SF to LA Pacific Coast Highway Self-Guided Driving Tour

Tour Details

Type
Driving
Duration
5 - 7 Hours
Audio Stories
155
Deep Dives
31

Welcome to the Pacific Coast Highway & Big Sur Self Drive Tour

Highway 1 (also known as the Pacific Coast Highway) is probably the most iconic and scenic route left in America, and it’s a dream destination for avid road trippers, car lovers, and travel geeks in general. The tour is both Northbound & Southbound so you can start from either SF or LA.

About the Tour

You can begin the tour in bustling SF. In no time at all, you’ll reach Monterey, which epitomizes California living with world-famous Pebble Beach, popular golf courses, and a prestigious aquarium.

Farther south along Highway 1 is the artsy enclave of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Then, the sound of barking sea lions carries inland at Point Lobos State Park, where rocky headlands are interspersed with jewel-like coves.

That’s when you hit Big Sur, the most scenic part of an already scenic road. Enjoy the views, waterfalls, and bridges as you drive and hear some amazing stories!

At Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, an 80-foot waterfall cascades from the granite cliffs onto the beach. Before you get to San Simeon on the Pacific Coast Highway self-drive tour, pull off at Piedras Blancas Beach, where enormous elephant seals pack the beach in the winter months.

Before cutting inland to San Luis Obispo, stop to admire Morro Bay Rock and hunt for anemones in the tidal pools. Enjoy Santa Barbara’s quintessential downtown and then continue down to Ventura and Malibu.

Wrap up the tour in Los Angeles, at the famous Santa Monica Pier.

Starting Point Address (Northbound) – LA to SF: 81-99 Colorado Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Starting Point Address (Southbound) – SF to LA: 522 Clarinada Ave, Daly City, CA 94015

What You'll See

Pacifica
This area was explored in 1769 by Gaspar de Portolá of Spain, who also mapped the entire San Francisco Bay area. But the actual city of Pacifica wasn’t incorporated until 1957, almost 200 years later.
Pedro Point
The point is named for that rock farther offshore. That’s San Pedro Rock, and more adventurous sorts sometimes hike out there--but only during low tide.
Devil's Slide Bunker & Trail
Built during World War II, this bunker was meant to safeguard against a Japanese land invasion. Luckily, it never came to that. Because radar was still in its infancy, soldiers often watched for ships and planes the old-fashioned way.
Gray Whale Cove State Beach
Gray Whale Cove State Beach is a California State Park between Pacifica, California, and Montara, California, by Highway 1 and approximately 18 miles south of San Francisco. It features a sheltered cove surrounded by abrupt cliffs, with trails connecting to nearby Montara Mountain and McNee Ranch State Park.
Montara
Montara is a census-designated place in San Mateo County, California, United States. The population was 2,909 at the 2010 census. Nearby communities include Moss Beach and Princeton-by-the-Sea.
Mavericks Beach
Mavericks is a surfing location in northern California outside Pillar Point Harbor, just north of the town of Half Moon Bay at the village of Princeton-by-the-Sea. After a strong winter storm in the northern Pacific Ocean, waves can routinely crest at over 8 m and top out at over 18 m.
Half Moon Bay
Half Moon Bay is a small city on the California coast, south of San Francisco. A string of beaches along the bay includes Half Moon Bay State Beach. The Coastside Trail leads north to Pillar Point, near the huge waves of the Mavericks surf spot. Nearby, Montara Mountain rises in the protected Rancho Corral de Tierra area. The Purisima Creek Redwoods Preserve is on the slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Hollow State Beach
Bean Hollow State Beach is a beach in the state park system of California, USA. It is located in San Mateo County near Pescadero. The beach offers fishing, picnicking and beachcombing. Visitors can explore tide pools with anemones, crab, sea urchins and other marine inhabitants.
Pigeon Point Lighthouse
Pigeon Point Light Station or Pigeon Point Lighthouse is a lighthouse built in 1871 to guide ships on the Pacific coast of California. It is the tallest lighthouse on the West Coast of the United States. It is still an active Coast Guard aid to navigation.
Butano State Park
Butano State Park is a state park of California, USA, showcasing the secluded redwood-filled canyon of Little Butano Creek, a tributary of Butano Creek in the Pescadero Creek watershed. Located in San Mateo County near Pescadero, the 4,728-acre park was established in 1956.
Charquin’s Resistance: Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Big Basin Redwoods State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of California, located in Santa Cruz County, about 36 km northwest of Santa Cruz.
Ano Nuevo State Reserve
Año Nuevo State Park is a state park of California, USA, encompassing Año Nuevo Island and Año Nuevo Point, which are known for their pinniped rookeries. Located in San Mateo County, the low, rocky, windswept point juts out into the Pacific Ocean about 55 miles south of San Francisco and the Golden Gate.
Davenport
Davenport is a census-designated place in Santa Cruz County, California. Davenport sits at an elevation of 259 feet. The 2010 United States census reported Davenport's population was 408.
Shark Fin Cove
A massive rock stands guard over a small cove full of geologic wonders just up the coast from Santa Cruz, only 0.7 miles south of the town of Davenport.
Coast Dairies State Park
Coast Dairies is a state park and BLM public land in Santa Cruz County, California, near the city of Davenport. Wilder Ranch State Park is south of the park. The new public lands protect a seven-mile stretch of coastline and about 7,000 acres of prime coastal lands.
Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz is a city on central California’s coast. Its long wharf, with eateries and shops, stretches into Monterey Bay. Nearby, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk’s vintage rides include the 1911 Looff Carousel and the Giant Dipper roller coaster. Downtown, Pacific Avenue has vintage clothing stores, cafes and galleries. Along West Cliff Drive, Natural Bridges State Beach is known for its bridge-shaped rock formation.
Santa Cruz Wharf & Boardwalk
The Santa Cruz Wharf is a wharf in Santa Cruz, California, United States, known for fishing, boat tours, viewing sea lions, dining, nightlife and gift shops. The current wharf was built in 1914, the last of six built on the site, and is operated by the City of Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation Office.
The Mystery Spot
The Mystery Spot is a tourist attraction near Santa Cruz, California, opened in 1939 by George Prather. Visitors experience demonstrations that appear to defy gravity, on the short but steep uphill walk and inside a wooden building on the site.
Rio Del Mar State Beach
This bayfront strip of family-friendly sandy beach features ample parking & nearby eateries & shops.
Sunset State Beach
Sunset State Beach is a park and beach on Monterey Bay, in Santa Cruz County, California. It is operated by the California Department of Parks and Recreation.
Elkhorn Slough Reserve
The Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve is a nature reserve that is located at 1700 Elkhorn Road in Watsonville, California. The reserve encompasses the central shore of Monterey Bay and is approximately 100 miles south of San Francisco, California.
Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean located on the coast of the U.S. state of California. The bay is south of the major cities of San Francisco and San Jose. The county-seat city of Santa Cruz is located at the north end of the bay. The city of Monterey is on the Monterey Peninsula at the south end.
Approaching Monterey
Monterey is a city on California’s rugged central coast. Its Cannery Row, one-time center of the sardine-packing industry, was immortalized by novelist John Steinbeck. Today, it's a popular strip of gift shops, seafood restaurants and bars in converted factories. Also famous is Monterey Bay Aquarium, with thousands of marine animals and plants on display in underwater and interactive exhibits.
Welcome to Big Sur
Big Sur is a rugged stretch of California’s central coast between Carmel and San Simeon. Bordered to the east by the Santa Lucia Mountains and the west by the Pacific Ocean, it’s traversed by narrow, 2-lane State Route 1, known for winding turns, seaside cliffs and views of the often-misty coastline. The sparsely populated region has numerous state parks for hiking, camping and beachcombing.
Monterey & 17 Mile Drive
17-Mile Drive is a scenic road through Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove on the Monterey Peninsula in California, much of which hugs the Pacific coastline and passes famous golf courses, mansions and scenic attractions, including the Lone Cypress, Bird Rock and the 5,300-acre Del Monte Forest of Monterey Cypress trees.
Carmel by the Sea
Carmel-by-the-Sea is a small beach city on California's Monterey Peninsula. It's known for the museums and library of the historic Carmel Mission, and the fairytale cottages and galleries of its village-like center. The Scenic Bluff Path runs from surf spot Carmel Beach to bird-rich Carmel River State Beach, with a scuba entry point. South lie the sea animals and whaling museum of Point Lobos State Natural Reserve.
Carmel Village & Beach
Curving white sandy beach backed by cypress trees known for surfing, dog walking & sunsets.
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
Scenic coastal area features a variety of sea animals & wildlife, hiking, diving & a whaling museum.
The Pacific Coast Highway
State Route 1 is a major north–south state highway that runs along most of the Pacific coastline of the U.S. state of California. At a total of just over 656 miles, it is the longest state route in California.
Garrapata Beach & State Park
Garrapata State Park is a state park of California, USA, located on Highway 1 6.7 miles south of Carmel and 18 miles north of Big Sur on the Monterey coast. It is marked only with one sign on the west side of the road. Numbered turnouts mark each parking area. The 2,939-acre park was established in 1979.
Bixby Creek Bridge
Bixby Creek Bridge, also known as Bixby Canyon Bridge, on the Big Sur coast of California, 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.
Point Sur State Historic Park
Point Sur State Historic Park is a California State Park on the Big Sur coastline of Monterey County, California, United States, 19 miles south of Rio Road in Carmel. The 1889 Point Sur Lighthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Andrew Molera State Park
Andrew Molera State Park is a relatively undeveloped state park on the Big Sur coast of California, United States, preserving land as requested by former owner Frances Molera.
Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge
Beginning in early January 2017, a landslide due to heavy rainfall punished Pfeiffer Canyon in Monterey County, Calif. By mid-February, the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge on Highway 1, which was built in 1968, was determined by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to be beyond repair and in need of replacement.
Pfeiffer Beach
Pfeiffer Beach in the Big Sur area is definitely off the beaten path, but well worth the drive. Just south of Big Sur Station on Highway 1 is unsigned Sycamore Canyon Road which winds its way down to the shore. The two-mile long road is paved, but it is twisty and narrow so RV’s and trailers are not allowed (look for the yellow “Narrow Road” sign at the turn-off).
Grimes Point Scenic Overlook
Grimes Point Scenic Overlook is got one of the best views of the Big Sur coastline. It's easy to see what brings people to a place like Big Sur, even as remote as it is.
Seal Beach Scenic Overlook
Check out the overlook just a short ways down the road. This overlook is the aptly named Seal Beach overlook. If you haven't already guessed, you're likely to find seals on the rocks below that one!
Partington Cove
Partington Cove is a remote rocky cove below Partington Point in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. It has separate access with shoulder parking spaces along Highway 1 north of the main state park entrance.
McWay Falls
McWay Falls is an 80-foot-tall waterfall on the coast of Big Sur in central California that flows year-round from McWay Creek in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, about 37 miles south of Carmel, into the Pacific Ocean. During high tide, it is a tidefall. The only other tidefall in California is Alamere Falls.
Big Creek Bridge
The Big Creek Bridge is a 589-foot-long, open spandrel, concrete deck arch bridge located on the southern portion of the Big Sur coast of California, along State Route 1 near Lucia. Opened for traffic in 1938, it crosses Big Creek Canyon on this scenic, mountainous coast.
Big Creek Cove Vista Point
Big Creek Cove Beach is under the Big Creek Bridge on Highway 1 along the Big Sur Coast. Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve is the land area adjacent to the creek and the California marine protected areas named Big Creek State Marine Reserve and Big Creek State Conservation Area.
Limekiln State Park
Limekiln State Park is a state park of California, United States, on the Big Sur coast. It contains four lime kilns from an 1887–1890 lime-calcining operation, plus a beach, redwood forest, and 100-foot Limekiln Falls. It is located 2 miles south of Lucia on State Route 1. The 711-acre park was established in 1994.
Pitkins Curve Bridge and Rain Rocks Rock Shed
See that strange-looking structure covering the road up ahead? That's the Rain Rocks Rock Shed. What's it there for, you ask? Well to keep the rocks off of course!
Jade Cove
Jade Cove is located in the Big Sur region on the California coast. A steep trail leads down to a beach where nephrite jade can be found. The cove lies two miles south of Sand Dollar Beach, and just over three miles north of Gorda, California. It is a day use site that is also a designated Hang Glider landing site.
Nathaniel Owens Memorial Redwood Grove
Nathaniel Owens Memorial Redwood Grove, one of the largest redwood stands for miles. Did you know that the coastal redwood is the tallest living thing on the planet? It's true! These behemoths can grow to around 350 feet, which is as tall as a 35-story building!
Ragged Point
The stretch of highway between San Simeon and Ragged Point is some of the most picturesque in the world. The roadway follows where the majestic Santa Lucia Mountains meet the Pacific Ocean, with jaw-dropping views around every twist and turn. As you drive, plenty of turnoffs offer moments for taking in the region’s grandeur. As you drive to Ragged Point, you will feel like a star in your own private car commercial on Highway 1.
Ragged Point Inn
The Inn is a little orange building with the eaves hanging over its windows. It's a cute place to stop for a bite to eat, and has a cute history as well. It was founded by Wiley and Mildred Ramey back in the 1950s.
Piedras Blancas Light Station
Piedras Blancas Light Station is located at Point Piedras Blancas, about 5.5 miles west by northwest of San Simeon, California. It was added to the California Coastal National Monument in 2017.
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. The remaining months of the year, they mate, birth, molt, and rest onshore between trips.
Hearst Castle
Hearst Castle, San Simeon, is a National Historic Landmark and California Historical Landmark located on the Central Coast of California in the United States. Conceived by William Randolph Hearst, the publishing tycoon, and his architect Julia Morgan, it was built between 1919 and 1947.
Moonstone Beach Drive
Turn at the intersection up ahead to land yourself on Moonstone Beach Drive, a beautiful detour along Moonstone Beach. Don't worry, you'll be able to get back on the highway easily enough
Nitt Witt Ridge
Nitt Witt Ridge is a house on two and a half acres in Cambria, California, United States. Artist/recluse Arthur "Art" Harold Beal bought his hillside lot in 1928 and spent most of the next 50 years carving out the terraces with only a pick and shovel, creating his own "castle on a hill".
Harmony
Harmony is an unincorporated community located in San Luis Obispo County, California. It is home to the former Harmony Valley Creamery, a dairy cooperative that closed in 1955.
Cayucos
Cayucos is a census-designated place located on the coast in San Luis Obispo County, California along California State Route 1 between Cambria to the north and Morro Bay to the south.
Morro Bay
Morro Bay is a coastal city in California. It's known for Morro Rock, an ancient volcanic mound at the end of Morro Rock Beach. The rock sits within Morro Bay State Park, home to lagoons, trails and a bird-rich saltwater marsh. Morro Bay State Park’s Museum of Natural History features exhibits on ecology and local Native American culture. Trails lead up Black Hill for views over the city and Morro Bay.
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo is a city in California’s Central Coast region. On Mission Plaza, the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa is a 1700s Spanish mission with a museum. Nearby, pieces of chewed gum cover the walls of Bubblegum Alley. Vendors selling produce, flowers and food take over Higuera Street for the Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market. The San Luis Obispo Museum of Art focuses on work by contemporary California artists.
Continue Straight to Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa is a California city in Sonoma County. It's known for its wineries. The Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center is dedicated to the famed "Peanuts" cartoonist. Nearby, hands-on exhibits at the Children’s Museum of Sonoma County include a mini train station. Big-name musicians perform at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts. To the east, trail-lined Annadel State Park features wildflowers and a lake.
Bubblegum Alley
Bubblegum Alley is a tourist attraction in downtown San Luis Obispo, California, known for its accumulation of used bubble gum on the walls of an alley. It is a 15-foot high and 70-foot long alley lined with chewed gum left by passers-by.
Irish Hills Natural Reserve
The large natural area featuring diverse habitats & 8+ miles of trails for hiking & mountain biking.
Avila Beach
Avila Beach is an unincorporated community in San Luis Obispo County, California.
Dinosaur Caves Park
A grassy lawn, playground & walking trails mark this 11-acre park situated atop oceanfront bluffs.
Pismo Beach
Pismo Beach is a city on California's Central Coast. It's known for its wineries and many beaches. The Monarch Butterfly Grove shelters monarch butterflies that migrate to Pismo State Beach in the cooler months. Atop a rugged bluff, Dinosaur Caves Park has trails with ocean views and a playground. Other green spaces include Chumash Park, with its wetlands, and Margo Dodd Park, on a bluff.
Monarch Butterfly Grove
Eucalyptus tree–filled grove with thousands of monarch butteries in late October through February.
Guadalupe
Guadalupe is a small city located in Santa Barbara County, California. According to the U.S. Census of 2010, the city has a population of 7,080. Guadalupe is economically and socially tied to the city of Santa Maria, which is about ten miles to the east.
Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve
Just south of Guadalupe, CA lies an extraordinary and unique nature preserve. Featuring towering 550 foot high dunes-the tallest on the west coast-and the Santa Maria River Estuary, not only is this park beautiful but it is also ecologically significant. AKA Main Street Beach or Guadalupe Beach, Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve is a great place to surf, fish, hike, take photos, view wildlife, and simply enjoy nature.
Lompoc Murals
Lompoc Murals are one of the city’s top attractions, depicting scenes of Lompoc’s heritage, flower industry, historic sights, ethnic diversity, scenic beauty and more. Most of the murals are curated by the Lompoc Mural Society, a local non-profit dedicated to revitalizing historic old town and the valley’s economy through cultural tourism, and using art as a tool to help build bridges across barriers between ethnic and cultural groups.
Wine Ghetto
The Lompoc Wine Ghetto is a unique collection of wineries, tasting rooms, and production facilities located off Pacific Coast Highway 1 and 12th Street. The Wine Ghetto has about 20 boutique tasting rooms to choose from - most are open Fridays - Sundays, but some are open Thursdays and Mondays, too!
Jalama Beach
Land near Jalama Creek was once a Chumash Indian settlement named "Halama". In 1943, 23.5 acres of privately owned land was donated to the County of Santa Barbara from the Atlantic Richfield Oil Company, and thus, our park was formed. Jalama Beach is a respite from typically bustling seaside parks, yet offers many conveniences. Groceries, personal care sundries, firewood, fishing bait and tackle, ice, beer and wine may be purchased at the Jalama Store. Other services include mailing, facsimile, and video rentals. The store and its popular Grill are open daily from 8:00 am.
Arroyo Hondo Vista Point
The bridge was built in 1918. It was the first complex bridge built by the California Highway Commission, the agency prior to Caltrans, and not by an outside construction firm. It served both directions of US 101 until 1950 when the highway was expanded, then it was reserved for southbound traffic. It was bypassed in 1984, but Caltrans wisely recognized its historical value and left it in place. It now serves as a scenic overlook.
Refugio State Beach
Refugio State Beach offers excellent coastal fishing as well as trails and picnic sites. Palm trees planted near Refugio Creek give a distinctive look to the beach and camping area. Lifeguards patrol the beach year around while lifeguard towers are only staffed roughly from Memorial day weekend through Labor day weekend. Beach wheelchairs are available for use by the public at no cost. With this specially designed chair, wheelchair users may access the beach at several locations. Contact a ranger or lifeguard for additional information.
Goleta's Butterfly Grove
Monarch butterflies migrate to Goleta each November through February and this amazing sight is best viewed at the Goleta Butterfly Grove. The site is open sunrise to sunset with no admission fee, but the City of Goleta does accept donations to support the Monarch Butterfly Docent Program. The grove is adjacent to the Sperling Preserve on the Ellwood Mesa. The Ellwood Mesa open space includes 137 acres of natural terrain with designated trails and beach access. There is a portable restroom located at the parking lot.
Welcome to Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara is a city on the central California coast, with the Santa Ynez Mountains as dramatic backdrop. Downtown, Mediterranean-style white stucco buildings with red-tile roofs reflect the city’s Spanish colonial heritage. Upscale boutiques and restaurants offering local wines and seasonal fare line State Street. On a nearby hill, Mission Santa Barbara, founded in 1786, houses Franciscan friars and a museum.
Thousand Steps Beach
Thousand Steps Beach is one of the largest beaches in South Laguna Beach, CA. It’s a wide sandy beach with volleyball courts, restrooms, and tide pools and caves to discover. There is a large cave at the south end of Thousand Steps Beach that you can enter when the tide is out and the entrance is exposed.
Carpinteria State Beach
Carpinteria State Beach is an excellent white sand beach right in the city of Carpinteria. The state beach starts at Linden Avenue and continues south to Tar Pits Beach at the south end of the park. In between these end points are several campgrounds with over 200 camping spots.
Surfing on Rincon Beach
Rincon is a surf spot located at the Ventura and Santa Barbara County line in Southern California, USA. Also known as the "Queen of the Coast", Rincon is one of the most famous surf spots in California, known around the world for its well-formed waves and long rides.
Faria Beach & Las Pitas Point
Faria, also known as Faria Beach, is an unincorporated community in Ventura County, California, United States. Faria runs 1.32 miles along the ocean side of California State Route 1 9 miles northwest of Ventura between Ventura and Carpinteria.
Ventura
Ventura is a California coastal city, northwest of Los Angeles. It’s known for its beaches, like San Buenaventura State Beach, with long, wooden Ventura Pier. Surfer's Point is popular for surfing and windsurfing. Landmarks on downtown’s Main Street include the Mission San Buenaventura, with its 1809 church. Boats depart Ventura Harbor for Channel Islands National Park, a habitat for rare island foxes and scrub jays.
Point Mugu Rock / State Park
Point Mugu State Park, located in the Santa Monica Mountains, features five miles of ocean shoreline with rocky bluffs, sandy beaches, sand dunes, rugged hills and uplands, two major river canyons and wide grassy valleys dotted with sycamores, oaks and a few native walnuts. There are more than 70 miles of hiking trails. The beach also features swimming, body surfing and surf fishing. The park includes the jagged pinnacles of the Boney Mountains State Wilderness Area.
Sycamore Cove Beach
Sycamore Cove Beach is a day-use area in Point Mugu State Park in southern Ventura County. The beach in Sycamore Cove is excellent, but the biggest draw to this spot is probably the adjacent large campground with an extensive hiking trail network.
El Matador State Beach
El Matador Beach is one of three beaches within Robert H. Meyer Memorial State Beach. El Matador is the most popular of the three and the closest to Malibu. The parking lots for each beach are well-signed along Pacific Coast Highway in western Malibu.
Zuma Beach and Point Dume
Point Dume is a promontory on the coast of Malibu, California that juts out into the Pacific Ocean. The point, a long bluff, forms the northern end of the Santa Monica Bay. Point Dume Natural Area affords a vista of the Palos Verdes Peninsula and Santa Catalina Island. Zuma Beach lies to its immediate northwest.
Malibu
Malibu is a city west of Los Angeles, California. It’s known for its celebrity homes and beaches, including wide and sandy Zuma Beach. To the east is Malibu Lagoon State Beach, known as Surfrider Beach for its waves. Nearby is the Spanish Revival–style Adamson House, with local history displays in its Malibu Lagoon Museum. Inland, trails weave through canyons, waterfalls and grasslands in the Santa Monica Mountains.
Welcome to LA: Santa Monica
Santa Monica is a coastal city west of downtown Los Angeles. Santa Monica Beach is fringed by Palisades Park, with views over the Pacific Ocean. Santa Monica Pier is home to the Pacific Park amusement park, historic Looff Hippodrome Carousel and Santa Monica Pier Aquarium. Next to the pier is Muscle Beach, an outdoor gym established in the 1930s. In the city center, Bergamot Station houses several art galleries.

Preview the Tour

Stop 1 : Welcome

Stop 3 : Pacifica

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!

Lifetime Validity

Changing travel date? No worries! All individual tours come with lifetime validity.

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.

Pacific Coast Highway & Big Sur Self-Guided Driving Tour

Tour Details

Welcome to the Pacific Coast Highway & Big Sur Self Drive Tour

About the Tour

What You'll See

Pacifica

Pedro Point

Devil's Slide Bunker & Trail

Gray Whale Cove State Beach

Montara

Mavericks Beach

Half Moon Bay

Hollow State Beach

Pigeon Point Lighthouse

Butano State Park

Charquin’s Resistance: Big Basin Redwoods State Park

Ano Nuevo State Reserve

Davenport

Shark Fin Cove

Coast Dairies State Park

Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz Wharf & Boardwalk

The Mystery Spot

Rio Del Mar State Beach

Sunset State Beach

Elkhorn Slough Reserve

Monterey Bay

Approaching Monterey

Welcome to Big Sur

Monterey & 17 Mile Drive

Carmel by the Sea

Carmel Village & Beach

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve

The Pacific Coast Highway

Garrapata Beach & State Park

Bixby Creek Bridge

Point Sur State Historic Park

Andrew Molera State Park

Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge

Pfeiffer Beach

Grimes Point Scenic Overlook

Seal Beach Scenic Overlook

Partington Cove

McWay Falls

Big Creek Bridge

Big Creek Cove Vista Point

Limekiln State Park

Pitkins Curve Bridge and Rain Rocks Rock Shed

Jade Cove

Nathaniel Owens Memorial Redwood Grove

Ragged Point

Ragged Point Inn

Piedras Blancas Light Station

Elephant Seal Vista Point

Hearst Castle

Moonstone Beach Drive

Nitt Witt Ridge

Harmony

Cayucos

Morro Bay

San Luis Obispo

Continue Straight to Santa Rosa

Bubblegum Alley

Irish Hills Natural Reserve

Avila Beach

Dinosaur Caves Park

Pismo Beach

Monarch Butterfly Grove

Guadalupe

Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve

Lompoc Murals

Wine Ghetto

Jalama Beach

Arroyo Hondo Vista Point

Refugio State Beach

Goleta's Butterfly Grove

Welcome to Santa Barbara

Thousand Steps Beach

Carpinteria State Beach

Surfing on Rincon Beach