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Highway 1: San Francisco to Santa Monica📷 Dariusz Jemielniak ("Pundit"), CC BY-SA 4.0

Road trips from San Francisco

5 road trips that start in or near San Francisco, from 2 to 5 days, each with a stop-by-stop itinerary, distances and campsites along the way.

1
Coast & island drives

Highway 1 south: San Francisco to Santa Cruz and Monterey

113 mi7 stops2 days
29
Themed road trips

Sonoma, Napa and Point Reyes

144 mi6 stops3 days
1
Coast & island drives

Sonoma and Mendocino coast on Highway 1

174 mi9 stops3 days
Highway 1: San Francisco to Santa Monica© Dariusz Jemielniak ("Pundit") · CC BY-SA 4.0
1
Classic American drives

Highway 1: San Francisco to Santa Monica

448 mi11 stops4 days
Fog, cliffs and elephant seals – the Pacific Coast Highway by camper – Bixby Creek Bridge, California, USA - May 2013© Diliff · CC BY-SA 3.0
1
In-depth road trip guides

Fog, cliffs and elephant seals – the Pacific Coast Highway by camper

434 mi10 stops5 days

FAQs

What are the best road trips from San Francisco?

Popular routes starting in or near San Francisco: Highway 1 south: San Francisco to Santa Cruz and Monterey, Sonoma, Napa and Point Reyes, Sonoma and Mendocino coast on Highway 1, Highway 1: San Francisco to Santa Monica and Fog, cliffs and elephant seals – the Pacific Coast Highway by camper.

Is there a short road trip from San Francisco?

The shortest is Highway 1 south: San Francisco to Santa Cruz and Monterey: 2 days, about 113 mi.

What is the longest road trip from San Francisco?

The longest is Highway 1: San Francisco to Santa Monica: 4 days, about 448 mi with 11 stops.