Monterey & Carmel Explorer

Overview

This tour traverses the breathtaking scenery on the famous Pacific Coast Highway. Upon arriving in historic Monterey, you will have time to explore the fascinating sea creatures at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and stroll among the shops on Cannery Row. The tour will follow the coast through the beautiful little town of Pacific Grove on the way to the 17 Mile Drive. The drive finishes up at the enchanted town of Carmel-by-the-Sea where you’ll can explore the boutique shops on Ocean Avenue or be dazzled by the white sandy beach.

City: San Francisco

Fri 04 Jul

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $134.00

Make a reservation

Fri 04 Jul

Starting at $134.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

17-Mile Drive admission fee

Expert guide and commentary

Pickup and drop-off at a convenient location in Union Square and Fisherman's Wharf

Free Wifi on vehicle

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Meals are not included but available for purchase throughout the day.
California law requires tour guests to bring a car safety seat for all children under 8 years and under 4' 9" (1.4 meters) in height. Any guest that does not provide their child's safety seat at the time of the tour and does not inform the tour operator in advance may not be allowed to board the tour and will not be subject to refund.
Exact destinations & itinerary may differ due to weather, road conditions, and the guide's discretion.

What To Expect

Monterey Bay

Monterey Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean located on the coast of the U.S. state of California.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Admission only included if option added upon checkout. Monterey Bay Aquarium is a nonprofit public aquarium in Monterey, California. Known for its regional focus on the marine habitats of Monterey Bay, it was the first to exhibit a living kelp forest when it opened in October 1984.

Cannery Row

Cannery Row is the waterfront street in the New Monterey section of Monterey, California. It is the site of a number of now-defunct sardine canning factories. The last cannery closed in 1973. Today it has many restaurants and hotels, several of which are located in former cannery buildings, and a few historic attractions. Some privately owned fishing companies still exist on Cannery Row, housed on piers located a short distance from the historic district frequented by tourists.

17-Mile Drive

Although the route has changed since it opened in 1881, 17-Mile Drive is still exactly 17 miles long. More than 1.5 million visitors pass through 17-Mile Drive every year. Iconic Landmarks along famous 17-Mile Drive include The Lone Cypress, as well as Spanish Bay and Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Pebble Beach Golf Links

Pebble Beach Golf Links is a public golf course on the west coast of the United States, located in Pebble Beach, California.

Lone Cypress

The Lone Cypress is a Monterey cypress tree in Pebble Beach, California. Standing on a granite hillside off the 17-Mile Drive, the tree is a Western icon, and has been called one of the most photographed trees in North America.

Bird Rock Vista Point

Bird Rock Vista is stop #7 on 17-Mile Drive and a wildlife hot spot.

Carmel Beach Boardwalk

Beautiful white sandy beaches.

Cypress Point Lookout

Stop #10 on 17-Mile Drive is the wonderful Cypress Point Lookout which looks out, to the southwest, over a small, white sand beach making for an excellent sunset spot.

Lovers Point

Lovers Point State Marine Reserve is one of four small marine protected areas located near the cities of Monterey and Pacific Grove, at the southern end of Monterey Bay on California’s central coast.

Monterey Visitor Center

Tourist information center in Monterey, California.

Seal Rock Creek beach

Seal Rock Creek Beach is a small sandy beach along the 17 Mile Drive in Pebble Beach, CA. This white sand beach is at the mouth of Seal Rock Creek which flows intermittently. Just offshore is Seal Rock and a little to the north is Bird Rock.

Show 9 more stops

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (63)

ram_s

Jun 2019

The driver was excellent and I would rate them 5 stars only for this part of the trip. the booking and office staff should be rated 1 or a 0. My husband and I took this trip on June 17, 2019. we are both senior citizens and did not go to the Aquarium. the Tower Tours brochure says $89. but we paid $105 for each instead of $89 for each. We have e mails from Tower Tour, Extranomical Tours and Viator. No clue how they are connected, but each one tells me to go to the other to clarify my fee. Tower said they only got our name nd phone number and no other details. We have NO CLUE who Tower Tours is until we pay the $$ and get confirmation. their name is nowhere on the booking website. Only Viator. I have sent e mail to support@viator. No response yet.

Response from Host

Jun 2019

Sorry for the confusion. Let's try to sort this out. You booked and paid for your Monterey tour with our partner Viator. We will notify them today that you felt you were overcharged and we will honor any agreement that you reach with them. You may also call our Guest Services office today (415.357.0700) and we'll explain the process.

mchooi

May 2019

4 of us took the tour today. Firstly, we ended up seated at the back of the van which was fine if it had comfortable seating. One seat had such narrow spacing with the forward seat that it was impossible to sit facing front. Secondly, the back was so bumpy that it was not possible to enjoy the long ride. There is only 1.5 hour stop allowed in Monterey so going to the aquarium was not possible. This will just be a lunch and browsing stop. We had to skip the highlighted Pebble Beach drive as the US Masters were on BUT we were not told about this before booking the tour. Carmel was a 2 hour stop over for shopping and a visit to the beach. I would give this an average. Overall, you’ll spend more time on the road than enjoying the places.

bonnie g

Jul 2018

Be prepared for a full day of driving. The many stops along the way were both breath-taking and needed to break up the drive, but you sure get to see all the gorgeous spots along Highway 1. The guide was interesting and had a great play list of California music for you to listen to as he drove. With only an hour and a half in Monterey, not sure the Aquarium is really doable.