Monterey, Carmel and 17-Mile Drive: Full Day Tour from SF

Overview

Available languages

English

11 hours

Mobile ticket

Cruise along California's spectacular coastline on a relaxing day trip from San Francisco. Follow Highway 1 and enjoy stops at Pigeon Point Lighthouse and in Davenport for a quick coffee and snack.

Back on the road traveling by Monterey Bay and Peninsula, to the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium and Steinbeck's Cannery Row. Explore Monterey's charming shops or choose to go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Two hours is ample time for pictures and Instagram posts of everything you are experiencing.

See the stunning estates of 17-Mile Drive, as well as Bird Rock, Lone Cypress, and world famous, Pebble Beach Golf Course.

Arriving in Carmel-by-the-Sea, known for the museums and library of the historic Carmel Mission, and the fairytale cottages, and galleries of its village like center.

11 hours of breathtaking sightseeing, unique shopping, historical landmarks, mouth-watering culinary innovation.

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Service animals allowed

Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What To Expect

Pacific Coast Highway

The lighthouse, constructed in 1871, serves as a guiding beacon for ships navigating the Pacific coast of California. It proudly stands as the tallest lighthouse along the West Coast of the United States and continues to play an active role in assisting the Coast Guard in navigation. During the journey, travelers will have the chance to disembark from the bus to capture memorable photos with the lighthouse as their backdrop or enjoy a brief stroll down to the nearby beach.

Admission Not Applicable

Pigeon Point Light Station

Tallest lighthouse on the west Coast of the United States. it is still an active Coast Guard aid to navigation. Explore the lighthouse or a quick walk down to the beach.

15 minutes • Admission Not Applicable

What‘s Included

Transport by air-conditioned luxury motor-coach with a professional guide

Day-trip to Monterey and Carmel

2 hours stop at Monterey Bay

1 hour stop at Carmel by the Sea

Entrance fee for the 17-Mile Drive Included

Stops at Pigeon Point Lighthouse, Pebble Beach, Bird Rock and the Lone Cypress

not included

Food and drinks

Hotel Pick-up & drop-off

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Options

Monterey and Carmel

Reviews

4.24

2,185 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

1278

464

224

126

George was an excellent...
Patricia H,,Jan 27, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
George was an excellent driver and guide with great communication throughout the tour. The mini bus was not comfortable as it was very bumpy and it certainly was not a luxury coach as advertised which was disappointing as it was a long day.
A wonderful experience
Navah K,,Jan 24, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Plenty of pit stops for food and restrooms. The guide was exceptional. He narrated history and points of interest continuously. He has a load of knowledge that he generously shared about the places we visited and passed through. He was friendly and ready to engage.
Memorable day out. Great tour and Don was a brilliant guide.
U4730YFgeorgeh,,Jan 10, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We had a great day out on this trip on the 3rd Jan. I have always wanted to visit Carmel, my late Dad always mentioned how much he loved it when he visited, and to be able to go to places along the Pacific coastal highway, so I thought this was a great way to do it whilst on holiday in SF. Our tour guide was Don, he was a great guide for the day. Kept us entertained from start to finish, with lots of stories and info about California and the places we were visiting. He also has a history of studying marine biology, so shared some interesting facts about this as marine life is a fundamental part of this area of California. I particularly found his talk about John Steinbeck interesting as we drove through Salinas (aka. Steinbeck country), as well as the stories of his cat, Errol who he says he takes on trips with him sometimes 🤣. We had to leave our cat in a cattery whilst away so it was fun to hear his stories of his cat whilst we were missing our own. Don managed our time at each stop very efficiently, making sure we all got to see the picturesque spots and get sufficient shots of the amazing scenery along the way. This was also helped by all of our fellow travellers making sure they were back to the bus at the time Don had given us which was good. He mentioned that it was his favourite tour to take people on, out of the tours the company offers, and you could tell he was genuinely interested and happy to share his knowledge and stories with everyone. The tour time was managed so well that we got to go to each spot for the alloted time in our itinerary, and then even managed to get an extra 20 minutes in Carmel to explore which I was very happy about. This gave us time to visit the beach for a walk (very important to me as my late father had always wanted to take us there), as well as having a stroll around the town. Overall it was a great day that we will both remember for the rest of our lives, we had a great time in San Francisco, and also went on a brilliant tour to Yosemite earlier in the week. I would highly recommend these guided tours to anyone thinking about going. They're well worth the money.
We are the Millers
Bruce M,,Jan 8, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00
The trip is very scenic and fascinating. It’s quite a long day. Our driver was informative but made sure we kept to a schedule.
Great day. Views were...
Debbiehall24,,Jan 6, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Great day. Views were amazing. Monterey and Carmel were beautiful. Don was a very knowledgeable guide. Well worth the money.
Good tour - recommended if you are visiting San Francisco
Chaitali C,,Dec 21, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Good one-day tour. We covered all the places mentioned on the itinerary. Staff was good and provided adequate stops on the way and back.
Good experience from Asia customers
zc70552,,Dec 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Received good experience from Gray Line Tour, the customer service was professional and attentive. However, I suggest this tour can have longer time to stay in Monterey in case people want to go to the aquarium. The stop only allows you to go to the restaurant, my opinion is Carmel doesn’t even worth to go.
Sightseeing the coast
uyen n,,Nov 14, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00
Beautiful way to see the California coast. Many different points of interest. Find it easier to have a tour group, cuz you just sit back and enjoy the scene s.
An excellent trip and would return to some of the places we visited.
Michelle R,,Oct 27, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
If you want to see the California coast this day trip from San Fran is not to be missed. I loved every part of this trip and the views were memorable. The driver/guide Thomas was friendly, knowledgeable, and he made it a relaxing day whilst also keeping to a busy itinerary of stops. I loved Monterey and Carmel.
Glad we took the tour
94MM,,Oct 26, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00
The scenery was spectacular. Also, we purchased tickets to the Monterey aquarium. Really special. Our tour guide -Jerry did not appear to be very informative. In addition, he didn’t have skilled people skills at all. He shared a lot about his cars, motorcycles and life. We paid a lot of money to learn about the area and sights along the way. He didn’t engage personally with the group. Great driver -just needs more training being a tour leader.