Learn how to put together the best itinerary for California’s beaches. If you’re going to this state, this tip will be essential for your trip.
How many days do I need to do a complete itinerary of California’s beaches?
To visit all the best beaches in California, the ideal would be to have two weeks. But we know that not everyone has that kind of travel time available. That’s why we believe it’s possible to create a good itinerary with 8 days, visiting two beaches a day.
In order to create a smooth and fruitful itinerary, we’re going to work here with 8 free days for this itinerary, but you can adapt it to your reality. One tip we’d also like to give you is to rent a car in California.
In order to enjoy this itinerary of beaches, having a car is essential. After all, it will be almost impossible to make the journey relying on public transport, cabs and ride-hailing apps.
Which Californian beaches are worth visiting?
In our opinion, the following beaches are worth including in your itinerary: Baker Beach, Carmel Beach, Pfeiffer Beach, East Beach, Santa Barbara, Zuma Beach, Santa Monica Beach, Venice Beach, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Huntington Beach, Crystal Cove State Park, Victoria Beach, San Onofre State Beach, La Jolla Beach and Coronado Beach.
- Important tip: California is a state that has many tourist cities, with museums, attractions and tours. So, regardless of where you go there, always buy the tickets in advance. We buy everything on this website that has the best price.
Our suggested itinerary:
On the coast, from north to south, we recommend doing this itinerary (which can also be done in reverse, from south to north):
- Day 1 (San Francisco): driving south, visit Baker Beach and Carmel Beach.
- Day 2 (San Francisco trip): visit Pfeiffer Beach in the morning, and spend the rest of the day driving 4 hours and 30 minutes to Santa Barbara. Rest the rest of the day.
- Day 3 (Santa Barbara): visit East Beach and its park. In the afternoon, you can also drive south for an hour to visit Zuma Beach in Malibu, which overlooks a beautiful sunset.
- Day 4 (Los Angeles): explore the beaches of L.A. For this first day in the city, enjoy Santa Monica Beach and Venice Beach, which are next to each other. For the rest of the day, you can enjoy this beautiful coastal area of the city.
- Day 5 (Los Angeles): a day set aside to visit Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach, which are also next to each other.
- Day 6 (Newport Beach): start the day by driving 40 minutes to Huntington Beach, probably the most beautiful beach on the itinerary. Spend the morning there and, in the afternoon, visit Crystal Cove State Beach, a little further south and just as beautiful.
- Day 7 (road trip with stops): Continue your beach itinerary by visiting Victoria Beach in Laguna Beach. It’s a super photogenic beach. Then head to San Onofre State Beach, which is a less famous but very interesting beach. For the rest of the day, drive around 50 minutes to end the day in San Diego.
- Day 8 (San Diego): Finish your itinerary by visiting the San Diego coastline, especially two beaches, 25 minutes apart: La Jolla Cove Beach (another beautiful beach) and Coronado Beach.
Extra beach tips if you still have time on your California itinerary
Now that you’ve seen how to put together an itinerary of California beaches, let’s move on to an extra beach tip in case there’s time left on your trip: Coronado Beach (San Diego), El Matador State Beach (Malibu), Pacific Beach (San Diego) and Capitola Beach (Santa Cruz).
- Important tip: to make the most of your trip to California, staying in the best tourist cities is essential. So, if you want, check out our article explaining the main cities and how you can save a lot on accommodation.
Save money on your trip to California:
Saving money: do you want to plan your trip while making the most of your budget? Be sure to read our article on how to travel to California cheap, with all the tips to save the most, while still enjoying it!
Tickets: find out where to buy your California tickets in the cheapest and safest way. You can save up to 40%!
Car: if you are thinking about renting one this is the best website. It compares the price at all rental companies and finds unbeatable prices. You can save up to 30%!
Mobile chip: we always use this chip. It’s electronic (eSIM), you install it instantly and you can use your cell phone’s Internet anywhere in the world.
Travel insurance: medical care in another country is very expensive and it is extremely important to take out travel insurance for any trip abroad. This is the website we always take out our insurance on. Reliable and at a good price.
Transfer: do you need one from the airport to the hotel? Find out here how to book and for the lowest price!
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