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Sample routes · California

Pacific Coast Highway: San Francisco to Los Angeles in 6 days

USA · 6 Days

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The coast road you do not shorten: from San Francisco via Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz to Monterey, through Big Sur with Bixby Creek Bridge and McWay Falls, past the elephant seals of Piedras Blancas to Hearst Castle, on via Morro Bay and Santa Barbara to Malibu and Santa Monica. 727 kilometres in six days – the 150 between Monterey and San Simeon take up a whole one.

A sample route to look at. If you copy it, your own copy lands in your plans – there you can change days, stops and order.

Stops
18
Driving
762 km
Drive time
10 h 53 min
Car Balanced

Dashed line: detour to a stop away from the route (there and back).

1 Day 1

127 km · 1 h 49 min 8 h 19 min on the road
  1. 09:00
    San Francisco Start
    Daylight
  2. 12:00
    Car · 49 km · 42 min
  3. 12:42
    Half Moon Bay
    Daylight
    Time at stop 1 h 30 min
  4. 14:12
    Car · 78 km · 1 h 7 min
  5. 15:19
    Santa Cruz
    Daylight
    Time at stop 2 h

2 Day 2

120 km · 1 h 43 min 9 h 28 min on the road
  1. 08:01
    Car · 69 km · 59 min
  2. 09:00
    Monterey
    Daylight
    Time at stop 3 h
  3. 12:00
    Car · 7 km · 6 min
  4. 12:06
    Carmel-by-the-Sea
    Daylight
    Time at stop 2 h
  5. 14:06
    Car · 7 km · 6 min
  6. 14:12
    Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
    Daylight
    Time at stop 2 h
  7. 16:12
    Car · 20 km · 17 min
  8. 16:29
    Bixby Creek Bridge
    Daylight
    Time at stop 45 min
  9. 17:14
    Car · 17 km · 15 min
  10. 17:29
    Big Sur Village
    Hotel
    Overnight stay

3 Day 3

128 km · 1 h 50 min 5 h 50 min on the road
  1. Continue from hotel: Big Sur Village
  2. 08:42
    Car · 21 km · 18 min
  3. 09:00
    McWay Falls
    Daylight
    Time at stop 1 h
  4. 10:00
    Car · 93 km · 1 h 20 min
  5. 11:20
    Hearst Castle

    A sprawling estate with lavish interiors and Mediterranean-style architecture on the California coast, built from 1919 onward. Written by Claude from Wikidata facts

    Daylight
    Time at stop 3 h
  6. 14:20
    Car · 14 km · 12 min
  7. 14:32
    San Simeon
    Hotel
    Overnight stay

4 Day 4

131 km · 1 h 52 min 5 h 22 min on the road
  1. Continue from hotel: San Simeon
  2. 08:24
    Car · 42 km · 36 min
  3. 09:00
    Morro Bay
    Daylight
    Time at stop 2 h
  4. 11:00
    Car · 41 km · 35 min
  5. 11:35
    Pismo Beach
    Daylight
    Time at stop 1 h 30 min
  6. 13:05
    Car · 48 km · 41 min
  7. 13:46
    Nipomo
    Hotel
    Overnight stay

5 Day 5

131 km · 1 h 52 min 5 h 52 min on the road
  1. Continue from hotel: Nipomo
  2. 07:24
    Car · 112 km · 1 h 36 min
  3. 09:00
    Santa Barbara
    Daylight
    Time at stop 4 h
  4. 13:00
    Car · 19 km · 16 min
  5. 13:16
    Summerland
    Hotel
    Overnight stay

6 Day 6

131 km · 1 h 53 min 6 h 53 min on the road
  1. Continue from hotel: Summerland
  2. 07:26
    Car · 109 km · 1 h 34 min
  3. 09:00
    Malibu
    Daylight
    Time at stop 2 h
  4. 11:00
    Car · 22 km · 19 min
  5. 11:19
    Santa Monica Destination
    Daylight
    Time at stop 3 h

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