California Road Trip Itinerary! (San Francisco to Los Angeles)

Dreaming or planning a visit to California??  Check out this California Road Trip Itinerary to make your trip awesome!

If you’re wondering how to do California in 2 weeks, you’ve come to the right place!  This California Road Trip Itinerary from San Francisco to Los Angeles will show you the best of what the state has to offer in just 14 days.

From the iconic cities to the remote National Parks, embarking on a California road trip is a dream bucket list trip for many people.  And I have tips for you to make your trip memorable AND stay on a budget!

Ready to get road trippin’ across California?  Here we go…

California Road Trip Itinerary:

Related:

• American Southwest Road Trip Itinerary

Days #1 and #2: San Francisco

Catch a flight to San Francisco and let the fun begin!  The earlier you land, the more time you’ll have to explore the city.

There is no better to Beat the Jet Lag than feeling the cold wind on your face as you walk across Golden Gate Bridge, or getting whiffs of fresh seafood being cooked as you stroll around Fisherman’s Wharf.

And there is so much more to experience in San Francisco from riding the trolley cars up and down the steep hills, visiting historic sites like Fort Point and Alcatraz Island, smelling fresh baked sourdough bread, and eating a totally gluttonous dessert at Ghirardelli Square.  San Francisco is truly is an amazing city, like non other!

For further information on San Francisco, check out this San Francisco Travel Guide Things To Do.

Days #3 and #4: Yosemite National Park

(From San Francisco, it’s about a 4 Hour drive to Yosemite Valley)

Next up, Yosemite!  What an incredible place. The towering granite walls, forested valleys, incredible wildlife – this place is so surreal!

After you drive in from San Francisco, visit some places in Yosemite Valley like Tunnel View, Bridalveil Falls, and Lower Yosemite Falls.  This will help you get a feel for the place.

The next day is all about serious hiking!  You could choose between Upper Yosemite Falls, Vernal and Nevada Falls, or the Four Mile Trail from Yosemite Village to Glacier Point for an epic day of hiking.  Or, you could drive around the park and enjoy the beautiful scenery!

Ultimately, Yosemite National Park is one of the most beautiful places in California (and the world) that I’ve visited, and I am always itching to go back there and do some serious hiking!

Days #5 and #6: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

(From Yosemite, it’s about  3 1/2 Hours to Grant Grove, and 1 more Hour to General Sherman Tree)

By this point in the trip, you’ll have seen some pretty amazing places.  San Francisco?  Yosemite?  You can’t go wrong there! But the next destination(s) are also incredible: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks!

Located in the lower Sierra Nevada mountains, these two back-to-back parks are home to the world’s largest trees: the sequoia. (hence the name ‘Sequoia National Park’) There are two groves of these trees, the Grant Grove in King’s Canyon and the Giant Forest in Sequoia.

After you drive in from Yosemite, visit King’s Canyon National Park.  Hike around the Grant Grove, and then drive along Highway 180 for about an hour into the end of King’s Canyon, the deepest in the country.

The next day is all about Sequoia National Park!  Start out by visiting the General Sherman Tree, the largest in the world by volume, before hiking the Congress Trail.  Then, finish of the day by hiking up Moro Rock and driving through the Tunnel Log.

Overall, these two parks left me amazed!  There is something surreal about visiting the largest trees in the world.

For further information on Sequoia National Park, check out these Sequoia National Park Travel Tips.

Day #7 and #8: Drive to Joshua Tree

(It’s about a 5.5 hour drive from Sequoia to San Diego)

Joshua Tree National Park is truly California’s greatest desert landscape.  The funny looking Joshua Trees dot the arid desert landscape alongside massive granite boulders, all underneath towering mountain peaks.  There is a wide array of hikes here from short to long, and is no place to miss on a California Road Trip!

Day #9, #10, #11: San Diego

(It’s about a 3 hour drive from Joshua Tree to San Diego)

After spending nearly a week hiking through the mountains and desert of California, it’s time to hit the Southern California coast!  And what better city than San Diego?

San Diego has a certain laid-back vibe about it.  And with three days, you have enough time to do it all: hang out at Mission Beach, explore Cabrillo National Monument, walk around Coronado Island, visit the San Diego Zoo, head down to Tijuana in Mexico for the day… I could keep going on and on!

And the amazing food – don’t get me started on the delicious food!  Because of the proximity to Mexico, San Diego’s seafood is different than what you can find in Seattle or San Francisco.  Fish tacos are the speciality for many local seafood restaurants in San Diego!

For further information on San Diego’s excellent restaurants, check out these San Diego CA Best Places to Eat.

Days #12-13: Los Angeles

(It’s about a 2 hour drive from Joshua Tree to San Diego)

Next up, the City of Angels!  The whole LA area is HUGE, and the list of things to do is never-ending.  From walking along the Hollywood Walk of Fame, taking in the views from Griffith Observatory, seeing the La Brea Tar Pits, and hanging out at the Santa Monica beach, you will never be bored in LA!

Day #14: Fly Home or continue on to Las Vegas

The itinerary above shows you the cities and natural highlights of California in 14 days.

Or, if you have a full month on hand and want to experience even more incredible scenery, check out my 14 Day Southwest Road Trip Itinerary from Las Vegas!  Simply drive 5-5 1/2 hours from Los Angeles to Las Vegas on Day #14, and let the adventure continue!

To make this trip come to life, here are some useful tips I’ve learned living and traveling all throughout California…

California Road Trip Itinerary – Things You’ll Wish You Knew Before Going to California:

1. The driving times between the destinations are estimates from Google Maps without traffic.  However, the Bay Area, and all of Southern California are notorious for the horrendous backups.  To the best of your extent, avoid rush hour when driving in the cities.

2. Weather/When to Visit.  Late April/earlyMay and late September/early October are the best times to visit for the itinerary above.  The weather in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego should be comfortable, and the mountains will have crisp cool air, and Joshua Tree should hopefully be cool enough for hiking.

3. The BEST road trip food is In-N-Out!  With fresh ingredients and cheap prices, this iconic burger chain is the local craze.

Buy a National Park Pass:

For this trip, you really need to buy the National Park Pass.  Officially known as the “America the Beautiful Pass”, you can gain access to every US National Park and even some BLM managed lands for a whole year for just $80.  Now if you’re wondering, “Will this actually save me money?”, then take a look at these entrance prices below:

• Yosemite is $35
• Sequoia + Kings Canyon is $35
• Joshua Tree is $25
• Cabrillo is $15

These all add up to a grand total of $110!  Yikes!  That means by purchasing the $80 America the Beautiful Pass, you will actually end up saving $30!  On top of that, you’ll have almost the whole year to explore even more of America’s Incredible National Parks.

For instance, if you combine this California Road Trip Itinerary with my Southwest Road Trip Itinerary to create an epic month traveling across California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona, you will end up spending a grand total of $270 on National Parks.  Then you’ll end up saving $190 and still have 11 months left!

California Road Trip Itinerary – How to Get Cheap Airfare

Flying to Las Vegas?  Why pay, when you can score FREE airfare?!?  When you use Swagbucks, you can get free gift cards for Southwest Airlines and Delta, which both fly into Las Vegas (McCarran International Airport).  Overall, this is the the best way to reduce the cost of your airfare to Las Vegas and for your Southwest Road Trip.  I’ve been a member of Swagbucks for about 10 years now, and it’s still one of my favorite ways to earn Free airline gift cards!

Here’s how it works:

• Sign up with Swagbucks
• Then start earning Swagbucks SB Points.  There are so many EASY ways to earn Swagbucks!  You can earn by Searching the Web {just like you would using Google}, Taking Surveys, Using Coupons, Shopping Online, Watching Videos, etc.  I typically earn an easy $25 each month on Swagbucks!
• Cash in your Swagbucks SB Points for Free Southwest Airlines Gift Cards and Free Delta Gift Cards!

California Road Trip Itinerary – How to Get Free and Cheap Gas:

Using Swagbucks, you can also earn free Chevron, Sunoco, and ExxonMobil gift cards to pay for the gas on your road trip!  Check out this tutorial for how to earn Free Gas Gift Cards to save money.

What to Bring to California:

Okay, now to the essentials!  If you’re going to do any hiking whatsoever, you’ll need to bring some sturdy hiking shoes.  Flip flops are the perfect casual footwear for around town.  Also, the sun can be pretty intense year-round, so don’t forget a pair of sunglasses.

Overall, a trip to California is sure to be filled with awesome cities, beautiful scenery, relaxing beach time, and so much more!  Now that you’ve seen this California Road Trip Itinerary, keep reading these tips below…

American Southwest Road Trip Itinerary (14 Epic Days)

Road trip on a Budget – Genius Money Saving Hacks

Lassen Volcanic National Park Travel Guide

Dog Road Trip Tips

How to Earn Money on the Road as You Travel

How to Treat Sunburn Fast

Phoenix Arizona Travel Guide

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Don’t miss out!  Follow along with Never Ending Journeys for more fun Travel Tips and insider Ideas!

Have YOU ever been to California?

What is YOUR favorite destination on this California Road Trip Itinerary or favorite places to visit in the state?  Leave a comment & share!