Road Trip San Francisco Yosemite National Park, Big Sur, Monterey
All distances and times are indicative and do not include stops.
Total mileage; 700 miles, 825 including Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks
Total drive time; 12 hours 30 minutes plus an additional 3 hours for the extension
How long do I need? You really need at least 12 days to see even the main sights in San Francisco, Yosemite and the Monterey Bay area at a sensible pace. This would make a lovely 2 week trip.
This is an awesome trip combining the vibrant city life of San Francisco with the amazing scenery of
View of Alcatraz, San Francisco
Yosemite and Big Sur. You can fly directly to San Francisco from the UK. Check out the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, take a tour of Alcatraz, eat some seafood at Fisherman’s Wharf and enjoy the hustle and bustle of Chinatown.
Pick up your hire car and head out of town for Yosemite National Park to see some genuinely jaw dropping scenery complete with spectacular waterfalls. From Yosemite head back to the coast, Cambria is a good stop from which to carry on up Highway 1 from San Simeon towards Monterey – factor in plenty of time to stop and take in the view – dramatic can’t even begin to describe this stretch of coastline. Enjoy the fabulous Monterey Aquarium, wandering the cottage lined streets of Carmel, and hanging out spotting seals, sea lions and sea otters at Point Lobos State Reserve. If you are a Steinbeck fan head to Salinas to the National Steinbeck Center to see the setting for much of his work.
Tunnel Log, Sequoia National Park
If you enjoy the great outdoors an easy extension to this trip is to include a visit to Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. The follow the High Sierra from Yosemite and whilst not (in my view) boasting quite such spectacular scenery they are both beautiful places. The giant sequoia trees provide quite a spectacle, the hiking is fabulous and it is our best place ever for bear spotting.
Getting there…
To find the best deals on your flights and accommodation, we recommend 1Plus2Travel. They are a great search website and search all the online consolidators so you don’t have to!
Otherwise, we like Skyscanner for a good listing of all the operators running flights.
We recommend Holiday Autos or Easycar for car hire. Check out our car hire info for ways to save money. You may want to cover your excess and increase your liability cover with a policy like that from Worldwide Insure or Insurance4carhire.com.
Where to Stay…
We have picked out our top 5 hotels in San Francisco in our city guide. Check out the Omni San Francisco for a great all rounder, or Suites At Fishermans Wharf for fabulous family value.
For where to stay in Yosemite, check out our National Park guide.
If you want an overnight stop before driving up Big Sur, Cambria is a good base. We like the FogCatcher Inn and the Pelican Inn & Suites for their comfortable rooms and good standard of amenity.
For places to stay in the Carmel / Monterey area, we love the Carmel Valley Ranch. It is a lovely hotel with two pools set on a golf course. The restaurant is excellent. It is a short drive away from the coast which is often a bonus as is avoids the foggy marine layer that is prevalent along this coastline. If this does not appeal, never fear, there are plenty of very good options around.
Our pick of the budget options is the Monterey Bay Lodge which has clean, functional rooms in a good location. Hotel Abrego, also in Monterey is a great option, in an excellent location with a pleasant pool area, as is the Monterey Bay Inn. In Carmel, the Wayside Inn is a good bet for cozy comfort, and the Carriage House Inn is lovely.