Ultimate West Coast Road Trip Itinerary from Seattle to LA

The Pacific Coast Highway, known as California State Route 1, is the ultimate road trip route that should be on every traveler’s bucket list. In this article I’ve included an ultimate West Coast Road Trip Itinerary from Seattle to LA and tips to plan your trip.

Between Seattle and San Diego, the landscape of the US West Coast is one of the most beautiful in the world. A stunning scenery that combines redwood forests, steeps, cliffs, beaches and wildlife.

Planning a USA West Coast road trip

You can get from Seattle to Los Angeles in just two days. But the total purpose of this road trip is to spend some time exploring each city, get carried away by the places that you like the most and extend your stay there. Each place has a different landscape, or an attraction that makes it unique.

The best way to travel the west coast of US is with your own car or rv so you can have your independence and stop whenever you like. You can either rent a car in the city of departure, drive one way and fly back. Or, if you have time drive back to the first city and spend time exploring other places on your way back.

The best time to go to West Coast USA

The USA’s west coast has a diverse climate. The best months to travel are from July to October. Early September is great to avoid the crowds at the most popular cities.

The route is still open during winter and while you won’t enjoy the beaches, you can enjoy the ski season in resorts like Lake Tahoe.

Renting a car in United States

Some of the most popular car rental companies in US are Hertz, Alamo, Budget, Avis, etc. I always use rentalcars.com, a website that compares prices of all rental companies and usually offers a lower price than by booking directly with the rental company.

The requirements to rent a car in the U.S are: driving license, passport and a credit card from the driver. United States minimum age to rent a car is 21 years. Companies charge a plus if you have less than 25 years

Another fantastic idea is to rent an RV as you will save money in accommodation and you don’t need to worry about finding a place to sleep. If you prefer this option, check out this RV company: RV share. They offer drivable and towable RVs and have plenty of pick up locations.

Where to sleep

Although it is ideal to have a flexible itinerary and stop where you like the most, searching for last-minute accommodation can be stressful. If you go in summer, I suggest you book your accommodation in advance. I even had to sleep in the car for some nights because I hadn’t booked every night of my stay in advance.

Along the route and in every city you will find “Inns” or “motels”, which cost around $50 usd the night for double occupancy and usually include a basic breakfast.

WEST COAST ROAD TRIP ITINERARY

The Pacific Coast Highway is a road to explore at your own pace, without planning a lot and just stop along the way in every place that catches your attention. There are many places worth visiting on the West Coast and the itinerary will depend on two things: the time you have and your likes. There are plenty of combinations you can choose for the itinerary. The first thing you need to define is how many days you have and where will you start and finish the route.

My recommendation is to spend at least 10 days in the West Coast Road Trip.

↣ Here’s a 10 day Itinerary from Los Angeles to San Francisco:

• DAY 1 – Los Ángeles: Car pick up. Visit the city.
• DAY 2 – Los Ángeles: visit the city.
• DAY 3- Las Vegas: take the route to Las Vegas early in the morning to avoid the heat. Visit Las Vegas strip.
• DAY 4 – Grand Canyon: Visit the Grand Canyon (South Rim). Night in Las Vegas.
• DAY 5 – Morro Bay: Drive from Las Vegas to Morro Bay (or nearby city).
• DAY 6 – San Francisco: Morro Bay to San Francisco.
• DAY 7 – San Franciso: Visit the city.
• DAY 8 – Yosemite: SF to Yosemite. Sleep near the park.
• DAY 9 – Yosemite: Visit Yosemite and go back to SF.
• DAY 10 – San Francisco: visit the city and return the car.

Seattle to Los Angeles road trip itinerary:

This is the itinerary I took during my trip to the West Coast. My journey actually started in Vancouver, Canada and led towards Los Angeles. Then I traveled back to Canada visiting the States of Nevada, Utah and Idaho. You can take my route as an example and modify it as you like:

• • SEATTLE

Seattle is one my favorite cities in the United States. You can spend two days visiting the famous Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, the Gum Wall and visit the first Starbucks. After visiting this amazing city, you can head west and visit Olympic National Park.

Hostel Recommendation: HI Seattle. I've stayed at HI in different cities and always come back because the staff and service is great. HI Seattle is located in the Chinatown-International District within a walking distance from many attractions. You can book a bed in a dormitory room for around US$35 / night with breakfast included. Click here to find the best rates for HI Seattle. 

• • PORTLAND

Portland is a city surrounded by forests and rivers, immersed in art and culture. You can spend 2 days to explore the city a bit. You can’t miss: Powell’s books, International Rose Test Garden, and a bike tour through the city surroundings. If you like shopping Portland is the perfect place because there is no Sales Tax to pay in Oregon.

Hotel recommendation: Hampton Inn and Suites by Hilton. This hotel is located in central Portland in the Pearl District, within 5 minutes' walk of Powell's library. You can find modern private rooms for around US$180 / night with breakfast included. Click here to find the best rates for Hampton Inn and suites.

• • Portland to Crescent City

Take I-5 route towards the South and drive to Crescent City, where you can spend the night. On the way, you can stop in Salem, Eugene and Crater Lake, Oregon’s only National Park.

• • Crescent City to San Francisco

Take the famous California Highway 101 from Crescent City to San Francisco adding stopovers in cities like Eureka and Mendocino. Along the way you will pass through Avenue of the Giants, a spectacular part of the route surrounded by a huge redwood forest.

• • SAN FRANCISCO

No need to introduce this city. San Francisco is famous for its steep streets, Alcatraz prison and the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. You can’t miss: Fisherman’s Wharf, Lombard Street, the Palace of Fine Arts, and Golden Gate Park. If you go in summer, remember to book Alcatraz tickets in advance. If you have time, you can also check out Berkeley and its famous university.

Hotel recommendation: The Westin St San Francisco on Union Square. This is an excellent hotel and it has a great location right on Union Square where you will find restaurants, shops and a cable car stop that you can use to get around the city. This hotel is famous for its Magneta Grandfather Clock. Click here to find the best rates for The Westin. 

• • YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK

I know Yosemite is not on the coast but it is an incredible place for nature lovers. Yosemite is one of the best National Parks in the US and it is located about 3 hours from San Francisco. Lakes, waterfalls, granite mountains, redwoods, wildlife… Yosemite makes you realize how huge nature is and how tiny we are as humans. I recommend visiting it at least for 3 days.

You might also like: The ultimate guide for visiting Yosemite National Park

• • Yosemite – Morro Bay

After spending a few days in Yosemite, you can head towards the coast again and stop along in: Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Simeon, Cambria and Morro Bay. Must stops in Bixby Creek Bridge and Big Sur. You can visit the famous Hearst Castle located in San Simeon. In my opinion, this is the most beautiful part of the route, you will want to stop in each place to take pictures and admire the view.

• MORRO BAY

Morro Bay is a small town located in San Luis Obispo County. As its name implies, a volcanic rock pops up directly from the ocean in Morro Bay. Walk along the harbor where you’ll find restaurants,art galleries, shops and bars.

You might also like:Visiting Morro Bay here.

Hotel recommendation:Sea Air Inn & Suites. 

• • Morro Bay – Los Angeles

It’s only a 4 hours drive between Morro Bay and Los Angeles, but on the way there are a couple of places that are worth a stop: San Luis Obispo, Prismo Beach, Santa Barbara, Malibu and more! The whole area of the Californian coast is fantastic.

• • LOS ANGELES

L.A finally! This city is huge. You should choose wisely where to stay since the distances are long and the traffic is terrible. I stayed in Costa Mesa at a friend’s house so I experienced a bit of the local life in Orange County.

Some of the places I visited were Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Santa Monica and Venice Beach.

You can’t miss: a walk through Hollywood, Beverly Hills and the Griffith Observatory. You can also spend a day visiting Universal Studios or Disneyland (the original one).

If you want to know more read: Top things to do in Los Angeles on a budget

Hotel recommendation: Millennium Biltmore Los Angeles

Seattle to Los Angeles road trip map:

From Los Angeles, you can follow the coast until you reach San Diego in Southern California. Los Angeles was the last stop on the coast for me. From Los Angeles I headed to Las Vegas, visited the Grand Canyon and went back to Canada.

But this part of the road trip deserves another post, so let me know in the comments if you would like to read about it!

I hope this itinerary from Seattle to LA has helped you in planning your west coast road trip. If you have any questions please comment below or send me an email.

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