Experience the best of Monterey & Carmel
Monterey and Carmel share a rugged California peninsula of cypress-lined coast, a famous aquarium, an old Spanish capital and an artists' seaside village.
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Monterey stands on the south shore of Monterey Bay in California and was the capital of Alta California under Spain and Mexico. Its historic adobe buildings, including the Custom House, line the old streets near the harbour, while Cannery Row, the former sardine-canning street made famous by John Steinbeck, is now lined with restaurants and shops. The Monterey Bay Aquarium, in a converted cannery, shows the kelp forests and open-sea life of the bay.
The scenic 17-Mile Drive loops through Pebble Beach past golf courses and the windswept Lone Cypress. Just beyond, Carmel-by-the-Sea is a village of storybook cottages with galleries and a white-sand beach, and Carmel Mission, where Junípero Serra is buried, is a landmark. Point Lobos State Natural Reserve has coves where sea otters and harbour seals swim, and south of Carmel the cliffs of Big Sur begin, where the coast road crosses Bixby Bridge.
Calamari from the bay, clam chowder in bread bowls, Dungeness crab in winter and artichokes from the Salinas Valley fields fill the menus. Summers are cool and foggy, autumn is clear and warm, and monarch butterflies cluster in the pines of nearby Pacific Grove from October to February.
- Free cancellation on 72% of experiences
- 4.7 across the top 21
Top 10 attractions in Monterey & Carmel
Food and drink experiences in Monterey & Carmel
15
Likely to sell outFree cancellation
Go beyond Monterey & Carmel
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San Francisco · 140 kmUnion Square
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Sausalito · 150 kmSausalito Boardwalk
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Sausalito · 150 kmBattery Spencer
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Fresno · 190 kmFresno Discovery Center
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Fresno · 190 kmFresno Art Museum
Questions about Monterey & Carmel
- What is there to do in Monterey & Carmel?
- We list 98 experiences in Monterey & Carmel. The largest groups are city tours (13), day trips (5).
- What are the top attractions in Monterey & Carmel?
- Ranked by the experiences that visit them, the top attractions in Monterey & Carmel are 17-Mile Drive, Cannery Row, Monterey Bay, Monterey Fisherman’s Wharf.
- What is the most popular experience in Monterey & Carmel?
- By number of traveller reviews it is "Whale Watching Tour From Monterey", rated 4.8 out of 5 from 1,136 reviews.
- How long do tours and tickets in Monterey & Carmel take?
- The typical experience in Monterey & Carmel lasts about 2.5 hours; the middle half run between 2 hours and 3.5 hours.
- Can I cancel a booking in Monterey & Carmel?
- The operator lists free cancellation on 72% of the 98 experiences we hold for Monterey & Carmel. The cut-off differs by experience and is shown on each product page before you choose a date.
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