California Coast: Santa Cruz to Monterey

This tour is graded as moderate, with daily hikes averaging around 8 miles a day. This tour is perfect for those who want to explore the expanse of the Marin Headlands and Sonoma by foot and with free time to enjoy wine tastings and to explore the cute towns. Hikers should expect walking along dirt trails and varied terrain. Trails are well-signed, maintained, and traveled frequently. Enjoy staying at charming hotels each night.

Slower Adventures | Where walking and cycling meet easy-going exploring, our Slower Adventures are the perfect combination. Most days are filled with picturesque journeys with some free time to dive into the destination and experience the people, local food and culture as you go.

Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&Bs, inns, and guesthouses.

Solo Travellers

The minimum age for this tour is: 12 Years

The hiking on this trip is moderate, averaging 8-9 miles per day. 

The trails used on this trip are well-established, thoroughly waymarked, and highly traveled. However, conditions vary including mud, rocks, and sand. You should be accustomed to hiking for several hours at a time and will enjoy your tour much more if you are well-prepared. Some hiking experience is necessary.

You will stay in carefully selected 3-4* small hotels. Your room will always have an ensuite or private bathroom. A delicious breakfast is also included. 

Twin Rooms

On this tour twin rooms (with 2 beds, either single or double) are challenging to confirm. This may involve either sharing a king bed, or bringing a cot into the room as the extra bed, which may involve a supplement. We will endeavour to work out the best scenario for you, but please bear this in mind when considering booking this tour if you require this type of rooming. 

Single Rooms

If you require single rooms within your party we will always try and accommodate you subject to availability. A single supplement is payable.

Meals

A hearty breakfast is included each morning. Lunch is included on days 3, 4, and 5. Other lunches and dinners are not included so you are free to choose from the surrounding options. Dinner is available either at your accommodation or at nearby restaurants. 

Navigating is easy using your handmade guidebook provided on arrival. The guidebook provides route notes, and turn-by-turn directions. There are also suggestions on places to eat, points of interest, and local history  You will also have 24/7 telephone support from us here at Macs Adventure.

We offer this trip year-round and there are plenty of reasons to visit in each season based on your goals. Throughout the year the average high temperatures are in the upper 60s Fahrenheit, with lows in the 40s and 50s. 

Although it is possible to book over bank holidays, for example. Memorial Day (May 30th), Independence Day (July 4th),and Labor Day (Sept 5th) etc, there will extra supplements to pay if you want to travel at these bank holiday times. This also included over Christmas and New Year.

Availability

This trip is available any time of year and can depart on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. We suggest booking as far in advance as possible for a better chance of securing your desired dates.

However the following 2022 dates are unbookable due to the listed events:

Feb 3-6 (AT&T Pro-Am)
Apr 24-25 (Big Sur Marathon)
Aug 12-22 (Concours d’Elegance)   
Sept 9-11 (Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey/INDYCAR Race)
Sept 23- 25 (Monterey Jazz Festival

These are dates that are busy but may be bookable:
Apr 7-10 (Sea Otter Classic)
Jul  27-29 (Produce Marketing Association Conference-PMA)
Nov 11-13 (Monterey Bay Half Marathon)
Nov 16-20 (CALPELRA)
Nov 24 (Thanksgiving)

The closest airport to Santa Cruz is San Jose International Airport. You could also fly into San Francisco International Airport or Oakland International Airport. 

It's about a 40-minute drive between San Jose and Santa Cruz. There are plenty of car rental options at the airport, or you can take the Early Bird Shuttle. There is also the public bus, Santa Cruz Metro route 17 Express that connects Santa Cruz to the Airport. 

Your tour ends in Monterey. The nearest airport is San Jose International Airport. You could also fly out of San Francisco International Airport or Oakland International Airport. There is also the Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) with limited domestic flights. 

You can take the Amtrak from Monterey to San Jose Airport in roughly 4 hours. 

Baggage transfer from San Francisco to Sonoma is included in the cost of your holiday. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 22 kg / 50lbs per person.