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Home > San Francisco > Day Trips > Day Trip to Monterey and Carmel via California Coast
Day Trip to Monterey and Carmel via California Coast
USD $91.00

Day Trip to Monterey and Carmel via California Coast

San Francisco, United States of America

Travel with us down to California’s rugged coast, known as Highway 1. This stunning drive affords one amazing view after another. Enjoy the winding roads down the coastline as you sit comfortably in our luxury tour coach.

Travel with us down California’s rugged coast, known as Highway 1. This stunning drive affords one amazing view after another. Enjoy the winding roads down the coastline as you sit comfortably in our luxury tour coach. Soak in a bit of California history at Cannery Row. Enjoy the many local seafood restaurants and shopping options during a stop in Monterey, or for an additional fee explore the world-famous Monterey Bay Aquarium (payable on tour).

Continue down the coast, take in the cliff side views of Pacific Grove, 17 Mile Scenic Drive, and even enjoy the views from the world-renowned Pebble Beach Golf Course. Next, venture to Carmel-by-the-Sea where you will experience the sweeping views of this very quaint, art-loving town.

We invite you to join us on this wondrously scenic tour as you enjoy bits of California's history and pristine vista points of interest.
* Pacific Ocean
* Monterey’s Cannery Row
* Monterey’s Old Fisherman’s Wharf
* Monterey Bay Aquarium (additional cost for ticket)
* Pacific Grove
* 17-Mile Drive
* Pebble Beach Golf Resort
* Seal Rock
* Lone Cypress
* Mission Carmel
* Carmel by the Sea
* Silicon Valley

Sample Schedule of Itinerary:

9:00am – Depart San Francisco

10:45am – Davenport (Diner/Café/Restroom) - 15 to 20 Minutes

12:10-12:15 – Monterey / Cannery Row (2 Hours)

2:30-2:40pm – Depart Monterey

17 Mile Drive –

Photo stops: 1st stop - Bird Rock; 2nd Stop - Lone Cyprus, 3rd Stop - Pebble Beach Golf Course Club House (1st and 2nd Stops – 15 Mins; Pebble Beach – 20 Minutes)

4:20-4:30pm – Arrive to Carmel by the Sea (1.5 Hours)

5:45pm – Depart Carmel

8:00am – Arrival to San Francisco

*All times are approximate; and itinerary is subject to change without notice.

USD $91.00
Traveler Reviews
Review by:   Dave S,    April 2018 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
This is a good tour to see Monterey and Carmel without having to drive. The drive down is beautiful. Monterey is kind of touristy. Carmel is pretty authentic._br/_ It's a long day so be prepared for a lot of ride time.
 

Review by:   Claire L,    March 2018 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
This tour was fantastic, it gives you a real flavour of Monterey and Carmel by the Sea, my only complaint was I would have liked longer wherever we went! I highly recommend the aquarium, its amazing. The coach was really comfortable and our guide George was knowledgeable, so polite and very enthusiastic about where we were going. He really made the trip for us.
 

Review by:   Nicole L,    March 2018 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
When using Viator, I worked with Greyline unorganized, Extranomical toursok and Tower Toursamazing. Tower tours was in charge of this excursion which was beautiful, very professional and organized and we had a wonderful tour guide I can't remember his name- but I believe he was from France and lived in Argentina? some part of his life. Great views, great commentary- very accommodating gentleman. Would highly recommend this tour. Only thing- I wish we could've skipped Carmel and saw more of the 17 mile drive.
 

Review by:   Francis C,    March 2018 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
It was a nice pleasant tour of the California Coast
 

Review by:   Darla L,    March 2018 Review: 1 star rating: I do not recommend this
I was very exited about my day trip to Monterey and Carmel after reading the description on line, but was very disappointed by the end of the day. The free hotel pickup and drop off was good. We didn't have to figure out another form of transportation. Our first stop was in Davenport to use the restroom and purchase coffee or a bakery snack. This was rather hectic since the women's bathroom has 2 stalls and most of the bus was filled with women. We did see some ocean and cliff views out the bus window along the way to our next stop. The next stop was Monterey/Cannery Row where I chose not to go to the expensive aquarium for 1 hour and 15 minutes. This just did not seem like enough time. I did enjoy eating lunch at a seafood restaurant overlooking the bay and shopping in the town. Again we were reminded to use a restroom if possible before returning to the bus. The 17 mile drive had ocean views again, but when traveling so fast it is almost impossible to get pictures. Our next stop was Bird Rock, but was disappointed that we did not stop at Seal Rock that was mentioned in the description of the trip. Again we were reminded to use the restroom and there really was not much to take pictures of but a rock covered in bird droppings. We drove past the Lone Cyprus and had to quickly try and take pictures through the window and ended up with pictures that didn't turn out. That was the end of our ocean views. We then went on to Pebble Beach where we again were reminded to use the restroom. This stop was very disappointing if you are not interested in golf and seeing a couple greens. We went on the Carmel by the Sea. This was the biggest disappointment of all. We did not go anywhere near the beach and stopped at an expensive little mall with few places food could be purchased. We again were reminded to use the bathrooms. When asked about the beach we were told we were about 11 blocks away and wouldn't have time to go there. Not sure where the sweeping views of this very quaint, art-loving town were. Silicon Valley was mentioned in the dark as we were traveling back to San Fransisco. We were very glad to be dropped back off at our hotel.
 

Review by:   Elaine K,    March 2018 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
Our driver was superb! And getting picked up at our hotel was such a plus. We sat about 5 rows back with about 10 or so others on the bus and then had several more stops to pick up others. When we arrived at the tour office to pick up our tickets, everyone sitting behind us, about 20 or so, rushed ahead of us to get out of the bus in order to get their tickets first and get on line to re-enter the bus to get the best seats. We had to sit in the back of the bus for the entire tour and if you are 5' 2 or shorter, you cannot see over the seat in front of you. It made seeing the sites very difficult, having to stand up frequently. A mini bus would be the way to go next time.
 

Review by:   Dennis F,    February 2018 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Our tour guide, George was amazing. He provided an in-depth background of the region. The sights along the route were breathtaking. This is an organized professional touring company. We would schedule with this company for our future travels!
 

Review by:   clcarothers,    December 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
This trip exceeded our expectations. George, our tour guide, was awesome. He was informative and fun as we rode along Highway 1. We even took a trip to Pebble Beach along the way. Pick up and drop off at our hotel made the trip super easy. This trip is a must-do while visiting San Francisco.
 

Review by:   Beach Lover,    December 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
This was an amazing tour. I was on this tour by myself since my husband had a conference to attend. I never felt unsafe or worried. Our driver, George, was remarkable. I was picked up at my hotel and taken to the main location where I waited just a few minutes to get on the tour bus. When we left, traffic was heavy because of the Dreamforce conference. My favorite part of this tour was the amount of time we had in Monterrey. I ate lunch while in Monterrey and had time to walk around after lunch. My least favorite part was the amount of time we had in Carmel by the Sea. I wish we had spent more time there. It is an awesome little city with some great shops. Driving down the Pacific Coast Highway was amazing. The ocean is beautiful. I would definitely recommend this tour.
 

Review by:   George K,    December 2017 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
Very good tour. Excellent driver. Only suggestion: allocate a little more time for Carmel and a little less for Monrerrey.
 

Review by:   carlylee61,    November 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Great day out with beautiful views along the coast. Our fantastic driver Patric really made this tour with all his knowledge and information parted along the way. He was funny and gave helpful advise about where to eat for great service, photo opportunitys with plenty of time to get a great shot, and things to look out for. He even made some time to get a quick visit to Pebble Beach. Then we were delivered to our accommodation. Excellent day out.
 

Review by:   Tom,    October 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
I highly recommend this tour. The tour guide was incredibly knowledegable and personable - he knew pretty much everything about his subject and the local areas we were touring. This was also the only bus of all the tours I took from San Fran that had a bathroom on board. I really enjoyed the Monterey Aquarium - it was my son and I's first trip there and it is an amazing place. The 17 mile drive was especially beautiful with the scenic beaches, it was quintessential Northern California, Carmel, Pebble Beach, etc. It was nice to take the bus and not have to worry about doing the drive, then somebody could explain what we were looking at.
 

Review by:   Linda G,    October 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Long day, but definately worth all the travelling. Full bus, but not too large a group and the coast is truly beautiful we stopped at some nice places and plenty of time to take pictures and look around.
 

Review by:   Susan B,    October 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this tour! The bus was very comfortable and George our driver and tour guide pointed out many things of interest during the tour, The California Coast is very beautiful and well worth seeing. it is a long day so be prepared for that but I highly recomend this tour!
 

Review by:   BXFarquharson,    October 2017 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
Loved Carmel. Our driver was very good and informative. Wish we saw more scenic and landmarks of these two places rather than driving through neighborhoods.
 

Review by:   beryl h,    September 2017 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
All in all the tour is great, long, but great. You see a lot in a single day and the guide Adolfo added a lot of facts to what we were looking at. Two things ...they pick you up in one large bus they are on time so be out front when you are told and then bring you to their office where upi get off the bus, get another voucher, and then get on another bus buses are comfortable. Monterey, for me, was too long a stop. Cannery Row has a lot of gift shops, candy stores, and restaurants...nothing really to look at unless you go to the aquarium.
 

Review by:   Rosario H,    September 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
We really enjoyed this tour. Our driver was very informative and lots of fun. He was an excellent driver, too! We got to see a lot on this tour, and we have lots of wonderful memories.
 

Review by:   Kathey S,    September 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Wonderful!!! Our tour guide Adolfo was knowledgeable and made the tour fun.Couldn't have had a better experience!
 

Review by:   Roberto J V,    September 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Second time we take the tour, this time with our daughters. The scenery, the visited towns, the information given by the guides is entertaining, and interesting. The Monterey Aquarium is a most, and Carmel is a Jewel. Dont hesitate to take this tour.
 

Review by:   Elizabeth W,    August 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Throughly enjoyed our trip to Monterey and Carmel in our brand new bus with our amazing tour guide. his name eludes us but it was Wednesday 30th August he went out of his way to explain the various stops and give us excellent photo opportunities. He was informative, friendly and helpful. A great tour.
 

Review by:   Patrick G,    August 2017 Review: 3 star rating: Worth doing
Pleasant tour although the coastline was less impressive than I expected.
 

Review by:   Tatiana T,    August 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
I was positively surprised in the morning already, when a driver came to pick me up from my hotel with a nice smile an Lexus. I didn't expect such a personal treatment from Tower Tours! And I really enjoyed spending one day on the bus driving along the coast! Unfortunately, the weather was quite foggy the first half of the day and some of the beautiful views were rather blurred. However, it was compensated by a variety of stops we have made and nice pictures I managed to take. I especially enjoyed Monterey and my fantastic see food lunch at one of the restaurants recommended by the driver._br/_ Our driver Patrick was very considerate and attentive to the needs of the guests!_br/_ The tour was very well balanced and I can gladly recommend it to those guests like me who have only a very short time in San Francisco. It gives a very good overview of the surroundings and different aspects of life in San Francisco.
 

Review by:   amanda f,    July 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Very good tour. Our guide was Adolfo, he was fantastic from start to finish. Great sense of humour and very knowledgable . Try to get on the right side of the coach for the views. It was a long day , though it was jam packed full of sights. We loved seeing Monterey and Carmel and felt this was definitely value for money, lots to see if your on a time scale , would highly recommend .
 

Review by:   Jen,    July 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
So good! Tour guide was George, with Tower Tours, and he was fantastic. From start to finish the day was so informative, we did everything the trip says and more, and there and #39;s plenty time at each stop. Really recommend! Great value for money.
 

Review by:   tango8888,    June 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Beautiful scenery.
 

Review by:   Melanie P,    June 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Excellent tour. very beautiful and guide Patrick was full of information and tips.
 

Review by:   Ken P,    May 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
This is a trip well worth the time and cost. The scenery along the coast is breathtaking. Plenty to see and do in Monterey and Carmel. The 17 mile drive is fascinating and the stop at Pebble beach is a dream come true for golfing fans. Our tour guide, Adolfo, provided exceptional commentary of historical facts and information throughout the trip.
 

Review by:   Margaret K,    May 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Great day getting to see the coastline and Monterey and Carmel. Our driver, George, was excellent with great content in his commentary. It was a very relaxing day visiting these two beautiful towns and everything along the way. A great way to travel, just sit back and listen...
 

Review by:   Catherine D,    April 2017 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
In San Fran for 8 days, didn and #39;t want to rent a car so this was an excellent way to see some of the surrounding area. Our driver Patrick was excellent- informative, some anecdotal info and amusing- the perfect balance. Piece of advice- DON and #39;T do the optional aquarium visit- not enough time-need 3hrs!
 

Review by:   Julia R,    April 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Fantastic trip out. For the best seat you need to sit on the right side of the bus and if you can get the front seats. Our tour guide George was very knowledgeable and lovely. Would highly recommend this tour. Company very efficient picked us up from our hotel on time.
 

Review by:   anastasia k,    January 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Very good guide!
 

Review by:   Tracy H,    January 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
We had a great day, the weather was beautiful and the scenery amazing. We weren't 100 sure why we were dropped at a shopping centre in Carmel that didn't really offer anything to a tourist, but gather it was so the driver could have a break, and it was nice to have a stretch of the legs and a coffee, be nicer if they found somewhere else though, preferably closer to the water.
 

Review by:   Rick,    January 2017 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
A beautiful scenic drive along the coast._br/_ Monterey has quite a few nice restaurants with fantastic views, the aquarium however is the main attraction. The shops for the most part are very touristy._br/_ The 17 mile drive was also quite stunning with glimpses of whales in the ocean._br/_ Carmel had very upscale stores and we spent only an hour there, barely enough time to really appreciate the place, besides it was dark by the time we arrived. Would have liked to spend a bit more time in Carmel_br/_ Our tour guide Wille was very good and accommodating, but it was a bit disconcerting when he occasionally checked his I-pad while driving. Not good!!!!_br/_ The tour was an all day venture, three and a half hours drive each way, from and back to San Francisco._br/_ Other than the texting and driving the tour overall was quite worthwhile.
 

Review by:   Mark C,    October 2016 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
A long day but very enjoyable. Need to sit on the right side of the coach otherwise miss out good views of the ocean. Patrick was an excellent guide. Just to let you know Patrick that in some parts of the world it is illegal to turn right or left on a red light!!!!
 

Review by:   Daniel P,    September 2016 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
Our tour guide - George was great but we didn't enjoy stopping at one point to see seals in the distance and all the rocks in Pebble Beach/17 mile drive. We wanted to spend more than an hour in Carmel!!
 

Review by:   James M,    August 2016 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Disappointed that we could not spend more time @ Pebble Beach. The tour had gotten behind in time and we were unable to see everything..but we were probably the only golfers on the tour
 

Review by:   Le P,    June 2016 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
Vincent, our driver is super knowledgeable. He's a funny and friendly guy. He has a lot of good tips related to 'where to go, what to do'. Overall it was an enjoyable trip.
 

Review by:   Jill,    April 2016 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
A totally fantastic day out we had Willie as our driver and tour guide and he just made the day with all his great stories and his knowledge of the area was beyond compare. We were collected at our hotel and returned to our hotel a full 12 hours later with many stops off along the way, thanks for a great day out
 

Review by:   Joe,    March 2016 Review: 2 star rating: It was OK, but could have been better
The only worthwhile sight is the 17 mile drive. Apart from that, the various stops are all shops, man make attractions and nothing else. Pretty boring if one is after sights of natural beauty. My review may be bias as we have been all over the world and have seen better sights of outstanding natural beauty.
 

Review by:   Mary H,    March 2016 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
Tour guide George was both personable and knowledgeable. Scenery was magnificent Monterey Bay Aquarium just great...could have used more time there.
 

Review by:   Ann O,    March 2016 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
This was a very nice trip. George, the driver, was extremely knowledgeable, and had a running narrative for most of the way. The stops were well planned and just the right amount of time. It's a beautiful day trip, and cost was reasonable. One suggestion might be to have all riders say where they are from, which would encourage some togetherness during the stops. We seemed to start to communicate as the trip ended._br/_ All in all, I would highly recommend this trip.
 

Review by:   Patricia T,    October 2015 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
It was wonderful. everything from the hotel pick-up to the drop -off was great. Good scenery, good driver, good commentary , good food, and great sights.
 

Review by:   smbielak,    October 2015 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Tour company was great and the guide Patrick was outstanding.
 

Review by:   Patricia M M,    July 2015 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
Patrick was our guide and he was great. Very knowledgeable and made the day fun. The trip was value for money and very enjoyable.
 

All Traveler Reviews...

USD $91.00
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