Overview – Montery to Santa Barbara via Big Sur bike tour
Cycling down the California coast from Monterey to Santa Barbara via Big Sur on a bike tour avoids much of the urban biking and the less scenic agricultural areas of longer bike tours down the California coast. The first part of a Monterey to Santa Barbara bike tour focuses on the hilly, but spectacular Big Sur coast, with its rugged coastline and towering redwoods. South of Big Sur, cycling through San Luis Obispo County and Santa Barbara County offers a diverse palette of marine wildlife viewing, historic missions, winery areas and surfers plying the waves of the Pacific Ocean off sandy beaches.
Cyclists above Bixby Bridge
Standard Itinerary: Monterey to Santa Barbara
6 Days / 288 Total Miles / Daily Average = 48 Miles
Day One – Monterey to Big Sur – 45 miles (elevation +2748/-2530 ft)
The Monterey to Santa Barbara bike tour begins with a side trip out to scenic 17 Mile Drive to experience the storied golf courses of Pebble Beach. You’ll continue through Carmel, enjoying its white sandy beach and beautiful mission. South of Carmel, you’ll enter the fabled Big Sur coastline, home to some of the most spectacular coastal scenery anywhere in the world. Here Highway One is often carved out of cliffs and ridges high above the Pacific Ocean with waves crashing below on rocky sea stacks. After crossing photogenic Bixby Bridge and climbing to Hurricane Point, today’s bike ride finishes a short distance inland among the redwoods in the town of Big Sur.
Day Two – Big Sur to Ragged Point – 49 miles (elevation +5043/-4941 ft)
Get ready for an epic full day of biking the Big Sur coast! Right off the bat you’ll tackle the biggest hill of the Monterey to Santa Barbara bike tour as you cycle above the Big Sur River past colorful cafes and more redwoods before descending back toward the ocean. Rugged and remote coastline dominates the rest of the day, with numerous state parks offering short hikes to waterfalls and panoramic views of the Pacific. After cycling a final set of hills, you’ll enjoy a well earned rest at the Ragged Point Inn, perched on a bluff high above ocean.
Day Three – Ragged Point to San Luis Obispo (SLO) – 61 miles (elevation +2228/-2313 ft)
After descending from Ragged Point the Monterey to Santa Barbara bike tour route features more forgiving terrain, but still encompasses expansive ocean views as you pass by historic Hearst Ranch and Hearst Castle and a colony of decidedly odd looking elephant seals (a must see stop!). South of Hearst Castle, you’ll bike through a series of small coastal towns, each with its own unique character. Cambria features numerous art galleries and restaurants, while Cayucos is focused its extensive beach and pier area as well as being a popular surfing location. Our bike tour route hugs the coast from Cayucos to Morro Bay, which is a fishing village with a scenic harbor area. The route from Morro Bay to SLO skirts the edge of Morro Bay National Estuary before cutting inland for some hilly but very scenic cycling. San Luis Obispo (voted happiest town in North America!) features an historic mission and a vibrant, walkable downtown area.
Cyclists in California Central Coast wine country
Day Four – SLO to Santa Maria – 43 miles (elevation +1101/-1131 ft)
From SLO the Monterey to Santa Barbara bike tour route heads back to the coast. A short detour along a creekside bike path to the small resort town of Avila Beach beckons before cycling through Pismo Beach, another classic beach town. From Pismo Beach the route veers inland through rich farmland. Watch for artichokes and strawberries! The terrain south of Pismo Beach has some rolling hills, but levels out as you cycle through the sleepy town of Guadalupe before the short spin to Santa Maria.
Day Five – Santa Maria to Solvang – 38 miles (elevation +1931/-1662 ft)
Leaving Santa Maria on this Monterey to Santa Barbara bike tour, you’ll quickly find yourself in the idyllic vineyards of the Santa Ynez winery region. This is where the movie “Sideways” was filmed, often with actual staff from the winery tasting rooms. Tackling the hills at the south end of Foxen Canyon Road brings you to the tiny hamlet of Los Olivos and its numerous tasting rooms. From Los Olivos it’s a short spin along Alamo Pintado Road (or a rollicking climb and descent on Ballard Canyon Road) to the Danish-themed town of Solvang in the heart of the Santa Ynez wine country.
Day Six – Solvang to Santa Barbara – 52 miles (elevation +2472/-2965 ft)
The last day of this Monterey to Santa Barbara bike tour starts with a pleasing spin and climb through isolated country behind Solvang past Nojoqui Falls Park before you gain US 101 and bike over Gaviota Pass to get back to the coast. The coastal approach to Santa Barbara on US 101 is actually quite pleasant for cycling on a freeway and features expansive ocean views. As you near Santa Barbara, you’ll take the traditional Coast Bike Route through Hope Ranch and bike along the waterfront before ending the day among the palm trees and sandy beaches of Santa Barbara.
**Please note that all mileages and elevation gain/loss data (in feet) are approximate only and will vary according to hotel location and actual routes ridden.**
John’s Tour Thoughts
- If you want to concentrate cycling on the spectacular Big Sur coast and the winery region of the Santa Ynez Valley, it is possible to do this trip with a shuttle in the middle, cutting out the areas around San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria.
- A more relaxed seven to eight day version of this itinerary can be done by breaking up some longer and/or hillier days at the start of the itinerary.
- It is also possible to do a shorter version of this bike tour and still experience the dramatic Big Sur coast and some wine country by starting in the Monterey Peninsula area and ending with a layover day in San Luis Obispo doing a loop ride in the Edna Valley wine region.
- If you would like to concentrate your overnight stays in beach towns, we suggest doing a seven day itinerary that breaks Days Three and Four into three cycling days and stays in Cayucos and Pismo Beach instead of just SLO.
- If long daily mileages and/or century bike rides are your cup of tea, the route from Monterey to Santa Barbara can be done in three days of roughly 100 miles per day.
- For long distance California Coast bike tours we ALWAYS recommend going from north to south (one way) due to prevailing winds along the coast from the north and northwest.
Adding Layover/Rest Days
Interesting layover days on our Monterey to Santa Barbara via Big Sur bike tour can be made in the following locations:
- Big Sur. This is the best layover spot for hiking. Amazing coastal hikes as well as hikes into the redwoods are available at Andrew Molera State Park and Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.
- Cambria. There is quite a selection of art galleries, fine restaurants and wine tasting available in Cambria. Hearst Castle is just a few miles north. Try kayaking in San Simeon Cove with Sea For Yourself. There are also numerous hiking trails in and around Cambria, including San Simeon State Park. To encompass a layover day in Cambria, you would either lengthen Day Two or cut Day Three in half.
- San Luis Obispo (SLO). This diverse town offers plenty of galleries and restaurants in its award winning downtown area. The Edna Valley stretches south of town and offers numerous winery tasting rooms and great cycling.
- Solvang. Located in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley Wine Country, Solvang (or one of the towns close by) is the best place for a layover day if you want to experience wine country and/or do some cycling to wineries.
Mileage Calculator for Alternate Itineraries
If you are interested in starting or ending at different points than in the sample Monterey to Santa Barbara via Big Sur bike tour itinerary and/or if you want to increase or decrease the number of days of your Monterey to Santa Barbara bike tour to yield different daily average mileages, please use the calculator below to begin customizing your tour. Please don’t hesitate to email us if you have other questions or would like a proposed itinerary with your specifications sent to you.
| Start | End | Total Miles | Num. Days | Daily Average |
| Select San Francisco Half Moon Bay Santa Cruz Monterey Carmel Big Sur Ragged Point Cambria Cayucos Morro Bay San Luis Obispo | Select Cambria Cayucos Morro Bay San Luis Obispo Pismo Beach Santa Maria Solvang Santa Barbara Ventura Santa Monica (LA) | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 |
Metric conversion: miles x 1.61 = kilometers
Please email us to request more information on specific itineraries or to start the process of booking a tour with us.
Traffic, Road Conditions and Terrain
Traffic along the Monterey to Santa Barbara via Big Sur bike tour route is highly variable. Some stretches are on remote roads that have little to no traffic. Much of the cycling route is on Highway One which has differing traffic volumes on different portions. Highway One also has highly variable shoulders with some stretches (especially through Big Sur coast) that have little to no shoulder. A small portion of the cycling tour is actually on freeways, but these sections always have a large shoulder, except for two very short stretches on the approach to Santa Barbara. Summer tends to see the heaviest traffic on Highway One. However, motorists are used to seeing lots of cyclists along the route and are normally courteous. Cyclists doing the Monterey to Santa Barbara bike tour should be comfortable riding with traffic for portions of the tour.
Santa Barbara bike tour
The terrain for the Monterey to Santa Barbara via Big Sur bike tour route is also highly variable. Most days will have some combination of relatively level riding and some hill climbing. Most of the sustained climbs (i.e. 1/2 mile or longer) are of moderate steepness (5-8%) and there are no sustained climbs that average over 10%. The hilliest section for cyclists doing the Monterey to Santa Barbara bike tour is the 75 miles of Big Sur coast between Carmel and Ragged Point. There is very little level riding on this stretch of coast and the vast majority of this section is either climbing or descending. There are two climbs on the Big Sur coast that are just over 2 miles long and gain almost 1000 feet. Each day of the Monterey to Santa Barbara bike tour itinerary has the elevation gain and loss (in feet) listed. Cyclists contemplating doing the Monterey to Santa Barbara bike tour should be comfortable with riding hilly terrain.
Map
Pricing for Guided Bicycle Tours
We offer three levels of support for guided bicycle tours down the California coast: Support Vehicle Charter, Guided with Bikes and Lunch, and Guided Inclusive with Lodging. Prices for guided bicycle tours down the California coast from Monterey to Santa Barbara are usually based on a daily rate multiplied by the total number of days on the bicycle tour.
Pricing for Self Guided Bike Tours
Our innovative self guided bike tour program is a good option for more experienced cyclists who can fix flat tires, can carry some weight on the bike and are comfortable without a guide or support vehicle. In our self guided bike tour program we drop off and pick up all the necessary equipment (road or hybrid bike and panniers) at the start and end of the tour, as well as provide itinerary support (recommended accommodations, directions, maps, and detailed daily memos) and excess luggage transfer from start to end of your bike tour. You book and pay for all your accommodations and meals and usually carry just the gear and clothes you need for the days of the tour. Prices below assume our standard self guided bike tour services and are per person prices for the whole itinerary. The rates vary according to length of itinerary and number of people in the cycling group. If you will be doing the itinerary in less or more than the amount of days listed below, the price will be adjusted accordingly. For number of days below the standard range – subtract $15 per day per person. For number of days above the standard range – add $20 per day per person.
| Per person itinerary price based on group size | ||||||
| Itinerary | Total Miles | # Days | Solo | 2 ppl | 3 ppl | 4+ ppl |
| Monterey to Santa Barbara | 288 | 4-6 | $650 | $410 | $330 | $275 |
| Monterey to Solvang | 236 | 4-6 | $570 | $380 | $300 | $250 |
| Monterey to SLO | 155 | 3-5 | $460 | $300 | $220 | $195 |
Daily luggage delivery prices – self guided bike tours
Daily luggage delivery is not normally included in our self guided bike tour package, but can potentially be arranged for an extra fee. Be aware that moving luggage down the coast one way can cost a minimum of $150 extra per day and sometimes up to double that. We usually use a combination of cabs (in areas farther from our home base in SLO County) and our own staff and vehicles (closer to our home base). If we are in transit to meet you on the first and/or last day of your self guided bike tour, we can often waive the luggage moving fee for those day(s). Please contact us if you are interested in a quote on daily luggage delivery for your self guided bike tour.
Booking accommodations for an extra fee
On request we can also book accommodations for your self guided bike tour. We charge a 10% booking fee for this service. Please let us know if you are interested in this service when you book your tour.
Different Routes within the Zone
Between San Luis Obispo County and the town of Santa Barbara, our normal bicycle tour route goes via the Santa Ynez Valley and Solvang. This routing is slightly longer overall (by 17 miles) than the more direct route via Lompoc. We route most of our bicycle tours via the Santa Ynez Valley to give cyclists the chance to ride through a classic California wine country area. The bike route via Lompoc does decrease the overall miles, but misses the Santa Ynez Valley wine area in favor of wide open and isolated ranch and farm country farther to the west. Lompoc is also not as interesting a town as Solvang (or other towns in the Santa Ynez Valley) for an overnight stay and has no high end quality hotels or restaurants. However, if you are not interested in wine country areas and want to keep moving down the coast in the most direct fashion, staying in Lompoc is certainly worth considering. Please email us for a sample of an alternate California coast biking itinerary that is routed via Lompoc instead of the Santa Ynez Valley and Solvang.
We’ve also done several bike tours that concentrate on the Big Sur area down to Cambria, then shuttle to the Santa Ynez valley and enjoy 1-3 days of wine country cycling there. Please email us for a suggested itinerary for a Monterey, Big Sur and Santa Ynez valley bike tour.
Start and End Transportation
Monterey Peninsula
The Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) is very close to Monterey and is served by several major airlines. There are flights to Monterey from San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Denver. The nearest major airport to Monterey is San Jose (SJC). Monterey Airbus picks up at the San Jose airport (SJC) and drops off in downtown Monterey. Shuttle time is usually 1.5 hours. If you are flying into San Francisco (SFO), Monterey Airbus also picks up there and drops off in downtown Monterey. Shuttle time is usually 2-2.5 hours.
While it is possible take Amtrak to Monterey, the Amtrak route to Monterey usually involves a transfer to a bus in nearby Salinas.
If you are coming from southern California to Monterey before the bike tour, we can often offer a complimentary shuttle from SLO to Monterey the day the tour starts. It is often easier and cheaper to get to SLO from Los Angeles or Santa Barbara via Amtrak than it is to fly or take Amtrak from either Los Angeles or Santa Barbara to Monterey.
Santa Barbara Area
Similar to Monterey, Santa Barbara has a regional airport (SBA) served by several major airlines. There are non-stop flights to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver, Seattle, Portland and Phoenix. The Santa Barbara Airbus offers transportation from several Santa Barbara area locations to Los Angeles International (LAX) as well. Shuttle time is usually 2-2.5 hours. Amtrak also offers train service from Santa Barbara to the Los Angeles area.