California

Drive the Coast
Hit the road and cruise along California’s spectacular coastline. Jaunt past surfy beach towns, wildlife refuges, historical sites and awe-inspiring redwood forests.

Enjoy the hippie vibe of Santa Cruz then head on down Highway 1 to maritime Monterey and Big Sur. Cross into SoCal at San Luis Obispo and keep rolling down highway 101 until you reach glitzy Santa Barbara. Find honeyed, sun-stained wine country and rugged Channel Islands, otherwise known as the ‘Californian Galapagos’ thanks to the many unique species of plants and animals that can be found there. Just remember to take it slow and soak up this idyllic coast.

Go Whale Watching
Whale-watching trips head out from ports all along the California coast. Winter and Spring (December to April) are best for viewing California gray whales en route from Alaska to Mexico, while Summer and Fall (June to October) tend to be the best time to see humpbacks and blue whales heading north. Dolphins and porpoises can be spotted throughout the year.

Exlpore Natural Wonders
Take some time out and visit California’s great natural wonders. Bodie State Historic Park, on the 395 between Mammoth and Lake Tahoe, is a genuine California gold mining ghost town. Walk down the deserted streets of a town that once had a population of 10,000. Only a small part of the town survives, preserved in a state of “arrested decay” and interiors remain as they were left, stocked with goods.

Yosemite National Park, one of the first wilderness parks in the USA, and designated a World Heritage Site in 1984, is best known for its waterfalls. But within its 1170 square miles, deep valleys, spectacular granite cliffs, thousands of lakes, clear mountain streams and giant sequoia groves exist.

In far northern California lies the Shasta Cascade, covering 25% of the State and offers activities showcasing the interesting geological landscape, from waterfall safaris to exploring above and below ground in the Lassen Volcanic National Park.

Indulge in Glamour
Relive the magic and glamour of Hollywood's heyday at the Hearst Castle (hearstcastle.org), which is situated on the state's central coast halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Visitors can take a number of tours through the majestic castle to catch a glimpse of the estate's grand social rooms, winding staircases, cottage and gardens. As a romantic escapade, take an evening tour to see the castle's library, billiard room and theater.

Wine and Dine
For the foodie in you, visit California’s hottest culinary hubs; from emerging Oakland, known as the Brooklyn of California with 150 new restaurants to Carmel Valley & restaurants focusing on locally sourced, sustainable ingredients from the area’s farms, ranches and fishermen.

And for the wine lover in you, celebrate the good life at the superb wineries of Napa and Sonoma. Gentle rolling hills and vineyard-laced farmland make the area perfect for back-road driving or cycling. Along with famous chefs and cool shops, there's plenty of small-town appeal in towns such as St. Helena, Yountville, Sonoma, and Healdsburg. Time may seem to stand still in the iconic countryside, but the luxury and sophistication here are thoroughly modern.

From sun-drenched wine valleys to coastal surf, the glamour of Hollywood to the majesty of giant redwoods; a holiday in California will delight in every sense.

Browse our amazing range of holidays in California

Popular California holiday ideas

Hollywood glamour or LA cool? The sun of the wine valleys or the shade of the seqoia forests? With such a wealth of fantastic attractions on offer, it can be difficult to choose. We've collected our top tips for the attractions you shouldn't miss.

Top tips for visiting California

Top Tip 1

• California is a vast state—nearly 800 miles from north to south, making it larger than some European countries. Seeing all of it entails some travel time, which you should factor in if you want to see the whole state. Traveling from Los Angeles to San Francisco takes 6 to 8 hours by car.

Top Tip 2

• Before embarking on a roadtrip, decide which area of California you’d like to explore. Northern California offers wineries, rugged coastline, majestic Redwood forests and the historic cities of San Francisco, Eureka and Santa Cruz. Central California is home to the upscale, coastal Monterey; the cowboy town of Bakersfield; the former Gold Rush settlement of Kernville, and the Fresno-San Joaquin Valley, also known as California wine country. In the southern part of the state you’ll find the quaint, immaculate ocean-side town of Santa Barbara, as well as Los Angeles, Long Beach and San Diego.

Top Tip 3

• Determine how long you’d like to be on the road. A trip up the coast can be completed in as little as a day, but you won’t get to stop and see much. Plan on at least three to four days if you’d like to stop and explore; more if you’d like to stop and relax. If you’re traveling the state from south to north, you can zip up Interstate 5, which runs from San Diego to the California-Oregon border and winds through fruit orchards and rolling farmland. Or, you can take the more leisurely 101 Freeway which hugs the coast and offers stunning ocean and mountain scenery.

Top Tip 4

• On the coast, average yearly temperatures range between the low 40s°F (4.4°C) and in the high 70s°F (21.1°C) and 80s°F (26.7°C). Farther inland, summers are hot and dry, and at higher altitudes the weather is more typical of a four-season cycle with cold, snowy winters. The contrast is clear in the state’s two largest cities, where you’ll find very different weather patterns. San Francisco is famous for its fog — especially in the summer, and Los Angeles is known for its consistently sunny, coastal climate.

Top Tip 5

• California Restaurant Month in January is an ideal opportunity to sample the very best California produce prepared by world-renowned chefs and local family run restaurants across the State, and all at affordable prices.