Welcome back to the Velvet Runway and this feature with our recommendations for the top ten places to stop on The Pacific Coast Highway.
The drive along the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) in California is renowned as one of the most scenic drives in the world. The views are breath-taking, and although the total driving time from San Francisco to San Diego is just under 10 hours non-stop, (longer on the PCH), there are some fabulous places to break your journey.
Below are my ten recommended places to stop on the Pacific Coast Highway drive from San Francisco to San Diego.
Top Ten places to stop on The Pacific Coast Highway
San Francisco
A great starting point for this drive is the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, but San Francisco has so much more to offer, including, but not limited to visiting Fisherman’s Wharf and riding a cable car.
Also, don’t miss a visit to Golden Gate Park, and in particular the Japanese tea gardens, the California Academy of Sciences, the Conservatory of flowers and the De Young museum.
San Francisco is also well known for its coffee shops and meeting places and I can definitely recommend a visit to the hippie district of Haight and Ashbury, the Castro District and Union Square.
If you want to visit Alcatraz Island (the Rock), which is best known for its past as a federal prison, housing the nation’s most notorious criminals and troublesome inmates, including Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly and Robert Stroud “The Birdman of Alcatraz”, you will need to book tickets in advance.
San Jose
San Jose is well worth a stop on your trip, with its numerous galleries and museums, but in particular I would recommend a visit to the spooky Winchester Mystery House, which is full of strange features such as stairways that lead to nowhere, a window built into the floor and doors that open onto blank walls.
Sarah Winchester built the place at a cost of over $20m after the untimely deaths of her baby daughter and husband, son of the Winchester Rifle manufacturer, when her Medium persuaded her that continuous building would appease the evil spirits.
Driving time San Francisco to San Jose – 1 hour
Carmel and Monterey
Monterey is worth a stop to visit the renowned Monterey Aquarium, which features many forms of sea life that you wouldn’t be able to see elsewhere, (at least not without scuba gear), thanks to the continuous pumping of 2,000 gallons of sea water each minute into the aquarium from the bay.
You can also relax at the Old Fisherman’s Wharf or go shopping at Cannery Row, and for the more energetic amongst us, the Monterey area is also famous for its numerous golf courses, including Pebble Beach and Lone Cypress Point.
Finally, take a tour along the scenic ’17 Mile Drive’ to nearby Carmel-by-the-Sea, one of the cutest seaside villages on the Californian Coast, with a wide choice of shops, cafes and restaurants.
Driving time San Jose to Monterey – 1 hour 15
Big Sur
Carry on down the PCH until you arrive at the Bixby Bridge –one of the most photographed bridges on the West Coast!
The views are spectacular and as you continue along the Big Sur you will see many beautiful sights, such as Pfeiffer State Beach, Point Sur State Historic Park and Raggedy Point (where I can recommend a stop for lunch – great views and great food, including beef from nearby Hearst Castle).
Driving time Monterey to Big Sur – 1 hour
Hearst Castle in San Simeon
This castle was designed and built for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst and is truly spectacular in its setting on the Enchanted Hill. I was hesitant about visiting this castle at first, mostly because the only way to visit is via a private tour. Three different daytime tours are available: a “Grand Rooms Tour,” an “Upstairs Suites Tour,” and the “Cottages and Kitchen Tour”, as well as a slightly longer evening tour.
The daytime tours are all 45 minutes long and after the tour finishes you can wander freely around the grounds and terraces for as long as you want. I initially did the Grand Rooms tour and was so impressed that I also did the Cottages and Kitchen tour! Our guide was very informative and we could really imagine what life must have been like as a guest of William Randolph Hearst. You can find more information on the Hearst Castle website
Driving time Big Sur to Hearst Castle – 2h 30
Solvang
Whilst not actually on the PCH, it is only a small detour on the way to Santa Barbara to visit Solvang, also known as Little Denmark.
Situated in the Santa Inez wine valley, Solvang is a beautiful Danish village, with windmills, boutique shopping, wine-tasting and Danish pastries. There is also a “year-round” Christmas shop with beautiful decorations! Have a look at the Solvang website here
Driving time Hearst Castle to Solvang – 1 hour 50
Santa Barbara
Leaving Solvang, it is only a short 40-minute drive to Santa Barbara, a charming stop before you arrive at the more frenetic pace of Los Angeles.
Don’t miss the pier, the Santa Barbara zoo, the Botanic gardens, the Mission and of course the relaxation on the beach.
The only downside to Santa Barbara is that because of its proximity to Los Angeles it can be very busy, especially at weekends, and also, very expensive. You should plan your trip in advance and try to avoid summer weekends! Alternatively, you could stay in Solvang or nearby Ventura.
Driving time Solvang to Santa Barbara – 40 minutes
Malibu beach and Malibu Creek State Park
Malibu consists of miles of beautiful beaches, celebrity weekend homes, headlands, cliffs and rocky coves.
But it is also home to the Malibu Creek State Park, which is a great area for hiking, and for those of you who remember the 1970s TV series M*A*S*H, you can still see the outdoor set and the ambulance truck as filming took place here.
The Getty Villa Museum is located in Pacific Palisades at the Eastern end of Malibu and is the original museum started by J Paul Getty, filled with antiquities from Greece and Rome.
Driving time Santa Barbara to Malibu – 1 hour 15
Santa Monica and Venice Beach
As I have written all about LA separately, I will confine myself to the coast and to Santa Monica and Venice Beach in this post.
Don’t miss the Santa Monica Pier, third street promenade, the Venice Canals, Venice Beach, Abbot Kinney and the boardwalk.
Driving time Malibu to Santa Monica – 30 minutes
San Diego
The final stop on the drive down the PCH and just before the Mexican border is San Diego.
Don’t miss out on the colourful Old Town, which is also a great place to eat Mexican food.
Take a tour of the Downtown, the Gaslamp Quarter and also Balboa Park, home of the San Diego Zoo, beautiful gardens and numerous museums.
Of course, you can always chill on one of the great beaches and to finish your trip you can get an incredible view of San Diego and the bay from the Cabrillo National Monument at the tip of Point Loma.
Driving time from Santa Monica to San Diego – 2h 30
I hope you enjoyed this feature about our top ten places to stop on The Pacific Coast Highway, and you can also check out our guides on what to see and do in Los Angeles and where to eat and drink in Los Angeles for more inspiration.
lovely
Thank you
These places are amazing. I would like one day visit all of them because I enjoy so much during scrolling your post.
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed the post x
So many beautiful places! Thank you for sharing 🙂 x
Glad you liked it Mia x
I’d love to drive on the PCH! We did see Old Town when we were in San Diego and it was so fun. I’d love to see Malibu Beach, so beautiful in the photos.
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Thanks Carrie! The Old Town in San Diego is so fun and we had great food at the Casa de Reyes!
All of these places you’ve shown seem like a fantasy! <3
http://www.couture-case.com/
They are all really beautiful places to stop and Hearst Castle really is like a fantasy x
These are indeed beautiful places to visit especially for those who love to travel.
Yes, I would definitely recommend all these places and it’s such a beautiful drive x
One of my favorite stretches of highway! We are headed to Solvang again next month. It’s such a special drive!
Shauna
http://www.lipglossandlace.net
Thanks Shauna! Enjoy Solvang – it’s perfect just before Christmas x
I did Highway one with my family as a kid! It was an amazing experience. Would love to revisit with all your recs. Thanks for sharing these stunning photos!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
So glad you like it Kathrine! I love this drive! x
I would LOVE to travel this one day! Thanks for sharing these highlights! I’m saving this for later!
So glad you like it! It really is one of the most spectacular and scenic drives