Private, Custom Tours in and around San Francisco and Northern California

Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel provides private, custom tours in and around San Francisco, wine country, Muir Woods and Sausalito, Monterey and Carmel, the California coast, and other destinations in Northern California. Each tour is customized to your interests so you go where you want to go!

Below are some sample tours. Attractions can be added and subtracted so you see the sights that are of interest to you. For more information and for rate details, visit the Blue Heron website.

San Francisco Highlights: This 3.5 hour tour of San Francisco is perfect for first-time visitors. We will take you to those sights that have made San Francisco everyone's favorite city: North Beach, Chinatown, Golden Gate Park, Sea Cliff, Twin Peaks, the Crookedest Street in The World (Lombard Street), the Golden Gate Bridge, and Fisherman's Wharf. Remember, with Blue Heron, you can add and subtract destinations depending on your interests and schedule. Also remember that the big vans and buses cannot take you to Lombard Street, Coit Tower in North Beach, Sea Cliff, and all of the Presidio.

More of San Francisco: Already seen the places on your must-do list? Here's a 3.5 hour tour to many other great spots in San Francisco. We'll visit the Mission District with its beautiful murals and the lovely Mission Dolores, the mansions of Pacific Heights, the Presidio, Sutro Heights and Baths, the Palace of Fine Arts, and the Marin Headlands with stunning views of San Francisco. If you've been to San Francisco before, but not had a chance to see the entire city, we'll customize this trip to take you to places that you have not seen before or back to those sights that you have been longing to see again.

Hidden Vineyards: Looking for a peaceful day touring Wine Country? Then let's spend a day visiting beautiful wineries in the Dry Creek, Russian River, and Alexander Valleys. Some of our best wines are made in these appellations and they are not as crowded as other parts of Wine Country. The small town of Healdsburg has a charming town square where you can have lunch outside, go shopping, or pick up supplies for a picnic at one of the nearby wineries.

Beautiful Napa and Sonoma: Visit the world renowned Napa and Sonoma Valleys. These regions produce some of the world's best wine. Combine a day of tasting wine with lunch at one of the many excellent restaurants in the area. Spend some time strolling through beautiful St. Helena or around Sonoma's historic town square.

A Taste of Wine Country: If you do not have a full day to spend in Wine Country, this 4.5 hour tour is perfect for you. Visit the lovely Carneros region at the top of San Francisco Bay, where some of America's best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are grown. Carneros is home to makers of wonderful still and sparkling wines and you will taste wine at a minimum of two wineries.

Those Magnificent Redwoods: Want to get away from the hustle-bustle of the big city? Spend a half-day visiting the ancient redwood trees of Muir Woods, the hillside village of Sausalito, and the stunning Marin Headlands. Again, Blue Heron can tailor this tour in any way you like.

Point Reyes Ramblings: Spend a day in West Marin County. Walk along the San Andreas Fault and see how it moved in the great 1906 Earthquake. Enter a recreated Miwok village. Climb down 10 stories of stairs to see a beautiful lighthouse perched on a bluff overlooking the Pacific (limited hours). In the spring, see fields of beautiful wildflowers. Look for migrating whales. Visit the other North and South Beaches, where waves pound beautiful sandy beaches. See the nearby small towns of Point Reyes Station, Inverness, and Olema, where you can get a great lunch or pick up supplies for a picnic.

Journey to Monterey: Visit the beautiful oceanside communities of Monterey, Carmel, and Pacific Grove. A drive along the 17-Mile Drive, with its scenic ocean views and the famed Pebble Beach Golf Course, is a must. You can also stroll down John Steinbeck's Cannery Row, the home of the fantastic Monterey Bay Aquarium and of old sardine canneries that have been converted into shopping centers. Take a walk back in time through the old Spanish mission in Carmel. Wander through the charming streets of Carmel and lunch at one of the village's many wonderful restaurants.

(Photos courtesy of SFCVB.)