Welcome back to the Velvet Runway and this feature with our recommendations for the top ten places to stop on The Pacific Coast Highway.

The drive along the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) in California is renowned as one of the most scenic drives in the world. The views are breath-taking, and although the total driving time from San Francisco to San Diego is just under 10 hours non-stop, (longer on the PCH), there are some fabulous places to break your journey.

places to stop on The Pacific Coast Highway

Below are my ten recommended places to stop on the Pacific Coast Highway drive from San Francisco to San Diego.

Top Ten places to stop on The Pacific Coast Highway

San Francisco

places to stop on The Pacific Coast Highway

A great starting point for this drive is the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, but San Francisco has so much more to offer, including, but not limited to visiting Fisherman’s Wharf and riding a cable car.

Also, don’t miss a visit to Golden Gate Park, and in particular the Japanese tea gardens, the California Academy of Sciences, the Conservatory of flowers and the De Young museum.

japanese tea gardens

places to stop on the Pacific Coast Highway

San Francisco is also well known for its coffee shops and meeting places and I can definitely recommend a visit to the hippie district of Haight and Ashbury, the Castro District and Union Square.

places to stop on the Pacific Coast Highway

If you want to visit Alcatraz Island (the Rock), which is best known for its past as a federal prison, housing the nation’s most notorious criminals and troublesome inmates, including Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly and Robert Stroud “The Birdman of Alcatraz”, you will need to book tickets in advance.

San Jose

places to stop on The Pacific Coast Highway

San Jose is well worth a stop on your trip, with its numerous galleries and museums, but in particular I would recommend a visit to the spooky Winchester Mystery House, which is full of strange features such as stairways that lead to nowhere, a window built into the floor and doors that open onto blank walls.

Sarah Winchester built the place at a cost of over $20m after the untimely deaths of her baby daughter and husband, son of the Winchester Rifle manufacturer, when her Medium persuaded her that continuous building would appease the evil spirits.

Driving time San Francisco to San Jose – 1 hour

Carmel and Monterey

Monterey is worth a stop to visit the renowned Monterey Aquarium, which features many forms of sea life that you wouldn’t be able to see elsewhere, (at least not without scuba gear), thanks to the continuous pumping of 2,000 gallons of sea water each minute into the aquarium from the bay.

places to stop on The Pacific Coast Highway

You can also relax at the Old Fisherman’s Wharf or go shopping at Cannery Row, and for the more energetic amongst us, the Monterey area is also famous for its numerous golf courses, including Pebble Beach and Lone Cypress Point.

places to stop on The Pacific Coast Highway

Finally, take a tour along the scenic ’17 Mile Drive’ to nearby Carmel-by-the-Sea, one of the cutest seaside villages on the Californian Coast, with a wide choice of shops, cafes and restaurants.

Driving time San Jose to Monterey – 1 hour 15

Big Sur

The Pacific Coast Highway

Carry on down the PCH until you arrive at the Bixby Bridge –one of the most photographed bridges on the West Coast!

Ten places to stop on the Pacific Coast Highway

The views are spectacular and as you continue along the Big Sur you will see many beautiful sights, such as Pfeiffer State Beach, Point Sur State Historic Park and Raggedy Point (where I can recommend a stop for lunch – great views and great food, including beef from nearby Hearst Castle).

Driving time Monterey to Big Sur – 1 hour

Hearst Castle in San Simeon

places to stop on The Pacific Coast Highway

This castle was designed and built for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst and is truly spectacular in its setting on the Enchanted Hill. I was hesitant about visiting this castle at first, mostly because the only way to visit is via a private tour. Three different daytime tours are available: a “Grand Rooms Tour,” an “Upstairs Suites Tour,” and the “Cottages and Kitchen Tour”, as well as a slightly longer evening tour.

Ten places to stop on the Pacific Coast Highway

places to stop on The Pacific Coast Highway

places to stop on The Pacific Coast Highway

The daytime tours are all 45 minutes long and after the tour finishes you can wander freely around the grounds and terraces for as long as you want. I initially did the Grand Rooms tour and was so impressed that I also did the Cottages and Kitchen tour! Our guide was very informative and we could really imagine what life must have been like as a guest of William Randolph Hearst. You can find more information on the Hearst Castle website

Driving time Big Sur to Hearst Castle – 2h 30 

Solvang

Whilst not actually on the PCH, it is only a small detour on the way to Santa Barbara to visit Solvang, also known as Little Denmark.

places to stop on The Pacific Coast Highway

Situated in the Santa Inez wine valley, Solvang is a beautiful Danish village, with windmills, boutique shopping, wine-tasting and Danish pastries. There is also a “year-round” Christmas shop with beautiful decorations! Have a look at the Solvang website here

Driving time Hearst Castle to Solvang – 1 hour 50

Santa Barbara

places to stop on The Pacific Coast Highway

Leaving Solvang, it is only a short 40-minute drive to Santa Barbara, a charming stop before you arrive at the more frenetic pace of Los Angeles.

places to stop on The Pacific Coast Highway

Don’t miss the pier, the Santa Barbara zoo, the Botanic gardens, the Mission and of course the relaxation on the beach.

The only downside to Santa Barbara is that because of its proximity to Los Angeles it can be very busy, especially at weekends, and also, very expensive. You should plan your trip in advance and try to avoid summer weekends! Alternatively, you could stay in Solvang or nearby Ventura.

Driving time Solvang to Santa Barbara – 40 minutes

Malibu beach and Malibu Creek State Park

places to stop on The Pacific Coast Highway

Malibu consists of miles of beautiful beaches, celebrity weekend homes, headlands, cliffs and rocky coves.

The Pacific Coast Highway

But it is also home to the Malibu Creek State Park, which is a great area for hiking, and for those of you who remember the 1970s TV series M*A*S*H, you can still see the outdoor set and the ambulance truck as filming took place here.

places to stop on The Pacific Coast Highway

The Getty Villa Museum is located in Pacific Palisades at the Eastern end of Malibu and is the original museum started by J Paul Getty, filled with antiquities from Greece and Rome.

Driving time Santa Barbara to Malibu – 1 hour 15 

Santa Monica and Venice Beach

places to stop on the pacific coast highway

As I have written all about LA separately, I will confine myself to the coast and to Santa Monica and Venice Beach in this post.

The Pacific Coast Highway

Don’t miss the Santa Monica Pier, third street promenade, the Venice Canals, Venice Beach, Abbot Kinney and the boardwalk.

Driving time Malibu to Santa Monica  – 30 minutes

San Diego

The final stop on the drive down the PCH and just before the Mexican border is San Diego.

Don’t miss out on the colourful Old Town, which is also a great place to eat Mexican food.

Balboa PArk

Take a tour of the Downtown, the Gaslamp Quarter and also Balboa Park, home of the San Diego Zoo, beautiful gardens and numerous museums.

Of course, you can always chill on one of the great beaches and to finish your trip you can get an incredible view of San Diego and the bay from the Cabrillo National Monument at the tip of Point Loma.

Driving time from Santa Monica to San Diego – 2h 30

I hope you enjoyed this feature about our top ten places to stop on The Pacific Coast Highway, and you can also check out our guides on what to see and do in Los Angeles and where to eat and drink in Los Angeles for more inspiration.