
United States · Easy
California's Pacific Coast Highway: San Francisco to Los Angeles
A 7-day drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles along California's iconic Pacific Coast Highway, passing through the cliffs of Big Sur, Monterey Bay, the historic Hearst Castle, and Los Angeles' cultural highlights.
- Days
- 7
- Stops
- 13
- Mapped stops
- 13
- Mapped distance
- 782.2 km
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Trip
Day-by-day route
Day 1San Francisco
2 stops · Driving route · 12.5 km · 20 minDay 2Monterey, San Francisco, and Carmel-by-the-Sea
3 stops · Driving route · 213.7 km · 2 hr 50 minDay 3San Francisco and Big Sur
2 stops · Driving route · 56.7 km · 60 minDay 4San Simeon and San Francisco
2 stops · Driving route · 132.9 km · 2 hr 0 minDay 5San Francisco
2 stops · Driving route · 176.3 km · 2 hr 10 minDay 6Los Angeles
2 stops · Driving route · 190 km · 2 hr 30 minMap explore
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Discover places worth the detour

United States · Easy
California's Pacific Coast Highway: San Francisco to Los Angeles
- Days
- 7
- Stops
- 13
- Mapped stops
- 13
- Mapped distance
- 782.2 km
Day 1San Francisco
2 stops · Driving route · 12.5 km · 20 min- 1
Golden Gate Bridge
SightseeingThe Golden Gate Bridge is San Francisco's defining landmark, a majestic 2.7-km suspension bridge spanning the mouth of San Francisco Bay with Art Deco towers rising 227 meters above the water. Completed in 1937 and painted in its distinctive International Orange, it was the world's longest suspension bridge for 27 years. Walking or cycling across the bridge offers iconic views of the bay, Alcatraz, and the city skyline.
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Fisherman's Wharf
Driving route · 12.5 km · 20 minFoodFisherman's Wharf San Francisco is a food and drink stop that adds local flavor to a travel itinerary. It is useful for visitors who want to connect sightseeing with regional tastes, casual dining, or a memorable break.
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Day 2Monterey, San Francisco, and Carmel-by-the-Sea
3 stops · Driving route · 213.7 km · 2 hr 50 min- 1
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Driving route · 196 km · 2 hr 20 minSightseeingThe Monterey Bay Aquarium on California's Central Coast is one of the world's premier ocean conservation institutions, located in a converted sardine cannery on historic Cannery Row. Its exhibits showcase the extraordinary marine biodiversity of Monterey Bay, from luminous jellyfish and sea otters to towering three-story kelp forest tanks. The aquarium's research programs have led to global advances in ocean conservation.
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Carmel-by-the-Sea
Driving route · 10.2 km · 15 minSightseeing[free-text-stop] city waypoint: Carmel-by-the-Sea is the overnight/town stop, not a specific POI
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Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
Driving route · 7.5 km · 15 minSightseeingPoint Lobos State Natural Reserve is a natural protected area , preserving the region's remarkable landscapes and biodiversity. The park offers excellent opportunities for wildlife spotting, hiking, and enjoying nature in its preserved state. Walking trails, scenic viewpoints, and encounters with local flora and fauna make it a rewarding natural destination.
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Day 3San Francisco and Big Sur
2 stops · Driving route · 56.7 km · 60 min- 1
Bixby Bridge
Driving route · 18.7 km · 20 minSightseeingBixby Bridge is one of California's most iconic landmarks, a graceful concrete arch bridge spanning the Bixby Creek Canyon on the Big Sur coast of Highway 1. Completed in 1932, it rises 79 meters above the Pacific with dramatic coastal cliffs as its backdrop. The bridge has appeared in countless films and travel features. Sunrise and sunset light transforms it into an extraordinary photographic subject against the fog-draped rugged coast.
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McWay Falls
Driving route · 38 km · 40 minSightseeingMcWay Falls is a stunning natural water feature , where visitors can enjoy the beauty of its aquatic environment set within the surrounding landscape. Popular for photography, nature walks, and experiencing the serene atmosphere of this remarkable natural setting.
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Day 4San Simeon and San Francisco
2 stops · Driving route · 132.9 km · 2 hr 0 min- 1
Hearst Castle
Driving route · 85.7 km · 1 hr 20 minSightseeingA spectacular hilltop estate in San Luis Obispo County, California, built by media tycoon William Randolph Hearst between 1919 and 1947. Now a California State Park featuring 165 rooms, stunning Mediterranean Revival architecture, historic art pools, and an extraordinary collection of art and antiques from around the world.
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Morro Rock
Driving route · 47.2 km · 40 minSightseeingView in Google Maps
Day 5San Francisco
2 stops · Driving route · 176.3 km · 2 hr 10 min- 1
Santa Barbara Mission
Driving route · 171.4 km · 2 hr 0 minSightseeingView in Google Maps - 2
Stearns Wharf
Driving route · 4.9 km · 15 minSightseeingView in Google Maps
Day 6Los Angeles
2 stops · Driving route · 190 km · 2 hr 30 min- 1
Griffith Observatory
Driving route · 150.6 km · 1 hr 50 minSightseeingGriffith Observatory is Los Angeles's most beloved public institution, a majestic Art Deco observatory atop Griffith Park's south-facing slope with sweeping 360-degree views over the Los Angeles Basin, Hollywood Hills, and Pacific Ocean. The observatory's free-admission planetarium shows, telescopes, and science exhibits draw over a million visitors annually. It has appeared in countless films and television series, most memorably in Rebel Without a Cause, and its famous view of the Hollywood Sign is one of LA's most photographed.
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Getty Center
Driving route · 39.4 km · 40 minSightseeingThe Getty Center on the hills above West Los Angeles is one of America's finest art museums, a Richard Meier-designed modernist complex of white travertine pavilions housing the J. Paul Getty Trust's extraordinary collection of European paintings, decorative arts, manuscripts, and photographs. The collection's highlights include Van Gogh's Irises, Rembrandt's The Abduction of Europa, and an extensive collection of French furniture and decorative arts. The sculpted central garden and panoramic views over Los Angeles to the Pacific Ocean are attractions in their own right.
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