San Francisco to Big Sur: Iconic Views, Things To Do + Huge 5-Day Itinerary

We visit California a lot, but one place we haven’t explored until this visit was San Francisco to Big Sur. We spent 5 days checking out iconic views from the city to the shore. There are so many things to do from San Francisco to Big Sur that it can seem overwhelming. Don’t worry, we’re here to help with an epic 5-Day itinerary with everything you can see and do in 5 epic days.

If you’re wondering how much something like this costs, I’ve broken down our trip costs, how we saved, and tips on saving at the bottom of this post. Be sure to check it out!

This itinerary is an exact replica of our trip covering our visits to San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Carmel-By-The-Sea, Monterey, and Big Sur. Oh, and we also were able to fit in trips to Muir Woods National Monument and Point Reyes National Seashore. Two must-see destinations when in San Francisco.

I had so much fun reliving this trip! I’d love to hear if this itinerary helped your planning. Be sure to let me know in the comments below!

Day One: Flight, Santa Cruz, and Monterey – Epic San Francisco to Big Sur Trip Itinerary

Obligatory Just Landed In Cali In-N-Out Meal

11:30 am
We flew into Oakland’s airport instead of San Francisco and picked up our rental car. Be sure to scroll down to the bottom to read why we made this budget-saving decision.

12:30 am
We found the nearest In-N-Out restaurant for our obligatory just-landed-in-California meal. It’s become a tradition of ours to always grab a bite from this iconic west-coast fast food restaurant.

Checking Out Santa Cruz

1:15 pm
We hopped back in the rental continuing our drive from San Francisco to Big Sur heading down to Santa Cruz. I love including road trips when flying somewhere, it’s the best of both travel worlds. You get to see so much when driving.

3:00 pm
We continued to drive down to Santa Cruz to visit the Boardwalk area before continuing down to Monterey. The amusement park was closed but we walked out on the pier which had great views. My favorite part was the openings at the end of the pier where you could watch the sea lions honk at each other and splash around.

Check Into The Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa

5:15 pm
We continued our drive down the coast to Monterey and checked into our hotel. The Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa is located in the historic Cannery Row District and WOW was it so cute. The hotel was huge and sat directly on the coast of Monterey Bay. This was such a huge deal to us because finding hotels in California on the coast isn’t easy! It’s not like Florida where most of the hotels in coastal towns are on the beaches.

We checked in and made it to our room which was just like the hotel–huge! My only regret is that we opted against upgrading our room to a bay view. We didn’t want spend extra so early in our trip. Maybe next time!

9:00 pm
Oops, we woke up from an accidental nap. Our hotel beds were so cozy we dozed right off. It was too late to go out at this point with most restaurants closing shortly so we opted for room service and crashing early as we had a lot going on the next day exploring the Big Sur coast.

Plan your stay at Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa
Incredible & huge hotel on the coast of Monterey Bay in the historic Cannery Row.
Cost: $$$ rooms here can range from $300-700+ a night during peak season depending on the room.
Visit Site |📍400 Cannery Row, Monterey California, 93940
Tip: Check rates during the off-peak season as they may be lower than noted above. You can also consider only staying one night. If you can afford it, get the Bay view room. If you can’t get the upgrade, be sure to take advantage of the public space around the hotel to take in the incredible bay views. I loved sitting in the hot tub listening to the waves crash and looking up at the night sky during our visit. There is also a spa and several dining options.

Day 2: Big Sur Coast and Carmel-by-the-Sea – Epic San Francisco to Big Sur Trip Itinerary

Breakfast At Wave Street Cafe

8:20 am
Began our morning on day two of our trip from San Francisco to Big Sur by taking in the breathtaking views of Monterey Bay from our hotel’s deck. Parts of the hotel are literally situated over the Bay on stilts. We couldn’t believe our luck finding this place as we struggled to find a hotel in the area we liked. After taking in the sights we walked to Wave Street Cafe for breakfast before starting our trip to Big Sur. 

Plan your visit to Wave Street Cafe
Adorable breakfast & lunch restaurant on Cannery Row in Monterey, California.
Visit Site |📍550 Wave Street (lower level) Monterey, California 93940
Tip: When eating at Wave Street Cafe, ask for outdoor seating. It’s a serenely decorated outdoor area with prime views of the Bay. You won’t regret it. Keep in mind that depending on the season, early mornings could be a little chilly. 

Visiting Point Lobos State Natural Reserve

10:00 am
After breakfast, we drove to our first stop, a short hike at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve. Absolutely breathtaking views and an easy hike to get our first taste of the Big Sur coastline. We parked near Sea Lion Point taking a small hike on the Sea Shore and Sand Hill Trails to get up to an epic viewpoint.

Plan your visit to Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
What to do: Hiking trails, scuba, snorkeling, photography (no drones), picnic, sightseeing.
Hours: 8 am – 7 pm, last entry at 6:30 pm
Visit Site |📍Route 1 Box 62 Carmel, California 93923
Tip: Visit the site for up-to-date info on park closures and restrictions.
Related: If you love these views, you’ll love my post on A Quick Trip To Big Sur.

Starting The Big Sur Coast Drive

11:30 am
Continued driving down the coast and stopped at various Big Sur destinations from Garrapata Beach, Hurricane Point View, and Point Sur Lighthouse.

Plan your visit to Garrapata State Beach
A small state park along the Big Sur coast with two miles of beachfront. Includes Garrapata Beach, Calla Lilly Valley, and the popular Soberanes Canyon Trail among other stops.
What to do: Hiking, Photography, Fishing, Scuba & Snorkeling is allowed but not recommended, as surfing.
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 1/2 hour after sunset.
Visit Site |📍The park is located on Highway 1, 6.7 miles south of Rio Road in Carmel (18 m north of Big Sur).
Tip: The surf is very dangerous. The park asks that you not swim or wade. No lifeguards and the waves were intense when we were there so I’d definitely not go in the water personally.

Lunch At Nepenthe in Big Sur

12:45 pm
Halfway through the trip down the Big Sur coast, we stopped for lunch at Nepenthe – a cute, cliff-dwelling seaside restaurant with cascading views of the coast. We ordered a simple grilled chicken sandwich and BLT sandwich with an order of fries. I loved checking out The Pheonix Shop, so much cool stuff, I wanted it all.

Plan your visit to Nepenthe
Iconic Big Sur restaurant nestled on the edge of the continent. There is also Café Kevah if you are looking for a quick bite, and The Phoenix Shop if you want to bring home a souvenir.
Visit Site |📍48510 Highway One, Big Sur, California 93920
Tip: If you are looking to sit outside for breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean and Big Sur coast, be sure to request it as it won’t just automatically be offered.
Related: Buy a copy of My Nepenthe by Romey Steel written by the original owner’s granddaughter, this book gives an interesting retelling of the founding family and history of Nepenthe in Big Sur.

Continue Driving Big Sur Coast

1:45 pm 
Continued our drive down the Big Sur coast hitting up Julia Pfieffer Burns State Park, Vista Point, McWay Falls, and more. Holy moly the views!! California has a lot of beautiful coastlines but the Big Sur coast is on a level of its own.

Plan your visit to Julia Pfieffer Burns State Park
A huge state park that includes one of the most popular Big Sur views: McWay Falls.
What to do: Hiking trails, diving (by permit), picnic, photography (no drones).
Hours: 8 am – to sunset
Visit Site |📍Near mile marker 35.8 on Highway 1, the park is 37 miles south of Carmel.
Tip: No access to the beach near McWay Falls, but you can get a lower view from a path. I felt the street views were much better, though. Visit the site for up-to-date info on park closures and restrictions.

Drive The 17-Mile Drive

3:45 pm
Drove back up the coast heading towards Carmel-by-the-Sea. We decided to drive the 17-Mile Drive stopping at several points before visiting Carmel. It’s a beautiful drive but a lot of the stops weren’t worth it in our opinion-primarily because we tried to fit so much in one day or visually they looked similar.

Plan your visit to The 17-Mile Drive
A huge state park that includes one of the most popular Big Sur views: McWay Falls.
What to do: Hiking trails, diving (by permit), picnic, photography (no drones).
Hours: 8 am – to sunset
Visit Site |📍Near mile marker 35.8 on Highway 1, the park is 37 miles south of Carmel.
Tip: Visit the site for up-to-date info on park closures and restrictions. No access to the beach near McWay Falls.
Related: Visit my most popular blog post Where To Stop Along the 17-Mile Drive in Monterey, California to see which stops were worth it and more.

Explore Carmel-by-the-Sea

6:00 pm
It didn’t take long to fall in love with Carmel-by-the-Sea. With its magical, fairytale-looking buildings and floral landscaping, it felt like somewhere out of a dream! I’m bummed we didn’t have a lot of time to explore, but we did check out a few shops.

Plan your visit to Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
A town straight out of a fairytale along the Pacific Ocean coast.
What to do: Don’t miss the Farmer’s Market at Old Monterey Marketplace on Alvarado Street. Explore Carmel Beach, and enjoy a treat from Cottage of Sweets and Revival Ice Cream. Enjoy dinner and a brew at Alvarado Street Brewing & Bistro. Enjoy the fairytale-like buildings all across town but especially on Ocean Avenue.
Hours: Various
Visit Site |📍If you are staying in Monterey like us, you’ll drive through Carmel on the way back from Big Sur.
Tip: Make sure you have enough time scheduled to visit as this is one of the cutest towns I’ve ever seen.

Dinner + Dessert at Alvarado Street Brewery + Revival

6:30 pm
Decided on dinner at Alvarado Street Brewery on, you guessed it, Alvarado Street which turned out to be the cutest little street. We happened to be there during an outdoor farmer’s market that took up the whole street, looked so fun! We strolled through it as we made our way to Revival for ice cream. I loved that they were all about sustainability.

8:00 pm
Made it back to our hotel with just enough time to soak in the hot tubs and listen to the ocean and look up at the stars on a clear, ocean night while listening to the waves crash. A perfect ending to an adventure-filled day on our journey from San Francisco to Big Sur. 

Plan your visit to Alvarado Street Brewery
Visit Site |📍Carmel Plaza, Suite 112 Ocean & Mission St. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California 93921
Tip: Open 7 days a week, check the website for the most up-to-date info.

Plan your visit to Revival Ice Cream
Visit Site |📍463 Alvarado Street Monterey, California 93940
Tip: Open 7 days a week, varying hours. They also deliver ice cream!

Day 3: Monterey To San Francisco – Epic San Francisco to Big Sur Trip Itinerary

Breakfast At Loulou’s Griddle In The Middle

9:30 am
We woke up and took in the views of our hotel one last time before exploring Monterey Bay a little more and heading to breakfast. We ate at Loulou’s Griddle in the Middle and it was awesome! There was a cute black lab that hung out in the side doorway politely waiting for scraps and pancakes the size of hubcaps… which, by the way, might be some of the best pancakes I ever had. Somehow even the middle was cooked perfectly for being so large. I wish I could have eaten it all but at some point, it was just too much. Definitely share it! One of our favorite breakfast spots on our trip from San Francisco to Big Sur.

Plan your visit to Lou Lou’s Griddle in The Middle
This awesome spot was recently visited by Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives and is totally worth a visit when in town.
Visit Site |📍Municipal Wharf 2, Monterey California 93940
Tip: If you get the hubcap pancake, it’s more than enough for two people. It was one of the best pancakes I’ve ever had.

Drive Back To San Francisco From Monterey

12:00 pm
We then started our drive back up north on our San Francisco to Big Sur journey and stopped off at a beach that looked incredible in the coastal fog that was happening. Big Basin Redwoods State Park Waddell Beach. I took a moment and then decided to climb down the small hill from the parking lot and walk up to the shore. One of my favorite things is standing right next to the ocean and listening to it so I had to get closer. Lots of surfers out and huge waves at the time.

1:30 pm
We tried to find Half Moon Bay but ended up at Maverick’s Beach… and couldn’t find how to get to the actual beach part where Nathan tells me is a huge surfing spot so we continued. We stopped at JV Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, a little spot with tide pools and crashing waves but it was high tide so there wasn’t much to do. Onward to San Francisco!

Plan your visit to Big Basin Redwoods State Park: Waddell Beach
Waddel Beach is part of a much larger park system but an easy stop on the drive back to San Francisco.
What To Do: Swimming, wildlife viewing, photography. If you go into the park, you can hike, bike, ride horses, and more.
Visit Site |📍3640 Cabrillo Hwy, Davenport, California 95017
Tip: There is a vehicle fee if you drive into the park.

Sutro Bath Ruins, First Stop In San Francisco

2:30 pm
We made it! On our trip from San Francisco to Big Sur, we decided our first stop will be the Sutro Bath ruins. What an interesting stop – I had seen information and photos of what this place used to be and it’s wild to see ruins today. One thing I am noticing about San Francisco is there is graffiti everywhere! I really wanted to take the Lands End trail to the Lands End Labyrinth, however, it was far too daunting for our energy level at the time. If we ever come back, though, we’ll definitely do the hike.

Plan your visit to Sutro Baths
Bathhouse ruins from the late 1800s that once held 7 saltwater pools in a scenic landscape.
What To Do: Sightseeing, Photography, Hiking
Visit Site |📍1004 Point Lobos Ave, San Francisco, California 94121
Tip: Check out the Lands End Trail, a moderately challenging 3.4-mile loop trail that will probably take you 1.5 hours to get through.

Golden Gate Bridge Views At Baker Beach

3:10 pm
We find our next destination at Baker Beach. I read about a lot of beaches to visit with optimal views of the Golden Gate Bridge, but this one was a  perfect choice. Wide sandy beach with an incredible bridge view.

Plan your visit to Baker Beach
Large beach with spanning views of the Golden Gate Bridge.
What To Do: Sightseeing, Photography, Hiking
Visit Site |📍Baker Beach, San Francisco, California 94129
Tip: Check out the sand ladder for another photo op.

Lunch At Boudin In Fisherman’s Wharf

4:00 pm
We decided to have a late lunch at Boudin at Fishermans Wharf. I really wanted some soup in a bread bowl but they didn’t have the soup I wanted so we opted for grilled cheese sandwiches. They were pretty good. They had so many cute animals and character-shaped bread and I wanted to take all of them home with me! We then decided to take a walk down to Ghirardelli Square and had some ice cream as a snack. 

Drive Down The Crooked Lombard Street

5:30 pm
Next, we decided to go check out Lombard Street… you know it. It’s the famous crooked street that has tight zig-zags that goes down a huge hill. Tried to get photographs looking up but it’s not the most optimal spot to shoot – there are a big sign and some wires in the way. Plus – it is a real Instagram vs. real-life situation as there are probably going to be dozens of people doing the same thing. We decided to drive down the hill instead – and it’s fun and you should do it because obligatory tourist thing to do but you’ll need to ride the brake the entire ride down. 

Plan your visit to Lombard Street
Extremely winding, downhill road and a popular tourist destination.
What To Do: Sightseeing, Photography, Restaurants, Boat Rides
📍The corner of Lombard Street & Hyde Street, San Francisco, California 94109
Tip: You’ll have to drive really slow, and it’s kind of silly, but one of those travel experiences that cost nothing but a few minutes of your time that are worth it. Expect a lot of people standing around trying to get photos.

Coit Tower And The Painted Ladies

6:00 pm
Drove up to Coit Tower to check out the views… and boy were their views! You can see a huge panoramic of San Francisco from a hint of Lombard Street to Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance. A nice little break and worth it for the views.

6:45 pm
Time for our Full House moment. We went to see the Painted Ladies next to Alamo Square. It was pretty cool, they were neat looking… but I was actually more enamored with the houses around the block. There was some live music playing on the hill and great views of San Francisco.

Plan your visit to Coit Tower
212-foot tall observation deck providing 360-degree views of San Francisco and surrounding Pioneer Park
What to do: Photograph, tour, and enjoy nature
Visit Site |📍1 Telegraph Hill Blvd, San Francisco, California 94133
Tip: Limited parking and tours are available.

Plan your visit to the Painted Ladies
A row of iconic and historical Victorian homes is most recognized from the intro of the late 80s tv show Full House.
What to do: Revel in nostalgia, Photograph, and Enjoy the nearby park, Alamo Square Park.
Visit Site |📍Steiner St &, Hayes St, San Francisco, California 94117

Dinner At The Italian Homemade Company

7:30 pm
We decided to eat dinner at this cute little Italian spot called The Italian Homemade Company and it was quite good. They even had my favorite dish, pappardelle bolognese.

8:00 pm
Headed back to our hotel and hung out at the pool for a while before calling it a night. We stayed at the Four Points Sheraton in San Rafael. 

Plan your visit to the Italian Homemade Company
Italian restaurant serving a simple menu of flatbread, salads, and homemade pasta and sauce.
Visit Site |📍1 Franklin St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Day 4: San Francisco

Breakfast at The Black Bear Diner

10:30 am
Breakfast at Black Bear Diner, we really dig this place. It had cute, outdoorsy decor and a lot of food for a good price.

Plan your visit to Black Bear Diner
Breakfast restaurant with a rustic aesthetic
Visit Site |📍490 Las Gallinas Ave San Rafael, CA 94903

Marin Headlands And Battery Spencer

12:00 pm
We decided to visit some parks on the fourth day of our trip from San Francisco to Big Sur. Drove through the Marin Headlands and took in the views of the Golden Gate Bridge at Battery Spencer, an old reinforced concrete 12″ gun battery deactivated in 1942. Now it’s a lot of ruins and an amazing view.

Plan your visit to The Marin Headlands
Sweeping views of the Golden Gate Bridge from this ecologically diverse land of dramatic ocean cliffs.
What to do: Enjoy the views, Photography, Hiking, and Beach, Visit Battery Spencer and other key points
Hours:
Visit Site |📍Marin Headlands Sausalito, CA 94965
Tip: Limited to no cell phone service, try to download your maps beforehand.

The Presidio + Lyon Street Stairs

12:30 pm
Visited Andy Goldsworthy’s “Wood Line” installation in the Presidio of San Francisco. Wood logs line a path as far as the eye can see. Pretty cool. Afterward, we drove over to the Lyon Street Stairs to take in the views.

Late Lunch Treats At Tartine Bakery + Bi-Rite Creamery

1:42 pm
We made our way to the Mission District and walked around. Saw some fun street art and had some goodies at Tartine and Bi-Rite Creamery. I got a brownie at Tartine that took me two days to eat it was so rich. 

Plan your visit to Tartine Bakery
A popular shop with delicious bread and pastries
Visit Site |📍600 Guerrero St San Francisco, CA 94110

Plan your visit to Bi-Rite
Homemade organic ice cream shop
Visit Site |📍3692 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94110

Haight-Ashbury

2:45 pm
Visited the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood and walked around visiting some of the shops. It was during the day so there weren’t a lot of people around. Enjoyed seeing the interesting shops and strolling through this historic place. The storefronts were fun and eclectic as expected and there was plenty of street art to look at. 

Plan your visit to Haight-Ashbury
Birthplace of the 1960s counterculture and is now a cool neighborhood with shops and more.
Visit |📍Haight-Ashbury San Francisco, CA 94117

Drive-Up To Twin Peaks For The Views

3:45 pm
After leaving Haight-Ashbury, we drove to the top of Twin Peaks and were rewarded with a view of all of San Francisco. The picture above is only a fraction of what you can see. It’s probably a little over 180 degrees of amazing city views. There are parking lots but it gets pretty busy. You should be able to squeeze in a good view if you get a parking spot. This was one of my favorite views from our trip from San Francisco to Big Sur.

Plan your visit to Twin Peaks
64-acre park with 180-degree views of San Francisco
Visit Site |📍501 Twin Peaks Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94114

Hidden Swing at Bernal Heights

4:30 pm
Decided we were going to find the hidden swing in Bernal Heights. It’s not really where you’d expect to find it… meaning the looks of the place it was at didn’t seem like there’d be anything really good there till you climbed the hill. There were a few people waiting and everyone took their turn. Again, incredible views of San Francisco and… a swing! So much fun… and a little scary when the swing went out over the hill.

Tip: “Secret” spots like this are really fun finds so be cool and leave it as good or better than you found it. If there are other people waiting, take a few swings, get your photos, and let others enjoy it. There are other “secret swings” throughout San Francisco but this is the only one we tried to find. 

San Francisco’s China Town

5:15 pm
Drove through the Castro and found ourselves in Chinatown. We almost didn’t go but I highly recommend a visit as it was so colorful and there was so much to see. We ended up visiting the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory and watching some ladies make fortune cookies.

Plan your visit to Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory
Fortune cookie bakery where you can watch them make the cookies
Visit Site |📍56 Ross Alley San Francisco, CA 94113
Tip: It’s small inside. Bring some change or dollars to tip when you take a photo.

Dinner At The Stinking Rose

6:30 pm
After leaving Chinatown we made our way to catch our reservations at The Stinking Rose… a garlic restaurant. (mmm, garlic!). Very unique looking inside and tasty food.

Plan your visit to The Stinking Rose Restaurant.
A garlic-focused restaurant.
Visit Site |📍430 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
Tip: Very photogenic inside and pretty big. Looks like the location has moved since we visited in 2019 but I am assuming they have unique seating setups in the new shop, too.

Visiting City Lights Bookstore & Strolling around

7:30 pm
After dinner, we walked around and checked out City Lights Bookstore and I wish we had so much more time as it was really cool! Two stories and so many books, I love a good bookstore but they are so hard to spend too much time on vacation. There was also this amazing flying book installation at the intersection nearby, so cool. We saw our second Banksy out in the wild on a building across the street, too. 

Plan your visit to City Lights Bookstore
Huge, 3-story book store in San Francisco
Visit Site |📍430 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
Tip: If you’re into books be sure to allow enough time to really look through this awesome bookstore! There are at least three stories and rows and rows of books.

8:30 pm
Back to the hotel for some pool and hot tub time before calling this day’s journey from San Francisco to Big Sur a night.

Day 5: Muir Woods National Monument and Point Reyes National Seashore

Breakfast At Black Bear Diner (Again)

10:30 am
Breakfast at Black Bear Diner, again, was just easy and familiar at this point… and yummy.

Seeing Redwoods At Muir Woods National Monument

11:30 am
Drove through the Marin Headlands and through Golden Gate National Recreation area. The road gets pretty winding here and I found myself feeling a little seasick.

11:40 am
We made our way to Muir Woods! Super excited to see the redwood trees. 

12:00 pm
We walked through Muir Woods and experienced the beauty of the Redwood tree. We took the main trail into the park as far as bridge 4 where we crossed and then took the Hillside trail back to bridge 2 connecting us back to the main trail and leading us out to the exit. Be sure to get photos of the hollowed-out tree at the end of the Hillside trail! You can stand inside this one for a great photo op.

Plan your visit to Muir Woods National Monument
Epic forest with giant redwood trees, hiking trails, and more.
Visit Site |📍Muir Woods National Monument Mill Valley, CA 94941
Tip: You will need to buy your parking or shuttle pass in advance. Plus, the park is experiencing a renewal process that will be ongoing until 2023. This may cause some areas of the park to look as if it’s under construction with fencing, pipes, cones, etc. 

Point Reyes Shipwreck And Tree Tunnel

1:40 pm
After leaving Muir Woods we made our way to Point Reyes visiting several points along the way. Our first stop is the Muir Beach Overlook. There’s an ample parking lot with a long walkway out toward the ocean where you will get some incredible views. You can see as far as the Golden Gate Bridge and parts of San Francisco in the distance. Took some time to take in the incredible ocean panoramic before heading to our next stop.

3:00 pm
We drove through a little town and pulled into the parking lot for Stinson Beach before we decided it was too crowded and kept driving. It took a while before finding our next stop – the Point Reyes Shipwreck. We almost missed it as we entered a small town and noticed it was behind a building. We got out of the car, stretched our legs, and took some fun photos before continuing our journey.

3:20 pm
Driving for a while along a dirt road passing farms and lots of cows, we finally find the Cypress Tree Tunnel. We parked and walked around noticing there was an old radio station at the end of the trees. We were mostly alone with only 3-4 other people visiting this spot. It felt very secluded.

Point Reyes South Beach Overlook

4:00 pm
We got in our car and drove further onto Point Reyes finding ourselves at the South Beach Overlook. We parked in the Point Reyes Lighthouse Public Parking and walked over to the overlook. The views felt like they weren’t in this country but like you were in Ireland on a cliff overlooking the sea or something. The lighthouse was closed to the public at the time we visited.

A few moments later we walked to the other side and walked up Sea Lion Overlook. We passed some ladies who told us there were some killer whales out in the distance. We were so excited we booked it to get to the edge. After staring for a while and almost giving up we saw them! They were very small, I used my camera to zoom in on the view. It was such a cool moment to see them out in the distance! Worth the drive.

 

Nature scenes are always beautiful but sometimes the path to the beautiful destination is just as nice. Loved this orange-roofed home we saw on the trail to Chimney Rock.

Chimney Rock Hike

4:30 pm
We continued driving along Chimney Rock Road until we got to a parking lot. It was pretty crazy to drive as it was a one-lane road and the whole time we were hoping no one was coming up because honestly, what would you do?! We lucked out and made it to the lot. This was our last stop of the day so we decided to go for it. Thinking it was a shorter hike than it was, we made our way to Chimney Rock – which turned out to be over 2 miles there and back. What a way to end a day of hikes, hah!

The views, however, were absolutely worth it. Absolutely breathtaking cliff views overlooking the ocean waited for us at the end of the trail. On our way back we came pretty close to a coyote which I saw first, slightly panicked as I wasn’t sure how they reacted to humans and in a few seconds I turned to look at Nathan and mentioned I saw the coyote, he turned around and trotted away from us. It was crazy! 

5:45 pm
We finally make it back to our car and start the long drive back to our hotel in San Rafael. We see so many cows and I make jokes about them being Happy California Cows like the commercial.

Plan your visit to Muir Woods National Monument
Over 70 thousand acres of park with hiking, rocky coasts, expansive beaches, and more.
Visit Site |📍Point Reyes National Seashore Point Reyes Station, CA 94956

Dinner at La Toscana + Ice Cream At Silbermann’s

7:15 pm
We get back to our hotel and freshen up before heading out to dinner at Ristorante La Toscana. We found a local ice cream shop called Silbermann’s and got an ice cream treat before heading back to the hotel.

8:45 pm
Headed back to the hotel and hung out in the pool before it closed for the night. Really wanted to soak in the hot tub but some people were hogging it for a long time and there was no room. Ah well, I swam a few laps while Nathan sat on the lounge chair. I love swimming at night in California – in most destinations we are at you can see so many stars. I just do a back float sometimes and look at the sky.

Plan your visit to La Toscana
Large Italian restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating
Visit Site |📍3751 Redwood Hwy, San Rafael, CA 94903

Plan your visit to Silbermans
A classic, family-owned ice cream shop
Visit Site |📍196 Northgate One, San Rafael, CA 94903

Day 6: Travel Day

Breakfast + Flight Home

Our epic San Francisco to Big Sur trip is over and it’s time to fly home. We found a Boudin at a strip mall and ate breakfast before heading to Oakland Airport.

How Much Did Our San Francisco to Big Sur Trip Cost?

As part of showing a full, comprehensive itinerary I am going to share with you how much this trip from San Francisco to Big Sur cost us. While we do what we can to find ways to save when it comes to paying for the initial trip when we are at our destination we aren’t exactly being budget-friendly. We fall in the mid-range of spending so if you are on a tight budget you can definitely find ways to do this trip cheaper. Also, prices are always fluctuating, and depending on where you travel from it could cost less or more. The idea behind sharing the amount we spent is so you have a general idea of how much a trip like this costs. 

This trip was in the fall of 2019 flying from Cleveland, Ohio to Oakland, California. We rented a car for the entire trip and stayed at two hotels. These are the items we bought before arriving at our destination. 

Here’s what we spent

Before any savings, we spent $3198.52 total on our 6-day, 5-night trip from San Francisco to Big Sur. Here’s the breakdown:

2 Round trip flights: $824 from Cleveland to Oakland and back
Food (excluding any food from airports): $647.48
2 Hotels: $1130.56
6-Day Car Rental: $205.86
Gas: $80.61
Parking & Tolls: $53.03
Park Entrance Fees: $50.50
Airport (parking, food, snacks, etc): $150.15
Misc. (souvenirs, etc): $56.33

Here’s How We Saved

Airline credit: $500.00
Credit Card Miles: $521.00
Rakuten Cash Back: $39.04
Gifted Dinner: $107.35
Savings of $1167.39

Making this trip cost us a total of $2031.13

The fun part is with our credit card we also earned travel points on a total of $2698.52 (the total minus the $500 flight voucher which was never officially charged to us) which we get double points 5,397.04 which gives us back around $53 for future purchases. We use the Capital One Venture Card (we also pay almost every bill with this card and pay it off monthly to build up points)

We also earned points by flying on Southwest Airlines. If you stick with an airline you can continuously build up your points. 

Other ways we saved

We flew into Oakland Airport instead of San Francisco’s. There was a significant price difference. 

We switched our itinerary around. Initially, we were going to start up north and go to Monterey at the end of our trip but saw a notable price difference if we started our trip in Monterey first. 

We didn’t stay in the heart of San Francisco – hotels were insanely expensive running $200 a night for a rundown-looking motel, but opted to stay in a suburb which gave us more price savings.

We utilized Hotwire.com’s “Hot Rate” deals. With a Hot Rate, you won’t know what your hotel is until you book it – but you can determine what star rating it is and what general location it’s in. Pro tip: most Hot Rates will have an actual photo of the hotel room that you can see. If you do a Google Image search of the photo you should be able to find out what hotel it is. The savings are often worth the runaround. 

Happy Travel Planning!

I hope this itinerary was helpful for your trip planning or just general curiosity! Travel is one of the best experiences and I truly hope you can all find ways to fit it into your life and that my itineraries help you do just that. I’d love to hear if this San Francisco to Big Sur Itinerary helped you with your planning! Let me know in the comments below. 

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