California is the most-populated state in the United States, home to almost 40 million people. Not only that, but it’s also home to a diverse geography of mountains, forests, beaches, deserts within its 164,000 squared miles of land. You could spend a lifetime living and exploring the state and still not see everything it has to offer.

Although it would take a lifetime to see all of California, it’s not to say that you shouldn’t visit. In fact, even a short visit is rewarding. Being a born-and-bred California gal, I want to share the beauty and wonders of my home state, whether you only have two weeks, a month, or a year to visit. Here, I’ll be sharing a two-week road trip itinerary of what you can see in California, from north to south, to get a taste of it all.

More specifically, I’m sharing the coastal route, and I won’t be including national parks (e.g. Yosemite, Joshua Tree) or wine countries (e.g. Napa, Temecula), which can be trips in themselves. However, if you have extra time beyond two weeks, you can definitely check them out. I’ll be focusing on the major cities, the number of nights worth staying in, and what to do in town, so without further ado, here we go!

The Perfect Two-Week Itinerary of California: What to See and Do

San Francisco (3 nights)

Start your adventure in San Francisco, known for its hilly streets and temperate (often times foggy) weather. It’s also near the major tech hub of Silicon Valley and overall is the focal point for the large agglomeration of what is “the Bay Area.” Three nights is not nearly enough to see everything, but it offers a solid introduction to the city.

20240324_095806Golden Gate Bridge

While SF is fairly walkable, you’ll still need to take transportation to get from one neighborhood to another. Thankfully, the city has decent public transport, so you can always catch the next bus to wherever you’re going. There are also the iconic trolleys you can take, although it’ll be expensive!

20240325_113226The Painted Ladies

Spend one day exploring Chinatown, Little Italy, and Telegraph Hill for great views and great Chinese and Italian food, before spending another day at the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street, and Fisherman’s Wharf. And, of course, don’t forget to check out the Painted Ladies and Dolores Park, where you can enjoy a Mission burrito, local to its Mexican-American community.

Monterey (1 night)

Make your way two hour’s south to Monterey, a small city made famous by John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row. Spend a half-day exploring town before spending the rest of the day at Carmel-by-the Sea (“Carmel” for short), just 10 minutes away by car. Carmel is more-residential and home to cute fairytale-like cottages.

20240720_151200Charming cottage in Carmel

If you have extra time, I would highly recommend taking the 17-Mile Drive that covers a stunning coastline with unique cypress trees alongside ragged cliffs. Return to Monterey and enjoy the small-town vibes with an overnight’s stay.

2014 Lone CypressLone Cypress

Cambria (1 night)

Today will be a long day of passing through some of the best parts of California, as you make your way into the central region. It’s an early rise to leave Monterey and spend the day going from point-to-point along Big Sur, a 90-mile (145 km) stretch of winding cliff roads and gorgeous, turquoise coastline. Some must-stops are Bixby Bridge, McWay Falls, and Pfeiffer State Beach.

20220327_113042McWay Falls

Spend the day going along the coast before reaching the end at San Simeon, home to Hearst Castle, commissioned by tycoon William Randolph Hearst in the early 20th century and architected by Julia Morgan. If you have time, I would recommend visiting this unique château, with its varying architecture (e.g. Spanish Revival, Mediterranean, etc). Otherwise, you can visit the following day, but do allow yourself at least three hours to see it all!

241259_10150609628975545_5726908_oHearst Castle

Arrive in Cambria, a small seaside resort town, where you’ll spend the night. The coastline is lovely, and the town, while tiny, is quaint with boutique stores and some decent, farm-to-table eats to enjoy dinner at. Cambria is one of my favorite places ever in California, and I always make an effort to visit often. Rest up for the night, as you’ll gear up for another day of adventure!

20230527_200805Sunset in Cambria

Santa Barbara (2 nights)

If you didn’t have time to visit Hearst Castle the day before, spend the morning with a visit before continuing your drive through central California.

From here, I would recommend making a detour and spend a few hours in Solvang, a small town in the Santa Ynez Valley. It was founded by Danish immigrants in 1911 and today has become a popular tourist destination to see its half-timbered buildings and windmills (although I don’t know if they’re supposed to be Danish, Dutch, or German)?? Have a Danish-inspired lunch in town, as well as æbleskivers (traditional fried dough with jam) and grab some rich, buttery Danish pastries for the road.

20220326_123430Solvang

Make it to Santa Barbara in the late afternoon, where you’ll base yourself for two nights. Time permitting, I would recommend taking a walk on Stearns Wharf and enjoy some time relaxing by the water on West Beach before grabbing dinner along any of the restaurants along Cabrillo Blvd.

20230806_135105On Stearns Wharf

Spend the next, full day strolling along State Street in Downtown, which is a long stretch of shops, restaurants, even theatres, to check out. For some history, head out to the Old Mission Santa Barbara 1786 and the Santa Barbara Courthouse. You can also head out for a half day to Montecito, a calm and quiet neighborhood with the local Butterfly Beach. Taste some of Santa Barbara sea urchin, as it’s caught along its shores. Enjoy chilling out and resting after an intense week driving from the north, as you prepare yourself for the second half of your journey in California.

20230807_102750Santa Barbara Courthouse

Los Angeles (4 nights)

I’m biased, as I was born and raised in LA (and currently live here), but with the city being all spread out and notorious for traffic, you will need more than a few nights to be able to see the highlights. Head out as early as you can from Santa Barbara to make the two-hour drive over.

On the way, I would recommend switching from the 101 Highway to the 1 Highway, so that you can make a stop in Malibu to check out El Matador State Beach, Point Dume, and the Malibu Pier. Given it’s so isolated from the rest of LA, it’s worth the stop as you’re making your way over. Just next to Malibu is the Getty Villa— if you have time in the afternoon, it’s worth a stop to check out its Roman and Greek-inspired complex, which has become a popular spot for its architecture (and photo shoots).

20220821_122455Getty Villa

From there, drive into Los Angeles to settle in and grab dinner near your accommodation. Spend the next day visiting the Westside, from Santa Monica to Venice to Beverly Hills for its beaches and trendy boutiques, all under the backdrop of palm trees and blue skies. The following day can be spent in Downtown LA, which is walkable and home to the Broad Museum, The Last Bookstore, Little Tokyo, and Olvera Street, for a piece of historic LA.

20200105_141527Venice Beach

After the third night, you can visit Miracle Mile for some world-famous museums (LACMA, La Brea Tar Pits) before a stop in Hollywood for the Hollywood Walk of Fame (but don’t stay too long!). Head up to Griffith Observatory for a hike and to wait until sundown to see the city light up. You can also visit the observatory to check out the space exhibitions and telescopes before finishing up with late-night tacos at any taco stands at the bottom of the hill. Then it’s a matter of resting for your fourth and final night before leaving the City of Stars.

20210228_090453Views of Griffith Observatory and downtown LA

San Diego (3 nights)

It’s rise and shine to beat the LA traffic and to make the 2-3 hour drive to San Diego, the last stop of your California journey. You can make stops in Orange and Riverside Counties (e.g. Irvine, Temecula), but otherwise, it’s a straight-shot down the Interstate 5. Stop by for a few hours at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve for a hike along the hoodoo-like cliffs and to marvel the indigenous Torrey pines prior to reaching San Diego.

20220618_093327Torrey Pines State Beach

Once in San Diego, you can spend the afternoon at Balboa Park, a massive park with tons of gardens and museums that you could spend days just taking it all in. However, the highlights include the Botanical Building, the Alcazar Garden, and the colorful Spanish Cultural Arts Center. Have dinner near your place of stay, and rest up for the next few days of exploring San Diego.

20220618_131328Botanical Building

Spend the day in San Diego with a visit of its Old Town, with its Wild West and Dia de los Muertos themes. Although its a bit gimmicky, it’s a nice open outdoor space to check out the history of San Diego and grab a few souvenirs. From there, you can head to Liberty Public Market for lunch at any of the food stands at its indoor market, from Argentinian to Belgian to Hawaiian food.

20220619_152813San Diego Old Town

Make the drive to the tip of Point Loma, where the Cabrillo National Monument is located, and where you can get views of San Diego and Coronado. Spend the rest of the day at Sunset Cliffs and Sunset Cliffs Beach relaxing and, literally, catching the sunset. A beautiful and chill way to end your first full day in San Diego.

20220620_103502Sunset Cliffs

Following the second night, spend a half day in La Jolla, situated just 10 miles/16 km from San Diego. Check out the pier, stroll along the promenade, descend Sunny Jim’s Sea Cave, and enjoy some delicious tacos by the water. Return to San Diego in the afternoon to visit the Gaslamp Quarter, the hip and historic heart of the city, before grabbing dinner in the nearby Little Italy.

20220619_105604Tide pools in La Jolla

After the third night (and before you say goodbye to your California trip), spend the morning at Coronado, an island off the coast of San Diego that’s famous for its 1888 all-wood Hotel del Coronado, where visitors can still stay in today. Enjoy the beach right outside of it before returning your rental car and catching your flight back home.

20220620_091622Hotel del Coronado

…whew! What a packed, two-week California adventure. As I wrote, two weeks is not nearly enough to see everything, but with the limited time, this itinerary is a strong introduction to what the state has to offer. I hope you get to plan a road trip to my home state some time– thank you for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful day! 🙂

— Rebecca

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Published by Rebecca

Blogger, world traveler, poet, foodie, part-time penguin. Welcome!

58 thoughts on “The Perfect Two-Week Itinerary of California: What to See and Do”

  1. Just the title of your blog post makes me want to buckle up and embark on a life-changing adventure around California where endless sunshine, world-class theme parks, and incredible outdoor experiences are gathered together. For me, the appeal lies in the diverse landscapes, that make California so attractive as you can go from catching classic San Francisco sunset views and seeing the largest trees in the world to exploring the most easily accessed sand dunes in the country, Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

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    1. I’ve actually never heard of the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, so this goes to show just how much diversity there is to see in California! Love my home state, and I hope you can come to see it for yourself! Thanks for reading, Aiva 😊

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  3. You’ve beautifully captured the highlights of our Golden State, showing there’s more to see and do than amusement parks or looking for celebrities (which can be fun, too.)☀️ It’s also wonderful timing as California’s statehood day was September 9. I had a little chuckle when you said “don’t stay too long” at the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I think visitors “must see” it as it’s a unique California experience, but they may find it underwhelming or disappointing (as I did) to learn the stars actually repeat. I was in Carmel last weekend to visit the Carmel Mission and I agree it’s a nice day trip from Monterey. Your post inspires me to visit San Diego again to check out the places you mentioned that I didn’t see last time. Thank you, Rebecca!

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    1. I didn’t know it was California’s statehood day recently, so what great timing for this post! California is such a large state with so much to see and do– not only that, but it’s also worth to revisit cities like SF, LA, and SD, as things are constantly changing and being added in town. Carmel is a gorgeous little town, and I’m glad you visited recently. Thanks for reading, Darlene!

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  6. I can picture myself following this itinerary to the T and checking off all these sites in the hopefully not too distant future. But 40 million people live in California alone? Wow! No wonder the traffic is crazy. Is there ever a low season? I’d try to time my visit to coincide with it.

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    1. I hope you can explore LA some day, Elle! We are the most-populous state in the US, but most of the population is packed into the big cities (e.g. SF, LA, SD). Do you mean low season for traffic or for visiting? They are two different things!

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      2. To be honest, there’s always traffic in LA 😆 But times when it’s *less bad* are 10am-2pm and after 8pm on weekdays and before 10am on weekends. Low season for travel would be January and February: it’ll be a bit nippy, but still sunny! ☀️

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  10. This is a great two week itinerary! It really makes you realize how big CA really is. I have only been to SF on your list. We did a roadtrip from Half Moon Bay to Lake Tahoe to Yosemite for our little Covid honeymoon and it was so stunning!

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    1. California is one of the largest US states, and it offers plenty of climate (and micro-climate) diversities– you will certainly not get bored visiting them all! I’ve actually never been to Lake Tahoe, but I’ve seen gorgeous photos of it online, and now I want to go! Glad you had a great time visiting that part of California 🙂

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  11. It’s always good to get recommendations from a local 🙂 Most of the sights you’ve included are ones we took in on our first road trip in CA many years ago, along with some inland places like Yosemite and Joshua Tree. We loved most of them – Monterey, the Big Sur, LA all stand out as highlights. We were less taken by Carmel and Solvang however – maybe because they both felt more European than American?

    We’re soon to embark on a second visit to the state, this time with the luxury of three weeks in which to explore. We’ll revisit a couple of favourites but on the whole try to see different places. You might be interested to hear about our planned route? San Francisco north to the Redwoods, inland to Lake Tahoe, down to Mono Lake and across the Tioga Pass to Yosemite, then south to Kings Canyon and Sequoia before cutting over to Death Valley and on into Nevada to finish in Las Vegas. I hope you approve!

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    1. Thanks, Sarah! It’s incredible you’ve seen more than I have in my own home state! Coming from an American like myself, I find towns like Carmel and Solvang quite charming, as they do remind me of Europe, haha. I think your upcoming itinerary looks fantastic, and you’re going to places even I haven’t been to (e.g. Lake Tahoe, Death Valley). Have lots of fun!

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  12. I like this itinerary, thank you for sharing Rebecca. I’ve had the chance to spend a bit of time in LA and got to explore San Diego. While D got to visit SF. I wish D and I could go back to visit the places you cited.

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    1. Yes, it’s doable! The Amtrak stops in the major cities of LA, SB, and SD. For SF, though, you’ll need to stop in Oakland and drive/take the ferry over, but it’s not too far away!

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  16. What a great itinerary! A drive down the coast has long been on my travel list, so now I have some specifics of what to see along the way, plus some new stops for next time in LA and SD.

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  17. This sounds like such a perfect Californian road trip! Even though I visited Los Angeles for about a week, I still feel like there is so much to see and would love to check out other parts of California, and especially Cambria that seems like a wonderful place! Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Thanks, Juliette! Even though you only spent a week in Los Angeles, that’s a lot more than what most tourists spend, and you still saw a lot of my hometown. Cambria is a magical place, and it’s my home away from home– I hope you return to California to check it out!

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  19. This is such a great itinerary, Rebecca. There are some sites I’m most intrigued with, like Hearst Castle and the Getty Villa. But some classics are just worth the journey, like that view of LA and Griffith Observatory and of course San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.

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  20. All the places in your itinerary look fantastic Rebecca and well worth a visit. Some of these I also remember from individual articles. As someone who doesn’t do flying trips unless I can absolutely help it the one-night stays have me grimacing a bit but I’m sure there are plenty of travellers who would go for that kind of itinerary setup. If and when Sladja and I finally make it to California I can’t see it being for less than a month but let’s see what we can swing when the time comes. There are some really lovely shots here, particularly the flower and plant life in front of the Golden Gate Bridge and those elegant “painted ladies”.

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    1. Thanks, Leighton! I admit, I had a difficult time squeezing this itinerary into just two weeks, as I agree with you that extra time would make the trip less rushed and a lot more worthwhile. But for those on a time crunch, this itinerary is a good start. I hope you and Sladja head to California some day and take your time exploring as much of the state as possible– let me know if and when you come! 🙂

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  22. My brother moved out to Cali and seems to really like it.
    The cost is sky high, but from the view and sites I can see why.
    I made it to San Diego and LA, but I was only briefly in LA. San Diego was amazing , and I hope to visit San Francisco at some point.
    Thanks for making the itinerary come alive.

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    1. California is expensive all over, to the point even locals are struggling to afford living here. San Diego is lovely, and it’s a place I’d love to return to check out more. I hope you make it to San Francisco some day; it’s gorgeous, too! Thanks for reading and stopping by!

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  23. This is a great itinerary for a state that pretty much has it all. I’ve seen some of the things you mentioned, but there is still so much more I want to see and do, particularly in central California. Thanks for the suggestions. Nothing beats advice from a local!

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  24. I’ve seen parts of this in various trips over the years. The drive along the coast was so breathtaking! If I get out that way again, I’ll have to look up this post to see what treasures I’ve missed. Great post, Rebecca.

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  26. This is a great itinerary! We did a very shortened version of this, starting with the 3 nights in SF but then doing a whistlestop tour for the rest. We also went to Yosemite before heading down to Carmel-by-the-Sea. Absolutely LOVED Carmel and would have happily stayed there. Same with San Diego, where we only spent a day – what an oversight. We saw a lot in snippets, which worked out well for us, but your timings and suggestions sound ideal!

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