Monterey Trip Overview
Experience the iconic Big Sur road trip with a self-guided driving audio tour! As you drive, learn about the fairytale cottages of Carmel, the purple sand at Pfeiffer Beach, & the enormous elephant seals at San Simeon. Drive over Bixby Bridge, marvel at McWay Falls, & enjoy the rugged coastline along the Pacific Coast Highway / Route 1. Big Sur is the most scenic segment of the Pacific Coast Highway(a must-do roadtrip),which you can start in either Monterey or San Luis Obispo.
Within 30 min, we’ll send you two things: a unique password & an app. Download the app,enter password, & download the tour. When you arrive, head over to the first stop. Stick to the route & speed limit for the best experience.
ALERT: Highway partially closed due to storm damage.
Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone can listen together!
NO EXPIRATION-THE TOUR IS AVAILABLE FROM THE MINUTE YOU BOOK UNTIL FOREVER!
THIS ISN’T AN ENTRANCE TICKET. CHECK COVID RULES & OPENING HOURS BEFORE YOUR VISIT.
Additional Info
Duration: 2 to 3 hours
Starts: Monterey, United States
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
Explore Monterey Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Monterey, California, United States
Experience the iconic Big Sur road trip with a self-guided driving audio tour! As you drive, learn about the fairytale cottages of Carmel, the purple sand at Pfeiffer Beach, & the enormous elephant seals at San Simeon. Drive over Bixby Bridge, marvel at McWay Falls, & enjoy the rugged coastline along the Pacific Coast Highway / Route 1. Big Sur is the most scenic segment of the Pacific Coast Highway(a must-do roadtrip),which you can start in either Monterey or San Luis Obispo.
Within 30 min, we’ll send you two things: a unique password & an app. Download the app,enter password, & download the tour. When you arrive, head over to the first stop. Stick to the route & speed limit for the best experience.
ALERT: Highway partially closed due to storm damage.
Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone can listen together!
NO EXPIRATION-THE TOUR IS AVAILABLE FROM THE MINUTE YOU BOOK UNTIL FOREVER!
THIS ISN’T AN ENTRANCE TICKET. CHECK COVID RULES & OPENING HOURS BEFORE YOUR VISIT.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: 17-Mile Drive, Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove, Monterey, CA 93953
Our Big Sur adventure begins in Monterey, California.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Carmel-by-the-Sea, Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93923, USA
Our self-guided drive continues to picturesque Carmel-by-the-Sea, where we’ll see it’s famous fairytale cottages and pristine beach.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, 47225 Highway 1, Big Sur, CA 93920-9542
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park is a state park in Monterey County, California, near the area of Big Sur on the state’s Central Coast. It covers approximately 1,006 acres of land. The park is centered on the Big Sur River. It has been nicknamed a “mini Yosemite.” Redwood trees are known to live up to 2,200 years.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, 62 CA-1, Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93923, USA
We’ll continue driving past Carmel and into the natural wonder of Point Lobos Natural Reserve.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Pacific Coast Highway, 147161, CA
Next, we enter the world-famous Big Sur portion of the PCH. The Pacific Coast Highway, popularly known as PCH, Highway 1, or Route 1, is one the most scenic roadtrips in the US.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Partington Cove, Big Sur, CA
Small, remote inlet & rugged beach reached by a dirt trail, wooden bridge & tunnel.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Garrapata State Park, Highway 1, 6.7 miles south of Rio Road Highway 1, 6.7 miles south of Rio Road in Carmel, Carmel, CA 93923
The scenic drive takes us through Garrapata State Park, where we’ll have the chance to stop and check out the Garrapata Beach. As we drive, we’ll learn about the wildfires that often rage through forests like these.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Bixby Creek Bridge, California 93940, USA
Our self-guided drive now brings us to Bixby Creek Bridge! This is one of the most photographed bridges in California due to its aesthetic design, graceful architecture, and magnificent setting. It is a reinforced concrete open-spandrel arch bridge.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Point Sur State Historic Park, Highway 1, Big Sur, CA 93940
We’ll continue driving, while admiring and learning about Point Sur and the Point Sur Lighthouse.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Andrew Molera State Park, Cabrillo Hwy, Big Sur, CA 93920
Our tour then takes us through the Andrew Molera State Park, another natural wonder of this drive. We’ll also learn about Big Sur’s literary fame.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge, CA-1, Big Sur, CA 93920, USA
Bixby isn’t the only beautiful bridge in Big Sur; Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge has it’s own charm.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Pfeiffer Beach, Sycamore Canyon Road, Big Sur, CA 93920
Pfeiffer Beach in the Big Sur area is definitely off the beaten path, but well worth the detour. Just south of Big Sur Station on Highway 1 is unsigned Sycamore Canyon Road which winds its way down to the shore.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Grimes Point Scenic Overlook, 49654-49938 Cabrillo Hwy, Big Sur, CA 93920
Grimes Point Scenic Overlook has got one of the best views of the Big Sur coastline. It’s easy to see what brings people to a place like Big Sur.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Seal Beach Scenic Overlook, 49654-49938 Cabrillo Hwy, Big Sur, CA 93920
Our self-guided drive takes us to Seal Beach Overlook where — you guessed it! — we’ll be able to spot some sunbathing seals.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: McWay Falls, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Big Sur, CA 93920
Another must stop is at McWay Falls. This stunning 80-foot-tall waterfall on the coast of Big Sur in central California that flows year-round.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Big Creek Bridge, Hwy 1, Big Sur, CA 93920
Next, we drive over the Big Creek Bridge. This is a 589-foot-long, open spandrel, concrete deck arch bridge connecting this scenic, mountainous coast.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Big Creek Cove Vista Point, 59601-59627 Cabrillo Hwy,, Big Sur, CA 93920
Big Creek Cove Beach is under the Big Creek Bridge on Highway 1 along the Big Sur Coast. Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve is the land area adjacent to the creek and the California marine protected areas named Big Creek State Marine Reserve and Big Creek State Conservation Area.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Limekiln State Park, Highway 1, Big Sur, CA 93920
Our tour continues to Limekiln State Park, featuring beaches, forests, and more.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Pitkins Curve Bridge, California 93920, USA
As we cross the Pitkins Curve Bridge, we’ll learn all about the landslides, mudslides, rockfalls, earthquakes, and other natural disasters that continue to threaten the PCH infrastructure.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Jade Cove, Highway 1, San Simeon, CA 93920
Jade Cove features a beach full of nephrite jade.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Nathaniel Owings Memorial Redwood Grove, 74896 Cabrillo Hwy, Big Sur, CA 93920, USA
Nathaniel Owens Memorial Redwood Grove is one of the largest redwood stands for miles. Did you know that the coastal redwood is the tallest living thing on the planet? It’s true! These behemoths can grow to around 350 feet, which is as tall as a 35-story building!
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Ragged Point, 19019 Highway 1, Big Sur, CA 93452-9751
The stretch of highway between San Simeon and Ragged Point is some of the most picturesque in the world. The roadway follows where the majestic Santa Lucia Mountains meet the Pacific Ocean, with jaw-dropping views around every twist and turn. As you drive, plenty of turnoffs offer moments for taking in the region’s grandeur. As you drive to Ragged Point, you will feel like a star in your own private car commercial on Highway 1.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Piedras Blancas Light Station, 15950 Cabrillo Highway, San Simeon, CA 93452
As we drive past the Piedras Blancas Lighthouse, we’ll have the option to stop and detour for a visit.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Elephant Seal Vista Point, 3 Miles North of San Simeon, San Simeon, CA 93452
Nothing beats the Elephant Seal Vista Point. The largest seal in the northern hemisphere, the Northern Elephant Seal migrates to the rookery, twice each year. While offshore, the elephant seal spends eight to ten months diving up to 5,800 feet deep for up to two hours. The remaining months of the year, they mate, birth, molt, and rest onshore between trips.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: 750 Hearst Castle Road, San Simeon, CA 93452-9740
As we drive through San Simeon, we’ll have the option to detour to Hearst Castle. Conceived by William Randolph Hearst, the publishing tycoon, it was built between 1919 and 1947.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Moonstone Beach, California 93428, USA
Moonstone Beach Drive, a beautiful detour along Moonstone Beach. Don’t worry, you’ll be able to get back on the highway easily enough!
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Nitt Witt Ridge, 881 Hillcrest Dr, Cambria, CA 93428-2801
The one with the blue paint and all the terraces? That’s Nitt Witt Ridge, a peculiar landmark here in Cambria.
You might not be able to tell at first glance, but a lot of that house is built from trash. Seriously! It was built by an eccentric artist named Arthur Harold Beal who had an odd fascination with garbage. He actually worked as a garbage collector in the mid-1900s and used some of what he collected to build his home. There are beer cans, car rims, washer drums, you name it, built into the structure of the house. **
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Morro Bay, Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo County, California
Finally, we’ll reach Morro Bay, San Luis Opispo, and Pismo Beach, where this segment of our PCH tour ends. You’ve now experienced the beauty of Big Sur!
Duration: 10 minutes
