Big Sur cliffs, Monterey, Santa Barbara and the surf towns of the central California coast, bookended by two great cities and within reach of the redwoods and Channel Islands.
Duration: 6 days Best time: May–October for clearer skies; watch for coastal fog and check Highway 1 for closures Region: The Pacific
Drive north-to-south (SF → LA) so you're in the ocean-side lane for the views. One-way car hire between SF and LA is easy.
Day by day
- Day 1San Francisco
Golden Gate Bridge, a cable car and the Ferry Building before heading south tomorrow.
- Day 2SF → Monterey & Carmel
Drive down via Santa Cruz; the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the 17-Mile Drive to storybook Carmel.
- Day 3Big Sur
The showstopper stretch — Bixby Creek Bridge, McWay Falls and cliff-edge pull-outs. Drive slowly.
- Day 4Big Sur → Santa Barbara
Hearst Castle and the elephant seals at San Simeon, then Danish Solvang en route to Santa Barbara.
- Day 5Santa Barbara & Channel Islands
Wine tasting and State Street, or a boat day trip to Channel Islands National Park.
- Day 6Santa Barbara → Los Angeles
Coast through Malibu to arrive in LA — Santa Monica Pier makes a fitting finish.
