Honestly by far the worst tour I've ever been on. When I spend $200 per person on a tour, I expected a knowledgeable guide who would give us a local's perspective of the region, guiding us in making the most of our limited time in the region. It would however seem that little to no effort went into planning this 'guided' tour whatsoever. Our tour guide barely spoke during the 4 hour drive, making quick comments on what we were passing by but never really gave any real insight into each of the locations. He struggled to answer simple questions such as 'why is the golden gate bridge famous?' - his reply? 'I'm not sure... guess it's the red colour, I personally like the bay bridge better but that's just my opinion'.
Asides from seeing the iconic locations, one of the highlights of the trip was supposed to be a 3-hour self-exploration of Yosemite Valley. Our tour guide gave no recommendations of available hiking trials, sights to see and difficulty levels, and given 3 hours is quite a short time to actually have in a large area such as Yosemite Valley, honestly as a first timer who travelled from the other side of the world - who probably will be unlikely to return anytime soon, I honestly would have appreciated more of a guide of what the 'essentials' are in terms of where I could find the best trials and see the best of Yosemite Valley in such a limited time.
I honestly feel like this day was an absolute waste of my time and money and we might as well have just paid for a round trip bus without the promise of a guide.