Destination

California trips

Day-by-day routes in California, each with costs, timing and links to check before you go. Pick one as written or use the filters to match who's coming and when.

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Pick who's going, when, and how long you have to see the guides that fit.

Every guide is listed on All trips (the filters here need JavaScript).

Browse by Where · Who's going · When · Trip type · How long.

Trip types: Festivals & events ·  Anniversaries & milestones ·  Cultural festivals & parades · National parks & wild places ·  Waterfalls & gorges ·  Volcanoes & geothermal wonders ·  Stargazing & northern lights ·  Camping & cabins ·  Wildlife watching & birding ·  Desert & canyon parks ·  Mountain & alpine parks ·  Coastal & island parks ·  Forests, rainforests, caves & wetlands · Road trip ·  Historic route ·   Route 66 ·   Natchez Trace Parkway ·  Mountain & scenic byways ·   Blue Ridge Parkway ·  National park road trip ·  Road trip abroad ·  Coastal drives ·   Pacific Coast Highway ·  Desert & canyon drives ·  Ferry & island road trip · Active & adventure trip ·  Paddling, kayaking & rafting ·  Snowshoeing, dog sledding & winter sports ·  Hiking & backpacking ·  Biking & rail-trails ·  Multi-sport adventure trip · City trip & culture ·  Live music & nightlife ·  Theme parks & family attractions ·  Museums: art, science & history ·  Film, TV & literary trip ·  Architecture & design ·  Theater & performing arts ·  Big cities ·  Smaller cities ·  Cities near the outdoors · Scenic train rides ·  Heritage & excursion railroads ·  Long-distance rail journeys ·  Car-free trip by train ·  Rail journeys abroad · Mountain getaways & ski ·  Ski trip ·  Snowy escapes without skiing ·  Summer mountain towns ·  Red rock & desert mountain towns ·  Alps, highlands & big ranges abroad · Spa, cruise & splurge trip ·  Wellness retreats & yoga ·  Spas & hot springs ·  Cruises, river & canal boats ·   Ocean cruises ·   Alaska Inside Passage cruise ·  Splurge trip ·  Slow, restful trip · History & culture ·  Lighthouses, forts & sea history ·  Castles & old towns ·  Mansions & grand estates ·  Ancient sites & ruins ·  Civil War sites ·  Historic small towns & covered bridges ·  Presidential & military history ·  Pilgrimages & sacred sites ·  Old West, ghost & mining towns ·  Civil rights & Black history ·  Colonial & Revolutionary history ·  Native American & Indigenous heritage · Beach vacations & islands ·  Snorkeling & diving ·  Beach towns ·  Island hopping ·  Tropical islands & the Caribbean ·  Mediterranean coasts & islands ·  Rugged coastlines ·  Surf towns · Food & wine trip ·  Markets, street food & food halls ·  Breweries & distilleries ·  Seafood & coastal eating ·  Fine-dining splurges ·  Wine country ·  Farm-to-table, orchards & cider ·  Coffee, cheese & sweet treats ·  Food cities (US & Canada) ·  Regional American food ·   Barbecue trails ·   Tex-Mex & Southwest flavors ·   Southern, Cajun & Creole cooking ·  Eating your way abroad ·   Japanese food ·   Italian food ·   Mexican food ·   French food ·   Spanish & Portuguese food ·   Southeast Asian food ·   Korean food ·   Central European food ·   Irish & British food · Bucket-list trip ·  Machu Picchu & the Inca Trail ·  Camino de Santiago ·  Iceland Ring Road · By departure city ·  From New York City ·  From Los Angeles ·  From Chicago ·  From Washington, DC ·  From Boston ·  From San Francisco Bay Area · By travel time ·  Under 2 hours by car ·  2 to 4 hours by car.

The full directory

Every guide, listed by filter

Plain links to every guide in this collection (   California), grouped the same way as the filters above. A guide appears under every group it fits.

All trips →

Where

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North America 22

 United States 22

  Midwest 2

   Illinois 2

    Chicago 1

   Missouri 1

  Southwest 1

   Texas 1

   Oklahoma 1

   New Mexico 1

   Arizona 1

  Mountain West 2

   Colorado 1

    Denver Area 1

   Utah 1

   Nevada 1

  Pacific Coast 22

   Washington 1

   Oregon 1

   California 22

    Shasta Cascade 1

    North Coast 1

    Napa & Sonoma 2

    San Francisco Bay Area 2

    High Sierra 3

    Central Coast 5

    Inland Empire 1

    San Diego County 2

    Deserts 2

By place type 3

 Lake towns 3

Who's going

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When

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Winter 10

 December 8

 January 10

 February 10

 Warm-weather winter escapes 6

Spring 16

 March 10

 April 10

 May 10

Summer 11

 June 9

 July 7

 August 8

Fall 17

 September 11

 October 13

 November 10

Trip type

Browse by trip type

Festivals & events 1

 Anniversaries & milestones 1

National parks & wild places 9

 Volcanoes & geothermal wonders 1

 Stargazing & northern lights 2

 Camping & cabins 1

 Wildlife watching & birding 3

 Desert & canyon parks 2

 Mountain & alpine parks 3

 Coastal & island parks 1

 Forests, rainforests, caves & wetlands 1

Road trip 12

 Historic route 1

  Route 66 1

 Coastal drives 9

  Pacific Coast Highway 1

 Desert & canyon drives 1

Active & adventure trip 5

 Paddling, kayaking & rafting 2

 Hiking & backpacking 3

City trip & culture 5

 Theme parks & family attractions 2

 Museums: art, science & history 1

 Architecture & design 1

 Big cities 1

 Cities near the outdoors 1

Scenic train rides 4

 Heritage & excursion railroads 1

 Long-distance rail journeys 2

 Car-free trip by train 1

Mountain getaways & ski 3

 Ski trip 2

 Snowy escapes without skiing 1

 Summer mountain towns 1

Spa, cruise & splurge trip 2

 Spas & hot springs 2

 Slow, restful trip 2

History & culture 6

 Historic small towns & covered bridges 2

Beach vacations & islands 10

 Beach towns 4

 Rugged coastlines 3

 Surf towns 2

Food & wine trip 6

 Seafood & coastal eating 2

 Fine-dining splurges 1

 Wine country 2

By departure city 6

 From Los Angeles 3

 From San Francisco Bay Area 3

By travel time 6

 Under 2 hours by car 5

 2 to 4 hours by car 1

How long

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Central Coast

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