Highway 1 Pacific Coast Highway Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour
Santa Monica, USA
- 10 to 11 hours (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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Overview
California’s Highway 1—also known as the Pacific Coast Highway—stretches along the Pacific Ocean, and is known for its spectacular scenery. This private, self-led smartphone audio guide accompanies you from San Francisco to Los Angeles, sharing facts and stories about the cities and landmarks you pass. The app’s GPS functionality works offline, letting you explore independently at your own pace with lifetime access and no expiry.
- Lifetime access with no expiry for unlimited use
- Explore Highway 1 independently, and at your own pace
- The audio narration brings the area’s highlights and history to life
- Enjoy a flexible, private way to discover one of the country’s top driving trips
What's Included
- This tour is NOT a ticket to any attraction or site
- This is a GPS-powered, self-guided audio tour that works through an app
- NO in-person guide or physical equipment (bring your own device & headphones)
- Pre-recorded audio commentary (downloadable or streamable)
- Offline GPS-enabled route map
- Suggested walking/driving itinerary with stop-by-stop directions
- Lifetime access (no expiration) with Customer support (chat/email)
- Text transcripts of audio narration & Self-paced format (start/pause/resume anytime)
- Entrance fees, in-person guide, headphones, transport, parking, food,Wi-Fi or cellular data, rentals
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting points
Select a meeting point
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Arranged start time
Confirm time with the local provider in advance of your experience.
- 06/10/2020 - 05/14/2027
Monday - Sunday : 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Itinerary
1
Pacifica
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Pedro Point
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Devil's Slide Trail
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
4
Gray Whale Cove State Beach
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
5
Montara
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Mavericks Beach (Pass By)
6
Half Moon Bay
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Bean Hollow State Beach (Pass By)
7
Pigeon Point Lighthouse
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Butano State Park (Pass By)
Big Basin Redwoods State Park (Pass By)
Ano Nuevo State Reserve (Pass By)
8
Davenport
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Shark Fin Cove (Pass By)
Coast Dairies State Park (Pass By)
9
Santa Cruz
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Santa Cruz Wharf (Pass By)
Mystery Spot (Pass By)
Rio Del Mar State Beach (Pass By)
Sunset State Beach (Pass By)
Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve (Pass By)
Monterey Bay (Pass By)
10
Monterey
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
11
Big Sur
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
17-Mile Drive (Pass By)
12
Carmel-by-the-Sea
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Carmel Beach (Pass By)
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve (Pass By)
13
Garrapata State Park
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
14
Bixby Creek Bridge
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Point Sur State Historic Park (Pass By)
Andrew Molera State Park (Pass By)
Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge (Pass By)
Pfeiffer Beach (Pass By)
Grimes Point Scenic Overlook (Pass By)
Seal Beach Scenic Overlook (Pass By)
15
Partington Cove
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
McWay Falls (Pass By)
16
Big Creek Bridge
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Big Creek Cove Vista Point (Pass By)
Limekiln State Park (Pass By)
17
Pitkins Curve Bridge
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Jade Cove (Pass By)
Nathaniel Owings Memorial Redwood Grove (Pass By)
Ragged Point (Pass By)
Ragged Point Inn & Resort (Pass By)
Piedras Blancas Light Station (Pass By)
Elephant Seal Vista Point (Pass By)
18
Moonstone Beach Drive
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Nitt Witt Ridge (Pass By)
19
Harmony
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
20
Cayucos
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
21
Morro Bay
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
22
San Luis Obispo
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Bubblegum Alley (Pass By)
Irish Hills Natural Reserve (Pass By)
23
Avila Beach
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Dinosaur Caves Park (Pass By)
24
Pismo Beach
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Monarch Butterfly Grove (Pass By)
25
Guadalupe
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve (Pass By)
The Murals of Lompoc (Pass By)
Lompoc Wine Ghetto (Pass By)
Jalama Beach (Pass By)
Arroyo Hondo Vista Point (Pass By)
Refugio State Beach (Pass By)
Goleta Butterfly Grove (Pass By)
26
Santa Barbara
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Thousand Steps Beach (Pass By)
Carpinteria State Beach (Pass By)
Rincon Beach Park (Pass By)
27
Faria Beach
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
28
Ventura
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Point Mugu State Park (Pass By)
Sycamore Cove Beach (Pass By)
El Matador State Beach (Pass By)
29
Point Dume
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
30
Malibu
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
31
Santa Monica
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Pacific Coast Highway (Pass By)
The Getty Villa (Pass By)
32
Zuma Beach
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Hearst Castle (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- How To Access: After booking, you’ll get an email and text with setup instructions and password (search “audio tour” in emails and texts). • Download the separate tour app by Action • Enter the password sent by email and text. • MUST download the tour while in strong wifi/cellular. • Works offline after download.
- How to start touring: Open Action’s separate audio tour guide app once onsite. • If there is just one tour, launch it. • If multiple tour versions exist, launch the one with your planned starting point and direction.
- Go to the starting point No one will meet you at the start. This tour is self-guided Enter the first story’s point and the audio will begin automatically Follow the audio cues to the next story, which will also play automatically. Enjoy hands-free exploring. If you face audio issues, contact support. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
- Go to the starting point No one will meet you at the start. This tour is self-guided Enter the first story’s point and the audio will begin automatically Follow the audio cues to the next story, which will also play automatically. Enjoy hands-free exploring. If you face audio issues, contact support. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
- Savings tips: Driving tours: purchase just one tour for everyone in the car
- New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
- Audio Setup: Connect your phone to your car's stereo system using Bluetooth, USB, or AUX. For the best experience, consider using headphones for walking tours. Audio playback is compatible with Apple CarPlay, with navigation features coming soon. Support for Android Auto is also on the way.
- The tour requires a supported mobile device for navigation. Please use an iPhone with iOS 15 or later, an Android device with Android 9 or later, or an iPad/tablet with GPS and cellular service.
- Important Note: Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) is closed between Big Sur and Ragged Point due to repairs from the Regent’s Slide. This 6.8-mile stretch is impassable. For current updates, visit the Caltrans site
- As of April 16, 2025, the Overlook Trail to view McWay Falls at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is closed due to a long-term retaining wall repair project. The project is expected to continue into 2026 and will also limit parking spaces within the park. At this time, the only available viewpoint for McWay Falls is a small roadside viewing area along Highway 1. The Ewoldsen Trail remains open.
- 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
Reviews
3.5
based on 24 reviews
Carl_B, May 2025
It's easy to get off the route if you aren't constantly looking at the screen as directions are minimal. Gives some good information about sites but no clear direction given to navigate to them. I ended up purchasing a competitive app that had much better navigation.
Response from Host, May 2025
Carl, I’m sorry the experience didn’t meet your expectations. After setup and downloading on a strong network, it’s essential to begin at the designated start point and follow the route shown. Connecting your phone to the car stereo can make it easier to listen hands-free, and keeping to the suggested speed helps the audio sync correctly with your location. If you can share where you felt the directions fell short, I’d appreciate the chance to improve things. I didn’t see any contact from you, but I’m happy to help now, whether that’s a refund or a replacement tour that suits you better. Let me know what works best.
Jose_R, Sep 2022
Every time I attempted to load the guided tour within google maps it took me to a housing community and then wouldn’t start the tour. The tour never ran. We ended up just finding our own way the old school way following signage.
Response from Host, Sep 2022
I double-clarified the starting address to avoid this confusion. I will happily replace your tour with the 100 tours I have in the US. My tours are valid for a lifetime.
pattyfourj, May 2022
Tour had large voids during the trip. I’d suggest filling them with some local info & flair. Also, might be helpful to give more lead-up notice when approaching a site. There were a few that we would’ve like to have to have stopped at, but not enough notice to decide if it was worth our while until we were actually passing the landmark.
Response from Host, May 2022
Thanks for the feedback Patty! I’ve tried to strike a balance between talking/quiet time (so that I’m not talking your ear off the whole drive!) but will definitely take a look and see if there’s more I can adjust. Hope you give my other self-guided tours a try on your future travels around the country!
Paul_M, May 2022
Travelling on our own for the first time doing this drive, we found the tour guide such a help, we didn't miss anything.. best money I've ever spent.
Response from Host, May 2022
Thank you very much Paul! I'm so glad you had a good time, and I'm so happy my tour helped make your drive memorable. I also have self-guided tours all over the country — hope you get the chance to try those next!
Sylvie_B, Mar 2025
Très utile pour nous accompagner sur la PCH et mettre les lieux en contexte. Les enregistrements, par contre, coupaient sec souvent, ou débutaient en tronquant les premiers mots. L’emphase sur les lieux à visiter était bon, sauf à quelques endroits (trop long détour inutile à Santa Cruz, pas assez d’emphase sur le 17-mile drive, LA portion la plus belle selon nous). Aussi, le prix d’entrée à plusieurs sites ou parcs étaient erronés (à mettre à jour).
Nous avons bien apprécié le fait de pouvoir arrêter, faire des détours et reprendre le tour n’importe quand. Je recommande !
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Sylvie, thank you so much for the kind words and helpful feedback! I'm glad you enjoyed the flexibility and context during your PCH drive. I have a separate tour just for 17-Mile Drive—it’s packed with stories, so we only included a few highlights in the PCH tour. I’ll also review the audio timing and update park fees where needed. I appreciate the recommendation!
From $29.99
per group (up to 4)up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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