Ultimate Pacific Coast Highway California Road Trip Itinerary
Pacific Coast Highway is one of America’s most famous highways along with Route 66. The highway is 500 miles long with a phenomenally beautiful coastline of Northern California is rivaled only by the incredible coast of Big Sur farther south, beyond which stretch the beachfront of Southern California.
There are so many things to see around that it’s hard to plan a good Pacific Coast Highway road trip itinerary. Here’s my ultimate guide to for the greatest California road trip.
Fun fact: Pacific Coast Highway is called the Pacific Coast Highway only in the Los Angeles area. Elsewhere, it’s “Highway 1”.
Top Tips For Driving The Pacific Coast Highway
1. Drive North to South
The sea views are better if you drive it from north to south, otherwise, you’ll be on the wrong side of the road.
2. Where to Start?
San Francisco is an ideal place to start your road trip. You can easily fly into SFO Airport, do some sightseeing, rent a car and start your road trip.
While you don’t need a car in San Francisco as parking is ridiculously hard to find and expensive, if you want to visit Yosemite, or Giant Sequoias, you could consider renting a car during your stay in SF as well.
🚙 Discover Cars has plenty of options including convertibles for the most Californian road trip experience. Make sure you check the full price, including a fee for a drop-off at a different location.
3. Plan Your Stops Carefully
Make sure you have a plan for your road trip and consider accommodation choices beforehand. During the spring and summer, many places get booked up easily, especially in Big Sur, and you don’t want to be stuck without accommodation.
4. Check Road Closures
Unfortunately, landslides are an often occurrence on Highway 1, so check beforehand whether some parts of the are blocked.
For instance, during my visit everything between Gorda and Hearst Castle was shut down, so to see the Big Sur we had to drive down south and go through the mountains later which added quite a bunch of time.
Also, you don’t want to drive through Big Sur with an empty tank. While there’s a small gas station in Gorda the price was $7 per gallon. Yes, you read that correctly!
5. Rent a Good Car
While you may originally want to rent a fancy red convertible car, like from American movies, let me tell you that it might not be the best idea.
It gets really cold and windy in the mornings and evenings and really messes my hair, so I don’t particularly like driving with a top-down.
In my opinion, as long as you can open your windows you’ll be fine and save money. Unless, obviously, you want to use your car in a fancy photoshoot 😉
Long stretches of the PCH have no radio or cell service, so make sure that you have a good playlist for your road trip. That said, don’t forget a car phone charger!
6. Decide When to Go
Keep in mind that the summer months, while warm, are rather foggy on the California coast. You might get lucky, but don’t count on the best clear skies in the morning.
For the best weather and the best chance of sunshine, plan your PCH road trip in September or October. Normal temps are in the 60-70s, so bring a jacket and sweater for the day.
Pacific Coast Highway Best Stops
1. San Francisco
San Francisco is a vibrant big city that offers a lot for visitors and locals. You don’t need to have a car in the city as you can walk, but public transportation isn’t as great as it is in Chicago or NYC. If you get tired of walking you can rent bikes, but remember – the city has a lot of hills.
The most important thing is seeing the Golden Gate Bridge and taking that famous, picturesque shot. This wonder was built in 1937 and has viewpoints that you can stop at.
Visit the famous Alcatraz, once a military area and prison, but now an important landmark.
Head over to Fisherman’s Wharf to see the sea lions and visit the souvenir shops.
See the popular Coit Tower from a distance or walk up to it. This 64-meter tower in Telegraph Hill, built in 1932 stands behind a statue of Columbus.
Allow at least 3 days for visiting, and even longer if you want to take day trips to Napa Valley or Yosemite. Stuff your face with delicious seafood and burritos, local Ghirardelli chocolate, and ride a cable car. You won’t be bored in this city!
Where to Stay in San Francisco
Marriott Marquis – Stayed there once and can vouch for the location and good service.
Hyatt Centric Fisherman’s Wharf San Francisco – Modern, yet rustic, this hotel is a short walk from the wharf.
Handlery Union Square Hotel – This 4th-generation family hotel is so warm and welcoming.
2. San Jose
While San Jose isn’t officially on Highway 1, it’s a nice stop to make since it’s on the way. The famous and well-advertised Winchester Mystery House here was built by its late owner, Sarah Winchester who spent 20 mln dollars building this house until her death.
Constructed over a period from 1866 to 1922, the house covers 24,000 square feet, with 160 rooms, 2000 doors, and 10,000 windows. Sarah Winchester’s house is full of curiosities, secret passages, and supposedly ghosts.
The Headquarters for Facebook, Instagram and Google are in San Jose as well, so you can easily visit them on the way if you wish.