California landscape

Pacific · United States

California

Pacific cliffs, redwoods, and golden valleys.

Discover California

From the wine country of Sonoma to the Joshua trees of the Mojave, California is the most varied driving state in the union — coastal, alpine, and desert in a single fortnight.

Recommended Drives

Suggested itineraries

14 days

Pacific Coast Odyssey

Route: San Francisco → Monterey → Big Sur → Santa Barbara → Los Angeles → San Diego

The definitive Highway 1 drive with curated Big Sur lodges and a Hearst Castle private tour.

10 days

Sierra & Sequoia Circuit

Route: San Francisco → Yosemite → Mammoth Lakes → Sequoia → Death Valley → Las Vegas

Granite domes, ancient bristlecones, and the lowest point in North America.

Historic Route 66 — Curios, Pit Stops & Diners

16 days · Chicago to Santa Monica

Historic Route 66 — Curios, Pit Stops & Diners

Route: Chicago → Springfield IL → St. Louis → Springfield MO → Tulsa → Oklahoma City → Amarillo → Tucumcari → Albuquerque → Holbrook → Flagstaff → Las Vegas → Santa Monica / Los Angeles

The definitive end-to-end Mother Road self-drive — eight states from Lake Michigan to the Pacific, threading neon-lit motels, retro diners, ghost towns and roadside Americana. Tailormade with our DriveAmerica partners with curated overnights including the Wigwam Motel, La Posada and the Blue Swallow.

  • Chicago — Lou Mitchell's, the 'Begin' sign on Adams Street & Joliet's Route 66 Museum
  • Springfield, IL — Lincoln Tomb, Litchfield's Ariston Cafe & the Chain of Rocks Bridge
  • St. Louis — Gateway Arch, Ted Drewes frozen custard & Meramec Caverns
  • Springfield, MO — Route 66 Car Museum, Wagon Wheel Motel & Galena's 'Cars' tribute
  • Tulsa & Oklahoma City — Buck Atom's, the Golden Driller, Pops 66 Soda Ranch & the Milk Bottle Grocery
  • Amarillo — Cadillac Ranch, the U-Drop Inn, Leaning Tower of Texas & Big Texan Steak Ranch
  • Tucumcari & Albuquerque — Blue Swallow Motel, Tee Pee Curios, KiMo Theater & the 66 Diner
  • Holbrook & Flagstaff — Petrified Forest, Wigwam Village #6, La Posada Winslow & the Grand Canyon South Rim
  • Las Vegas — Neon Museum, Mob Museum & the Strip
  • Santa Monica — Roy's Cafe in Amboy, the original McDonald's, Beverly Hills sign & the End of the Trail at the Pier
Guided Tour: Rocky Mountain Frontiers

15 days · escorted · Denver to San Francisco

Guided Tour: Rocky Mountain Frontiers

Route: Denver → Rocky Mountain NP → Cheyenne → Mount Rushmore → Deadwood → Cody → Yellowstone → Salt Lake City → Canyonlands → Arches → Capitol Reef → Bryce → Zion → Las Vegas → Death Valley → Mammoth Lakes → Yosemite → San Francisco

An ATI-escorted American West epic with a professional Tour Director — the Mile High City, Trail Ridge Road, Cheyenne's railroad heritage, Mount Rushmore, Buffalo Bill's Cody, Yellowstone's geysers and wildlife, Mormon Salt Lake City, Utah's Mighty 5, the Strip, Death Valley, Mammoth Lakes and Yosemite before a San Francisco finale.

  • Denver — the Mile High City and the gold-domed State Capitol
  • Rocky Mountain National Park — Trail Ridge Road over the Continental Divide
  • Cheyenne — Wyoming's Old West capital and Old Number 4004 Big Boy locomotive
  • Mount Rushmore & Deadwood — the Black Hills, Fort Laramie & frontier gold-rush history
  • Cody — Buffalo Bill Museum and seasonal rodeos and gunfight reenactments
  • Yellowstone National Park — Old Faithful, Yellowstone Canyon, bison, bears & elk
  • Salt Lake City — historic Temple Square and the Mormon Tabernacle
  • Moab — Canyonlands, Dead Horse Point & two days exploring Arches National Park
  • Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon & Zion — the heart of Utah's Mighty 5
  • Las Vegas — two nights on the Strip with optional helicopter tours and shows
  • Death Valley & Mammoth Lakes — Zabriskie Point, Furnace Creek & the Sierra Nevada
  • Yosemite National Park — granite domes, waterfalls and giant sequoias
  • San Francisco — Union Square, Fisherman's Wharf, cable cars & the Golden Gate

Top Places To Visit

The unmissable California

01

Big Sur

Cliff-top driving where the Santa Lucia mountains meet the Pacific.

02

Yosemite National Park

Half Dome, El Capitan, and meadows of the Sierra Nevada.

03

Napa & Sonoma

California's wine country at its most refined.

04

Joshua Tree

High desert under some of the darkest skies in the lower 48.

Continue Exploring The Pacific