An Essential Road Trip Guide to Pacific Coast Highway

Tap to Read ➤ Dhanashree Khadke

Splendid beach views, foggy shores, waving palm trees, flipping sea lions, fresh oysters and vintage wines - defines the amazing Pacific Coast Highway.

Best time of the year to drive the Pacific Coast Highway Late February to April when the rainy season is just over and you can witness lush green hills, colorful blooms, cheerful waterfalls, humpback whales, and elephant seals while on the way.

Start from San Francisco Kickstart your journey with the scenic Golden Gate Bridge. You can drive to less crowded Hawk hill to capture some of the best views of Golden Gate Bridge.

Make sure to explore Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz Island, Union Square, Lombard Street too. Ride on the iconic 'cable car' of San Francisco to ride around the city.

Galleries, museums, and the full of thrill - Winchester Mystery House make San Jose worth a stop on your Pacific Coast Highway road trip. San Jose

Start with a picture-perfect spot at Lighthouse Field State Beach. Absorb the old school vibes while roaming around the coffee shops and restaurants in the Wharf and enjoy a variety of games and rides at the Beach Boardwalk. Santa Cruz

Take a quick stop at the Mystery Spot, situated near Santa Cruz where you would be puzzled by the strange behavior of gravity, perspective, and height.

Visit the tourists' major destination in Monterey - the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and enjoy harbor views at the Old Fisherman's Wharf. Monterey has so much to offer for adventure lovers too, like - golfing, biking, sailing, kayaking, and whale watching. Monterey

While on the way to Big Sur, you will travel over the most photogenic and one of the tallest concrete bridges in the world - The Bixby Bridge! Big Sur

Big Sur is surrounded by the magnificent sights of Pfeiffer Beach, McWay Falls, and natural hot spring bath at the Esalen Institute.

Santa Barbara has a lot of things to offer to nature and wildlife lovers and history buffs. One must keep a few days reserved to visit Stearns Wharf, (which is the oldest working pier of California) Santa Barbara Zoo, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Lotusland, and Santa Barbara Historical Museum. Santa Barbara

Malibu is incredibly beautiful with Topanga Canyon to the East, the Santa Monica Mountains to the North and the Pacific Ocean to the South. You will be speechless by the glory of its sandy beaches, turquoise waters, cliffs, and rocky coves. Malibu

You will find plenty of decent weekend homes, resorts, and scrumptious seafood restaurants in Malibu.

Los Angeles is the perfect place to end your tour. Spend some quality time in South Bay's any of the beautiful beaches like Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, or Redondo Beach. These are the best places to swim, surf and sunbathe. Los Angeles

LA is too vast to explore - to drive from one corner to another of the city, you will end up wasting a lot of time in traffic. So, it's better to choose the best slice in the city and spend your time well.