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
- Access your tour in our separate audio tour app after booking.
- Just bring your car and phone; the app guides your tour.
- Works offline with GPS route guidance and automatic audio stories.
- Flexible tour: start, stop, and pause anytime during your trip.
- Planning tools, route maps, scenic stops, and area previews included.
- Hidden gems and local stories included along the route.
- Lifetime access: use the tour anytime and keep it for future trips.
- Support is available via chat, email, or phone if you need help.
- One purchase covers everyone in your car, not per person.
- Private tour experience for your family, in your own car.
- No live guide. Entrance fees, parking, food, and car rental are separate.
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting points
Select a meeting point
Type to search
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Arranged start time
Confirm time with the local provider in advance of your experience.
- 08/17/2026 - 10/11/2026
Monday - Sunday : 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM
- 10/12/2026 - 10/13/2026
Monday - Tuesday : 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM
- 10/14/2026 - 01/03/2027
Monday - Sunday : 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM
- 01/04/2027 - 01/09/2027
Monday - Saturday : 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM
- 01/10/2027 - 01/10/2027
Sunday : 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM
- 01/11/2027 - 01/11/2027
Monday : 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM
- 01/12/2027 - 01/17/2027
Tuesday - Sunday : 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM
- 01/18/2027 - 05/09/2027
Monday - Sunday : 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM
- 05/10/2027 - 05/11/2027
Monday - Tuesday : 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
6
Mavericks Beach
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
Half Moon Bay
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
8
Bean Hollow State Beach
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
9
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)
10
Davenport
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
11
Shark Fin Cove
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
12
Coast Dairies State Park
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
13
Santa Cruz
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
14
Santa Cruz Wharf
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Mystery Spot (Pass By)
15
Rio Del Mar State Beach
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Sunset State Beach (Pass By)
Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve (Pass By)
16
Monterey Bay
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
17
Monterey
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
18
Big Sur
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
17-Mile Drive (Pass By)
19
Carmel-by-the-Sea
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
20
Carmel Beach
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve (Pass By)
21
Garrapata State Park
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
22
Bixby Creek Bridge
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Point Sur State Historic Park (Pass By)
Andrew Molera State Park (Pass By)
23
Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Pfeiffer Beach (Pass By)
24
Grimes Point Scenic Overlook
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
25
Seal Beach Scenic Overlook
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
26
Partington Cove
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
McWay Falls (Pass By)
27
Big Creek Bridge
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
28
Big Creek Cove Vista Point
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Limekiln State Park (Pass By)
29
Pitkins Curve Bridge
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
30
Jade Cove
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
31
Nathaniel Owings Memorial Redwood Grove
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
32
Ragged Point
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
33
Ragged Point Inn & Resort
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Piedras Blancas Light Station (Pass By)
34
Elephant Seal Vista Point
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
35
Moonstone Beach Drive
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Nitt Witt Ridge (Pass By)
36
Harmony
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
37
Cayucos
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
38
Morro Bay
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
39
San Luis Obispo
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
40
Bubblegum Alley
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
41
Irish Hills Natural Reserve
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
42
Avila Beach
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
43
Dinosaur Caves Park
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
44
Pismo Beach
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
45
Monarch Butterfly Grove
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
46
Guadalupe
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
47
Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
48
The Murals of Lompoc
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
49
Lompoc Wine Ghetto
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Jalama Beach (Pass By)
50
Arroyo Hondo Vista Point
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Refugio State Beach (Pass By)
51
Goleta Butterfly Grove
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
52
Santa Barbara
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
53
Thousand Steps Beach
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Carpinteria State Beach (Pass By)
54
Rincon Beach Park
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
55
Faria Beach
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
56
Ventura
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Point Mugu State Park (Pass By)
Sycamore Cove Beach (Pass By)
57
El Matador State Beach
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
58
Point Dume
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
59
Malibu
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
60
Santa Monica
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
61
Pacific Coast Highway
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
The Getty Villa (Pass By)
62
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
- 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.
- Easy to use: GPS-triggered audio plays automatically along the route for a hands-free experience.
- Private tour: Explore in your own vehicle without crowded buses or large tour groups.
- At your own pace: Start anytime and pause for hikes, picnics, photos, or scenic stops.
- Works offline: Once downloaded, the tour works using GPS without Wi-Fi or cellular service.
- Good value: One purchase covers everyone in your vehicle, not each person separately.
- More ways to save: Choose a single tour, a nearby bundle, or access to 200+ tours.
- Download in advance: Download the Tour Guide app by Action and tour while connected to Wi-Fi or a strong cellular signal.
- Follow the route: Begin at the suggested starting point or join anywhere along the route shown in the app.
- Lifetime access: Preview the tour before your trip and revisit the stories, photos, and details afterward.
- Supported devices: iPhone with iOS 15+, Android with version 9+, or a GPS-enabled iPad/tablet with cellular capability.
- Travel Advisory: A section of Highway 1 in Big Sur is currently affected by closures and restricted through traffic due to the Timber Fire. Travelers should check the latest road conditions before starting their trip, as closure points and access restrictions may change based on fire activity and evacuation conditions.
- The app’s audio will play through your car’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto display, while the app’s map will display on your phone. You can connect your phone to the car via Bluetooth to listen to the commentary through the car stereo.
- 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
3.6
based on 25 reviews
Very interesting audio tour guide. Very exhaustive introduction of places of interest. We would have missed so much without the guide.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Huang, thank you for taking my GPS audio tour of Highway 1, the Pacific Coast Highway. I’m so glad you found the narration interesting and the introduction to points of interest along the route helpful. I’m glad the guide helped you discover details and stops you might have otherwise missed. For more self-guided options, explore my collection of over 200 audio tours for flexible, paced adventures. Happy exploring!
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.
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.
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!
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!
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!
Member Pricing
From
$28.49
per group (up to 4)Was $29.99(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Highway 1 Pacific Coast Highway Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour
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