Private Monterey and Carmel One Day Tour from San Francisco

Find beauty and history around every corner on this Pacific Coast adventure

This private day tour hugs the scenic Pacific Coast, then lets your group explore the Monterey’s Cannery Row and Old Fisherman’s Wharf. Relax along the 17-mile Drive to Pebble Beach and charming Carmel.

Departure : Any convenient location in the Bay Area
Duration : 11 hours
Free Cancellation: Full refund with cancellations 30 or more days before the departure date.
Ages: All ages
Ticket: email and mobile accepted

Highlights

  • Scenic coastal drive along California Highway 1
  • Cannery Row and Old Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey
  • Photograph stunning beaches on the 17-Mile Drive
  • Visit Pebble Beach Golf Links
  • Explore enchanting Carmel-by-the-Sea
  • All with your exclusive, private group

What’s Included

  • Entry to the 17-Mile Drive
  • Pick up at any Bay Area location
  • Local expert guide (English)
  • Guide gratuity

What’s Not Included

  • Entry to Monterey Bay Aquarium (unless arranged separately)
  • Meals or beverages
Note: This tour frequently sells out. Book as soon as possible to guarantee your seat.

Description

Monterey is an entertaining mix of wildlife, stunning coastline, and colorful history. Your group will walk in the footsteps of figures like Grapes of Wrath author John Steinbeck, who spent years living in and writing about this fascinating area. 

Your private tour can reflect the preferences of your group. Here is a typical Monterey & Carmel tour. 

Hug the Pacific Coast on Iconic Highway 1

After a pickup from a convenient Bay Area location, the tour heads down California State Route 1 toward Monterey along the picturesque Pacific Ocean. Grab a photo with the rocky coastline as your backdrop!

Keep an eye out for sea otters playing in the waters of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. This underwater park stretches hundreds of miles along the coast and is home to hundreds of species of marine mammals, birds, and fish.

Explore Attractions in Historic Monterey, CA

In Monterey, you’ll have free time to visit the world-famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. Or take the time to stroll out to Lovers’ Point, check out the boutiques that line historic Cannery Row, or grab a cup of hot chowder on Old Fisherman’s Wharf.

Take in the Coastal Vibe on the 17-Mile Drive

Back on tour, you’ll be treated to more beauty on the 17-Mile Drive which winds its way through the Del Monte Forest between magnificent multi-million dollar homes, spectacular coastline and the Pebble Beach golf course. Catch a photo of the hardy Lone Cypress Tree.

Stroll the White Sandy Beach in Carmel-by-the-Sea

Your Pacific Coast experience will arrive in charming Carmel-by-the-Sea in time to check out the quaint shops on Ocean Avenue or get some white Pacific sand between your toes at the beach. 

Things to Know About this Tour

Want to make changes to the itinerary described here? Just ask. Our private tours department is here to help with your private tour every step of the way. Requests may alter the quoted price. Reach us at: (415) 357-0700 or charters@extranomical.com.

Itinerary

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  • 8:00 AM to 8:30 AM Hotel Pickup, Head for the Coast

  • 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM Mile After Mile of Scenic Seashore

  • 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM Free Time to Explore Monterey

  • 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM See the Most Beautiful 17 Miles in America

  • 3:30 PM to 5:15 PM Explore Charming Carmel-by-the-Sea

  • 5:15 PM to 7:30 PM Return “All Smiles” to San Francisco

Times listed are approximations. Traffic and unforeseen events can cause delays.  

What Our Guests Are Saying About Us

Unforgettable Experience!

Our tour guide Randall was an excellent, all-around guy who made our day special and unforgettable. He is a wealth of information, considerate, kind and a safe driver. Would recommend this tour to friends and family!

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Aileen O , TripAdvisor

Interesting trip!

The driver/tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and well spoken on a number of topics. He made the trip very interesting! He also made a number of stops along the way that enhanced the experience.

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sherik411, TripAdvisor

Amazing tour guide!

Don was an amazing tour guide, got to saw some really cool places in Monterey as well as Carmel. He also took us to places that he knew we would enjoy seeing!

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, TripAdvisor

Excellent for Small Group

Excellent tour with a small group. Our tour guide, Brook was great and very knowledgeable of the area.I will highly recommend the tour

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MLS2112, TripAdvisor

Excellent for Small Group

Excellent tour with a small group. Our tour guide, Brook was great and very knowledgeable of the area.I will highly recommend the tour;however my only suggestion is that they should give more time in Monterrey than Carmel since the arrival in Monterrey is at lunch time and by the time you finish lunch you don't have enough time to go around the town and the little stores.

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MLS2112, TripAdvisor

What a view!

The Monterey and Carmel tour with Extranomical Tour was very good. Small group, interesting commentaries and beautiful view. Driver was on time and very passionate.

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Megane W., TripAdvisor

Highly recommended!

Our trip to Monterrey and Carmel had perfect weather and an excellent tour guide in Frank. We had a small group so it was easy to ask questions along the way and stop at scenery highlights enroute.

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mikecC7271SR, TripAdvisor

Highly recommended!

Our trip to Monterrey and Carmel had perfect weather and an excellent tour guide in Frank. We had a small group so it was easy to ask questions along the way and stop at scenery highlights enroute. Frank was very knowledgeable and very entertaining providing us very interesting information not only about our main two stops but about multiple locations along the way. Strongly recommend using Extranomical for your Monterrey tour.

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mikecC7271SR, TripAdvisor

Excellent tour, covered all the major spots along California coast from Santa Cruz to Monterey to Carmel by the sea with important stops along the coast with appropriate time to take photos.

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Shubhankar Agarwal, GetYourGuide

Excellent tour, covered all the major spots along California coast from Santa Cruz to Monterey to Carmel by the sea with important stops along the coast with appropriate time to take photos. Our your guide Doug and river Jason were pretty amazing and Doug has a thorough knowledge and passion and he was did an excellent job explaining all the important history on the tour. 17 Mile drive and pebble Beach were pretty amazing and beautiful. In Carmel, if you do not plan to shop, consider walking to the beach, it's a 0.5 mile walk slightly tedious walk (considering all the elevations) from the bus stop but it's worth it. In Monterey, aquarium will always be sold out when you arrive unless you dont book it prior, so 2 he is a little long, but considering it in life's lunch stop too, it totally makes sense. Apart from cannery row, consider taking a walk across lovers point trail in Pacific Grove which is just next to cannery row, it's pretty scenic.

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Shubhankar Agarwal, GetYourGuide

Loved this tour!

Loved this tour! We learned so much about the area from Alex. He’s a charismatic guide with a sense of humor. We had beautiful views along the coast. Highly recommend!

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Jessica Keehn , GetYourGuide

Beautiful Scenery!

Excellent tour. Great photo opportunities during the ride. Plenty of time at each stop. The tour guide was very nice and a lot of fun

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Charles Stoll (NMK71T), GetYourGuide

Well planned tour

We were pleasantly surprised with how nice everything was for the price. Quality coach bus, well planned tour, knowledgeable driver, beautiful sites. It was absolutely the highlight of our visit to the Bay area. Patrick the driver was amazing!

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Karl Nichols, GetYourGuide

Amazing 17 mile drive!

Really enjoyed going out of San Francisco and see more of California. The 17 mile Drive was amazing, Monterey was very pretty where you can have a nice lunch by the sea. Carmel was really cute, but a bit more "stuck up" than Monterey, another vibe basically, but equally pretty. If you want to see more of California when visiting San Francisco, this is a great tour. So recommend!

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Denise Hallbäck , GetYourGuide

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FAQs

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  • Will I have time to visit Monterey Bay Aquarium?

  • What will I see on the tour?

  • What should I wear?

  • What should I bring?

  • Is admission to the 17-mile drive included?

  • How much free time will I have in Monterey and Carmel?

  • Will we stop at the Lone Cypress or Pebble Beach?

  • Do you pick up outside of San Francisco?

  • Where is the stop for lunch? Are meals included?