Highway 1 or the “Pacific Coast Highway” is one of the most beautiful roads in the world and undoubtedly one of the most fun road trips. The stretch from the San Francisco Airport to Big Sur is the most picturesque and contains some of the most iconic locations. Take it from me, I’ve driven all of Highway 1 from San Diego to San Francisco and this area is the pinnacle.
Not only is the road trip from San Francisco to Big Sur the most stunning, but logistically it makes the most sense for experiencing the best of Highway 1. Driving north to south is recommended because most of the viewpoints and pit stops you’ll want to make are located on the coastal side making it easiest to pull over when driving in this direction. Additionally, the drive along Highway 1 from the San Francisco Airport to McWay Falls, the last stop on this itinerary, takes only 3 and a half hours making it possible to complete this road trip in a short amount of time. I recommend taking at least 4 days for the trip so that you can enjoy each stop.
You can choose to stay in different towns along the way or stay in the Monterey/Carmel area the whole time which is what we did. Carmel is the best place to stay but isn’t cheap. There are no big hotels in Carmel. The accommodations are either Airbnb or privately owned Inns/ B&B’s. The cheapest place I found in downtown Carmel is The Pine Inn which is $259 per night but sells out pretty quickly. Monterey and Marina are good options for a cheaper stay in the area. We stayed at The Hampton Inn & Suites Marina the entire trip.
As of right now, July 2024, Highway 1 is closed for construction about 3 miles south of McWay Falls meaning the stops on this itinerary are not accessible from Los Angeles via Highway 1 as they usually are. If you want to experience the best of Highway 1, I recommend following my itinerary from the San Francisco Airport to Big Sur to get the most out of your trip in the least amount of time and avoid road closures.
San Francisco Airport to Big Sur Road Trip:
1. Pacifica: The world’s coolest Taco Bell Cantina
2. Half Moon Bay: Pomponio Beach
3. Santa Cruz: Beach Boardwalk/Wharf and Natural Bridges State Beach Park
4. Monterey: Whale Boat Tour, Cannery Row, Pacific Grove Recreational Trail, and 17-Mile Drive
5. Carmel: Downtown and Carmel Beach
6. Carmel Valley: Wine Tasting
7. Point Lobos State Park
8. Garrapata State Park and Whale Peak
9. Big Sur: Bixby Bridge, Coast Big Sur, Timber Top and Boranda Trail, Partington Cove, McWay Falls, Nepenthe
1. Pacifica
Try to get a flight into San Francisco Airport (SFO) that lands around lunch time. After you collect your rental car, drive about 15 minutes to Taco Bell Cantina in Pacifica. I know it sounds crazy and normally I would not condone eating at a chain of any kind while travelling; however, this taco bell is special. It’s located right on San Pedro Beach and the view is incredible. This is a big surf spot and we got baja blasts and sat on the back deck watching surfers and listening to the noises of the beach. They also sell beer and boozy slushies in addition to all the normal taco bell food.
2. Half Moon Bay
After lunch, continue on down Highway 1 making a stop in Half Moon Bay. Take your pick of any of the gorgeous beaches: Half Moon Bay State Beach, Poplar Beach, Redondo Beach, Miramontes Point Beach (at the Ritz Carlton), or Pomponio State Beach 12 miles south of Half Moon Bay.
We stopped at Pomponio State Beach because the flowers were in full bloom when we visited in June. Make sure to bring some cash. The state beach parking fee was about $10/person.
3. Santa Cruz
After enjoying an hour or so at the beach at Half Moon Bay, drive about 55 minutes down to Santa Cruz. Take a walk along the Beach Boardwalk and down the Wharf. Grab food somewhere along the way. We enjoyed the food and the patio at Ideal Bar and Grill.
After dinner, head over to Natural Bridges State Beach for sunset.
On night one, you can stay in Santa Cruz or make the 50-minute drive down to Monterey/Carmel.
4. Monterey
Whale Watching Tour:
At the start of day 2, wake up bright and early and head to Old Fisherman’s Wharf to catch a whale watching boat tour. I recommend booking the 9am tour with Princess Monterey through GetYourGuide: Book Here. The tour is 2.5 hours long. The boat is large and spacious which is very important as smaller boats experience more turbulence making sea sickness worse. There is also an indoor area where hot chocolate, coffee, and snacks are available for purchase. It gets pretty cold out on the water and I was so thankful to be able to warm up inside the cabin on this boat. We saw 1 humpback whale, hundreds of dolphins, otters, and seals. The experience was great.
Cannery Row:
Then grab lunch in Monterey and check out historic Cannery Row. The street which was previously Ocean View Avenue changed its name to Cannery Row in 1958 to honor John Steinbeck’s novel named Cannery Row which is about the street. Cannery Row was once home to several sardine canneries and as Steinbeck says in the opening line of his book, the street is “a poem, a stink, a grating noise, a quality of light, a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream.” These days the street is pretty touristy but if you are a book nerd like I am, it’s pretty cool to see some of the places mentioned in the book: Pacific Biological Laboratories and Austino’s Patisserie which was the inspiration for La Ida Cafe in the book.
Pacific Grove Recreational Trail
After lunch, walk or bike along the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail, stop to enjoy the view from Lover’s Point Beach, and then continue on the same path as it turns into Pacific Grove Recreational Trail. Admire the Kissing Rock and then end at Asilomar State Marine Reserve. The walk from Cannery Row to Asilomar Beach is about 2.7 miles. It’s a gorgeous but long walk. If you want to rent E-bikes instead Book Here and choose the option to pick up your E-bikes at Monterey Big Sur Adventures: 125 Ocean View Blvd Unit 122 Pacific Grove, CA. Your bike rental is good for 4 hours and includes bike lock, helmet, and they even provide extra warm layers and gloves as needed because it can get quite cold by the water.
17-Mile-Drive
After your E-Bike ride, return your bikes and hop in the car to drive the famous 17-Mile Drive. Stop at the viewpoints along the way which are all clearly marked with signs and driveways to pull the car out onto: The Restless Sea, China Rock, Bird Rock, Fanshell Beach Overlook, Crocker Grove, The Lone Cypress, and the famous Pebble Beach Golf Course. You will have to pay at the gate of the 17-Mile Drive. The entrance fee is $11.25 per vehicle.
You can also take your E-Bike onto the 17-Mile Drive. There is no entry fee for bikes. Continue on Sunset Drive from Asilomar State Beach Reserve and then take a right onto the 17-Mile Drive. Just be aware of time. You will have to ride your bike back to Cannery Row to drop it off.
You can also book an E-Bike for rental near the 17-Mile Drive gate and ride only the 17-Mile Drive skipping the Pacific Grove recreational trail. Use the same link (book here) but choose pick-up at the 17 Mile Gate: 2106 Sunset Dr, Pacific Grove, CA.
5. Carmel
At the end of your full day in Monterey, head to downtown Carmel-By-The-Sea for dinner. Check out La Bicyclette or PortaBella for dinner and then explore the small town before catching sunset at Carmel Beach.
6. Carmel Valley
On the morning of day 3, grab breakfast at the hotel or at El Bistro By The Sea in Carmel before heading to Carmel Valley for some wine tasting. Carmel Valley Village is a cute town with about 20 wine tasting rooms. If you want the full vineyard experience, you can book a tasting/tour at Holman Ranch Estate or you can visit my favorite spot, Folktale Vineyards. In order to visit Holman Ranch, you must make a reservation in advance. The tasting costs $37 per person and the tour is $102 per person. No reservation is needed to visit Folktale Vineyards, but might be helpful. At Folktale, you can sip wine by the glass and order snacks a la carte to be enjoyed on their outdoor patio.
7. Point Lobos State Park
Next head to Point Lobos State Park for an easy stroll. I recommend The Cypress Grove Trail (1 mile) but you can also see nearly the entire park by hiking The Point Lobos Loop (6.4 miles) if you have more time. There is a $10 fee for entry into the park. Card is accepted.
8. Garrapata State Beach/ Whale Peak
Next, drive about 15 minutes down highway 1 to Garrapata Beach and make the short but steep walk up to Whale Peak for sunset.
9. Big Sur
Spend your last day hitting all the best spots in Big Sur. Stop to take photos at Bixby Bridge then head to COAST Big Sur for lunch.
After lunch head for a hike at Timber Top and Boranda Trail. This hike is a doozy. It’s 6 miles total with 2500 feet of elevation gained. The trail is exposed and it can be tough on a hot day so bring lots of water. The day we did the hike in June was very hot and we decided to only hike about one mile up and back. The views are epic.
Next head to Partington Cove. Park near the trail head then walk the half mile down to the water, have a snack and take in the views, then walk back up.
Next head to McWay Falls. You’ll turn left into the small parking lot then park and walk an easy 0.2 miles to the overlook.
After a full day of fun, head to Nepenthe for dinner and sunset then head back to your hotel and fly out of San Francisco the next day.
