Incredible Stops On A Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip

Taking a road trip along the Pacific Coast Highway – a true bucket-list experience – is the only way to make the most of California’s rugged coastline. Wind your way past the Spanish-colonial buildings of Santa Barbara, the bucolic wilds of Big Sur and the wildlife haven of Monterey Bay on an unforgettable drive through the Golden State.

Santa Barbara

1. The Wayfarer

Motel

The outdoor pool with sunbeds, next to the white building with terracotta rooftop of the Wayfarer in Santa Barbara

Among the micro-breweries, art galleries and surfboard shapers (someone who designs and handcrafts surfboards) of Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone; the Wayfarer brings its own eclectic style to the table. Loungers and cartoonish lacquer-red sofas sit beside an outdoor heated swimming pool, while rainbow-colored books fill the shelves of a lounge decorated with a coy-looking giraffe sculpture and a floor-to-ceiling image of robots. Rooms include complimentary breakfast, retro phones and pigtailed-tiger cushions – choose between private or shared accommodation to suit your budget.

2. Kayak tour of Santa Barbara

Tours, Activities

Carve your way through the waters of Santa Barbara’s coastline and discover its natural treasures. There are four available journeys to choose from, which can be tailored to different levels of ability. Each option begins with a relaxing paddle out from the Santa Barbara Harbor. As you follow your guide, they will paint a picture of the area’s history, leading you past craggy shoreline cliffs and eye-popping vistas of the Santa Ynez Mountains. Keep an eye out for the tell-tale ripple of a nearby dolphin or seal.

Big Sur

4. 17-Mile Drive electric bike tour

Tours, Activities

Winding along the coast from Pacific Grove to Pebble Beach, the 17-Mile Drive is a picture-perfect road lined with dreamy houses, rock-fringed bays and crooked trees warped by the salty winds. Before you set off on this tour – which takes you through some of the most spectacular landscapes California has to offer – you’ll be supplied with an electric bike, a helmet and bottled water. As you pedal, your host will fill you in on the history and nature of the picturesque area, while the electrical assist ensures your legs don’t get too weary.

Monterey

5. Monterey Tides

Hotel

Mid-century modern room in gray and ocean-blue tones with panoramic ocean views at Monterey Tides

Monterey Tides sits on the sands of a private beachfront, providing a gateway into the vast ocean. The interior echoes its surroundings with coral and seashell decor, tree-stump tables and driftwood-style dividers, while floor-to-ceiling windows in the rooms ensure you can appreciate the killer sea views over a morning coffee. Feast on 12hr braised pork belly at the on-site restaurant Vizcaino Waterfront Food + Drink where studded leather chairs complement the sea-shack-reminiscent wood paneling. Alternatively, tuck into tapas and sangria in Bar Sebastían. There is also an outdoor pool, but you’ll likely spend most of your time on the beach, looking out for seals or toasting s’mores around a bonfire.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.