Amtrak Vacations
America Coast to Coast - DC to San Francisco
Amtrak coast-to-coast rail journey from Washington DC to San Francisco
9 daysfrom $1,049
33% rail
Amtrak Vacations · Independent rail vacation
California Zephyr and Rocky Mountains Discovery Eastbound
Nine-day California Zephyr trip eastbound, San Francisco to Chicago
Amtrak Vacations runs this nine-day, eight-night rail trip eastbound on the California Zephyr, starting in San Francisco and finishing in Chicago, with a two-night stop in Denver along the way. Two nights in San Francisco open the trip with a hop-on, hop-off tour covering 27 stops, before an overnight aboard the Zephyr carries the trip to Denver. Denver adds a small-group day tour of Rocky Mountain National Park with a picnic lunch and photo stops, and a second overnight segment continues on to Chicago, where the trip closes with Skydeck admission and a 14-stop hop-on, hop-off bus tour. Because two of the eight nights are spent in coach seating on the train rather than a hotel, and much of the daytime schedule in each city is left free, this suits travelers who want a lower-cost, self-paced introduction to the California Zephyr route without a private sleeper cabin.
What to know before you look closer
- Two of the eight included nights (days 3 and 6) are spent overnight in Amtrak coach seating aboard the California Zephyr, not a sleeper cabin; the evidence does not mention a roomette or sleeping car upgrade.
- The Rocky Mountain National Park tour is described as seasonal, with a combined city and mountain-parks tour offered in the off season, but the evidence does not say which months fall into each.
- The 18 accommodation options span a range of tiers and cities, from the Warwick Denver Hotel to the Fairmont San Francisco; your actual hotel depends on the tier you choose.
Day by day
- Day 1overnight: San Francisco, CA
Your Journey Begins in San Francisco
Welcome to beautiful San Francisco! Today the day will be spent traveling on your own. Check in to your hotel and begin exploring this City by the Bay.
- Day 2overnight: San Francisco, CA
San Francisco, CA
Today will be a day packed with sightseeing with a hop-on, hop-off sightseeing tour that will take you to all of San Francisco's most popular attractions, including the Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate Park, the Japanese Tea Garden, Fisherman's Wharf, Union Square, Haight Ashbury, the Palace of Fine Arts, and so much more! Feel free to hop on and off at any of the 27 featured stops to discover the city at your own leisure.
- Day 3overnight: Onboard Amtrak (California Zephyr®)
Overnight Onboard Amtrak
Continue your journey eastbound onboard Amtrak toward Denver.
- Day 4overnight: Denver, CO
Denver, CO
When you arrive in the "Mile High City" of Denver, Colorado, check into your hotel. The remainder of the day and evening is yours to explore on your own. Visit Red Rocks Park, the Denver Art Museum, the Denver Zoo, and so much more!
- Day 5overnight: Denver, CO
Denver, CO
Experience the majestic splendor of the Rocky Mountains on a small group day tour of Rocky Mountain National Park. Enjoy an included picnic lunch and several photo opportunities before heading back to your hotel for the evening.
- Day 6overnight: Onboard Amtrak (California Zephyr®)
Overnight Onboard Amtrak
Continue your journey eastbound onboard Amtrak toward Chicago.
- Day 7overnight: Chicago, IL
Chicago, IL
Welcome to Chicago! After you check into your hotel, the entire rest of the day and evening is yours to explore on your own. Make sure to visit the Skydeck with your included admission.
- Day 8overnight: Chicago, IL
Chicago, IL
Spend today discovering the most popular attractions throughout the city with your included hop-on, hop-off Big Bus sightseeing tour. Enjoy 14 different stops, including the iconic Centennial Wheel on the Navy Pier, Millennium Park, John Hancock Tower, Magnificent Mile, and so much more!
- Day 9
Your Journey Ends in Chicago
The moments this trip is built around
- Day 2A hop-on, hop-off sightseeing tour of San Francisco with 27 stops, including the Golden Gate Bridge and Fisherman's Wharf.
- Day 5A small-group day tour of Rocky Mountain National Park with an included picnic lunch and photo opportunities.
- Day 7Arrival in Chicago with included admission to the Skydeck.
- Day 8A hop-on, hop-off tour of Chicago with 14 stops, including the Centennial Wheel on Navy Pier.
Included
- One-way Amtrak® in Coach accommodations from San Francisco to Denver; Denver to Chicago on the California Zephyr®
- 6 nights' hotel accommodations
Questions travellers ask
- Is train travel included?
- Yes, one-way Amtrak Zephyr travel in coach class from San Francisco to Denver to Chicago, including two overnight segments.
- Is it escorted or independent?
- Independent, with hop-on, hop-off tours in San Francisco and Chicago plus a small-group Rocky Mountain National Park tour as the guided pieces; other time is free.
- Which train is used?
- The California Zephyr, in coach class, for the whole San Francisco to Denver to Chicago route.
- Is there an overnight on the train?
- Yes, two nights: day 3 (San Francisco to Denver) and day 6 (Denver to Chicago), in coach seating rather than a sleeper cabin.
- What hotels are used?
- 18 options across San Francisco, Denver, and Chicago, including the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Denver and the Fairmont San Francisco.
- What will I see along the way?
- The Golden Gate Bridge and Fisherman's Wharf on the San Francisco tour, Rocky Mountain National Park with photo opportunities, and Chicago's Skydeck and Navy Pier.
