Our 7 Day Northern California Road Trip Itinerary

Last updated in March 2020

California is made for a road trip and in March, my boyfriend and I spent seven wonderful days driving around its gorgeous coastline and rugged landscapes, sampling the best of the Northern region of the state.

Although there are plenty of California road trip itineraries, I wanted to help you plan your own by sharing the route we designed after many evenings of reading, research and planning.

So, if you’re in the planning stage for your own road trip and looking for some ideas, information and inspiration on where to visit and where to stay in Northern California, then this post is for you! Need some more inspiration about why you should visit California? Then read this post.

Good to know before

• We chose to begin our road trip in San Francisco
• It’s better to drive down the Pacific Coast Highway from North-South. This is so you’re on the right side of the road for uninterrupted views and photo stops
• In March we experienced all weathers from snow in Yosemite to warm sunshine in San Francisco. Pack lots of layers and a variety of clothing
• I’d recommend hiring your car after visiting San Francisco and continuing on the road trip from there
• There are a lot of major rental car (Thrifty, Hertz, Alamo, Avis, Dollar, Enterprise, etc.) based in California so check around and compare prices
• Aside from San Francisco, roads are wider, less frantic and simpler than in UK
• 99% of rental cars in the USA are automatic so don’t worry about having to change gear with your right hand!
• I always recommend leaving the country with Travel Insurance. I’d recommend World Nomads for their comprehensive cover at affordable rates.

Road Trip Itinerary –  Day One: Arrival in San Francisco

Flying in from London, we arrived in San Francisco Oakland airport at 6.30 pm. In my opinion, there’s no better way to kick off your first evening in San Francisco than diving two feet first into the city’s food scene.

We enjoyed a delightfully inventive meal at Cala, a seafood and vegetable-focused Mexican eatery in the Hayes Valley neighbourhood.  The restaurant-filled Mission District is also a great area to explore and satisfy your culinary cravings.

In terms of accommodation, in San Francisco we split our stay between an Airbnb apartment and staying with a family friend.

Browse other accommodation options in San Francisco below:

Booking.com

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Day Two: Explore San Francisco

San Francisco certainly left quite the impression on us. Attractive streets, rolling hills dotted with colourful houses, artsy alleyways and unexpected ocean views combine to make it one of the world’s most beautiful and diverse cities. Our jet lag had us waking up much earlier than anticipated so we were able to pack plenty into day two. Here’s a brief summary of the main sites and activities we covered:

• Golden Gate Park
• Brunch at Bluestone Lane
• The Ferry Building Marketplace – try the ‘Tacro’ at Viva Le Tatre, a delicious cross between a taco and a savoury croissant
• The Embarcadero waterfront
• Chinatown
• Painted Ladies and Alamo Square
• North Beach (Little Italy) Neighbourhood
• Lombard Street
• Battery Spencer (for sunset views of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco)

We had one full day and two nights in San Francisco, but I’d recommend allowing yourself at least 2-3 days there if you have time .If we’d had longer, I would have loved to have hired bikes and rode across the Golden Gate bridge to Sausalito; joined the wild SF walking tour of the Mission District or boarded the boat to Alcatraz.

Day Three: San Francisco > Carmel (via Monterey)

Distance | 196 kms

We easily could have spent another few days in San Francisco, but the road was calling (and we had booked all of our accommodation months in advance). Exiting San Francisco, we got an early morning start to beat rush hour and made the three hour drive to Carmel. 

I’d recommend stopping in Monterey along the way and grabbing a coffee and avo toast at Captain + Stoker. Afterwards, you can also check out the Old Fisherman’s Wharf and from there, walk along the pretty waterfront to Cannery Row, an interesting historic street lined with old sardine canning factories.

After exploring Monterey, we jumped back in the car to Carmel where we checked in for two nights at the beautiful Hotel Carmel. A real highlight of our time in Carmel was our hotel. It was brimming with cosy and thoughtful details like complimentary wine hour by the fire and the fresh bagel bar every morning. Carmel also served as a good base for exploring the surrounding areas of Big Sur and Point Lobos Reserve for a couple of nights.

Carmel has a very distinct feel from the rest of California, famous for its quaint timber frame houses and village-like centre which was interesting to see. Carmel beach boats an absolutely beautiful stretch of pristine white sand that is also dog-friendly with plenty of cute furry friends running around – always a plus in my book!

After we checked into our hotel, we spent the rest of our afternoon hiking in the nearby Point Lobos nature reserve, where we saw the adorable harbour seals in the emerald green water at China Cove and a sea otter bobbing close to the shore.

The reserve is also home to California sea lions and both humpback whales and blue whales are often visible from Sea Lion Point and the Cyprus Grove Trail throughout summer and autumn. Between December and May, migrating grey whales also surface and dive offshore, so pack your binoculars.

Once you’re back in Carmel for the evening, take a stroll down Ocean Avenue to explore downtown; it’s easily walkable and you can follow it right down to the beach. As well as art galleries and boutiques, there are also plenty of good restaurants in Carmel. I’d recommend La Bicyclette for French/European food and Cultura Carmel for shareable Mexican plates and excellent cocktails.

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Browse more accommodation options in Carmel below:

Booking.com

Day Four: The Big Sur

We had heard the Pacific Coast Highway’s cliff-hugging curves, boundless ocean views and scenic viewpoints were the stuff of road trip legend.

Continuing to use Carmel as our base, we dedicated our fourth day to the coastal drive through Big Sur in the hopes of finding some photogenic spots to enjoy and take in the views.

And find them we did.

The first was Garrapata State Park – a ruggedly beautiful hidden gem of the Big Sur with hiking trails that wind to both the Pacific coastline and breathtaking Santa Lucia Mountains.

The second was the incredibly photogenic Bixby Creek Bridge, an engineering marvel and one of the most iconic and dramatic vistas along the Big Sur.

After a blissful morning photographing jaw-dropping scenery and making countless unplanned stops with camera in hand, we stopped for lunch at the lovely Big Sur Bakery.

Our final destination for the day, located a 10-mile drive down the road, was Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, home to McWay falls, and the perfect place to stop for a hike.

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Day Five: Carmel > Yosemite

Distance | 365 kms

Like many a traveller on a road trip through California, we soon found ourselves heading to Yosemite National Park, the majestic home of El Capitan and Half Dome.

The drive from Carmel to Yosemite took us around six hours. Less than an hour from the park, we fuelled up on pizza and picked up our tyre chains in Mariposa.

There are no petrol pumps available in Yosemite Valley itself so make sure you plan ahead. The closer you get to Yosemite, the higher gas prices will be so I’d recommend filling up your tank on the drive in.

Read more | Check out my guide to visiting Yosemite in March for information, advice and accommodation suggestions.

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Day Six: Yosemite

Day six of our Northern California road trip was spent wrapped in the peace and wilderness of Yosemite National Park.

Although most people opt to visit Yosemite May-October, our visit in late March provided ample opportunities to lose ourselves in Yosemite’s beauty, feeling fully connected with nature, each other and ourselves.

Read more | You can find more information in my guide of the best things to do in Yosemite in March from hikes to views points and everything in between.

Day Seven: Yosemite > San Francisco/onto next destination

Distance | 269 kms

On day seven you can either make the drive back to SF if you’re planning a circular route or, head onto your next destination!

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