Here's a sample itinerary for a drive from Big Sur to Santa Monica. If you're planning a road trip to Santa Monica, you can research locations to stop along the way. Make sure you check road conditions to double check the weather. Traveling with a dog or cat? Find pet-friendly stops. Camping along the way? Search for RV campgrounds. Find the best hotels, restaurants, and attractions based on the most talked about places recommended by Trippy members.
11:00 am start in Big Sur
drive for about 1 hour
12:14 pm Hearst Castle
stay for about 2.5 hours
and leave at 2:44 pm
drive for about 55 minutes
3:39 pm San Luis Obispo
stay overnight at The Madonna Inn
leave the next day around 10:00 am
day 1 driving ≈ 2 hours
find more stops
10:00 am leave from The Madonna Inn
drive for about 1 hour
11:10 am Solvang
eat at Los Olivos Wine Merchant Cafe
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 12:10 pm
drive for about 43 minutes
12:52 pm Santa Barbara
stay for about 2 hours
and leave at 2:52 pm
drive for about 1.5 hours
4:29 pm Santa Monica Pier
stay for about 1.5 hours
and leave at 5:59 pm
drive for about 5 minutes
6:04 pm arrive in Santa Monica
eat at Gjelina
stay at Shutters On the Beach
day 2 driving ≈ 3.5 hours
find more stops
Hearst Castle (101 mentions)
San Luis Obispo (125 answers)
Bishop Peak (4 mentions)
San Luis Obispo Mission (3 mentions)
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (3 mentions)
Edna Valley (2 mentions)
F. McLintocks Saloon and Dining House (2 mentions)
restaurants around San Luis Obispo:
Firestone Grill
Novo Restaurant & Lounge
Bello Mundo
Splash Cafe
Avila Valley Barn
hotels around San Luis Obispo:
The Madonna Inn
Madonna Inn Resort & Spa
Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort
Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa
Seacrest Beach Resort
questions about San Luis Obispo:
What is your favorite restaurant in San Luis Obispo?
Lodging
Exploring SLO in March to scout moving there - what should I check out?
Where to stay outside of San Luis Obispo for Cal Poly graduation
Solvang (47 answers)
Firestone Vineyard (3 mentions)
Fess Parker Winery (3 mentions)
R Country Market (2 mentions)
Blackjack Ranch (2 mentions)
Saarloos And Sons Tasting Room (2 mentions)
restaurants around Solvang:
Los Olivos Wine Merchant Cafe
Olsen's Danish Village Bakery & Coffee Shop
Industrial Eats
Panino
Petros
questions about Solvang:
What to do in Solvang... good places to stay, eat, etc.
Santa Barbara (192 answers)
Butterfly Beach (7 mentions)
Bacara Resort & Spa (6 mentions)
Hendry's Beach (4 mentions)
Stearns Wharf (4 mentions)
The Funk Zone (4 mentions)
restaurants around Santa Barbara:
McConnell's Fine Ice Creams
La Super-Rica Taqueria
The Lark - Santa Barbara
Boathouse at Hendry's Beach
The Palace Grill
questions about Santa Barbara:
Favorite restaurants in Santa Barbara?
Bachelorette Weekend Getaway in Santa Barbara
Best Beach in Santa Barbara?
24 hours in Santa Barbara, what do I have to see/eat/do?
How far from santa barbara to palm springs and PS to Phoenix?
Santa Monica Pier (70 mentions)
Are you going straight to a hotel, or looking for a vacation rental or Airbnb?
The best resource on neighborhoods, areas, and hotels is the Trippy page on where to stay in Santa Monica.
If you're looking for a quick answer, you can check out Shutters On the Beach, which was mentioned 36 times on Trippy.
Here are some more hotels people talk about:
Want to research more popular hotels in Santa Monica? Click the blue button below.
Need some recommendations on somewhere to get food?
Trippy members suggest Gjelina, which was mentioned 44 times.
Here are some more restaurants people talk about:
Want to research more popular restaurants in Santa Monica? Click the blue button below.
This section could be endless, so rather than trying to suggest every local activity or attraction, we'll leave it open-ended.
These are some of the places people talk about on Trippy:
Of course, Trippy is the perfect place to ask questions because there's an entire community of travelers talking to each other and sharing tips and advice. Trippy is where you can get answers personalized for your tastes, budgets, trip dates & more!
For example, here are some questions people have asked about Santa Monica. Click on any question to see answers from the community!
Courtney from Los Angeles asked:
Drinks in SM? (4 answers)
Allie from Portland asked:
Fun things to do in Santa Monica? (3 answers)
Andrea from Rockville Centre asked:
Fun Santa Monica hotels under $400/night? (3 answers)
Brew from Manhattan Beach asked:
Good breakfast spot for a business meeting? (3 answers)
Pat from Cambria asked:
Avoiding sticker shock in Santa Monica (3 answers)
Click the button below to explore more questions and answers related to Santa Monica.
Yes, even this step is optional, because if you're on vacation who wants the trip to end? It's okay, you can start planning your next trip!
Want to plan the trip back? Get the reverse directions for a Santa Monica to Big Sur drive, or go to the main page to plan a new road trip.
Looking for ideas for more destinations within driving distance of Big Sur? Try searching for places within 5.5 hours of Big Sur.
You can also compare the travel time if you're flying or driving by calculating the distance from Big Sur to Santa Monica. Or get a full Big Sur to Santa Monica flight plan.
Don't forget about exploring your own hometown with a staycation. You can also find some cool day trips or get away for a weekend. Maybe try typing in a faraway location like London, Hong Kong, or Sydney, and get inspired for your dream trip around the world.
And if you know Big Sur well, please help your fellow travelers and answer their questions about Big Sur!