Dates are flexible. This day-by-day plan is provisional until you choose exact travel dates.
Start at Ferry Building Marketplace on the Embarcadero, an easy first stop after arriving in San Francisco. Allow about 1½ hours to browse the food stalls and pick up lunch—Hog Island Oyster Co. is the local favorite for seafood, while Gott’s Roadside is quick and satisfying. Most marketplace businesses generally open by late morning, but individual hours vary; expect roughly $15–$30 per person for lunch. If you have luggage, arrange hotel drop-off or storage first, since the market is much easier to enjoy hands-free.
Walk or take the Muni toward Chinatown, then spend about 1½ hours around Stockton Street and Portsmouth Square. The Stockton produce and seafood shops show a more everyday side of the neighborhood, while the side streets are good for tea, bakeries, and traditional shops. From here, walk to the Powell–Hyde cable car turnaround near Market Street for the ride to Fisherman’s Wharf. Queues can easily take 20–45 minutes, especially on weekends; the one-way fare is about $8, and payment is easiest with a Clipper card or contactless payment. Keep your phone secure and stand clear of the car’s outer running boards.
Get off near Fisherman’s Wharf and continue to Pier 39, where the sea lions gather on the western docks. Give yourself about an hour for the waterfront views and an unhurried look around; the pier itself is free, though many attractions and restaurants charge separately. For dinner, walk or rideshare into North Beach to Sotto Mare for its famously casual cioppino and other seafood. Plan on roughly $35–$60 per person, and check its current evening hours before setting out—tables are limited and waits are common. After dinner, Columbus Avenue is pleasant for a short stroll, but use a rideshare back to your hotel if you are tired or carrying luggage.
After arriving from San Francisco, head straight to Monterey Bay Aquarium on Cannery Row for the morning visit. Allow roughly three hours for the kelp forest, jellyfish galleries, and sea-otter viewing—this is one of the few stops on the coast worth protecting from a rushed schedule. Timed admission is strongly recommended, especially during December school holidays; check the aquarium’s current opening hours and reserve online. Parking around Cannery Row is paid, so use your hotel parking if you can and walk in.
Walk south along the Monterey Coastal Recreation Trail toward Lovers Point in Pacific Grove, a beautiful 1½-hour stretch with sea views, cypress trees, and frequent harbor-seal sightings. From there, take a short rideshare or drive back toward Old Fisherman’s Wharf for a relaxed seafood lunch and a wander among the harbor stalls. Expect tourist pricing, but the waterfront atmosphere is pleasant; allow about an hour and avoid buying seafood from the first place offering samples.
Continue west to Point Pinos Lighthouse, about a 10-minute drive from the wharf. The lighthouse grounds and exterior are scenic even when the interior is closed; indoor access is conditional, so check the official schedule before setting out. December light fades early, and coastal wind can be sharp, so bring a warm layer. Finish with dinner at Passionfish in Pacific Grove, a polished, sustainability-minded restaurant where mains and drinks generally bring the evening to about $45–$75 per person. Reservations are sensible, particularly on weekends; if you are staying outside central Monterey, allow 15–25 minutes afterward for the return drive.
Leave Monterey around 7:00 a.m. and follow CA-1 south toward Bixby Creek Bridge; allow about 1–1½ hours, depending on coastal traffic and photo stops. Check Caltrans for closures before setting out, as conditions on this stretch can change after rain or rockfall. At Bixby Creek Bridge, use the signed pullout rather than stopping on the highway shoulder, and spend about 30 minutes taking in the classic canyon-and-ocean view. Continue north briefly to Point Lobos State Natural Reserve—arriving close to opening is important because the small parking areas fill quickly. The reserve typically charges around $10 per vehicle, and its cypress-lined paths and sea-lion viewpoints are best enjoyed with roughly 2½ hours and sturdy shoes.
Return to CA-1 and continue south to Garrapata State Park, where unsigned or lightly marked pullouts can make parking easy to miss; keep valuables out of the car. Allow about 1½ hours for a short coastal hike through wind-shaped vegetation and steep ocean scenery, avoiding cliff edges in strong wind. From there, drive south to Nepenthe for a relaxed late lunch—budget approximately $25–$50 per person, and expect a wait at peak midday times. The terrace is the reason to linger, with broad views over the Big Sur coastline; Café Kevah nearby is a useful alternative for coffee or a lighter bite if the main restaurant is busy.
Continue south to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park for McWay Falls, allowing about 45 minutes for the overlook and walk from the parking area. The waterfall viewpoint is short but spectacular, and the best light often comes late in the day; do not descend toward the beach, as access is restricted and dangerous. Verify the park’s trail status and Highway 1 conditions before leaving Nepenthe, and carry water because services become sparse south of Big Sur. If the road is closed beyond the park, treat McWay Falls as the turnaround point rather than attempting to continue south.
After the long drive from Big Sur, keep the first stop central and easy: Santa Barbara County Courthouse on Anacapa Street. Allow about an hour to admire the Spanish-Colonial interior and climb the clock tower for a broad view over the red-tiled downtown rooftops, mountains, and coast. The tower may have limited access during maintenance or bad weather, so treat it as weather- and operating-hours-dependent; arrive with a little time for parking in a downtown garage rather than relying on street spaces.
Walk a few blocks to Santa Barbara Public Market for lunch, where you can choose among several local vendors instead of committing to a formal meal. Budget roughly $15–$30 per person, and allow an hour to eat and browse. From there, it is an easy walk along State Street to the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, a manageable 1½-hour visit with an excellent mix of European, Asian, and American works. Check the museum’s current schedule before setting out, since opening days and holiday hours can vary in December; paid admission is typically in the low-to-mid-$20s for adults.
Head west toward the waterfront—about a 20-minute walk from the museum, or a short rideshare if you want to save your legs—for Stearns Wharf. Stroll to the end, watch the light change over the Channel, and allow about an hour; sunset arrives early in December, so aim to be there by roughly 4:00 p.m. Afterward, continue to the nearby Santa Barbara Harbor for dinner at Brophy Bros., a relaxed local standby for clam chowder, grilled fish, and harbor views. Expect approximately $30–$55 per person before drinks; seating can fill around sunset, so joining the waitlist early is worthwhile.
Once you arrive in Santa Monica, head first to Santa Monica Pier for its wide Pacific views and old-fashioned amusement-park atmosphere. Allow about an hour to walk to the end of the pier, see the small aquarium beneath it, and take in the beach from above; the rides and some vendors generally open later than the pier itself, so treat this as a waterfront stroll rather than counting on every attraction being operating. From here, it’s a five-minute walk inland to Third Street Promenade, where you can browse shops and settle into a café for a late-morning coffee or light bite. The pedestrian street is easy to explore on foot, though retail hours vary—roughly 10 a.m. onward is a safer assumption than an early start.
After lunch, take a rideshare or drive south to Venice Beach Boardwalk—usually 10–20 minutes, but allow longer in midday traffic. Spend about 1½ hours wandering the beachfront scene around Muscle Beach, street performers, murals, and beachside vendors; keep phones and wallets secure in the busiest stretches, and use the public restrooms near the main beach facilities rather than relying on every café. Then walk or drive a few minutes inland to the Venice Canals, where the mood changes completely: allow 45 minutes for a quiet loop along the residential bridges and narrow waterways. Stay on the public paths and keep noise low, since this is a lived-in neighborhood.
Finish on Abbot Kinney Boulevard at Gjelina, a popular vegetable-forward restaurant with small plates that are particularly good for sharing. Dinner is typically about $40–$70 per person before drinks and tip, and reservations are strongly recommended; without one, ask about the bar or wait-list options, especially on a busy evening. If you are driving, allow time to find paid street parking or use a nearby garage—walking or taking a short rideshare from the canals is often less stressful than circling Abbot Kinney.
Leave Santa Monica around 8:00 a.m. for The Getty Center in Brentwood; allow 30–60 minutes depending on traffic, then budget another 15–20 minutes for the garage, tram, and security. Admission is free, but the timed entry and parking reservation are separate—parking is typically around $25–$30, with reduced rates later in the day. Spend about three hours with the European paintings, modern galleries, Central Garden, and terraces overlooking Los Angeles. The café is convenient, but save your appetite for the next stop.
Take surface streets east toward The Original Farmers Market at Third Street and Fairfax, usually 20–35 minutes outside the heaviest traffic. This is a good relaxed lunch stop: try Du-par’s for pancakes or a classic plate, Magee’s Kitchen for a market institution, or L এ? Avoid overcommitting to one meal—the fun is grazing through several counters and browsing the small specialty shops. Allow roughly 1½ hours and $15–$30 per person. From the market, it is a short walk across the complex to The Grove, but keep the visit focused if you want enough time at the museum.
Continue south to La Brea Tar Pits and Museum in Miracle Mile, about 10–15 minutes by car. The museum and outdoor excavation sites make the Ice Age story unusually tangible, and 1½ hours is enough for the main galleries and a look at the active pits. Check the day’s museum hours before setting out; admission prices and outdoor access can vary, while the surrounding park is generally easier to visit. Street parking is limited, so use the museum lot or a nearby paid garage.
Allow 30–60 minutes to reach Griffith Observatory, with considerably more time possible around sunset. Traffic through Hollywood and Griffith Park can be slow, and parking near the observatory fills early; if spaces are unavailable, use the park shuttle when operating rather than circling indefinitely. Arrive before sunset to walk the terraces for views toward downtown and the Hollywood Sign, then spend about two hours with the exhibits and planetarium-area displays. The observatory is generally closed Mondays, and evening hours vary, so confirm the schedule and any planetarium reservations in advance. Bring a light jacket—the hilltop is noticeably cooler after dark.
After arriving at San Diego Santa Fe Depot, take a rideshare or the short MTS trolley connection toward Balboa Park; allow roughly 20–30 minutes door to door, including the walk from the station and any wait. Start around 9:30 a.m. at Balboa Park, wandering the central plazas, Alcazar Garden, and Casa del Prado area for about two hours. The park grounds are free, while individual museums charge separately; many museums open around 10 a.m., so treat this as an outdoor-and-architecture visit unless you have reserved a museum entry.
Walk or take a five-minute rideshare within the park to the San Diego Zoo for the main part of the day. Four hours gives you a satisfying overview without trying to cover every trail, and the zoo’s hills make comfortable shoes and water worthwhile. Advance admission is recommended, particularly during school holidays; adult tickets commonly run about $70–$80, with extras such as guided tours costing more. Have lunch inside the zoo for convenience, or grab something before entering near Park Boulevard—return entry is not always practical, so plan to stay through the afternoon.
If it is operating that day, browse Little Italy Mercato in the late afternoon; its schedule varies, so check the official market calendar before building the stop around it. From Balboa Park, a rideshare takes about 10 minutes, while the bus is cheaper but slower. Afterward, stroll through Waterfront Park and along the Embarcadero for 45 minutes, especially pleasant as the harbor lights come on. Finish at Ironside Fish & Oyster in Little Italy, where reservations are sensible for dinner; expect approximately $40–$70 per person before drinks and tip.
No packing list attached yet.