Here's a sample itinerary for a drive from Laguna Beach to Santa Cruz. If you're planning a road trip to Santa Cruz, 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.
10:00 am start in Laguna Beach
drive for about 1 hour
11:11 am Venice Beach
eat at Gjelina
stay for about 3 hours
and leave at 2:11 pm
drive for about 2 hours
4:08 pm Bakersfield
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 5:08 pm
drive for about 49 minutes
5:57 pm Lost Hills
stay overnight and leave the next day around 10:00 am
day 1 driving ≈ 4 hours
10:00 am leave from Lost Hills
drive for about 1 hour
11:02 am Paso Robles
eat at Niner Wine Estates
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 12:02 pm
drive for about 50 minutes
12:52 pm King City (California)
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 1:52 pm
drive for about 1 hour
3:05 pm Monterey
stay for about 4 hours
and leave at 7:05 pm
drive for about 49 minutes
7:54 pm arrive in Santa Cruz
eat at Gayle's Bakery & Rosticceria
day 2 driving ≈ 4 hours
Venice Beach (128 answers)
Santa Monica Pier (70 mentions)
Venice Beach Boardwalk (62 mentions)
Abbot Kinney (56 mentions)
Third Street Promenade (55 mentions)
LACMA (50 mentions)
restaurants around Venice Beach:
Gjelina
MB Post
Simmzy's
Fishing with Dynamite
North End Caffe
questions about Venice Beach:
Free things to do in Venice
Best restaurants in Venice Beach?
Bakersfield (19 answers)
questions about Bakersfield:
Best free things to do in Bakersfield?
Lost Hills
Paso Robles (49 answers)
Firestone Walker Brewing Company (6 mentions)
Villicana Winery (5 mentions)
Terry Hoage Vineyards (3 mentions)
Summerwood Winery & Inn (3 mentions)
DAOU Vineyards & Winery (3 mentions)
restaurants around Paso Robles:
Niner Wine Estates
Ecluse Wines
Pier 46 Seafood Market
Brecon Estate
ONX
questions about Paso Robles:
Good wineries in Paso Robles
Where should I eat in Paso Robles?
Casual eats near Paso Robles?
Favorite Wineries Near Paso Robles
King City (California) (2 answers)
Monterey (167 answers)
Monterey Bay Aquarium (41 mentions)
Pebble Beach (21 mentions)
Point Lobos (9 mentions)
Point Lobos State Reserve (8 mentions)
17-Mile Drive (6 mentions)
restaurants around Monterey:
Passionfish
Katy's Place
Epsilon Fine Greek Restaurant
Flaherty's Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar
Sunset Lounge
questions about Monterey:
Restaurant recommendations for a large group dinner?
What to do for a family outing in Monterey?
Things to do with the kiddos besides the aquarium
hotels in Monterey, CA
Need some recommendations on somewhere to get food?
Trippy members suggest Gayle's Bakery & Rosticceria, which was mentioned 3 times.
Here are some more restaurants people talk about:
Want to research more popular restaurants in Santa Cruz? 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 Cruz. Click on any question to see answers from the community!
Drew from Angelika Film Center & Cafe asked:
Activities during reunion in santa cruz (4 answers)
Allysia from Boston asked:
What are some must places to go to in Santa Cruz, CA (2 answers)
Paul from Redmond (Washington) asked:
Are there any good restaurants in Santa Cruz? (2 answers)
Lily from asked:
Names of beaches that aren't so crowded (1 answer)
Eddie from Bronx asked:
Best Things To Do In Santa Cruz? (1 answer)
Click the button below to explore more questions and answers related to Santa Cruz.
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 Cruz to Laguna Beach drive, or go to the main page to plan a new road trip.
You can also compare the travel time if you're flying or driving by calculating the distance from Laguna Beach to Santa Cruz. Or get a full Laguna Beach to Santa Cruz 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 Laguna Beach well, please help your fellow travelers and answer their questions about Laguna Beach!