California Travel Guide
The Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
California is the most visited US state for good reason: it packs the country's greatest hits into one place. The Golden Gate Bridge and cable cars of San Francisco, the studios and beaches of Los Angeles, the granite walls of Yosemite, the giant sequoias, the deserts of Death Valley and Joshua Tree, and the vineyard valleys of Napa and Sonoma.
The coast runs from the redwood forests of the north to the surf towns of the south, stitched together by Highway 1, one of the world's great drives. Inland, the Sierra Nevada holds Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, while the far south turns to desert around Palm Springs.
Destinations in California
Golden Gate BridgeThe 1937 Art Deco suspension bridge, walked or cycled across for the classic bay views.- Yosemite National ParkGranite cliffs, giant waterfalls and sequoias; the crown of the Sierra Nevada.
Big Sur (Highway 1)The cliff-hugging coastal highway past Bixby Bridge and McWay Falls.- Alcatraz IslandThe former federal prison in the bay; the audio tour is superb. Book weeks ahead.
Getty CenterFree hilltop museum with a world-class art collection and gardens.
Sequoia and Kings CanyonThe world's largest trees, including General Sherman, plus deep canyon country.
Muir WoodsOld-growth coastal redwoods half an hour north of the city.
Griffith ObservatoryFree observatory with planetarium shows and the best city views.- Death ValleyThe hottest, driest, lowest national park: salt flats, dunes and Badwater Basin.
- Joshua TreeDesert of twisted yuccas and boulder piles, a rock-climbing and stargazing favourite.
- Monterey and CarmelThe Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row and storybook Carmel-by-the-Sea.
- San DiegoBalboa Park, the zoo, Gaslamp Quarter and the beaches of La Jolla.
Painted LadiesThe famous row of Victorian houses at Alamo Square, with the downtown skyline behind.- Santa Monica Pier and Venice BeachThe end of Route 66, the pier Ferris wheel, and the Venice boardwalk.
Napa and Sonoma ValleysAmerica's most famous wine country, an hour north of San Francisco.
Hollywood SignHiked to from Griffith Park, with the whole LA basin spread below.- Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39Sea lions, sourdough and cable-car turnarounds at the tourist waterfront.
- Channel IslandsRemote island wilderness off the southern coast, reached by boat.
Hover a state to explore it. Click a city pin to open its guide.
Top Cities & towns in California
Regional food
- Mission burrito (San Francisco's oversized foil-wrapped burrito)
- Cioppino (San Francisco Italian-American seafood stew)
- In-N-Out Burger (the California-born chain, order 'animal style')
- Napa and Sonoma wines
Getting there
Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO) are the main international gateways, with San Diego (SAN) and Sacramento (SMF) covering the regions. A car is essential outside the big cities; Amtrak's Coast Starlight runs the scenic Seattle-LA route.