Can You Do A Big Sur Road Trip From San Francisco?
Planning A Trip To San Francisco And Wondering If You Can Easily Add In A Road Trip To Big Sur?
The last two times I was in Northern California I did a road trip through Big Sur, one down to Santa Cruz, and even a San Francisco/Sacramento trip, and although it depends on how much you want to see and how long you want to spend doing a road trip, there are definitely some good options from the San Francisco area.
🚗 Can You Do A Big Sur Road Trip From San Francisco?
Depending on how much you want to see and how long you want to spend doing it, there are definitely some good options for doing a road trip through Big Sur from San Francisco.
Although Big Sur is a little bit further away from San Francisco, it’s definitely a place worth visiting if you love nature, wildlife, and beautiful coastal views.
Can A Big Sur Road Trip From San Francisco Be Done In A Day?
Since Big Sur is one of the most scenic drives in California (and the entire US), it’s definitely worth seeing even if you only have one day to do it.
Although it would be much easier to do a road trip in one day to Big Sur from somewhere like Monterey, Pebble Beach, or Carmel, it is still technically possible to see some of it from San Francisco in just a day.
➡️ Although it would be an extremely long day with a lot of driving, here is a one day itinerary through the entire area of Big Sur that you could attempt to do from San Francisco
How Far Is The Drive From San Francisco To Big Sur?
Big Sur covers a large area along the coast so the distance from San Francisco depends on how far into Big Sur you want to go. If you are able to (whether in one day or staying overnight), I do recommend seeing all of Big Sur.
- the drive from San Francisco to the very start of Big Sur (more or less around the Bixby Bridge) is about 2 hours and 40 minutes (135-142 miles)
- driving a little further into Big Sur from San Francisco to see beautiful and secluded places like Pfeiffer Beach or the Point Sur Lighthouse is about 3 hours and 15 minutes to 3 hours and 40 minutes (150-170 miles)
- to go all the way through Big Sur from San Francisco to the Ragged Point area, the Elephant Seal Boardwalk, or the Hearst Castle it would take about 4 hours and 15 minutes to 4 hours and 40 minutes (195-220 miles)
These are all just driving times, this doesn’t include making all the stops along the way to look at beautiful views, go on a hike, or whatever.
Are There Any Tours?
One of the easiest way to “road trip” through Big Sur from San Francisco in just one day would be on a guided full day tour.
- this tour by Best Bay Area Tours is highly rated and offers approximately 12 hours of exploration of the Big Sur, Monterey, and Carmel areas
Do You Need To Rent A Car?
Of course a guided tour like the one above won’t allow you to fully explore Big Sur, so I would personally suggest renting a car and driving yourself.
Coming from San Francisco I think it would be easier to stay overnight if you want to see all of Big Sur, but if not you can still explore the upper portion more thoroughly in just a day.
Is It Even Worth Visiting Big Sur From San Francisco?
San Francisco has lots of great things to see and do (these small group tours are a great way to see this city), but there really isn’t any place like Big Sur so I think it’s definitely worth visiting on any trip to Northern California.
🏞️ Best Things To See/Do In Big Sur
Whether you’re planning to stay the night or just trying to see what you can on a day trip from San Francisco, these are some of the most popular places to stop on a Big Sur road trip:
- Hearst Castle – famous mansion built by William Randolph Hearst
- Elephant Seal Boardwalk – one of the few locations in California where you can see Elephant Seals
- Piedras Blancas Light Station – historic lighthouse on a wildlife sanctuary
- Ragged Point – cliffside area with amazing views, a hotel, and restaurant
- Heaven’s Edge Lookout – beautiful coastal cliff views
- Southern Redwood Botanical Area – nature preserve
- Nathaniel Owings Memorial Redwood Grove – there are prettier Redwoods as close as Santa Cruz, but at least you can still get a look here
- Big Sur Lookout – one of the most iconic Big Sur viewpoints
- Willow Creek Viewpoint – beautiful views, a picnic area, and a beach
- Sand Dollar Beach – beautiful scenic area along the Big Sur drive
- John Little State Natural Reserve – state park
- McWay – a waterfall, beach, cove, and viewpoint area
- Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park – huge state park with viewpoints, waterfalls, and redwoods
- Partington Cove – scenic secluded bay and beach
- Big Sur River Gorge – beautiful canyon river area
- Pfeiffer Beach – famous for it’s pinkish/purplish sand
- Point Sur Lighthouse – historical lighthouse with a park, a vista point, and naval facility
- Bixby Bridge – historic bridge with beautiful viewpoints
- Hiking Trails – throughout Big Sur there are tons of hiking trails that might offer some even more spectacular views; some are short and relatively easy while others would be better for those planning to stay in Big Sur
There are also lots of other pullouts along the drive through Big Sur that offer some incredible scenic views (driving north to south makes these easier), so anytime you see one I suggest stopping to check out more of this beautiful California coast.
🔁 Sum Up: Big Sur Road Trip From San Francisco
Depending on how much of Big Sur you want to see or how long you have to explore it, there are some good options for doing a road trip through Big Sur from San Francisco, whether that’s on a guided tour, doing a day trip while driving yourself, or staying overnight to really see all of this beautiful natural area.
