Pacific Coast Highway Classic

Pick Up Rental Car

📍 San Francisco Airport

Collect your rental car at SFO. Consider a convertible for the full PCH experience—you'll want the wind in your hair.

Fisherman's Wharf & Pier 39

📍 Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco

Start with the touristy but fun waterfront. Watch sea lions bark on K-Dock, sample clam chowder in a sourdough bowl, and take in the bay views.

Lombard Street & North Beach

📍 Russian Hill / North Beach

Drive down the famously crooked Lombard Street, then explore North Beach's Italian cafés and City Lights Bookstore.

Golden Gate Bridge Walk

📍 Golden Gate Bridge

Walk or bike across the iconic orange bridge. The pedestrian path offers stunning views of the city, Alcatraz, and the Pacific.

Dinner in the Mission District

📍 Mission District, San Francisco

San Francisco's hippest neighborhood has incredible Mexican food, trendy restaurants, and vibrant street murals.

Muir Woods National Monument

📍 Muir Woods, Mill Valley

Walk among ancient coastal redwoods up to 250 feet tall. The cathedral-like groves are otherworldly in morning mist.

Muir Beach Overlook

📍 Muir Beach, Marin

Stop at this dramatic viewpoint where WWII bunkers look out over the Pacific. Often you'll see whales during migration season.

Stinson Beach

📍 Stinson Beach, Marin

One of the Bay Area's best beaches—3.5 miles of sand perfect for a picnic lunch and beach walk.

Drive to Napa Valley

📍 Marin to Napa

Head inland through rolling hills to wine country. The drive takes about an hour and a half.

Napa Valley Wine Tasting

📍 Napa Valley

Experience world-class Cabernets at the source. Napa's wineries range from historic estates to modernist showpieces.

Dinner in Yountville

📍 Yountville, Napa

This tiny town has more Michelin stars per capita than anywhere in America. Even casual options are outstanding.

Drive to Santa Cruz

📍 Napa to Santa Cruz

Head south through Silicon Valley to the laid-back beach town of Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

📍 Santa Cruz Boardwalk

The last remaining beachfront amusement park on the West Coast. Ride the historic Giant Dipper coaster or just soak in the classic California vibes.

Lunch on the Wharf

📍 Santa Cruz Wharf

Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf extends a half-mile into Monterey Bay. Restaurants serve fresh-caught seafood with ocean views.

17-Mile Drive to Monterey

📍 Pacific Grove / Pebble Beach

Take the scenic coastal route through Pacific Grove and the famous 17-Mile Drive—home to the Lone Cypress and Pebble Beach golf courses.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

📍 Cannery Row, Monterey

World-class aquarium featuring local marine life—the kelp forest and sea otter exhibits are magical. A must-do for all ages.

Dinner on Cannery Row

📍 Cannery Row, Monterey

The former sardine canneries are now restaurants and shops. Steinbeck wrote about this very street.

Morning in Carmel-by-the-Sea

📍 Carmel-by-the-Sea

Explore this fairy-tale village where houses have names instead of numbers. Art galleries, boutiques, and dog-friendly cafés line the charming streets.

Point Lobos State Reserve

📍 Point Lobos, Carmel

Called 'the crown jewel of the State Park System.' Hike to hidden coves, watch sea otters, and see where the redwoods meet the sea.

Begin Big Sur Drive

📍 Highway 1, Big Sur

Start the most spectacular stretch of Highway 1. Take it slow—every curve reveals another jaw-dropping vista.

Bixby Bridge

📍 Bixby Creek Bridge, Big Sur

The iconic 714-foot bridge spanning a dramatic canyon is the most photographed spot on PCH.

Pfeiffer Beach

📍 Pfeiffer Beach, Big Sur

Hidden beach accessed by a narrow road. Famous for Keyhole Rock, where waves crash through the arch.

Check in & Sunset at Nepenthe

📍 Nepenthe, Big Sur

This legendary restaurant perched 800 feet above the Pacific offers the most spectacular sunset views on the coast.

McWay Falls

📍 Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

One of the most photographed spots in California—an 80-foot waterfall dropping directly onto a pristine beach.

Continue South on Highway 1

📍 Big Sur to San Simeon

The road hugs the cliffs for another dramatic stretch. Stop at pullouts to absorb the endless Pacific views.

Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery

📍 Piedras Blancas, San Simeon

Thousands of elephant seals lounge on the beach year-round. During breeding season (December-March), watch males battle for dominance.

Lunch in San Simeon

📍 San Simeon

Refuel at one of the small restaurants in this coastal village before your Hearst Castle tour.

Hearst Castle Grand Rooms Tour

📍 Hearst Castle, San Simeon

William Randolph Hearst's legendary hilltop estate is a jaw-dropping monument to Gilded Age excess. The pools alone are worth the visit.

Drive to Cambria

📍 Cambria

This charming artist village makes a perfect overnight stop with antique shops and good restaurants.

Dinner in Cambria

📍 Cambria

This artists' colony has surprisingly good restaurants given its small size.

Drive to Paso Robles

📍 Cambria to Paso Robles

Head inland through rolling golden hills to California's fastest-growing wine region.

Paso Robles Wine Tasting

📍 Paso Robles Wine Country

Over 200 wineries produce bold reds (especially Zinfandel and Rhône varieties) at much friendlier prices than Napa.

Lunch in Downtown Paso

📍 Downtown Paso Robles

The charming downtown square has excellent restaurants fueled by local wine country bounty.

Drive to San Luis Obispo

📍 Paso Robles to SLO

Head to this lively college town (Cal Poly) with great restaurants and a walkable downtown.

Bubblegum Alley

📍 Downtown San Luis Obispo

A bizarre but beloved local landmark—an alley covered in decades of chewed gum. It's gross and weirdly wonderful.

Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa

📍 Downtown San Luis Obispo

One of California's best-preserved Spanish missions, founded in 1772. The plaza around it anchors downtown.

Bishop Peak Hike

📍 Bishop Peak, SLO

If you have energy, climb this 1,546-foot volcanic peak for panoramic views. It's a local favorite.

Dinner in Downtown SLO

📍 Downtown San Luis Obispo

Cal Poly students keep the food scene vibrant and affordable. Farm-to-table is the norm here.

Drive to Solvang

📍 SLO to Solvang

Head south through wine country to this delightfully kitschy Danish village.

Solvang Danish Village

📍 Solvang

Windmills, half-timbered buildings, and aebleskiver (Danish pancake balls) create a quirky Old World atmosphere.

Ostrichland USA

📍 Buellton

Quirky roadside attraction where you can feed ostriches and emus. Embracing the weird is part of the PCH experience.

Drive to Santa Barbara

📍 Solvang to Santa Barbara

Continue south along the Gaviota Coast to the 'American Riviera.'

Santa Barbara Mission

📍 Santa Barbara Mission

The 'Queen of the Missions'—the only one continuously operated by Franciscan friars since founding in 1786.

State Street & Downtown

📍 Downtown Santa Barbara

Stroll the Spanish Colonial downtown with red-tile roofs, white stucco walls, and excellent shopping.

Stearns Wharf at Sunset

📍 Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara

The oldest working wharf on the West Coast. Wine tasting rooms, seafood, and perfect sunset views.

Dinner in Santa Barbara

📍 Santa Barbara

The dining scene rivals cities twice its size. Fresh seafood and California cuisine dominate.

Drive to Malibu

📍 Santa Barbara to Malibu

Follow PCH through Ventura's surf breaks to legendary Malibu. The coast becomes increasingly dramatic.

Point Dume State Beach

📍 Point Dume, Malibu

Climb to the dramatic headlands for whale watching, or descend to the beautiful beach cove.

Malibu Farm Pier Café

📍 Malibu Pier

Dine on the pier at this farm-to-table restaurant with 360-degree ocean views. The lobster roll is legendary.

Getty Villa

📍 Pacific Palisades

J. Paul Getty's recreated Roman villa houses an stunning collection of Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities.

Sunset at Santa Monica Pier

📍 Santa Monica Pier

End the day at the iconic pier—Ferris wheel, Pacific Park amusement rides, and the end of Route 66.

Dinner in Santa Monica

📍 Santa Monica

Third Street Promenade and surrounding streets offer every cuisine imaginable.

Venice Beach Boardwalk

📍 Venice Beach

Experience LA's famous freak show—bodybuilders at Muscle Beach, street performers, skateboard parks, and the weirdest people-watching in America.

Abbot Kinney Boulevard

📍 Abbot Kinney, Venice

One of America's coolest streets—boutiques, galleries, and some of LA's best restaurants in a pedestrian-friendly strip.

Lunch at Grand Central Market

📍 Downtown Los Angeles

LA's iconic food hall since 1917. Stalls serve everything from Mexican to Thai to Jewish deli classics.

The Broad Museum

📍 Downtown Los Angeles

World-class contemporary art collection in a stunning honeycomb-like building. Kusama's Infinity Room is worth the timed-entry ticket.

Griffith Observatory

📍 Griffith Park

The iconic Art Deco observatory offers the best views of the Hollywood Sign and LA's sprawling basin.

Dinner in Silver Lake or Los Feliz

📍 Silver Lake / Los Feliz

LA's hippest eastside neighborhoods have the city's most creative restaurants and bars.

Hollywood Sign Hike

📍 Griffith Park

Start the day with a hike to the iconic sign. The Brush Canyon Trail gets you close for photos.

Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame

📍 Hollywood Boulevard

Find your favorite stars' names among the 2,700+ terrazzo and brass stars. The Chinese Theatre forecourt has handprints.

Lunch at In-N-Out Burger

📍 Various locations

No California road trip is complete without the iconic burger chain. The 'secret menu' is real.

Return Rental Car

📍 Los Angeles Airport

Return your car at LAX. Allow extra time for rental car return and security.

Depart from LAX

📍 Los Angeles International Airport

Say goodbye to California with memories of endless coastline, incredible food, and the most scenic drive in America.