Unabomber, Scott Peterson, and Clarence and John Anglin and Frank Morris and their famous ‘Escape from Alcatraz’. Wow! the feeling visitors get when stepping onto Alcatraz island from the ferry boat is quite eerie and a bit creepy, I know, but very exciting and interesting.

“Reserve Alcatraz tickets in advance when visiting San Francisco”

Book your Alcatraz tickets months in advance before you travel to San Francisco. This is a must-see tourist attraction when visiting San Francisco and Northern California. A police officer from South Africa, who traveled with us on Alcatraz ferry, had a stop-over at SFO international airport. He joined us just to visit Alcatraz prison, and we had fun together. Dress in layers. Ironically summer is not warm in San Francisco Bay, as weather is cool and gets foggy in the Bay. The views of Alcatraz from San Francisco are spectacular. This combo tour is a must-do and it saved us time and money. Thank you, Mary. You are a great tour guided and very funny - our kids loved your jokes and stories about Alcatraz prison and San Francisco neighborhood.

jensen@realestate

“Alcatraz prison worth a visit and above expectation”

Alcatraz prison is just as portrayed in the Hollywood films about Frank Morris (a movie starring Clint Eastwood) about Alcatraz maximum-security prison. The cell as seen in the Clint Eastwood movie “Escape from Alcatraz” is still preserved. No trip to San Francisco is complete without visiting Alcatraz Island. It took me 2 tours to Alcatraz before I felt the strong atmosphere and energy you get after stepping off Alcatraz cruises ferry and onto the dock. This city tour combined with Alcatraz is an exceptional combo trip, I recommend for all visitors.

Angiesd87@marvisiat

“Alcatraz and San Francisco, the best worry-free tour package”

We were lucky to find availability for the Alcatraz tour. We booked this all-inclusive San Francisco guided tour combined with Alcatraz as a tour package. It was a worry-free reservation all included, and the perfect way to indulge in San Francisco if you have limited time. It was a convenient, affordable, and fulfilling combo trip of the city top attractions and a self-guided tour of Alcatraz prison. A must-do when visiting the City by the Bay, and worth every penny you spend. Our tour guide drove us up to the Alcatraz ferry terminal, redeemed our Alcatraz tour voucher and issues our ferry tickets. We had an extra 45 minutes before the ferry departure, so we had a quick snack at Alcatraz cafe at Pier 33, be prepared before you embark on Alcatraz ferry, no grocery or food service is available on Alcatraz!

[email protected]

“Alcatraz tour should be on everyone’s bucket list”

This is an incredible tourist attraction of San Francisco Bay area. If you plan on visiting San Francisco you got to add Alcatraz prison tour to your bucket-list, more than Muir Woods or Napa. Alcatraz Island history itself is a very interesting story, before it was ever used as a federal prison. How anyone could even escape from this remote Island and maximum-security prison? The audio headphone guided tour is informative, the stories and sounds of prison officers makes the guided tour so real and the story comes to live. I took amazing pictures to show my friends in Japan. This trip is wonderful and recommended even for solo travelers like myself.

Akiko87@tok-japan

“Great combo tour opportunity of Alcatraz prison”

This was our first visit to California and San Francisco. We did a city tour with this tour company and found out how hard it was to get Alcatraz ticket., Luckily, our tour guide Patricia, who was so professional and friendly, called the company and arranged last-minute tickets for us to visit Alcatraz Island. The experience lived up to our expectations and the reviews we had read about Alcatraz tours turned out to be so true. We recommend this combo tour to all families with kids like us, who have no time to scan through all these websites out there looking for ticket’s availability. This is a very serious and professional tour company, and they exceeded our expectations

[email protected]

“San Francisco Alcatraz combo tour”

Book your Alcatraz tickets immediately when you plan your trip to San Fran. We had initially planned to book Alcatraz Island night tour, but it’s impossible to get due to limited availability. The day tour to Alcatraz was not bad at all. The fascinating story of Alcatraz prison is phenomenal, and the city tour completed this package trip. That’s was a good company to work with from the moment we booked on their website to the day of the trip. And their tour guides are fun and professional.

Dan025@vact025

“Top Notch 5-Star City Private Tour with Alcatraz Prison”

Don’t waste your time looking for Alcatraz tickets and availability. Book with this local tour company, and you will not be disappointed. We booked the full day San Francisco city tour by SUV. The city tour exceeded our expectations and our tour guide, Pat, certainly delivered. Superb service and highly recommended, you’ll be in good hands. We recommend the private city tour where you can stop anywhere you want and visit the monument or neighborhood of your choice were bus tours are restricted. We also recommend Alcatraz audio guide to explore this former jail. It’s fun and informative.

[email protected]

Fascinating combo tour of San Francisco and Alcatraz

Reserve Alcatraz tickets in advance, this tour was so much better than I was expecting. You get a ferry ride from San Francisco Pier 33 to the Alcatraz island and then you get to visit Alcatraz former prison. It was rainy and foggy that day, but still well worth the trip. The trip was very well run, and we were welcomed in the dock by a ranger who let us know some key information and rules before visiting the prison. Don’t forget to grab something to eat before heading to Alcatraz, as there is no food service on the island. You can stay as long as you want on Alcatraz island, but don’t miss the last ferry. I think they have like one ferry every 30 minutes. Alcatraz had a reputation for being the toughest prison in the country. How did all these top criminals like Al Capone survive it? I recommend doing the audio guided tour twice, if you have time. It’s so informative, but too much information can be a bit overwhelming for first time visitors.

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Why everybody is so crazy about Alcatraz prison?

Why everybody is so crazy about Alcatraz prison tour? Alcatraz Island is dim, cold, morbid, and crowded. We felt nothing, seen nothing, heard nothing that made it so appealing to our group, a bit overrated in our opinion. Why have criminals become victims and stars? They deserved to be incarcerated in Alcatraz prison! Some visitors were even asking for autographs from a former inmate of Alcatraz who was there that day, but this makes no sense to me. But I can understand some visitors who are interested in criminology. I’m giving a 4-star review not for Alcatraz tours but for the city experience with our tour guide Alan. He made our city tour very exciting and fun. He was very accommodating and attentive to our needs. He stopped the car half-way day down on Lombard street to take photographs of us in the middle of the street and took us to visit the fortune cookies in Chinatown. That was fun! I also recommend stopping at the ferry building, this is a great place for the foodies and wine lovers, and we had a great time there.

[email protected]

“Alcatraz and San Francisco, the best part of our trip to California”

Alcatraz Island is an incredible tourist attraction. We did the tour with our kids, and they loved it too. The audio tour was well done, we took tons of pictures, hanged out and enjoyed the views of the city from Alcatraz Island. The views are spectacular from Alcatraz island. Go to the officers’ garden side that overlooks the Golden Gate bridge but watch out for the old steps. They are very steep and have no guards. Army officers’ spouses who were stationed on the Island in the early 1900s, planted all kinds of vegetables there (The beauty on the beast). We skipped some places while touring the city so we could take our kids to visit California Academy of Sciences located in the Golden Gate park. This museum is very underrated. They got a World-class Aquarium, planetarium, and natural history Museum. The guided tour inside and on the existing roof appeals to all ages, and it was a wonderful experience. I highly recommend it for families with young kids.

Biz-field@bratslva

Alcatraz prison tour is very interesting and enjoyable

This was a very interesting tour we took to Alcatraz Island. We had all heard of Alcatraz and had some sketchy knowledge of its history. However, they have done a really good job of telling the real, non-Hollywood, history of the island prison. This tour company is well organized – everything from the city guided tour to the lines waiting to get on the ferry, embarking and disembarking, and setting up the visitors with audio tour headsets. You have an assigned time to leave on the ferry, but the return to the mainland is at your leisure. The self-guiding audio tour was well done, and you can move at your own pace. This can help you avoid pockets of crowds. While there are parts of the island closed to the public, you pretty much have free reign to wander and explore the public areas at your own pace.

It is a bit of hike up the road to the entrance to the prison and beginning of the tour. There are also steps to maneuver once inside. This could be problematic for those with mobility issues. They do have a shuttle or tram that can take visitors up and back down. So, the tour can accommodate most visitors, even if some areas would not be accessible.

Definitely worth the visit. Consider booking this San Francisco and Alcatraz prison combo tour. It only takes a couple of hours after the city tour and is an interesting spot to visit. Thank you, Alcatraz Tours, and many thanks to our tour guide Victor. You guys are so passionate and knowledgeable. I am very glad we didn’t book with the other websites who sell tours all over the world. They have nothing local and so messy with no customer service.

We recommend your company and tour guides.

ClearwaterJen Clearwater Tampa Bay Florida 350131

Alcatraz Island Tour: Well Worth The Time & Money!

I have been to San Francisco many times but never went to Alcatraz. This was a VERY IMPRESSIVE experience! Everyone should do it once. We booked Alcatraz and UC Berkeley Campus combo tour with our kids. It was a very well organized and worry-free combo tour, all included. Berkeley is a beautiful city and the University of California is an amazing place to visit... Alcatraz tour itself is a bucket-list destination which I can recommend to all visitors. Alcatraz prison audio self-guided tour really offers lots of detail about the prison, who was housed there and the overall history of Alcatraz ‘The Rock’. We actually met the author of a book who was once incarcerated at Alcatraz during the escape and breakout. Very, very interesting.

Need to get tickets well in advance! The hike up the hill is pretty steep, but if you take your time, anyone can do it.

I Highly recommend this combo tour for families with kids!

[email protected]

Yeah, we did it! We made it to Alcatraz and escaped from the rock!

We can now check Alcatraz tour off our bucket-list :-) Yeah, we recommend this combo adventure of Alcatraz and city tour. We had nothing to worry about, we got picked up at our hotel, did the city private tour, and Alcatraz prison self-guided tour. Worth every penny.

Phoenix, Arizona

Great, humbling experience with awesome views of San Francisco from Alcatraz

This is a must do when visiting San Francisco Bay area. It begins with a custom city tour of San Francisco top sights and places all included...then followed by the ferry ride to the island, which offers exceptional views of the Bay, the Golden Gate, and the SFO skyline. Would advise you to line up early to board the ferry to get good seats. Once you reach the island, after a brief introduction, you are free to roam the island. My advice would be to go straight to the top for the audio tour, which is the best part of the experience. The tour is awesome, and you learn so much about the prison life. Once you are done with that, you can walk around to other places like the gardens and the industries. Be careful with the return ferry, as the lines are usually very long to get on. Enjoy the views while coming back as well.

Alcatraz tickets are often sold out weeks in advance. We were lucky that these guys accommodated us with our last-minute booking...this is a reliable local tour company and highly recommended.

Atlanta, Georgia,

Big Redwoods and an excellent horseback ride on the beach for our whole family!

Even though the wooded trails were a bit wet for us to ride due to the fog, the experience was amazing, and we all enjoyed it very much. The horses looked happy, well cared for, and these were some of the best-behaved horses we’ve ever interacted with. The staff was very friendly. It didn’t take us too long to reach a laid-back beach, so peaceful and beautiful.

After the horseback ride, our fun and very nice tour guide drove us to Santa Cruz where we had lunch in a restaurant located on the Wharf. We ordered a seafood platter which was fresh and yummy, and the views made it the perfect location for our family.

For me personally, the highlight of our trip was our tour of a beautiful forest of big redwood trees in Santa Cruz mountains. I’ve been to Muir Woods before, but this state park was less crowded than Muir Woods and the redwood trees are much bigger and older in Santa Cruz mountains.

On the way back to our hotel in San Francisco, the tour guide made a quick stop at Apple’s new headquarter in Silicon Valley. We visited the visitor center and the store (while our son was sneaking out to fly his drone over Apple’s new and amazing architecture “it looks like a spaceship from the sky”.)

We highly recommend this outdoor adventure and this business.

Annapolis, MD

Alcatraz prison tickets combined with a city tour

My husband and I decided to book the combo tour of Alcatraz and city for our parents and in laws. We were a group of 7 persons, and our local tour guide was amazing and very knowledgeable. Booking a private SUV tour versus the public bus tour is the ideal way to see 4-times more sights and attractions than the bus tour option, and you get out as often as you want to visit places like Lombard street, the painted ladies, china beach, fort Miley, mission murals... we had lots of fun. San Francisco is a beautiful city and Alcatraz island prison tour is a must-see for everyone. This tour company was the only provider who had Alcatraz tickets available as all other tour companies we called were sold out. Alcatraz prison tickets are so hard to get, so watch out and ensure you do book them in advance. Also, be sure to eat before you get on Alcatraz ferry as there was no food available on Alcatraz island.

Bring extra layers and expect fog and wind in the middle of the San Francisco bay.

El Paso, Texas

Alcatraz Island day trip with our 4-year-old son.

We recently visited Alcatraz Island prison with our 4-year-old son. He was not bored and loved the ferry ride and was running inside and outside Alcatraz prison like we never seen him before. My husband is a police officer and he loved this tour. We recommend Alcatraz tour for all ages.

An awesome horseback ride on the beach and Alcatraz tour

We got desperate as we couldn’t get our hand on Alcatraz tickets. Alcatraz Island tour and ferry tickets were sold out when we tried to book them online (6 weeks in advance). We tried every tour company in San Fran, but no luck. Until we landed on www.alcatraztoursf.com and they made our day. We couldn’t believe it.

We had to book a combo tour to get our hand on Alcatraz prison tickets, so we signed up for a horseback ride on the beach. It took place in Half- Moon Bay, and although it was a cool day it was worth it. The scenery along the Pacific Coast Highway is breathtaking.

This tour company is very reliable, and their tour guide Mary was amazing! We felt like we had a friend in town - it was more than a tour - a real and fun experience. She even drove us through the Golden Gate Park, and we stopped for a snack and beer tasting at the Beach Chalet, an ocean front restaurant with stunning view of ocean and the beach.

Highly recommend

Shsdh@pvltd

This tour company is very reliable, and their tour guide Mary was amazing! We felt like we had a friend in town - it was more than a tour - a real and fun experience. She even drove us through the Golden Gate Park, we stopped for a snack and beer tasting at the beach chalet, an ocean front restaurant with stunning Views of ocean and the beach.

Martin Navaro

San Francisco combo adventure - a worry-free tour package

We were lucky to find and book this all-inclusive San Francisco / Alcatraz tour package. It was a worry-free reservation and turned out to be the perfect way to indulge in San Francisco (we had little time on our hands...). This day trip to Alcatraz was a convenient, affordable, and fulfilling combo tour - a must-do when visiting the City by the Bay.

The private city tour covered quiet a lot of places we could have never managed to find on our own, and we stopped almost everywhere along the way... worth every penny we spent.

Alcatraz and Silicon Valley worry-free combo tour

We wanted to cover 2 iconic places during our stay at a VRBO near San Francisco. Alcatraz island and Stanford University were on our list, and we did just that. This Alcatraz prison and Silicon Valley was a short-day trip and was a very good fit for us and our tight schedule. Our sons get bored quickly with long day tours, but they were rather interested in both places. The guided tour we had at Stanford was totally private and we were transported in a golf cart as my husband is a Vet and was injured in Iraq. This was the ideal way to cover as much as possible of Stanford huge campus and without walking a lot . Both tours boosted our teens’ motivation and they started asking more question afterwards.

This combo package worth the money and highly recommended

Tour combo de Silicon Valley y Alcatraz

We visited Apple’s new campus, and the so-called Apple ‘spaceship’ architecture is amazing. The visitor center is well designed, and we had a guided tour with an Apple employee on site. We also visited google, Palo Alto and Stanford. I wish we had the whole day, but we had to head back to San Francisco to get there on time for our Alcatraz prison tour, which was the highlight of our day adventure.

Highly recommended

Martha Leon

Barcelona, Spain

Fantastic horseback ride near Muir Woods and Stinson Beach

We were picked up by Pat, a nice Irish lady and a wonderful tour guide. She drove us through Mill Valley where we stopped for breakfast before we visited Muir Woods - a peaceful small forest with big and towering redwood trees. The trail through Muir Woods is flat and easy, and there are paved paths for those wanting a casual stroll or more challenging trails. We did both trails along the creek, and our kids had no problem with the twisty paths and stairs although towering redwood trees.

After Muir Woods, we had a lunch break at Stinson Beach, which was a great place for a picnic lunch. We enjoyed the delicious fish tacos we ordered, everything was very fresh and sourced locally from Marin county. Near Stinson beach is Bolinas, where we and our kids went on horseback riding in the forest. I’m glad it was only an hour; we could not take more than that as this was our first horseback riding experience.

That was an unforgettable family adventure in Marin county.

Thank you, Pat, for the good memories.

10 stars!: Nature and tranquility at its best!

This half-day private tour to Muir Woods was the perfect way to spend the morning away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and without traveling too far. Muir Woods is definitely worth the trip. Never pass on the opportunity to visit Muir Woods national monument if you are ever in the San Francisco Bay area. The park is less crowded in the morning, and we were very lucky and enjoyed it before it got busy. All in all, a very quiet and wonderful experience.

Our tour guide made this trip even more enjoyable as she took us to have a snack at Stinson Beach. The road is scenic and offers breathtaking views along the coast.

Plan your visit to Muir Woods and book in advance - rangers are rude!

We found out the hard way that Muir Woods park service has started implementing a new and paid reservation system, in addition to the park entrance fees ($15 per person). We tried to park our rental car there, but the park ranger in front of the gate very rudely turned us away and told us to get out... and book online. The parking there is now for tour companies and commercial use only and requires special permits which sucks.

Anyway, since there is no cell phone service at Muir Woods, we had to drive back to Sausalito, and park our rental car there. We were glad to get hold of this tour company who accommodated us with such last-minute booking and picked us up in Sausalito.

We finally managed to visit Muir Woods in the late afternoon, and that was for the best. The forest was almost empty, and it was definitely more peaceful. I recommend this company and Adam, our very nice tour guide. He made us feel very comfortable and we forgot our bad experience earlier with the US park rangers.

Definitely, do plan your visit to Muir Woods and book in advance!

Amazing seaplane and Alcatraz island tour experience

What a fantastic air-tour experience in a seaplane we had in the San Francisco Bay area! The pilot is super cool, experienced and very friendly. This was a jaw-dropping experience as where flying over the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco, with a bird's-eye view of Alcatraz Island. Everything looks so different from the sky. We also enjoyed our tour of Alcatraz prison very much. This was a great trip and well put together tour package. We highly recommend this combo tour of Alcatraz and seaplane adventure to anyone. Absolutely worth every single penny.

Pensacola, Florida,

Best San Francisco Alcatraz combo tour

Book your tickets immediately! We had initially planned to book the night tour but it’s hard to get tickets for Alcatraz night tour. The day tour was not bad at all. Apart from the fascinating story of Alcatraz, the trip to the island is phenomenal and the city tour completed the package tour and it’s very interesting.

Alcatraz and San Francisco - the best part of our vacation in California

This is an incredible tourist attraction. We did the tour with our kids, and they loved it too. The audio tour was well done, we took tons of photos and enjoyed the views of the city from Alcatraz Island. The views from Alcatraz are spectacular.

Fascinating combo tour of San Francisco & Alcatraz

Definitely! pre-book your Alcatraz tickets well in advance. You can't go to San Francisco and not go to Alcatraz prison! A combination trip to Alcatraz and the city is a bonus and saves time. The tour was so much better than I was expecting. We hopped on Alcatraz ferry from San Francisco Pier 33, and once there, we were welcomed on the dock of Alcatraz island by a park ranger who let us know some key information and rules before visiting the prison. The prison is old and dingy, but it’s very interesting, and we loved the audio tour.

The Best Alcatraz Island Napa Valley wineries combo tour

What a fabulous way to spend the day in California wine country and Alcatraz island. The driver, Leo, was an expert tour guide with a fun and outgoing personality. He made us feel so comfortable from the first minute we met him the lobby of our hotel. The SUV is luxurious and clean and allowed us access to places not allowed to van tours or large vehicles. He even started the day by driving us through Lombard street - a beautiful neighborhood with gorgeous flowers. We also made a stop at the Golden Gate bridge on the way to the Napa Valley.

This tour company has a distinguished relationship with excellent wineries in Napa Valley. We managed to visit 2 small wineries located off-the-beaten-path, that are not open to group and bus tours. We had a walking tour inside the cellars and cave, and we ended up with a food and wine paring experience. This is the best way to learn how wine is made and how to taste the wine and pair it with right food. This private tour is the best way to go. You get to avoid commercial wineries and bus tours if you are looking for quality time. It was not cheap but worth every penny.

When we got back to the San Francisco, we could barely see Alcatraz island due to dense fog which is obviously very common in the summer. The ferry ride to the island was fun and short. Alcatraz prison audio tour is a must and highly recommended. This was best tour and tour guide we ever had. He exceeded our expectations.

A family safari adventure combined with San Francisco and Alcatraz

We booked this 2-day tour package through Alcatraz Tours. On day one, we visited San Francisco and Alcatraz, and on day 2 we spend most of the day in Sonoma county where we visited a wild safari park.

We got there around 10 am, and the safari tour guide walked us first around the main area by the entrance where exotic birds and wild the animals could be seen and approached. Some animals loved to pose for close-ups, especially the monkeys, giraffes and flamingos. After 45 minutes walking tour, we drove in a double decker safari style jeep. This was a great experience for our kids. We have never seen them so excited. The entire jeep tour was about 3 hours or so and we saw everything from monkeys, cheetahs, hippos, zebras, bob cats, flamingos, giraffes and even parrots. Our family loved this safari adventure, and this is a great getaway for family with kids and highly recommended.

After the safari tour, we had lunch in Napa, and our passionate tour guide drove us to the Jelly Belly beans factory. This was the perfect way to end this day trip. Many thanks to our amazing tour guide, Buddy, he is the best!

An awesome Alcatraz & balloon experience - a bucket-list adventure.

From the beginning to the end, everyone we met was awesome - from our fun and wonderful tour guide, Mary to the hot-air balloon pilot himself (Jason). A top-notch tour company and pilot. They made us feel very safe and comfortable before the lift-off and when we landed.

After the balloon ride, we had a delicious champagne breakfast with the pilot and his friendly crew and our tour guide. We also visited Opus One winery and then drove back to San Francisco to visit Alcatraz. We got there 30 minutes before the ferry departed to Alcatraz.

We do recommend this combo adventure to everyone without any hesitation, even if you don’t like to wake up early. This was an awesome experience and a bucket-list adventure. This was by far the best travel experience we ever had!

An awesome bay cruise boat tour around Alcatraz Island

This is great tour experience when Alcatraz tickets are sold. We were disappointed as we didn’t manage to get our hand on Alcatraz tickets. We were happy though with this combo trip as we got visit San Francisco’s famous landmarks and top places we wanted to see.

Really liked the Bay cruise tour - it’s a great opportunity for photos of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate bridge. We got lucky with the weather, and we walked to Pier 39 to see the sea lions - a very cool place but it was crowded.

Alcatraz night tour is creepy, spooky but not scary

Went on the Alcatraz prison night tour to get a feel of the real atmosphere of Alcatraz prison at night. It was okay but not so unique as many stated in reviews. I personally prefer the day tour. Alcatraz night tour is creepy, spooky. Well, but not so scary if you have kids.

Debe visitar Alcatraz combinado con un recorrido por la ciudad para conocer los mejores sitios de la ciudad.!

Mi esposo y yo decidimos reservar el combo Alcatraz y el recorrido por la ciudad para nuestra familia, éramos un grupo de 7 personas, nuestro guía fue increíble y muy conocedor de la ciudad. Reservar un tour en SUV nos permitió pasar por todos los lugares para tomar fotos sin tener que caminar, nos divertimos mucho. San Francisco es una ciudad hermosa y debes visitar la isla de Alcatraz de todas maneras.

Recorrido en Alcatraz mucho más de lo esperado

Prisión de Alcatraz es como se ve en las películas de Hollywood , todo viaje a San Francisco debe incluir no solamente la calle de Lombard y el puente de Golden Gate m también vale la pena recorrer cada vecindario de la ciudad, hay tanto que ver y conocer en San Francisco que necesitas varios días para poder verla toda, pero si no dispones de mucho tiempo al menos el tour de la ciudad de 1 día es suficiente, al otro dia puedes combinar Alcatraz con un paseo por redwoods.

Alcatraz debe estar en la lista de Lugares a visitar de todo el mundo

Esta es una increíble atracción turística de San Francisco, solo una empresa tiene la autorización para llevar turistas a Alcatraz, tuvimos la suerte de haber conseguido los tickets, era fin de semana y había mucha gente haciendo cola para conseguir tickets, pero sin éxito. Todo estaba agotado para las próximas 3 semanas. Nuestra agencia reservó el tour de la ciudad con Alcatraz todo incluido, y nosotros no tuvimos que preocuparnos de nada.

Roberto Samane

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Lake Tahoe & Yosemite tour experience

What an amazing trip around Lake Tahoe after a 3-day custom adventure of Yosemite national park sights and attractions - a wonderful destination.

Lake Tahoe is stunning & spectacular!!

Even if you’re not a fan of outdoors activities, Tahoe worth the long drive from San Francisco. This is a must-see destination with remarkable attractions.

Martha Frierrs, Alabama

Tahoe & Yosemite; must-see destinations in California

Tahoe is a must-see place & Yosemite is the crown jewel of California, they offer amazing outdoor activities for families with kids

Jimmy & family, Belize

A 5-star Yosemite & Tahoe experience

Our 3-day private tour package to Lake Tahoe wonders, Gold Country & Yosemite National Park top attractions was excellent, exciting & memorable!

Nicky & Bannysh. Kolkata (Calcutta), India

Tahoe is a bucket-list vacation destination

The Lake is pristine, wonderful, so clean, the air is so fresh & pure with magnificent surroundings, what an awesome paradise on earth?

Lucia & Rogelio Mérida, Mexico

Our Incredible experience in Lake Tahoe and Reno

Our adventure to Lake Tahoe and Reno from San Francisco was amazing and unforgettable thanks to Golden Horizon Travel attentive staff, and tour guide.

Gabriela & Oscar Reyes, Lima, Peru

Dream vacation to Tahoe, Yosemite & Mammoth Lakes

My wife and I want you to know how much we enjoyed our time in Tahoe & Yosemite, we loved travelling with your company

Bob and Faith, Australia

A memorable Tahoe -Yosemite combo tour experience

Trust their tour reviews on trip advisor 100%, they earned our satisfaction, they have a great customer service and amazing tour guides.

Naina Kwok- Jakarta, Indonesia

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HOW TO TRAVEL FULL TIME – a down-to-earth guide

Travelling full time seems to be the dream for every Millennial around the world. We’re all being told that working 9 to 5 is something we have to escape from, that we should follow our dreams and get inspired by each travel quote we see. But there is something about this whole idea that I don’t agree on.

Full-time travel is yet another full-time job, unless you’re rich . While travelling full time means that you’re location independent, it doesn’t mean that you won’t have to work. If you want to travel around the world for more than a few months, you’ll have to do more than just sit on a beautiful beach in Thailand with a Mojito in your hand.

Full-time travel is about exploring the world while working your a** off to afford it. There, I’ve said it.

But how can you afford to travel full time in the first place?

Before getting to the part where you’ll have to work day and night to afford your new lifestyle as a digital nomad, I want to share with you how you can get out of your comfort zone, quit your job, leave your friends and family behind and travel the world.

It doesn’t sound that fancy anymore, does it?

Even though the goal is to escape the 9 to 5 job, the best way to save up money to travel full time is to have a full-time job. Having one will allow you to have a stable income and to save up money.

Also, you never know when the skills learned at your desk job will help you build your own successful business. I’ve worked in advertising before deciding to travel full time and it has made all the difference for me. I use the skills learned at my previous job to grow my blog. Isn’t that awesome?

No time to read now? Pin it for later!

If you are wondering how to save up money, I’m going to share with you a few tips. Think about all the things you buy but don’t actually need. That money could go into travel instead. It’s just a matter of priorities.

If you make the decision today that your top priority is to save up money to travel the world for X months, you’re gonna make it. Give up useless clothes, cook instead of eating at restaurants, and cut other expenses.

A good way to decide whether or not to buy something is to ask yourself the following questions: Will this thing be useful in my journey? Can I bring it with me in my carry on?

If the answer is no, let it go. You’ll enjoy an extra day in Vietnam more than a new t-shirt.

Another good way to keep yourself motivated to spend less is to think about how many days you can travel with the money you spend on new clothes or eating out at restaurants. As a base, if you’re planning on backpacking , you’ll need about $25 per day.

So, let’s do the math:

1 Zara t-shirt = one day of backpacking

1 meal in the city = one day and a half of backpacking

1 movie = one day of backpacking

1 pair of shoes = 5 days of backpacking

How many days of travel do you think you can save up for in one week?

From full-time job to full-time travel

If you thought that saving up the money was the hardest part, think again.

The transition from your comfort zone where you are surrounded by family and friends to moving at the other end of the world is the hardest part. There are many things you’ll have to give up when travelling full time. I’ll list below just a few of them.

1. Friends & family

This is probably the hardest part. Since we were little, we’ve spent our whole lives surrounded by family. We all have childhood friends, friends who’ve been there unconditionally. Having somebody to rely on is incredible and probably one of the best feelings in the world but are you ready to give it up?

Traveling full time means that you’ll be away from your loved ones, somewhere around the globe where if something happens, nobody can come and rescue you. You are on your own . You’ll have to learn to live on your own and face everything.

But let’s look on the bright side – you’ll grow a lot! Being on the road will be the most valuable lesson in your entire life, trust me!

2. You’ll have to give up on things

Think about all your clothes, shoes and bags. Now forget about them.

Being location independent is all about minimalism and most of the times less is more. Once you give up on 80% of your stuff, you’ll feel free.

Picking daily outfits can be a burden when you have a wardrobe full of clothes. When travelling full time, things are much easier. Believe it or not, having just a backpack or a suitcase makes things much easier.

A good lesson I’ve learned while being on the road is to not get attached to things and I recommend you do the same.

3. Exit your comfort zone

New food, new people and new situations to deal with will wait for you at every corner. Full-time travel is about growing as a person while facing new challenges.

Be prepared to change your diet and eat weird food. You won’t find many tasty hamburgers in the heart of China or between the temples of Bagan . Every country has its traditional food and love it or not, you’ll have to adapt to it.

Be prepared to face the unknown.

It’s time to pack your stuff

If after everything I’ve told you, you still want to roam the world, you’ll have to read about the ultimate full time-travel packing list.

I’ve been on the road for the past year. After all this time, the content of my backpack has suffered major changes. I’ve learned to declutter and pack efficiently and I want to share how I did it with you. Below are a few must have items that will help you save tons of space while traveling full time.

• packing cubes – these little wonders will help you keep your things organised. They are every traveler’s dream accessories.
• elastic grid organizer – this one is a life saver. Keep your charges, memory cards, and other small accessories in one place.
• travel plastic bags – they’re light, easy to use and perfect for keeping things organized – you must have them.
• travel bottles – take your shampoo, shower gel, and other liquids with you in your carry on luggage with these awesome travel bottles.

Let the journey begin!

Now it’s time to talk about the journey itself.

By now probably all your friends think you’re crazy and they’re not to blame. Society pushes us to have a stable job, buy a house and have kids. In their eyes, you’re the misfit. They don’t understand your desire to explore the world, to challenge yourself. You’ll become “the crazy friend” but they will still love you.

Once you’ll get on that plane, you’ll feel the whole world crushing beneath your feet but once you reach your destination a whole new world will open up to you.

If you took the decision to travel full time, you probably have some savings. They might be enough for a few months of travel or even one year. The question is what will happen afterward, after the money is gone?

Making money while traveling full time

There are basically 2 options: you’ll want to go back home, at a stable job and lifestyle or you’ll just want to travel more.

Trust me, there is nothing wrong with wanting to go back home. Changing accommodation every three days and sleeping on buses is not for everyone. There is nothing wrong with wanting to have a stable lifestyle.

On the other hand, if you plan to travel more, you have to take action and put in the work.

1. Content creation

Most travelers choose to become content creators (vloggers, bloggers, Instagrammers). Being a successful content creator can bring you enough money to continue your full-time travel journey but there is a catch.

There is no such thing as overnight success. 

Even though you’ll come across courses about “how to become an influencer in 5 easy steps”, don’t even bother to read them. If you really know that this is what you want – to become a digital nomad – you’ll have to start working on it from the moment you leave home.

Open a YouTube account, start a blog or an Instagram page (you can read more about blogging vs social media here ). Start creating content, take photos or videos and when you have spare time, write blogs or edit videos.

Growing a blog or any other channel takes A LOT of time. It takes months, if not years of dedication to make a good, stable income from content creation.

2. Freelancing

Another option to make money is to become a freelancer.

There are many freelancing jobs such as being a freelance writer, web designer or programmer and the best part is that you can work remotely. This means that you can continue to travel while making an income.

Some websites where you can offer your services are Upwork , Freelancer or Guru .

Whether you choose to become a content creator or a freelancer, the thing is that you’re going to have to work. Trust me, working and traveling at the same time is not as easy as it seems.

If you’re wondering how I do it, this is how my schedule usually looks like. I travel non-stop for a few months and I create content along the way. I take photos, research about the best places to visit and try to discover new places which are off the beaten path. After all this travel, I take a break for another few months in Canggu, Bali.

And now comes the hard part. I work all day, every day at catching up with my content. I write tirelessly on my blog and I love it. For me, my blog is my little baby and I love seeing it grow.

I think it all comes down to passion. You might be passionate about traveling, but let me ask you one question – Would you work your a** off to afford it?

Final thoughts

I know that there are many posts and articles on the internet where everybody only speaks about the pretty face of full-time travel and as a digital nomad myself, I felt the need to share with you the truth, step by step.

My intention is not to discourage you to follow your dream. Instead, I want you to have a down-to-earth image about what travelling full time really means. Yes, it’s challenging and hard but at the same time, it’s the most rewarding and fulfilling experience in the world!

It takes a lot of courage, tons of determination and a will of steel to transform full time travelling into a lifestyle.

May the travel bug bite you!

Aurelia Teslaru is a professional travel blogger and the writer behind Daily Travel Pill. With a 4-year experience as a travel writer and photographer, Aurelia only shares travel guides about destinations that she visited.

She has been to more than 40 countries during the past 10 years and aims to explore 50 countries before turning 30 years old. Aurelia is a digital nomad who transformed her passion for travel into a lifestyle. Read more about her here .

To follow her adventures, check out her Instagram and Facebook pages!

Hhhh you’re genius! I liked how smoothly your writings went. Your a Very creative writer! I appreciate how you did to show us the real face of the full time travelling. Informative.

Thanks so much! Glad you liked it!

Glad I enjoyed the post! Thanks for sharing such an useful Information

Really great post! I’ve been travelling for almost four years & I’ve applied a lot of these points to my life in the past. Really like your blog & can’t wait to read more!

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Athens in a Day Tour with the Acropolis

• Acropolis Museum
• Plaka Neighborhood
• Monastiraki Neighborhood

• Witness the grandeur of the Parthenon and other iconic structures within the Acropolis, immersing yourself in the rich history and architectural brilliance of ancient Greece.
• With a knowledgeable local expert leading the way, your tour through Athens will provide you with a newfound appreciation for this captivating city.

Itinerary Details

• Acropolis Museum – An extraordinary museum in Athens, Greece, displaying a remarkable collection of artifacts from the Acropolis archaeological sites, providing deeper insights into ancient Greek history and culture.
• Acropolis Archaeological Complex – A historical citadel in Athens, Greece, home to iconic structures such as the Parthenon, Propylaea, Erechtheion, and Temple of Athena Nike, representing the pinnacle of ancient Greek architecture and art.
• Parthenon – The awe-inspiring temple within the Acropolis, dedicated to the goddess Athena, characterized by its magnificent Doric columns and intricate sculptural friezes, considered a masterpiece of classical Greek architecture.
• Ancient Agora – Once the heart of ancient Athens, the Agora is an archaeological site hosting various ruins and structures, including the Temple of Hephaestus and Stoa of Attalos, serving as the city's social, political, and commercial center.
• Monastiraki Neighborhood – A vibrant district in Athens, Greece, renowned for its bustling flea market, traditional tavernas, and a blend of old-world charm and contemporary energy, popular with both locals and tourists alike.
• Plaka Neighborhood – A picturesque neighborhood nestled at the base of the Acropolis in Athens, known for its narrow streets, neoclassical architecture, charming boutiques, and inviting cafes, offering a delightful glimpse into the city's history and culture.
• Tickets to the Acropolis
• Tickets to the Acropolis Museum
• The Acropolis and the Ancient Greek Agora are wheelchair-friendly. 
• However, private transportation would be imperative for a tour like this, since it will be extremely difficult for a wheelchair user to get around in the city. 
• Please contact us to discuss in more detail your mobility concerns so that we can best advise and arrange a private transfer.

Reviews can only be left by Context customers after they have completed a tour. For more information about our reviews, please see our FAQ .

You May Also Like

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Athens Archaeological Museum Tour for Kids

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Athens Food Tour with Varvakios Agora Market

Full-Day Delphi Day Trip from Athens

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Travel guide: Step 3

What to consider while traveling

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Now for the fun part! Here are a few things to keep in mind when traveling for TTS.

Use your travel card when possible

Use of the GSA travel card is mandatory for all expenses as per the Federal Travel Regulation , except expenses for which it "is impractical (e.g., vendor does not accept credit cards) or imposes unreasonable burdens or costs (e.g., fees are charged for using the card)."

Must I use the travel card for meals and incidental expenses?

Request tax exemption where available

Many jurisdictions exempt federal travelers from paying lodging tax. More information on each state's policy can be found here . Note that the GSA travel card is considered an "IBA".

Which receipts must I keep?

Receipts are required for lodging, rental cars, gas purchases when using a rental car, and any other expenses over $75. If no receipt(s) can be provided, an acceptable reason must be given explaining why you are unable to furnish the necessary receipt(s).

Meals and Incidental Expenses (M&IE)

In addition to receiving round trip tickets to your destination and lodging for the nights that you need to stay there, you also get a flat-rate per diem for Meals and Incidental Expenses (M&IE) . A few things to remember:

M&IE is given to you to cover the additional expenses you might incur while traveling that you might not normally have at home, like dining out instead of eating home-cooked meals, forgetting toothpaste, tipping hotel porters, etc.

This allowance is at your discretion to spend and you don’t need to provide receipts for it.

The amount that is given is based on your location, not your actual expenses. If you spent less than the allowance, you get to keep the difference, and if you spend more, you must pay the difference.

M&IE is given at a reduced rate on “travel days”-- i.e. days where part of the normal work day was spent traveling. This reduced rate is always 75% of normal M&IE, regardless of how much of the day was actually spent traveling.

Note that if your travel extends past midnight, you get the full meal allowance for the long day of travel plus the 75% of the meal allowance for the following day (even if you arrived just after midnight local time). If you anticipate traveling past midnight, ensure your authorization reflects this in advance, otherwise, you will need to create an amended authorization upon your return.

M&IE is given as a reimbursement after submitting a voucher, which is done after you return from a trip. How this reimbursement is disbursed depends on how much you used the GSA travel card.

You may use your travel card to get a TTS-only, cash advance from an ATM , but only if your authorization to travel has been approved, and only for expenses you wouldn't expect to be able to pay for using the travel card.

M&IE and use of the GSA travel card

While use of the GSA travel card is required for all travel expenses when practicable, using the GSA travel card to pay for M&IE requires some additional administrative work when submitting a voucher after returning from your trip. Here's what you should be aware of when completing your voucher-- should you use the GSA travel card for meals and incidental expenses, keeping receipts for your personal use may be helpful. Feel free to book , external, travel office hours for a walkthrough on what to keep in mind when paying for meals while traveling.

Other necessary expenses

Follow the guidance above for keeping receipts, and also be mindful of budget-- do not exceed the overall amount budgeted for your travel in your authorization email (SF-182 or Salesforce event request for trainings/conferences) by more than 20%.

Taxis, public transit, and other forms of local transportation

Reasonable local transit costs may be authorized in the following situations:

• From the airport or train station to the residence or office
• Between a place of lodging and a place of business, or between two or more places of business
• To obtain meals only when the nature and location of the work is such that meals cannot be obtained within reasonable walking distance. Expenses claimed to obtain a meal for personal convenience or preference, however, will not be reimbursed.

Baggage fees

• Baggage fees for one bag may reimbursed per leg without further justification. Fees for 2 or more bags requires additional justification.

Mileage, Parking, and Tolls

• Reimbursement for privately-owned (not rented) vehicle mileage at the POV mileage rates can be approved if considered advantageous to the Government. POV mileage is advantageous when it is the least costly method (taking into account the cost of additional travel time) of all options including a government car, public transportation, ride-share, taxi, rental car.

For example, it is typically advantageous to use a POV to go to the airport for instance, where reasonable public transit is not available, and the costs of the mileage reimbursement and parking are less than round trip taxi fare from home to the airport.

Parking at the airport is only reimbursable when the conditions in the above example are met. However, when use of a government car, rental car, or privately owned car is authorized, parking charges and tolls as they relate to the mission are reimbursable.

Internet service

• May be expensed when government-provided internet service (i.e. the data plan and hotspot on your government phone) is not available. Wifi on an airplane is generally reimbursable, but wifi charges at a hotel or other areas where cell signal is generally available require justification specifying why you weren't able to use your government phone connection.

Laundry expenses

• May only be reimbursable if travel involves at least 4 consecutive nights.

Remote working guidance

When working from somewhere that isn't your usual duty location, consider these tips to help coworkers and partners plan around your trip.

Don't forget about vouchers!

Have a good trip, get reimbursement -- filling out a voucher-- within 5 business days of getting back.

Why the rush? Filling out a voucher correctly allows you to:

Get reimbursed for your M&IE and for any hotels, airplane tickets, or other expenses you paid for personally.

Have the government automatically pay off the balance on your Travel Card. If you do your voucher correctly and on time, you will never have to worry about paying one of those bills yourself.

On the other side, when travel expenses are submitted late, it’s a major drain on resources for the finance and agreements teams, which sometimes have to reopen billing and even modify agreements in order to recover our costs for the trip, which the Economy Act requires us to do. So, future travel may not be approved for anyone with travel expenses that are more than 5 business days outstanding.

Back from your trip? Head on over to get reimbursed!

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MY WANDERLUSTY LIFE

#TimeBudgetTravel

The Perfect Belize Itinerary: 7 Unforgettable Days of Jungle & Islands

Last Updated: December 26, 2023 //  by  Ashley Smith Leave a Comment

When I first drew up my Belize itinerary, I had no idea it would end up being one of the most exciting and memorable trips ever. I mean it, I was tearing up on my last day knowing I had to leave this incredible country. (Not only because I had just acquired the sunburn to end all sunburns.) That’s how amazing, beautiful, fun, delicious, welcoming, and surprising this place is.

For that reason, I’m so happy to share with you this perfect 7-day Belize itinerary so you can have just as an unforgettable time as I did.

Table of Contents

Belize Packing List

How long to spend in Belize

How long you should spend in Belize all comes down to how long you can spend in Belize.  Having never been there before, I didn’t want to commit too long in case I didn’t like it. But I wanted to give it enough time to experience both the jungle and the island side of things.

That being said, you could certainly spend a month here and never have a boring moment – there’s that much to do here. But, one week is still a great amount of time in which to explore the ancient Mayan sites, get up to some adventures in the jungle, and chill out on the Caribbean beaches. In my opinion, 7 days makes the perfect Belize itinerary for first time visitors.

Don’t miss: What to Pack for Belize (And What I Can’t Belize I Brought!)

Best time to visit Belize

Similarly, the best time to visit Belize is whenever you can visit Belize. However, there are definitely more preferable times around which to plan your Belize itinerary. For instance:

December – May

December – May is Belize’s dry season and definitely the best time to visit. You’ll have clear, sunny days and very little chance of vacation-ruining rains. It will also be plenty warm enough during this time despite this being the “winter” months.  

However, this is also the most popular / busiest time to visit Belize. Tourist season in Belize peaks at Easter! So, it will be a bit more “crowded” than other times, prices may be higher, and hotels and tours may have limited availability. But, this is Belize, not the Amalfi Coast in July , so you should be just fine (as long as you plan accordingly).

June – December

June – December is Belize’s wet season when you’ll most likely encounter some rains. However, this isn’t set in stone (‘cause weather be weather), and June, July, and even August can still be great months to travel.

I personally visited in June. It was HOT (bordering on too hot actually) and, despite being the “wet season,” was actually super dry. So, you can plan for the most “ideal” situations, but again, weather be weather.

Popular Belize events

There are also a handful of popular annual events in Belize you may be interested in planning your Belize itinerary around. Check out:

Lobster Fest – Belize’s Lobster Fest is an annual celebration that takes place in July in Caye Caulker, Ambergris Caye, and Placencia.

Chocolate Festival of Belize – Belize’s chocolate festival takes place in late May in Punta Gorda (the “chocolate capital of Belize” apparently).

International Music and Food Festival – Belize’s International Music and Food Festival is held in Ambergris Caye in late July, mon.

7-day Belize itinerary at a glance

Now I’ll get into the nitty gritty of my perfect Belize itinerary. This 7-day itinerary actually starts on Day 0 (arrival day, we don’t count that). It includes 3.5 days in the jungle and 3.5 days on the islands. *chef’s kiss*

Day 0: Arrive in Belize; transfer to your jungle eco-lodge

Day 1, jungle: Jungle adventures in the Cayo District

Day 2, jungle: Day trip to Tikal National Park in Guatemala

Day 3, jungle: San Ignacio and ATM Cave tour

Day 4, jungle/islands: Wake up in the jungle, transfer to Caye Caulker

Day 5, islands: “Go Slow” in Caye Caulker (or not)

Day 6, islands: Unforgettable snorkeling in the Belize Barrier Reef

Day 7, islands: Soak up that island life before departing

Belize itinerary, day 0: Arrive + transfer to San Ignacio

The start of your perfect Belize itinerary begins with arriving in Belize (obviously). You can fly to Belize with Alaska Air, American Airlines, Delta, Southwest, Sun Country Airlines, and United. You can even get direct (nonstop) flights to Belize from:

• Seattle, Los Angeles (Alaska)
• Dallas , Miami (American Airlines)
• Atlanta (Delta)
• Fort Lauderdale, Houston (Southwest Airlines)
• Duluth and Minneapolis, MN (Sun Country Airlines – If you know what Sun Country Airlines is then I guess you’re reading this in Minnesota.)
• Chicago, Denver, Houston (United Airlines)

You’ll want to fly into Belize City (airport code BZE), the former capital of Belize (but not really an especially worthwhile city to visit). From Belize City, you’ll start your Belize itinerary in the western part of the state – in the Cayo District near the town of San Ignacio. But first you’ll need to get there.

How to get to San Ignacio from Belize City

There are a few different ways to get from Belize City to San Ignacio and they all vary wildly . Choose wisely. Maybe do as I say and not as I do.

Public bus from Belize City to San Ignacio

Personally, I opted for the public bus . The trip takes between 2-3 hours and costs around $4 total, but the ride is anything but smooth, literally and figuratively. The bus is dirty and crowded (you might actually have to stand the whole time). It makes frequent stops and the whole thing is just chaotic.

Because it’s really just an old American school bus, there are no seatbelts, luggage racks, or air conditioning. There’s not even a website or ticket system. Just open windows letting in all the road dirt and exhaust fumes and a topless woman breastfeeding in the seat next to you while her infant stares directly into your eyes.

You’ll need to take a cab from the airport to “the bus station” and this is where my assistance leaves you because what comes next is totally random. Ask around for the bus to San Ignacio, ask how to pay, ask where you should be picked up, and prepare for it all to seem just totally made up on the spot.

Once on the bus, know now that I’ve been told you need a PhD in order to drive in Belize – a degree in pothole diversion. So, hold on to your butts! BUT ! The public bus is cheap and the ride will certainly be one you never forget.  

Belize City to San Ignacio by rental car

You can certainly rent your own car to get from Belize City to San Ignacio. But, do you have a PhD? I’m told this is mandatory. (And from what I’ve witnessed personally, oh hell yeah it is.) The ride is going to be rough and will take about 2 hours. Check out the best local Belize car rental deals here and godspeed.

Private shuttles from Belize City to San Ignacio

Otherwise, you can take a private shuttle to San Ignacio from Belize City. This will also take about 2 hours (no stops to pick up coconut salesman, go figure) but will cost just slightly more than $4. Some charge per person and others offer big discounts the bigger your group is.  

There are lots of times to choose from and you’ll get the ride all to yourself, all the way from BZE to San Ignacio. Check out the best Belize shuttles here :

• Private shuttle: Belize airport to San Ignacio town
• Private transfer from Belize airport to San Ignacio
• Shared shuttle: Belize International Airport to San Ignacio

Hotel pickup in Belize City

Another option I highly recommend is to just have your lodging arrange a pickup at the airport for you. Yes, this is going to be the costliest option, but it’s also the most stress-free!

For this Belize itinerary I’m going to recommend you stay at the Black Rock Lodge (more on that in a minute). They offer private airport shuttle service all the way from the airport to their front door. (Because of their remote location, you would still have to get picked up in San Ignacio because you need a special vehicle to get to their property.)

If you’re staying at Black Rock, book your airport pickup with them and call it a day! Otherwise, check to see if your jungle lodging offers the same service.

Also check out: 17 Things that Shocked Me in Belize

Where to stay in the Belize jungle

There are a handful of fantastic jungle lodges to choose from in Belize, but I HIGHLY recommend checking out the Black Rock Lodge . This place is one of my all-time favorite lodging choices and that’s still an understatement.

BRL is a completely self-sufficient eco-lodge deep in the rainforest. It’s bursting with awesome jungle adventures, resident wildlife, an amazing staff, and so much more. The food and drinks here are so good and everything is produced on site, ethically, and sustainably.

Seriously stop me or I will rave about this place for dayzzzz . Instead, I wrote an entire post about how awesome this place is – read my Black Rock Lodge review here . You can read more reviews and book your stay here . You can also watch this quick video I made about them here:

Other accommodation options

However, if Black Rock Lodge should be all booked up by the time you go to reserve, other popular and nearby jungle accommodation options include:

• Ka’ana Resort & Spa – beautiful location, lots of activities and spa treatments, amazing food
• Mahogany Hall Luxury Boutique Resort – spacious suites, botanical setting, highly-rated staff
• Table Rock Lodge – excellent reviews, very jungle-y, on-site restaurant and bar
• See all San Ignacio-adjacent lodging here. ( Expedia and Hotels.com usually have good deals too.)

Settle in to your jungle accommodations

Once you’ve made it to Black Rock Lodge, you’ll be greeted with a welcome drink and a quick tour of the property. Spend more time exploring on your own while you wait for dinner, or go ahead and put on your bathing suit and head down to the river. (If you can make it over the rapids without falling off your tube you get a free drink!)

You can work in a light hike, a mountain bike, a more in-depth tour of the property, go for a swim in the pool, or let the resident bird nerd show you all the toucans and other colorful creatures that live nearby.

Soon you’ll enjoy an incredible candlelit dinner among new friends. Then, fall asleep in your hammock under the millions of stars above you (and the Jurassic sounds of howler monkeys across the river that will seep into your darkest nightmares). This Belize itinerary truly is unforgettable.

Belize Itinerary, day 1: Welcome to the jungle!

Today is your first full day of the Belize itinerary. Do you know where you are? You’re in the jungle, baby! There are seriously so many options as to how you can spend today.

Partake in some jungle adventures

Personally, I did the following during my time in Belize’s jungles:

Mountain Summit hike in the morning – This trail takes a couple of hours and winds through the jungle up and up to the top of the mountain for excellent views of the rainforest. So much wildlife and beautiful plants and flowers along the way. Also, so much sweat.

Lunch at the lodge – Black Rock Lodge serves three amazing meals a day in the most blissful dining setting. Don’t miss a single meal there, seriously.

Mountain biking – BRL offers mountain bike rental free of charge to their guests. We rode down the road that leads out of the property, past burning wildfires and teak forests and beyond. (And then walked my ass back up because… exhaustion.)

Swim in the river before dinner – All that sweaty fun today led me straight down to the river for a cool swim in nature. Then, another drool-worthy jungle dinner. (There’s also a great pool for those a little fish-phobic.)

Guided night hike through the jungle – A couple we met the night before recommended this to us and it will forever be one of the coolest things I’ve done while traveling. A trained jungle guide takes you along the trails after dark and shows you all the unbelievable things that happen at night.

He points out otherwise unseen nocturnal creatures of all kinds and seriously so much more. It was AMAZING. Important note: you don’t have to hold a tarantula if you don’t want to.

More jungle adventures

Besides the awesome jungle activities we did on the first day of our Belize itinerary, there are many more options for how to spend your day at Black Rock Lodge. You can also choose from:

Canoeing and kayaking – Head out along the Macal River with a trained naturalist guide. Or head to the beach area to do some stand-up paddleboarding. Or just head to bar, no judgment.

River tubing – Do absolutely no work whatsoever and just float down the river. Free rum punch if you can make it over the Black Rock waterfall without falling off! Tubes are totally complementary.

More hiking – Besides the Mountain Summit, there are many more hiking trails that start at the lodge for all different hiking levels. Even a wildlife hike! (Pick up a trail map at the tour desk.)

Spelunking – Take your hiking desire into one of Belize’s awesome cave systems. Search for Mayan artifacts and cool cave formations.

Yoga – This is a wellness lodge of sorts, after all. Borrow one of their yoga mats for free if you didn’t bring one. (I definitely did not include one in my Belize packing list .)

Birding – Follow your nose out to the bird tower for panoramic views with their bird guide! (That’s a toucan joke.) Belize is actually one of the biggest birding destinations in the world.

Visit Mayan sites – You can also head off-site to tour some of the most popular Mayan sites in the area like Cahal Pech, Caracol , Yaxhá, and Xunantunich .

San Ignacio – Don’t forget you can always head into San Ignacio for market day or just to check out the town.

Most popular Belize jungle excursions

If you’re looking for something a little different (and perhaps more organized and/or guided), check out these most popular Belize jungle excursions around San Ignacio:

• Xunantunich & Cave Tubing Combo Tour – Full-day history and adventure tour, small groups, lunch included. (Or check out this unique tour that combines a visit to Xunantunich and horseback riding .
• Cave Tubing & Jungle Ziplining Combo Tour – Full-day guided adventure through the caves and over the jungles, lunch included
• See all San Ignacio jungle adventure options here on Viator and here on Get Your Guide .

Belize Itinerary, day 2: Day trip to Tikal

Yes, one of the most popular things to do in Belize is actually leave it for Guatemala. Do with this information what you will, but it’s totally worth it.

Tikal National Park in nearby Guatemala is one of the largest and most important ancient Maya sites you can visit. It’s just a quick drive over the border from San Ignacio and is so cool .

I won’t spill all the details here, because I wrote a whole post on taking a day trip to Tikal – what you need to know, how to get there, what to see, some important dos and don’ts, etc. Check out my full guide to a Tikal day trip here .

And if you already know you want to do this, take a look at some of the Tikal day tour options here:

• Belize to Tikal Day Trip with Local Lunch from San Ignacio – Full day tour, comfortable transportation, your own local guide, includes lunch.
• Private Belize to Tikal Day Tour with Lunch + Guide – Includes a private guide, air conditioned transport, lunch
• Check out all the Tikal day trip options on Viator and Get your Guide to find one that best suits your needs!

You’ll return from your Tikal day trip totally exhausted so take it easy for the rest of the night. Enjoy the amazing dinner at Black Rock Lodge and get some sleep for another epic adventure tomorrow!

Belize Itinerary, day 3: ATM Cave tour

Another epic day in Belize dawns and this will be another you won’t soon forget. Today, book yourself on one of the once-in-a-lifetime ATM Cave tours.

The ATM Cave in Belize (Actun Tunichil Muknal) is another ancient Maya site, but this one is inside a surreal cave system. You’ll swim and tunnel through these ancient caves to get to a skeleton that sparkles. But the path to get there is straight out of an Indiana Jones flick.

If you’ve done any kind of research on what to do in Belize, I’m positive that the ATM Cave tour has dominated those lists. And it is not overrated at all – it totally deserves those top spots!

However… the ATM Cave is not for everyone. It’s an epic adventure, yes, but a challenging one in many ways. Check out my full guide to touring the ATM Cave in Belize here to get all the exciting details and heart-stopping realities.

And if you already know you want to do this, take a look at some of the ATM Cave tour options here:

• ATM Cave Tour and Picnic – Ton of rave reviews, full day, lunch + rum punch included! (This is closest to the one I did – rum punch and all!)
• ATM Cave Tour from San Ignacio – Full day tour, all fees included, packed lunch/snacks/water included
• ATM Cave with Local Lunch from San Ignacio – Full day, lunch and water included, tons of 5-star reviews!
• See all ATM Cave tour options here in case something else fits your style better.

Again, after your full day tour of the ATM Cave, you’re going to be totally pooped. (It’s a physically-taxing adventure to say the least!) Take it easy, enjoy dinner, pass the hell out.

Lemme help you plan! Also read: What to Pack for Your ATM Cave Tour

Belize Itinerary, day 4: Jungle > Islands

After your night of much-needed rest, enjoy one last Black Rock breakfast and prepare to move over to the islands. If you want, squeeze in some last minute birding or hiking, or any of the other awesome activities on-site. Now, make your back towards Belize City and over the water to the island of Caye Caulker.

How to get to Caye Caulker

To get to Caye Caulker you’ll need to take the water taxi from Belize City. The trip takes about 45 minutes and costs just $20 per person.

If you utilize the private shuttle service at Black Rock Lodge, they will happily drop you off right at the water taxi port in Belize City. Otherwise, take your chosen transportation method back to the Belize City and get a (car) taxi to the water taxi dock.

Once on Caye Caulker, you’ll need to either walk or organize a pickup at the port to get to your chosen accommodation. FYI – Caye Caulker is a car-less island. It’s either bicycle, feet, or golf cart from here on out. (The island is just 5 total square miles so it’s not like you’ll have far to go.)

There will most likely also be golf-cart drivers hanging out at the dock in case you need a ride. (This is what we did – just hailed a golf cart once we arrived.)

Where to stay on Caye Caulker

There are lots of totally pleasant places to stay on Caye Caulker, but for my Belize itinerary I trusted my island time to Colinda Cabanas .

We had our own adorable beach cabana for our stay with lots of great amenities, everything we needed actually. The staff was so welcoming and helpful. It was so peaceful and private; I would not hesitate to stay here again! (Seriously, book your room at Colinda Cabanas now !)

Besides Colinda Cabanas, some other popular Caye Caulker hotels include:

• Blue Zen – A favorite of my readers, free bikes, swimming pool, sun terrace and grill, and much more.
• Sea Dreams Hotel – Free WiFi, bar and rooftop terrace on site, free bikes and kayaks
• Weezie’s Ocean Front Hotel and Garden Cottages – Choose from cottages, guest rooms, oceanfront suites, and more. Kayaks, paddleboards, and snorkel gear for free!

After your all checked in on Caye Caulker, take a stroll around the main part of the island. Grab some street food, do a little souvenir shopping, then post up at one of the super chill bars along the beach.

Watch the sunset and continue resting up from the past few days of your Belize itinerary. You’re on Caye Caulker now where the motto is “Go Slow” so you better get used to it.

Belize Itinerary, day 5: Go slow in Caye Caulker

This is very hard for me to write, but Day 5 of your Belize itinerary is all about embracing Caye Caulker’s motto and “Go Slow.” I personally am not a go-slow kinda traveler, but it was incredibly easy to adjust here.

This is your day to just chill out in the sun and do nothing (if you don’t want to). If you’re more like me and you still want to do something, check out this list of 23 Exciting Things to Do in Caye Caulker .

For instance, you can spend your day fishing, kite surfing, sailing, swimming, diving, exploring by bike, taking a scenic flight over the Blue Hole, yoga, kayak, meet some seahorses, and much more. And then spend your evening with a sunset sail. See the full list for all the details!

Belize Itinerary, day 6: Snorkeling + the Split

Okay, now that you’re all rested up and ready to get back at it, it’s time to spend Day 6 of your Belize itinerary in the water. Belize is located along the Hol Chan Marine Reserve – the world’s second most incredible barrier reef. (Their words, not mine. But also mine.)

Snorkeling in Belize

For real though, the snorkeling here is unreal. You’ll swim with sea turtles and a million tropical fish, nurse sharks and rays, eels, manatees, and more. You’ll get to explore a sunken ship and learn all about the stunning wildlife in this area from the most accommodating local guides.

Snorkeling in Belize was absolutely one of the highlights of my trip and I took my tour with Caveman Snorkeling Tours. And yes, I wrote an entire post on it because I had such a great time! Also check out: My Day Snorkeling in Belize with Caveman Snorkeling Tours .

I highly recommend Caveman Snorkeling Tours, but if you need other options, also check out these tours that all include small groups, lunch and refreshments, expert guides, snorkeling equipment, and GoPro footage of your underwater adventure:

• Hol Chan Marine Reserve Small-Group Tour from Caye Caulker
• 7-Stop Snorkeling in the Belize Barrier Reef from Caye Caulker
• Or this 3-stop snorkeling tour for just the highlights (includes snacks but not lunch)
• Check out all Belize snorkeling tours here on Viator and here on Get Your Guide .

Hang out at the Split

After your day of snorkeling, chances are you’ll be super wiped out again (but exceptionally tan). So, for the rest of your day in Caye Caulker, head over to the Split.

The Split is literally a split in the island formed by a hurricane… but now it’s the most popular hangout spot on the island. Grab a bucket of Belikin at the Lazy Lizard and just relax in the turquoise waters or play some corn hole – whatever you have the energy left for.

Belize Itinerary, day 7: Leaving the island life behind

Depending on when your flight home is, you may or may not get to enjoy a little more of that island life before you head out. Grab some last-day fry jacks at Errolyn’s, go for another leisurely stroll, or hang out (literally, so many hammocks) on your nearest over-water pier.

Afterwards, you’ll need to take the water taxi back to Belize City, and then a regular ol’ auto taxi to the airport where you’ll leave the island life behind. It will be a sad day, to say the least.

Belize is an incredible, unforgettable, and, dare I say it, unBelizeable place to visit. The people are so warm and welcoming, the scenery is stunning, and the adventures are epic. Regardless of how you fill your Belize itinerary, consider yourself lucky to be able to experience this Central American wonderland!

More info to supplement your Belize itinerary

• Heading to Belize?  Find  great places to stay here on Booking.com (my fave booking site). But Hotels.com and Expedia usually have similar deals too!
• Need a car?  Check out the  best rental car deals in Belize here.
• Don’t forget to  pick up this guidebook  for all your Belize sightseeing. (It includes a day trip to Tikal too!)
• Want more Belize content? Check out all my Belize posts here.

Have questions about visiting Belize? Ask away in the comments below or reach out on Instagram ! Have fun in Belize!

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About Ashley Smith

Ashley is a historian and Oktoberfest expert & tour guide. She has traveled to 32 countries and specializes in quick trips throughout Europe and the Americas that prioritize hiking adventures, museums of all kinds, cultural experiences, and jam-packed itineraries. She hails from Memphis, TN and currently lives in Boston with her husband and two feline sidekicks.

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TÉRMINOS Y CONDICIONES

Athens Full Day Semi Private Excursion

Get the best value for your money with a small group Semi Private Excursion offered from Piraeus port cruise terminal. PKTravel Semi Private Shore Excursions are handled by experts – with more than 25 years of experience in the travel industry. We promise that you will have a memorable day in our city! We will show you all the highlights and you will be dropped off at the port before your ship departs. ***This tour is recommended to people that are in a good physical condition because it involves a fair amount of walking. It is not appropriate for disabled people.

TERMS & CONDITIONS : Number of Participants minimum 8 and maximum 18 guests per group. Please note that this is an open tour so anyone can sign up. Tour Requirement

• The tour requires a minimum number of 8 participants in order to take place.
• If there is not enough participation (minimum 8 guests) then you will be notified 15 days before the tour and it will be cancelled with the options of either booking a private tour or getting full refund.
• You can always check the tour’s progress on “Book Now”. Pending is the notion that the minimum requirement is not been met yet. Active is the notion that the minimum requirement is met.

Price (per person) 80 Euros Deposit 50 Euros per person. The remaining balance will be paid (in cash) at the end of the tour. Included

• English speaking professional licensed tour guide.
• Driver and new, fully A/C, Mercedes minivan or, minibus sprinter vehicles.
• All taxes and VAT.

Not Included

• Entrance fees (per person):

From April 1st to October 31st: Acropolis [20 Euros], Temple of Zeus [8 Euros], Acropolis Museum [15 Euros]. From November 1st to March 31st: Acropolis [10 Euros], Temple of Zeus [4 Euros], Acropolis Museum [10 Euros].

Skip ticket lines!  Due to the mandatory changes of visiting the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum, please do not buy your tickets online. We will take care of all full price tickets and you will pay in cash on the spot.

• Lunch. We can recommend good restaurants in the Plaka.
• Gratuities. Gratuity rates in Greece are about 10% of service cost.

Confirmation

• Once you complete the online process “ Book Now ” you will automatically receive an E-mail ( voucher) with all required information. If you do not receive an E-mail ( voucher ) please check your spam folder, or Contact Us .
• The “ Unique Identification Number ” that is mentioned on the voucher is not a group number. It will automatically be assigned to you and based on the final number of guests, PKTravel, will design groups for best customer satisfaction.
• Please check your E-mail regularly for possible notifications.

Cancellation Policy

• Full refund if cancelled up to 30 days prior to the agreed date and time.
• No refund if cancelled within the last 30 days prior to the arrival date.

Please note that all alterations or cancellations should be made via E-mail. Of course, if for any unforeseen reason the ship does not dock at the port then there will be a full refund.

Meeting Point & Time

• Please follow the instructions indicated on your voucher.
• Most cruise ships dock at 06:00 so the tour starts at 07:30. If your ship’s docking time is after 07:30 then the tour will start thirty (30) minutes after your ship docks. Please disembark as soon as possible. If you are late you will miss the tour.
• In case of not being able to find the driver, please ask port authority police to show you the meeting point for private tours. Or, please contact the emergency number that appears on your voucher.

Itinerary *The itinerary is subject to change due to traffic, weather conditions, demonstrations, strikes, lack of time or other issues that may arise.*

Full Day Athens Tour includes: The  Acropolis (“ Parthenon” dedicated to Athena Parthenos, “ Erechtheion” dedicated to Athena Polias, “ Propylaea ” the monumental entrance to the sacred area, “ Temple of Athena Nike” dedicated to Athena-Apteros Nike, “ Caryatides” , “ Herodeon Theater” , the ruins of the “ Theater of Dionysus ” and finally “ Areopagus” [Mars Hill]), The Temple of Zeus  (which is the largest ancient temple in Greece in the Corinthian order), The  Panathenaic Stadium  ([ Kallimarmaro ]; the original stadium built in 1863 for the first modern Olympic games in 1896) for a short photo stop, The Old Palace , The Tomb of The Unknown Soldier & The Changing of The Guards , The Catholic Cathedral , The “ Neoclassical Trilogy ” [Academy, National Library, First University of Athens], The Plaka (which is Athens’ oldest and most picturesque neighborhood. It is stone-paved, with narrow streets, and is full of gyros places, tavernas and souvenir shops) for lunch and free time, and finally The Acropolis Museum * (collections: “Gallery of the Slopes of the Acropolis “, “ Archaic Acropolis Gallery “, “ Parthenon Gallery “, “ Propylea- Athena Nike- Erechtheion ” and “From the 5th c. BC to the 5th c. AD ).

* If you do not want to visit The Acropolis Museum then you can spend more time in The Plaka .

• From and to the port (1h)
• Acropolis (2h)
• Temple of Zeus, Panathenaic Stadium (45m)
• Old Palace, Tomb of The Unknown Soldier & Changing of The Guards, Catholic Cathedral, Neoclassical Trilogy (45m)
• Plaka for lunch and free time (2h)
• Acropolis Museum (1h30m)
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• Half Day Athens
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• 1382 reviews of PK Travel Greece Private Tours in Athens, Piraeus Port, Nafplion Port and Katakolon Port, Greece

Wanna Get Away ® Sale. One-way as low as* $39.

* Book by 4/11 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. 21-day advance purchase required. Cont. U.S. travel valid 4/23-6/5/24 & 8/6-11/20/24. HI, intl., and San Juan, PR travel valid 8/20-11/20/24. Cont. U.S. to/from HI, intl., and San Juan, PR blacked out 9/3/24. Orange County (SNA) travel not valid. Nonrefundable. Seats, travel days, and markets limited. Fares valid on nonstop service where indicated; if not indicated, fares are valid on single connecting service. Points bookings do not include government fees from $5.60 per one-way flight.

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Sorry, this offer is either no longer valid or not available. Please view our current specials or book your travel on southwest.com .

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• Purchase from April 2 through April 11, 2024 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.
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• Hawaii, international, and San Juan, Puerto Rico travel valid August 20 through November 20, 2024. Travel continental U.S. to/from Hawaii, international, and San Juan, Puerto Rico blacked out September 3, 2024. Orange County (SNA) travel not valid. Travel is valid Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
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Total solar eclipse forecast shows who has best chance for clear skies on April 8th

A clear sky is key to watching the april 8th total solar eclipse. the fox forecast center has put together a forecast showing areas more or less likely to be impacted by cloud cover during the eclipse..

America's total solar eclipse forecast: Where clouds could spoil Monday's big event

It'll be a nail-biter for millions of Americans as they look up on Monday afternoon. The FOX Forecast Center is tracking where clouds could spoil the view for America's total solar eclipse.

Forecasts for the total solar eclipse still show it'll be a nail-biter for good viewing conditions in parts of the southern and central U.S. , while much of the Mississippi Valley, the Ohio Valley the Northeast and New England have more optimistic forecasts for less cloud coverage.

Based on the latest information, we're closely monitoring the Southern Plains states where computer modeling continues to show the threat of widespread cloud cover. 

On April 8th, a total solar eclipse will be visible across parts of Mexico , Canada and the U.S., from Texas to Maine . A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth , completely blocking the face of the Sun for several minutes. It will be the last time a total solar eclipse passes over a large part of the U.S. until 2044 .

To experience the full eclipse, you'll need a pair of solar glasses and to be located along the more than 100-mile-wide path during totality. A clear sky is also key to watching a total solar eclipse . 

TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE LIVE TRACKER: CLOUD FORECASTS FOR CITIES, STATES IN PATH OF TOTALITY

The FOX Forecast Center has put together the cloud cover forecast shown on the map below, showing areas with an overcast sky, many clouds or few clouds during the eclipse. As the eclipse nears, computer forecast models will improve and be able to give forecasters a better idea of what the sky will look like on the big day.

PLANNING AN ECLIPSE ROAD TRIP? AAA SHARES TRAVEL ADVICE, SAFETY TIPS AHEAD OF APRIL 8TH

With April 8th just days away, the FOX Forecast Center says the trend for clearer skies is holding at the northeastern end of the path of totality, but some clouds may still be floating around areas near and downwind of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

Buffalo , New York , and Cleveland , Ohio, is currently forecast to have some clouds on the day of the event, but less cloud cover is expected to the north and east. The forecast is looking favorable for Caribou , Maine and Burlington , Vermont, among the last cities to see the eclipse in the U.S. before the path of totality heads into Atlantic Canada.

For the Midwest , te forecast is looking better, with just a few clouds around Paducah , Kentucky , and near St. Louis but will increase closer to the Great Lakes region.

Severe thunderstorms possible in South on eclipse day

Many of the prime viewing spots in Texas, including Dallas , Austin and San Antonio , are currently forecast to have overcast skies or many clouds may have trouble from clouds on April 8th.

NOAA's Storm Prediction Center has highlighted large swaths of Texas and Arkansas for a potential severe weather threat on the day of the eclipse .

This risk zone includes the Dallas - Fort Worth Metroplex and other towns in the southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley along the path of totality.

Severe weather threat expands across Texas for Monday's total solar eclipse

The threat of an untimely severe weather event Monday has expanded to cover a wider swath of Texas just as millions hope to take in the spectacle of the last total solar eclipse in the U.S. for more than a decade.

According to the FOX Forecast Center, the good news is that the severe weather may not arrive until late afternoon after the eclipse is over. Totality in Dallas begins at 1:40 p.m. CT. However, eclipse viewers will likely be dealing with heavy traffic for hours after the eclipse, which could coincide with thunderstorms .  

DALLAS AREA IN EARLY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WARNING FOR MONDAY'S TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE

It's also important to note that even if it's cloudy, you will likely still see at least some of the eclipse. 

The details will become clearer as the event draws closer, so stay tuned, the FOX Forecast Center says.

WHAT HAPPENS TO CLOUDS DURING A SOLAR ECLIPSE? NEW RESEARCH MAY SURPRISE YOU

Check back with FOX Weather for updates to the forecast as April 8th approaches, and add your viewing location to the "Events" tab in the FOX Weather app.

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Welcome to Venice. That’ll Be 5 Euros.

Starting this month, tourists intending to visit the city on busy dates will be required to register on a website, and those coming for a single day will have to pay an entry fee.

By Elisabetta Povoledo

Reporting from Italy

On its busiest days, Venice swells with tourists who clog the city’s narrow streets, leave behind piles of garbage and often frustrate locals. So the canal-crossed city is fighting back.

Starting on April 25, and for another 29 days scattered mostly around national holidays and weekends through mid-July, day trippers to the historic part of Venice will have to pay 5 euros, about $5.40, a measure that city officials hope will encourage people to come during less busy times.

All visitors to Venice will also have to register their presence in the city on the specified days, filling out an online form that will help officials gauge how many visitors to expect and strategize about how to handle them.

“It’s not about making money — the costs of the operation are higher than what we’re going to make,” Mayor Luigi Brugnaro told reporters on Thursday as Venetian officials kicked off a global advertising campaign.

Instead, said Michele Zuin, the city official in charge of budgeting and economics, the aim is “to better manage the numbers of tourists and disincentivize mass tourism, which is what creates, let’s say, the difficulty of living in this city.”

Visitors staying overnight in Venice will not have to pay, nor will those traveling there to work, to visit relatives or to study. Anyone born in the city is also exempt , as are minors under 14. And Mr. Brugnaro said there would be no cap on the number of visitors allowed in.

Rising improbably from the waters of the Venetian lagoon, the city is as delicate as it is beautiful, and in recent decades it has struggled to protect a uniqueness that is threatened by climate change and rising seas, as well as by mass tourism .

To counter that figurative and literal erosion, the city has installed giant gates at four mouths of the lagoon to keep seawater out and pavements dry, and banned cruise ships from the inner canals. Those efforts helped keep Venice off UNESCO’s list of “World Heritage in Danger” even after experts at the agency raised concerns last year that Italy had not done enough to protect the city.

From 1976 until this year, Italy had allocated funds to help safeguard Venice, and on Thursday, Mr. Brugnaro chided the country’s central government for not renewing that funding. He said he had asked the government for €1.5 billion for the next 10 years to help preserve a city with a unique heritage that requires continuous maintenance.

“We need that financing,” he said.

Occasionally, days have been so busy with tourists that the city has had to limit some streets to one-way pedestrian traffic.

Simone Venturini, the city official in charge of tourism, said of the new measures, “We will be the first city in the world to know exactly how many tourists will come to Venice that day — whether exempt or paying, they have to register.”

After registering on the website, visitors will receive a QR code — valid from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. — that they will be required to show when entering the city at points like the train station, Piazzale Roma, the municipal parking lot, some beachfront locations and St. Mark’s Square. There will also be spot checks throughout the city.

For now, anyone arriving in Venice without a QR code will be allowed to buy it at the last minute, either on a smartphone or at kiosks set up leading up to the access points, officials said.

Transgressors will face fines of €50 to €300 plus a €10 fee, Mr. Zuin said.

The initiative is being introduced on a trial basis so that city officials can see whether the system works and how it can be improved, he said. In the future, the entry fee could be calibrated — “a sliding scale of prices,” Mayor Brugnaro said — depending on the day.

“We’re asking for collaboration,” Mr. Brugnaro said, adding that the data accumulated during the 29 days would be made public. He said that officials from other cities around the world had contacted his administration to find out more about the access system.

So far, more than 50,000 people have registered through the website — about a third of them paying for one-day visits, officials said.

“The entire world wants to come to Venice,” Mr. Venturini said at the introduction of the advertising campaign, which included a video message of the mayor speaking in various languages using A.I.-generated speech translation.

In the video, Mayor Brugnaro apologizes for any inconvenience that the new system might create. But, he said, “the city has to be protected.”

Elisabetta Povoledo is a reporter based in Rome, covering Italy, the Vatican and the culture of the region. She has been a journalist for 35 years. More about Elisabetta Povoledo

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Solar eclipse 2024: Follow the path of totality

Thinking of taking a last-minute drive to see the eclipse here's what to know.

Geoff Brumfiel

RV traffic sits at a standstill along a two-lane road near Madras, Ore., a few days before the 2017 total solar eclipse. Experts say traffic could be heavy, but eclipse watchers shouldn't necessarily be deterred. AFP Contributor/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

RV traffic sits at a standstill along a two-lane road near Madras, Ore., a few days before the 2017 total solar eclipse. Experts say traffic could be heavy, but eclipse watchers shouldn't necessarily be deterred.

NASA says that roughly 31.6 million people live in the path of this year's total solar eclipse, and a little under half of the U.S. population lives within 200 miles driving distance of the path of totality .

That could mean many millions of Americans will hit the road to get a better view on April 8. If you're still pondering whether or not you want to make the journey, here's what to consider.

Have some destinations in mind, and check the weather and cloud cover forecasts in advance

It's a good idea to scout out one or more locations within driving distance, so that you have some flexibility if traffic or weather is threatening your plans, says Jonathan Upchurch, a professor emeritus of civil engineering at Arizona State University who has studied travel around solar eclipses.

There are several interactive tools that show the path of totality, including Eclipse2024.org and the National Solar Observatory . You can use them to figure out what sites might work best for you.

In terms of weather, check not just the weather forecast, but also the cloud cover forecast. Some websites, such as Windy.com will predict cloud cover ahead of time, giving you a sense of whether you'll actually be able to see the eclipse in all its glory.

Everything you need to know about solar eclipse glasses before April 8

During the total solar eclipse in 2017, Upchurch says he chose to go to Idaho "because there were some great chances of having sunny skies, and I had the opportunity to be nimble and relocate if I wanted to."

Before driving into the path of totality, make sure your gas tank is full and that you've got everything you need

During the last total solar eclipse in 2017, it's estimated some 5 million people took to the roads, and those numbers will potentially be much higher this year.

Given all that, Upchurch says it's important to make sure you're taking what you need into the path of totality. You should make sure your car is gassed or charged up, and that you have plenty of snacks and water with you in case you get stranded for a while, especially when trying to leave.

Solar Eclipse 2024: Totality stretches from Texas to Maine

Simple tips to safely photograph the eclipse with your cellphone.

Also don't forget to bring eclipse glasses, which must be worn anytime you're looking at the sun, except for the few minutes when it is completely blocked by the moon.

Some state emergency planners also recommend bringing a paper map or road atlas in case cellular networks become overloaded with visitors seeking directions from their phones.

Don't forget your eclipse glasses everyone! Erika Goldring/FilmMagic hide caption

Don't forget your eclipse glasses everyone!

Arrive early and stay late

Once you figure out where you're going to watch the eclipse, and you've got your supplies, try to get there early. Although traffic is likely to be heavier than normal on the morning of eclipse day, it still should be possible to reach many destinations without too much hassle, says Upchurch.

"Leaving is definitely going to be more of a problem," he says. As the eclipse concludes, people will take to the roads all at once to try and get home as fast as they can. In 2017, that led to traffic jams that lasted many hours in some areas. If possible, Upchurch says, people should stay put for a while to try and avoid the worst of the post-eclipse rush, which in 2017 stretched even into the following day in some parts of the country.

Here's what time the eclipse will be visible in your region

And one more thing: If you do find yourself on the move near the time of the eclipse, state officials stress that you should not simply pull over to the side of the road or highway you're driving on. It's important to be parked legally and safely at the moment of totality.

If you're already in the path of totality: Relax and enjoy!

Several major metropolitan areas including Dallas, Indianapolis, Cleveland and Buffalo are already inside the path of totality, so there's no need to seek a better view, Upchurch says. You'll probably have the most fun simply staying where you are.

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If you're on the edge of the path of totality, however, you might consider making a short trip to get closer to the center of the eclipse's path.

"If you're within about 40 miles of the center line, you'll have two-and-a-half minutes or more" of complete totality, Upchurch says. It's up to you to decide whether it's worth making the trip to a more central location.

Despite studying the potential hassles of traveling extensively, Upchurch says he's still looking forward to seeing the 2024 eclipse, which he plans to watch from Texas.

"Totality is absolutely spectacular," he says. "If you have a chance to witness it, I would do it."

• 2024 solar eclipse
• eclipse 2024
• 2024 eclipse
• Traffic patterns
• total eclipse

Why April's total solar eclipse will be a historic event in the US

"Eclipse Across America," will air live Monday, April 8, beginning at 2 p.m. ET on ABC, ABC News Live, National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Disney+ and Hulu as well as network social media platforms.

When the moon traverses in front of the sun on April 8, parts of North America will be plunged into darkness, marking a rare celestial phenomenon that will not return for decades.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth and, for a short time, completely blocks the face of the sun, according to NASA .

"When the sun's disc is completely covered by the moon, daylight suddenly changes from bright sunlight to a very eerie twilight in a matter of seconds," Fred Espenak, a former astrophysicist from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and author of "Road Atlas for the Total Solar Eclipse of 2024," told ABC News.

"It becomes dark enough to pick out bright stars and planets, so it's very dramatic, very startling," Espenak said. "Most people get a very visceral reaction to seeing a total eclipse."

The last total solar eclipse in America was in August 2017, but the seven-year difference between eclipses is "deceptive," according to Espenak.

"If you look previous to 2017, the last one was in 1979," Espenak said. "So it's a little bit deceptive that these two eclipses were in seven years of each other."

The next total solar eclipse to occur in the contiguous U.S. won't be until August 2044 in Montana and North Dakota, and the next to span coast-to-coast is slated for 2045, according to NASA .

Comparatively, 2024's total solar eclipse is "better" than 2017's, because the path of totality is almost 60% wider and the duration of the eclipse is about 60% longer, according to Espenak, who explained some locations within the path will experience up to four and a half minutes of the eclipse.

The track of the moon's shadow across Earth's surface is called the path of totality, and to witness the April 8 total solar eclipse, viewers must be within the 115-mile-wide path.

In the U.S., the path of totality begins in Texas and will travel through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Small parts of Tennessee and Michigan will also experience the total solar eclipse, according to NASA .

Due to the fact April's total solar eclipse will be the last of its kind to occur in North America for 20 years, it is projected to be the U.S.'s largest mass travel event in 2024, Michael Zeiler, expert solar eclipse cartographer, told ABC News.

Zeiler compared eclipse day travel to "50 simultaneous Super Bowls across the nation," saying four million people are estimated to travel to view it.

"When you look at the number of people expected to come to the path of totality for the solar eclipse, we estimate those numbers are roughly the equivalent of 50 simultaneous Super Bowls across the nation, from Texas to Maine," he said.

In anticipation of the historic eclipse, a small county in Texas is bracing for a state of emergency due to the sheer volume of expected tourists

In February, Bell County Judge David Blackburn issued a local disaster declaration, saying the county's population of 400,000 residents is expected to double in tourists.

Zeiler said Texas is a prime place for eclipse chasers to travel because it is located in the path of totality and has the best chances for clear skies on eclipse day.

"You want to be in the center of the path for the longest duration," Zeiler explained. "If you have a friend or relative in the path in Texas, and there are 12 million Texans inside the path, that's the spot to go because that's where the best weather prospects are."

From the eclipse's decades-long rarity to its staggering duration and path, April 8 brings an exciting opportunity that Espenak says skywatchers shouldn't miss.

"I think seeing a total eclipse should be on everybody's bucket list, and this April is just a golden opportunity," Espenak said. "It's an incredible event that people will remember for their entire lives. They'll be telling their grandchildren about the total eclipse they saw in April of 2024 if they managed to get into the path of totality and have some good weather."

"So I wish everybody fair skies next April," Espenak added.

• Solar Eclipse 2024

‘20 or 30 Super Bowls.’ Drivers and Officials Brace for Massive Eclipse Traffic Jams

M elissa Schleig, a postmaster who lives in Strasburg, Virginia, drove more than 400 miles southwest to the Smoky Mountains to see the 2017 solar eclipse. The travel experience was miserable.

“It should have taken us about six to seven hours to go down there but it took us about a little over six hours just to go about two hours south of here. It was insane,” said Schleig, who began to drive down the day before the eclipse. 

At least 5 million people traveled for the 2017 eclipse, according to a journal by the Institute of Transportation Engineers, but even more are expected to gather to witness this year’s total solar eclipse on April 8. Already, an estimated 31.6 million people currently live in the roughly 115-mile wide path of totality —compared to the 12 million that did in 2017. 

“Having a total solar eclipse pass through the U.S. is kind of like having 20 or 30 Super Bowls happening all at once,” says Richard Fienberg, project manager of the American Astronomical Society's Solar Eclipse Task Force. “So many people are gathering for the spectacle over a long distance.”

Read More : How Cities Around the U.S. Are Celebrating the Eclipse

Transportation agencies are coordinating with the National Weather Service to spot areas of high interest for eclipse viewing to better prepare for traffic delays, but they say the impacts are unavoidable. “The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) knows that there is great interest in this rare solar event, and that’s why we want everyone to be aware of the real traffic and safety impacts,” FHWA Administrator Shailen Bhatt told TIME in an email. “We want people to remember this day and this experience—that may be once in a lifetime—for all the right reasons.”

This year Schleig, who is part of a Facebook eclipse chasing group, is traveling to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls to view the eclipse. And she’s hoping to learn from her 2017 mistakes: she’s planning to avoid the traffic by extending her trip from April 4 through the 10th, instead of driving the day before like she did last time.

How bad will traffic be? 

The FHWA says Schleig has the right idea. It is advising people to drive early, and stay longer in the town where they’re viewing the eclipse to avoid traffic. The FHWA says it's hard to predict which cities or states will be most impacted by the eclipse traffic-wise, but they predict up to 5 million people will be traveling to the path of totality between Texas and Maine.   

While drivers and officials are looking to the 2017 eclipse for hints of what is to come, traffic will likely be much worse this time. That’s because the 2024 path of totality—the area where the moon will completely obscure the sun—is a 3-hour drive away from 8 major cities with a population greater than 2 million, including Chicago, Houston, and Toronto. By contrast, the 2017 eclipse path of totality was a 3-hour drive away from only three larger metropolitan areas: St. Louis, Kansas City, and Portland, Ore.

Read More : How to Use Your Smartphone to Take Photos of the Solar Eclipse

If the expected 5 million visitors were to leave the path of totality as soon as the eclipse ends, the ensuing traffic would be equivalent to 71 sold out football games ending all at once, according to a journal by the Institute of Transportation Engineers.

Where are people traveling?

Several eclipse chasers, like 62-year-old photographer Beth Hutter, told TIME that they were planning to travel to Texas because it has the lowest chance of cloud cover. “We didn't want to take a chance that the day of the eclipse it [would be] overcast and rainy,” said Hutter, who is traveling from Michigan to Kileen, Texas five days before the eclipse. “We made the mistake of trying to drive home the same day [for the 2017 eclipse]... So thankfully, because we're going to be right there, I don't think we're going to have to deal with the traffic nightmares that most people are going to have.”

Texas Department of Transportation media relations director Adam Hammons says that up to one million out-of-state visitors may be traveling to view the eclipse, in addition to the millions that already live in the state and will likely also be driving to different areas/cities.  

Hammons says the eclipse runs through I-35, which is a significant corridor in the state that traverses through small towns as well as larger metro areas like Austin, Dallas, and Fort Worth. “It really goes through a large portion of Texas,” he says. “There’s going to be some possible significant delays on these major corridors and/or farm roads…Give yourself extra travel time. Plan ahead your trip, plan your route,” Drivetexas.org, a website that shares real-time traffic updates, could be helpful in deciding which way to go. 

Regardless of where you choose to see the eclipse, Hammons says it's important to have a safe, designated place to park and enjoy the experience—as long as it's off the shoulder of the highway.

Read More : Here’s What Determines How Long the Total Eclipse Will Last in Your Location

Other states like Arkansas, which has a population of some 3 million people , could see anywhere from 300,000 to 1.5 million visitors. (State officials have cited varying estimates .) The most extreme traffic will be seen along AR Highway 70 to Benton, AR Highway 65 from Conway to Greenbrier, and more. "There’s no doubt our Interstates and highways could be tested," Arkansas Department of Transportation Director Lorie H. Tudor told TIME in a statement, "but we have put forth our best planning efforts and we are cautiously optimistic that we are as prepared as possible to address any foreseeable issues that may arise."

New York is another state expecting a high volume of visitors and traffic. Many residents and out-of-state visitors will be traveling to the western and northern regions of the state, with Niagara Falls being an area of high interest. "We are expecting as many as a million people to come to Erie County solely for the eclipse," says Peter Anderson, press secretary for the Erie County executive, where Niagara Falls is based. According to data collected by Priceline and shared with TIME, Buffalo, New York has the second highest average airfare price compared to the travel cost to seven cities along the path of totality— including Dallas, Indianapolis, and Cleveland—at $999, and the most expensive average nightly hotel room cost among those cities listed at $476.

Still, for many of the eclipse watchers, braving bad traffic will be worth it. “It's just one of those things where you just realize your place in the world, and how small you are in comparison to the rest of the universe,” says Hutter. “The world just kind of stops.”

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Total solar eclipse April 8, 2024 facts: Path, time and the best places to view

In the U.S., 31 million people already live inside the path of totality.

Scroll down to see the list of U.S. cities where the April 8 total solar eclipse will be visible, the duration of the eclipse in those locations and what time totality will begin, according to GreatAmericanEclipse.com .

"Eclipse Across America," will air live Monday, April 8, beginning at 2 p.m. ET on ABC, ABC News Live, National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Disney+ and Hulu as well as network social media platforms.

On April 8, 2024, a historic total solar eclipse will cast a shadow over parts of the United States, prompting a mass travel event to the path of totality -- from Texas to Maine and several states and cities in between.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth and, for a short time, completely blocks the face of the sun, according to NASA .

The track of the moon's shadow across Earth's surface is called the path of totality, and to witness the April 8 total solar eclipse, viewers must be within the 115-mile-wide path. To discover when to see the solar eclipse in totality or the partial eclipse in locations across the U.S. outside of the path, check out NASA's Eclipse Explorer tool .

Eclipse travel

In the U.S., 31 million people already live inside the path of totality, bringing the celestial phenomenon to their doorsteps, Michael Zeiler, expert solar eclipse cartographer at GreatAmericanEclipse.com told ABC News.

MORE: Eclipse glasses: What to know to keep your eyes safe

But for individuals outside of the path, investing time and money are needed to experience the event in totality.

Eclipse chasers, or umbraphiles, are individuals who will do almost anything, and travel almost anywhere, to see totality, according to the American Astronomical Society .

"There's a very active community of solar eclipse chasers and we will go to any reasonable lengths to see solar eclipses anywhere in the world," Zeiler said. "All of us are united in pursuing the unimaginable beauty of a total solar eclipse."

MORE: The surprising reason why a Texas county issued a disaster declaration ahead of April total solar eclipse

Bringing together both eclipse experts and novice sky watchers, the total solar eclipse on April 8 is projected to be the U.S.'s largest mass travel event in 2024, according to Zeiler, who likened it to "50 simultaneous Super Bowls across the nation."

"When you look at the number of people expected to come to the path of totality for the solar eclipse, we estimate those numbers are roughly the equivalent of 50 simultaneous Super Bowls across the nation, from Texas to Maine," he said.

Eclipse map, path of totality

In the U.S., the path of totality begins in Texas and will travel through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Small parts of Tennessee and Michigan will also experience the total solar eclipse, according to NASA.

Best times, places to view eclipse

Below is a list of some American cities where the April 8 total solar eclipse will be most visible -- pending weather forecasts -- the duration of the eclipse in those locations and what time totality will begin, according to GreatAmericanEclipse.com.

• Eagle Pass, Texas, 1:27 p.m. CDT: 4 minutes, 23 seconds
• Uvalde, Texas, 1:29 p.m. CDT: 4 minutes, 16 seconds
• Kerrville, Texas, 1:32 p.m. CDT: 4 minutes, 23 seconds
• Austin, Texas, 1:36 p.m. CDT: 1 minute, 53 seconds
• Killeen, Texas, 1:36 p.m. CDT: 4 minutes, 17 seconds
• Fort Worth, Texas, 1:40 p.m. CDT: 2 minutes, 34 seconds
• Dallas, Texas, 1:40 p.m. CDT: 3 minutes, 47 seconds
• Little Rock, Arkansas, 1:51 p.m. CDT: 2 minutes, 33 seconds
• Jonesboro, Arkansas, 1:55 p.m. CDT: 2 minutes, 24 seconds
• Poplar Bluff, Arkansas, 1:56 p.m. CDT: 4 minutes, 8 seconds
• Cape Girardeau, Missouri, 1:58 p.m. CDT: 4 minutes, 6 seconds
• Carbondale, Illinois, 1:59 p.m. CDT: 4 minutes, 8 seconds
• Mount Vernon, Illinois, 2:00 p.m. CDT: 3 minutes, 40 seconds
• Evansville, Indiana, 2:02 p.m. CDT: 3 minutes, 2 seconds
• Terre Haute, Indiana, 3:04 p.m. EDT: 2 minutes, 57 seconds
• Indianapolis, Indiana, 3:06 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 46 seconds
• Dayton, Ohio, 3:09 p.m. EDT: 2 minutes, 46 seconds
• Wapakoneta, Ohio, 3:09 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 55 seconds
• Toledo, Ohio, 3:12 p.m. EDT: 1 minute, 54 seconds
• Cleveland, Ohio, 3:13 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 50 seconds

Pennsylvania

• Erie, Pennsylvania, 3:16 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 43 seconds
• Buffalo, New York, 3:18 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 45 seconds
• Rochester, New York, 3:20 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 40 seconds
• Syracuse, New York, 3:23 p.m. EDT: 1 minute, 26 seconds
• Burlington, Vermont, 3:26 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 14 seconds
• Island Falls, Maine, 3:31 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 20 seconds
• Presque Island, Maine, 3:32 p.m. EDT: 2 minutes, 47 seconds

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How strong is a 4.8 earthquake? Quake magnitudes explained.

The 4.8 magnitude earthquake that struck New Jersey Friday generated shaking that could be felt from Washington, D.C. to north of Boston.

About 55 earthquakes a day – 20,000 a year – are recorded by the National Earthquake Information Center . Most are tiny and barely noticed by people living where they happen. Click here to see the USDA shake map for the most recent earthquakes.

Worldwide there are on average about 16 major earthquakes in any given year, 15 in the magnitude 7.0 range and one 8.0 or greater, according to records going back to 1900.

The United States typically has around 63 earthquakes of between magnitude 5.0 and 5.9 each year, according to USGS , about five between 6.0 and 6.9 and less than one between 7.0 and 7.9.

A major 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan on Wednesday morning , killing 9 people and injuring over 1,000. The strongest earthquake there in a quarter century was followed by a series of aftershocks, reaching up to 6.4 magnitude.

More earthquakes are being recorded around the globe, but that doesn’t mean there are more earthquakes happening , according to the US Geological Survey. Instead, it’s because there are more measurement devices, called seismometers that record vibrations, which have been deployed in more places.

Earthquakes are a natural part of life on Earth, a geologically active planet , with seven major tectonic plates. These are continent-sized slabs of rock that glide over the planet’s mantle, constantly but very slowly reshaping the Earth’s landscape.

What does magnitude mean in an earthquake?

Magnitude is a measurement of the strength of an earthquake . Officially it's called the Moment Magnitude Scale . It's a logarithmic scale , meaning each number is ten times as strong as the one before it. So a 5.2 earthquake is moderate while a 6.2 is strong.

The magnitude and effect of an earthquake, according to Michigan Technological University :

• Below 2.5: Generally not felt
• 2.5 to 5.4: Minor or no damage
• 5.5 to 6.0: Slight damage to buildings
• 6.1 to 6.9: Serious damage
• 8.0 or greater: Massive damage, can totally destroy communities

Intensity scales, measured in Roman numerals, are used to describe how strong the earthquake felt to people in the area.

According to the California Earthquake Authority , an intensity of I is typically felt only under especially favorable conditions. A IV, which leads to light shaking, is felt indoors by many, but not typically outdoors. It might awaken some people at night and lead to a senation like a truck striking a building. A parked car would rock. Intensities VI and above would be strong, frightening and felt by all, with the damage increasing up to a X where the shaking would be violent. Some well-built wooden structures would be destroyed and most masonry and frame structures along with their foundations would be ruined.

While you might have heard the term " the Richter Scale " used to describe earthquakes, it is no longer commonly used because it was only valid for certain earthquake frequencies and distance ranges.

Why does an earthquake's depth matter?

Magnitude measures how strong a quake is. That said, how much the ground shakes depends on an earthquake's intensity, which in turn depends on two things: how far away the actual site of the temblor was and what kind of soil it occurs in.

This is why an earthquake's depth is often given. The epicenter of the Northridge earthquake in Los Angeles in 1994 was in the San Fernando Valley, the point where the quake was strongest. But the hypocenter , the location where the quake actually occurred, was more than 11 miles underground. If it had been closer to the surface the 6.7 magnitude quake would have been even more devastating.

The type of ground matters too. Bedrock shakes least, sand and gravel as much as two times more and mud and landfill as much as five times more, a major factor in why some areas of San Francisco suffered more than others in the Loma Prieta quake of 1989 .

Why real earthquakes aren't like in the movies

Though movies like San Andreas and Earthquake show enormous entire coastlines dropping off into the ocean, it's not going to happen.

According to the US Geological Service, while a "mega-quake with a magnitude of 10 or larger is theoretically possible, it's very unlikely .

The magnitude of an earthquake magnitude depends in part on how long the geological fault it occurs on is. Longer faults result in stronger earthquakes.

There are no known faults capable of generating a magnitude 10 or larger. The San Andreas fault of movie fame couldn't produce a quake larger than about 8.3 given its length, according to USGS.

The largest earthquake in US history was the 1964 Good Friday quake in Alaska , a 9.2 magnitude quake which killed 131 people. It lasted four and a half minutes and ran along the Aleutian fault.

What's the chance of an aftershock?

Any time there's an earthquake, one concern is that it was merely a foreshock to a bigger quake that's coming.

Globally, the probability one earthquake will be followed by a large earthquake within 3 days is somewhere just over 6%, according to USGS .

That means whenever there's an earthquake, there's about a 94% chance that it wasn't a foreshock and there won't be any more quakes linked to it.

The numbers are a little different for California, which is very seismically active. There, about half of the biggest earthquakes were preceded by foreshocks, according to USGS. But that means half were not.

Unfortunately, it's impossible to know if any one quake is a foreshock.

Aftershocks  are defined as smaller earthquakes that happen in days after a larger quake. As USGS puts it, they represent "minor readjustments along the portion of a fault that slipped at the time of the mainshock."