north america · 4 days · 15 stops

Pacific Coast Highway — San Francisco to Los Angeles

The definitive American coastal drive: 500 miles of cliffs, redwoods and ocean on Highway 1, from the Golden Gate to Santa Monica Pier.

Days
4
Stops
15
Driving
599 km
Behind the wheel
7h 48m

Driving figures are measured road distances between the stops listed for each day, not straight lines. The transfer from wherever you sleep to the first stop of the day is not included.

Daylight on this route, by season

The single number that decides whether a self-drive day works. Almost every guide tells you to "check the daylight hours"; here they are for this route, on the solstices and equinoxes.

Day Driving 21 Jun21 Sep21 Dec21 Mar
San Francisco & the Bay 0h 58m 14h 47m 12h 12m 9h 33m 12h 11m
Santa Cruz & Monterey Bay 1h 18m 14h 40m 12h 11m 9h 40m 12h 10m
Big Sur 1h 56m 14h 37m 12h 11m 9h 42m 12h 10m
San Simeon to Santa Monica 3h 36m 14h 28m 12h 11m 9h 51m 12h 10m

Measured at the midpoint of each day's stops. "Midnight sun" means the sun does not set; "polar night" means it does not rise.

Day by day

Day 1: San Francisco & the Bay

3 stops · 56 km · 0h 58m driving · 2h 45m at stops

In winter: About 0h 58m of driving inside 9h 33m of daylight — comfortable.

  1. 1

    Golden Gate Bridge (Battery Spencer)

    Park on the Marin side for the classic bridge view; go early, the lot fills by 9am.

    Allow about 1h

  2. 2

    Lands End & Sutro Baths

    Short cliff walk over the ruins of a 19th-century bathhouse.

    Allow about 1h

  3. 3

    Half Moon Bay

    First taste of Highway 1 proper — harbour, pumpkin farms, surf beaches.

    Allow about 0h 45m

Legs and times
  • Golden Gate Bridge (Battery Spencer) → Lands End & Sutro Baths: 12 km, 0h 18m
  • Lands End & Sutro Baths → Half Moon Bay: 43 km, 0h 40m

Day 2: Santa Cruz & Monterey Bay

4 stops · 93 km · 1h 18m driving · 5h 30m at stops

In winter: About 1h 18m of driving inside 9h 40m of daylight — comfortable.

  1. 1

    Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

    Seaside amusement park on the sand; the 1924 Looff carousel still runs.

    Allow about 1h 30m

  2. 2

    Cannery Row, Monterey

    Steinbeck's sardine row, now aquarium and waterfront restaurants.

    Allow about 2h

  3. 3

    17-Mile Drive

    Gated scenic loop through Pebble Beach — the Lone Cypress is the photo stop.

    Allow about 1h 30m

  4. 4

    Monterey

    Base for the night: the aquarium, Cannery Row and the Old Fisherman's Wharf are all here.

    Allow about 0h 30m

Legs and times
  • Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk → Cannery Row, Monterey: 71 km, 0h 50m
  • Cannery Row, Monterey → 17-Mile Drive: 10 km, 0h 13m
  • 17-Mile Drive → Monterey: 12 km, 0h 15m

Day 3: Big Sur

4 stops · 132 km · 1h 56m driving · 6h 15m at stops

In winter: About 1h 56m of driving inside 9h 42m of daylight — comfortable.

  1. 1

    Bixby Creek Bridge

    The most photographed bridge on the coast; pull-off on the north side.

    Allow about 0h 30m

  2. 2

    Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

    Redwoods to the sea; the river mouth beach is the quiet alternative to McWay.

    Allow about 2h

  3. 3

    McWay Falls, Julia Pfeiffer Burns

    An 80-foot waterfall dropping onto a beach you cannot walk on — view from the trail.

    Allow about 0h 45m

  4. 4

    San Simeon & Hearst Castle

    Book the castle tour in advance; elephant seals are 5 minutes further north.

    Allow about 3h

Legs and times
  • Bixby Creek Bridge → Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park: 21 km, 0h 18m
  • Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park → McWay Falls, Julia Pfeiffer Burns: 19 km, 0h 16m
  • McWay Falls, Julia Pfeiffer Burns → San Simeon & Hearst Castle: 93 km, 1h 22m

Day 4: San Simeon to Santa Monica

4 stops · 318 km · 3h 36m driving · 4h 45m at stops

In winter: About 3h 36m of driving inside 9h 51m of daylight — comfortable.

  1. 1

    Morro Rock, Morro Bay

    A 576-foot volcanic plug with otters and a working fishing harbour.

    Allow about 0h 45m

  2. 2

    Solvang

    Danish-style village, good coffee stop inland from the coast.

    Allow about 1h

  3. 3

    Santa Barbara & Stearns Wharf

    Spanish-colonial downtown, palm-lined waterfront, wine tasting rooms.

    Allow about 2h

  4. 4

    Santa Monica Pier

    End of Route 66 and of this drive — ferris wheel over the Pacific.

    Allow about 1h

Legs and times
  • Morro Rock, Morro Bay → Solvang: 127 km, 1h 17m
  • Solvang → Santa Barbara & Stearns Wharf: 56 km, 0h 42m
  • Santa Barbara & Stearns Wharf → Santa Monica Pier: 136 km, 1h 37m

When to drive it

21 Jun

14h 38m

of daylight

21 Sep

12h 11m

of daylight

21 Dec

9h 42m

of daylight

21 Mar

12h 10m

of daylight

Longest days are around 21 June, shortest around 21 December. On this route the swing is large enough that the same day's driving can be comfortable in June and entirely after dark in December — which is why the table above is per day.

Plan this route with the daylight in view

Tseril builds the multi-day route on a map, warns you about the legs you would drive at night, and shows the snow and weather at every stop. Free to use.

Open the planner Copy a published trip

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