Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
California: Highway 1 from San Francisco to Los Angeles
7 days one way from San Francisco to Los Angeles: two nights in the city with Alcatraz, then Monterey, Big Sur, Hearst Castle and Santa Barbara on Highway 1.
7 days · San Francisco to Los Angeles · up to 12 guests
Morro Rock from the fishing docks in Morro Bay Photo: MARELBU, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Morro_Bay,_California,_US_-_panoramio_(3).jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 7 days, 6 nights
- Start and end
- San Francisco to Los Angeles
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Easy
Daily walks of 3 to 6 km on city pavements and coastal paths, with stops every hour or so on the drive days. The steepest parts are the path from the Alcatraz dock up to the cellhouse, the San Francisco hills and about 150 steps on the Hearst Castle tour. Any walk can be shortened or sat out, and an easy and an active choice are written into most days.
- Meals included
- 6 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 710 (estimated price)
- Season
- March to November
Highlights
Why this trip
- Walk out onto the Golden Gate Bridge at 8 am, then ride a cable car over the hills to Chinatown
- Alcatraz on a pre-booked afternoon ferry, with the cellhouse audio tour included
- The Monterey Bay Aquarium and Cannery Row, then Point Lobos at its 8 am opening
- Bixby Bridge, McWay Falls and the Big Sur cliffs, with lunch in Big Sur
- Elephant seals at Piedras Blancas and the first tour of the day at Hearst Castle
- Sea otters in Morro Bay and a free evening in Santa Barbara
- The Malibu coast to Santa Monica Pier at sunset, and the Hollywood Sign from Griffith Observatory on the last morning
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 710 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in San Francisco
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to your hotel in San Francisco
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in San Francisco
Fly into San Francisco International Airport (SFO), about 25 km south of downtown. A driver meets you in arrivals during the pick-up windows we send with your confirmation, and takes you to a central hotel near Union Square, where the cable cars turn at Powell and Market and the city's shopping streets meet. If you land early, leave your bags and walk: Maiden Lane and the square are a few minutes away, and the climb up Nob Hill on Powell Street gives the first views over the bay.
Afternoon
San Francisco is cooler than most visitors expect, often 15 to 18 C in summer with fog in the afternoon, so keep a warm layer handy. At 6 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the week: how the drive days are paced, what Big Sur is like, and what to pack for Alcatraz.
Evening
Then we walk to a welcome dinner together at a local restaurant.
Included
- Pick-up at San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the 6 pm briefing
Activity: Land by about 4 pm to reach the briefing; later arrivals are met and join the group at dinner or the next morning.
The Golden Gate Bridge, a cable car and Alcatraz
San Francisco: the Golden Gate Bridge, a cable car to Chinatown and North Beach, then the ferry to Alcatraz
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in San Francisco
- Drive about 1.5 h
We start at 8 am at the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge, before the tour buses, and walk out along the east sidewalk toward the south tower, high over the mouth of the bay; the bridge opened in 1937 and is about 2.7 km long. The van then takes us along the Marina to the foot of Hyde Street, where we ride the Powell-Hyde cable car up over Russian Hill, past the top of Lombard Street, and down to Union Square.
Afternoon
From there it is a short walk through the Dragon Gate into Chinatown and on to North Beach for a sit-down lunch. In the early afternoon we board our pre-booked ferry from Pier 33 to Alcatraz, a federal prison from 1934 to 1963. The cellhouse audio tour, narrated by former guards and inmates, takes about an hour, and the views back to the city are among the best in the bay.
Evening
We return by about 5 pm, and the evening is yours.
Included
- Walk onto the Golden Gate Bridge with your guide
- Powell-Hyde cable car ride
- Chinatown and North Beach on foot
- Sit-down lunch in North Beach
- Alcatraz ferry and cellhouse audio tour
Easier option: Walk only a short way onto the bridge, or watch from the viewpoint by the Welcome Center; on Alcatraz, take the island tram from the dock up to the cellhouse.
More active option: Walk the whole span to Vista Point on the Marin side, about 2.7 km, where the van collects you.
Free time: Evening free in San Francisco
Activity: About 6 km of walking. The path from the Alcatraz dock to the cellhouse climbs about 40 m and is steep; the island tram is there for anyone who prefers it.
Down the coast to Santa Cruz and Monterey
San Francisco on Highway 1 to Pigeon Point and Santa Cruz, then Monterey
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Monterey
- Drive about 3 h
We leave the city at 8:30 am and pick up Highway 1 south of Pacifica, where the road runs along bluffs above the Pacific. Past Half Moon Bay the coast empties out into farmland and beaches, and we stop at Pigeon Point, where an 1872 lighthouse stands on a rocky point; we walk the grounds and look for seals and, in winter and spring, grey whale spouts offshore. About forty minutes further on is Santa Cruz, a surf town with a wooden wharf and the Beach Boardwalk, whose Giant Dipper roller coaster has run since 1924.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal near the wharf. Around the curve of Monterey Bay we reach Monterey by about 2:30 pm and walk along Cannery Row, the waterfront of old sardine canneries that John Steinbeck wrote about, to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Your entry is included: its kelp forest tank and sea otter exhibit are a good introduction to the coast ahead.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Highway 1 from Pacifica to Half Moon Bay with your guide
- Pigeon Point Light Station grounds
- Santa Cruz wharf and beach
- Sit-down lunch in Santa Cruz
- Cannery Row on foot
- Monterey Bay Aquarium entry
Easier option: Skip the aquarium and spend the afternoon on Cannery Row or at the hotel.
More active option: After the aquarium, walk the shoreline path from Cannery Row to Lovers Point in Pacific Grove, about 2 km, where sea otters often float in the kelp.
Free time: Evening free in Monterey
Activity: Easy walking, about 4 km in all.
Point Lobos and Big Sur
Monterey to Carmel and Point Lobos, then Highway 1 through Big Sur to Piedras Blancas and Cambria
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Cambria
- Drive about 3.5 h
We drive ten minutes to Carmel for coffee and a short walk down Ocean Avenue to its white-sand beach, then reach Point Lobos State Natural Reserve as it opens at 8 am. The Cypress Grove Trail loops through one of the last natural stands of Monterey cypress, bent by the wind, above coves where sea otters and harbour seals rest. South of Carmel, Highway 1 enters Big Sur: Bixby Creek Bridge, built in 1932, spans a canyon mouth high above the surf, and the Santa Lucia Mountains drop straight into the sea.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal in Big Sur, then a short walk at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park to the overlook above McWay Falls, which drops about 24 m onto a cove beach. The road runs on past Ragged Point to the elephant seal viewing area at Piedras Blancas, and we reach Cambria in the late afternoon. If a landslide closes Highway 1, we see northern Big Sur as an out-and-back from Carmel, then go inland on US 101: a longer day of about 5 hours, broken by lunch.
Included
- Carmel-by-the-Sea and Carmel Beach
- Point Lobos State Natural Reserve entry and the Cypress Grove Trail
- Highway 1 through Big Sur with your guide
- Bixby Creek Bridge
- Sit-down lunch in Big Sur
- McWay Falls overlook, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
- Piedras Blancas elephant seal viewing area
Easier option: Stay at the viewpoints a few minutes from the van and sit out the Point Lobos loop.
More active option: Add the South Shore Trail to the Cypress Grove loop at Point Lobos, about 5 km in all along the coves.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Cambria, with the Moonstone Beach boardwalk at sunset
Activity: About 4 km of walking in short sections on coastal paths. Big Sur is often foggy on summer mornings and clears through the day. Road conditions are checked before departure and again the evening before.
Hearst Castle, Morro Bay and Santa Barbara
Cambria to Hearst Castle in San Simeon, then Morro Bay and south on US 101 to Santa Barbara
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Santa Barbara
- Drive about 3.5 h
Morning
A fifteen-minute drive north brings us to the Hearst Castle visitor centre for the first Grand Rooms Tour of the morning, before the day's crowds. A bus climbs the hill to La Cuesta Encantada, the estate the architect Julia Morgan built for the newspaper owner William Randolph Hearst between 1919 and 1947: the Casa Grande's reception rooms, the outdoor Neptune Pool and the indoor Roman Pool, with views down to the coast. Back at the visitor centre by late morning, we drive about forty minutes south to Morro Bay, where Morro Rock, an old volcanic plug about 176 m high, stands at the harbour mouth.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal on the Embarcadero, and sea otters often float among the moored boats. In the afternoon US 101 takes us about two and a quarter hours south through San Luis Obispo and the Gaviota coast to Santa Barbara, arriving by about 4 pm. The rest of the day is yours: State Street, the beach or Stearns Wharf.
Included
- Hearst Castle Grand Rooms Tour, San Simeon
- Morro Rock and the Morro Bay harbour
- Sit-down lunch in Morro Bay
- Drive to Santa Barbara with your guide
Easier option: Hearst Castle has an accessible tour with fewer steps; ask for it when you book and we arrange it.
More active option: Walk the harbour path from the Embarcadero to the foot of Morro Rock and back, about 3 km, before lunch.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Santa Barbara
Activity: The Grand Rooms Tour has about 150 steps and lasts about an hour, plus the bus ride up and down the hill.
Santa Barbara and the Malibu coast
Santa Barbara to the Old Mission and the Courthouse, then the Malibu coast and Santa Monica
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Los Angeles
- Drive about 3 h
We visit Old Mission Santa Barbara when it opens, a Franciscan mission founded in 1786, with a church facade of twin bell towers, a cloister garden and a cemetery shaded by an old Moreton Bay fig. Then it is down into town to the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, finished in 1929 in the Spanish Colonial Revival style that rebuilt the city after the 1925 earthquake; climb the El Mirador clock tower for the view over the red-tiled roofs to the ocean.
Afternoon
After a sit-down lunch in Santa Barbara we follow US 101 along the coast through Ventura and then the Pacific Coast Highway into Malibu, with a stop at Point Dume, where a short path climbs the headland above Zuma Beach.
Evening
We reach Santa Monica by about 5 pm, in time to walk out onto the pier, built in 1909, for sunset at the end of Route 66. The farewell dinner is in Santa Monica tonight.
Included
- Old Mission Santa Barbara entry
- Santa Barbara County Courthouse and the El Mirador clock tower
- Sit-down lunch in Santa Barbara
- Point Dume on the Malibu coast
- Santa Monica Pier at sunset
- Farewell dinner in Santa Monica
Easier option: Take the courthouse lift rather than the tower stairs, and watch the Malibu coast from the van instead of the Point Dume walk.
More active option: Walk the Point Dume headland trail down to Pirates Cove and back, about 2 km with steps.
Free time: Free time on Santa Monica Pier and the beach before dinner
Activity: About 4 km of walking.
Griffith Observatory, Hollywood and home
Santa Monica to Griffith Observatory and Hollywood Boulevard, then Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Breakfast
- Drive about 2 h
Start with a free early walk on the beach path in Santa Monica, or along the canals of Venice a little to the south. We leave at about 9 am and cross the city to Griffith Park, about fifty minutes, and climb to Griffith Observatory, opened in 1935 on the slopes of Mount Hollywood. The building itself opens later in the day, but the terraces and lawns are the reason we come: the Hollywood Sign on the ridge to one side, downtown Los Angeles and the basin spread out to the ocean on the other. Ten minutes down the hill is Hollywood Boulevard, where we walk a stretch of the Walk of Fame to the forecourt of the TCL Chinese Theatre, opened in 1927, with handprints and footprints in its concrete.
Afternoon
Lunch is on your own. From Hollywood it is about forty-five minutes to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), arriving at about 1 pm. Your guide sees you to departures. Book a flight leaving after about 4 pm.
Included
- Griffith Observatory grounds and terraces with your guide
- Hollywood Boulevard, the Walk of Fame and the TCL Chinese Theatre forecourt
- Drop-off at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Easier option: If your flight leaves before about 3 pm, we drop you at LAX straight from Santa Monica, about 30 minutes, and you skip Griffith Observatory and Hollywood.
Free time: Early morning free in Santa Monica
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 4 pm. Los Angeles traffic is unpredictable, so we keep a margin. If you are staying on, we can drop you at a hotel in Hollywood or Santa Monica instead.
- San Francisco2 nights
- Monterey1 night
- Cambria1 night
- Santa Barbara1 night
- Los Angeles1 night
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Summer brings fog to San Francisco and the Big Sur coast, often clearing by early afternoon, while Santa Barbara and Los Angeles stay warm and dry. Spring and autumn are usually clearer on the coast. Winter storms can close Highway 1 and bring rain from about November to March. Elephant seals are at Piedras Blancas all year, with births and the most seals from December to March; sea otters and harbour seals live in Monterey Bay and Morro Bay year round, and grey whales pass offshore in winter and spring.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want the California coast in hotels, not tents
- First-time visitors who want San Francisco, Big Sur and Los Angeles in one week
- Anyone who wants Alcatraz, Hearst Castle and the aquarium settled in one price
- Solo travellers and couples who like short drives and free evenings in walkable towns
Not for you if you want
- Travellers who want Yosemite or other national parks on the same trip (see our Yosemite and Sequoia trip)
- Those who prefer two or three nights in each place: four of the five stops are one night
- Hikers looking for long trail days
- Travellers who want Las Vegas or the desert
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
6 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- San Francisco2 nights
- Monterey1 night
- Cambria1 night
- Santa Barbara1 night
- Los Angeles1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 6 nights: 2 in San Francisco near Union Square, 1 in Monterey, 1 in Cambria, 1 in Santa Barbara and 1 in Santa Monica, Los Angeles
- Central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard with private bathrooms; we name each one when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and drop-off at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- A private air-conditioned van with seats for 14, for at most 12 guests, and a professional driver
- Alcatraz ferry from Pier 33
- Powell-Hyde cable car ride
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip, who leads and narrates rather than drives
- Local guides on the Hearst Castle tour
Activities
- Walk onto the Golden Gate Bridge (San Francisco)
- Chinatown and North Beach on foot (San Francisco)
- Alcatraz cellhouse audio tour (San Francisco)
- Pigeon Point Light Station grounds (Pescadero)
- Santa Cruz wharf and beach (Santa Cruz)
- Monterey Bay Aquarium entry and Cannery Row (Monterey)
- Carmel Beach (Carmel)
- Point Lobos State Natural Reserve entry (Carmel)
- Bixby Creek Bridge and the McWay Falls overlook (Big Sur)
- Piedras Blancas elephant seal viewing area (San Simeon)
- Hearst Castle Grand Rooms Tour (San Simeon)
- Morro Rock and the harbour (Morro Bay)
- Old Mission Santa Barbara entry and the County Courthouse (Santa Barbara)
- Point Dume (Malibu)
- Santa Monica Pier (Los Angeles)
- Griffith Observatory grounds and Hollywood Boulevard (Los Angeles)
Meals
- 6 breakfasts
- 5 sit-down lunches on days 2 to 6
- Welcome dinner in San Francisco and farewell dinner in Santa Monica
Not included
- International flights into San Francisco and home from Los Angeles
- ESTA or US visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Lunches on days 1 and 7; dinners on days 2 to 5
- Drinks
- Tips for your guide and driver (optional; guidance sent with your booking)
- Optional activities such as Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk rides or the inside of Griffith Observatory
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 710 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Six nights in central hotels, 6 breakfasts, 5 sit-down lunches and 2 dinners, airport transfers at SFO and LAX, a private van with a driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and tickets for Alcatraz, a cable car, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Point Lobos, the Hearst Castle Grand Rooms Tour and Old Mission Santa Barbara.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests in a van with seats for 14, so there is room for day packs and everyone can hear the guide at the viewpoints and fit around one table at lunch.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group for all 7 days, with a separate professional driver so the guide can talk rather than drive. At Hearst Castle the site's own guides lead the tour. We name your guide when we confirm your dates.
How fit do I need to be?
Not very. Most days have 3 to 6 km of walking on pavements and coastal paths. The steepest parts are the path up to the Alcatraz cellhouse, where an island tram is available, and about 150 steps on the Hearst Castle tour, which has an accessible alternative.
I am travelling solo. Do I pay a single supplement?
Only if you want a room of your own, which is from CAD 710 more. If you would rather share, ask when you book and we will try to pair you with another solo guest at the twin-share price. Solo travellers get the same seat, meals and guide as everyone else.
When is the best time to go?
March to November. Spring and autumn are usually the clearest months on the coast; summer brings fog to San Francisco and Big Sur but warm days in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. Winter storms are the main cause of Highway 1 closures, which is why we do not run in mid-winter.
What if Highway 1 through Big Sur is closed?
We drive inland instead. Landslides have closed parts of the road for long stretches in recent years, so we check it before every departure. If it is closed, we see Point Lobos and northern Big Sur from Carmel, then take US 101 to Cambria. The day is longer, about 5 hours of driving, and we tell you before you travel.
Are Alcatraz and Hearst Castle tickets included?
Yes. Alcatraz tickets often sell out weeks ahead, so we book the ferry and the cellhouse audio tour for the group when your trip is confirmed. The Hearst Castle Grand Rooms Tour, the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the other entries in the day plan are included too.
How long are the drives?
No day has more than about three and a half hours of driving, and most stops come every hour or so. The Big Sur day is the longest, with many short stops. The only exception is a Big Sur closure, when the inland route takes about 5 hours, broken by lunch.
Can I combine this with Yosemite?
Yes. Our California: Yosemite, Sequoia and the Big Sur Coast trip runs round trip from San Francisco with two nights in each park. Take it first and join this trip in San Francisco, or ask for a private trip that adds Yosemite before the coast.
Do I need a visa?
Canadian citizens need only a valid passport. Most visitors from Visa Waiver countries need an approved ESTA before flying, and others need a US visa. We do not arrange these, so apply well before you travel.
How does booking work, and can we choose our own dates?
Pick a small-group date and request to book: we confirm within 24 hours and take no payment until then. Hotel names, airport pick-up windows and the day plan come with your confirmation and again about 7 days before you travel. For your own dates, choose the private trip, or ask from the dates section for an independent quote.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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