West Coast Cities: San Francisco, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, 6 Nights

A shared shuttle brings you in from the airport to your accommodation. After a long flight from India, keep the first evening simple and close by: a walk down to the Embarcadero and the Ferry Building, or up through Chinatown, the oldest in North America, for dinner. San Francisco is cooler than most visitors expect, even in summer, when fog often rolls in by late afternoon, so pack a warm layer for the evenings.

Breakfast, then a shared guided loop of the city. It usually takes in the Golden Gate Bridge viewpoints, the Palace of Fine Arts, the crooked block of Lombard Street and the summit of Twin Peaks, then passes Union Square, Nob Hill and the Civic Center. The afternoon is yours. Ride a cable car down to Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39, where sea lions often haul out on the floating docks. Alcatraz is well worth adding, but tickets often sell out, so book ahead.

An early check-out and a short flight east over the Sierra Nevada to Las Vegas, where a transfer takes you to your accommodation. Las Vegas is room-only, so breakfast is at one of the many cafes and buffets. The shared city tour runs in the evening, when the city makes sense: the Bellagio fountains dancing to music, the old downtown with the vaulted light show over Fremont Street, and the observation tower at The STRAT high above the Strip.

No plans are fixed today. The most popular extra is a coach day to the Grand Canyon West Rim on Hualapai land, a long drive each way across the Mojave, with the glass-floored Skywalk jutting out over the canyon; helicopter and small-plane versions exist too. Staying in town, the free shows along the Strip, the gardens inside the Bellagio conservatory and a helicopter flight over the lights after dark are all easy to arrange when you book.

Fly across the desert to Los Angeles and settle into your accommodation. In the evening a shared tour drives through the city when its lights are on: Hollywood Boulevard and the stars of the Walk of Fame, the handprints outside the Chinese Theatre, the Sunset Strip, and the mansions and boutiques of Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive. The evening tour operates on selected days of the week, so we fix your arrival day or move the tour to suit.

Breakfast, then make your own way to Universal Studios Hollywood; the Metro B Line stops at Universal City/Studio City, or a taxi takes you straight to the gates. The park is both a set of rides and a working film studio, and the backlot tram through real sets is the part most visitors remember. Arrive near opening and do the popular rides first. A private transfer to and from the park can be added if you prefer.

Breakfast and check-out, then a shared shuttle to the airport for your flight home or onwards. LAX is one of the busiest airports in the world and the roads around it are slow, so allow generous time. With a late flight, Santa Monica's pier and beach are the classic last stop, twenty-odd minutes away when traffic is light.