optional tours   

   
 








  

optional tours for congress registrants and accompanying persons

Sign up for any of these tours when you register, or if you have registered you may modify your original registration by going to the registration page. Please note that you will not be able to register for these activities on site — you must do it now as we have to meet a minimum size for each tour before the congress starts.

wine country tour | city tour | Alcatraz tour | Muir Woods and Sausalito | Chinatown tour | bicycle tour

World Famous California Wine Country Tour

Sat. 7/7

9:00am-5:00pm

$127

Tour length: 6 hours
Minimum: 40 guests (Minimum: numbers must be met to avoid tour cancellation)

Guests will be offered a taste of the premiere wine country of California, the Sonoma Valley. The first stop will be at a sparkling winery, Domaine Carneros, built in the style of an 18th century French chateau and renowned for its deep-set traditions, is owned by French champagne giant, Tattinger. Domaine Carneros is the only sparkling wine producer using grapes exclusively grown in the Carneros region. Tours cover the complete Method Champenoise process and conclude in the tasting salon, with generous samples of their non-vintage brut, which can be sipped on the terrace.

The second stop may be at Viansa, the leading producer of Italian varietal wines. Located on a hilltop above the Sonoma Valley, the Tuscan-inspired architecture and landscaping of this unique winery provides an elegant, yet comfortable, atmosphere for savoring extraordinary wines and foods. We begin with a tour of the winemaking cave and continue with a comprehensive wine tasting in the hilltop villa. In the tasting room you will learn the differences between chardonnay, merlot, pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon, as well as the process of making wine from the grape picking, to the crushing and bottling.  

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city tour with lunch

Sun. 7/8

9:00am-2:00pm

$90

Mon. 7/9

9:00am-2:00pm

$90

Tour length: 5 hours
Minimum: 40 guests (Minimum: numbers must be met to avoid tour cancellation)

San Francisco is one of the world's most charismatic and cosmopolitan cities. Her world-famous landmarks and her hidden treasures are the highlights of this fascinating tour. Spectacular scenery, the city's diverse cultures, and a wild and colorful past are brought to life through the dynamic narration of our knowledgeable guides. Sights visited may include: Golden Gate Bridge and Vista Point, The Cliff House Restaurant, Ocean Beach, Golden Gate Park, the Japanese Tea Garden, Twin Peaks, Victorian Neighborhoods, Fisherman's Wharf, North Beach, Chinatown, and Union Square. Lunch will follow the tour at the popular Pier 39, a festival marketplace with more than 110 stores, fun-filled attractions and of course, sea lions!

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Alcatraz Island Tour

Tue. 7/10

9:00am-1:00pm

$51

Tour length: 4 hours
Minimum: 40 guests (Minimum: numbers must be met to avoid tour cancellation)
* You must cancel this tour reservation by 5/11/2007 to avoid a penalty charge

Capone and Robert Stround (The Birdman), Alcatraz Island sits in the middle of the San Francisco Bay. Designed to take in the magnificent view of San Francisco, prisoners longed for what they had lost. This long off-limits home to the first lighthouse and U.S. fort on the West Coast is now open for tours that showcase everything from the cells of well-known captives to the natural side of "The Rock" - gardens, tide pools and bird colonies. The tour also includes the award-winning audio headset guided tour. Please wear a warm jacket and walking shoes.

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Muir Woods and Sausalito with lunch

Tue. 7/10

9:00am-2:00pm

$92

Wed. 7/11

9:00am-2:00pm

$92

Tour length: 5 hours
Minimum: 21 guests (Minimum: numbers must be met to avoid tour cancellation)

Venturing beyond the golden city of San Francisco, there lays a combination of lush vegetation, majestic wooded areas, hill-covered havens and rugged coastline. The scenic beauty that is Northern California is best represented in Marin County. Not only is Marin County one of the most affluent counties in the United States, Marin is home to a grove of ancient, mighty, giant redwoods. Muir Woods National Monument is a 550-acre preserve of old growth coastal redwoods, some dating back over 1,000 years. In the midst of these grand trees, one feels the hushed reverence and spirituality of being in an ancient church. Guests will be spellbound as they wander through Northern California’s grandest “natural” cathedral. Following the stop at Muir Woods, you will be whisked to the quaint town of Sausalito, nestled on the north side of San Francisco Bay. With its Mediterranean flair and warm sunny atmosphere, Sausalito is a delightful place to stroll along the water or down charming little streets, stop at one of the many open-air cafes or shop in its unique shops.

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culinary, historical & ancient Chinatown

Tue. 7/10

9:30am-2:00pm

$120

Tour length: 4.5 hours
Minimum: 20 guests (Minimum: numbers must be met to avoid tour cancellation)

Welcome to America’s largest Chinatown, a city-within a city, and one of San Francisco’s best- loved destinations. Despite streets crowded with tourists, Chinatown remains a residential area, where the largest Chinese community outside of Asia has made its home for 140 years. Under the glass and steel of downtown San Francisco, lies a mysterious and colorful doorway to the East. Today, you will travel to the heart of San Francisco’s Chinatown, for fascinating close-up look at the unique culture, cuisine, and architecture. The walk will begin at the elaborate Chinatown Gates on Grant Avenue at Bush Street. Grant Avenue is the oldest street in San Francisco, and the main tourist thoroughfare. This vibrant and exciting street is littered with souvenir shops, restaurants, and ornate red, green and gold Chinese lamp posts. The unique cultural and historical heritage will be emphasized as you are guided through a labyrinthine array of exotic food markets, colorful shops, temples, museums, restaurants and Chinese business institutions. Your guides today are intimately acquainted with all of Chinatown's back alleys and small enterprises, which are generally known only to those who live here. You'll learn about dim sum (a "delight of the heart") and the Chinese tea ceremony, meet a Chinese herbalist, stop at a pastry shop, watch the famous Chinese artist Y.K. Lau do his delicate brush painting, learn about jook (a traditional Chinese breakfast), and visit a Chinese produce market. You'll also learn about the very unusual vegetables you may never identify at lunch! Stops may also be made at a fortune cookie factory, an herb shop, the Chinese Cultural Center, and a special teashop, as well as authentic Asian markets and Wok Shops. The walk will conclude at a fabulous restaurant located in the heart of Chinatown where you will enjoy a Chinese feast!

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bicycle tour with lunch

Wed. 7/11

8:00am-12:00pm

$145

Tour length: 4 hours
Minimum: 20 guests (Minimum: numbers must be met to avoid tour cancellation)

Imagine the thrill of riding a bike across the Golden Gate Bridge. Most natives haven’t even walked it! The Golden Gate Bridge was opened in 1937. It is a tribute to engineer Joseph B. Strauss who refused to accept the opinion that bridging the Gate was impossible because of the swift tides. Your ride will begin at Aquatic Park. Even on those foggy and windswept days, it is well-protected and a great place to snap photos of the Bridge with the Bay and Alcatraz in the background. Then you'll be challenged by a small uphill climb to Fort Mason and the Great Meadow. Then it is downhill and smooth sailing all the way to the Marina Green, where there are over three miles trails in one of the world’s most scenic urban settings - the Golden Gate Promenade. Among the pleasant surprises along this portion of the trail is the city’s favorite viewing site just west of the St. Francis Yacht Club. From there, you can gaze out towards the Marin Headlands and the Golden Gate. Next, move on to historic Fort Point, where the Bay waters crash against the sea wall. You can watch the water rushing in two-to-seven foot swells while surfers try to tame the surging waves. From there it is only another short uphill climb to the Golden Gate Bridge itself. After a short safety lecture by your guide on the sensation of bridge riding, it is off and away to sunny Marin County. You will ride under the bridge, past the Coast Guard station, through an old military compound and eventually to our destination - Sausalito. Once in Sausalito, you will be given gourmet box lunches and drinks and then board a ferry for the ride back to San Francisco!

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