A 7-DAY southern CALIFORNIA road trip travel plan

Posted: 6/29/20 | June 29th, 2020

I’ve been on lots of road trips around the us over the years. It’s by far my favorite way to explore the country.

One state in particular is best for road-tripping: California.

Occupying much of the West Coast, California is home to nearly 40 million people. here visitors will find high mountains, gigantic trees, scrubby deserts, green valleys, sensational beaches, and lively cities. It’s its own little country in some ways.

Since California is so big, I’m going to do a series of articles that cover road trips in the state, as it’s better to focus on smaller areas so you can really soak up and take pleasure in each region. In travel, less is typically more.

To kick off the series, here is a one-week travel plan for southern California:

Days 1–2: Los Angeles

Start in Los Angeles, a city I’ve come to love. It’s not a city for tourists. everything is spread out, so you need a car, but the traffic makes getting around a pain. But, if you can take pleasure in its slow pace, diverse food and drink scene, and picturesque hikes, you’ll get a taste of what it’s like to live there. One must check out LA the way one would spend a Saturday.

The city has a lot to do. here are some of my personal favorite activities:

Stroll down Hollywood Boulevard – Don’t miss the walk of fame (where celebrities have their names engraved in the sidewalk) and Grauman’s Chinese Theatre (featuring stars’ handprints and footprints).

Visit LACMA – With over 150,000 works, the Los Angeles county museum of Art is the largest art museum in the western US. It has collections from pretty much every era throughout history and every region of the world. Admission is $25 USD.

Hike to the Hollywood sign – While you can snap pictures of the sign from pretty much anywhere in town, it’s also possible to hike up to the sign itself to take in the view. The three trails (from easiest to hardest) are the Mt. Hollywood Trail, the brush Canyon Trail, and the Cahuenga height Trail.

Browse The Last Bookstore – This is one of my favorite bookstores in the world. It sells books and records, has art displays, and features a amazing upstairs area with low-cost books. browse the shelves, get hold of a coffee, and get a book!

Hit the beach – There are a lot of amazing beaches in and around Los Angeles. some of the best are: Venice Beach, Carbon Beach, Santa Monica state Beach, Huntington City Beach, and El Matador.

See the Getty museum – opened in 1997 as part of the enormous Getty Center, this museum has a diverse collection of paintings, manuscripts, drawings, and other artwork from the eighth century to present day. Admission is free.

Go hiking – LA has a lot of hiking trails, so it’s easy to connect with nature. Some worth checking out are the Charlie Turner trail (90 minutes), Baldwin Hills (30 minutes), Runyon Canyon (45 minutes), Portuguese bend Reserve (3 hours), and Echo mountain (3–3.5 hours).

See the Le Brea Tar Pits – These natural asphalt pits are located in Hancock Park and have existed for upwards of 50,000 years. tons of fossils, preserved for centuries, have been found in them. The museum has lots of interesting information about the pits and how they pertained to be.

For a lot more things to see and do, here’s my complete guide to Los Angeles.

Los Angeles also has many food options. Some places I love are Musso & Frank Grill, Dan Tana’s, meals by Genet, The Butcher’s Daughter, Sugarfish, and Thai Pepper.

Where to Stay

Banana Bungalow Hollywood – A chill, laid-back hostel that’s incredibly social and organizes lots of activities.

Freehand Los Angeles – This hostel/hotel features designer rooms with comfortable beds, a rooftop pool and bar with fantastic views of the city, a lobby bar, a restaurant, and even a fitness center.

For a lot more suggestions, here’s my complete list of favorite hostels in Los Angeles!

Days 2–3: San Diego

Two hours down the coast is San Diego. It’s a popular city for sure, but not as popular as some others. Personally, though, after LA, it’s my favorite spot in the state! It’s much easier to navigate and cheaper, and it has fantastic weather, amazing beaches, and plenty of terrific bars and restaurants. spend two nights here.

Here are some things to do during your visit:

Tour the USS Midway museum – This aircraft carrier was the largest ship in the world until 1955. It saw action in many conflicts before being decommissioned in 1992 and turned into a museum. You can explore the flight deck as well as lots of of the rooms below.

Have fun at Belmont Park – This kitschy amusement park is ideal next to the ocean and best for some cheesy fun. It has a few classic rides as well as games and lots of greasy (and delicious) food and snacks.

Go surfing – Whether you’re a veteran or a newbie, get hold of a board and hit the waves. There’s some amazing surfing here. You can normally rent a board for around $30 USD a day. 90-minute lessons cost around $70 USD.

Visit the San Diego Zoo – located in Balboa Park (see below) and with over 3,500 animals and 700,000 plant species, the San Diego Zoo is a massive, 1,800-acre park where you could easily spend an entire day. It’s one of the best zoos in the country and a terrific choice for any individual traveling with kids.

Explore Balboa Park – This is one of the oldest recreational parks in the US. In addition to the zoo, there are dozens of museums, as well as gardens, walking paths, sports fields, stadiums, theatres, and more. It’s a enormous cultural center and green space with a lot to see and do.

Enjoy Pacific beach – Head to Pacific beach if you want to soak up the sun, surf, or choose a swim. The area is also known for its nightlife and uses lots of bars, clubs, and restaurants.

Go whale-watching – between December and April, California gray whales migrate from Alaska to Mexico. They can grow up to 49 feet long and are extraordinary to see up close. excursions normally cost around $35 USD.

Hike point Loma – This peninsula is where Europeans first arrived in California. You can walk out to the idea and take pleasure in the sweeping views of the ocean, check out the old lighthouse (built in 1855), and enjoy locals climb the cliffs of Osprey Point.

Where to Stay

HI San Diego – This hostel organizes tons of events and tours, includes complimentary breakfast, and has a big kitchen so you can cook your own food to save money.

ITH adventure Hostel – This eco-hostel has a vegetable garden (and gives complimentary veggies to guests), a recycling and compost program, and even backyard chickens. There is lots of outdoor common space to kick back in too.

For a lot more suggestions, here’s a list of my favorite hostels in San Diego!

Days 3–5: Joshua Tree national Park

Sandwiched between the Mojave and Colorado Deserts, Joshua Tree national Park is home to an extraordinary landscape. Swaths of cacti and towering boulders dot the arid panorama, all peppered by the popular Joshua trees and their distinct twisting trunks and branches.

It’s an otherworldly spot, a Martian landscape best for hiking, camping, and escaping the busy cities along California’s coast. There are many trails to enjoy, ranging from short and easy to multiday challenges. Some suggestions:

Ryan mountain – A steep 3-mile hike using some extraordinary views.

Wall street Mill – An easy 2.8-mile hike that leads to an old mill used to refine ore during from gold mining.

Split rock loop – A quiet 2-mile hike with lots of neat rock formations.

Barker Dam trail – A 1.1-mile loop using a chance to see rabbits, bighorn sheep, and all kinds of birds.

The visitor center has a lot more information and trail maps. It’s only $30 USD for a seven-day automobile pass, which is good for multiple entries in case you stay outside the park itself. The park is three hours from San Diego.

Where to Stay
Airbnb is the best option here if you don’t have your own camping gear, although there are also glamping and a lot more rustic options around the area too. If you want to stay in an RV, check out RVshare, an budget-friendly sharing economy option for renting RVs.

Days 5–7: Sequoia national Park & Kings Canyon national Park

Start early and head to Sequoia national Park. It’s a long drive from Joshua Tree (it takes about 4-6 hours to get there).

The park itself is composed of towering redwoods and sequoias, some of the greatest trees in the world. I’m talking trees so thick you can drive a automobile through them and so tall that you can’t see their crown!

Start things off by checking out the gigantic forest museum to learn about the geography, history, and value of the park. Afterward, walk big Trees Trail, a short loop that will get you in and among the trees. It also has the largest single-stem tree in the world, “General Sherman”!

For a sweeping view of the forest, hike up Moro Rock. Standing 250 feet tall, it’s a enormous granite dome that juts out of the surrounding hills and forest. stairs and a viewpoint were built into the rock itself so you can climb to the top safely and take pleasure in the splendid vista.

While you’re here, check out nearby Kings Canyon national Park, a mountainous park with stunning lakes, valleys to hike, and spectacular views. It’s also where you can see “General Grant” (the third largest tree in the world). For a picturesque drive, cruise the Kings Canyon picturesque Byway, a narrow road along the side of a mountain that uses a lot more picturesque views of the rugged landscape.

Where to Stay
There are lots of places to camp here, both inside and outside of the parks. However, if camping isn’t your thing (it’s not really mine), there are plenty of lodges and hotels in the area. You can find them by means of Booking.com.

Day 7: Head back to Los Angeles

After that, it’s back to LA. It’s only a 3.5-hour drive, so if you’re not in a hurry, take pleasure in the desertVisninger og stopp underveis hvis du ser noe som vekker din interesse.

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California er en vesentlig stat med ubegrenset veitrippingspotensial. Og selv om det er en million forskjellige ruter du kan ta for en syv-dagers tur, tror jeg at denne reiseplanen dekker noe av det beste av SoCal.

Bestill turen til USA: Logistiske ideer og triks
Bestill flyet ditt
Bruk Skyscanner eller Momondo for å finne en rimelig flytur. De er mine to favoritt søkemotorer fordi de søker på nettsteder og flyselskaper over hele kloden, slik at du alltid vet at ingen stein blir igjen. Begynn med Skyscanner først, fordi den har størst rekkevidde!

Bestill innkvarteringen din
Du kan bestille vandrerhjemmet ditt med Hostelworld, ettersom de har den største varelageret og de beste tilbudene. Hvis du vil bo et annet sted enn et herberge, kan du bruke booking.com, da de konsekvent returnerer de billigste prisene for gjestehus og hotell.

Ikke glem reiseforsikring
Reiseforsikring vil sikre deg mot sykdom, skade, tyveri og kanselleringer. Det er detaljert beskyttelse i tilfelle noe går galt. Jeg drar aldri på tur uten det, siden jeg har måttet bruke det mange ganger i det siste. Mine favorittbedrifter som tilbyr den beste servicen og verdien er:

Sikkerhetsving (for alle under 70)

Forsikre turen min (for de 70 og over)

MedJet (for ekstra hjemsendelsesdekning)

Leter du etter de beste selskapene å spare penger med?
Sjekk ut ressurssiden min for de beste selskapene å bruke når du reiser. Jeg lister opp alle de jeg bruker for å spare penger når jeg er på vei. De vil spare deg for penger når du også reiser.

Trenger du en budsjettvennlig RV for din biltur?
Rvshare lar deg leie bobil fra privatpersoner over hele landet, og sparer deg for mange penger i prosessen. Det er som Airbnb for bobiler, noe som gjør veier morsomme og rimelige!

Vil du ha mye mer informasjon om USA?
Sørg for å sjekke ut vår robuste destinasjonsguide til USA for enda mye mer planleggingstips!