Driving the California Coast: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

Monterey & Carmel, USA

Great choice

5+ bookings last month.

2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
Offered in: English

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Overview

Follow Highway 1 to the spectacular scenery of Big Sur—and enjoy a flexible, independent road trip experience—with this self-led smartphone audio tour. Once downloaded, the tour never expires, and you can use whenever suits you best. Set off from Carmel along the coast, discover famous vistas at the Bixby Canyon Bridge and Point Sur, and learn more about the region from the GPS-trigged audio commentary.

This audio tour will bring the highlights and history of Big Sur to life
Explore one of the country’s most iconic driving trips at your own pace
This flexible option is perfect for independent-minded travelers
Your GPS map will keep you on track (and also works offline)

What's Included

Lifetime access to this tour in English
Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
VoiceMap App for Android and iOS

Food and drink
Smartphone and headphones
Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour
Transportation

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Starbucks Coffee Company
3650 Rio Rd, Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93923, USA
Before arrival, please install the VoiceMap mobile app and use the code provided on your confirmation ticket. This is a self-guided audio tour that you can start, pause, or restart at any time and complete at your own pace. Detailed starting point instructions are available after downloading.

End point

McWay Waterfall Trailhead
McWay Waterfall Trail, Big Sur, CA 93920, USA
The tour ends in the parking lot for the McWay Waterfall hike.

Arranged start time

Confirm time with the local provider in advance of your experience.

07/30/2020 - 04/08/2027
Monday - Sunday : 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM

Itinerary

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve (Pass By)

Carmel Highlands (Pass By)

Yankee Point Drive (Pass By)

Malpaso Creek Bridge (Pass By)

Garrapata State Park (Pass By)

Garrapata Creek Bridge (Pass By)

Notley's Landing viewpoint (Pass By)

Rocky Creek Bridge (Pass By)

Bixby Bridge (Pass By)

Hurricane Point Vista Point (Pass By)

Point Sur (Pass By)

Andrew Molera State Park (Pass By)

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park (Pass By)

Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge (Pass By)

Nepenthe (Pass By)

Henry Miller Memorial Library (Pass By)

Grimes Canyon (Pass By)

Partington Cove (Pass By)

McWay Waterfall Trailhead (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Infants must sit on laps
Most travelers can participate

Near public transportation
Not wheelchair accessible
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.6

based on 16 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Big Sur audio trip

Kathleen_Z, Feb 2026

It had stops we would not necessarily have made. I wish it would start where you are located but thankfully it was just down the road. The app worked well. Glad we did the Big Sur trip from Carmel. Loved the stop and resume option.

The Best of PCH1 :)

Candice_N, Sep 2025

I loved how this self-guided tour worked. Sharing about the history and background of each marker/stop was interesting. Great job! :)

Good app for road trips

Kelley_M, Aug 2025

This audio tour was great - gave cool facts along the way and allowed us to make stops we would have never known about. Plus, being able to download and the app still knows where you are is great (as internet is nonexistent often) Wish it was for a longer distance down the coast

Great way to take in the sights with limited time!

Andrea_A, Feb 2025

In for a few days wanted to experience the coast of CA - this was a great way to do it. Took us off the beaten path & even got to see Lilly’s! That was an unexpected treat. Highly recommend. Only sad thing was road was closed.