With its misty forests, wild coastline and off-beat neighborhoods, the Pacific Northwest is a place unto itself. Whether it's sipping estate wine or whale watching on a foggy morning in Puget Sound, there seem to be an endless number of experiences and adventures to take part in. One way to fit it all in is to choose a tour; the best operators bring decades of experience living and working in the area.
Golf and Wine Tours
- The Pacific Northwest offers visitors a unique combination: golf and wine. In this outdoorsy part of the country, top-notch golf courses abound, especially in drier wine country, east of Oregon and Washington's Cascade Mountains. And what better way to end a day on the green than to sip locally-produced wine? Pacific Northwest Golf & Wine Tours provides standard and luxury packages for groups of eight people. Several itineraries are available under either package and the price includes stays in lodges and hotels plus golf instruction from a pro. The standard tours offer slightly less posh accommodations.
Pacific Tours Northwest
- Family-owned Pacific Tours Northwest gives all-inclusive tours that range from three- to nine-day excursions, each based around a theme. You can opt for a shorter, three-day tour of Washington's historic forts and lighthouses, for example, or book a longer excursion along the Snake and Columbia Rivers in Oregon. These tours traverse country from the Pacific Ocean to the Idaho border. Another nine-day option is the Washington Wonders tour, which takes tour-goers through the scenic mountains and valleys of Washington.
Tauck Tours
- Tauck Tours brings visitors to spots around the globe via land or waterway. The company's eight-day tour through the Pacific Northwest starts in Portland, Ore., where you'll venture out to Mount Hood for photo ops and wine tastings. Next it's on to Seattle, about three hours north, where you'll explore Pike Place Market with a guide and take a trip to the top of the Space Needle. From there, the tour takes a ferry to charming Victoria, British Columbia, for a cider tasting and a tour of The Butchart Gardens. You conclude in Vancouver with a rainforest treetop tour and a chef-led market walk in the evening.
Intrepid Travel
- Travelers looking for a small-group adventure need look no further than Intrepid Travel. You can pick from three packages, Basix, Original and Comfort, each with a different level of luxury attached. The company's 10-day Pacific Northwest tour starts in San Francisco and ends in Seattle, hitting cities like Eugene, Bend and Portland in between. Active tourists will enjoy activities like exploring Crater Lake National Park and the Mount St. Helens volcano, whitewater rafting and hiking, as well as experiencing the unique beer, wine and food of this region.
