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California's Highway 1 Road Trip
From San Francisco, drive straight to Highway 1 and take a slow journey south to the sunny skies of Los Angeles


Drive south from San Francisco to Los Angeles on a coast-hugging trip that scores all the big sights. Take your time on the Slow Coast, then pause for a few nights in Monterey. Feel the sunshine on your face and the wind in your hair as you head south via the incredible Big Sur to stay in Santa Barbara before the final leg of your road trip brings you to the incomparable Los Angeles.
From £1,825 including international flights
Ideal for
Seeing the most scenic stretch of California’s Highway 1.
Itinerary overview
Highlights of trip
San Francisco
Whether the Golden Gate Bridge is displayed in all its glory with a backdrop of a summer sky or wears a more mysterious guise when the San Francisco fog rolls in, there's no bad time to experience this West Coast wonder city. Spend a few days here before picking up your hire car. You could join a guided tour to see all the highlights of San Francisco in double-quick time, visiting landmarks like Nob Hill, Chinatown, and Lombard Street. You'll also explore the old docks of Fisherman's Wharf by taking a local-led route, where you can smell the sourdough at Boudin Bakery and watch the sea lions’ antics at Pier 39. The tour also includes a stop at Ghirardelli Square to sample some world-famous chocolate. Finally, the tour wraps up with a cruise of San Francisco Bay and a sighting of the infamous Alcatraz.
An ode to both the Gold Rush era and its waterfront location, The Argonaut crushes on-trend nautical elegance without sacrificing history and is our default choice for San ...
Inspired by the Italian flavours of its nearby North Beach neighbourhood, Hotel Zoe is all Tiffany blue cruiser bikes and trendy trattoria with a memorable fire pit courtya...
Crushing it in the classic hotel/trendy location stakes, The Westin St. Francis sits right on Union Square’s fashion-forward open air plaza.
If heart throbs were hotels, Fairmont San Francisco would be one of them. With regal looks, historic spirit and unrivalled Bay and city views, this is the go-to for a sophi...
Carmel & Monterey
Your first drive on Highway 1 would take around two and a half hours if you didn’t stop, but you’ll want to make a day of it and pause to admire the views – perhaps to hike at Lands End or spot sealife at Pigeon Point. Monterey and Carmel are two charming towns on California's central coast. It’s a place known for the sensational Monterey Bay Aquarium, the gazillionaire mansions on the 17-Mile Drive, and the world-class golf at Pebble Beach. Boat trips and sailing cruises aplenty depart from Old Fisherman’s Wharf. When you’ve returned with a camera full of shots of breaching whales and frolicking seals, stay for clam chowder at a wharf’s restaurant overlooking Monterey Bay and get a second glimpse of the seals playing on the rocks.
You get the Gucci of all views at Monterey Bay Inn. The Pacific Ocean dominates this peachy little place where the Cali way of life is all footprints in the sand, orcas in ...
Turn off your emails and leave the glad rags at home; Portola Hotel & Spa at Monterey Bay cruises the coastal way. Think stylish indoor-outdoor spaces, natural materials an...
A waterfront hotel at the heart of Monterey's famous Cannery Row.
Pismo Beach/SLO Cal
Take Highway 1 and stop in Big Sur for big sights, including Bixby Bridge, giant redwood groves, and waterfalls in Pfeiffer State Park. Break up your Route 1 journey and slow the pace with a night in Pismo Beach, or one of the other Slo-Cal coastal towns like Morro Bay. Watch the locals catch the waves and soak up the chilled-out vibe at farm-to-fork restaurants, cool bars and independent shops.
An everything-you-need-nothing-you-don’t kind of hotel where the prime oceanfront location does all the convincing.
California beach bliss awaits at this oceanfront beauty that’s right on Pismo Beach. It has everything you need to stay put for a few days, but the California coast might j...
Santa Barbara
Continue on Highway 1 and you’ll reach Spanish-style Santa Barbara, where you’ll stay for a few nights. The red-tiled roofs and white stucco buildings house local wine-tasting rooms, sustainably minded restaurants, and designer shops. They serve the dollared-up visitors and wealthy residents who live in the villas and bungalows that cling to the hillsides, commanding Pacific Ocean views. Drive Santa Barbara's delightful 25-mile Scenic Drive for a helpful orientation around the city's landmarks and most exclusive real estate. See the Chromatic Gate - a colourful set of arches in front of the Pacific Ocean on Cabrillo Boulevard. Or people-watch on the electric Santa Barbara Trolley as it runs up and down State Street.
A small package it might be, but Riviera Beach House has artsy edge, swift passage to the shore and plenty of local flavour. Hit the beach, the breweries and the artisanal ...
In a ‘blow your own trumpet’ location in downtown Santa Barbara, hacienda-style Kimpton Canary has a Mediterranean mood and a rooftop pool and terrace that spark a golden stat
Feast by the beach, cruise the coastline and kayak by the pier. Sprinkled with all the shades of summer, Hotel Milo is a charming little place to sleep, swim and savour tho...
Get a front-row seat to the Pacific coastline at Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort, a modern resort in a prime position for exploring this gorgeous stretch of California.
Los Angeles
The shortest drive of your trip is between Santa Barbara and LA. Continue to follow Highway 1 and plan to stop at beaches on your way to the city, arriving in LA via Malibu. Then plunge into this glitter-dusted, star-studded metropolis, getting swept up in the promises of Hollywood. Then, head up to the hills or down to the beaches because there’s more to LA than urban utopia. Hollywood is as close as you can get to the land of dreams. It’s the classic LA experience. The Boulevard throngs with tourists, but you’ve got to see it at least once. Head to hipster Franklin Village for a scene that feels more like NYC and stay long enough to swim in Hollywood Roosevelt’s David Hockney-designed pool.
The Garland has a playful indie resort feel that leans towards lawn games, yoga and rosé all day.
Centrally located in Hollywood, the Loews is stylish, contemporary and right at the heart of the action.
Palm Springs
Head into the desert for a few days of poolside relaxation following your incredible coastal drive.
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