10-Day California Road Trip Itinerary
From the coast of California to some of the most well-known national parks, this 10 day California road trip itinerary covers it all. Iconic landmarks, waterfalls, giant sequoias, and sand dunes are just some of the stops that highlight the diverse landscape of California.
Ready for the best California road trip? Here’s our 10-day California road trip itinerary.
We love a good road trip, because we’re able to visit so many places. California is probably one of the most popular states for a road trip, and we totally understand why. (We’ll be back in California this spring for another road trip, so stay tuned for another post on our California adventures.)
For this trip, we flew into San Francisco International Airport and out of Reno-Tahoe International Airport.
Day 1-2: San Francisco
I will admit that the only reason we flew into San Francisco was to see the Golden Gate Bridge. We’re not a huge fan of cities, so we did not spend much time here. We woke up early for sunrise at Battery Spencer before heading to the Golden Gate Overlook and Marshall’s Beach. For more on the best views of the Golden Gate Bridge, check out our earlier post here.
Battery Spencer
Battery Spencer is where you will see the first picture perfect view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Parking is limited, however visiting at sunrise on a weekday, we only saw one other car. If the lot is full, cars will park along Conzelman Road. The walk from the parking area to the large viewing area is around a quarter mile or so. Along the trail you will pass what’s left of San Francisco’s Harbor Defense. It was abandoned in 1943, but it stands as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Unfortunately, it’s covered with graffiti now. But the main reason you’re visiting Battery Spencer is for the close-up views of the Golden Gate Bridge! The view at Battery Spencer was our favorite and having it almost all to ourselves as the sun came up was even better.
Golden Gate Overlook
If you’ve ever seen a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge in between two Cypress trees, Golden Gate Overlook is the spot! We stopped here right after visiting Battery Spencer, and the bridge in the morning light was beautiful. Again, as it is a pretty popular spot, arrive early to beat the crowds.
Marshall’s Beach
Marshall’s Beach offers visitors gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge. We parked at the Golden Gate Overlook and took the Batteries to Bluffs Trail to get down to the beach. A lot of the trail is made up of wooden steps which is nice going down to the beach, but not as nice coming back up. The walk down to the beach is scenic, and the trail is well maintained. We loved how secluded the beach felt as well as the perspective of the bridge from the beach below. Just an FYI, it is a clothing optional beach.
Airbnb Stay: Cozy Tiny Studio
Day 3: Big Sur
We will start off by saying, we wish we had spent more time in Big Sur. Due to some last minute planning, we could not find a place to stay; we would recommend booking a campsite, hotel, or Airbnb at least 6 months in advance. We spent a day in Big Sur, then drove to Pismo Beach the same day.
Big Sur was probably the destination we were most excited for. Driving along Highway 1 and seeing the stunning views of the coast was a bucket list experience. The drive from San Francisco to our first stop, Garrapata State Park, is about a 2 hour drive.
Garrapata State Park
Entry: free
Hours: 8 a.m. to half an hour past sunset
Located in Monterey County, Garrapata State Park offers some of the best views of the California coastline. The park offers 2 miles of beachfront, coastal hiking, and wildlife viewing. Visitors can also climb to a view of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The Soberanes Canyon Trail is a popular hike in the park at only 1.25 miles. This trail will take you along the backside of the canyon offering beautiful views.
Bixby Bridge
Free Parking
Bixby Bridge is one of the most popular and most photographed bridges in the U.S. Expect crowds when visiting, especially in the evenings around sunset. There are parking areas on the right and left side of the bridge, offering different views of the bridge.
McWay Falls in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
Entry: $10
When you pay the $10 entry fee, your ticket is good for the other Big Sur state parks, if you plan on visiting the same day.
Hours: 8 a.m to sunset
The Overlook Trail in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park will take you to the famous McWay Falls viewing area. Due to erosion, the Overlook Trail is only partially open, however you can still clearly see McWay Falls and snap a photo. Depending on the season, you might even see whales passing by McWay Cove. This trail can get crowded, and the viewing area has limited space.
Day 3-4: Pismo Beach
After our day in Big Sur, we drove to Pismo Beach. Our main reason for visiting Pismo Beach was to see Oceano Dunes, a beautiful recreational area in southern California. Pismo Beach is a cute little beach town with lots to see and do, but we took a day to relax and headed to Oceano Dunes in the evening.
How to Get to the Dunes
There are several entrances to the dunes, however we found entering through the Pacific Dunes Ranch RV Resort to be the easiest. After driving through what feels like the middle of nowhere, you’ll reach the RV resort. When you arrive at the RV resort, you’ll see a little wooden fence near the entrance. You can park in front of the fence and walk into the RV park. Once you pass the office, continue walking through the park until you find the entrance to the dunes (it’s about a 5 minute walk)
Airbnb Stay: New Private Guesthouse on Historic Farmhouse Property
Day 5: Sequoia National Park
Pismo Beach is about a 3 hour drive to Sequoia National Park, and just like Big Sur, we only spent the day here. Sequoia National Park is home to the giant sequoias and the famous General Sherman tree. We would love to go back one day and further explore the park.
Entrance Fee: $35
We recommend the America the Beautiful Pass, if you plan on visiting multiple national parks within a year.
General Sherman Tree Trail
This trail is an easy half mile walk down to the famous General Sherman tree. Expect it to be crowded; lines for photos with the General Sherman tree are common.
Day 5-7: Yosemite National Park
From Sequoia National Park, we drove to Mariposa for our stay near Yosemite National Park. The drive is close to 4 hours, so once we made it to our Airbnb, we called it a day. We woke up early the next morning to spend a full day in Yosemite. Here are some of our favorite trails and views in the park!
Tunnel View
The best way to start your day at Yosemite National Park is sunrise at Tunnel View. Here you will see the some of the best views of El Capitan, Half Dome, and Bridalveil Falls. This spot is often packed with visitors, and the parking lot is usually full. Because it’s a viewpoint, a parking space will usually open up pretty quickly if you wait.
Cook’s Meadow
After Tunnel View, we stopped at Cook’s Meadow to walk the 1-mile loop. This trail is very easy, starting on a boardwalk before turning into a flat, sandy trail. We were able to find parking at the start of the trail, but the shuttle makes stops here as well. This was our favorite spot in Yosemite. The grassy meadow and view of Yosemite Falls was so pretty, and it felt so peaceful here.
Mist Trail
I’ll go ahead and admit that we didn’t know about the shuttle buses until we were in the park. So instead of catching a shuttle to the trailhead, we parked at Curry Village and walked a mile and a half to the trailhead. The walk to the trailhead was great on the way there…after hiking the Mist Trail, the last thing we wanted to do was walk a mile and a half back to our car. Lesson learned for next time. The Mist Trail is so worth it though! This hike is 3 miles roundtrip to Vernal Falls, and 7 miles roundtrip if you hike to Nevada Falls as well. For time’s sake, we only hiked to Vernal Falls. The hike to Vernal Falls is moderate with quite the gain in elevation. Don’t worry, you’ll want to stop along the trail to take in the views anyway, so you’ll have a chance to catch your breath too. Once Vernal Falls is in sight, you will see some stone steps. Due to the mist from the falls, these are a bit slick. Watch your footing! You can climb the steps right up to the falls. It’s called the Mist Trail for a reason; you will get wet. It’s a nice way to cool off after a hike.
Mirror Lake
Mirror Lake is a seasonal lake with its fullest seasons being spring and summer. The trail to Mirror Lake is 2 miles roundtrip and paved. When you arrive, you’ll be greeted by majestic views of Half Dome and Mt. Watkins.
Airbnb Stay: 1938 Historic Studio
Day 8-10: Lake Tahoe
Our final stop on our California road trip-Lake Tahoe. Lake Tahoe was the perfect place to relax after a week of traveling. While we stayed in California, a lot of our time was spent on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe at Secret Cove. Secret Cove ended up being our favorite beach to spend our time at. Some other beautiful beaches are listed below.
Chimney Beach
Named for the chimney that stands on the beach, Chimney Beach is less crowded than Secret Cove. It also has a paved parking lot and a nice easy trail down to the beach.
Sand Harbor Beach
This is one of the larger beaches in Lake Tahoe. It does have a boat launch area, and we noticed a line to get into the parking lot as early as 6:30 am!
D.L. Bliss State Park
Not only does this park have a great beach, but you can also access the Rubicon Trail which takes you to beautiful Emerald Bay.
Airbnb Stay: Modern Mountain A-Frame
This cabin is in a quiet neighborhood and has everything you need! It’s beautifully decorated with a back porch to enjoy, and the hosts are amazing! It had been on our wishlist for awhile and exceeded our expectations. If it’s not available for your desired dates (it books out pretty fast), we have a post with some other amazing stays nearby.
That’s it! We hope you found this itinerary to be helpful in planning your California road trip!
