TLDR: Pacific Coast Highway itinerary covering the scenic PCH section between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
California State Route 1, better known as the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), is one of the world’s most scenic coastline drives. PCH is a total of 1,675 miles (2,696 km) long and runs along the west coast through California, Oregon, and Washington. PCH in total runs from San Diego to Olympia, WA. For our trip, we only drove from Los Angeles to San Francisco, since those were the two cities we needed to be in on this trip out West. The entire route can be driven non-stop in about 24 hours, and the CA portion can be driven in 10-12, but the real beauty and adventure comes when you stop along the way! While most itineraries will recommend driving south on PCH so there’s no lane separating you from the coast, my trip and this itinerary is driving north; don't worry you still get all the gorgeous views! Additionally, this itinerary focuses only on a portion of the entire route. Check out my suggested 4-day trip below!!
Day 1: Los Angeles to Santa Barbara
LA to Santa Barbara is 96 miles (154 km), starting at LAX.
As you head out of LA, two prominent beach towns are worth the visit: Santa Monica and Malibu. In Santa Monica be sure to take a stroll along Santa Monica Pier and ride bikes along Venice Beach. In Malibu be sure to stop by Malibu Beach to watch numerous surfers hit the waves.
From Malibu, make your way up the coast to Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara is known for their great food and brewery scene. The city has gorgeous architecture and is super walkable, so be sure to take some leisure time walking around downtown and admire the spanish mission-style buildings. A trip to Santa Barbara isn’t complete without a stroll down the iconic Stearns Wharf.
Places to Eat/Drink in Santa Barbara:
Day 2: Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo
Enjoy a leisurely morning exploring Santa Barbara before departing for San Luis Obispo, or SLO. Start your morning in Santa Barbara with some coffee and bagels at Handlebar Coffee Roasters for a true Santa Barbara feel. From there, stop by Sterns Wharf if you didn’t get a chance the previous evening. Grab a beer at one of the many local breweries in town; we especially enjoyed Topa Topa Brewing Co.
After a casual morning exploring Santa Barbara get started on your way to SLO (total of ~118 miles or 190 km). Feel free to depart mid-day from Santa Barbara since there aren’t too many stops along the way. Your first stop should be 34 miles (55 km) north at Solvang. Solvang is California’s very own little Denmark, with the small town charm that comes with the Nordic escape. The town is lined with cute Danish shops, restaurants, and pubs. Feel free to stop here for a couple hours to grab a beer, munch on some delicious snacks, and definitely take a picture in front of the iconic windmill before departing!
Places to Eat/Drink in Solvang
After leaving Solvang, it’s a straight shot to San Luis Obispo. Right before you reach SLO you should stop at Pismo Beach. Pismo Beach lies a mere 13 miles outside of SLO and it’s worth a quick afternoon stop to take in the gorgeous beach views, stroll along the beach, and enjoy a glass of wine before heading to your final destination for the evening.
Day 3: San Luis Obispo to Monterey
SLO to Monterey is arguably the most scenic portion of your drive, so you really want to maximize day-light for optimal cruising conditions. Additionally this will be your longest stretch of driving on the trip and you’ll want to stop along the drive multiple times, especially in Big Sur, so I highly recommend leaving SLO by 8 or 9AM at the latest. The overall drive is about 135 miles (217 km). If you want to extend your trip and spend extra time in SLO, I recommend checking out Paso Robles which is only 30 miles (48 km) inland and great for wine tasting or Morro Bay which is only 13 miles (21 km) away and another great beach spot.
For the majority of your drive to Monterey, you will be driving through the scenic Big Sur. Don’t hesitate to pull over at the many scenic overlooks - you’ll get some of the most amazing coastal views, and with a quick 180, you’ll see the gorgeous Californian mountains behind you.
Hearst Castle is a gorgeous historic estate nestled in San Simeon. If you’re a tour/museum enthusiast, you can purchase tickets to tour the castle, or if you’re like me, you can visit the visitor center for free, and take in the gorgeous grounds. Keep an eye out, you may even be lucky enough to spot a Zebra!
Just north of Hearst Castle, be sure to pull off to visit Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Beach. While the beach does not smell the best and has some little rodents running around (not to be afraid of), it’s still worth a quick stop to watch large seals sunbathing all along the beach and hear their mating calls.
After departing Piedras Blancas, make your way to Pfeiffer Beach. If you get hungry along the way, I highly recommend Cafe Kevah. The Cafe is nestled into the side of a cliff and has breathtaking views of the cliffs and ocean - well worth the stop! After lunch you can make your way to Pfeiffer Beach. The beach access is along a 2 mile, 1 lane road (put your best driver in for this stretch!), but it’s well worth the visit to see the famous Keyhole Arch!
The final planned stop before continuing on to Monterey is Bixby Bridge. This bridge is one of the most photographed sights in California and is a symbol of Big Sur and PCH. After stopping at Bixby Bridge, it’s just 18 miles (29 km) until your destination for the evening: Monterey.
Day 4: Monterey to San Francisco
Our final leg will start with a casual day in Monterey before heading to San Francisco. For this drive you will only be on PCH for a short while, before you move onto major highways to get into the city. The drive from Monterey to SF is about 101 miles (163 km).
Note: this itinerary does not include details on SF as there is so much to do there - but that will come soon!
Carmel is a cute town right outside of Monterey. Carmel is known for its sloping streets down the coast and wooden tiled roofs. For my sweet tooth fans, you’ll enjoy the Carmel Sweet Shop for some fudge or Caramel! If you have time, spend a couple of hours at Carmel Beach.
One of the most famous parts of Monterey is Pebble Beach and the 17-Mile Drive. The 17-mile drive is a private drive (with a $10.50 fee for entry) nestled within Pebble Beach Golf Course, boasting 17+ picturesque points of interest. Though most itineraries say this is a “must-do”, I actually found that the Pebble Beach drive is more for golf enthusiasts with an appreciation for the course; I enjoyed the rest of the drives on PCH more, to be quite honest!
After your morning in Monterey, you can get straight back on PCH and make your way north to San Francisco! San Francisco has countless hot spots and you could easily spend days exploring the city. I recommend you return your rental car at SFO and rely on Uber/Lyft and public transport to get around the city. While I will share a more detailed itinerary for San Francisco soon, a few key hot spots include: The Golden Gate Bridge, The Painted Ladies, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Presidio Park.
I hope you enjoyed my 4-day itinerary, be on the lookout for insights from my own personal experiences on this trip!
Hourly Itinerary
If you’re in a hurry and are looking for the recap of the itinerary read below:
Day 1: Los Angeles to Santa Barbara
12:00 PM: Pick up car from LAX and depart LA
12:30 PM: Arrive at Santa Monica Pier
12:30 PM - 2 PM: Explore Santa Monica Pier, grab some lunch
2:00 PM: Depart Santa Monica
2:30 PM: Arrive in Malibu
2:30 PM - 4:00 PM: Explore Venice Beach
4:00 PM: Depart Malibu
5:30 - 6:00 PM: Arrive in Santa Barbara (be sure to stop along the way to take in the views)
6:00 PM: Check into Hotel
6:30 PM: Explore Santa Barbara and the Stearns Wharf
7:00 PM: Grab Dinner in Downtown Santa Barbara (recommendation: Mony’s Mexican)
9:00 PM: Enjoy drinks Downtown (recommendations: Corks n Crown Tasting Room)
Day 2: Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo
10:00 AM: Grab Coffee and Breakfast (recommendation: Handlebar Coffee Co)
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM: Explore some breweries to enjoy some beer and relax (recommendation: Topa Topa Brewing or Lama Dog Tap Room)
1:30 PM: Depart Santa Barbara
2:30 PM: Arrive in Solvang
2:30 PM - 4:00 PM: Enjoy lunch in Solvang (recommendation: Solvang Brewing Co)
4:00 PM: Depart Solvang
5:00 PM: Arrive at Pismo Beach
5:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Relax at Pismo beach, enjoy the sunset, grab some wine and dinner
8:30: PM: Check into hotel in San Luis Obispo
Day 3: San Luis Obispo to Monterey
8:00 AM: Depart San Luis Obispo
8:30 AM: Arrive at Morro Bay
8:30 AM - 10 AM: Relax at Morro Bay
10:00 AM: Depart Morro Bay
10:30 AM: Arrive at Hearst Castle
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM: Enjoy Hearst Castle (If you purchase tour tickets, you will spend a little extra time here)
11:30 AM: Depart Hearst Castle
11:40 AM: Arrive at Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Beach
11:30 - 12 PM: Enjoy the Seals at Piedras Blancas
12:00 PM: Depart Piedras Blancas
1:30 PM: Arrive at Cafe Kevah (be sure to stop along the coast and take in the views!)
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM: Enjoy Lunch at Cafe Kevah
2:30 PM: Depart Cafe Kevah
3:00 PM: Arrive at Pfeiffer Beach
3:00 PM - 4:30 PM: Walk along Pfeiffer Beach and see the Keyhole Arch(allocate some extra time if you plan to jump in the ocean here!)
4:30 PM: Depart Pfeiffer Beach\
5:15 PM: Arrive at Bixby Bridge (be sure to stop along the coast to take in the views)
5:30 PM: Depart Bixby Bridge
6:00 PM: Arrive in Monterey; check into hotel and grab dinner nearby
Day 4: Monterey to San Francisco
10:00 AM: Grab breakfast at your hotel
11:00 AM: Make your way to Carmel
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Explore Carmel (recommendation: Carmel Sweet Shop)
12:00 PM - 12:45 PM: Explore the 17-mile drive (personally, I would recommend skipping this but if you want to cross it off your bucket list, it’s a quick drive)
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Grab lunch in Monterey
2:00 PM: Depart Monterey
4:00 PM: Arrive in San Francisco
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