SR 1 is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System, and through the Los Angeles metro area, Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Francisco metro area, and Leggett is part of the National Highway System, a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the Federal Highway Administration. The San Francisco to San Diego drive via the Pacific Coast Highway can easily be called “the road trip of a lifetime.” A winding path that hugs a brilliant, undeveloped coast, endless lookout points, and vistas for days – you will find all this and much more on the PCH. Two of America’s greatest cities, linked by one of the world’s most scenic roads – Highway 1. Neither of us have a car in San Francisco because you can get around so easily without one. Safe travels. We cover the quickest routes from Seattle to San Francisco, San Francisco to Los Angeles, and Los Angeles to San Diego, given in miles and with the approximate driving time it takes. Here is your ultimate guide to driving Highway 1. Take the scenic route along Highway 1 for a classic California experience! As you drive south on Hwy 1, you'll be able to view the Pacific Ocean much of the time as you continue to travel south to San Francisco. Day 1: San Francisco to Santa Cruz. It was also our first time driving a car since who knows when, so we were a bit nervous! Now thirteen years later I finally managed to drive down from San Francisco to Los Angeles on Highway 1. The length that passes along the coast through San Luis Obispo County (known as SLO CAL) brims with the best of the Highway 1 experience. We had done our San Diego road trip separately in summer hence we did not include it here. After finishing my flight school in Germany I always wanted to go back to do that road trip again. The Pacific Coast Highway or Highway 1 is probably the most sought out road trip on the West Coast (or maybe even in the U.S.). Driving from San Francisco to Mendocino is one of the longer drives you can do on Pacific Coast Highway. While the miles itself are not overly long, the drive is on a lot of windy roads that will take a while to complete. Below are the 12 gorgeous stops we made during our highway 1 road trip from San Francisco to LA. Pacific Coast Highway: Drive Times and Distances Here are the rough drive times and distances between the main cities along the Pacific Coast Highway. This post covers everything you need to know for a 5-day West Coast road trip itinerary from Los Angeles to San Francisco including where we stopped to shop, take photos and where we stayed on this portion of California’s Pacific Coast Highway. Highway 1 is the most iconic roadway in California, but not all sections are created equal. 1 of 26 Click through this slideshow for some of the best stops on a Highway 1 road trip from San Francisco through Big Sur. The San Francisco to Los Angeles road trip down Highway 1 drive is an iconic drive through some of the most beautiful parts of California. Many even do the Highway 1 road trip from San Diego to San Francisco for much longer days than we have taken. The first part of the drive is fairly cliffy and winding. Drive down one of the most scenic roads in California on this full-day tour from San Francisco. You pass Muir Beach and Stinson Beach and then go inland alongside Point Reyes National Seashore. Since we are still new to San Francisco as of June 2016, this was our first time visiting Monterey, Carmel and Big Sur. If you want to drive entirely on Highway 1, you would get that at Marin City, a short way over the Golden Gate Bridge. The second is 8 miles between Jenner and For Ross State Historic Park. 1. Starting from California’s northern border with Oregon and stretching all the way down to San Diego the route takes round ten hours to complete at a leisurely pace with no stops. Half Moon Bay. Load your bags, put the top down in your rented convertible from the San Francisco International Airport, and make the scenic 169-mile drive from San Francisco to Mendocino via Highway 1. Fort Bragg is the perfect stop on the San Francisco to Seattle drive or a Portland to San Francisco road trip. You’ll want to stop along the way to take in the sights and experiences on your trip. Healdsburg. Watch our 2-minute video to see what's in store on your next road trip from San Francisco to Santa Cruz. that was until I experienced the Pacific West Coast via Highway 101. Scenic drive San Francisco to LA on Hwy 1 with all the stops can be done unrushed in 3 days. Take 101 and 128 – you’ll get back to the city in about 3 hours. The LA to San Francisco drive is one of the coolest road trips in the world – and certainly in the US! That being said, it is never dull as the locations and views are majestic at almost every turn. But this is the scenic drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles tailored to enjoy the scenic beauty of the Pacific Coast. California Highway 1, in the north, goes from Carmel to San Francisco along Monterey Bay, the Pacific Ocean and Half Moon Bay. Highway One runs right through San Francisco; from the Golden Gate Bridge, it becomes Park Presidio Boulevard, and then crosses Golden Gate Park to become 19th Avenue. Once in town we stopped by THE bridge to catch the sunset before checking into our hotel on Lombard Street. The breathtaking drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles is an amazing adventure that is well worthy of its reputation. Mix and match … Plus, endless opportunities to enjoy an amazing sunset. PRICES FROM JUST £ 1599 As I mentioned in yesterday’s San Francisco recap, we had a total BLAST exploring San Francisco… what a unique place!As much as we loved San Fran, getting there was just as gorgeous (if not even more so). However, this is spectacular scenery, rivaling Big Sur, in my opinion, and if you take it slowly and stop at the frequent turnoffs, it can be handled … Day One. Take California Highway 1 at Leggett (US Hwy 101 heads to Napa Valley Wine Country at this point). United States - Planning trip to San Francisco, Yosemite and Highway 1 drive - We will be in California from June 2 - 6 (unfortunately that is … California Highway 1 (the PCH) runs 655.8 miles from its southern terminus at Dana Point, CA to its northern terminus at Leggett, CA. Now, here’s our favorite route. + Don’t take Highway 1 on your way back to San Francisco. This itinerary is written as if you were driving south on Highway One from San Francisco. This country store though is quite unique as it has: Jazz, a deli, a bar, the post office , and of course groceries all under one roof. San Gregorio State beach lies at the foot of the intersection of highways 1 & 84. Take highway 380 over Skyline drive over to Pacifica and head south on Highway 1. Enjoy free time to explore Monterey, where you can stroll down Steinbeck’s Cannery Row or visit the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. You can still visit Carmel and Monterey but you can not drive there from Cambria. We reached Solvang around 9.00 am and decided to have breakfast in one of the famous family owned restaurants. Below is a list of destinations and things to do during your road trip along the coast. The sleepy coastal city of Fort Bragg is located along Highway 1, also known as the Pacific Coast Highway, in Northern California approximately 275 kilometres (170 miles) north of San Francisco. San Francisco – Last stop of our California Highway 1 Road trip From Monterey we had a 2 hour (turned 3 hour because of traffic) drive to San Francisco. Stretching 442 miles / 711 kms and taking around 8 to 9 hours non-stop to drive, the San Francisco to Los Angeles drive down Route 1 is scenic beyond belief. Answer 1 of 9: A friend and I are flying into San Francisco and want to take a trip down to Big Sur via Highway 1 and back up to San Francisco. The Pacific Coast Highway is one of the most iconic drives in the United States. There is just so much to see and the scenery changes the more north (or south) you go. The town of San Gregorio consists of a general store and the Stage Stop cafe and is located just off highway 1 on route 84. Read about my exciting drive along on of the most beautiful routes in the US and learn from my recommendations. The seaside towns of Santa Cruz and Capitola offer … Download the song “Cabrillo” (by my musician husband)–it was specifically written to chronicle the charming drive from San Francisco down to Half Moon Bay. Route description. Whether you call it Highway 1, the Big Sur or the Pacific Coast Highway, it’s astonishing! Day 1: San Francisco to Carmel – 100 Miles. If you are driving from San Francisco or San Jose area you will take the 101 south to Highway 156 through Castroville. Only other people there were surfers and campers. Discover the best places to eat, beaches to visit, where to take a break and stretch your legs, and top sights to see along the way. I never thought I would say that the driving part of a trip could compete with the final destination…. There are two very curvy parts of Hwy 1 from San Francisco to Mendocino.The first is just after San Francisco, where the road is high on the cliffs and winds around. Cruise along the coast-hugging Highway 1, passing the mansions of Pebble Beach on the iconic 17-Mile Drive. Thus you will drive Highway 1 from San Francisco to Los Angeles and will make numerous stops along the coastal route. This definitely had to be surfers paradise in the North. Distance from SF: 68 miles; one-hour and 15-minute drive This vibrant Sonoma town is super close to San Francisco, so you can spend less time in … The distance on the drive from LA to San Francisco is about 382 miles (615 kilometres) and takes only around 6 hours non-stop if travelling on the i5 Highway. The Pacific Coast Highway is well known as one of the most scenic drives in the world. This Highway 1 road trip from San Francisco to Santa Cruz is ideal for a day trip or a stopover when driving the entire coast. A quick stopover at Half Moon Bay to grab a coffee but there wasn’t much going on at the beach. If you're driving the whole Los Angeles to San Francisco route, we really think you should take a few days and really enjoy this northern part. Drive Big Sur via twisting Highway One. Take 101 and 128 – you’ll get back to the city in about 3 hours. San Diego Point Loma … Make the Drive From San Francisco to Mendocino via Highway 1. However, the stops outlined on this LA to San Francisco drive go primarily along Highway 1 and you should expect to spend at least 3 to 4 days to see all the highlights of the PCH. 156 will connect to Highway 1 where you can continue your journey south, to Monterey. One favorite photo op: McWay Falls, ... Michelin-starred cuisine, a beautiful waterfront, and a soaring crimson bridge, San Francisco, aka the “City by the Bay”, truly has it all and stands out as an ultimate must-see. Pacific Coast Highway & Highway 101 Road Trip Guide. Over 1000km you’ll see stunning coastal views, seaside villages, untouched forest and make your way through some … United States - Traveling highway 1 from San Francisco to San Diego - We are flying into San Francisco on 5/31/2013 driving to Yosemite to attend a meeting from 6/2-6/6. 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