California Highway 1 Road Trip Must Sees

Highway 1 is one of the most iconic highways in the world. Driving through green rolling hills with the ocean crashing at your window is a magical experience. Highway 1, also known as the Pacific Coast Highway, starts in Orange County at Dana Point and ends in romantic Mendocino. You will hear it also called PCH or The 1 while in California!

Southern California

San Diego Ok hear me out, Highway 1 doesn’t technically start until Dana Point North of San Diego, but I think if you’re going to do a quintessential California Coastal road trip you have to count San Diego! Hit Balboa Park, swim and see the sea lions in La Jolla, see the famous Coronado Beach, and eat in Little Italy. Definitely spend 1 or two nights in SD since there is so much to see! Hotel del Coronado is a must to stay while you are in SD. It’s an iconic big white and red hotel right on the beach with fantastic amenities and a retro California vibe!

Long Beach Squeezing in Long Beach because it’s an awesome place, but also it has the easiest In-N-Out Burger to get to right off of PCH! It doesn’t get more California than that!

Santa Monica Hello LA! This town is Southern Cal bliss with a beautiful beach, wonderful Santa Monica Pier with rides, and the most charming downtown with plenty of amazing restaurants so come hungry! Santa Monica is a must stop while in SoCal on Highway 1.

Santa Barbara SB might be as far north as you can go to be considered “Southern California”. It is a laid back but classy city with sky high palm trees and mountains framing your view. The University of Santa Barbara here brings lots of culture and hip places with it. Shopping is amazing here so if you want a sun dress to go with your road trip hit up State Street and more!

Central Coast

San Luis Obispo I’m going to throw a lot at you because this area of the Central Coast is a little slice of California heaven! The Oceano San Dunes are a Highway 1 must, because you can drive your car on the beach! Pismo Beach is another classic beach town because who ever gets tired of those?! Avila Beach has some of the warmest waters in California and has tons of great dining choices with nice ocean views. Downtown San Luis Obispo or SLO is super hip with boutiques and restaurants since Cal Poly students claim it as their stomping grounds. Also downtown SLO is theeee one and only fabulously quirky and pink Madonna Inn which you must stay at on your Highway 1 journey!

Hearst Castle & Elephant Seals Next up is a beautiful icon of the central coast - Hearst Castle! Explore the decadent mansion and do not miss the Zebras grazzing below! The two pools are picture perfect and this is a must see to get a feel for the rich and famous of California in the early 1900s. After you explore the estate head back towards the coast and stop at the Elephant Seal Vista Point. California has some of the most unique wildlife in the country and seeing these goofy seals is a must while cruising along the Pacific!

Big Sur

Big Sur is a must see on any Pacific Highway road trip because there is nothing else like it. Tall rolling green hills, driving right on the edge, overlooking vibrant blue waves rolling in below you, it’s one of my favorite places on earth. Pro tip: check the road conditions and weather when you go and avoid the rainy season if you can (December-February) because there can be mud slides here which will close Highway 1. If you want to stay in the ultimate luxury hotel and splurge on your road trip I highly recommend the gorgeous 5-star Ventana Big Sur with an infinity pool overlooking the pacific. They also have glamping options! If you are looking for something more reasonable, Big Sur Lodge makes you feel like you just checked into summer camp at this amazing location among the redwoods.

Mcway Falls Chances are if you’ve seen photos of Big Sur before, you’ve seen this spot! Mcway Falls is a waterfall that flows straight into the ocean in a turquoise cove. Walk down the short trail for a perfect birds eye view! Pro tip: California is sunny (shocker) so if you want to see the falls glisten in the sun get there early before the cliff casts a shadow on it (like it did for me!). Also parking can be tricky here, there is a small lot with a trail running under PCH to get here but be prepared you may need to park on the road so drive very slowly as you get close because there may be other adventures walking to and from their cars!

Bixby Bridge: Another perfect Big Sur stop! This bridge is stunning and has been in movies, tv shows, and even songs! This is a favorite spot of mine for a picnic because there are lots of areas to post up where you won’t be right in other visitors way. If eating out is calling your name, nearby Nepanthe is a great choice in Big Sur for its fantastic outdoor patio full of spectacular views! This is one of the most beautiful restaurants in all of CA and definitely worth a stop for food or even a drink, it’s worth it.

Carmel-by-the-Sea

Carmel Its storybook charm is so unique and Carmel is jam packed with amazing dining, lodging and the famous pebble beach! This is an upscale little town where the rich definitely come to hang out and unwind. Cobblestone streets and fairytale vibes are around every corner, and window boxes full of blooms frame every house. Get a pretzel and baked goods from Carmel Bakery and bring it to Carmel Beach and you must eat at Portabella. I love the Normandy Inn if you want a quaint place in a great location! If you are looking for top notch accommodations La Playa Carmel is the best choice, the pool and flower covered terrace is magical.

Want More Carmel Ideas? Check out this post

Carmel By-The-Sea Weekend Getaway

Northern California

Santa Cruz This beach city is perfect. It’s laid back vibe, cool surf shops, boardwalk right on the beach, and pier with amazing seafood could keep you entertained for a week. I love getting a chowder bread bowl (sourdough of course a Nor Cal staple!) on the pier and watching the sea lions play below. The Santa Cruz logo is super iconic so grab a t-shirt here too for a perfect souvenir! When I lived in the Bay Area I came to Santa Cruz often as an easy getaway that makes you feel like you are instantly on vacation!

Pigeon Point Lighthouse Just north of Santa Cruz is the prettiest lighthouse in California, Pigeon Point. It is set on a little point that jets out over some rocks where you can almost always see seals and sea lions playing below, I was lucky enough to see a whale and her baby go by once here! There is a little path that goes down to one of the prettiest little beaches as well so bring a beach blanket and relax. There is an awesome hostel here as well if you are backpacking!

Pacifica Beach So close to San Francisco you may be thinking why stop here, but this surfer beach is not only gorgeous but also has the only Taco Bell in the world right on the beach. And as it couldn’t get any better, they serve drinks! Baja blast margarita anyone? There’s something about a day at the beach and grabbing a taco. Nearby Pacifica is an amazing trail called Devil’s Slide. I think this is a must on a Highway 1 road trip because this trail actually used to be - Highway 1! It’s now a wide pedestrian trail that goes right along the ocean. It’s absolutely stunning and you can get some great photos here!

San Francisco

San Francisco deserves a few nights on your road trip! PCH will take you through Golden Gate Park which is massive green space right in the heart of the city. It boasts a stunning greenhouse, the DeYoung Museum of Art, The Academy of Science, a Japanese Garden and Bison! Of course no SF trip is complete without seeing the Golden Gate Bridge! To see it and get close, head to the Presidio of San Francisco and check out the stunning Palace of Fine arts which looks like its right of of Italy. My favorite GG viewing spots are Crissy Field which is a little city beach, any of the vista points in the Golden Gate Welcome Center, Baker Beach a little farther on the west side, and of course - being on the actual Golden Gate! Definitely take the time to walk on it on the pedestrian trail, its a gorgeous view of the city as well. Once you cross the bridge to the north, a stunning vista point and my personal favorite is the Golden Gate Viewpoint near battery spencer. Pro tip: there is a VERY similarly named vista point on the east side, this one is beautiful but not as good as the one to the west where you can get the full city in your shot as well! see my picture below

I recommend staying at the Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco at Embarcadero if you want a phenomenal location, fabulous views and top-notch accommodations. Even if you aren’t staying here I recommend getting a drink at the rooftop bar for the epic view. The Argonaut Hotel is another great and more affordable choice. It is nautical themed and right in Fisherman’s Wharf by the water and all the fun!

Want more San Francisco Things to do and see? Read my tips here!

Point Reyes National Seashore This is a huge region of natural beauty that is worth a stop. The famous Cypress Tree Tunnel is here and the stunning Point Reyes Lighthouse. There are a ton of trails in the region and elk call this national land home too! It can get very foggy here which is why its nicknamed shipwreck alley, so check the conditions before you go, When it is too foggy you can’t see much and I would skip it unfortunately. While here you must eat at The Marshal Store right off of Highway 1 for its amazing ambiance and food! Especially if you love oysters, they don’t get fresher than here

Mendocino This sleepy charming town is full of perfect bed and breakfasts and foggy coastal views. Mendocino has such a cozy romantic feel to it with little shops and cozy but upscale restaurants to have a glass of wine by the fire. This coastal town is not like the beach towns of SoCal, here it is a bit colder, and it makes you want to be arm in arm with your love. We stayed in the charming MacCullum House Inn where we splurged on a cabin with our own hot tub! The Blue Door Inn is another bright and airy upscale B&B with excellent food and a variety of different room choices. If Mendocino looks like it will set you back too much, Fort Bragg Accommodations are much more affordable!

Fort Bragg Glass Beach The city of Fort Bragg is a bigger town on the northern coast and the glass beach there is a must stop! This beach is a rocky stretch of the pacific featuring colorful, broken pieces of glass that have washed up on the shore, how cool is that! People used to dump glass and trash into the ocean in the area and now we enjoy is as a man made marvel. Please do not take any glass from this beach so people can continue to enjoy it!

What to Pack

And that’s a wrap on the best stops for a Highway 1 Road Trip! I hope you enjoyed reading! Be sure to check out my other posts if you want a deeper dive into any of the cities I mentioned above!