I’ve driven the Pacific Coast Highway eight times since I moved to California in 1997. I still roll the windows down through Big Sur every single time. This PCH road trip never gets old.
The PCH, or Highway 1, depending on which part of the state you’re in, runs roughly 650 miles along the California coast. Technically, the name “Pacific Coast Highway” only applies to the stretch south of Oxnard. North of there, locals just call it “the 1” or “the coast road.” But whatever you call it, the drive from San Diego to San Francisco is one of the most beautiful road trips in the world. That’s not hyperbole. I’ve done it enough times to know. If you want a true PCH road trip, this is it.
You can power through it in a single long day if you take the 101 for the flat stretches and only hit Highway 1 for the scenic parts. But you shouldn’t. This drive deserves three to five days. Stop often. Pull into turnouts. Eat at places that don’t have a Yelp page. And for the love of everything, download your offline maps before Big Sur, but I’ll get to that. Treat this like a road trip, not a commute.
This isn’t a tourist itinerary scraped from a travel aggregator. It’s the drive the way someone who’s done it eight times would actually do it, which stops I’d linger at, which ones are overrated, and the stuff nobody else tells you about, like where your cell phone dies and where gas costs twice what it should. Use this as your road trip planner!
San Diego to Los Angeles: The Warm-Up
Start in San Diego. If you’re not in a rush, grab breakfast in La Jolla before you head north; the coastline there is worth seeing one more time before you leave it behind. Take I-5 north through Carlsbad and Encinitas, then merge onto Highway 1 as it splits off toward the coast.
Dana Point is where the PCH officially begins. There’s a 31-foot monument at the Highway 1 bridge over San Juan Creek that spells out “PCH” in golden letters. It’s a good photo op and a satisfying starting point. From there, the road hugs the Orange County coast through some of the most beautiful beach towns in Southern California. It’s a strong first leg of a PCH road trip.
Crystal Cove State Park (shown above) is worth a stop if you haven’t been. There are 1930s beach cottages, tide pools, and 3.2 miles of coastline that somehow most tourists don’t know about. Huntington Beach is good for a quick stretch and tacos. And then you’re approaching LA.
Here’s the honest take on the PCH through Los Angeles: it’s not scenic. South of Santa Monica, Highway 1 becomes a series of heavily trafficked city streets that crawl through El Segundo and Redondo Beach. Most people, myself included, shortcut via the 101 or 405 through LA and rejoin the coast road at Santa Monica or Malibu. Unless you specifically want to stop at the Santa Monica Pier or drive through Venice, skip this stretch.
Cell coverage: Full bars the entire way from San Diego to LA. Zero issues on any carrier.
Los Angeles to San Luis Obispo: Where It Starts Getting Good
Once you clear Santa Monica and hit Malibu, the PCH starts earning its reputation. El Matador State Beach (shown above) is the most photographed beach in California, with massive sea stacks, natural archways, and golden hour light that looks like it was designed by a cinematographer. The walk down is steep and not stroller-friendly, but it’s worth every step. This is a peak PCH road trip moment.
The stretch around Point Mugu is one of the most underrated views on the entire drive. The road rounds a bend, the mountains drop away on one side, and suddenly the ocean opens up in front of you like a curtain being pulled. I’ve done this eight times, and I still catch my breath there.
Santa Barbara is worth at least a lunch stop. Stearns Wharf, State Street, the Old Mission, it all feels like a different California than the one you just left in LA. If you have an extra hour, the Funk Zone near the waterfront has wine tasting rooms and restaurants that punch way above their weight.
Further north, Pismo Beach is one of the cheapest towns on the coast, and parking is only $5. San Luis Obispo is a fantastic college town with great restaurants and Bubblegum Alley, which is exactly as weird as it sounds. And if you’re into wine, Paso Robles is just 30 minutes inland from SLO, 200+ wineries, tastings starting at $15, and a completely different vibe from Napa.
Cell coverage: Full signal through Malibu, Santa Barbara, Pismo, and SLO. No dead zones on this stretch.
San Simeon to Carmel: The Big Sur Stretch
This is the main event. The 90-mile stretch from San Simeon to Carmel is the most dramatic coastline in America, and it’s the reason the PCH is on every bucket list in the world. The road narrows, the cliffs get steep, and the Pacific drops hundreds of feet below you with nothing but a guardrail and your nerve between you and the edge. This is the heart of any PCH road trip. Before you enter Big Sur proper, two stops near San Simeon are worth your time. Hearst Castle is a love-it-or-skip-it attraction; tours run $25 to $50 and take 45 to 90 minutes. Worth doing once in your life for the sheer absurdity of the opulence. But the Elephant Seal Rookery at Piedras Blancas, a few miles north, might actually be more impressive, and it’s completely free. Just pull over and watch hundreds of elephant seals sprawled across the beach. December through March is peak season, but they’re there year-round.
Once you pass Ragged Point, the Big Sur coast begins in earnest. Bixby Bridge is THE photo op; the single-span arch bridge with the Pacific crashing below it has been on more postcards than any other structure in California. Expect crowds and parking chaos. Get there early in the morning or just accept the madness. It’s worth stopping every time.
McWay Falls at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is an 80-foot waterfall that drops directly onto a secluded beach cove. You can’t walk down to it, but the overlook is stunning. Note: as of early 2026, the main Overlook Trail is closed for retaining wall repairs. You can still view the falls from a smaller viewing area along Highway 1, but check the state park website before planning your stop. When the full trail is open, parking inside the park is $10.
Pfeiffer Beach (which is one of the best beaches in California) is famous with a $15 USFS day-use fee, and the access road is narrow and easy to miss. Nepenthe Restaurant sits 800 feet above the ocean and has one of the most iconic restaurant views in California. Not cheap, but the view is worth the price of a burger and a drink.
A note about your phone: After eight trips, I can tell you exactly where your signal dies. South of Ragged Point, coverage gets spotty. By the time you’re past Gorda, it’s gone. You’ll get a flicker of signal near Post Ranch Inn and Ventana, where Verizon and AT&T have towers in the Big Sur Valley. But for the other 60-plus miles? Nothing. No GPS, no Spotify, no Waze. Plan your PCH road trip like you will go offline.
Download your offline Google Maps before you enter Big Sur. Download your playlist. Tell someone your ETA. This isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s actually one of the best parts. For an hour or two, it’s just you, the road, and the Pacific. When’s the last time that happened?
Gas warning: Fill up your tank in Cambria or San Simeon if you’re heading north, or Carmel if you’re heading south. Big Sur has maybe two gas stations along the entire stretch, and prices tend to be noticeably higher than the rest of the state, sometimes dramatically so. During the pandemic, one Big Sur station was charging upwards of $9 per gallon. Prices have come down since then, but you’ll still pay a premium for the limited supply and remote location. Don’t get caught on empty out here. This matters on a PCH road trip.
One more critical note: Highway 1 through Big Sur closes regularly due to rockslides and coastal erosion. The most recent major closure was in March 2024. Always check road conditions at roads.dot.ca.gov before you go. Getting out there and finding a road closed with no cell service to reroute is not an experience you want. Always do this before a PCH road trip.
Monterey and Carmel to San Francisco: The Home Stretch
After the raw intensity of Big Sur, Carmel-by-the-Sea hits like a warm blanket. This is a storybook village with no street addresses, no chain restaurants, and no streetlights. Walk the white-sand beach, browse the galleries on Ocean Avenue, and decompress over a coffee. After 90 miles of cliffside driving, you’ve earned the calm. The 17-Mile Drive through Pebble Beach is $11.25 per car and worth every cent. The Lone Cypress, a single windswept tree clinging to a rocky point over the ocean, has been photographed approximately ten billion times, and you’re going to photograph it too. Golf fans will lose their minds at the Pebble Beach Golf Links, though actually playing a round will cost you $625.
Monterey Bay Aquarium is one of the best in the world, $60 per adult, but the kelp forest exhibit alone is worth the admission. Plan two to three hours minimum. Cannery Row next door is a little touristy, but the Steinbeck history is genuine.
From Monterey, the drive north through Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay is scenic and easy. Santa Cruz has the Boardwalk, one of the last seaside amusement parks in California, and Natural Bridges State Beach for tide pools and monarch butterflies. Half Moon Bay is a quiet last stop before the final push into San Francisco.
And then: the Golden Gate Bridge. If you’ve never crossed it, roll the windows down. Stop at Battery Spencer or Hawk Hill on the Marin Headlands side for the postcard view back toward the city and the bridge. This is the moment. It’s a signature finish to a PCH road trip.
And if you’re into chocolate, do yourself a favor and end your trip at Ghirardelli Square in Fisherman’s Wharf. Ghirardelli has been making chocolate in San Francisco since 1852; it’s the oldest continuously operating chocolate company in the country. They hand out free samples the moment you walk in, the hot fudge sundaes are legendary, and you can watch them making chocolate bars through the glass. Yes, it’s touristy. It’s also delicious. After 650 miles of coastline, you’ve earned every bite.
Cell coverage: Full bars from Carmel all the way into San Francisco. Welcome back to civilization.
Cell Phone Coverage: Segment by Segment
Nobody puts this in their PCH guide, so here it is. Verified across eight trips on multiple carriers. Use this PCH road trip coverage chart to plan your downloads.
10 Things I’ve Learned From 8 Trips
- Drive south to north. The ocean is on your side of the road, the turnouts face the views, and you won’t have to cross oncoming traffic to pull over. This is the correct direction. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. This is the best direction for a PCH road trip.
- Leave early. If you’re starting from San Diego, hit the road by 7 or 8 AM. You want to clear LA before traffic turns the 101 into a parking lot.
- Download offline maps before Big Sur. Your phone will lose signal south of Ragged Point and won’t get it back until Carmel. Download your music and podcasts too, or you’re stuck with whatever radio stations the mountains decide to give you. This step makes your PCH road trip smoother.
- Fill your gas tank before Big Sur. Last reasonably priced gas: Cambria heading north, Carmel heading south. Prices tend to be much higher in Big Sur due to limited supply. Don’t learn this the hard way. This is non-negotiable on a PCH road trip.
- Check road conditions at roads.dot.ca.gov. Highway 1 closes through Big Sur more often than you’d think. Rockslides are not rare. The most recent major closure was in March 2024. Always check before a PCH road trip.
- Don’t try to do it in one day. You can, but you’ll hate yourself. Three days minimum. Five days if you want to actually enjoy it. Give your PCH road trip time.
- Book Big Sur lodging early. There are very few options between Cambria and Carmel, and what exists books months out. Alternatives: camp at Limekiln or Kirk Creek, or sleep in SLO and do Big Sur as a day drive. This is the hardest part to plan on a PCH road trip.
- The PCH through LA is not scenic. Skip it unless you specifically want Santa Monica or Malibu. Take the 101 and save yourself an hour of stoplights.
- Use turnouts. Don’t stop on blind curves. Don’t block one-lane sections. Locals drive this road daily, and they will not be patient with you.
- End at Ghirardelli Square. Free chocolate samples, hot fudge sundaes, and the satisfaction of knowing you just drove one of the most beautiful roads on earth. You earned it. Finish your PCH road trip strong.
The Drive That Never Gets Old
I’ve done this drive eight times, and I’ll do it again. The coastline changes with the seasons. The light changes with the time of day. And there’s always a turnout I haven’t stopped at, a trail I haven’t walked, a town I blew through too quickly last time. A PCH road trip isn’t just a touristy thing to do; it’s part of California living and one of the perks of living here.
The Pacific Coast Highway isn’t just a road. It’s the reason a lot of people move to California, and the reason a lot of us stay. Take your time. Pull over often. Resist the urge to rush. And if you’re planning a move to California or just visiting, our city guides cover every stop along this route, from San Diego to San Francisco and everywhere in between. This PCH road trip is the one you repeat.
A Note on Road Conditions & Fees
Highway 1 through Big Sur is subject to frequent closures due to rockslides, erosion, and repair work. Always check current conditions at roads.dot.ca.gov before your trip. Park entry fees, tour prices, and gas prices referenced in this guide are accurate as of February 2026 but may change. Links to official sources are included throughout. This is essential PCH road trip prep.
Road Conditions: roads.dot.ca.gov | California State Parks: parks.ca.gov | Monterey Bay Aquarium: montereybayaquarium.org | Ghirardelli Square: ghirardelli.com
