We LOVE road tripping and our absolute favorite highway to road trip up and down is the Pacific Coast Highway. Here we share our favorite PCH Road Trip stops so you can have the best road trip ever!
Pro Tips
- PCH, or the Pacific Coast Highway, or California State Route 1, extends from San Juan Capistrano at Insterstate 5 in So Cal to Leggett at the 101 in Nor Cal.
- It doesn’t matter where you pick up PCH from – sometimes we just do small portions of it, it just depends on how much time you have. We’ll be starting South and working our way North in this post.
- Pack snacks, drinks, a picnic blanket and a deck of cards for the most fun!
Inspired for other road trips? Check out our short list of favorite Southwest road trips here!
Dana Point
For a luxurious stay, consider splurging at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel. It’s perched on the bluffs overlooking the ocean but does have private beach access, and you’ll be treated to beautiful sunsets across the water every night!
If you’re driving in the wintertime and looking for something festive to do on your PCH Road Trip you’ll want to make a stop to see the holiday lights at Dana Point Harbor. The lights usually start mid November and run through early January and is a beautiful evening trip out.
Laguna Beach
Laguna Beach is definitely a worthy PCH Road Trip Stop. Check out Victoria Beach and see the famed Pirate Tower, then drive further up PCH to the downtown area and wander through the beautiful and creative art galleries. Our favorite place to grab a bite to eat is Urth Cafe – make sure you try the espresso chocolate scone! Urth is located just across the street from one of our favorite beach parks, Heisler Park.
Check out the Sawdust Festival if it happens to be on while you’re around – there is both a summer and a winter version, and you’ll be sure to enjoy the local art that is showcased here.
For a hotel in an amazing location, check out Capri Laguna which has private beach access and is walking distance to lots of art galleries and restaurants.
Newport Beach
Next you’ll get to Newport Beach. This is a great PCH road trip stop if you want to go shopping. Specifically, head to Fashion Island which has tons and tons of chain retail shops and restaurants. It’s also worthwhile to explore the Balboa Island Peninsula and take the ferry across to Balboa Island. Grab a cinnammon roll from Balboa Island Baking Company and wander around the neighborhood.
More Beach Cities
As you drive further up PCH, you’ll get to Seal Beach, Huntington Beach and Long Beach. Highway 1 briefly cuts inland and returns to the beach again at Santa Monica. These are all worth a stop and you can find more information on exploring these places on our California landing page here.
Malibu
Once you head north past Santa Monica, pretty soon you’ll reach the famous beach town of Malibu. It is definitely worth stopping here, if only to drool over the fresh seafood at Malibu Seafood or enjoy a sunset at Dume Point. We LOVE Malibu – check out a deep dive into our recommendations here.
Ventura and Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara calls to mind glamour, celebrities and beautiful sandy beaches – you’ll definitely want to stop by this dreamy beachside town. But don’t forget about Ventura either! It’s often less crowded and much more affordable to stay in than Santa Barbara. We actually took our engagement photos here! Read more on what to do in Santa Barbara over this way.
San Luis Obispo
PCH actually cuts in a little inland for now before meeting the coast at Pismo Beach. Pismo is an awesome little beach side town with a beautiful promenade area and main street with lots of shopping and dining options. After Pismo, PCH heads inland a little to swing by San Luis Obispo (more on that here) and then back to the coast to connect at Morro Bay.
Keep heading north for a scenic drive along the coast. Here is where PCH starts to become really beautiful, and also very isolated. Stop by San Simeon to check out Hearst Castle and definitely make sure you see the elephant seals at the viewing point! The best times to view the seals are January, April and October but there are often at least a few seals on the beach even outside of these peak times. You can also visit the Piedras Blancas rookery and the visitor center for more information on these fascinating creatures.
Big Sur
Keep driving north to get to the gem of the PCH experience – Big Sur. We highly recommend downloading offline Google Maps for this section of PCH as service for most providers is pretty spotty. Though PCH itself is a straight shot up the coast, you’ll want to take small detours for hiking and camping and it can be easy to get turned around. Gorda is a great small town off of PCH which has a couple of small restaurants and is a great place to pick up snacks and refuel if you need to.
In terms of scenic spots to stop in this area, plug in “Ragged Point – Scenic View” into Google maps, then “Big Sur Lookout”, then “San Martin Rock Scenic Spot”. You’ll want to stop by Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and visit the iconic McWay Falls (crystal clear waterfalls that pour onto a sandy beach). Visit the Hawthorne Gallery, open only on weekends, for some beautiful art work and a terrace with breathtaking views over the ocean. COAST Big Sur is also a cute little gallery to stop by – it serves up delicious coffee and snacks and also has a terrace with awesome views.
As far as accommodation in Big Sur, if you’ve got the money stay at the Post Ranch Inn (it’ll cost upwards of $1000/night). There are also tons of amazing and unique cabins and glamping opportunites in Big Sur as well – check out Treebones Resort. Both of these are just a short detour off PCH.
Continue up PCH to get to Rocky Creek Bridge which is the iconic bridge of Big Sur. Definitely stop here for some sweeping views across the Pacific. We also really enjoy stopping at Kasler Point, Soberanes Point and China Lookout. Our absolute favorite thing to do is to bring a picnic basket and hang out at one of these overlooks enjoying the view.
Carmel and Monterey
You’ll eventually get to Carmel-By-The-Sea which is the beginning of civilization again. Monterey is a 12 minute drive up north from Carmel, and is more affordable from a lodging perspective. A couple of must-do’s while in Monterey include visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium which is a world famous . You’ll also want to grab a bite on the Old Fisherman’s Wharf – try some tasty seafood at the Old Fisherman’s Grotto, then head to Cannery Row to have some Ghirardelli ice cream.
Santa Cruz
You’ll no doubt recognize the name of this beach-side town as the logo on lots of popular T shirts…the highlight of Santa Cruz is definitely the Beach Boardwalk. It’s free to enter and walk around, but you’ll pay extra for games and rides. They serve up traditional fair style food as well, and it’s all set against the amazing backdrop of the Pacific Ocean. If that doesn’t sound appealing to you, check out The Picnic Basket which is a laid back cafe also on the boardwalk to grab a quick bite to recharge before continuing on your road trip.
San Francisco
PCH continues to hug the coast north and will lead you all the way to San Francisco. Some notable stops along the way include Half Moon Bay – check out the sweeping sands of Venice Beach. Pomponio State Beach is also worth visiting and features a stunning sheer rock face adjacent to the water. For whale watching, visit Gray Whale Cove State Beach but know that the best times to whale watch from here are December and March as these are the times when the whales are migrating.
PCH takes you directly through San Francisco and briefly meets up with Highway 101 before splitting off again and cutting through Muir Woods to get to the coast. Stop by Muir Beach Overlook but be aware there are quite a few stairs to get to this viewing point. Visit the locally owned Parkside Cafe to grab a quick bite.
Mendocino
After Stinson Beach, you’ll be driving through a whole lot of forests and periodically cutting in to the ocean. It’s worth taking a detour to the Point Reyes National Seashore and visit the lighthouse. This is one of our favorite PCH road trip stops. Take in the majestic redwoods on either side of you and play some Simon and Garfunkel while enjoying the ride. Eventually you’ll reach Mendocino which is an amazing region for wine tasting. This is also close to the termination of PCH at Leggett, but if you’re thirsting for more adventure you can keep heading up north on the 101 until you get to Redwood National Park! Read more on that here.
