Los Angeles–Santa Maria Self-Guided Pacific Coast Audio Drive

4.1
(14 reviews)
Los Angeles, USA

4 to 5 hours (approximately)
Offered in: English and 1 more

Make the Pacific Coast Highway between Los Angeles and Santa Maria your own GPS-guided road trip. Stories play automatically through your smartphone as you pass Venice, Santa Monica, the Getty Villa, Malibu, Zuma Beach, Point Mugu, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Refugio, Gaviota and the Santa Maria Valley. Start at either end, travel in either direction and stop whenever a beach, viewpoint or town catches your eye. Download before you leave; no signal is required during the tour. Transportation, parking, attraction admission, a smartphone and an in-person guide are not included. Park and attraction access can vary with weather, construction and seasonal operations.

What's Included

No time constraints, take as long as you like to complete the tour
Only 1 tour booking needed per vehicle
Flexible dates - tour is yours to keep and enjoy anytime on Tripvia Tours.
No signal required or data used during tour
Good mobile or WiFi connection needed for the initial download
Smartphone or tablet
Transportation (use your own vehicle)
Attraction Tickets
Parking fees
In-person tour guide

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point
Los Angeles

The tour starts or stops at either Los Angeles or Santa Maria, although you can start anywhere along the route. The specific point for Los Angeles is the Pacific Coast Highway #1, at the Los Angeles International Airport.

End point

The tour starts or stops at either Los Angeles or Santa Maria, although you can start anywhere along the route. The specific point for Santa Maria is the Pacific Coast Highway #101, just south of the city.

Itinerary

Duration: 4 to 5 hours (approximately)
  • Loyola Marymount University (Pass by)

    LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY. Pass the hilltop campus of this longstanding Jesuit and Marymount university overlooking Los Angeles.

    Admission ticket free
  • Marina del Rey (Pass by)

    MARINA DEL REY. See one of North America’s largest purpose-built small-craft harbours, filled with sailboats and waterfront activity.

    Admission ticket free
  • Venice (Pass by)

    VENICE. Pass the colourful beachfront neighbourhood known for its canals, boardwalk and creative spirit.

    Admission ticket free
  • Santa Monica State Beach (Pass by)

    SANTA MONICA AND WILL ROGERS STATE BEACHES. Follow the coast past two broad sandy beaches and classic Pacific views.

    Admission ticket free
  • The Getty Villa (Pass by)

    GETTY VILLA AND PACIFIC PALISADES. Pass the Roman-inspired museum of Greek and Roman antiquities, currently open with free timed reservations, and the surrounding coastal neighbourhood.

    Admission ticket free
  • Tuna Canyon Park (Pass by)

    TUNA CANYON AND TOPANGA STATE PARKS. See rugged native landscapes, hiking country and sweeping coastal viewpoints in the Santa Monica Mountains.

    Admission ticket free
  • Malibu (Pass by)

    MALIBU. Travel through 21 miles of celebrated coastline shaped by surf culture, beaches and dramatic ocean scenery.

    Admission ticket free
  • Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (Pass by)

    SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS NATIONAL RECREATION AREA. Pass a vast Mediterranean-climate landscape of canyons, ridges and coastal habitat.

    Admission ticket free
  • Malibu (Pass by)

    MALIBU AND ADAMSON HOUSE. Discover the city’s layered past and its landmark Spanish Colonial Revival home beside the lagoon.

    Admission ticket free
  • Zumba beach (Pass by)

    ZUMA BEACH AND POINT DUME. See a wide sandy beach and the prominent headland featured in countless coastal views.

    Admission ticket free
  • El Matador State Beach (Pass by)

    EL MATADOR STATE BEACH. Look for sea stacks, arches and sculpted rock formations along this striking Malibu shoreline.

    Admission ticket free
  • Nicholas Canyon Beach (Pass by)

    NICHOLAS CANYON BEACH. Pass a scenic beach rooted in the much older history and trading networks of the Chumash people.

    Admission ticket free
  • (Pass by)

    HARRISON’S REEF. Look offshore toward a rocky reef known as a local scuba-diving habitat.

    Admission ticket free
  • Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (Pass by)

    SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS. Follow the foothills and inland bluffs that rise sharply above the Pacific coast.

    Admission ticket free
  • Point Mugu State Park (Pass by)

    POINT MUGU STATE PARK AND BONEY PEAK. Pass open coastal parkland with canyons, trails and views toward one of the range’s highest summits.

    Admission ticket free
  • Point Mugu Missile Park (Pass by)

    POINT MUGU MISSILE PARK. View the outdoor collection of historic missiles and aircraft associated with the neighbouring naval base.

    Admission ticket free
  • Port Hueneme (Pass by)

    PORT HUENEME. Pass the coastal city and its deep-water commercial port, the only one between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

    Admission ticket free
  • Oxnard (Pass by)

    OXNARD. Travel through a fertile coastal plain famous for producing a major share of California’s strawberries.

    Admission ticket free
  • (Pass by)

    SANTA CLARA RIVER. Cross Southern California’s largest relatively natural river system and its important watershed habitat.

    Admission ticket free
  • Ventura County Coast (Pass by)

    VENTURA COUNTY COAST. Follow the coastal plain beneath the Topatopa Mountains through one of Southern California’s most scenic regions.

    Admission ticket free
  • Mission Basilica San Buenaventura (Pass by)

    MISSION BASILICA SAN BUENAVENTURA. Pass the active historic parish, museum and mission landmark in downtown Ventura.

    Admission ticket free
  • Emma Wood State Beach (Pass by)

    SOLIMAR AND EMMA WOOD STATE BEACHES. Trace a scenic stretch of Pacific shoreline with broad ocean views and coastal recreation.

    Admission ticket free
  • (Pass by)

    PITAS POINT. See the prominent coastal point shaped by powerful tectonic forces and earthquake history.

    Admission ticket free
  • (Pass by)

    RINCON ISLAND AND RICHFIELD PIER. Spot the small artificial island connected to shore by a remarkably long pier.

    Admission ticket free
  • (Pass by)

    CARPINTERIA BLUFFS NATURE PRESERVE. See community-protected coastal bluffs, open space and sweeping ocean habitat.

    Admission ticket free
  • Carpinteria (Pass by)

    CARPINTERIA. Pass a welcoming coastal city known for beaches, small-town charm and nearby nature preserves.

    Admission ticket free
  • (Pass by)

    CHANNEL ISLANDS VIEWPOINT. Look across the Pacific toward Santa Rosa Island and the offshore island chain on clear days.

    Admission ticket free
  • Channel Islands National Park (Pass by)

    CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK. View the protected island landscape celebrated for marine wildlife, archaeology and remarkable biodiversity.

    Admission ticket free
  • Channel Islands Harbor (Pass by)

    CHANNEL ISLANDS HARBOUR. Pass the working waterfront near Naval Base Ventura County and its maritime facilities.

    Admission ticket free
  • Santa Barbara (Pass by)

    SANTA BARBARA AND CHUMASH HISTORY. Enter a coastal city whose story begins with the Chumash people centuries before European settlement.

    Admission ticket free
  • Santa Barbara (Pass by)

    SANTA BARBARA. Discover Spanish-influenced architecture, a lively waterfront and one of California’s favourite coastal destinations.

    Admission ticket free
  • Goleta (Pass by)

    GOLETA. Pass a relaxed coastal community with beaches, nature preserves and seasonal monarch habitat.

    Admission ticket free
  • Santa Ynez (Pass by)

    SANTA YNEZ MOUNTAINS. Follow the unusual east–west range that forms a dramatic backdrop to the coast.

    Admission ticket free
  • University of California, Santa Barbara (Pass by)

    UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA. Pass a leading research campus set beside the Pacific Ocean.

    Admission ticket free
  • Los Padres National Forest (Pass by)

    LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST. View the vast protected mountain landscape that shelters rare wildlife and rugged wilderness.

    Admission ticket free
  • El Capitan State Beach (Pass by)

    EL CAPITAN STATE BEACH. See rocky tide pools and coastal habitat at this reopened day-use beach along Highway 101.

    Admission ticket free
  • Refugio State Beach (Pass by)

    REFUGIO STATE BEACH. Pass a palm-lined coastal beach remembered both for its beauty and the environmental impact of the 2015 oil spill.

    Admission ticket free
  • Gaviota State Park (Pass by)

    GAVIOTA STATE PARK. See rugged coastline, beach scenery and the historic Gaviota trestle near the western end of the Santa Barbara coast.

    Admission ticket free
  • Nojoqui Falls Park (Pass by)

    NOJOQUI FALLS PARK. Discover a distinctive waterfall that has built outward from mineral deposits over time.

    Admission ticket free
  • Buellton (Pass by)

    BUELLTON. Pass a friendly Santa Ynez Valley town famous for roadside hospitality and split-pea soup.

    Admission ticket free
  • La Purisima Mission State Historic Park (Pass by)

    LA PURÍSIMA MISSION STATE HISTORIC PARK. See California’s most fully restored Spanish mission complex and its surrounding historic landscape.

    Admission ticket free
  • Lompoc (Pass by)

    LOMPOC. Discover a valley city brightened by a celebrated collection of outdoor murals.

    Admission ticket free
  • (Pass by)

    VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE. Pass the major West Coast launch centre for military, scientific and commercial space missions.

    Admission ticket free
  • Los Alamos (Pass by)

    LOS ALAMOS AND SALOMON PICO. Travel through old ranching country linked to the legendary Californio bandit Salomon Pico.

    Admission ticket free
  • (Pass by)

    SANTA MARIA VALLEY. Enter a renowned wine region celebrated for cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

    Admission ticket free
  • (Pass by)

    SAN RAFAEL WILDERNESS. View the rugged backcountry of Los Padres National Forest and the ridge of Hurricane Deck.

    Admission ticket free
  • Santa Maria (Pass by)

    SANTA MARIA. Finish in a city founded amid fertile farmland, a mild coastal climate and a rich ranching tradition.

    Admission ticket free
  • Presqu'ile Winery (Pass by)

    PRESQU’ILE WINERY. See a contemporary Santa Maria Valley estate known for cool-climate wines and sweeping vineyard views.

    Admission ticket free
  • PCPA - Pacific Conservatory Theatre (Pass by)

    PACIFIC CONSERVATORY THEATRE. See Santa Maria’s respected professional theatre and training company on the Allan Hancock College campus.

    Admission ticket free
  • Rancho Sisquoc Winery (Pass by)

    RANCHO SISQUOC WINERY. Discover a historic estate at the eastern edge of the Santa Maria Valley wine country.

    Admission ticket free
  • (Pass by)

    RIVER VIEW PARK. See a spacious Buellton park beside the Santa Ynez River with lawns, trails and valley scenery.

    Admission ticket free

Additional info

  • Service animals allowed
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
  • Wheelchair accessible
Supplied by Tripvia Tours

Tags

Half-day Tours
Bus Tours
Private and Luxury
Private Sightseeing Tours
Audio Guides
Historical Tours
Car Tours
Low Supplier Cancellation Rate
Low Last Minute Supplier Cancellation Rate
Short term availability

Cancellation Policy

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

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Rating

4.1 Based on 14 14 reviews
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