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.
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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.

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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
Browse by where
North America 23
- Big Bear Lake
- California Zephyr
- Carlsbad & LEGOLAND
- Coast Starlight
- Death Valley Winter Solo
- Joshua Tree + Palm Springs
- Lake Tahoe
- Lassen Volcanic
- Mendocino
- Monterey
- Napa
- Napa Valley
- Ojai
- Pacific Surfliner
- Point Reyes
- Redwoods
- Route 66 at 100
- San Diego
- San Francisco & Big Sur
- Santa Barbara
- Santa Cruz
- Sequoia & Kings Canyon
- Yosemite
United States 23
- Big Bear Lake
- California Zephyr
- Carlsbad & LEGOLAND
- Coast Starlight
- Death Valley Winter Solo
- Joshua Tree + Palm Springs
- Lake Tahoe
- Lassen Volcanic
- Mendocino
- Monterey
- Napa
- Napa Valley
- Ojai
- Pacific Surfliner
- Point Reyes
- Redwoods
- Route 66 at 100
- San Diego
- San Francisco & Big Sur
- Santa Barbara
- Santa Cruz
- Sequoia & Kings Canyon
- Yosemite
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 23
- Big Bear Lake
- California Zephyr
- Carlsbad & LEGOLAND
- Coast Starlight
- Death Valley Winter Solo
- Joshua Tree + Palm Springs
- Lake Tahoe
- Lassen Volcanic
- Mendocino
- Monterey
- Napa
- Napa Valley
- Ojai
- Pacific Surfliner
- Point Reyes
- Redwoods
- Route 66 at 100
- San Diego
- San Francisco & Big Sur
- Santa Barbara
- Santa Cruz
- Sequoia & Kings Canyon
- Yosemite
Washington 1
Oregon 1
California 23
- Big Bear Lake
- California Zephyr
- Carlsbad & LEGOLAND
- Coast Starlight
- Death Valley Winter Solo
- Joshua Tree + Palm Springs
- Lake Tahoe
- Lassen Volcanic
- Mendocino
- Monterey
- Napa
- Napa Valley
- Ojai
- Pacific Surfliner
- Point Reyes
- Redwoods
- Route 66 at 100
- San Diego
- San Francisco & Big Sur
- Santa Barbara
- Santa Cruz
- Sequoia & Kings Canyon
- Yosemite
Shasta Cascade 1
North Coast 2
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
Browse by who's going
Friends 3
Friend getaways 3
Solo travel 3
Solo trip in the US 3
Families 10
With teens 4
With little kids (under 6) 6
With school-age kids (6–12) 3
Family trip for all ages 1
Couples 8
Babymoons 1
Romantic city breaks 2
Beach & island escapes for two 2
Adventure trip for couples 1
Food & wine getaways for two 3
Slow road & rail trip for two 4
Multigenerational 1
Grandparents & grandkids 1
When
Browse by when
Winter 11
December 9
January 11
February 11
Warm-weather winter escapes 6
Spring 17
March 11
April 11
May 11
Summer 11
June 9
July 7
August 8
Fall 18
September 11
October 14
November 11
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 13
Historic route 1
Route 66 1
Coastal drives 10
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 11
Beach towns 4
Rugged coastlines 4
Surf towns 2
Food & wine trip 6
Seafood & coastal eating 2
Fine-dining splurges 1
Wine country 2
By departure city 7
From Los Angeles 3
From San Francisco Bay Area 4
By travel time 7
Under 2 hours by car 5
2 to 4 hours by car 2
How long
Browse by how long
Weekend (2-3 days) 11
Long weekend (4-5 days) 8
About a week (6-8 days) 4
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North America · United States · Pacific Coast · Washington · Oregon
