My wife and I participated in a weeklong bike tour of Nova Scotia. The trip was well organized and…read moreour guides were friendly, supportive and made the experience so much better. Biking: flexible routes and there were both e-bikes and standard bike riders in our group. The GPS made it easy to navigate. Very scenic routes and mostly in low traffic areas. Accommodations: All three hotels were different but excellent. Convenient locations close to places of interest. Meals: group dinners were all amazing quality with options including vegetarian. The guides provided really good lunches and there was an endless supply of snacks. This trip exceeded my expectations and I look forward to riding with Backroads again.

I have had nothing but great experiences with Backroads throughout my past 5 experiences with them…read more This highly anticipated hike in Yosemite did not meet my expectations right from the start. Other trips included guest numbers of between 9-11 with 2 guides and one support guide. This trip had 19 with the same ratio of a team. Pretty forgivable until you factored in there were only 2 vans with 21 of us crammed during each of the long distances between each hotel and hike. The longest drive was, as expected, between our San Francisco meet-up for the 4 hour drive to the park. Two vans made for a very squished drive for many of us. The first hotel, a one-night stay, found us in a parking lot facing room. For the $$$ Backroads costs, I expect more than the cheapest view in the hotel. I expect a room with a view. I wouldn't book a room on my own without a view, and I expected more on our first night. Our first night Backroads reception, something that is a tradition and combines meeting our fellow hikers with an included cocktail and nice dinner, did not happen. We were led to a lonely back room of the hotel. Here, dressed in our finery, we waited to be greeted with an offering of a cocktail. Instead, set up in the corner of this dank room was a server with a few bottles of wine. Confused, a few of us went to the bar and purchased our own drinks. Those who wanted a second glass of wine you were out of luck because the server closed up shop before one had a chance to ask. Our guides arrived and began to stumble through an explanation as to why we weren't having our dinners inside of the hotel: something to do with the hotel confusing our Backroads trip with another Backroads trip that is also on property. The bottom line was that the hotel could not accommodate our dinner choices. We were cordially invited to join the barbecue that was taking place for the Backroads biker group. We traipsed around the chilly outside of the hotel in our finery, down to a picnic area set up with picnic tables, a buffet, and a lot of families with their children running around having a grand time. We were instructed to pick up a tin tray with a paper plate and begin our choosing from the tables of food. Basically, we were met with the leavings of the previous Backroads barbecue. No freshly stocked trays. The hamburger/hot dog tray held at least an inch of grease with a few sad looking hot dogs and hamburgers. The salads were picked over. The dessert tray held toppled over dregs of cakes. My husband, who typically goes with the flow, was even more shocked than me. We took ourselves to the hotel restaurant, with its very ample available seating, and bought our own drinks and dinner. It was great. My issue is this: this option of dining in the restaurant instead of the barbecue was not offered. It should have been. This isn't a low brow touring company. The extra cost of their guests dining independently should have been eaten by Backroads. Not on us. The next day, not a word was mentioned by the guides about the previous night's fiasco. I spoke to the support guide about it on my own. She was stunned to learn about the whole affair as she was not present for it. She must have spoken to the guides about it because, later on, the guides brought it up with apologies. Yet, no mention was made of reimbursement of our dinner. The remainder of the trip was Backroads great. The guides are always tip-top, the variety of snacks are set up with flare, the park hotels are always special. The Yosemite hikes are spectacular. I contacted Backroads via email two times about my issues. I have never had to complain about their trips, but I felt that there is a discernible slip in the quality of their product. I asked to be called via phone so that I could have a dialogue with someone. I never received a call. Instead, all of us on the group received an email apologizing for the terrible first night's confusion, and we are offered a $250. credit good for two years towards a future Backroads trip. I am not finding this an acceptable peace offering. Actually, I would have preferred my reimbursement of $200. that we spent on our first night's dinner and a phone call. We have paid in full for another Backroads trip coming up on September. This will be the make-or-break for us. I think that had we not paid for this trip, we would be looking for a different tour group. There were enough small signs that show a slip in service and a cut in costs. I spoke to many of us on this trip, some experienced Backroaders and some brand new. There was a noticeable disgruntled atmosphere regarding the tight vans. One guest told me she ate only a baked potato at the barbecue. Another told me she ate one sausage. Many keep their disappointments to themselves. I asked around. Backroads needs to step up to the plate to ensure a better product in the future.

This is a really fun tour of San Francisco and there's a Berkely tour! She is a great story teller,…read morehas done her research, and has experienced paranormal activity herself! The stories are true and the experiences are real! Bring a flashlight and your ghost hunting gear! I have been on the SF tour many times, so far my favorite experience is the Marine that refused to go into a famously haunted area.

Extremely entertaining and spooky! We really enjoyed learning about places on and around campus,…read moreand exploring haunted buildings. Ying has so much knowledge and has really done her research, so by the time you're done, even skeptics may find their minds have opened just a bit. I appreciated hearing about Ying's own journey from simply documenting others to experiencing phenomena herself. Highly recommended!

This is to provide a "heads-up" for what to expect from the Telegraph Berkeley Historical Walking…read moreTour. This is also to supplement the Walking Tour, in case some of the more interesting points were missed. I doubt if this Walking Tour includes any of the really important things about Berkeley, such as Melvin Calvin's discovery of the Calvin Cycle, or the discoveries relating to vitamin B12 by Horace Barker, or the discovery by Gilbert Lewis of the covalent bond and his concept of electron pairs. Instead, the Walking Tour is more likely to disclose: (1) Anti-war demonstrations and riots; (2) Free Speech Movement; and (3) Curiosities, such as People's Park, Holy Hubert (evangelist), Pink Cloud (Berkeley Barb salesman), Pravda, the Hate Man, Stoney Burke (performs political comedy), and the successful and famous poet, Julia "Bubble Lady" Vinograd. And so, to prepare yourself for the Walking Tour, I suggest buying a copy of BLESS YOUR DIRTY HEART by Hubert Lindsey, a.k.a., Holy Hubert, and by buying two or three poetry books by Julia Vinograd. I suggest, CANNIBAL CASSEROLE to start out with. MY PHOTOGRAPHS. I took these photographs in the years 1969 to 1971. During the time I was taking freshman chemistry in Latimer Hall, us students were faced with a tough decision. Should we open the windows and let the stinky smell of our chemicals go out the window, or should we keep the windows shut to keep out the stinky smell of the tear gas that the Berkeley police were shooting at the rioters. The day after the riots, I would go out and collect spent tear gas bombs. I have a tear gas bomb that was a rubber ball with a valve on top, and another tear gas bomb that was a blue-painted can made of thick metal, with holes in the can to let the gas come out. I washed the residual tear gas out of the bombs by flushing water over the spent tear gas bombs in the bathroom sink in PRIESTLY HALL dormitory. My photographs show: (1) Bluegrass trio in Sproul Plaza with a mandolin case where you donate money, and where the mandolin case has a sign reading, "KITTY." The term "Kitty" is sometimes used to refer to a place for putting spare change. (2) Also on Sproul Plaza, people playing trombone and clarinet. (3) Holy Hubert on Sproul Plaza. One of the signs reads, "Jesus Christ is coming again to judge this world, follow Christ here on earth. Be persecuted and go to heaven not hell. Another sign reads, "REPENT-REPENT-REPENT Communist Party USSR Communist Party Red China Communist Party U.S.A. Marx-Lenin-Maotsetung ALL 3 ATHEISTS. Bible says Atheist=Fools. I won't follow fools. (4) Riot police on Telegraph Ave. escorting boy to paddy wagon. (5) Sandwich board on Telegraph Avenue. Sign reads, LEOPOLD'S RECORDS New Stones Album $5.99. (6) Boy gets put into paddy wagon, on Telegraph Avenue. (7) Four rioters on Telegraph. One of them flips bird at me. (8) Protest against Nixon and bombs. I took this photo at entrance to U.C. Berkeley campus. (9) Hippie is glad that LBJ died. See headlines from Berkeley Daily Gazette that reads, "Washington Funeral For LBJ." The sign attached to the wooden post reads, "ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL . . . ALICE STEWART & SNAKE . . . June 23." Please note that Alice Stewart & Snake also performed with Big Brother and the Holding Company, at Bimbo's in 1972. (10) Happy gathering on Telegraph. (11) People's Park with Pravda in the nude, as usual. (12) People's Park with row of four friends. (13) Happy gathering on Telegraph, near La Fiesta Mexican Restaurant. You can see GARDEN SPOT MARKET next to La Fiesta. But me and my roommates called this place the GARBAGE SPOT.

I checked out this tour on a recent rainy Sunday and as a Berkeley native learned so much I never…read moreknew about our local history, specific to Telegraph Avenue, Cal as well as Berkeley in general! It's a great tour and I'd recommend it to residents and visitors alike. It's a free app to download and my friend and I each but an earbud in our ear and walked the tour together. Totally recommend!

For those looking for something truly unique to do in the bay area, I highly recommend this tour…read more I'm not going to try and butter this review up here. Let's be honest - I am not a farm person. I appreciate a good meal but am not one who normally spends much time worrying about where my food comes from. So I expected to be bored on this trip, frankly. Boy was I wrong. This trip blew my expectations away. It was a great mix of different farms and different ways of doing things, and I felt like a kid again on a super-fun field trip where you got to explore and touch and watch the makings of where your food comes from. The farmers were genuine, down-to-earth people and were serious farm-fresh foodies. We literally had meals prepared for us by the farmers right in front of us and they were SO DELICIOUS. I got to pick my own tomatoes right off the vine. I even learned about fruits and vegetables I'd never even heard of. Oh, did I mention I got to try them out, too? The environment was relaxed. The guides were very knowledgeable and interesting. And the design of the event was really mellow but well planned. Did I mention the views? These properties are just amazing. What awesome country to get to go hang out in. Between all the exploring, wine, food and learning, the day went by fast and I got to take in a ton of beautiful sites. This tour was a find. After having my parents visit the bay area regularly and running out of creative things to do with them, I know where I am taking them next. What a great and unique thing to do on your weekend.

My wife and I went on a tour that took us up to Russian River without knowing what to expect…read more We've always been interested in gardening and farming, but weren't aware of organic farms open to the public where one could organize a tour and really explore the nuts and bolts. Bay Area Green Tours really came through in this regard, and they arranged everything beautifully. The most memorable stop was a farm run by a restauranteur and chef, and they went all out on the tour. We picked our own fruits and vegetables and the chef prepared them in a gorgeous outdoor setting. Meeting the family that owned and operated the farm was eye opening and educational. For example, the farmer/chef explained that his warm-loving citrus trees do much better at higher altitude up his hill rather than at the base due to the downhill sliding effect of cold air. Good eats, great people, and very educational. Not a bad way to spend a weekend or two!

My friends and family have made Citycruises a Thanksgiving tradition 3 years running. Perfect…read moretiming for sunset on the bay, excellent food, super friendly staff and crew, fun dancing afterwards.

We recently hosted our Team Building event here, and I must say, this was by fair the best event…read morewe've held anywhere! Throughout the entire process, our event coordinators have helped out with ALL of our details and went above and beyond with accommodating all of our needs! They definitely exceeded our expectations! Julio was our event host that evening and was there to assist the our planning committee with everything we needed! The entire crew were amazing, especially Dorothy! She was so sweet and we enjoyed having conversations with her. We had 1 bar tender for the night and he was awesome with service, especially with 55 of us! The food was also surprisingly delicious! I was expecting a cold meal since we're on a boat but everything was cooked to perfection! We booked a photo booth and DJ through Horn Blower as well, and both vendors also exceeded our expectations!! Thank you Horn Blower team for making this a memorable experiencing for us and all of your patience with all of our little details and changes throughout the process!

THT was used as an intermediary when my university was booking a study abroad trip. I knew when…read morebooking through a third party that there was gonna be an up charge for tickets and I was okay with that. Later found out was charged nearly double the going rates for tickets on the exact same flight through the exact same airlines. THT Booked NONREFUNDABLE tickets for twice the price of what a refundable ticket on the same flight cost. Which did not include any transportation to the airport or from the airport. Only for the flight. When confronted Ms Lama, stated the tickets were nonrefundable and said their would be a cancelation fee, funny enough with the $250 cancellation fee and her $100 service fee, if I canceled and rebooked I still would've saved over $100. Furthermore Ms.Lama spelled multiple students names wrong on the initial reservation and had to be fixed and checked. She made reservations and called and texted multiple students demanding credit card payments that day or we would lose the reservation. Overall part of the blame is on me for not doing my diligence and looking at tickets myself, part of the blame on the university for going through such a shady business. - upon further conference with other people who went on different study abroad trips shared similar experience when dealing with THT and Ms.Lama. Nonetheless would never recommend this business whether if it's a trip to Bhutan or a Uber to the closet bar. Hundreds of better options when looking for travel agency's.

Third Eye Travel have been doing trios for me since the 1990s. Great service whether I am…read moretraveling to Nepal, Vietnam, Thailand or anyway. Thanks.​

Walt from Walt's Adventures adventuring at the Menagerie Hill Ranch in Vacaville, California…read more Life can be interpreted as more fulfilling when filled with adventures. It is wise to step outside your environment and, in the case of this current venture, go visit an Alpaca farm. The Menagerie Hill ranch has beautiful animals. The host was awesome and knowledgeable. We increased our knowledge of the animals and of the farm but also got to feed them. We also had the opportunities to get close and personal with them for pictures. They were all friendly and fluffy. I recommend this unique experience for all because if you do not just break your usual pattern to stop and smell the roses or to pet and feed an Alpaca, life will pass by before you know it. Put your life on pause just for a few hours and go see the Alpacas. They would like to share peace with you. You can find them at the Menagerie Hill Ranch

This was a memorable trip. We were originally slated to visit in late June before my birthday but…read moreboth Deb and Kirk were recovering from surgery. We stayed in touch over the next several weeks before settling on an August date. We braved the high temps and winding roads to arrive at the ranch. It's a beautiful space on a hillside and you can see the herd and their guardian llama as you pull into the parking lot. We learned a lot about the alpaca life cycle, fed the boys, and my daughter got to hold and carry a cria. We bought two cute alpaca shaped soaps. I didn't experience any of the negativity others have complained about. It is a working ranch so it's not a petting zoo or a tourist attraction. Go with the flow and you'll have a great experience.

Our little Family of 4 booked a trip with Dylan's Tour. Not fully knowing what it would be like we…read morewere excited nonetheless. We met at Fisherman's Wharf and our tour guide was Jules. He thoroughly explained to us what we'd see, how long it'd take etc. Let me tell you... Jules knows San Francisco inside and out. We were really happy to see things that on our own would've missed. He took us to some very iconic spots and some of the views were just amazing. The scenery. The bridge. Muir Woods. All stunning. If you're skeptical about taking a tour, do it. You won't regret it. You'll be much happier you did vs doing it on your own. Thank you Jules for showing us around and for the "little drop off". We greatly appreciate it! We can't wait to go back and try all those food locations.

We did the all day tour of San Francisco that included a trip to Muir Woods. The pickup location at…read morethe Fisherman's Wharf sign was easy to get to and easy to find. Our tour guide, Jules, did a great job pointing out specific things about San Francisco as he drove us around. The two big highlights of the trip was the trip to Sausalito for lunch and the time spent in the Muir Woods National Park. The redwood trees were absolutely amazing. We highly recommend using Dylan Tours while visiting. They did a great job.

Caio was a great guide! This tour was one of my favorite parts of our trip! Saw all the things that…read morea big bus can't do and it was as so fun!

Great tour, amazing and knowledgeable guide. Highly suggest when visiting San Francisco.read more

This was a good tour, and the woods were so incredibly peaceful and really helped me remember how…read moresmall I am in this great big world. Those trees are massive! The women's restroom at the entrance of the trail is disgusting. There was literal fuzzy mold on the wall under the sink, used toilet paper all over the floor...it didn't appear to have been cleaned in weeks, at least. For the first time, I felt like I needed a hazmat shower after leaving there, and I say that after traveling across country and using countless public restrooms! The toilet paper is like wiping with a snowflake so you have to use a ton just to dry off the undercarriage.

My husband used to live in Santa Venetia, during his 5th through 7th grade, and we were taking the…read moreroute when he used to ride his bike to MUIR WOODS. With that said, I'm just reviewing the VIEWS to Muir Woods, by car, since that's what we did! There were a lot of twist & turns, roads with beautiful new homes (that weren't there before) & gardens! Awesome views along the way. We drove for over 1 hour, and we were trying to follow the path, when he was a boy. That was some adventure for him, and for us in our car . . . and he was able to find his way back home. If he had done that today? He would sure gotten lost without a GPS!