City Fun & Scenic Drives - A Classic California Road Trip

Fifteen days down California from San Francisco to Los Angeles, which is the classic version of this trip and has the Big Sur coast in the middle of it.

San Francisco opens it with two nights, Haight-Ashbury and a guided bike tour taking in the Golden Gate, Alcatraz and the sea lions at Pier 39. Sonoma follows for two nights via Sausalito, with a guided vineyard bike tour and an optional wine blending class, which is more fun than another tasting.

Carmel-by-the-Sea then gets two nights, with the Mission San Carlos Borromeo, one of the oldest Spanish colonial missions on the coast, founded in 1770. A whale-watching trip runs out of Monterey, where a deep submarine canyon comes close inshore and brings grey, humpback and blue whales within reach, with orca occasionally in April and May.

San Luis Obispo follows for a night, with Hearst Castle nearby, the hilltop house William Randolph Hearst built and filled, and the model for Xanadu in Citizen Kane. Santa Barbara then gets two nights via Los Olivos and the Danish-themed town of Solvang, with the 1812 mission. Los Angeles closes the trip with two nights, Venice Beach, Hollywood and an optional studio tour. Original Travel include the hire car, accommodation, the bike tours and cruise, concierge access, a 24-hour helpline and carbon absorption. International flights and most meals are separate. Prices run from 4,600 to 7,350 pounds per person. Big Sur closes after landslides from time to time, so the coastal routing is worth confirming.