PCH three-day itinerary. Please help!

Question

Hi, everyone. Six of us – four adults and two teens, ages 16 and 14 – are taking a rather hurried trip that will begin with two full days in San Francisco, end with two days in Los Angeles and have the Pacific Coast Highway in-between. I realize that our plan is not ideal (some in our group love cities, other love nature) and we don’t have enough time, but we have to work with what we have. Does the following make sense for the PCH portion of the trip, or is it just too rushed?

Friday, June 6: Up early. Drive from San Francisco to Monterrey via Pacific Coast Highway. Take a whale watching tour in Monterey. Overnight Monterey.

Saturday, June 7: Wake up early. Take our time driving south on the PCH to McWay Falls. Short hikes, overviews, lunch, etc. Late afternoon, drive back north toward Monterey, have dinner, then drive south to a midway point between Monterey and Cambria and stay overnight. We’re doing this to open up some time on Sunday.

Sunday, June 8: Drive to Hearst Castle. Tour. Then take the PCH north to Ragged Point, Lucia and back, stopping along the way to see the elephant seal rookery. We then have to get two people in our group to San Luis Obispo for a 5:55 p.m. flight. After dropping them off, the rest of us will continue down the PCH toward Santa Barbara and, eventually, L.A.

If not for the road closures, we’d have done whale watching and kayaking in Monterey, but I don’t see how to fit that in. The road closure is what's making this difficult; without it, I think we'd have time for kayaking in Monterey, but as we all know, it is what it is. Any thoughts? Recommendations?

Thank you,

Dave

Answer

Your three-day Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) plan is ambitious but doable if your group is comfortable with long driving days and some early mornings. The main challenge is balancing sightseeing with travel time, especially with the road closures in Big Sur. Here’s a breakdown and some suggestions to make it more manageable and enjoyable.

Friday, June 6 – San Francisco to Monterey:

Driving the PCH from San Francisco to Monterey will take most of the morning and early afternoon, even without stops. Plan for scenic pull-offs like Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz boardwalks if your group enjoys short breaks.
Whale watching tours in Monterey are a highlight; booking the earliest tour in the afternoon allows enough time to reach Monterey from San Francisco.
Overnight in Monterey is ideal, giving you a base for exploring the next day.

Saturday, June 7 – Monterey to McWay Falls and back:

Driving south to Big Sur and McWay Falls is scenic but slow; allow extra time for narrow roads and viewpoints.
Short hikes and overlook stops are perfect for teens, but keep them brief to avoid rushing.
Your plan to return north toward Monterey and then stay overnight at a midway point (around Lucia or Gorda) is sensible to break up driving on Sunday.

Sunday, June 8 – Hearst Castle and PCH north:

Visit Hearst Castle in the morning; tours take about 2–3 hours. Pre-book tickets to avoid delays.
Driving north afterward gives time to see Ragged Point, Lucia, and the elephant seal rookery. Keep in mind that this is still a long day, especially with the need to drop two people at San Luis Obispo for a 5:55 p.m. flight.
After the drop-off, continuing south to Santa Barbara and eventually LA is feasible but will make for a late evening. Consider whether your group is comfortable with this much driving in one day.

Tips & Adjustments:

Consider skipping the northward return on Saturday; staying closer to Big Sur (e.g., Gorda or Cambria) overnight may reduce overall driving stress.
Kayaking in Monterey may be difficult to fit; if it’s important, you might swap whale watching for kayaking and adjust the PCH schedule accordingly.
Pack snacks, water, and plan bathroom breaks; some stretches in Big Sur are remote.
Use apps for road closures and current traffic; Highway 1 closures can change quickly.
Prioritize the highlights: McWay Falls, elephant seals, and Hearst Castle are scenic and iconic, so don’t feel pressured to squeeze in every stop.

Overall, your plan is tight but achievable if the group is flexible and prepared for long drives. Staying overnight near Big Sur or Cambria helps reduce driving fatigue, and pre-booking tours at Monterey and Hearst Castle ensures smoother days. The road closures unfortunately limit kayaking and more leisurely stops, but the scenic views along PCH will still be memorable.

PCH three-day itinerary. Please help!

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