Trip Goal:

We created this 10 day road trip with kids itinerary guide to help you plan the perfect road trip along the Pacific coast of California. Our guide contains all the must-see locations, suggestions on where to eat, and recommendations on where to stay, along with suggestions for other places slightly off the coast.

Our hope is that you find this guided itinerary helpful as you plan the perfect Californian road-trip that you can unplug, spend time in nature and have fun!

Must-See Locations:

While planning our trip, our must-see locations were the Pacific Coast Highway 1, Joshua Tree National Park, Kings Canyon, Channel Islands National Park, Sequoia National Park, Yosemite National Park, and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

However, due to the extreme, unprecedented weather that California was receiving in the winter/spring of 2023, much of our trip had to be re-routed while we were traveling. Accommodations were made on the fly and will be notated with changes and detours in the daily posts.

Trip Length:

10 days total, with 9 days driving

Trip Route:

This is the route we completed in 10 days. We began our trip by flying into Las Vegas, Nevada and then driving the remainder of the trip in a rental car. We drove 1,400 miles in 9 days.

California Road Trip Route with Kids | Gathered In The Kitchen

About Us

My husband, Clayton, is the master planner of vacations. It’s the one thing he looks forward to the most, and tries to squeeze in as many vacations as possible each year.

At the current time, our kids are 9, 12, and 14 and have now visited (road trip style) 46 states! (and 5 countries!) This California road trip has been said to be their favorite to date!

In these posts, I share what we did every single day. There are a lot of photos (I’m a visual person!), but my hope is that this guide will not only inspire you to get out and see the world with your family, but also peek your interest about some of the places we visited so you can add them to your list of places to visit!

Bixby Bridge on Pacific Coast Highway California | Gathered In The Kitchen

Daily Road Trip Itinerary

Plan the perfect road trip along the coast of California with kids seeing all of the must-see locations!

Bellagio Water Show Las Vegas | Gathered In The Kitchen

10 Day California Coast Road Trip | Day 1: Las Vegas, Nevada

Joshua Tree National Park | Gathered In The Kitchen

10 Day California Coast Road Trip | Day 2: Joshua Tree National Park

Santa Monica Pier | Gathered In The Kitchen

10 Day California Coast Road Trip | Day 3: Santa Monica & Ventura, California

Santa Barbara, California | Gathered In The Kitchen

10 Day California Coast Road Trip | Day 4: Ojai & Santa Barbara, California

Channel Islands Island Packers Cruise | Gathered In The Kitchen

10 Day California Coast Road Trip | Day 5: Channel Islands National Park, California

Solvang, California | Gathered In The Kitchen

10 Day California Coast Road Trip | Day 6: Solvang, San Simeon & Big Sur, California

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve | Gathered In The Kitchen

10 Day California Coast Road Trip | Day 7: Big Sur, Point Lobos, & Cannery Row, California

Muir Woods National Monument | Gathered In The Kitchen

10 Day California Coast Road Trip | Day 8: Santa Cruz, Muir Woods, California

Golden Gate Bridge | Gathered In The Kitchen

10 Day California Coast Road Trip | Day 9: San Francisco, California

Walnut Creek, California | Gathered In The Kitchen

10 Day California Coast Road Trip | Day 10: Walnut Creek, California