Monterey and Carmel One Day Tour from San Francisco
Find beauty and history around every corner on this Pacific Coast adventure
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
What's Included
- Entry to the 17-Mile Drive
- Pick up at two San Francisco locations
- Local expert guide (English)
What's Not Included
- Entry to Monterey Bay Aquarium
- Meals or beverages
- Guide gratuity (recommended)
Please 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. You 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.
Hug the Pacific Coast on Iconic Highway 1
After a pickup from a convenient hotel in San Francisco, 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
Children under the age of 8 must have an appropriate child seat for the tour.
Itinerary
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8:00 AM to 11:30 AM - Join the tour from one of the two locations in SF
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11:30 AM to 1:30 PM - Free Time to Explore Monterey
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1:30 PM to 4:00 PM - See the Beautiful 17-Mile Drive
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4:00 PM to 5:15 PM - Explore Charming Carmel-by-the-Sea
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5:15 PM to 7:00 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
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!
Jessica Keehn, Google
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
Charles Stoll , Google
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!
Karl Nichols , Google
Fun day, great service!
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...
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Denise Hallbäck , TripAdvisor
Fun day, great service!
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!
Denise Hallbäck , TripAdvisor
Excellent tour!
The Monterey and Carmel tour with Extranomical Tour was very good. Interesting commentaries and beautiful view. Driver was on time and very passionate.
Megane W., TripAdvisor
Would recommend this tour to friends and family!
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.
Aileen O., TrustPilot
Wonderful Day!
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!
rmW6717XN, TripAdvisor
Great Experience!
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.
sherik411, TripAdvisor
Excellent tour!
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 tour guide Doug and Jason were pretty amazing...
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Shubhankar Agarwal, Google
Excellent tour!
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 tour guide Doug and Jason were pretty amazing and Doug has thorough knowledge and passion and he 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.
Shubhankar Agarwal, Google
Perfect weather and an excellent tour guide!
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
Perfect weather and an excellent tour guide!
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.
mikecC7271SR, TripAdvisor
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FAQs
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Will I have time to visit Monterey Bay Aquarium?
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How much free time will I have in Monterey and Carmel?
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Will we stop at the Lone Cypress or Pebble Beach?
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Where is the stop for lunch? Are meals included?
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