Highway 1 Road Trip: Our 11 Must-See Highlights on Highway One

Map of Our Highway 1 Road Trip Highlights

To get you started, we’ve mapped out the entire route and all our Highway One must-sees for you.

Highway One is considered one of the most beautiful roads in the world — and we can only confirm that. It runs for over 1,000 kilometers along the coast of California, from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

If you’re planning a road trip along the West Coast of the USA, the Highway 1 road trip is an absolute must!

Important: Be sure to check the current conditions of Highway One before you set off. Parts of the road sometimes have to be closed due to weather conditions.

Staying Overnight on Highway 1: Our Hotel Picks

Highway One is simply too beautiful to just blast straight through from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

You should plan for at least one overnight stop. If nothing else, the pure driving time is a good ten hours. And there are definitely enough highlights along Highway One to fill two nights.

Here are our picks for the best places to stay on the California coast road trip:

1. Carmel-by-the-Sea: A totally charming arts town with cafés, restaurants, and boutiques – Candle Light Inn
2. Pismo Beach: Perfect for beach lovers and surfers – Inn at the Cove
3. Santa Barbara: The most beautiful coastal town with Spanish colonial heritage – La Playa Inn

Start: San Francisco

Highway One actually begins quite a bit north of San Francisco. But the most famous stretch — and the heart of the Pacific Coast Highway road trip — is the one between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

If you start your road trip in San Francisco, you can easily make a stop at the Golden Gate Bridge first and then head onto Highway One. It branches off from Highway 101 right below the Golden Gate Bridge in Presidio Park. From there, you drive a short way through the city and you’re already at the ocean.

Still looking for tips for your visit to San Francisco? Check out our San Francisco articles for hotel recommendations, highlights, and personal tips.

Monterey

Monterey is the first beautiful coastal town where you should stop — and a great place to spend the night. It’s about 200 kilometers from San Francisco, which makes it a solid day’s drive.

The city has a unique industrial-chic vibe — it was once home to countless sardine canneries. Today, you’ll find charming cafés, seafood restaurants, and souvenir shops along Cannery Row.

A stroll along the waterfront is seriously worth it. With a bit of luck, you might even spot whales between December and May. There’s also a popular aquarium nearby that locals love.

17-Mile Drive

Between Monterey and the next town, Carmel-by-the-Sea, lies the 17-Mile Drive. It’s one of the most scenic stretches of the entire Highway 1 road trip and loops around the whole Monterey Peninsula.

The road runs through private property, so you’ll need to pay a fee of around $12. Totally worth it.

There are 17 stops in total along the route, all marked with signs. Some are viewpoints, others are beaches.

Getting a photo of the Lone Cypress is simply a must — without it, you haven’t really done the 17-Mile Drive.

Carmel-by-the-Sea

Carmel-by-the-Sea is the last town before Big Sur, and it’s just incredibly charming. Even smaller than Monterey, and everywhere you look there are lovely tea houses, cafés, boutiques, and small inns.

Carmel is also a notch more upscale than Monterey. A number of celebrities have their summer homes here — you can tell from the designer boutiques and the higher hotel prices.

Big Sur

Big Sur is a region that begins right below Carmel.

The 17-Mile Drive was just a taste — Big Sur is even more spectacular. The area has several nature parks, beautiful beaches, and endless viewpoints. Honestly, we could have pulled over every few kilometers! We cover some of the Big Sur highlights in more detail below.

Pack some snacks for this stretch and fill up your tank ahead of time. There’s not much infrastructure out here. Hotels are also very limited, and most are pretty rustic for the price. We recommend booking your accommodation past Big Sur.

Point Lobos

Your first stop in Big Sur is the Point Lobos State Natural Reserve. Plan a few hours here for hiking — there are great trails like the Sea Lion Point Trail, Bird Island Trail, and Cypress Grove Trail, all at most two kilometers long.

Depending on the season, you can also snorkel or kayak at Point Lobos.

There’s also a ton of wildlife to spot here, including sea lions, seals, and whales.

You can park either inside the park or along the road. Parking inside costs $10, but the ticket is valid throughout the rest of Big Sur on the same day. If you park along the road, it’s about a 30-minute walk to the trails.

Bixby Creek Bridge

The Bixby Creek Bridge is the iconic landmark of the Highway 1 road trip. You don’t have to be an architecture fan to love it — the view from here is genuinely breathtaking.

The most popular vantage point, Castle Rock Viewpoint, is right on the right side of the road at the northern end of the bridge, with parking right there too. Small trails lead down the hillside — you’ll want sturdy shoes. For a different angle on the bridge, we also recommend Hurricane Point.

The best time to visit is early in the morning on a weekday. That way, both your photos and the parking lot will still be crowd-free.

Partington Cove

The hike to Partington Cove is still a real local favorite. The trailhead is right along the road — you just park on the shoulder.

The trail is only about 1.5 kilometers long (round trip combined), with about 100 meters of elevation gain. There are two forks: the first leads to the Partington Creek Cascades, the second to Partington Beach.

At the end of the hike, you’ll find the Partington Cove inlet. You’ll often have it all to yourself — a perfect spot for a picnic to the sound of the waves.

McWay Falls

Just a short distance past Partington Cove, you’ll find McWay Falls in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. The scenery — a waterfall tumbling straight onto a stunning cove — is simply breathtaking.

There’s a dedicated parking lot for McWay Falls. From there, it’s just a five-minute walk to the viewpoint overlooking the waterfall. You can also head down to the beach.

Since it’s a state park, you’ll pay around $10 admission per vehicle. If you already bought a ticket for Point Lobos the same day, it’s valid here too.

Morro Bay

Morro Bay is a small, laid-back coastal town. It’s best known for Morro Rock: a boulder about 150 meters tall that juts straight out of the ocean. A quick photo stop here is absolutely mandatory.

In town, you’ll find charming inns, a few lovingly curated boutiques, and plenty of cafés. There aren’t any major sights beyond that, but it’s a great place to just kick back and relax.

Our tip: On the way to Morro Bay, you’ll pass Ragged Point. It’s one of the most beautiful overlooks on Highway One, and the restaurant there is perfect for lunch. There’s also a hiking trail down to a black sand beach, and depending on the season it even passes a waterfall.

Pismo Beach

Pismo Beach is the quintessential California beach town. There’s a beautiful, long sandy beach where plenty of surfers catch the waves.

A short distance away, there’s a sprawling dune landscape that you absolutely have to check out. And in the evening, you can catch a gorgeous sunset from the long pier.

The town itself is considerably more lively than Morro Bay, with lots of shops and restaurants — perfect for a leisurely stroll.

Our tip: Just before Pismo Beach, you’ll find Avila Hot Springs, a pool complex with natural thermal pools. The water is said to be especially therapeutic — great for a bit of wellness. Tickets start at 27 euros.

Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara is one of the most beautiful and well-known stops on the California coast road trip. The city has a real vacation vibe — thanks to its colonial heritage, everything here is built in a Spanish-Mexican style.

There’s a small pedestrian zone for strolling, plenty of restaurants and cafés, and everything is immaculate and well-kept. It’s just a place where you’re happy to linger. Santa Barbara is also right on the ocean, so you can swim and surf.

Just be prepared for pretty steep prices. Santa Barbara is one of the most expensive places in the USA — but honestly, it’s worth every cent.

Arriving in Los Angeles

Highway One takes you straight into the heart of Los Angeles.

On the final stretch, you’ll already pass some of L.A.’s best-known spots: the famous surf town of Malibu, the Santa Monica Pier, and El Matador Beach. It’s worth checking those out right on the way, so you don’t have to fight Los Angeles traffic twice.

Looking for more tips for Los Angeles? Check it out here — hotel recommendations, attractions, beaches, and everything else you need for your city trip.