California is unquestionably one of the best destinations in the world for a vacation! But while there are a few places like Los Angeles and San Francisco that immediately pop into mind when you first think of California, this state is actually huge with all sorts of amazing landscapes and cities to experience and so many amazing things to do in California as well. So if you’re wondering where to go on your California vacation or are just looking for some inspiration to plan your next trip, then this is the list for you!
As a California native, I’ve decided to share 20 epic vacation spots that I consider to be the best places to visit in California. From iconic cities like San Diego to the best nature we have to offer in places like Sequoia National Park and Lake Tahoe, these California locations will have you planning your next California vacation right now!
1. San Diego
When you’re looking for the best places to vacation in California, San Diego is definitely a city you should add to your list. This place is one of the top vacation spots in California, and for good reason—it’s gorgeous and is practically paradise!
While in San Diego, you can enjoy a variety of classic California activities from exploring one of the many beaches, to going whale watching, to seeing seals and sea lions up close, watching stunning sunsets, and more. Your list of things to do in San Diego will definitely be very full!
Of course, you should also spend some time exploring the city and visiting places like Old Town San Diego and Balboa Park. There’s a fun Old Town Food Tour to take if you’d like to visit some nice local restaurants and try delicious tacos, or if you like you could even take a tour of San Diego City or a scenic tour of the city to enjoy the most beautiful places in San Diego.
Regardless of what you decide to do while here and whether you only have a short time in San Diego, this is one of the best cities to visit in California and makes an excellent place to go in California for vacation. With the weather almost always nice and sunny here as well, you won’t regret adding this to your California itinerary!
2. San Luis Obispo
Another of the best places to go on vacation in California is a city on the central coast called San Luis Obispo (SLO). This cute city is one of the best vacation locations in California as it offers up a laid back and relaxing atmosphere that locals call “the SLO life,” plus it has plenty of fun outdoors and beach activities nearby.
There are so many fun things to do in SLO, from enjoying the cute downtown center filled with restaurants and boutiques, to hiking the iconic Bishop Peak, to visiting one of the most unique hotels in the world. The hot pink Madonna Inn is a landmark of the area and a place you won’t soon forget!
But with several amazing beaches nearby as well, this little city is transformed into one of the best places to travel in California for a classic California vacation. You can enjoy the beachside towns, going kayaking, surfing, or more! No matter what style of vacation you’re looking for, SLO is the perfect place to go.
3. Los Angeles
When thinking of popular vacation spots in California, Los Angeles is one of the top places that comes to mind. Especially if you love cities and Hollywood, then Los Angeles should definitely be on your top ten places to visit in California.
There are all sorts of things to do and see in LA, and you could spend a lifetime exploring here and still find new and fun things to do! You may enjoy taking a Hollywood tour and seeing celebrity homes, visiting Universal Studios, or even taking surf lessons at Venice Beach.
There are also plenty of other sights to enjoy including Griffith Observatory, The Getty Museum, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. This barely scratches the surface of all there is to see in Los Angeles, and you certainly won’t be bored with all the sights to see here that makes this one of the best places to travel to in California!
4. Joshua Tree National Park
If you’re considering California vacation ideas, you won’t want to miss adding some of the best outdoor places to visit in California to your list. The Golden State has so many amazing national parks, and Joshua Tree National Park is definitely one of the most unique and is one of the California destination spots you should definitely visit!
Joshua Tree is a special park as it contains a varied desert landscape with several plants you really can’t find anywhere else in the world. But beyond the unique ecosystem, there are lots of other amazing things to see in Joshua Tree.
At this national park, you can go hiking, bouldering, or rock climbing. You can wander through cactus gardens, enjoy driving around and seeing some of the park’s sights from the road, or go stargazing at night. While you can easily visit Joshua Tree on a day trip from Los Angeles or San Diego, this is still one of the best outdoor places to visit in California so it is worth the day trip over to see it! And after you’ve visited, you’ll certainly find yourself wanting to return to this special place again and again.
Read next: California National Parks to Visit and Explore
5. San Francisco
San Francisco is one of the top California places to visit, and definitely makes it into the list of 10 best places to visit in California for tourists. There are so many iconic sights like the Golden Gate Bridge, but also plenty of other fun activities to enjoy and places to explore!
You’ll of course want to see the Golden Gate Bridge, but you’ll also want to explore other attractions nearby like Golden Gate Park, Lands End, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Muir Woods. You may also like to take a tour of Alcatraz Island or take a short cruise to see the Golden Gate bridge from the water!
While these are all fun activities, if you’re looking for a bit more adventure you may enjoy watching sunset from a catamaran or taking a helicopter ride over the Golden Gate Bridge. What an unforgettable way to enjoy this iconic city!
Whether you visit for a short time or for a week or more, San Francisco is certainly one of the top travel destinations in California and will keep you busy exploring the whole time you’re there!
6. Big Sur
When you’re wondering where to go in California for vacation, you can’t go wrong with one of the top California coast vacation spots—Big Sur! This is one of the most beautiful vacation spots in California and is an excellent addition to a California road trip or as a destination in its own right.
You can visit Big Sur on your own if you have a car, or as a one day tour from San Francisco or two day tour from San Francisco. Regardless of which method you choose, you’ll want to be sure to see some of the most beautiful areas along this stretch of the coast including stunning waterfalls like McWay Falls, the iconic Bixby Creek Bridge, Pfeiffer Beach, and more. This part of California is like a little slice of paradise, which makes it one of the most awesome places to visit in California!
7. Sequoia National Park
Sequoia National Park is one of the most amazing places in California and is my personal favorite of California’s national parks. Not only is it one of the most beautiful places in California to visit, but it is also an awe-inspiring place with its gigantic trees that you won’t see anywhere else in the world!
A few of the sights you won’t want to miss in Sequoia include hiking along the Big Trees Trail, climbing inside an old burnt sequoia tree, seeing the largest tree in the world, and also visiting a museum where you can see sequoia seedlings and learn more about how to protect these unique trees. And if you visit in the colder months, you may even be able to go snowshoeing here in the winter!
The whole park is stunning and filled with things to discover, so this is definitely one of the best places to visit in California! As far as California travel spots go, it really doesn’t get much better than this.
8. Kings Canyon National Park
Kings Canyon National Park is another of the great places to vacation in California, and it’s actually located adjacent to Sequoia National Park. That means you can easily visit both parks at the same time and you only have to pay one entrance fee instead of two!
While many people skip exploring Kings Canyon in favor of spending more time in Sequoia, I actually think that Kings Canyon is worth a visit as it is also one of the most beautiful places to go in California. And there are plenty of amazing sights to see here as well!
Sequoia may have more giant sequoias, but Kings Canyon also has one of the largest trees in the world (called General Grant) and you won’t want to miss seeing it as it is a pretty famous tree as you can learn here! Overall, however, this park focuses more on gorgeous canyons and waterfalls and backcountry exploration. I highly recommend taking the Mist Falls Trail as it is is one of my favorites here, but there are plenty of other cool hikes to take as well.
So if you’ve added Sequoia to your list of the best places to go in California, then be sure to add Kings Canyon as well as it is also one of the best California vacation destinations and it is so close you might as well stop by. A combined visit to Sequoia/Kings Canyon is the perfect idea for your California trip!
9. Newport Beach
The list of best places in California to visit wouldn’t be complete without Newport Beach, another fun coastal town and one of the best California cities to visit. This cute place has a fun waterfront to explore, complete with a tiny Ferris wheel, as well as plenty of opportunities to go out on the water.
Newport Beach is also a good place to visit in California if you want to go whale watching. I went whale watching with Davey’s Locker here and it was one of the best whale watching experiences I’ve been on! Or, if you prefer simply excellent views, a touch of romance, and good food, then you may prefer to go on a dinner cruise here instead.
A trip to Newport Beach makes a good day trip from LA, but if you have a little longer to spend here then you may also want to check out attractions like Balboa Island or the nearby Crystal Cove State Park. Whether you feel like going out on the water, exploring the city, or experiencing nature, there’s plenty to see and do here to help you have one of the best vacations in California!
10. Catalina Island
Santa Catalina Island tops the list of cool places to go in California, as this island destination is gorgeous and filled with vacation-worthy activities! This is also one of the best vacation spots in California for couples, as it is perfect for a romantic USA getaway.
If you love water activities like swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, etc. then you will love Catalina. Plus, it’s also the perfect place for hiking and biking! If you’re looking for adventure, you could also go on an underwater cruise to see the local marine life, go zip lining, or even go on an expedition to see the island’s bison population. And if you happen to be visiting between May and September, you won’t want to miss taking a boat out to see the flying fish!
But if you’re the type of person who loves shopping and eating and just relaxing and enjoying island life, then Catalina Island is also perfect for you. Taking a food tour of the island is a perfect laid-back (and delicious!) activity to enjoy while you’re here. This is not only one of the best vacation places in California for those who enjoy adventure, but it’s also one of the most relaxing places to visit in California if you decide to sit back and enjoy the island life!
11. Avila Beach
Some of the best places to go in California for vacation are lesser-known spots, such as Avila Beach. Although not as well known as other cities on this list, Avila is still one of the best vacation cities in California for a family vacation, romantic trip, or vacation with friends!
This city is on the central coast of California (near San Luis Obispo) and is one of the best places in California to vacation at least partially because of its proximity to the ocean. After all, what’s a California trip without enjoying the beach? But besides the beach itself, there are also plenty of other things to do in Avila Beach…from visiting an aquarium, to biking, to enjoying a bonfire in the evening.
If you’re interested in cool places in California to visit that also have some adventure to them, then Avila should also be on your list for this reason! There’s a sea cave and secret beach nearby that takes you a little off-the-beaten-path to find and experience.
So whether you’re looking for that perfect relax-on-the-beach vacation where you laze around and work on your tan or if you’re looking for an exciting adventure, this town is one of the best California destinations with both California tourist spots and local favorites to enjoy!
12. Death Valley National Park
The environments of the top places to vacation in California vary greatly, just as the landscape of California is also varied, but another of the best travel spots in California is Death Valley National Park in the desert. Despite the forbidding name, Death Valley is actually an extraordinary place to visit!
There is such a vast variety of scenery to explore even just within this park, but some of the highlights include seeing the rough salt-covered rocks of Devil’s Golf Course, experiencing the otherworldly landscape of Badwater Basin, and viewing a spectacular mountain range from Zabriskie Point.
This just barely scratches the surface of all you can see! But if you are interested in seeing another side to California’s landscape, then this is a nice place to visit in California to get a taste of the desert. There are surprisingly delightful landscapes at every turn, so a visit here will definitely leave you in awe.
13. Riverside
As far as nice vacation spots in California go, Riverside is also a great choice of California places to vacation. This city is lovely to visit at any time of the year if you like shopping, eating good food, visiting museums, and hiking. But while it’s nice all year round, it definitely tops my list of California vacation spots when the winter rolls around.
Why do I love it in winter? Riverside is home to the impressive Mission Inn, a beautiful hotel in the Spanish mission style of architecture. And this hotel is always decked out in over 5 million lights around Christmas for the Mission Inn Festival of Lights!
The whole city of Riverside also gets in on the festival spirit to create a spectacular display that has now become tradition for Southern California residents and for people around the world. The festival itself is best experienced when staying at the Mission Inn, as you get special access to all the lights and to the whole hotel…but whether you stay there or not, this is one of the most iconic Christmas traditions in Southern California and is worth a visit.
But whether you visit Riverside in the winter for the Festival of Lights or during another part of the year, this is one of the most fun cities to visit in California and will be a great stop on your California vacation.
14. Yosemite National Park
When deciding on the best California vacation spots, you won’t want to forget the popular California vacation spots such as Yosemite National Park. In fact, this is probably the most famous and beloved national park in California and the ultimate California destination!
Some fun activities include viewing or hiking the iconic Half Dome, enjoying beautiful waterfalls like Bridalveil, or relishing in the striking landscape of mountains and meadows. Yosemite brings together some of the best natural landscapes that California has to offer, which helps make it one of the most popular places to visit in California.
If you enjoy photography, you might also have fun going on an Ansel Adams Photography Class in Yosemite, where you get the chance to follow in the footsteps of Adams as you discover the locations that helped make his photography famous. It is so cool to see these locations in real life after seeing his iconic photos!
Once you’re here, you’ll see that Yosemite is the type of place that you could easily spend your whole vacation and never get bored. However, if you have limited time on your California trip and aren’t sure if you can fit Yosemite into your itinerary, I recommend at least taking a day trip to Yosemite from San Francisco or nearby so you can experience this incredible place.
Yosemite is a great place for hiking and camping and enjoying the fresh mountain air, so if this is the type of vacation you like then this national park is a must-see place that you won’t want to miss! I’m sure you’ll soon be adding it to your all-time best places to go to in California list as well!
15. Pismo Beach
Nice places to vacation in California are a dime a dozen, but one that stands out above the others is Pismo Beach. This coastal city has all the beachy things you could hope for, while still being a small enough city that it immediately feels like home from the moment you arrive.
Some of my favorite things to do in Pismo include going surfing or body boarding, hiking along the coast, and eating delicious food (including the best cinnamon rolls ever!). You can also have a fun adventure renting a dune buggy to take out on the only beach in the state where vehicles are allowed.
There are also lots of kitschy beachside shops in the area where you can buy all the California beach souvenirs you’ll ever need. All in all, this city may just be the best place to vacation in California if you’re looking for a balance of adventure and relaxation that encapsulates what California living is all about!
16. Santa Barbara
The fun vacation spots in California just continue with Santa Barbara, another beautiful California city with lots of white buildings and red tile roofs that reflect the city’s Spanish colonial history and heritage. If you’re looking for good places to travel in California, this is a great place to consider.
There are plenty of cool attractions here, including the Mission Santa Barbara (founded in 1786), the Santa Barbara Courthouse (which has excellent views over the city), and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.
You might also enjoy going kayaking and surfing here, exploring boutiques and restaurants, or going wine tasting, as well as some extra-fun activities like going up in a hot air balloon! With so many fun things to do on land, on water, and in the air, you’re sure to consider this one of the top spots in California!
17. Solvang
Another of the best towns to visit in California, Solvang is an adorable Danish-style town and is the perfect place to relax! Of all the places to see in California, this is perhaps one of the most unique.
With all the Danish-style architecture, walking around Solvang really feels like you’ve stepped into Europe instead of California! While you’re here, you can try Danish pastries and æbleskiver, go wine tasting at one of the many downtown tasting rooms or nearby wineries, enjoy wandering the boutique shops, or explore museums about Danish culture. There’s also a fun food and photo tour you can take with a local if you would like!
This is the perfect place if you’re looking for some culture but also a relaxing getaway…as everything here is calm and slow-paced and all the shops even close early in the day! You’ll be left with plenty of time to enjoy the small-town charm and the tranquility, which makes this one of the best vacation destinations in California.
18. Laguna Beach
If you’re looking for great places to visit in California, Laguna Beach is an excellent stop to add to your list! This small coastal city in Orange County is well-known for its delightful beaches and art galleries and is a lovely place to vacation.
Some of the things you can enjoy here include tide pools and boardwalks along the beach and going surfing, stand up paddleboarding, or kayaking with sea lions.
One of the most popular attractions, however, is the “castle” on the beach (aka the Pirate Tower) that is one of the most mysterious and iconic features of Laguna Beach. This tower is kept under lock and key, but makes a very picturesque view and is a fun place to explore!
So whether you like hiking, playing in the water, or simply enjoying the ocean views, this is a great place to visit in California!
19. Big Bear
Big Bear is another of the best travel destinations in California and is a perfect place to visit any time of year. It offers some of the best mountain scenery around, so you won’t want to miss it!
The city of Big Bear sits near Big Bear Lake, where you can enjoy swimming and all sorts of water activities. But this is also an excellent place for a getaway in the winter, as it is a well-known ski resort as well! So you can enjoy skiing or snowboarding or even snowshoeing during the winter.
There are also lots of fun shops and boutiques along the streets of Big Bear Lake Village…or you can venture out into the forest for some gorgeous mountain trails. There’s a little bit of everything that you could possibly want here, which makes it one of the best travel places in California!
20. Lake Tahoe
Last on the list of places you have to visit in California is Lake Tahoe. This is one of the top destinations for outdoor lovers in the state, so I highly recommend this as one of your spots to visit in California!
Some of the top attractions here include seeing the gorgeous Emerald Bay, going hiking, kayaking, or skiing nearby in the winter. But one of the best things to do is definitely stand up paddleboarding! You can take a paddleboarding tour if you want some guidance, or you can rent a paddleboard and go out on your own…but either way, it is definitely worth it.
And if you’re looking for even more exciting adventure opportunities, you might like renting a jet ski, going parasailing, or even splurging on a helicopter tour to see amazing views of Lake Tahoe. You won’t find a better view anywhere else!
There are many places to visit around California, but Tahoe is definitely a favorite and an excellent place to enjoy your vacation. Even though it’s difficult to choose just one best vacation place in California, this one is definitely up there with the best of the best!
Want to have the best California vacation? Be sure to check out my article on how to plan a trip to California!
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