Tours from San Francisco to Los Angeles follow the California coast south on Highway 1, through Monterey, the 17-Mile Drive, Carmel and Big Sur to Hearst Castle, Solvang and Santa Barbara. Some are small-group trips that end in Los Angeles, and others continue on longer West Coast loops through Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon or Yosemite. Hotels and transport are included. Heading the other way? See San Francisco tours from Los Angeles.
The coastal route heads south through Monterey, the 17-Mile Drive and Carmel, then along Big Sur's cliffs and bridges to San Simeon, where Hearst Castle sits above the coast and elephant seals rest on the beaches nearby. Further south come the Danish-style town of Solvang and Santa Barbara before Los Angeles. Driving it straight takes about nine hours, so tours spread it over several days.
A one-way tour suits travelers who want to fly home from LAX or continue to Las Vegas, and it avoids driving the same coast twice. Round trips and longer loops return through Yosemite or the Central Valley, which works better if your flight leaves from SFO. Decide where you are flying home from first, then pick the tour that ends there.
September and October are often the clearest months on the coast, after the summer fog lifts and the crowds thin. Summer is the busiest season, with morning fog common around San Francisco and Monterey. Winter is quieter and cooler, with occasional rain that can close parts of Highway 1, when tours reroute inland. Spring brings green hills and wildflowers along Big Sur.