Tours in Big Sur

THE 10 BEST Big Sur Tours & Excursions

Big Sur Tours

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    Tours, activities and experiences bookable on Tripadvisor, ranked according to revenue made by Tripadvisor on those bookings, plus the number of page views by Tripadvisor users, and the quantity and quality of reviews
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Keep the fun going with other experiences in the area

Things to do ranked using proximity and other Tripadvisor data including bookings, reviews, ratings, and popularity
E-Bike Tours
2–3 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 98% of travelers
This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher
from
$75.00
per adult
Adventure Tours
2–3 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 99% of travelers
This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher
from
$75.00
per adult
E-Bike Tours
2–3 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 96% of travelers
This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher
from
$75.00
per adult
Adventure Tours
2–3 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 100% of travelers
This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher
from
$75.00
per adult

What travelers are saying

  • Patricia A
    2 contributions
    The tour was actually really good. I only rated 4 because the tour should be updated to notify that a landslide has caused a big chunk of the tour to not be available. I am not disappointed because I enjoyed the drive.
    Review of: Big Sur Self-Driving Audio Tour in California (Highway 1, Pacific Coast Highway)
    Written June 19, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • George L
    1 contribution
    App worked great using the GPS feature. Interesting tidbits given during the drive but there’s too many blank or silent spots during the drive. If you’re using the app and using Bluetooth to connect to your car radio, this means a silent ride for the majority of the trip. It would be nice if there were some background music that accompanied the narrative, particularly during silent passages. Perhaps if the app can integrate another audio app such as Pandora, Apple Music, Amazon or a local radio station app, this would be awesome!
    Review of: Highway 1 Self-Driving Audio Tour (Pacific Coast Highway)
    Written May 5, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Craig C
    4 contributions
    We are a family from Sydney Australia and had an amazing time with Pep our tour guide.

    Pep is a fantastic guide and full of local knowledge. We were able to spend extra time at Santa Cruz, Monterey and Pebble Beach. To be honest we could have spend a week seeing this beautiful part of the US.

    I highly recommend contacting Pep and going on a private tour instead of a large bus group. The flexibility was appreciated and we all had a great time.

    We would love to see the places again
    Review of: Monterey, Carmel and Big Sur Private Day Trip from San Francisco
    Written June 3, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Mike M
    1 contribution
    Just a gorgeous drive and a really fun and educational tour. Love how the tour is able to trigger important spots as you drive along. Really enjoyed learning a bit about the history of the area. Fun little day trip for my wife and I. Highly recommend this tour for anyone looking for a little weekend adventure.
    Review of: Driving the California Coast: A Self-Guided Audio Tour
    Written May 29, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

See what travelers are asking

Forum posts were selected by looking for forum titles asking specific questions and taking the top showtopic page by total pageviews as the optimal topic.
Like everyone else I am beyond excited about the HWY 1 opening!
Going to be staying in Cambria overnight (going to Hearst Castle, elephant seals) and then driving up to Carmel, just wondering what people opinon's of must see's / stops we should plan on making in Big Sur? (I have been to Point Lobos but nothing south from there)

Thanks! =)
Answer: A big part of the draw of Big Sur is the scenery, of course, so just driving through and looking at the view is great. And then there are plenty of places to stop along the way, depending on what you like to do and how much time you have. if you are visiting Hearst Castle and then driving up to Carmel the first day, try to get the first tour of Hearst Castle in the morning so that you'll have the whole afternoon for the drive. The drive itself will take about 3 hours.

For stops, here are some ideas:

Sand Dollar Beach - nice sandy beach, short, but steep trail to the beach

Limekiln State Park - a few easy trails through a 2nd growth redwood forest, also some beach access

McWay Falls - Julia Pfeiffer Burns State park - short walk to an overlook to see the falls

Pfeiffer Beach - Pretty beach with some purple-ish sand and cool rock formations just off shore

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park - Old growth redwood groves and some hiking - check the condition of trails online - some are still closed from a fire a couple years ago

Andrew Molera State Park - A few different hiking trails of varying difficulty and lengths, hike to a couple cool beaches.

Garrapata State Beach - Wide sandy beach accessible by stairs or short trails.
Note that forum content are individual perspectives of forum posters and not the opinion of Tripadvisor

Big Sur: Tours Information

Tours19
Tours Prices From$8
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