Google “The Best Drives in the World” and a Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip will surely be in the Top 10 of any list you click on. If it isn’t, then leave that website. Immediately!!
It is a stunning part of the world, where you can encounter large cities, small towns, wildlife, natural wonders, beautiful beaches, and characters galore. If you are a bit overwhelmed by the route, where to stop and what to see, then hopefully this will help you plan your dream trip.
My suggestion would be to drive from North to South. There are so many pull outs and vistas to enjoy, it is far easier to see one, and (safely) make a last minute decision to stop. With those Americans driving on the right side (or the wrong side as we Brits insist) of the road, then last minute pull outs are inevitable.
Having said that, don’t let this interfere with any greater travel plans you may have, and adjust flights, etc just to go North to South.
We visited in 2013 and 2019, and both times we are pretty sure we wore the brakes out on our hire car with the (safe) last minute pull outs. Check out all the posts on our 2013 and 2019 Road Trips.
This is truly a once in a lifetime drive. Or in our case twice. So Far. I would be massively disappointed if we didn’t venture back to the left coast of the USA and do it all again.
Why take this route on a Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip
The places we choose to sleep at are really to accommodate the places we want to see in between, as much as anything. We worked this route allowing us to not drive for hours and hours, but to allow 5 nights from leaving San Francisco to arriving at Santa Monica / LA and seeing as much as possible in between. Also, it is cheaper to stop at a small motel in say, San Simeon, than in the bigger, more popular town of Santa Barbara.
Without further ado, here is a suggested intenerary for a Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip, starting at San Francisco and finishing at Los Angelas. These are in no particular order. Actually they are. They are in the order we drove, but not necessarily in order of our favourites!
Start in San Francisco
The Golden Gate City. A perfect place to start your Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip. I would suggest, when talking to locals, you avoid the term ‘San Fran’. Just like, should we ever meet, you avoid calling me Dick. Yes this is short for Richard. Yes I have been called this before (for different reasons) but still…..
There are so many things to do in San Francisco as you would expect with any large city. Highlights and popular tourist items are Alcatraz, Pier 39, Hop on Hop off Bus, Golden Gate Bridge and Lombard Street.
Take your time viewing the city from across the bay, and marvel in the splendour of the Golden Gate Bridge (be prepared for lots of visitors, parking can sometimes be a challenge, particularly on weekends). Seeing the bridge in full sunshine or shrouded in fog is equally as impressive, so don’t stress too much if you see one or the other.
Look out for expensive parking. Our hotel in 2013 charged $51 a night. You can find some great hotel deals here.
There is also sadly, a large homeless population, as you would expect with any major city.
We head south on our Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip. Less than an hour from San Francisco is Half Moon Bay, our next stop.
San Francisco to Half Moon Bay – 32 miles
Overnight in Half Moon Bay
Cafes, bakery’s, shops. Pavement tables for the morning coffee getters that want to watch the world go by. There are art galleries, overpriced clothes shops and quirky nikk nak shops.
However, there are some great places to just sit, and watch the world go by. We were fortunate enough to catch an acoustic set from a local guitarist when we were chilling at one of the cafes, lucky enough to have a small courtyard to put on such entertainment.
There are also a lot of things to see and do away from the town. Check out their own website for more information.
We spent a great couple of hours here on our 2019 USA Road Trip. Here is a quick diary of the day we spent there. We stayed just outside the town, in the Quality Inn, and could walk to the beach from there. Check out some more hotels and their prices here.
Leave Half Moon Bay, and our next overnight stop is Monterey. This drive, being only 90 miles or so can take 2 hours. Make use of the pull outs and the sights, and take time to stop at Santa Cruz on the way
Beaches, Boardwalks and bonkersness! Santa Cruz is an hours drive down the Pacific Coast Highway from Half Moon Bay. Depending on when you go, parking can be tough, so you have the option of parking a little further afield.
Don’t worry though, you should soon get approached by a Tuk Tuk driver more than happy to ferry you to the boardwalk. Tip, have him drop you the furthest point away from your car, and walk back.
You are greeted with rides with names like Typhoon and Giant Dipper. Then there is rollercoaster that sits atop one of the arcades. Smells fill the air and we wander around for an hour before going back to the car. I will elaborate on our experience here one day, but until then, have a read here for a short bit about the time we spent there.
Half Moon Bay to Monterey – 90 miles
Overnight in Monterey
There are plenty of great things to see and do in Monterey Bay. Check out the otters swimming at Fishermans Wharf. With it’s mix of sweet shops, eateries, seafood places it is a must stop, even if only for an hour.
The more exotic animals at Monterey Bay Aquarium, or even a whale watching trip. Cannery Row is the place to go if you are partial to shopping. Combine this with lunch or dinner, and you can’t go far wrong.
17 mile drive is a stunning coastal drive. From the heart of Monterey round the coast on 17 mile drive and back to Monterey is a mere 19 miles or so. And well worth the time. Trust me.
We stayed a stones throw and walking distance from Cannery Row. You can get cheaper options if you stay just outside Monterey though.
Monterey to Big Sur Lodge – 30 miles
Overnight in Big Sur
Quite possibly the best area on the whole of Highway 1. A Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip would not be complete without a stop or 10 in and around Big Sur.
Leaving Monterey, stops I’d certainly recommend would be Carmel by the Sea, Rocky Creek Bridge, Bixby Bridge, Pfeifer State Park, Pfeifer Beach for the purple sand, Point Sur State Park, Point Sur Lighthouse.
There are not a great deal of lodgings along this stretch of the PCH. We stopped at Big Sur lodge, which describes itself as rustic accommodation. It was one of the more expensive stop overs, other than the city hotels.
Pfeifer Beach, with its purpley sand. Cafe Kevah, with its amazing views (and possibly lengthy table waits). Big Sur Coast Cafe & Gallery. McWay falls is an easy stop off, but pay attention in case you miss it. Walking down to the beach is not allowed, so enjoy the view from the roadside before heading off again. Elephant Seal lookout point is a must. Hundreds of them grunting and groaning, is a sight to behold.
Big Sur to San Simeon – 63 miles
Overnight in San Simeon
There is a lot to do in San Simeon, Hearst Castle is top of most peoples lists, but leave yourself at least 3 hours if you want a tour, which lasts at least 60 minutes, longer if you want to explore a bit on your own.There are a few basic motels a stones throw from the beach. More than adequate for a road trip stop over.
There is plenty to do if you want to spend some time around San Simeon, a one night stop over doesn’t leave much time if you do Hearst Castle. If you stop for two, then you can spend more time exploring the surrounding areas.
There are the beaches, Piedras Blancas Lighthouse. Spend some time Sea Otter spotting while you are enjoying the coast on your Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip.
Read more about this journey in our Trip Diary, here.
San Simeon to Santa Maria – 80 miles
Overnight in Santa Maria
Use Santa Maria as stop over point between San Simeon and Santa Monica to break up the potential 4 plus hour drive. There are plenty of decent priced hotels and motels providing you with the perfect stop over.
Morro Bay is a perfect place for a lunch stop, after a 3 hour visit to Hearst Castle and a 30 minute drive or so. The small seaside town of Morro Bay is best known for its 576 foot tall rock that pokes proudly out of the ocean. It is now a state and historical landmark, and a designated bird sanctuary for among others, Peregrine Falcons.
Leave Morro Bay, and stop off at the pretty town of San Luis Obispo to take a look at Bubblegum Alley (where you can chew and stick bubblegum to the wall without getting into trouble). We bump into a local there who claims it is cleaned every 5 years or so. It has a steam clean, is put back to its original state, so the gum chewing tourists can come again.
The lady, visiting with out of state friends claims there would be uproar locally when it was suggested it be closed. I have no reason to doubt her, but I am not so sure. Metered parking in the street helps with the quick stop over.
If you haven’t had your fill of beach towns by now (and you won’t have had) then Pismo Beach is the next one to see. Californians are really spoilt when it comes to beaches.
Walk the pier, check out the art deco type diners, and bask in the Californian sunshine. The pier was renovated and reopened in 2018, after an $8.7m, 18 month overhaul. I have read somewhere it is the 16th longest pier. Not in the world. Not even in America. But in California.
Read more about this journey in our Trip Diary, here.
Santa Maria to Santa Monica – 170 miles
Finish in Santa Monica
Ahh, Santa Monica. Quite possibly my favourite place in the whole world. There is the pier, the bike rides, the entertainers on the pier. Live music, Pacific Park, a pier topped amusement park is worth a visit if you are a fan. Venice beach is a mere 15 min bike ride away, but don’t rush it. Check out the skate park, the characters, the shops and much more on the way.
On the way to Santa Monica from Santa Maria, stop at Santa Barbara for another pier fix. A mile or so from the pier gets you to downtown Santa Barbara. Wander around the Superior Court of California, or perhaps lunch at on of the many places on offer.
You are still 80 or so miles from Santa Monica, so don’t leave here too late if you want some Santa Monica sunshine time.
We chose to stay near the beach, and trip into LA. You could of course do it the other way round. But we love Santa Monica so much, we based ourselves beach side. The Doubletree by Hilton is a great choice, and although a 15 minute walk to the pier is very comfortable and while not the cheapest, is also some way from being the most expensive.
Save some dollars on parking by using the Court House Car park across the street, as oppose to the extortionate valet parking prices.
I will definitely be doing a full post on Santa Monica at some point!
Summary of our Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip, driving from San Francisco to LA
So there it is, our 6 day, 5 night Pacific Coast Highway road trip itinerary. We really did see so much on this drive, and with a bit of planning, you can too.
Beaches, small towns, big cities. Wildlife, historical monuments and characters galore. If you are partial to a road trip, then this one must be near the top of your bucket list!
Feel free to leave me a comment below, or if you have any questions I would be glad to try and answer them.
Until then, take care and happy road tripping!!
Richard
