The trip
July in Texas is something you survive. July on the California coast, on the other hand, feels like air conditioning. San Francisco might be 62 and foggy. Big Sur will have mist hanging on the cliffs in the morning. By the time we get down to Santa Barbara, it's perfect beach weather.
Highway 1 is the best coastal drive in the country, and also one of the most nerve-racking to do yourself. It's all hairpin turns, sheer drops, and you're trying to look at the ocean while driving. We'd rather you just look at the ocean. Our van has big windows and our driver has done this road enough to stop being impressed. You won't stop being impressed.
There's a quote, often credited to Mark Twain, that the coldest winter he ever spent was a summer in San Francisco. He probably never said it. But bring a jacket anyway.
Highlights
- Walking out onto the Golden Gate Bridge
- The Monterey Bay Aquarium and 17-Mile Drive through Pebble Beach
- Bixby Bridge and McWay Falls, which pours onto a beach in Big Sur
- The elephant seal colony at Piedras Blancas and a Hearst Castle tour
- The Danish town of Solvang, then Santa Barbara's mission and wine
Day by day
Fly to San Francisco
Morning flight from DFW. A walk on the Golden Gate Bridge, the Ferry Building, and dinner in the Mission. A burrito, obviously.
Half Moon Bay to Monterey
South on Highway 1, past the Pigeon Point lighthouse and the Santa Cruz boardwalk. Two nights in Monterey, right on Cannery Row.
Monterey & Carmel
Morning at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, one of the best anywhere. The 17-Mile Drive past the Lone Cypress, lunch in Carmel, and an afternoon walk at Point Lobos, where sea otters float among the kelp.
Big Sur
The big day. Bixby Bridge, Pfeiffer Big Sur, McWay Falls, and lunch on a cliff terrace hundreds of feet above the water. We take it slowly, stop often, and spend the night near Cambria.
Seals & Hearst Castle
The elephant seals at Piedras Blancas, then a guided tour of Hearst Castle, which is as over-the-top as you've heard. Afternoon at Morro Bay. Night in San Luis Obispo.
Solvang & Santa Barbara
A Danish village in the California hills, with aebleskiver for breakfast. The Santa Barbara mission, State Street, and wine tasting in the Funk Zone.
Malibu & Santa Monica
Point Dume, the sea stacks of El Matador Beach, and lunch in Malibu. Santa Monica and Venice in the afternoon, with a farewell dinner by the ocean.
Home
Flights home from LAX.
What's included
✅ Included
- Flights from DFW to San Francisco and LAX to DFW
- 7 nights in coastal hotels and inns, double occupancy
- Breakfast daily and 3 dinners
- Van transport with a driver-guide for the whole coast
- Monterey Bay Aquarium, 17-Mile Drive, Point Lobos and Hearst Castle tickets
➖ Not included
- Most lunches and 4 dinners
- Wine tasting fees in Santa Barbara
- Tips for your driver-guide
- Single supplement (from $1,050; coastal California is pricey) and travel insurance
Good to know
Highway 1 through Big Sur has a long history of landslide closures. We check road status before the trip and again the week we leave. If a section is closed, we take the inland route and come back to the coast from the other side, so you still see the best of it.
