Bus Tour from San Diego to San Francisco provides a stunning alternative to the usual 500-mile road trip in-between these two legendary California cities. The majority of people who are not driving would simply take a quick flight, but we think the coastal route deserves a lot more than just a glimpse from 30,000 feet.
Why would you want to spend 5½ to 7 hours on an Amtrak train when you can miss the breathtaking scenery of a short flight and experience California’s splendid coastline up close with a bus tour? Although there is a lack of guided tour options specifically from San Diego to San Francisco bus tour, our well-structured plan includes the places our kids will love like SeaWorld San Diego, LEGOLAND California, and even the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. To top it off, you can save up to 55% on the ticket prices by buying special passes when visiting these attractions. We are excited to share with you the perfect coastal trip with the help of this post, which weaves together the must-see stops with ways to soak up this unforgettable California adventure.
San Diego: Where Your Coastal Journey Begins
Prior to going on your beach escapade, make sure you delve into the city of America’s Finest San Diego. With 70 miles of unspoiled beaches, San Diego is full of fun and interesting things to do that it takes at least a day to see them all.
Top Attractions To Explore Before Departure
Balboa Park is San Diego’s largest cultural jewel of the 1,200-acre area that features 16 museums, stunning gardens, and the world-famous San Diego Zoo. The zoo, especially, boasts over 3,000 animals in natural habitats and, is visited by approximately 5.6 million people every year.
Where to head next for history lovers is the USS Midway Museum providing an intriguing look into naval history. This aircraft carrier that was the longest one of the 20th century and has now been decommissioned, is the most popular museum in San Diego, receiving more than one million visitors annually.
Furthermore, there is La Jolla Cove with its breathtaking ocean views, the historic Gaslamp Quarter with its energetic nightlife, and Old Town – the origin of California going back to the 1820s, that you should also see.
Best Time To Start Your Bus Tour
From September to November, the weather is quite pleasant and there is a small number of tourists in San Diego as well as in San Francisco. So, you can say that fall is an ideal time to go to both cities. It is also a fact that quite often the price of trips in winter, which lasts from December to February, is cheaper, however, it can be very freezing and not nice to the visitors.
To be away from the suffocating traffic jam, and especially in the area of Los Angeles, it is better that you leave San Diego at dawn, around 7:30 in the morning. With this timetable, you will be able to reach LA in the middle of the morning and continue your journey to the north before the rush hour of the afternoon.
Packing Tips For A California Road Trip
Strategic packing is what separates a great road trip from a disaster on the road, well beyond 500 miles.
- Comfort layers: The coastal climate of California can be very variable, it can be sunny and warm one moment and cold and windy the next, especially in the early morning or near Big Sur
- Electronics essentials: Keep chargers and power banks close at hand as navigation apps can be battery-consuming very quickly
- Hydration and snacks: Have a reusable water bottle and some packaged snacks with you instead of relying only on bus stops to quench your thirst and fill your stomach
- Medications: Make sure you keep any prescription medications in your carry-on bag together with basics like anti-nausea pills for winding coastal roads
- Light entertainment: Having a small backpack with some reading materials or downloaded shows can make your 10-12 hours journey much more pleasurable
Also, do not forget that most bus services provide quite a liberal luggage allowance, with the undercarriage being the place for heavy or bulky bags and the overhead compartment for the essentials that you will need during the ride.
Scenic Stops Between San Diego and Los Angeles
The coast road trip from San Diego to Los Angeles is filled with lovely views and relaxing stops that show the sparkle of Southern California. In fact, these places are made for you to restore your energy and enjoy nature while your bus goes on to the north.
La Jolla And Torrey Pines State Reserve
La Jolla Cove is just 25 minutes away from the center of San Diego by car. The hills here rise up above the water, giving great views out to the ocean. Being a marine reserve, it is a perfect place to snorkel and see one can find giant sea bass, barracuda, orange Garibaldi, and turtles. Just down the road, the cliffside of Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, the home of the rarest pine in America, is “blowing up”. Pinus torreyana is growing here and no other place in the United States and only on Santa Rosa Island off the coast of Santa Barbara. The 1,750-acre reserve is a tough but lovely area, with towering cliffs and steep ravines leading to the ocean.
Dana Point And Laguna Beach
As you travel north, Dana Point is a marine life destination that is often referred to as the “Dolphin & Whale Capital of the World”. The harbor is full of all kinds of recreation amenities, boater services, and a unique shopping experience. Nature fans should definitely go to Salt Creek Beach or take a hike up the beautiful Bluff Top Trail.
Laguna Beach is a stunning place with ocean cliffs, beaches, and tide pools. This artistic town is home to more than 100 art galleries and unique shops. The top spot for buying fresh local vegetables, fruits, and bakery products is the Certified Farmers’ Market (8am-12 noon, Saturdays).
Santa Monica Pier And Pacific Park
With its vibrant 100-year history, the Santa Monica Pier is located just 3 miles from downtown Los Angeles and is the final point of Route 66. The pier is the place to be in the summer with a Ferrari Wheel solar powered along the beach and a hippodrome carousel. The landmarks of Los Angeles and a jewel of the city are visible from the top of the Pacific Wheel with some 1,200 square miles of the Pacific Ocean in the distance.
At the same time, the Santa Monica Pier is perfect for art lovers due to the interesting pieces exhibited throughout the site and a unique art gallery underneath the pier. On the other hand, the Aquarium has become an education center highly committed to the environment due to the dissemination of correct information about the ecosystem with the help of 22 staff members and over 500 volunteers.
Los Angeles to San Francisco: Highlights Along the Way
The incredible scenery of the Pacific Coast of California really starts to reveal itself as we move further north from Los Angeles. The segment of the trip has some of the most visually stunning nature to be found on the whole bus tour.
Santa Barbara And Solvang
With its Spanish colonial style buildings and a Mediterranean kind of atmosphere, Santa Barbara, known as the “American Riviera,” charms the visitors. A little away from the coast, the Danish village of Solvang with its windmills and half-timbered buildings takes the travelers to Europe. Eat real aebleskiver (Danish pancake balls) at the bakeries in town or come in September when there is a festival of Danish Days celebrating with traditional costumes and parades.
Big Sur And Bixby Bridge
One of the engineering wonders of the world is definitely the Bixby Bridge that towers over the Bixby Creek with the height of 260 feet. It was built in 1932. The best and the safest views can be enjoyed if you park your car at the north-end turnout as there is no pedestrian walkway along the bridge itself. You can also think of bringing a windbreaker with you since the coastal winds can be quite strong at any time of the year.
Monterey Bay and Carmel-by-the-Sea
The translucent Sunset Center as the gallery for the local masterworks vividly displays the world’s most famous landscape artists, the California Impressionists, will not outshine the brilliant art of the environment. The whine of the velvet sky and the sea is wrapped up in a fan of cypress, offering one of the most spectacular views in North America. Carmel-by-the-Sea might be the quintessence of the lavish yet unpretentious California dream from yestery
17-Mile Drive and Pebble Beach
The 1.5 million visitors annually are welcomed by this secluded and picturesque drive. Trace the route marked with the red dashes and experience the nature at one of the world’s oldest living things, the 250-year-old Lone Cypress, and Bird Rock where you can watch the noisy sea lions.
Santa Cruz Boardwalk
The San Diego Looff Carousel(1911) is the place that has kept people entertained in California for more than a hundred years and it is one of the only 20 machines in the world that still has a ring dispenser and the Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster, the work of 47 days only, and it was made in 1924.
Arriving in San Francisco: What to See and Do
Next up after your ocean odyssey is a colorful city just begging to show you what it’s all about, so let’s land our bus tour in a high-traffic enjoy-it-all-attractions-no-holds-bar place.
Golden Gate Bridge and Fisherman’s Wharf
The landmark, the Golden Gate Bridge which does stand out and is a bit scary, is 746’ tall and stretches 1.7 miles over the Golden Gate Strait. One of the best pictures of this popular landmark can be taken from either Battery Spencer or Baker Beach. Since you are around here, allow me to take you to the most vibrant and kid-friendly area of the city, Fisherman’s Wharf. In addition to the sea lions at Piers 39, the Ghirardelli chocolate is an absolute must for you.
Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tours
Big Bus Tours’ open-top double-deckers are the best way to see San Francisco in a few hours. Their Essential Ticket offers a 24-hour hop-on, hop-off pass, a sunset tour, and a digital walking tour. There are 18 stops and the busses come every 15 minutes, thus it is very convenient to get to all the major landmarks.
Aquarium Of The Bay And Sfmoma
See beautiful sea creatures at the Aquarium of the Bay, which is home to 20,000 local animals in 300-foot tunnels that hold 700,000 gallons of bay water. Not far away, art lovers may go to SFMOMA that has seven gallery floors with the world-famous works on display.
Bridge 2 Bridge Cruise Experience
The magnificent 90-minute cruise is sure to delight as it goes beneath both the Bay and Golden Gate bridges and allows you to see Alcatraz, Coit Tower, and the city skyline from a way that no other vessel can. The commentary comes in 16 different languages.
Tips For Exploring San Francisco Without A Car
Therefore, it sometimes turns out that non-automobile navigation is simpler and less expensive. Go to Fisherman’s Wharf by utilizing the F-Line streetcar or Powell-Hyde Cable Car. Some of the locals also combine the means of transport i.e. they walk on nice days, take a bike if they are in a hurry, thus a car-free trip doesn’t cause them any problems.
Conclusion
The trip from San Diego to San Francisco bus tour is really one of the most beautiful coastal drives in the US. Instead of flying quickly from one city to the other, a bus tour gives us the opportunity to enjoy each mile of the amazing California coast. We have uncovered innumerable jewels to open during this 500-mile journey – from the cultural delights of San Diego to the world-famous landmarks of San Francisco.
Autumn months provide the ideal combination of nice weather and not too many people for this outing. Careful timing of departures in the morning allows us to be free of the heaviest traffic passing through big cities. Moreover, good packing decisions make the 10-12 hour trip through different microclimates more comfortable.