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Ultimate California Road Trip
A full-on exploration of the Golden State, from San Francisco to San Diego.


This trip hits the famous Pacific Coast Highway but nips inland to visit Californian jewels like Napa, Yosemite, and Palm Springs. You’ll experience the best that the state has to offer, from its contrasting cities, ginormous national parks, world-class wine regions, and beautiful stretches of coastline. As you drive from north to south, the weather gets warmer and sunnier, and when you eventually reach San Diego, a thousand miles on the clock, it’s the perfect moment for a classic beach break.
Itinerary overview
Highlights of trip
San Francisco
Your trip starts in style, exploring San Francisco and its many neighbourhoods. It’s an instantly recognisable city, not least for the Golden Gate Bridge. But its steep hills, including the zany Lombard Street, the row of Victorian homes known as the Painted Ladies, and views of the infamous island prison, Alcatraz, are other sights you’ll almost certainly already know – now’s your chance to see them up close. After getting to know the city, pick up your hire car – the road trip begins, although it begins with just a short hour-long drive north to Sonoma over the Golden Gate Bridge. A Hop-On Hop-Off Official City Tour takes you to all the must-see locations – perfect if it’s your first time in the city. Make time for Golden Gate Park and its museums, including the California Academy of Sciences and the striking de Young Museum. You could bike the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito, mooch around Fisherman’s Wharf eating saltwater taffy and watching the antics of the resident sea lions, or take a spooky night tour of 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...
Sonoma
Wine buffs rejoice (or at least clink your cabernet-charged glasses together) – adventures in California’s wine country await, starting in Sonoma. But delectable vino is not all this region has going for it. Throw in a few majestic redwood trees, add the Pacific Ocean to the views, and pepper it with some charming towns, and you have a pretty special place on your hands. Sonoma County is one of the most diverse counties in all of California. But, as it's the wine most people come for, it's appealing to find a base here and linger a little longer, especially as the wineries tend to be a bit more dispersed and diverse than the concentrated viticulture you find in nearby Napa Valley.
Fizzing with chic style and Cali country roots, The Lodge at Sonoma comes with garden party flavours, a gorgeous pool and the hippest of dinner spots helmed by a celebrity ...
With hundreds of wineries within a 30-minute drive, DoubleTree by Hilton Sonoma covers all bases.
Napa
Drive onwards – your wine exploration continues in the beautiful Napa Valley. Looking for oysters, bubbles, and farm-based bites? Local favourite Oxbow Market hits the spot. Downtown Napa is also renowned for art galleries, swanky shops, and paddleboarding from the docks. Hop from vineyard to vineyard, tasting wines in castle-like estates, in hillside boutiques with spectacular views and high-tech subterranean tasting rooms. But wine isn’t the only thing this Californian enclave has going for it – there’s an impressive art scene, and it’s an excellent place for foodies to indulge in restaurants helmed by celebrity chefs.
A favored mix of modern-classic vibes and high country cuisine; at River Terrace Inn it’s all sophisticated ‘bottoms up’ relaxing with the enchantment of Napa Town on your ...
For style warriors looking for space to breathe and taste the wine, Andaz Napa has cool country charm, a popular music scene and a prime spot on 1st Street, ‘Downtown’ Napa.
The Napa River-fronting Westin Verasa has certainly got some sass. It wins all the points for its glinting saltwater pool, Michelin-starred dining and wine list almost as l...
In a sweet wine country suburban spot on the edge of Napa Town, and with a small outdoor pool, Hotel Indigo offers an easy on the pocket stay just 10 minutes drive from dow...
Yosemite
After exploring Wine Country, your first long drive awaits. It’s around a four-hour drive to Yosemite, depending on where in this 1,100-square-mile area you’re headed. Yosemite Valley, just seven miles long, is the heart of this incredible wilderness. Pull on your hiking boots – Yosemite is best explored on foot, following miles of trails ranging from easy walks to challenging hikes. You can also explore the Yosemite Valley by bike, horseback, or rafting down the Merced River. If all that exhausts you, drive to Glacier Point for panoramic park views. And don't forget to visit the famous giant Sequoias, some of the largest and oldest living things on earth.
With everything from a private beach and marina to tennis and canoeing this feels like an all-American summer camp upscaled for grown up fun.
With guides and gear on hand to help you discover Northern California in an entirely new way, Tenaya Lodge is packed with adventurous spirit and resort-style vibes. Bike hi...
It might be basic in design but Yosemite View Lodge has got a big ace up its sleeve. Making the wild so much more reachable, you can almost make eyes at Yosemite Park’s wes...
The Ahwahnee is an earthy Hansel and Gretel hideaway with extraordinary views and epic adventure all around.
Carmel & Monterey
Leaving Yosemite in the rearview mirror, you’ll take the four-hour drive to California’s Central Coast and pretty Carmel-by-the-Sea and Monterey. There’s an incredible lifestyle here – yours to enjoy for as long as you choose to stay – and plenty to do, whether you’ve got the world-famous Monterey Bay Aquarium in mind or you fancy strolling through Carmel’s galleries and finishing up on its glorious beach. If you take the 17-mile drive through Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove, you’ll see the sea life in the waters here, including the harbour seals. It may inspire you to get out onto the water and take a whale-watching tour from Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey. In the evening, Carmel spoils you with its restaurants and cellar choices.
A leisure-focussed resort with a golf course, pools, tennis court, and spa. The perfect spot for downtime on a Californian road trip.
A waterfront hotel at the heart of Monterey's famous Cannery Row.
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...
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
Plan to set off early from Carmel – the drive to Santa Barbara will take you all day if you want to enjoy the best of Highway 1 as it passes through Big Sur. You’ll see the iconic Bixby Bridge, pull over to spot breaching whales and gaze skyward for a chance to see a circling condor. You’ll eventually reach Santa Barbara – one of California’s most desirable towns. If it’s time for the beach, SB has you covered with East Beach, West Beach, Leadbetter Beach, Butterfly Beach and more. You’ll want to make time to explore the main thoroughfare, State Street, where outdoor bistros are perfect for people-watching before hopping on the Trolley that makes its way up and down the street.
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
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
LA is only a couple of hours from Santa Barbara. But it’s worth taking it slowly and planning to stop at some beaches along Highway 1 and enter Los Angeles via Malibu. Los Angeles is big. So before choosing where to stay in this sprawling metropolis, decide what you want to do when you’re here. If you’re checking off the tourist hotspots (think Walk of Fame and Dolby Theatre), staying around Hollywood might be wise. If you’re in the mood for the beach, decide whether Santa Monica suits you or continuing a bit further south to Huntington Beach or Laguna Beach is the laid-back version of LA you’d like to experience.
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
A hundred or so miles east of Los Angeles, Palm Springs is a sun-baked, sepia-toned, cacti-strewn landscape peppered with palm trees and colour-happy hotels. Expect swathes of honey-scented bougainvillaea, cinematic surroundings, and a touch of mid-century magic. Palm Springs is the land of sunshine and retro vibes. Brunch with blood orange margaritas, play bocce ball under the stars and float in pools dotted with candy-coloured unicorns. Taking a cruiser bike up Palm Canyon Drive (a boho version of LA's Rodeo Drive) is the way to travel in these parts. Veer off for superbly curated vintage shops and exotic botanical gardens, then spin over to The Movie Colony to glimpse the former homes of Hollywood stars.
Kimpton Rowan’s crown jewel might be its hip Champagne and swimming pool rooftop scene, but with striking desert views and art-strewn interiors, any floor you land on feels...
San Diego
It feels like the further south you travel down the coast of California, the more easy-going life becomes. So, once you reach the sun-soaked depths of San Diego, within touching distance of Mexico, it’s fair to say things are pretty chilled. From Palm Springs, you may route back to the coast to Orange County – maybe stopping for some whale watching at Dana Point – before taking Interstate 5 south to San Diego. San Diego is a game of two halves. You’ve got the coastal hotspots – where La Jolla, Coronado, and Mission Bay vie for your attention. Then you’ve got the urban core, where the Gaslamp Quarter claims the lion’s share of hotels, shops, and restaurants.
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