Like everything in America, California is big and has lots to offer! From metropolitan cities, to national parks, to smaller coastal towns. I’m going to warn you, this jam-packed 2-week California road trip itinerary is not suitable for those looking for a relaxing, slow-paced holiday 😉
BEST WAY TO GET AROUND
As the 2-week California road trip itinerary suggests, this is designed to be a road trip. Hence, to follow this route you definitely need a car.
When choosing a car keep these things in mind:
- There are stretches of land with little to no gas stations. Hence, I would not necessarily go for an electric car in this case. I would also get one that has a good driving range, aka where a full tank will get you further.
- You should definitely get a car with a hidden trunk. You know, the kind where you cannot see into the back. This is especially important if you plan on leaving some luggage in the car while you are sightseeing in the bigger cities.
BEST TIME TO GO
You might think that California is all rainbows and sunshine all year round. While this is true for some areas, especially Southern California, this is definitely not the case for places further up North, e.g. the Bay Area! If you didn’t know, the Bay Area is known for having rather cold, foggy summers.
Personally, I went in July (but I think all summer months are more or less the same). Looking back, I would not recommend going during the summer time, since it’s very crowded and generally very hot.
I’d recommend to rather opt for September/October, when it should still be quite warm but a lot less crowded!
WHAT MAKES THIS ITINERARY UNIQUE
You can obviously find tons of California road trip itineraries online. Many of which area quite similar to each other. However, what makes this 2-week California road trip itinerary unique is that it involves Napa, Tahoe, Yosemite AND Las Vegas!! It’s really jam packed, and not for everyone. But I loved it, because you get to see the true diversity of California within a short time frame. Which makes it somehow even for impressive and memorable 🙂
The route
Driving Distances
THE jam-packed 2 week ITINERARY
Now it’s finally time for the actual, long-awaited jam-packed 2-week California road trip itinerary 🙂
Days 1 & 2: San Francisco
San Francisco has a lot to offer. During your time there make sure to hit the following attractions:
- Fisherman’s Wharf (have a clam chowder here!)
- Ghirardelli Square (try the world-famous fudge brownie sundae)
- Ride the cable car
- Embarcadero / Ferry Building
- Take a hop on hop off bus tour (IMO the best way to see the most of the city!)
- Alamo Square / Painted ladies
- Golden Gate viewpoint
- Cow Hollow / Chestnut Street
- Lombard Street
- North Beach & Coit Tower
- Chinatown
- Financial District
- Shopping around Union Square
If you have time to spare also check out:
- Ferry to Sausalito
- Alcatraz
- Some of the many museums
WHERE TO STAY
I’d recommend staying near Fisherman’s Wharf. The area is fairly safe, very walkable and there are lots of restaurants in the area.
TIP: You do NOT need a car in San Francisco! It’s fairly walkable, has some public transport and Ubers are easily available. Smash and grabs are common in San Francisco, hence with a rental car it’s really not worth the risk!
Day 3: Napa
Time to head to Napa! Make sure to pick up your rental car as early as possible, so that you can spend as much of the day as possible exploring The major rental car companies all have offices in the city as well, no need to head to the airport to pick up your car!
Things to do in Napa:
- Visit some of the many wineries, of course! We visited Beringer Vineyards and V. Sattui. I can highly recommend both! Since you only have a day in Napa, I’d recommend to book your first winery around 10 am, the second around 2pm.
- Have lunch in Yountville (such a cute little town!)
- Take a picture in front of the “Welcome to Napa Sign”
Tip: Napa does get very busy during the day!! To avoid getting stuck in traffic, make sure to book the winery furthest away as your first stop, and make the winery closest to the valley “exit” your last stop of the day…
WHERE TO STAY
In this itinerary, you will make your way to South Lake Tahoe on the same day! The drive takes around 3 hours without traffic. To get there in time for sunset you should start driving around 3-4 pm 🙂
Day 4: South Lake Tahoe
Welcome to Lake Tahoe! And as always, time to start the day bright and early 🙂 Parking is very limited in the area, so make sure to hit your desired spot before 9 am. The police gives tickets for cars that have parked in non-parking areas, so it’s really worth getting there early.
Here are some things I would recommend checking out:
- Eagle Lake & Falls hike (approx. 1.5 h roundtrip, free parking available at the trailhead!)
- Emerald Bay State Park Lookout
- Hike down to Vikingsholm Beach (take a swim if you dare, or rent a kayak / SUP)
- Walk or drive around South Lake Tahoe (the cabins are super cute!)
- Go minigolfing at Magic Carpet Golf
WHERE TO STAY
You’ll spend the night in a town called Lee Vining, which is right at the entry to Yosemite National Park. The drive there is approx. 2 hours. Hence you should depart around 5-6 pm to get there before dark.
Day 5: Yosemite National Park
Ahhhh another amazing day ahead of you! But first, you’ll need to make your way from Lee Vining over the Tioga pass into Yosemite Valley. The drive takes around 2 hours, so you should ideally start your drive around 6 am. This will give you an arrival time around 8 am, which will likely beat the majority of the crowd.
Parking in Yosemite during the summer months can be difficult. Hence, it is advised to leave your car in one of the designated parking spots and then use the free shuttle bus to get around.
Once you’re all set, here are some things you can do in one day:
- Walk the Lower Yosemite Falls Loop (approx. 45 mins)
- Walk the Cooks Meadow Loop (approx. 20 mins)
- See El Capitan
- Hike up to the top of Vernal Falls via Mist Trail (approx. 3 hours roundtrip)
- Check out the Visitor Centre for some souvenirs
At the end of the day get your car and visit the following attractions:
- Tunnel View Lookout
- Glacier Point Lookout (approx. 2 hours roundtrip)
WHERE TO STAY
Make your way out of the park for the night and choose a place to stay somewhere along the way to Monterey. Personally we stayed in a small town called Mariposa, located approx. 1 hour outside of the park.
Day 6: Carmel & Monterey
From wherever you spent the night, make your way to the pacific coast early in the morning. The drive will take you approx. 3 hours without traffic.
During the day you can visit the following attractions:
- Stroll the streets of Carmel-by-the-Sea (check out this map here)
- Do the 17-mile drive with stops at pebble beach, Lone Cypress and the sea lion viewpoint
- Visit Cannery Row and the Old Fisherman’s Wharf (there are also seals here!) in Monterey
WHERE TO STAY
Tonight, you’ll spend the night in Monterey or Carmel. Carmel is a little more upscale, Monterey more affordable. Monterey isn’t that big, so probably wherever you find a hotel is fine. We stayed close to Cannery Row, which was also in walking distance to the Old Wharf. It was nice!
Day 7: Pacific Coast Highway
Today the journey is the goal. You’ll want to slowly be making your way South along the Pacific Coast Highway, until you reach Pismo Beach.
Stops along the way may include:
- Bixby Bridge
- Stop for a bite at Café Kevah or COAST
- Big Sur & Pfeiffer Beach
- Rugged point
- Hearst Castle
- Morro Bay
- Pismo Beach
WHERE TO STAY
Basically, you can stay anywhere you like along the Pacific Coast Highway. We decided to stop in Pismo Beach because it seemed doable driving wise… But there are plenty of other areas you could opt for 🙂
Day 8: Santa Barbara
After your overnight stop in Pismo Beach it’s time to head towards Santa Barbara.
Along the way, you could also stop at Solvang, aka a “Danish” town in the middle of California! If you’re from Europe, you might find it veeeery touristy and a little kitsch, but interesting nevertheless!
Once you reach Santa Barbara, check out these things:
- Stearns Wharf
- The Funk Zone (better in the evening!)
- State Street (good for shopping!)
- Arroyo Burro Beach (incl. the restaurant Boathouse at Hendry’s!)
- Drive around Hope Ranch (to see some fancy houses)
- Coast Village for brunch and a drive around Montecito
WHERE TO STAY
Tonight you’ll stay in Santa Barbara. The city isn’t very big, so anywhere you stay should be fine! Ideally though, you’ll be within close walking distance of the beach, Stearns Wharf and State Street, as this is where most of the action happens.
Day 9: Malibu & Santa Monica
Today you’ll explore Malibu and Santa Monica!
First up, Malibu. Here’s what you should add to your to see list:
- Swim and relax at Point Dume Beach
- Drive past Pepperdine University
- Malibu Country Mart
- Malibu Pier (have lunch at the Malibu Farm restaurant!)
For Santa Monica, don’t miss these spots:
- Santa Monica Pier
- Rent a bike and drive to Venice Beach (stop there to Ccheck out the skaters and roller bladers at the skate park!)
- Shopping on 3rd Street (in Downtown Santa Monica)
- Chill by the beach
WHERE TO STAY
Since you’ll be spending several days in Los Angeles, I’d recommend staying in Hollywood. It’s a relatively safe and central area, with major attractions close by.
Days 11 & 12: Los Angeles
After spending some time in Santa Monica yesterday, it’s time to explore some other areas of LA as well!
Things to do in during your next two days in Los Angeles:
- Bus tour around Hollywood and Downtown LA
- Walk the Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Check out the imprints at the Chinese Theatre
- Visit a film studio (we loved Warner Bros!)
- Hike up to the Hollywood sign (approx. 2h)
- Visit The Grove outdoor shopping mall
- Window shop on Rodeo Drive
- Enjoy the views from Griffith Observatory
Tip: Since LA traffic is notorious, try to plan your drives accordingly. If you can, avoid rush hours!!
Days 13 & 14: Las Vegas
Time to head to your final stop: Fabulous Las Vegas!! The drive there should not take you more than 5ish hours. To avoid LA traffic, leave the city early!
If you feel like it, you could stop by Hoover Dam on the drive to Las Vegas, it’s only a small detour!
Here are the major things to hit up in Las Vegas:
- Visit all the famous casinos (the Bellagio, Caesars Palace and the Venetian)
- Fountain show at the Bellagio
- Walk along The Strip
- Take a selfie in front of the fabulous Las Vegas sign
- See a show or concert
- Visit bustling Fremont Street
WHERE TO STAY
It really depends what vibe you’re going for. If you want to be in the middle of the hustle and bustle, go for one of the famous hotels on The Strip. If that’s not your vibe, just choose any other hotel. Las Vegas is not walkable anyway, so it really doesn’t matter where you stay. We stayed close to the convention centre, which we thought was totally fine.
Day 14: Day trip to the Grand Canyon
Time to head to your final stop: The Grand Canyon!!
After all the self-driving, I would highly recommend to opt for an organized tour in this case. Why? Because doing this as a day trip is really quite the drive (like 12+ hours…).
We went with this tour, and everything worked out great!
Included in the tour are:
- Route 66 stops
- 3 hours of free time at the South Rim (enough time to walk from Mather Point to Bright Angel Trailhead, also time to check Grand Canyon Village)
- Lunch, water and snacks
Final remarks
I can only repeat one last time, this is really a jam-packed 2-week California road trip itinerary! You will see soooo much during this trip, it’s insane. Having said that, if you have more time: Take it! You could easily spread the same route over 3 weeks instead of 2 (personally, I would add another day along the PCH, another day in Yosemite and maybe another day in the Grand Canyon…)
The way the itinerary is set up, there is not much space for error. If there is some unexpected event, it really might throw the whole plan a little off..
Nevertheless, I would truly do this again. For us, everything worked out great… and we managed to see more than I ever thought possible in two weeks!
If you want more detailed itineraries of the above-mentioned places, check out my posts here.