The Open Road Travel

A road trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles takes you between the two most famous cities in California.

A 400+ mile road trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles will take down the Pacific Coast Highway, along the coast of the Golden State. On the way you’ll see towering mountains, scenic villages, gorgeous beaches, and breathtaking ocean vistas.

If you want to experience this amazing journey yourself but need a bit of guidance, I highly suggest reading on.

When it comes to selecting a route for a road trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles, there are two great options available. The quickest route covers 385 miles and takes just over 6 hours to complete.

This route sees you begin by going east, on the I-80, and following it across the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge.

When you reach Exit 8B, merge with the I-580 and follow it southeast until the road ends and merges with the I-5. You then take this south the remaining 315 miles to Los Angeles.

The other route, which I feel is the best route for a road trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles, is 455 miles long and will take around 9 hours to complete.

While this route clearly takes longer, it runs through some of the most scenic, attraction filled parts of the country, so is more than worth it.

The entirety of this route follows the Pacific Coast Highway, also known as California State Route 1. Pick it up in the west of San Francisco and follow it south until you reach your destination in Los Angeles.

Big Sur Village is a beautiful small town covering a mile in the heart of the Big Sur Valley. It is also home to the largest and best collection of dining, drinking, shopping, and educational experiences you will find in any direction for more than 70 miles.

Surrounded by towering redwood forests, abundant with wildlife, and with beautiful beaches and dramatic cliff faces in easy walking distance, it is perhaps one of the most scenic towns in the U.S.

This makes Big Sur Village a perfect place to stay on a road trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles for those wanting to embrace the natural side of their journey, while still having plenty of amenities and luxuries close by.

The Big Sur River Inn is a picturesque property, on the banks of the Big Sur River, in the heart of Big Sur Village. Its wooden design and features like a brick fireplace make it a perfect representation of the Big Sur Village itself.

Each of the rooms is designed with wood accents and artwork inspired by nature, perfect to help you embrace your natural surroundings. They also offer stunning views of the surrounding forest and river, as well as amenities like Wi-Fi, free toiletries, and luxury white linens.

An outdoor swimming pool, bar, and restaurant give you plenty of places to relax, while onsite shops, an ATM, and free parking all provide the upmost convenience throughout your stay.

You also have a beach, plus numerous bars, restaurants, shops, and hiking trails within a 10 minute walk.

The best time for a road trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles is from early March to mid-August. Los Angeles is a city that usually has warm, sunny weather throughout the whole year, so there isn’t really a bad time to visit LA in that respect.

However, it can sometimes be affected by California wildfire season, which peaks in the region between late August and early November.

This makes early March to mid-August the perfect window for a dream vacation in LA, as you should avoid both the height of wildfire season, as well as the slightly cooler winter months.

We will now take a look at some of the top attractions on a road trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles. As we will be travelling though some of the most beautiful and iconic regions in North America, you won’t be short of things to do or see.

Considering you could spend weeks exploring the area and still not see everything it has to offer; you will need to narrow it down.

The following is what we feel are the true top attractions on the route to our destination, with options guaranteed to please travellers of all tastes and interests.

San Jose is the third most populous city in the state of California, trailing San Diego and our destination of Los Angeles, and the 10th most populous in the country.

San Jose is well known as the largest urban area in a region known as “Silicon Valley”, which is the heart of the United States technology industry and one of the main technology hubs on Earth.

This has helped it to develop a reputation as a city which is always on the cutting edge.

Abundant in innovative buildings and attractions, as well as some of the best art and dining establishments in the country, San Jose is an ideal stop to balance our natural, scenic route with a more advanced, modern city destination.

 Pinnacles National Park is among the newest national parks in the United States, having only been designated as such in January 2013. It is also among the smallest and least visited national parks in the country, covering 26,686 acres and receiving 166,000 people each year.

Pinnacles is known of its iconic volcanic landscape and a range of ruggedly beautiful geographic features, such as caves, pinnacles, rock formations, and spires.

An incredibly popular destination with cavers and rock climbers, hikers also come in the droves to explore the numerous trails. Pinnacles National Park is even a great destination for birdwatchers and nature lovers.

With bats, bobcats, deer, foxes, over 180 species of birds, which include the California condor, and a vibrant range of wildflowers in all different colours, you will never be short of natural beauty to enjoy here.

Carmel-By-The-Sea is an iconic town that emerged after the construction of one of the first Spanish missions built in the United States, the Mission San Carlos Borromeo De Carmelo.

Built by colonists in 1770, it is one the most traditional and oldest remaining Roman Catholic missions in the US.

Recognised as a National Historic Landmark and included on the National Register Of Historic Places, the mission has been amazingly well preserved and is the only one left in the state that still features its original bell and tower.

While still an active parish church, the mission also doubles as a museum. With the opportunity to explore the exhibits, learn about the history of the building and its surrounding area, and even attend a service, it is an incredibly well rounded destination.

With the town itself filled with beautiful buildings, vibrant culture, and rich history, Carmel-By-The-Sea is a destination people of all tastes and interests are sure to enjoy.

Big Sur is a stretch of California coastline that is considered by many to be the most beautiful area in the contiguous United States.

From panoramic ocean vistas and iconic mountains to an abundance of beaches, forests, hiking trails, and wildlife, it is filled with sights for nature lovers to enjoy.

You even have the Big Sur State Park, which covers more than 1,000 acres and offers campgrounds and a lodge, where visitors can relax after a long day of exploring.

Whether you choose to take a scenic drive or a more strenuous hike, you won’t be disappointed by the sites you encounter.

So popular is the region that it attracts almost as many people each year as the nearby Yosemite National Park, which is known around the world for its natural wonders.

San Simeon is a small village that is commonly visited by nature lovers hoping to spot some of the iconic wildlife in the Piedras Blancas Rookery, a northern elephant seal nesting ground located on its shoreline.

However, the main attraction for most visitors to San Simeon is the 20th century mansion built by William Randolph Hearst, Hearst Castle. For those seeking an attraction you won’t find anywhere else in the United States, this is it.

Located in the hills overlooking the village, Hearst Castle was designed using a unique blend of 19th and 20th century revival styles, which includes Spanish Colonial and Mediterranean.

Its interior is also filled with exquisite furniture, works of art, and Hearst’s personal collections of art and antiques.

Hearst Castle’s grounds boasts a beautiful collection of features, including pergolas and pools, yet its most popular feature is the infamous population of zebras.

Imported to be part of a zoo that was never completed, they have spent decades roaming the grounds and expanding in number.

Recognised as both a California and United States National Historic Landmark, it is also listed on the United States National Register Of Historic Places.

Hearst Castle is a California State Park with a museum, so visitors can delve into its rich history and see the stunning sights with your own eyes.

 Channel Islands National Park consists of 5 of the 8 Channel Islands found just off the coast of southern California. While just a short distance from the second largest city in the US, Channel Islands National Park is regularly overlooked and even unknown to many visitors.

The collection of islands boasts isolated landscapes, breathtaking ocean views, and unique attractions like kelp forests growing from 100 feet down on the ocean floor.

There is also a range of wildlife that includes sea lions, whales, dolphins, seals, spiny, lobsters, the island fox, and around 400 species of birds.

Daily boats depart from Oxnard and Ventura harbours to take visitors to the islands, where they can indulge in camping, hiking the Anacapa Island Loop, snorkelling or scuba diving in the kelp forest, and plenty of other fabulous activities.

An upmarket beach town known around the world as a hotpot for celebrities and those with a little money to spare, Malibu is full of iconic beachfront properties and businesses.

It also has one of the longest, most idyllic lengths of golden sand in the U.S, referred to as the “21 miles of scenic beauty”.

Affectionately known as “The Bu”, Malibu is a great stop for anyone hoping to enjoy a relaxing day of sea and sand, away from the much busier beaches located around LA.

Malibu is also a world famous destination with surfers, as powerful currents and monstrous breaks surround a number of its beaches. Malibu’s Surfrider Beach was even the first beach on Earth to be designated a World Surfing Reserve back in 2010.

The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) is the most expansive urban national park on the planet, covering almost 157,000 acres, on the northern outskirts of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area.

Visitors come from far and wide to enjoy hiking, camping, climbing, and even just relaxing in its beautiful landscapes.

With features including mountains, rock formations, wildlife, and incredible vistas, it is the ideal place to enjoy a little nature on the edge of a sprawling metropolis.

A road trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles is an incredible journey, filled with natural beauty, history, and culture. This article will hopefully have given you all the information you need to plan the perfect trip, from start to finish.

Now you have a better idea of what to see, when to go, where to stay, and even how to get there, you can fill out your dream travel itinerary, to ensure your journey is one you remember for the rest of your life.

That mean’s all you have left to do is start getting everything booked, so you can begin looking forward to experiencing all of the incredible sights and attractions for yourself, as soon as possible.