Coast day trip · California

Monterey, 17-Mile Drive and Carmel day trip

Monterey, 17-Mile Drive and Carmel

A full Monterey Peninsula day from San Francisco: the Monterey Bay Aquarium when it opens, lunch and a waterfront walk on Cannery Row, the 17-Mile Drive through Pebble Beach, an optional late-afternoon walk at Point Lobos, and sunset and dinner in Carmel-by-the-Sea before the drive home.

Time: Long day, about 14 hours
Driving: About 5½–6 hours of driving in total, roughly 270–280 miles round trip
Best time: All year; clearest September–October
Updated: October 12, 2026 at 7:23 AM Pacific

$4 USD

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Weathered bare cypress snags and dark green Monterey cypresses above granite boulders and white surf on the Pebble Beach coast — Carol M. Highsmith · Public domain (Library of Congress, Highsmith Archive). 2012 photograph of the coast along the 17-Mile Drive; resized and displayed with crop.

Suggested times, not bookings

Your day at a glance

7:15 amLeave San Francisco
10:00 amMonterey Bay Aquarium
12:45 pmCannery Row
2:15 pm17-Mile Drive, Pebble Beach
4:15 pmPoint Lobos State Natural Reserve
5:45 pmCarmel-by-the-Sea village and beach
7:30 pmReturn to San Francisco

Highlights

Worth the trip

The Kelp Forest and Open Sea galleries at the Monterey Bay Aquarium
Bird Rock and the cypress-lined coast on the 17-Mile Drive
Sunset on Carmel Beach, with Point Lobos as an option on the way

What’s in the guide

Matching HTML and PDF guides, detailed stop guidance, rules, practical pitfalls, a route map, Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps links, weather alternatives and phone instructions. See an example guide →

Plan for the conditions

Expected seasonal weather

The Monterey Peninsula is mild all year and cooler than inland California. In summer, a marine layer often keeps the coast gray and cool in the mornings, and it can stay all day. September and October tend to bring the clearest, warmest days. Winter brings rain storms and high surf, and spring is often windy. Fog can roll in quickly on the bluffs and on Highway 1, and evenings are chilly whatever the season. These are seasonal expectations, not a forecast for your travel date; check the NWS forecast the evening before and the morning you leave.

Admission and parking are separate. Check current conditions before departure.

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Red tile roofs, palm trees and white Spanish-style buildings of downtown Santa Barbara seen from above, with the Santa Ynez Mountains under a blue sky

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