Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip with Kids: The 10-Day Family Route
Ten days. Nine hundred miles. One of the most iconic drives on earth — and if you plan it right, one of the best vacations your family will ever take. Here’s our complete Pacific Coast Highway route, tested with two kids under ten and honed after three separate trips.
The 10-Day Route at a Glance
- Days 1–2: San Francisco
- Day 3: SF → Santa Cruz → Monterey
- Day 4: Monterey → Big Sur → Cambria
- Day 5: Cambria → San Luis Obispo → Pismo Beach
- Days 6–7: Santa Barbara
- Day 8: Santa Barbara → Malibu → Santa Monica
- Days 9–10: Los Angeles (Griffith, beaches, flight home)
San Francisco (Days 1–2)
Land early. Fight the jet lag with a full day of walking. Kids love the sea lions at Pier 39, the cable cars (sit up front), and the hands-on Exploratorium at Pier 15. Skip Alcatraz if you have kids under 7 — the boat ride is cold and the audio tour is too heavy. Eat clam chowder in a sourdough bowl at Boudin Bakery, and don’t miss the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park. Stay in Fisherman’s Wharf for walkability or Union Square for transit access.
Santa Cruz & Monterey (Day 3)
Pick up the rental car and drive south. Santa Cruz Boardwalk is the best free-entry amusement park on the coast — kids can ride the Giant Dipper wooden coaster (built 1924) for under $10. Arrive Monterey by late afternoon. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a non-negotiable stop the next morning — open at 10, aim to be there at 9:45 to beat crowds to the otter tank.
Big Sur (Day 4)
This is the day. Leave Monterey by 9am and give yourself the full day to drive 90 miles. Pull over constantly. Bixby Creek Bridge, Pfeiffer Beach (the purple sand one — the turnoff is unmarked, look for Sycamore Canyon Road), and McWay Falls are all worth stopping for. Pack lunch — restaurants are sparse and expensive. Stay in Cambria overnight; Hearst Castle is optional the next morning but the zebras grazing on Highway 1 at San Simeon are free and fascinating.
Santa Barbara (Days 6–7)
Our favorite family base. Rent bikes along the beachfront path from Cabrillo Boulevard. Take the kids to the Santa Barbara Zoo — small, walkable, affordable, and home to giraffes you can hand-feed. The Old Mission Santa Barbara is free for kids under 15 and surprisingly engaging. End each day at East Beach for a sunset swim.
Los Angeles (Days 9–10)
Drive Highway 1 through Malibu with stops at Point Dume and El Matador State Beach. Stay near Santa Monica — walkable pier, wide beaches, good food. Griffith Observatory is free and offers the best postcard view of LA. Skip the Hollywood Walk of Fame; it’s a letdown. Save Disneyland for a separate trip — a single day eats your entire budget.
The Packing List That Saved Us
- Layered clothing — coastal temps swing 20+ degrees in a single day
- Dramamine or ginger chews — the road is winding and kids get carsick
- Reusable water bottles (one per person minimum)
- Snacks for days — we allocated a whole duffel to this
- Tablet with pre-downloaded movies + headphone splitter
- Paper maps — cell service cuts out for long stretches in Big Sur
- Swim gear in easy-access bags — you’ll want it spontaneously
Total Budget for a Family of Four
We averaged around $4,200 for 10 days including flights, car rental (mid-size SUV), gas, lodging (mid-tier hotels and one vacation rental), meals, and activities. You can do it for $3,000 by cooking more meals and picking cheaper stays, or push past $7,000 by staying in boutique hotels. Our mid-tier plan hit the sweet spot — comfortable but not indulgent.
The Bottom Line
The Pacific Coast Highway is the trip families talk about for decades. Do it before the kids are in full sports-and-homework mode — ages 5 to 12 is the sweet spot. Book everything a minimum of 90 days out, especially Big Sur and Santa Barbara. And take more photos at the pullouts than you think you need. Trust us.