San Francisco, Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur, a 5-day vacation for family with young children

During June 2024, we spent 5 days checking out some iconic tourist sites in San Francisco, Monterey, Carmel-by-the-Sea, and Big Sur.

Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrival - IAH to San Jose Airport at 6 PM. Check-in to Hyatt Place at SJC airport immediately after (free shuttle from airport to hotel, have to call ahead to schedule).

Day 2: San Francisco, CA

AM: Rental Car pick up and drove to San Francisco. We visited Pier 39, Fisherman wharf, Bay Cruise Tour, big bus tour, and Golden Gate Bridge.

1 PM: Lunch at

3 PM: Drive to Carmel-By-the-Sea, check-in at Hyatt Carmel Highlands.

Evening: Dinner at Hyatt Carmel Highlands, Pacific Edge.

Day 3: Monterey, CA

AM: Scuba Diving in Monterey Bay

• I was hoping to sea a Great White Shark but did not see any.

PM: Monterey Bay Aquarium, cannery row/

Day 4: Pointe Lobos State Park, Carmel-by-the-Sea

AM: Pointe Lobos State Park (2 hours)

PM: 17- Mile Drive through Pebble beach, Carmel-by-the-Sea (Shopping and dinner)

Evening: We went back to the hotel to spend our time at the hot tub.

Day 5: Big Sur

AM: Pfeiiffer Falls trail, CA Highway 1

PM: Andrews Molera State Park (purple sand beach), McWay Fall

Evening: Monterey Fisherman's wharf for dinner

Day 6: Return home (MRY to IAH)

Where we stayed:

San Jose: Hyatt Place San Jose Airport (1 category 4 Hyatt voucher)

Carmel-by-the-Sea - Carmel Hyatt Highlands (attended time share presentation, $1,299 for 4 nights. (normal over $800 per night)

Getting Around:

San Francisco, you can get around by taking public transit and bikes.

Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur: You will need a car to get around. Major sites are not within walking distance. There are no public transportation. We rented our car from Priceline with Avis Car Rental.

Things to consider:

1. As CA has a later time zone, flying into town the evening before the gave us an early start! We were able to pick up rental car at 7:30 am and start our vacation right after!

2. Parking in San Francisco: it pays to book in advance. We were able to secure of parking by Pier 39 (2 mins walk) and only paid $20 for the entire day. Please click here for where we parked. Normally it is $10 per hour.

3. Cell Service: You may lose cell-service on your way to Big-Sur. Please make sure you have your map downloaded or ready in Carmel.

4. Travel: Booking two one-way travels or multi-cities trip may save you some time on the road. You can fly into San Jose and leave from Monterey Airport. (One-way rental car about the same price at round trip).

5. Payment Methods: All state parks take credit cards for the entry fees. However, it is cash only for the state park map. ($2 in cash per map).