The California Sun Adventure is our ultimate two-week journey—and the most complete way to experience the American West. The trip begins by cruising California’s iconic coastline from Los Angeles to San Francisco, soaking up beach towns, coastal views, and classic West Coast vibes along the way.
From there, the adventure continues inland and often runs alongside our Western Sun southbound tour, traveling together through legendary destinations like Yosemite National Park, Death Valley, Las Vegas, and the Grand Canyon. While the trips are independent, they frequently camp, explore, and travel as a larger caravan—creating an even more social, high-energy experience—while each guide still focuses on what’s best for their own group.
After the parks and desert, we slow things down with two nights in San Diego, before returning to Los Angeles to wrap up two unforgettable weeks. As always, our guides are experts at packing maximum adventure, great vibes, and nonstop fun into every day—what we call two weeks of pure APA awesomeness.
⛺ Camp under the stars (9 nights)
🛏 Hostel stays for the stories (2 nights)
🏨 Recharge in hotels (2 nights)
This two-week journey is the most complete way to experience the American West. The adventure begins along the iconic California coast, traveling from Santa Monica, Los Angeles to San Francisco with classic stops in along famous Highway 1 including Pismo Beach, Monterey, and Santa Cruz.
From the coast, we head inland to explore the region’s most legendary landscapes—Yosemite National Park, Death Valley, Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, historic Route 66, and Lake Havasu—before slowing things down with sun-soaked days in San Diego to wrap up the adventure.
Thirteen unforgettable days, nonstop highlights, and an instant group of friends make this the ultimate APA-style two-week road trip.
Departures run with 8+ travelers, keeping the experience social, flexible, and fun.
Los Angeles • Santa Monica • Venice Beach • Hollywood • Pismo Beach • California Coast Highway 1 • Monterey • Santa Cruz • San Francisco • Yosemite National Park • Death Valley National Park • Las Vegas • Grand Canyon National Park • Route 66 • Lake Havasu • San Diego, California
Travel in one of our APA tour vans, complete with an enclosed cargo trailer for all trip gear—and plenty of space for your luggage. No need to pack light or stress about fitting everything in.
23 group meals included — yes, we feed you a lot.
(8 breakfasts • 8 lunches • 7 dinners)
Plan on an additional $150–$175 for meals not included over the two weeks.
All essential camping and adventure gear is included—tents, sleeping pads, coolers, stoves, food boxes, and more.
You only need to bring your own sleeping bag for camping nights.
13 nights total
• 9 nights camping
• 2 nights in hostels
• 2 nights in hotels
A well-balanced mix of adventure and comfort.
1 APA Adventure Guide / driver per group, there to handle the logistics, lead the adventure, and keep the vibes high for two full weeks.
Most travelers are au pairs, so you can expect like-minded people with shared experiences and instant group chemistry. We connect you with your fellow travelers before the trip begins, so you’re never showing up as strangers.
Not an au pair? No problem. As long as you’re 18–29 years old, you’re welcome to join.
Go ahead—challenge this one. Let’s see which group can rack up the most during the 2026 season.
California Sun departures begin from Los Angeles on Tuesdays. During the second week of the trip, your tour van may travel alongside a Western Sun southbound tour, often camping and exploring the same locations. While the trips are independent, traveling together at times creates an even more social and energetic experience. Each APA guide remains focused on what’s best for their own group, so some days the vans may stick together, while other days they’ll run on slightly different schedules depending on group interests and pace.
Trips are guaranteed once 8 travelers sign up, with a maximum of 14 travelers per van, keeping the experience personal, social, and well organized.
Submitting a booking request is free and comes with no obligation. Once you request a spot, we’ll send you all the detailed itinerary and trip information so you can decide if it’s the right fit for you—before making any commitment. We want you to feel confident and excited about your adventure from the very beginning 
| 2026 Departure Date - Price | Travelers |
|---|
| May 26th - $1,597 | Few Signed up! | |
| July 14th - $1,626 | Seats Available | |
| July 28th - $1,636 | Seats Available | |
| Aug 11th - $1,616 | Seats Available | |
| Aug 25th - $1,597 | Seats Available | |
| More dates Possible upon request | Send us an email: info@aupairadventures.com |
When you submit a booking request, you lock in the current price with no obligation. You’ll receive all the detailed trip information before making any final decision, so you can be sure the adventure is the right fit for you.
We reward early planners, which means prices may increase closer to departure—but once you request a spot, the price you see today is the price you keep.
Please note that availability on our website is updated manually. Because we hold seats temporarily and free of charge while travelers review trip details, check flights, and decide if they’d like to join, online availability may occasionally be slightly behind. Submitting a booking request does not automatically confirm your spot; your space is confirmed once our office sends you a confirmation.
Seats Available = 7+ seats open for reservation
Seats limited = 4-6 seats open for reservation, expected to be guaranteed soon
Seats left = Only a few seats left, Departure is Guaranteed
Sold Out! = All seats taken, email us to be put on the waiting list. Sometimes if we get enough interest we can add a second van, so email us!
We have waiting lists for our trips in case someone cancels…if you can only travel on a “sold out” departure, email us and we will put you on the wait list.
Have a question, or don’t understand something about our trip? Please send us an email send a text or call us!
(831) 234-8458 info@aupairadventures.comBefore you book, please know:
You must have an email address in order to book a tour.
Your plane flight is not included.
Once you pick a trip, fill out the form and we will respond within 1 day or sooner If your trip is a Guaranteed Departure you will get a big information packet with all the tour and payment information via email.
If you are one of the first 5 people to sign up, we will save you a seat, and you don’t need to pay anything now. Once we have 6 people, we guarantee the trip and we’ll send your information packet. If you change your mind after receiving the packet, no problem...please let us know :-)
