Welcome to the Big Sur Tour
Experience the iconic Big Sur road trip with a self-guided driving tour! Drive over Bixby Bridge, pull over at McWay Falls, and enjoy the rugged coastline on this segment of the Pacific Coast Highway/Route 1. As you drive, learn about the fairytale cottages of Carmel, the purple sand at Pfeiffer Beach, and the enormous elephant seals at San Simeon. Discover the fascinating geologic history and environmental factors that make the Big Sur driving tour a must-do California road trip.
Starting the tour from Monterey
Embark on an adventure along the most beautiful coastline in the US! Begin your Big Sur driving tour in Monterey, California.Â
Next, you’ll check out the drive continues into the quaint Carmel-by-the-Sea, renowned for its picturesque beauty. We’ll check out several of its most famous fairytale cottages on your Big Sur tour.
Next, we enter the world-famous Big Sur portion of the PCH. The Pacific Coast Highway, popularly known as PCH, Highway 1, or Route 1, is one of the most scenic road trips in the US.Â
Our journey into the scenic drive takes us through Garrapata State Park, where we’ll have the chance to stop and check out Garrapata Beach. As we drive, we’ll learn about the wildfires that often rage through forests like these.
Then we’ll now go to Bixby Creek Bridge! This is one of the most photographed bridges in California due to its aesthetic design, graceful architecture, and magnificent setting. It is a reinforced concrete open-spandrel arch bridge.
Our adventure on the Big Sur tour continues through Pfeiffer Beach, which is well worth the detour. Just south of Big Sur Station on Highway 1 is unsigned Sycamore Canyon Road which winds its way down to the shore.
Nothing beats the Elephant Seal Vista Point. The largest seal in the northern hemisphere, the Northern Elephant Seal migrates to the rookery, twice each year. While offshore, the elephant seal spends eight to ten months diving up to 5,800 feet deep for up to two hours. In the remaining months of the year, they mate, birth, molt, and rest onshore between trips.
Finally, we’ll reach Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo, and Pismo Beach, where this segment of our PCH tour ends.
Starting Point Addresses:
From Monterey to Pismo Beach: 1299 Del Monte Blvd, Monterey, CA 93940
From Pismo Beach to Monterey: Pismo Beach, CA
What You'll See
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Monterey & 17 Mile Drive
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Carmel by the Sea
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Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
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The Pacific Coast Highway
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Garrapata Beach & State Park
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Bixby Creek Bridge
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Point Sur State Historic Park
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Andrew Molera State Park
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Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge
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Grimes Point Scenic Overlook
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Seal Beach Scenic Overlook
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McWay Falls
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Big Creek Bridge
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Limekiln State Park
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Pitkins Curve Bridge and Rain Rocks Rock Shed
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Jade Cove
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Nathaniel Owens Memorial Redwood Grove
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Ragged Point
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Piedras Blancas Light Station
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Elephant Seal Vista Point
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Hearst Castle
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Morro Bay
Preview the Tour
Stop 1 : Welcome
Stop 14 : Bixby’s Insta-fame
How It Works
Additional Information
What do we do?
Simply put, Action Tour Guide is an audio guide, map, and tour book – all in one app! We are a GPS-enabled app-based tour that narrates information based on your location right on your phone. You can experience our driving and walking tours at your own pace and literally at any time of the day!Â
Lifetime Validity
​Changing travel date? No worries! All individual tours come with lifetime validity.Â
No Network Needed
The tour works offline which means you do not need your phone network to enjoy the tour. However, we do suggest you download the tour at your home, hotel, visitor center, etc before you head out for a completely immersive experience.
Not an Entry Ticket
This is not an entry ticket.
How many tours should I purchase?
Since this is a driving tour, you only need to buy one per car.
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