California
3
Day Itinerary •
USA
Three days in California gives you the essential Golden State experience, from the extraordinary Golden Gate Bridge and vibrant food culture of San Francisco to the magnificent redwood forests of Muir Woods and the extraordinary Big Sur coastline, one of the most dramatic drives in the world. This route covers the heart of coastal California. The extraordinary Mission District taquerias and Ferry Building Marketplace of San Francisco, the ancient coast redwoods of Muir Woods National Monument, the extraordinary Bixby Bridge and McWay Falls of Big Sur and the finest seafood on the California coast.
Best Time To Visit
September to November for clearest skies and fog-free coast
Getting There
Fly into San Francisco International (SFO)
Getting Around
Rental car essential south of San Francisco
Budget Per Day
Approx $150 to $250 per person per day
Difficulity
Easy to moderate, some coastal hiking
DAY 1
SAN FRANCISCO
MORNING
GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE AND MUIR WOODS
The Golden Gate Bridge is the most extraordinary suspension bridge in the world, its extraordinary 1.7-mile span of international orange steel across the mouth of San Francisco Bay giving the finest coastal bridge view in America. Walk the eastern sidewalk for the full extraordinary experience. Muir Woods National Monument across the bay shelters the most accessible ancient coast redwood grove in California, its extraordinary Cathedral Grove of 1,000-year-old trees reaching 250 feet. Bridge free, Muir Woods $15. Drive: 30 min drive
MIDDAY
FERRY BUILDING MARKETPLACE AND THE EMBARCADERO
The Ferry Building Marketplace is the most extraordinary food market in San Francisco, its extraordinary 1898 Beaux-Arts ferry terminal housing the finest artisan food vendors in the Bay Area. Acme Bread, Cowgirl Creamery, Blue Bottle Coffee and the extraordinary Saturday farmers market are all unmissable. The Embarcadero waterfront with its extraordinary views of the Bay Bridge and the financial district skyline is the finest waterfront walk in San Francisco. Free. Drive: 30 min ferry or drive
AFTERNOON
MISSION DISTRICT TAQUERIAS AND DOLORES PARK
The Mission District is the most extraordinary neighborhood in San Francisco, its extraordinary Valencia Street of independent bookshops, cafes and bars, the finest murals in California on Clarion Alley, and the most celebrated taquerias in America giving a Latin American cultural experience unlike any other neighborhood in the city. Mission Dolores Park gives the extraordinary panoramic view of downtown San Francisco with a margarita from the nearby taquerias. Free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Lands End trail above the ruins of the Sutro Baths at the northwestern tip of San Francisco gives the most extraordinary hidden coastal walk in the city, its extraordinary mile-long clifftop path above the Pacific giving views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Marin Headlands and the open ocean entirely unknown to visitors who stay in Fisherman's Wharf. Free.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Tartine Bakery, Mission District The most celebrated bakery in San Francisco. Extraordinary country bread, morning buns and coffee. | Lunch: La Taqueria, Mission District The most legendary taqueria in San Francisco. Extraordinary carne asada burrito, no rice, double beans. | Dinner: Zuni Cafe, Hayes Valley The finest classic San Francisco restaurant. Extraordinary roast chicken for two and house-baked focaccia.
DAY 2
MONTEREY PENINSULA
MORNING
17-MILE DRIVE AND PEBBLE BEACH
17-MILE DRIVE AND PEBBLE BEACH 1.5 hours The 17-Mile Drive through the Del Monte Forest and Pebble Beach is the most extraordinary coastal drive on the Monterey Peninsula, its extraordinary private road past the Lone Cypress, Bird Rock and the world-famous Pebble Beach Golf Links giving views of the Pacific coastline and the Santa Lucia Mountains. The extraordinary Cypress Point Lookout and Seal Rock are unmissable. Entry $11.25 per vehicle, refundable with dining purchase. Drive: 1.5 hr drive
MIDDAY
POINT LOBOS STATE RESERVE
Point Lobos State Reserve is the finest coastal state park in California, its extraordinary rocky headlands of ancient Monterey cypress above the clearest water on the California coast giving close-range encounters with California sea otters floating in the kelp, Steller sea lions on the rocks and harbor seals in the coves. The extraordinary Whalers Cove and Sea Lion Point are the finest viewpoints. Called the crown jewel of the California state park system. Entry $10. Drive: 20 min drive
AFTERNOON
CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA VILLAGE
Carmel-by-the-Sea is the most extraordinary small village in California, its extraordinary English cottage-style architecture of fairytale storefronts, art galleries and wine tasting rooms on Ocean Avenue giving a destination unlike any other on the California coast. The extraordinary Carmel Mission Basilica, founded by Father Junipero Serra in 1770, is the finest Spanish mission in Northern California. The dog-friendly white sand Carmel Beach is extraordinary. Free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Point Sur Lightstation State Historic Park south of Carmel is the finest hidden historic site on the Big Sur coast, its extraordinary 1889 lighthouse on a 361-foot volcanic rock accessible only by guided tour giving the most extraordinary view of the Big Sur coastline in any direction. Tours Saturdays and Sundays approx $15.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Katy's Place, Carmel The finest breakfast in Carmel. Extraordinary benedicts, local eggs and strong California coffee. | Lunch: The Sardine Factory, Monterey The most legendary restaurant in Monterey. Outstanding local squid, Dungeness crab and bay views. | Dinner: Aubergine, Carmel The finest restaurant on the Monterey Peninsula. Extraordinary California tasting menu. Book weeks ahead.
DAY 3
BIG SUR
MORNING
BIXBY CREEK BRIDGE, THE MOST PHOTOGRAPHED BRIDGE IN CALIFORNIA
Bixby Creek Bridge is the most extraordinary concrete arch bridge in California, its extraordinary 714-foot single span 260 feet above the Big Sur coast giving the most photographed view on Highway One. Built in 1932 by prisoners from San Quentin, it remains the finest coastal engineering achievement in California. The Rocky Creek Bridge viewpoint nearby and the extraordinary pull-off above the bridge give the most extraordinary photography positions. Free. Drive: 30 min drive
MIDDAY
MCWAY FALLS AND JULIA PFEIFFER BURNS STATE PARK
McWay Falls in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is the most extraordinary waterfall in California, the only waterfall in the state that falls directly onto a beach, its extraordinary 80-foot plunge of McWay Creek onto the white sand of an inaccessible cove visible from the Overlook Trail above. The extraordinary jade-green water of the cove and the surrounding Big Sur mountains are unmissable. The 0.7-mile Overlook Trail is free with state park entry $12. Drive: 20 min drive
AFTERNOON
PFEIFFER BEACH AND THE BIG SUR SUNSET
Pfeiffer Beach is the most extraordinary beach in Big Sur, its extraordinary purple-tinged sand created by manganese garnet from the surrounding Santa Lucia Mountains and the Keyhole Rock through which the Pacific surf crashes in extraordinary pillars of white water. The beach at sunset when the light turns the purple sand to gold is the most extraordinary coastal experience in California. Entry $12 via a narrow road off Highway One. Arrive before the gate opens.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Ragged Point at the southern entrance to Big Sur is the finest hidden viewpoint on the entire Highway One, its extraordinary clifftop above the Pacific giving a view north along the full length of the Big Sur coast that most visitors miss entirely by driving south to north. Free. The most extraordinary hidden viewpoint in Big Sur.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Big Sur Bakery The finest breakfast in Big Sur. Extraordinary wood-fired pastries, local eggs and strong California coffee. | Lunch: Nepenthe, Big Sur The most legendary restaurant in Big Sur at 808 feet above the Pacific. Extraordinary Ambrosia burger and views. | Dinner: The Restaurant at Ventana, Big Sur Outstanding California coastal cuisine in the finest hotel restaurant in Big Sur.
DAY 4
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
DAY 5
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Where To Stay
San Francisco, Night 1 Hotel Zephyr Fisherman's Wharf or The Marker Union Square. Approx $160 to $280 per night. Carmel-by-the-Sea, Night 2 L'Auberge Carmel or Carmel Mission Inn. Approx $180 to $350 per night. Big Sur, Night 3 Post Ranch Inn is extraordinary but expensive. Fernwood Resort from $120 per night.
Top Tips
1. Book Muir Woods timed entry shuttle at gomuirwoods.com weeks ahead. It sells out for summer weekends instantly.
2. The Golden Gate Bridge at dawn before the tourists arrive and fog burns off is the most extraordinary California sight.
3. Point Lobos State Reserve near Carmel is the finest coastal state park in California. Entry $10, arrive early.
4. McWay Falls in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is the only waterfall in California that falls directly onto the beach.
5. Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur requires a $12 entry fee and a narrow road. The purple sand at sunset is extraordinary.
6. Big Sur's Nepenthe restaurant terrace at sunset, 808 feet above the Pacific, is the finest view in California.
Total Budget
$150 to $250/day