San Francisco

15 Best Monterey & Carmel Day Trips

The Monterey days: south along the coast to the 17-Mile Drive’s cypress points, Carmel’s cottage streets and Monterey’s wharf. The scenery does the talking for most of the day.

1.Monterey, Carmel and 17-Mile Drive: Full Day Tour from SF

Discover California’s stunning coast with this full-day tour from SF to Monterey, Carmel, and the iconic 17-Mile Drive—perfect for scenic lovers and first-timers.

Most Popular★ 4.0

“Worth it! A must-do!! Beautiful views and plenty of opportunities to take it all the sights along the way.”

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3.San Francisco: Monterey and Carmel Day Tour

Discover California's stunning coast with this 11-hour Monterey and Carmel day trip, featuring iconic scenic drives, marine life, and charming towns.

★ 4.3

“The route was beautiful. Lots of stops to walk and explore. The guide was extremely informative however he was sometimes quite unpleasant when giving instuctions for example to be on time.”

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4.Monterey, Carmel and Pacific Coast Explorer from San Francisco

Discover California’s stunning coast on a full-day tour from San Francisco, visiting Monterey, Carmel, and iconic scenic spots with expert guides and breathtaking views.

★ 4.0

“Good trip to see the scenery and cities along the coast south of SF. Driver/guide not willing to answer questions and did not have control of the number of people on the tour. Driver left one man at Monterey, but turned around to pick him…”

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5.From LA: SF, Yosemite, Santa Barbara and Carmel 3-Day Tour

Experience iconic California highlights on this 3-day tour from LA, including Yosemite, San Francisco, Carmel, and Santa Barbara, with expert guides and stunning sights.

★ 4.4

“Excellent experience! The quality of transportation and hotels was very good, and breakfast was included. The tour guide, Pasquale, was friendly, gave us lots of information and good tips, and spoke several languages. The activities were very well organized, and I think they take you…”

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6.From San Francisco: Carmel, Monterey & Big Sur Private Tour

Experience California's stunning coast on a private 10-hour tour from San Francisco to Carmel, Monterey, and Big Sur, tailored to your interests.

★ 4.9

“It was a truly amazing trip, all in all! Fred (our driver) offered a top class service when it came to giving us info, stoping for pictures, offering advice regarding stops & so on. we even went to apple hq at cupertino, on our way…”

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7.Monterey, Carmel, 17 Mile Dr, Big Sur & Mcway Falls Pvt Tour

Experience California’s stunning coast on a private, customizable tour covering Monterey, Carmel, 17-Mile Drive, Big Sur, and McWay Falls. Perfect for nature lovers and scenic road trip fans.

★ 5.0

“What we liked the most was how professional and knowledgeable Pablo was. He was on time, communicated really well and recommended really good places to stop”

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8.Best of Monterey Peninsula & Carmel-the-Sea Small Group Tour

Experience California's stunning coast on this full-day small-group tour from San Francisco, exploring Carmel, Big Sur scenery, and iconic landmarks.

★ 4.5

“It was fun interesting and very informative. We just had a scary time heading back to beginning spot as the driver was speeding and almost hit another vehicle three different times. Scary!”

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10.17-Mile Drive,Carmel & Monterey Day Trip from San Francisco

Explore California’s coast on a guided 17-Mile Drive, Carmel, and Monterey trip from San Francisco. Expect scenic views, informative guides, and flexible options.

★ 3.0

“Spectacular sceneries. Hao was an excellent tour guide. The time spent in each site was just right. The instructions for pick up were excellent.”

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11.Carmel, Monterey and Big Sur Tour Private Tour from San Francisco

Discover the California coast from San Francisco to Big Sur on a private, customizable tour. Enjoy stunning views, expert guides, and authentic experiences.

★ 5.0

“We recently went on a private family tour to Big Sur, Carmel, and Monterey with Fred — and I can wholeheartedly say it was one of the most memorable experiences of our trip to California. Fred reached out a day in advance to confirm everything,…”

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12.Monterey, Carmel and Big Sur private Day Trip from San Francisco

Experience the stunning California coast with a private guided day trip from San Francisco to Monterey, Carmel, and Big Sur, tailored to your pace.

★ 4.5

“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”

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13.Carmel / Monterey Hwy 1 tour

Explore the scenic California coast on a private tour from San Francisco, visiting Carmel, Monterey, and the iconic 17-Mile Drive with expert guides.

★ 5.0

“The most memorable was the lunch at Pebble Beach at the Bench restaurant. The many breathtaking stops along US 1 highway. Great pictures.”

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