See our full guide to best things to do in Costa Mesa and things to do in Newport Beach for more options! Recommended by me Nikki of Inspired Routes. Take SR 1 again all the way to Monterey and SF. Year-round you can take a whale watching tour and witness the magic of these giant creatures! Heres a brief overview of Big Sur well dive into more detail of our favorite spots in a bit! San Jose. Great stop on your San Francisco to San Diego drive for: beach, dining, shopping, entertainment, spas, overnight stay, ~ 425 miles from San Francisco & ~ 84 miles from San Diego. Transportation, dining, activities, and accommodations in San Francisco can be pricier than in San Diego, according to travel guide and news site Champion Traveler with the average cost of a week-long trip to the former around $2,200 . If youre on Main Street theres a couple of places you wont want to miss! This post may contain affiliate links. Huntington Beach is a must-see on your San Francisco to San Diego road trip, also Scotts hometown! Free shipping . http://www.amtrak.com is a great resource to help you and decide where you want to stop and see. Coast route it is! Now that were through with all 32 stops on this route, heres a week-long suggested itinerary for this epic adventure! The city is home to more than 20,000 beautiful acres of protected wilderness, making it ideal for hiking, biking and adventurous exploration. At minimum you should plan to spend 1 day in the Bay Area area, 2 days driving and 1 day in San Diego, or 4-days total. Since the first stop is just south of San Francisco, you won't want to fly into San Jose International Airport (SJC). #3 Santa Cruz A fun California beach town known for its beautiful university campus and surfing culture, Santa Cruz is also enviably close to forests of towering redwoods and the Santa Cruz Mountains. This spot is located in the Santa Ynez Valley of California and is very recognizable due to its windmill and other Danish-style architecture. The most scenic part is the one that goes along the coast, so most people skip the loop and just walk by the ocean, where you get the best views. Notable stops include Malibu, Monterey, Carmel-by-the-Sea, and Los Angeles, as well as Big Sur, Torrey Pines State Reserve, and Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park. Its a fantastic stopover on a San Francisco to San Diego road trip, known for the endless beaches, outdoor activities, delicious seafood and warm weather. The latter comes from a variety of wine aviations. If under the sea is what youre after, Laguna Beach offers snorkeling and diving opportunities as well. This iconic island is full of old Hollywood history, historic landmarks, and you cant help but love the gorgeous colorful island cottages as well as all the vintage signs, buildings, and memorabilia around town that make you feel like youve gone back in a time machine. This includes an average layover time of around 1h 29m. From December May, watch carefully for water spouts in the ocean, marking the migration of gray whales on their way to feed in the Alaskan waters. Start your list of places to visit on highway 1 with " The City by the Bay." San Francisco is the best starting point for your Pacific Coast Highway road trip. Yes, Southwest flies nonstop from San Francisco (SFO) to San Diego 3 times per day on Saturdays and 4 times per day on Sundays. There are quite a few different tours guests can take including evening and holiday themed tours. While youre visiting Torrey Pines, keep in mind that is only open during the day time, there is nowhere to purchase food or drink, no pets are allowed, and there are guided tours available! Find yourself getting spa treatments, having a cocktail or glass of wine at a swanky bar or beach lounge, California-chic shopping, and much more. Some of my favorite wineries include Spear Vineyards and Winery, Sweetzer Cellars and Montemar Winery. Enjoy the galleries, the shopping, and definitely the food! Find United Airlines cheap flights from San Diego to San Francisco. Santa Barbara is one of the more famous beach towns in California and is an especially popular stop along the San Francisco to San Diego drive. The OCairns Inn and Suites is a very affordable option that comes with a delicious breakfast and happy hour. In addition to these nature adventures, SLO has much to offer when it comes to dining and wine tasting. There arent many more iconic places along the California Pacific Coast Highway than the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles. The best viewpoint is from the Overlook Trail to McWay Falls. Although its currently closed pending potential restoration, visitors can still get up close to the ship at the cruise port. And within Big Sur, the Bixby Creek Bridge is the spot for coastal views and scenic photographs. If youre looking to spend some time soaking up the sun, Laguna has some of the best beaches in Southern California. We love hiking, biking, sightseeing, etc. 2pm - Lunch in Santa Cruz (11.30pm for you) After driving along the empty coastline for two hours, it was nice to hit a real city again. After you are full, head to Manhattan Beach E-Bike Rentals to rent a bike for the day. The wildlife is incredible and Id highly recommend it! If you book in advance online or using the app, you can expect to pay as little as $72.99 for a ticket between San Diego and San Francisco, , but prices . Recommended by Hannah of Hannah on Horizon follow on Instagram. Encinitas offers one of the most beautiful drives down PCH, the transition from Carlsbad, California to this adorable little beach town is one of the most soothing drives in the country. The distance on the drive from San Francisco to San Diego is approximately 502 miles (808 kilometres) and would take around 8 hours if taking a direct route along the I-5 highway. San Francisco to San Diego Flights. Auto Repair, Smog Check Stations, Transmission Repair. Youve made it to San Diego, just like in San Francisco we recommend spending some time to see what makes this amazing Southern California city one of the best! Better yet, youre in the Santa Ynez Valley which is also famous for its wine, so if youre a wine lover like us youll want to plan some wine tasting as well. For the most current highway updates, go to the CalTrans website and enter the highway number (Highway 1) in the search bar, or call 1.800.427.7623 before you hit the road. Have a fun trip! Its actually the longest pier on the west coast, coming in at over 1/3 mile long. This waterfall hike reminds me of the best waterfalls in Glacier National Park its so picturesque! Built by the publishing tycoon William Randolph Hearst, La Casa Grande as it is also called, certainly lives up to its name. 3500 Mt. If you want to ride a bunch, invest in a wristband for $45. Work With Us, Destinations Theres a bunch of photos and newspaper articles displaying the history of the sport, too. Theres also plenty of beautiful spots to pull over and snap some photos and videos. Theres even a private tour (up to 6 people) that costs $1,000 per group. Big Sur. Lets keep the sights and adventure going! These are the best stops on a San Francisco to San Diego road trip! Carmel is great for a day trip or a weekend getaway! There are also different animal species such as birds, fish, bats, squirrel and chipmunks. There are so many Big Sur hiking trails, and these are definitely worth checking out. If youd like to walk across the bridge, the pedestrian access is on the east sidewalk. The top cities between Los Angeles and San Diego are Anaheim, La Jolla, Carlsbad, Temecula, Laguna Beach, Long Beach, Pasadena, Escondido, Riverside, and Dana Point. So if youd like to visit it by getting out of your car, park elsewhere and take public transportation or a ride share to the bridge. Be sure to check out the Pacific Coast Highway itinerary 7 days if youve got a week in the area. Thanks for your information much appreciated. La Jolla is a suburb, although still a bit up the coast from San Diego. Fishing is available from the pier, and theres actually a restaurant on the pier, Walking on Water Cafe (WOW Cafe). San Diego, port and city, seat (1850) of San Diego county, southern California, U.S. Yes in the Us now in Chicago getting the Amtrak tomorrow to (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? If youre looking for a great view or photos of the bridge, keep in mind there are various vantage points! ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-15945938', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Monterey, for example, you'd be able to see the most scenic stretches of the coast at a more leisurely pace. One of the area's top attractions is the Stearns Wharf. Its rated as an easy hike, coming in at 1.6 miles. So cool. Recommended by Melissa of Navigation Junkie follow on Pinterest. You will have the final verdict once you complete all the stops on your San Francisco to San Diego road trip. Great stop on your San Francisco to San Diego drive for: beach, photography, sunset, ~ 377 miles from San Francisco & ~ 127 miles from San Diego. This area has attracted all kinds of people but it especially caters to those art lovers, beachgoers, and fine diners. Long Beach is famously the home of theR.M.S. Visit this historic California State Park and museum to the art displayed from all over the world. This is another spot you wont want to miss on your San Francisco to San Diego road trip. This spot is perfect for day trip or a weekend getaway, read more about all the best things to do in Ventura and nearby in our guide. Travel Photography Was wondering where is best to stop in Californiabetween San Franciscoand San Diego? Great stop on your San Francisco to San Diego drive for: beach break, food & drink, shopping, entertainment, nearby wine tasting, overnight stay, ~ 352 miles from San Francisco & ~ 188 miles from San Diego. Any suggestions as to where we might spend 2 nights on our way to San Fran? And its just a bonus that its a perfect stop on a San Francisco to San Diego road trip! Free shipping . Or spend a few peaceful hours visiting the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden on the campus of California State University, Long Beach. My favorites are comfortable enough for hiking yet perfect for the beach. One of the most popular things to do in Lompoc is to go wine tasting. You are going to love it. Simply put, it defies logic as physics and gravity just dont make sense here! Santa Monica hosts a variety of special events/festivals year-round! Stop for pictures, do a little beach combing or enjoy a picnic by the ocean. Crystal Cove is located right between Corona del Mar (one of the Newport beach towns) and Laguna Beach, where you can find some of the most beautiful coastline and best beaches in Orange County! But first lets highlight some activities in San Francisco before you start off on your big adventure. Stroll the wooden boardwalk above the snow-white beach of Spanish Bay going North or South as you begin your day. Youll find great cliff views and fewer crowds on this hike. From this bridge, you can overlook the beautiful sea and rolling valleys. Sunset is a great time to do these walks. Or explore the huge variety of exhibits at the expansive Aquarium of the Pacific. Get up close to the areas marine life on a harbor cruise. Thanks, Re: Best places to stop between San Fran and San Diego? You wont want to miss out on this beautiful Castle and all the history that lies within it including juicy old celebrity gossip and rumors! The trees are as large as 380 feet, but their seeds are as small as a tomato seed! If you would like to spend a night camping in the park, reservations must be made six months in advance. To avoid crowds, November and December are great as well as the late winter/early spring. Is San Diego north or south of LA? One of the best things about San Francisco to San Diego road trip is that the variety is endless. If you're near the area on a Tuesday, don't miss Taco Tuesday. Conclude your visit to Big Sur with a stop at Sand Dollar Beach, where you will find some of the most stunning sunset views. This little town really has become what I would call a picture perfect example of a Southern California beach town: beautiful, laid back and lots of cool stuff to do. Nothing beats the San Diego beaches, La Jolla combines classy yet casual into the perfect beach city to visit on your San Francisco to San Diego road trip. Recommended by Daria of The Discovery Nut follow on Instagram. The quickest way from San Diego is flying to San Francisco International Airport (SFO), which takes about 1.5 hours at a cost of $93 and up. To find the lowest fares by day and time to fly San Francisco (SFO) to San Diego with Southwest, check out our Low Fare Calendar. During the spring and summertime, many of the flower fields are also in bloom. Its home to Californias oldest museum and famous art festivals like the Sawdust Art Festival, Laguna Art-A-Fair, Festival of Arts, and Pageant of the Masters. San Luis Obispo or SLO is full of a variety of amazing things to do for all you road trippers, so you wont want to miss this one on your San Francisco to San Diego drive. If youre dedicating a few days to the Ventura area, you have to check out the Channel Islands National Park off the coast! From beaches to hiking, shopping to wineries, this scenic drive will have you begging to come back for more! From the rugged, northern coast of California to the classic So Cal beaches near San Diego, theres so much to see and do along the way. 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