PCH: Big Sur Self-Guided Audio Tour from Monterey & Morro Bay
- 2–3 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- 2 languages
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone can listen together! Experience the iconic Big Sur road trip with a self-guided driving audio tour! As you drive, learn about the fairytale cottages of Carmel, the purple sand at Pfeiffer Beach, & the enormous elephant seals at San Simeon. Drive over Bixby Bridge, marvel at McWay Falls, & enjoy the rugged coastline along the Pacific Coast Highway / Route 1. Big Sur is the most scenic segment of the Pacific Coast Highway(a must-do road trip), which you can start in either Monterey or San Luis Obispo. After booking, check your email/text to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action while connected to WiFi or mobile data. Enter the password, download the tour, and enjoy it offline. Follow the audio instructions and route from the designated starting point. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
Inclusions
What's included
- Just bring your car and phone; the app guides your tour.
- Support is available via chat, email, or phone if you need help.
- Planning tools, route maps, scenic stops, and area previews included.
- Private tour experience for your family, in your own car.
- Lifetime access: use the tour anytime and keep it for future trips.
- Works offline with GPS route guidance and automatic audio stories.
- One purchase covers everyone in your car, not per person.
- Flexible tour: start, stop, and pause anytime during your trip.
- Access your tour in our separate audio tour app after booking.
- Hidden gems and local stories included along the route.
What's not
- No live guide. Entrance fees, parking, food, and car rental are separate.
Itinerary
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park is a state park in Monterey County, California, near the area of Big Sur on the state's Central Coast. It covers approximately 1,006 acres of land. The park is centered on the Big Sur River. It has been nicknamed a "mini Yosemite." Redwood trees are known to live up to 2,200 years. NOTE: The tour is over 120 miles long, with more than 70+ audio stories, and takes about 2-3 hours to complete. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
We'll continue driving past Carmel and into the natural wonder of Point Lobos Natural Reserve.
Next, we enter the world-famous Big Sur portion of the PCH. The Pacific Coast Highway, popularly known as PCH, Highway 1, or Route 1, is one the most scenic roadtrips in the US.
Small, remote inlet & rugged beach reached by a dirt trail, wooden bridge & tunnel.
The scenic drive takes us through Garrapata State Park, where we'll have the chance to stop and check out the Garrapata Beach. As we drive, we'll learn about the wildfires that often rage through forests like these.
Our self-guided drive now brings us to Bixby Creek Bridge! This is one of the most photographed bridges in California due to its aesthetic design, graceful architecture, and magnificent setting. It is a reinforced concrete open-spandrel arch bridge.
We'll continue driving, while admiring and learning about Point Sur and the Point Sur Lighthouse.
Our tour then takes us through the Andrew Molera State Park, another natural wonder of this drive. We'll also learn about Big Sur's literary fame.
Bixby isn't the only beautiful bridge in Big Sur; Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge has it's own charm.
Pfeiffer Beach in the Big Sur area is definitely off the beaten path, but well worth the detour. Just south of Big Sur Station on Highway 1 is unsigned Sycamore Canyon Road which winds its way down to the shore.
Grimes Point Scenic Overlook has got one of the best views of the Big Sur coastline. It's easy to see what brings people to a place like Big Sur.
Our self-guided drive takes us to Seal Beach Overlook where -- you guessed it! -- we'll be able to spot some sunbathing seals.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
4.0
- 553
- 424
- 38
- 27
- 112
Ratings come from 104 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- Start southbound on CA-1 (Cabrillo Hwy) near Edgewater Shopping Center in Sand City (Monterey area), with the shops on your left and the beach on your right. Suggested start; not affiliated, so staff won’t have tour info. Audio auto-starts—check email/text for setup, download on strong internet.
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operated by
- Adventures with Action
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- 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.
How it compares in San Luis Obispo
- Its from-price is 77% below the median of the 35 experiences we list in San Luis Obispo.
- Its length is typical for the group.
- By number of reviews it ranks 5 of 35.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo is a college town on California's Central Coast, built around an 18th-century mission, with farmers' markets, wineries and beaches nearby.
San Luis Obispo, known as SLO, lies in a valley between low volcanic hills, about halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco and 15 kilometres from the Pacific. Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, founded in 1772, stands at the heart of town on a plaza beside San Luis Creek, and California Polytechnic State University gives the place a youthful mood. Bubblegum Alley, a narrow passage whose walls are covered in chewed gum, is an odd local landmark.
Top-ranked sights in San Luis Obispo: Pismo Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove.
Special offers in San Luis Obispo
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
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