Here's a sample itinerary for a drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco. If you're planning a road trip to San Francisco, 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 Los Angeles
drive for about 49 minutes
10:49 am eat at Six Flags Magic Mountain
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 11:49 am
drive for about 57 minutes
12:46 pm Grapevine
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 1:46 pm
drive for about 1 hour
2:52 pm Lost Hills
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 3:52 pm
drive for about 1 hour
5:04 pm eat at Harris Ranch Inn & Restaurant
stay overnight and leave the next day around 10:00 am
day 1 driving ≈ 4 hours
10:00 am leave from Coalinga
drive for about 1.5 hours
11:36 am eat at Pea Soup Andersen's
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 12:36 pm
drive for about 54 minutes
1:30 pm Mount Hamilton
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 2:30 pm
drive for about 1 hour
3:36 pm Oakland
stay for about 1.5 hours
and leave at 5:06 pm
drive for about 23 minutes
5:29 pm arrive in San Francisco
eat at Ike's Place
stay at Top of the Mark
day 2 driving ≈ 4 hours
Andrew from New Zealand asked:
Where to stay half way between S.F. and L.A.? (15 answers)
Laurie asked:
Road Trip San francisco to Los Angeles (9 answers)
Liat from Rehovot asked:
route between los angeles and san fracnisco (8 answers)
Supun from Carson (California) asked:
Hidden gems on the drive from L.A. to the Bay (6 answers)
Jacqui asked:
book hotels before we go or when we arrive in places? (4 answers)
Jawana from Birmingham (Alabama) asked:
Where are some cool places to eat and see on a road trip from LA to SF? (2 answers)
Monica asked:
Where to stay between LA and San Fran (2 answers)
Jeanne asked:
driving from SF to LA looking at colleges - places to stay half way (1 answer)
Sukumar asked:
hotels and attractions on the way (0 answers)
Darren from Australia asked:
Where to stay driving from San Francisco to Los Angeles? (9 answers)
Andre from Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro asked:
Driving From SF to LA- what are the best things to see and do? (7 answers)
Camille from Branford asked:
Two places to stop and sleep from Santa Monica to San Francisco? (6 answers)
Micki from Mayfield Heights, Ohio asked:
Half way point between LA and San Francisco on the Pacific Coast Highway? (6 answers)
Shawna from Benton City, Washington asked:
Traveling in June with 18 year old girls - what can we do in 4 days?! (5 answers)
Lisa-Marie from Johannesburg, Gauteng asked:
Best stops en route to Los Angeles? (5 answers)
Mallory asked:
Best places to stop and see driving from San Francisco to Los Angeles? (4 answers)
Six Flags Magic Mountain (10 mentions)
Grapevine (4 answers)
Lost Hills
Harris Ranch Inn & Restaurant (5 mentions)
Pea Soup Andersen's (2 mentions)
Mount Hamilton
Oakland (62 answers)
Lake Merritt (16 mentions)
UC Berkeley (8 mentions)
Jack London Square (7 mentions)
Ici Ice Cream (5 mentions)
College Ave (5 mentions)
restaurants around Oakland:
Chez Panisse
Arinell Pizza Inc
Cheese Board Bakery & Cheese
The Trappist
Comal
questions about Oakland:
Best free things to do in Oakland?
What is Oakland like?
First time in Oakland with 1 day to explore
A good neighborhood in Oakland for rental?
Best bites to eat in Oakland?
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 San Francisco.
You can also see most people recommend as the best amount of time to visit. Find out how many days in San Francisco to stay.
If you're looking for a quick answer, you can check out Top of the Mark, which was mentioned 13 times on Trippy.
Here are some more hotels people talk about:
Want to research more popular hotels in San Francisco? Click the blue button below.
Need some recommendations on somewhere to get food?
Trippy members suggest Ike's Place, which was mentioned 23 times.
Here are some more restaurants people talk about:
Want to research more popular restaurants in San Francisco? 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 San Francisco. Click on any question to see answers from the community!
Jessica from asked:
Best seafood restaurant in S.F.? (29 answers)
Dina from Dallas asked:
What are the top 5 can't miss tourist attractions in S.F.? (20 answers)
Valerie from Los Angeles asked:
What is your favorite restaurant in San Francisco? (19 answers)
Julie from Atlanta asked:
Best activities for kids (19 answers)
Kenneth from Portland asked:
Best views in San Francisco? (17 answers)
Click the button below to explore more questions and answers related to San Francisco.
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 San Francisco to Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles to San Francisco. Or get a full Los Angeles to San Francisco 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 Los Angeles well, please help your fellow travelers and answer their questions about Los Angeles!