San Francisco

Private Monterey, Carmel and Big Sur Day Trip from San Francisco

San Francisco, USA

Monterey Carmel Big Sur Tour from San Francisco

9 hours
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Overview

Drive down the Pacific Coastal Highway on one of the most memorable and scenic routes from San Francisco. Big Sur, Monterey and Carmel-by-the-Sea await to be explored with your personal guide. Get postcard-perfect snaps of the breathtaking coastline, search for marine life in Monterey Bay and learn about the peninsula’s history in these top-rated destinations. This private day trip offers a customizable itinerary, allowing you to travel at your own pace. Pricing is per group, based on a maximum of six people.

Private day trip to Monterey, Carmel and Big Sur from San Francisco
Wind along Highway One on the California coastline
Discover historical towns, wildlife and cliffside views
Spend as much time as preferred in each destination
Price is per group, based on a maximum of six people

What's Included

Private driver/guide
Hotel or airport pickup and drop-off
Bottled water
Snacks

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to your preferred meeting point, or request pickup.

Meeting points

Select a meeting point

Type to search

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

We pick up from all locations in San Francisco, Marin or Silicon Valley.

What To Expect

Shark Fin Cove

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Pescadero State Beach

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Greyhound Rock

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Pacific Grove Municipal Golf Course

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Lone Cypress

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Pebble Beach Golf Links

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Carmel Plaza

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Bixby Bridge

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Carmel

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Not wheelchair accessible
The duration of transfers are approximate, the exact duration will depend on the time of day and traffic conditions

Stroller accessible
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.5

12 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-7 of 12 reviews

Great trip and wonderful guide

Kenneth_C, Mar 2024

Pep our driver/guide was excellent. We were able to tailor our trip to cover everything we wanted. Monterey, 17 mile drive, a stop off at Carmel and Bixby bridge. Stunning coast line

Good tour if you have limited time.

Naureen_R, Nov 2023

If you have limited time in San Francisco and want to go see Big Sur, don’t want to drive, then this is the tour for you

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Thanks Naureen. I had a great time with your family. I will be more than happy to help you plan future trips. Happy Thanksgiving.

Remarkable tour

Mohammed_Y, Aug 2023

Carmel is a very nice village, beach in Monterey is very beautiful. Needs to spend more time in both villages.

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Thanks Mohammed. It was a delight sharing these experiences with your wonderful family. I look forward to seeing you again when your son graduates in 2025.

Lots of driving with beautiful scenery.

Nathaniel_W, Jul 2023

Beautiful scenery along CA1. Not so much on 101 or new CA1 bypass. If bringing children be advised this is 10 to 11 hours. We started in Tiburon. From SF it may be shorter. Bring games for kids!

Response from Host, Jul 2023

I had a great day with your wonderful family. There are a lot of attractions to cover on the Monterey / Carmel / Big Sur tour. Thanks Nate for all your support and generosity. Hope to see you again on your next visit.

Day tour from San Francisco to Big Sur

Tamas_H, Mar 2023

A great trip from San Francisco to Big Sur in a single day. Pep knew a lot and she was a considerate, interesting guide for adults. My people were complaining about the nasty weather in which we started and ended our trip. But Pep told us that the weather clears out on the shore and she was right. We could admire the breathtaking views Big Sur was offering, and enjoy a delightful lunch at a picturesque little restaurant in Carmel with a stroll after lunch.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Thanks Tamas. The weather was not great. One has to make the best of the conditions they are faced with. You were a fun group and we hope to see you again in the future.

Monterey, Carmel and Big Sur

Connector733869, Jul 2019

This tour was very disappointing. We did not see most of the sites as promised and if we did see them, it was only a drive by. It took us 3 1/2 hours just to get to 17-mile drive. We did go have lunch at Pebble Beach but that pretty well left no time to see the other sites. Carmel looked like a beautiful town but did not get to walk around it at all and we would have like to do that. We stopped at the Lone Cypress tree vista for 5 minutes. We then went to Margarita Ville in Monterey and had a drink with no time to look around that town at all. We then got in the car for another long ride home. We felt we spent most of the day in the car. Our driver, Pat was very nice but seemed to be a nervous driver, constantly hitting the brakes and driving slow. We also stopped at the Google Campus for a bathroom break (which we did not ask for) and spent at least half an hour time there because it took so long to get to it and park and back on the highway. Overall, this trip either should not advertise so many stops or include more hours. We also had to pay for the extra hours it took us to get home.

Response from Host, Sep 2019

I am sorry to hear that you were disappointed. All tours are customized based on the interests of each client. We always provide a printed itinerary and clients can choose what they prefer to focus on. Normally, we take the coastal route or highway 101 S in one direction, and return through the opposite route. I asked them which route they preferred and they chose the Silicon Valley route. There was some traffic and we stopped at the Gooleplex which the guys were more interested in. It's better to plan to use a cleaner restroom than one at highway gas stations. We went to Pebble Beach for lunch. They spent 3 hours at lunch. After lunch drove through the 17 Mile Drive and stopped at the Lone Cypress. When we go to Carmel village, I asked them if they wanted to stop and walk around. I was a actually shocked to hear that they had no interest in stopping in Carmel. They skipped Monterey and said they wanted to go back. About 4:00 p.m, they said they wanted to stop for a drink. I thought they were kidding, but they were serious. So we stopped in Capitola at Magaritaville. They were in the restaurant for another 2 hours. The total time they spent in restaurants was 5 hours. We ended up in the middle of rush hour traffic. There had been an accident. I see a lot of accidents on highways almost daily. This is the more reason I drive carefully at the allowed speed limit. I don't believe in speeding and putting client's lives at risk. Additionally, I have never been in an accident. Some people like to speed. I get it. They had prepaid for 8 hours. This was 3 hours overtime. I gave them 2 free hours. I think it was fair. They were fun couples. and played great music. I wish things had turned out differently. We had a similar tour last week and covered a lot more attractions on the itinerary. This family listened to suggestions and used their time more efficiently. Thank you for being candid.

I don't even know where to...

Mikki E, Jul 2017

I don't even know where to begin...This was by far the WORST tour I have ever booked. Pep was our guide who was unorganized and at the end of the tour charged us an additional $302!!! If you want a tour that you do and see absolutely NOTHING - this is the tour for you! RIDICULOUS!

Response from Host, Aug 2020

I am sorry that Mikki feels that way. I actually don't think this is a credible review for 5 reasons. 1. Why did Mikki wait almost 3 years to write the review if they were upset? 2. They should have been more specific about the tour details if they have a valid claim. 3. I checked my records and I did not have a tour on that day. I do not recognize the name. 4. I always give clients discounts on hours above what they had prepaid, therefore $302 is unrealistic. 5. We rarely have tours around July 4th. This is our slowest week in summer. Most people prefer to have family celebrations at home. Thank you.