San Francisco & Northern California San Francisco
A compact city of steep hills, cable cars and fog — with the Golden Gate Bridge at one end and Alcatraz in the middle of the bay.
California destinations
Twelve hubs, grouped by region. Each one is a mini-guide with tours, sights, transport, practical tips and the best time to go.
California is easier to plan when you think of it as five regions rather than one state: the San Francisco Bay Area and wine country in the north, the Sierra Nevada mountains along the eastern side, the Central Coast between the two big cities, urban Southern California, and the deserts inland.
Most first trips combine two or three of these. Use the groups below to see what sits close together, then open a destination for its full guide.
San Francisco & Northern California
San Francisco & Northern California 
San Francisco & Northern California Napa & Sonoma
Two neighbouring valleys an hour north of San Francisco with several hundred wineries between them — one polished and famous, the other broader and more relaxed.
Sierra Nevada & national parks
Sierra Nevada & national parks Yosemite
Granite cliffs a kilometre high, some of the tallest waterfalls in North America and groves of giant sequoias — the Sierra Nevada at its grandest.
Sierra Nevada & national parks Lake Tahoe
A deep, startlingly clear alpine lake ringed by peaks on the California–Nevada border: beaches and boats in summer, big ski resorts in winter.
Sierra Nevada & national parks Sequoia & Kings Canyon
Two adjoining national parks in the southern Sierra Nevada, home to the largest trees on Earth and one of the deepest canyons in North America.
Central Coast
Central Coast Big Sur & Monterey
The most dramatic stretch of the California coast: Highway 1 clinging to the cliffs of Big Sur, with Monterey’s aquarium and Carmel’s cottages at its northern end.
Central Coast Santa Barbara
White walls, red-tile roofs and palm-lined beaches beneath the Santa Ynez Mountains — the “American Riviera”, with wine country just over the hill.
Southern California
Southern California Los Angeles
Film studios, beach towns and hilltop views spread across a vast, sunny basin — a city you plan by neighbourhood, not by map.
Southern California San Diego
California’s easy-going southern city: a great urban park, a world-famous zoo, sea lions on the rocks and about 110 km of beaches.
Southern California Anaheim & Disneyland
The original Disney theme park, its newer neighbour and a second classic park down the road — with Orange County’s surf beaches 30 minutes away.
Deserts
Deserts Palm Springs & Joshua Tree
A mid-century desert resort beneath 3,000-metre peaks, and an hour away a national park of giant boulders and spiky Joshua trees.
Deserts Death Valley
The hottest, driest and lowest place in North America — salt flats, sand dunes and painted badlands on a scale that is hard to take in.
Further afield
Three areas that reward extra time. They are remote, with few bookable tours, so we cover them here rather than as full hubs.
Redwood National and State Parks
The tallest trees on Earth grow on the far north coast, around five to six hours’ drive north of San Francisco. Combine Avenue of the Giants in Humboldt Redwoods State Park with the groves near Orick and Crescent City. Allow at least two extra days.
Channel Islands National Park
Five undeveloped islands reached by boat from Ventura or Oxnard, between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. Day trips to Santa Cruz Island suit hikers and kayakers. There are no shops or services on the islands, so bring everything you need.
Mammoth Lakes and the Eastern Sierra
Highway 395 runs along the dramatic eastern wall of the Sierra past Mono Lake, Mammoth Lakes and Lone Pine. It links Yosemite (via Tioga Pass, summer and early autumn only) with Death Valley and is one of the state’s great drives.
Plan your trip
Coast, cities, parks and vineyards — book the big-ticket days first
Alcatraz ferries, Yosemite day trips, Hollywood studio tours and wine-country drivers are limited and sell out weeks ahead in summer. Compare the best California tours and reserve in a couple of taps.