Monterey, Carmel and 17-Mile Drive: Full Day Tour from SF
Description
Cruise along California's spectacular coastline on a relaxing day trip from San Francisco. Follow Highway 1 and enjoy stops at Pigeon Point Lighthouse and in Davenport for a quick coffee and snack. Back on the road traveling by Monterey Bay and Peninsula, to the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium and Steinbeck's Cannery Row. Explore Monterey's charming shops or choose to go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Two hours is ample time for pictures and Instagram posts of everything you are experiencing. See the stunning estates of 17-Mile Drive, as well as Bird Rock, Lone Cypress, and world famous, Pebble Beach Golf Course. Arriving in Carmel-by-the-Sea, known for the museums and library of the historic Carmel Mission, and the fairytale cottages, and galleries of its village like center. 11 hours of breathtaking sightseeing, unique shopping, historical landmarks, mouth-watering culinary innovation.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The lighthouse, constructed in 1871, serves as a guiding beacon for ships navigating the Pacific coast of California. It proudly stands as the tallest lighthouse along the West Coast of the United States and continues to play an active role in assisting the Coast Guard in navigation. During the journey, travelers will have the chance to disembark from the bus to capture memorable photos with the lighthouse as their backdrop or enjoy a brief stroll down to the nearby beach.
Tallest lighthouse on the west Coast of the United States. it is still an active Coast Guard aid to navigation. Explore the lighthouse or a quick walk down to the beach.
The bus conveniently stops directly in front of the Davenport Cafe, which takes its name from the historical figure Captain John Pope Davenport. Captain Davenport settled at El Jarro Point, which is roughly half a mile away from the present-day town. This cafe is an excellent spot to take a break, grab a cup of coffee, and enjoy some snacks. Additionally, travelers are welcome to make use of the cafe's restroom facilities.
The Monterey Bay is situated along the California coast, to the south of the major cities of San Francisco and San Jose. At the north end of the bay lies Santa Cruz, while at the southern tip of the Monterey Peninsula, you'll find Monterey.
Cannery Row, located in the New Monterey section of Monterey along the waterfront, was once home to thriving sardine canning factories. Today, Cannery Row has transformed into a popular tourist destination, featuring numerous restaurants and shops. As you drive through this historic district, you'll be heading towards the renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium, which is situated by the beautiful Monterey Bay. This is the designated stopping point for the Monterey segment of the tour. Here, travelers will have a generous 2-hour window of free time to explore several attractions, including the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, various restaurants, and stores. This ample time allows travelers to leisurely enjoy lunch, soak in the sights, and then proceed to the next destinations of 17-Mile Drive and Carmel. Note: Monterey Bay Aquarium (tickets must be purchased separately and reserved prior to departure date from the official Monterey Bay Aquarium website: www.montereybayaquarium.org)
The 17-Mile Drive is a picturesque loop that winds through the private Pebble Beach community on the Monterey Peninsula. Along the way, travelers will be treated to stunning coastal vistas featuring pristine coves and sandy beaches. While the drive itself doesn't require much time, there are numerous designated stops where you can capture breathtaking photos. It's important to note that this attraction may be temporarily closed during certain annual events, including the PGA Tour in February and the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance car show in August.
This bustling wildlife hub is teeming with a vibrant population of birds, harbor seals, and noisy sea lions. Bird Rock, once buried under 4 to 5 feet of pelican and cormorant guano until 1930, was cleared for use as fertilizer. Subsequently, sea lions have claimed this cleared perch as their sunbathing spot, and they've been enjoying it ever since.
Standing proudly on a granite hillside, the Lone Cypress is a remarkable Monterey Cypress tree. This iconic tree holds the distinction of being one of the most photographed trees in all of North America. It stands sentinel between two renowned golf courses, the Cypress Point Club and the Pebble Beach Golf Links, both of which are among the world's most famous. The Lone Cypress is estimated to be around 250 years old and bears the scars of past fires. To ensure its stability, it has been anchored in place with cables for the past six decades. Travelers will have the opportunity to disembark from the bus at this spot, offering them an excellent chance to capture memorable photographs of this enduring natural wonder.
Pebble Beach Golf Links is internationally renowned as one of the most stunning golf courses globally, as it gracefully embraces the rugged coastline and offers expansive vistas of Carmel Bay, which opens up to the vast Pacific Ocean. This prestigious course hosts annual events by the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions. During your visit, travelers will have the opportunity to disembark from the bus and enjoy some time either in the clubhouse or exploring the souvenir shop. Please note that certain closures may occur due to annual events, such as the PGA Tour AT&T Pro-Am in February.
Small beach community on California's Monterey Peninsula. The Scenic Bluff Path runs from surf spot Carmel Beach to bird-rich Carmel River State Beach.
Situated in the charming heart of downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea, Carmel Plaza offers a unique blend of fashion boutiques, specialty natural brands, exceptional dining establishments, gourmet shops, wine tasting rooms, salons, wellness studios, and much more, all within a relaxed and refined environment. During this stop, travelers will have the opportunity to disembark from the bus and enjoy a generous 60 minutes of free time to explore the offerings at Carmel Plaza at their leisure.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(2,224)
Enjoyed going to Monterey, so picturesque. Carmel is unique but was very crowded due to a car show event in the area the day we visited. Pass by beautiful farm lands and coastal views!
This tour was basically transportation to Monterey and Carmel vs a tour. Our first restroom break was at a strawberry farm with not much available but 2 portapotties. Awful idea! Then, the bus driver/tour operator fell asleep inside the bus while waiting for us in Carmel and made us late leaving. She then miscounted the number of people and left. Someone pointed out that a passenger was missing so she returned to the stop. That passenger never came back but we lost over an hour with these mishaps. Subsequently, we lost an hour at a McDonalds because the driver did not insist that the people get back on the bus .. instead they were socializing with her outside the bus. It was not a planned stop but a restroom stop. Anyway, it was a 14.5 hour bus ride with .25 at Lighthouse, .5 at Strawberry Farm, 2 in Monterey and 2 in Carmel. Not really much fun or safe with a tired bus driver!! So disappointing!
Thank you for your detailed feedback. We’re very sorry the tour did not meet your expectations, especially regarding the delays and overall timing. We take your concerns seriously and will share them with our operations team for review.
The bus driver was very knowledgeable so I would give him a five-star. However it was a very long day end of being almost 13 hours. Monterey was amazing. Not long enough at Pebble Creek golf course we barely had time to get down to the 18th hole take a picture and pretty much run back to the bus. Carmel was nothing to see and I would skip that stop if I could everyone was waiting back at the bus and we had an hour long stop there. Way too long nothing to do and overpriced food and drinks. The right back end up being 3 and 1/2 hours without one break for a bathroom. As you can imagine many people needed to use the restroom immediately. You need to have a stop if you're going to be on the bus for 3 and 1/2 hours even though it was not under his control because of traffic.
Thank you for your detailed feedback! We’re glad you enjoyed Monterey and found our driver knowledgeable. We appreciate your comments about the timing, stops, and return journey and will share them with our team
Don was a great guide! Very knowledgeable, friendly, personable. He chatted with each traveler, then remembered what we told him (ex: where we were from.) The view on the drive was well worth the money. Like I've seen posted on the tour info, there was not nearly enough time in CARMEL or Monterey. Take advantage of every bathroom stop that is offered! Another stop on the way home would be appreciated, but it doesn't seem possible due to the heavy traffic on the highway. Importantly, are the bus shocks in good shape? We were only seated 4 rows back, yet the bus was SO bouncy! The ride home was not comfortable.
Thank you for your detailed review! We’re so glad you enjoyed the views and had a great experience with Don. We also appreciate your feedback about the time in Carmel and Monterey and the comfort of the ride. We’ll share your comments with our team!
Great view of the coastline with several stops along the way. If you are interested in the small coastal town experience this is the best tour. If you are a golf enthusiast be aware that the stop at pebble beach is very short. Our guide Don was great!
Thank you for the great review! We’re glad you enjoyed the coastal views, stops, and had a great experience with Don!
For our family, there needs to be more to do at the first two stops.
Thank you for your feedback! We appreciate your suggestion and will keep it in mind as we continue improving the experience.
We had a wonderful day, our driver was very knowledgable and helpful.It was a long day just over 11hrs but it was worth it. The drive along the coast was exceptional. The bus was clean and comfortable. I only have one observation, I personally would have preferred to have spent 1 hr in Monterey and 2 hours in Carmel instead of the other way round. We could then have included a short stop at Carmel Mission Basilica for 30 minutes. There was more to see in Carmel than Monterey. Just an observation. We would definitely recommend this trip it was excellent.
Thank you for your great review! We're glad you enjoyed the tour, the coastal views, and your guide's service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again!
It was a nice day with many opportunities for photos. The guide was polite, informative, and kept us on schedule.
Thank you for your kind review! We're glad you enjoyed the tour, the views, and your guide's service. We hope to see you again soon!
The bus was very comfortable and had good acoustics. The information about this trip said the bus would have a restroom for emergencies. It did not have a restroom; however we did make fairly frequent stops for bathroom breaks. Our driver Don was very knowledgeable about the area and did a great job! This was a 12 hour trip and was very enjoyable.
Thank you for your review! We're delighted you enjoyed the tour and Don's excellent guiding. We also appreciate your feedback about the restroom and will use it to improve our tour information.
This was a great way to see the beautiful California coast without having to do the driving yourself. It was a long day…but Danila our driver made it worthwhile. There were plenty of stops along the drive for photo opportunities, rest stops, and snack stops. Time in Monterey for lunch and shopping. A stop at Pebble Beach to see the legendary 18th hole and another stop to see the birds and the seals on the rocks. Our time in Carmel was enough to walk the town and get ice cream. A little more time and we could have gotten to the beach in Carmel. Our guide was full of historical and fun facts. It was a relaxing way to see the beautiful scenery of the coast.
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re glad you enjoyed the coastal scenery, stops, and Danilo’s great guidance.
