The roar of a World Cup stadium is an unmatched adrenaline rush, but the sprawling beauty of California offers a different kind of thrill for fans looking to recharge between matches. Since the San Francisco Bay Area is a primary host for the FIFA World Cup 26™, with six massive matches scheduled at Levi’s® Stadium between June 13 and July 1, you are perfectly positioned to trade the stadium seats for the granite cathedrals of Yosemite National Park. At Incredible Adventures, we’ve spent over 30 years perfecting the art of the American road trip. Our fleet of 13 to 32-passenger mini-coaches runs on petroleum-free, renewable biofuel from our very own Dogpatch Biofuels. This means you can journey from the pitch to the peaks knowing your trip supports a cleaner environment and the preservation of the wild lands we all love.
For those on a tight schedule between group stage matches—perhaps after watching the excitement of Qatar vs. Switzerland on June 13 or the highly anticipated clash between Austria and Jordan on June 16—a day trip to Yosemite Valley offers a high-impact highlight reel of the park’s most famous landmarks. You can stand at the base of the massive 3,000-foot sheer rock face of El Capitan, gaze up at the mist of Yosemite Falls (the fifth-highest waterfall in the world), and find perspective during a hike through a grove of ancient Giant Sequoias. If your match schedule allows for a longer 48 or 72-hour break, an overnight camping or hotel trip lets you experience the park in the quiet hours of dawn and dusk. This is when the light on Half Dome is most spectacular and the High Sierra country, including spots like Glacier Point and Tenaya Lake, reveals its true majesty away from the midday crowds.
Because we handle all the park permits and logistical hurdles, you can focus entirely on the scenery and the spirit of the game rather than the stress of navigating peak-season traffic and complex entry requirements. Beyond the mountain peaks, Northern California offers a diverse roster of “away game” destinations that are easily accessible from your World Cup home base in San Francisco. You can head just north of the Golden Gate Bridge to Muir Woods to walk among the world’s tallest redwoods, a perfect half-day retreat to clear your head before a big knockout round match. If you prefer a more refined pace, the rolling hills of Napa and Sonoma Valleys offer world-class wine tasting and culinary experiences that are the perfect way to celebrate a victory. For fans who want to see the rugged Pacific, a journey down the coast to the surf-soaked boardwalks of Santa Cruz or the historic Monterey Bay provides a classic California experience that feels worlds away from the urban hustle of the fan zones.
Whether you are a solo traveler following your national team or a large group of fellow supporters looking for a custom adventure, we specialize in creating unique, flexible itineraries that fit your specific timeline. From guided hikes and wildlife viewing to cultural deep-dives in the city’s historic neighborhoods like Haight-Ashbury and Chinatown, the sky is truly the limit. Let us help you design a trip that balances the high-octane energy of the World Cup with the soul-stirring beauty of the American West. You can explore our full range of tours and sustainable travel initiatives at https://incadventures.com/ and see how we’ve been fueling adventures since 1993.
