This post was originally published on A Globe Well Travelled in 2016. The content has been revised and updated with fresh information.
We were hoping to trade the New York winter for a few days of Californian sunshine. Instead, we got rain. So much rain.
It was 2016, and my husband and I booked a spontaneous four-day Big Sur road trip, driving from San Francisco to Los Angeles along the coast. We’d been craving some warmth and nature immersion, but unfortunately the weather had other ideas — our drive down Highway 1 ended up being cold, wet and ridiculously foggy.
It wasn’t exactly the road trip I’d imagined. We had to abandon hiking trails, skip a few scenic stops and occasionally drive through thick fog knowing that there was a spectacular coastline somewhere beside us without being able to actually see it. And yet, looking back on the trip ten years later, it still stands out as one of my favourite coastal drives.
Big Sur is easily one of the most scenic sections of the Californian coast, with rugged sea cliffs, secluded beaches and famous landmarks like Bixby Bridge. If you’re planning the drive yourself (hopefully with better weather than we had!), this 3-day Big Sur road trip itinerary covers our route, where we stayed, and all the scenic stops worth making between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Quick summary:
Planning a scenic drive along California’s coast? This relaxed 3-day Big Sur road trip itinerary takes you from San Francisco to Los Angeles, with overnight stops in Monterey and Santa Barbara. Expect sea cliffs, iconic landmarks like Bixby Bridge and McWay Falls, and cute coastal towns along the way.
Recommended hotels:
🌉 San Francisco: Days Inn Lombard — One of the few city-center motels with parking.
🛏️ Monterey: Best Western Park Crest Inn — A reliable, comfortable stay in Monterey with free parking.
🏖️ Santa Barbara: Castillo Inn at the Beach — Comfy and well-located, just a short stroll from Stearns Wharf.
🎬 Los Angeles: Hollywood Hotel — Stylish, great-value hotel between Hollywood and Downtown.
Big Sur road trip itinerary
While you could technically drive through Big Sur in a day, it’s much more enjoyable if you take it slow. This relaxed three-day itinerary includes overnight stops in Monterey and Santa Barbara, giving you plenty of time to stop at viewpoints, beaches and other scenic spots on the drive.
Important: Highway 1 through Big Sur is currently open, but road conditions can quickly change due to landslides, wildfires and construction. Before starting your road trip, I’d suggest checking the latest Caltrans road conditions to make sure the entire route is accessible.
If you need to hire a car, you can pick one up from the airport or city at either end and book a one-way rental. We collected our car from San Francisco Airport and dropped it off at LAX, which meant we didn’t have to backtrack at the end of the trip.
When is the best time to drive Big Sur?
We visited in March, which is generally a quieter time to drive Big Sur. Unfortunately for us, El Niño was causing it to be even wetter than usual, so we experienced plenty of rain and fog throughout our trip!
For better weather, late spring through early autumn is a popular time to visit, though you’ll also have more traffic and competition for parking at the major viewpoints. If you’re travelling outside the warmer months, keep an eye on the forecast and check Highway 1 road conditions before setting off.
Don’t want to drive Big Sur?
🚌 If you’d prefer to see Big Sur without hiring a car, you can also take a Big Sur, Monterey and Carmel day tour from San Francisco.
The full-day tour travels down the California coast with stops around Monterey, the 17-Mile Drive and Carmel before continuing to Big Sur for views of Bixby Bridge and Hurricane Point. It’s a good alternative if you’re staying in San Francisco and want to see some of the coastal highlights without organising a rental car or overnight stays.
Big Sur road trip itinerary
Day 1: San Francisco to Monterey
Be sure to spend some time in San Francisco before you hit the road! We spent the morning driving around the city before making our way to Lands End Lookout, where you can look back towards the Golden Gate Bridge from the edge of the Pacific Ocean.
It felt like a fitting place to start our road trip — this is basically where the city of San Francisco meets the sea. From here, we pointed the car south and started making our way down the California coast.
👉 Read more: Best things to do in San Francisco for first-time visitors
Our first major stop was Santa Cruz, a classic Californian beach town known for its waterfront amusement park and long wooden pier. We walked along the pier and popped into a few of the shops around the boardwalk area, though unfortunately the weather wasn’t exactly giving us the sunny California beach experience we’d imagined.
It was cold, windy and threatening to rain, so we didn’t linger for too long before getting back in the car and continuing south.
From there, we made our way to Moss Landing. Take the Jetty Road turnoff and drive all the way to the viewing point at the end — this is where we found a group of wild seals hanging out on the beach.
Most of them were doing absolutely nothing besides lazing around on the sand, while a few were playing and splashing about in the shallows. It ended up being one of my favourite wildlife encounters of the trip, and it’s an easy little detour from the main route.
By the time we reached Monterey, the rain had finally eased up. We spent the evening walking around Old Fisherman’s Wharf and Cannery Row, which was particularly enjoyable after spending so much of the day battling cold wind and showers.
We grabbed something to eat around Old Fisherman’s Wharf before calling it a night. If you arrive earlier than we did, you could also visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium, though I’d allow at least a few hours if you want to see it properly.
🛏️ Where to stay: For a well-located and reliable place to stay, I’d recommend Best Western Park Crest Inn — it’s close to downtown with free parking and good value for a night on the coast.
Day 2: Monterey to Santa Barbara
Day 2 is the busiest day of this road trip, so I’d recommend getting an early start from Monterey. This is the day that takes you through the heart of Big Sur, with a huge number of viewpoints, beaches and hiking trails that you could potentially stop at.
Unfortunately, this was also the day that the weather completely turned against us.
We left Monterey at around 10AM expecting the rain to ease, but instead it just kept coming. We repeatedly tried to get out of the car at scenic viewpoints, only to retreat about 30 seconds later because we were wet and shivering. Some hiking trails were too muddy or closed, and the fog occasionally became so thick that we knew there was a spectacular coastline right beside us but could barely see any of it.
Our first planned stop was Point Lobos, a state reserve just south of Monterey with hiking trails and dramatic coastal views. Unfortunately, the weather was foul when we arrived, so we didn’t get to see or do much here. On a clear day, I imagine it would be totally worth allowing some time to explore the trails.
Continuing south, we stopped at Rocky Creek Vista Point, a roadside viewpoint overlooking the rugged coastline. We dashed out of the car for a few photos in the rain, and even with the gloomy skies and rough weather, the scenery was impressive.
Just down the road is Bixby Bridge, one of the most photographed landmarks on Big Sur. Once again, the rain was working against us, so this became another quick jump-out-of-the-car photo stop before we continued south.
We also attempted to visit Pfeiffer Beach, which is accessed via the narrow Sycamore Canyon Road. After all the heavy rain, we found water flowing right across the road and decided that driving our rental car through it probably wasn’t a great idea.
Determined not to give up, we parked the car, took off our shoes and waded through the shallow water with the intention of walking the rest of the way. Unfortunately, we didn’t get far before a park ranger turned us back because we weren’t allowed to leave the car parked on the side of the road. Pfeiffer Beach clearly wasn’t happening for us that day!
In better conditions, the road continues down to a day-use parking area near Pfeiffer Beach, which is known for its dramatic rock formations and distinctive purple-tinged sand.
McWay Falls at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park was another stop we ultimately skipped. The waterfall drops around 80 feet from the cliffs onto the beach below, but there’s no public access to the beach itself — instead, you can see McWay Falls from an overlook within the state park.
There’s currently a $10 per vehicle day-use fee to enter and park at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park (as of 2026). With the coast completely covered in fog during our visit, we decided against paying the fee when there was a good chance we wouldn’t even be able to see the waterfall! On a clear day, though, I’d definitely include the overlook as one of the scenic stops on this drive.
We had originally considered Hearst Castle as well, but by this point we were well and truly ready to keep moving. If you want to include it in your own itinerary, you’ll need to allow extra time for a guided tour. With so much packed into this day already, I’d probably choose between spending more time exploring Big Sur or visiting Hearst Castle rather than trying to squeeze absolutely everything in.
We eventually stopped in Morro Bay for a much-needed coffee. It’s a relaxed coastal town dominated by the enormous Morro Rock just offshore, and makes a convenient place to take a break before tackling the final stretch towards Santa Barbara.
By the time we reached Santa Barbara, something wonderful had happened: the rain had finally stopped! We took advantage of the clearing weather with an evening walk along the beach and Stearns Wharf.
🏖️ Where to stay: We stopped overnight at Castillo Inn at the Beach in Santa Barbara. It was comfy and well-located, just a short walk from Stearns Wharf.
Day 3: Santa Barbara to Los Angeles
With the worst of the weather thankfully behind us, we started our final day with another walk around Santa Barbara. We explored State Street before getting back in the car for the final stretch towards Los Angeles.
From Santa Barbara, follow the coast south towards Malibu. This stretch of the drive has some gorgeous ocean views, and for us, the California weather we’d been hoping for finally started to make an appearance.
We stopped in Malibu for lunch at an oceanfront cafe that has unfortunately closed since our visit, but you’ll find no shortage of places to eat here if you’re feeling peckish. After lunch, we continued along the Pacific Coast Highway towards Los Angeles, marking the end of our 3-day California coast road trip.
We had one more day to spend in LA before flying home that evening. We started at Griffith Observatory, which somehow I’d never visited despite having been to Los Angeles multiple times before. It was great to finally see those iconic views across the city and towards the Hollywood Sign.
In the afternoon, we headed back towards the coast to visit Santa Monica and Venice before making our way to the airport. And, after spending much of our road trip chasing it, California finally delivered some proper sunshine!
If you have time, I’d recommend spending at least a day or two in LA at the end of your road trip. My Los Angeles stopover guide covers some of the highlights if you’re short on time, and I’ve also put together a self-guided walking tour of Downtown Los Angeles if you want to explore DTLA on foot.
🎬 Where to stay: We stayed at the Hollywood Hotel on a separate trip to LA, which allowed us to explore all the best areas in Los Angeles. It was a great stay, and I’d definitely go back here for my next trip to LA!
Big Sur road trip FAQ
Is 3 days enough for a Big Sur road trip?
Yes, three days gives you enough time to drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles via Big Sur without rushing the entire journey. Day 2 is fairly packed, though, so allow more time if you want to do longer hikes or visit Hearst Castle.
Is Highway 1 through Big Sur open?
Highway 1 through Big Sur is currently open (as of 2026), but closures can happen due to landslides, wildfires or roadworks. Always check the latest Caltrans road conditions shortly before your trip.
Which direction is best for driving Big Sur?
I’d recommend driving from San Francisco towards Los Angeles, as this puts you on the ocean side of Highway 1 through Big Sur. It also makes pulling into many of the coastal viewpoints more convenient.
Where should you stay on a 3-day Big Sur road trip?
For this itinerary, I’d stay overnight in Monterey after the first day and Santa Barbara after the second. This breaks the journey into manageable sections while giving you plenty of time for stops.
Do you need a car to visit Big Sur?
For this itinerary, yes. Having your own rental car gives you the flexibility to stop at viewpoints, beaches and state parks throughout Big Sur. A one-way rental is particularly convenient as you can pick up in San Francisco and drop off in Los Angeles.
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