The Perfect 4 Day Monterey, Carmel and Big Sur Itinerary

I have visited California many times through out my life. Living in Utah, our family vacations were always to Southern California. When the opportunity came up to visit northern California, I was excited and really intrigued. I can now say that I absolutely loved that area and have already been back again and counting down the days until we can visit yet again. Here is the Monterey, Carmel and Big Sur itinerary I followed for a long weekend getaway!

(Updated April 2024)

Table of Contents

Arrive- Pick up Rental Car and Drive to Monterey

I flew into the San Jose, California airport on a flight arriving around 12:00 in the afternoon. The airport is small and easy to navigate. It was easy to find the area where we needed to take a shuttle to the rental car building. It was quite busy at the time we arrived and we probably waited in line for 30 minutes-1 hour so make sure to add this in when planning your itinerary!

I definitely recommend booking in advance. We booked in advance and it was about $31 a day before adding gas and insurance if you want. This is the website I use to find great deals on rental cars.

Road trip from San Jose to Monterey

If you arrive early in the morning or have more time on the way back to the airport at the end of your trip, there are lots of great places to stop. Two places that I would definitely recommend are Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park and Capitola.

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park is truly a wonder of nature and there are so many easy and family friendly short walks through incredible redwood trees. We did the Redwood Grove Loop trail and it was amazing. There is also a pathway that connects Henry Cowell parking lot to Roaring Camp, where you can actually go on a train ride through the redwood forest.

Capitola is a charming small beach town with adorable pastel houses you can walk by on your way to the beach. (Remember these are private residences so be respectful). We were able to find cheap parking nearby and spent about an hour or so here.

If you drive straight to Monterey from San Jose airport, the drive is nice and pretty straight forward and just takes a little over an hour and a half.

Where to stay in Monterey

I absolutely loved the hotel I picked to stay in for one night, The Monterey Plaza Hotel. The location is so perfect in between Cannery Row and Fisherman’s Wharf and just a ten minute walk to the aquarium. My favorite part about it, however, was that it was literally right over the ocean. It was the prime location for marine life spotting! I saw sea otters, seals and dolphins! Each room actually had binoculars making it even easier to locate the animals!

On arrival, our room wasn’t quite ready so we had lunch at the hotel’s restaurant and I got clam chowder in a bread bowl! It was so delicious and the outdoor dining setting right over the ocean was such a dream. I can’t recommend this place enough!

Click here to book your stay!

Clam chowder in a bread bowl over the ocean

The second time we visited Monterey, we stayed at Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa. We also really enjoyed staying here during our time. It’s right on a golf course and in a really beautiful setting with gorgeous big trees everywhere. There are a few on site restaurants to choose from and we loved the amenities like the swimming pool and the lawn games. It was a great place to stay with little ones.

Click here to book your stay!

2 PM- Visit Cannery Row

Cannery Row is filled with boutiques, restaurants and waterfront hotels. It is a charming little area that also has some good marine life sighting spots. The area was filled with flowers and they have gigantic succulents everywhere! I had never seen succulents that big before! Cannery Row also has some cute candy shops, arcades and even an indoor mini golf arena!

After checking out Cannery Row, we walked to Big Sur Adventures about 5 minutes away to rent bikes. They had the cutest beach cruisers with baskets and they also have electric bikes! The people that worked there were friendly and gave us a map of the nearby trail and tips on places they recommended seeing.

If you are looking to do something adventurous while in Cannery Row and get on the water, I recommend this really fun kayaking tour! It’s such a fun way to see Monterey Bay from the water and you are guaranteed sightings of otters, harbor seals and sea lions!

Another perfect and more relaxed option is to take a dolphin and whale watching tour which is one of the best things to do on a Monterey itinerary! It is honestly so magical being able to see the sea life so close. (Make sure to bring jackets because it can get quite chilly).

5:00 Explore the Houses of Pacific Grove

I absolutely loved the houses in Pacific Grove. They were so colorful and unique! I saw many of them while riding my bike on the Pacific Coastal Trail and just rode down a particular street if I saw any that looked really interesting!

6 PM- Stop at Gorgeous Look Outs and Beaches

If you have a map, you can plan out some of the places you want to stop before you head out! I had a few places in mind I wanted to stop before we left, but I also thought it was fun to be spontaneous and stop whenever we saw something that interested us! One of our first stops was at Lovers Point Beach. We then stopped at Perkins Park spontaneously because of the unique Cyprus trees, the rocky shoreline and the purple flowers everywhere! (If you come between April-June, there are purple flowers all over the place in this area and Pacific Grove!)

Sunset- Asilomar Beach

We rode past Point Pinos Lighthouse and ended up on a trail to Asilomar State Beach. There was a trail for bikes all along the beach and it was a really beautiful place to end for sunset. We had to hurry back right after so we could get our bike rentals back in time! Riding bikes was definitely a blast and I highly recommend everyone ride bikes along this trail.

Dinner- Bubba Gump’s

Bubba Gump’s has such a fun atmosphere that seems to mesh perfectly with Monterrey! I know it is a chain, but I had never eaten there before and thought it would be fun to try it out! Cannery Row is near where we dropped off our bikes so we just walked right over! Bubba Gump’s specializes in seafood- specifically shrimp and if you have ever seen Forest Gump- this place will be really fun for you! There is memorabilia from the movies all over!

I recommend the shrimp mac and cheese! It was so yummy!

Hula’s Island Grill

Another place I recommend eating for dinner is Hula’s Island Grill. This spot is really eclectic and kitschy. There are lots of fun areas and the Island style food there is really good too.

Day 2- Monterey and Carmel

9 AM- Monterey Bay Aquarium

I am a huge fan of aquariums! In fact, I thought about being a Marine Biologist for awhile. I had always heard about the Monterrey Bay Aquarium and how great it was and how Finding Nemo was based on that aquarium! I really thought this was a great aquarium and I loved seeing all of the conservation efforts they had put into place. I was there for a penguin feeding and that was really fun! I loved seeing the open sea, the jelly fish and the really adorable sea otters! I got my ticket for the aquarium here.

12 PM- Ride Bikes to Fisherman’s Wharf

Another awesome part of the Monterey Plaza Hotel is that you can rent bikes for free! After we walked back from the aquarium to the hotel, we decided it would be fun to ride bikes over to Fisherman’s Wharf! This part of the bike trail was a lot busier. It was a quick ride to Fisherman’s Wharf and we set up our bikes with a lock on a bike rack. Fisherman’s Wharf is full of cute candy shops and tons of Clam Chowder restaurants! In fact, they all have people outside of their cafes or restaurants giving out samples. This was actually my favorite part of Fisherman’s Wharf. I think we tried 7 different kinds of Clam Chowder and they literally all taste different because they have their own recipes and specialties. We were going to get lunch, but decided to wait until Carmel since we ate so many samples! But if you are still hungry, I recommend picking which place had your favorite sample and eating there!

2 PM- 17 Mile Drive

After Fisherman’s Wharf, we decided to leave Monterey to explore Carmel-by-the-sea. We decided the best way to get there was the scenic route! 17 Mile Drive is said to be one of the most beautiful drives in the U.S. Admission is $10.50 per vehicle and when you arrive at the entrance they give you a map of all of the scenic stops and designated places to see.

This website is very helpful and gives a description of each stop so you can decide where you want to stop before you even get there. I really enjoyed Spanish Bay Beach, Fanshell Beach overlook, Cypress Point Lookout and the Lone Cypress. The Lone Cypress is actually over 250 years old! If you are into golfing, the 17 mile drive also has the world famous Pebble Beach!

You can also go on an e-bikes tour of 17 Mile Drive which would be such a fun way to see this area!

3:30 PM- Arrive at Hotel & Happy Hour and Appetizers

There are a lot of really good options of places to stay in Carmel. We ended up booking Le Petit Pali– an adorable boutique hotel. The location was great and we were able to walk all over town. They also have bikes you can rent as well. One of the best features of the hotel was the Happy Hour that happened every day from 4-6. It was going on right when we arrived at the hotel. There are many different wines you can choose from (this area is really well known for their wineries in case you didn’t know). Don’t fret if you don’t drink, they have tons of snacks you can eat as well! There were various cheeses, crackers, fruit and little sandwiches. It was nice to arrive at the hotel after a long day and just relax for a minute and eat some snacks!

Click here to book your stay at this adorable boutique hotel

5 PM- Explore Carmel Town

Carmel is one of the most charming and quintessential towns I have ever been to. I absolutely fell in love. You would never imagine this town is in California, it feels like a fairy tale town in Germany. The town is very walk-able and it’s honestly so much fun to just explore it at your own pace. There are all types of shops including antique shops, fudge shops, oh and don’t forget dog shops! I definitely need to add that this is one of the most dog friendly places I have ever been. There are cute dogs all over the place! I heard from a local that even though Carmel is small, there is always something new to discover and I can definitely believe it. There were all sorts of cute alleys you could go down to find more hidden gems. Also, as mentioned before Carmel is known for their wineries so there are several you can head to for wine tastings.

Carmel is a must for any Monterey and Big Sur Itinerary!

Sunset- Carmel Beach

Carmel Beach is definitely the best place to watch the sunset. The colors over the water were absolutely spectacular! Make sure to bring a light jacket since it gets a little bit chillier at night. Another thing I loved about Carmel Beach was how dog friendly it was. There were cute adorable dogs everywhere. Bring a blanket and some snacks and plan to stay for awhile.

Dinner- Forge in the Forest

There are a lot of incredible eateries in Carmel. When researching where to eat, I had Forge in the Forest recommend several times. The ambience at this place was amazing. It is definitely in a really romantic setting. There are warm fires all over the place and lights hanging in the trees. This was a great place to end the day in Carmel.

Itinerary DAY 3 Big Sur Road Trip

If you don’t have a rental car or don’t want to do this drive on your own, I recommend this full day tour to Big Sur.

8 AM- Breakfast and Pick up Picnic Lunch

We ate a quick breakfast at the hotel (one of the other perks of staying there) and then headed to the 5th Avenue Deli. I had it recommended to me and I thought it would be the perfect place to pick up a picnic lunch for later. We were able to order build your own sandwiches that came with a drink and chips. This shop was really cute and had lots of yummy treats and great customer service.

8:45 AM- Stop at Carmel General Store

This adorable general store is on the way to all of the stops on the Big Sur day trip. It is the perfect place to fill up on gas and get any last minute snacks. Not to mention, it’s adorable, so it\’s a really fun place to stop for photos!

Bixby Bridge

You might recognize this bridge if you have seen “Big Little Lies.” It’s one of the most iconic bridges in all of California and definitely one of the most photographed for its aesthetic. Keep that in mind when you head out on your road trip. If you are a morning person, you might want to head out earlier to avoid the other tourists. The parking near this bridge is somewhat limited. Also, there are two different viewpoints- one of the front side of the bridge and one of the back. Both are definitely worth getting out for and photographing. This was one of my favorite stops on this trip.

Bixby Bridge was one of my favorite stops on my Big Sur Itinerary!

Stop at Scenic Look Outs

Highway 1 is one of the most scenic roads I have ever been on! I was in awe the entire time. There are so many scenic look outs to stop at so feel free to stop as much as you want along the way!

This stop is a definite must on your Big Sur Itinerary.

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

We stopped at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park Vista point which had really great views and then afterwards did a short hike down a steep path that takes you over a wooden bridge, through a tunnel and then to Partington Cove. The rocky ocean views here were really amazing and it was a nice little walk to break up the scenic drive.

McWay Falls

I had seen pictures of Mcway Falls for many years and had always dreamed of seeing them with my own eyes. They are a definite must on any Big Sur Itinerary. As you drive up to this area, the ocean turns to the most pretty turquoise color! It took my breath away. The Mcway Falls trail is located at the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. Unfortunately, when I was there, you could only go on part of the trail and since it is only a small pathway where you can see the falls, it was pretty crowded. It is still totally worth it to see this beautiful place. This was our last stop heading down Highway 1 before we turned around and made some stops on the way back to Carmel.

McWay Falls will be the last stop on your Big Sur Itinerary before turning around and making your way back to Carmel.

Pfeiffer Burns State Park

After Mcway Falls, we headed to Pfeiffer Burns State Park (not to be confused with Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park). I was really excited to go here because I hadn’t seen redwood trees since I was a little kid. We went on an amazing trail past a gorgeous river and into a meadow with giant redwood trees everywhere. Seeing these trees was such a surreal experience! They are even bigger than you can imagine!

Note: If you have time, Pfeiffer Beach, which is very close to this state park is worth a visit. Since it was already the middle of the day, there were no parking spots down by the beach. We pulled into this area where you can park and then pay to take a shuttle to the beach. Unfortunately, we had just missed the last shuttle and the next one wasn’t leaving for quite awhile. Pfeiffer beach is best known for it’s amazing rock structures, sunsets and sometimes there is even purple sand!

Stop at Big Sur River Inn

Next up on the Big Sur Itinerary: Stopping at Big Sur River Inn for a much needed ice-cream break! This Inn was so cute and the place we got ice-cream was in an old blue bus! There was a river right behind the Inn with lots of cute chairs to sit on and relax and people were even tubing on the river! This is definitely a place I would like to spend more time at if I head back to this area.

Garrapata State Park

I stopped at this state park on the way back to Carmel and I really loved it! The beach there was beautiful with views of the cliffs next to the ocean. One of my favorite parts of the park was all of the beautiful walking paths with wildflowers everywhere.

5:00 PM Folktale Winery

Carmel Valley is full of vineyards and wineries. You could spend all day in this area headed from winery to winery. We decided to stop by Folktale Winery and Vineyards because it seriously looked like something from a fairy tale! It was located in a building that looked like a castle. You are able to do wine tastings inside or if you don’t drink, there is also a full service restaurant as well. I always love getting cheese plates! The inside had the most beautiful design and the outside was just as lovely with tables and benches everywhere and live music playing. There were also lots of lawn games.

6:30 PM- Carmel Mission Basilica

Right outside of Carmel is Carmel Mission Basilica, dating clear back to the 1700s. The grounds are incredibly beautiful and this place is definitely worth a stop for the gorgeous grounds and architecture.

7:30 PM- Explore more of Carmel and Dinner

Some places I recommend going to in Carmel:

The Cheese Shop
Ritzy Ragz and Thingz
Blackbird
Thinker Toys
5th Avenue Deli
Cottage of Sweets
The Hat Shop Carmel
Diggidy Dog
Ocean Avenue Shopping Carmel
Tuckbox Tearoom
Carmel Bakery- make sure to try the famous cannoli!

Restaurants I recommend:

Cantinetta Luca
Baja Cantina & Grill- quirky inside and outside
Mission Ranch Restaurant- popular spot for Brunch
Hog’s Breath
Carmel Bakery- try the homemade cannolis
Treehouse Cafe

Day 4- Point Lobos and Head Home

8 AM- Point Lobos State Park

Point Lobos was also definitely another highlight of this trip and should definitely be on your Monterey, Carmel and Big Sur Itinerary. This state park is absolutely beautiful and is full of wildlife everywhere! We went on the Bird Island and China Cove trailhead first. This trail was amazing and we saw a cove with the most turquoise blue waters and baby sea lions down below. They were so cute, I was squealing!

Then the trail led down to this amazing white sandy beach (Gibson’s Beach) with no one else around. After that, we walked past an island with hundreds of birds on it, which was so cool! We also went on the Cyprus Grove Trail and we loved that one too. After leaving the park, there was quite a bit of traffic to get back to Carmel. (Keep this in mind if you are headed off to the airport so that you give yourself plenty of time.)

12 PM- Head to Airport, Stop in Santa Cruz en Route

Santa Cruz is a cute, funky surf town on the way to the San Jose airport. I had remembered going to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk when I was a kid so I was excited to go back. It\’s an adorable amusement park right on the beach! There are also cute murals all over town and makes for a perfect pit stop before heading back home! Still dreaming of heading back and doing this Monterey , Carmel and Big Sur itinerary again sometime soon!