16 Activities
California Dreamin': A Road Trip to Big Sur
Starts from
San Francisco
Transportation
By Car
Guidance
Self-Guided
Activities
16
Duration
2 days
Length
160 mi
Guide details
Starts from
San Francisco
Transportation
By Car
Guidance
Self-Guided
Duration
2 days
Length
160 mi
Christina Mueller
Travel Expert
- Experience the winding roads of San Francisco.
- Stroll Carmel's uptown streets with fairytale cottages.
- Hike into the forests along the stunning coast at Big Sur.
There is nothing more "California Dreamin'" than a road trip along the coast, and this one delivers, big time. It's got everything – quaint towns, laid back villages, beautiful hiking, and even a California mission. Your head will soon be spinning from all the stunning scenery and amazing things to eat.
Having a car is the best way to experience the winding roads and breathtaking views that seem to pop from every corner on a drive along the coast to Big Sur. Don't forget to stroll California's Carmel's downtown streets, where fairy tale cottages await before you hike into the forests along the stunning coast at Big Sur.
Having a car is the best way to experience the winding roads and breathtaking views that seem to pop from every corner on a drive along the coast to Big Sur. Don't forget to stroll California's Carmel's downtown streets, where fairy tale cottages await before you hike into the forests along the stunning coast at Big Sur.
Categories
There is nothing more "California Dreamin'" than a road trip along the coast, and this one delivers, big time. It's got everything – quaint towns, laid back villages, beautiful hiking, and even a California mission. Your head will soon be spinning from all the stunning scenery and amazing things to eat.
Having a car is the best way to experience the winding roads and breathtaking views that seem to pop from every corner on a drive along the coast to Big Sur. Don't forget to stroll California's Carmel's downtown streets, where fairy tale cottages await before you hike into the forests along the stunning coast at Big Sur.
Having a car is the best way to experience the winding roads and breathtaking views that seem to pop from every corner on a drive along the coast to Big Sur. Don't forget to stroll California's Carmel's downtown streets, where fairy tale cottages await before you hike into the forests along the stunning coast at Big Sur.
Christina Mueller
Travel Expert
- Experience the winding roads of San Francisco.
- Stroll Carmel's uptown streets with fairytale cottages.
- Hike into the forests along the stunning coast at Big Sur.
Travel itinerary
11 Activities
Day 1
115 mi0.9 mi
Headed to Big Sur
The drive to Big Sur, famous since the 1960s when Jack Kerouac famously drove there and wrote about it in 1962's Big Sur, is one of California's iconic drives. To really see the area, be sure to take 280 South to 17 South, where it meets Highway One in Santa Cruz, California. From here, the road loops around Monterey Bay and through Carmel, California, before you hit the jaw-dropping turns that inspired Kerouac.
If time is tight, head home on 101 instead. It is less scenic, but you will not be bothered by the slow tourist caravan that can bog down Highway One at all points on California's scenic coastline.
5 Activities
Day 2
45 mi0.9 mi
Taking in the Beauty of Big Sur
Today's route focuses on the fantastic natural beauty of Big Sur with a quick side trip to the Carmel Mission.