How to spend 12 days in California and see almost everything

When looking to spend 12 days in California, you’ll absolutely need to carefully plan your trip. I did not do this and as such missed out on a few key places I would have loved to visit. We also ended up spending more money then we probably would have liked to, planning things last minute.

Everyone dreams about traveling to California. They dream about all the celebrities they’ll see, the beaches they’ll frequent, the posh meals they’ll have and all the surfing they’ll do.

My trip to California was nothing like how I would have imagined it to be, yet it remains one of the best trips I’ve ever taken. After deciding to spend 12 days in California, very little planning and a limited budget we made the trek to arguably the most popular state in the United States. We travelled the entire coast and it was one of the best trips I’ve ever taken. Here’s how we did it:

Getting around

While you maybe could make it work, I would definitely make a suggestion to rent a car. If you live in North America, the roads are the exact same. If you’re coming in from Europe, besides the driving on the wrong side of the road (only for some of you), you’ll also find it easy.

While the cost can add up more than you’d like it to, it’s definitely worth it. When you’re driving on Pacific Highway 1, you will want to make as many stops as possible. I promise you, you won’t regret having your own car and being able to make your own timeline.

Day 1-3: Hollywood and Los Angeles

This may not be a popular opinion but this definitely was not my favourite part of the trip. I don’t know what it was about Hollywood or LA but I think I was just a bit underwhelmed.

Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed my time here, I just expected, more glamour I think. Downtown Los Angeles had so much more poverty and rough areas than I was expecting. If you can’t afford to shop on Rodeo Drive then I would suggest spending your time hiking or taking part in some of the celebrity tourist stuff. Walking along the Hollywood Boulevard and hiking to the Griffith Observatory were some of our favourite things.

If you’re a bit of a party animal than this is also where you will want to be. There are a number of clubs in the area that are definitely key to visit.

| Click here for hotels in Los Angeles |

Day 3: Venice Beach

This was one of the most underrated places I’ve ever been. I honestly had no idea what to expect before we got to Venice Beach but honestly I loved it. I would go back in a heartbeat.

We ventured to Venice Beach early in the afternoon so we had time to walk around through the stunning canals and along the boardwalk. We also made the trip on a Sunday after a recommendation from a local. Every Sunday night there is an epic drum circle. The craziest thing was the cops were waiting on the outside of the circle until sun down. Once the sun set the sirens went on and they started arresting people left and right. It was really quite the experience.

| Click here for hotels in Venice Beach |

Day 4-6: San Diego

To this day, San Diego is one of my favourite places in the world. However I’m hard pressed to determine if it’s because it’s where I really got to know Ben or if I actually really enjoyed the city. Likely it’s a strong combination of both!

San Diego is a large city with small city charm. It almost reminded me of Ottawa in a way. It was laidback in the most perfect way, but still had so much going on that we never felt like we were bored.

It was a wonderful 3 days filled with wandering through Seaport Village, listening to a baseball game at Petco Park (we sat at a porch nearby the stadium), grabbing a drink at Dicks, tasting the most amazing ribs at Phil’s BBQ and riding a bull at Double Deuce.

| Click here for hotels in San Diego |

If you have the opportunity you could even day a little bit of a day trip to the coast to learn surfing. While I wasn’t necessarily up for learning a new skill I kind have wished I was!

Day 6-7: Laguna Beach & Big Sur

If you’re like me and spent your high school years watching the likes of Laguna Beach or The Hills then you’ll find it just as important to make this first stop. Traveling just outside of Los Angeles you’ll find the reality TV show famous town of Laguna Beach. It was everything I could have imagined. It was a bit surreal but definitely worth the trip going to Laguna Beach.

I wouldn’t spend more than a couple of hours in Laguna though. Drive around and see the major sights. Perhaps have some lunch and then find your way to the beach to get some sun.

I know what you’re thinking, how the hell did you get from Laguna to Big Sur? The drive is worth it I swear. Also, you absolutely have to be a lover of road trips. Stopping at some of the beautiful coastal spots along the way is half the fun.

Once you get to Big Sur you’ll understand why you’re stopping here. The views and landscapes are absolutely incredible. We loved the hikes we did in the region.

The one recommendation I would make is to book your accommodation in Big Sur in advance. We didn’t do this and thought we would wing it. Next thing I knew we were driving around in the pitch black trying to find a place to sleep. We ended up not being able to find a place to stay for ages and overpaying for one when we did.

| Click here for hotels in Big Sur |

Day 8-11: San Francisco & Sonoma Valley

In our personal opinion, this is where you should be spending the bulk of your trip. San Francisco has so much to offer as a city. One of the best places to go is wandering along the waterfront where you can stop at the many different piers. Or perhaps try the best Sourdough bread you’ve ever tasted at Boudin Bakery.

I mean really, if I were to list off every place you should visit in San Francisco, that would be a blog post in itself. All I’m saying is that 2-3 days in San Francisco is absolutely warranted on when you’re spending 12 days in California.

I know that Napa Valley is typically what comes to mind when visiting wine country in California but I’m here to tell you, Sonoma is a great alternative. There are so many amazing wine tours you can take from San Fran that I won’t list any of them (have fun and do the research yourself). What I loved about the Sonoma Valley is that most of the wineries are smaller family-owned ones. I love visiting family-owned wineries because it always gives you such a warm, welcoming feeling.

| Click here for hotels in San Francisco |

Day 12: Hollywood

When flying in and out of Los Angeles it’s likely you’ll need to spend one last night in Hollywood. This is your opportunity to hit up any of the spots that you missed the first time around.

If you’ve saved any room in your budget, this could also be a great time for you to go out and splash on that ‘celebrity dinner’. There are so many restaurants in downtown Los Angeles that you’ve probably seen in your favourite TV shows or movies to try out.

*This post contains affiliate links which means we might make a bit of money should you purchase through the links provided. It’s at no additional cost to you