Ranked as the 5th happiest state in the USA, it’s not hard to see why. Beautiful, diverse scenery; from the breathtaking coast to vivid deserts, snow-capped mountains to rugged forests. It’s towns and cities are as varied too – you could go from cycling by San Francisco Bay one day to window shopping down Rodeo Drive the next, or go from trekking through Yosemite to sipping some incredible wine in Santa Barbara. The only problem is giving yourself enough time to see it all!
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San Francisco
When: Summer (Jun – Aug)
Flight time: 10hrs 41mins
Average day temp: Jun 13⁰C /Jul 14⁰C /Aug 14⁰C
Los Angeles
When: Summer (Jun – Aug)
Flight time: 10hrs 50mins
Average day temp: Jun 19⁰C /Jul 22⁰C /Aug 22⁰C
Highlights
- If you have enough time, it’s well worth doing a road-trip for a couple of weeks to really explore California; rent a car (preferably a drop-top!) and drive the beautiful Pacific Coast Highway from North to South to take in all the scenery. Start in San Francisco and explore the area whilst you're there, make a detour inland to Yosemite, then head down to Los Angeles stopping at places like Monterey, Pebble Beach, Carmel-By-The-Sea, Bixby Bridge, Big Sur and Santa Barbara along the way. If you have time, head further south to San Diego.
- San Francisco is really easy to navigate, it has a lot to offer itself and is a great place to explore surrounding areas; cycle along the bay and over the Golden Gate Bridge, head up (or down!) the most crooked street in the world, visit spooky Alcatraz at night, sip wine in Napa or Sonoma and bump into Carlos Santana whilst eating clam chowder at Scoma’s in Sausalito…
- Spend a couple of days in Yosemite National Park and marvel at the awe-inspiring natural wonders including El Capitan, Half Dome and Tunnel View.