When visiting Central California, many people head along Highway 1, hit the main sites, and tend to skip some of the middle parts of the state. However, many areas in Central California are seriously underrated. This one week Central California itinerary includes some of the typical stops but also includes some hidden gems. It is a perfect trip for wine lovers and National Park enthusiasts.
Disclaimer: Special thanks to various tourism boards and wineries for hosting me. As always, all thoughts and opinions remain my own. This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission at no cost to you!
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History of Central California
Central California is considered to be the middle of the state between Los Angeles and San Francisco. In general, California is considered to be one of the most diverse areas in the pre-Colombian era. Over 70 different Native American groups first settled in the area, especially along the coast. Trade and military alliances led to the cohabitation of all the different tribes.
The first people to explore California after the Native Americans were the Spanish. Throughout 1500-1700, the Spanish led a variety of expeditions to the area. In 1821, the Spanish were overthrown and the Mexican territory was created. The mission system was rolled out and many rancheros popped up.
In 1846, a bunch of civilians rebelled in what became known as the Bear Flag Revolt and this contributed to the outbreak of the Mexican American War. Following the end of the war in 1848, California became a territory of the United States and eventually a state in 1850.
Throughout the years, California saw an influx of people due to the Civil War, the Gold Rush, and just general migration to new territories.
Best Time to Visit Central California
The cool part about visiting California is the weather is gorgeous pretty much any time of the year. The summer season tends to be the hottest and the most crowded. In wintertime, the weather might not be as clear, but you can still visit most of the spots. Opt to follow this one week Central California itinerary in the fall and the spring to have the best weather and the least amount of crowds.
How to Get to Central California
For this one week Central California itinerary, you will want to fly to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). You can find a ton of awesome deals here quite frequently. If you want to cut out a little bit of driving time, you could always fly into Fresno and out of Santa Barbara, but I do not feel it would be worth the cost difference.
Pro Tip: Buy an America the Beautiful Pass to save some money when visiting the National Parks.
One Week Central California Itinerary
Day 1: Los Angeles to Visalia, California
Drive Time: 3 hours, 15 minutes
Hotel Option: Hampton Inn Visalia
Today, fly into Los Angeles and spend some time exploring whatever parts of the city are most interesting to you. If you only have one day in Los Angeles, I recommend starting the morning by going on a Studio Tour. I’ve done several, but the WB Studio Tour is a fun one. If a studio tour is not your thing, opt to visit one of the many museums in Los Angeles, such as the Academy Museum.
After that, grab some lunch at one of the many places to eat in Los Angeles. I highly recommend heading downtown to the Grand Central Market which offers a variety of choices. You can even hop on Angeles Flight to take you up the hill. If you have time, spend the entire day exploring what DTLA has to offer.
Once you have eaten lunch, head to the Giffith Observatory for views of Los Angeles and the Hollywood Sign. You can even hike one of the hiking trails if you are up to it. Grab dinner at Mama Shelter for great cocktails and more views of the Hollywood sign.
At the end of the day, drive a little over 3 hours to spend the night in Visalia, the gateway to Sequoia National Park, the perfect start to a one week Central California itinerary.
Day 2: Sequoia National Park to Bass Lake, California
Drive Time: 3 hours
Hotel Option: The Pines Resort
On this second day of a one week Central California itinerary, spend the day exploring
Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park. If you have more time, plan to spend more than just one day exploring these two parks.
These two parks have so many things to explore. Start the day in Sequoia National Park with a quick stop at Tunnel Log and get an iconic picture driving through the log. Then, take a quick hike up Moro Rock for awesome views of the park.
After that, head to visit the Sherman Tree Trail and the Congress Trail. These trails take you past some of the largest trees in the world by volume. You will not want to miss this hike. It is a two-mile round trip loop.
This afternoon, you have two choices. First, you can opt to stay in Sequoia and continue to explore the park. If you stay in Sequoia, I recommend the Big Trees trail and taking a tour of Crystal Cave.
Alternatively, you can head into King’s Canyon National Park, which is connected to Sequoia. I recommend having a separate day for each of them, but if you are pressed for time, it is possible to do them both in one day.
Your first stop at King’s Canyon should be the Grant Grove tree trail. This will take you to the General Grant Tree, which has the widest trunk in the world. It is an easy half-mile walk round trip. Then, head to Panoramic Point for the best views in the park. It is a super short walk to the lookout.
Finally, end your second day of this one week Central California itinerary with a hike on the Big Stump Trail. This trail contains a lot of stumps of sequoia that have previously been cut down, including what would have been the largest sequoia had they not cut it down.
Once you have finished the day in the parks, drive 3 hours to reach the base of Yosemite National Park. Instead of heading directly to Yosemite, you could also spend some time in Mammoth Lakes. In the summertime, there are a ton of hiking options and kayaking you can do.
Tonight, opt to stay the night at The Pines Resort, near Bass Lake and the southern entrance to Yosemite. You can also opt to stay inside the park at the Yosemite Lodge but it can be expensive.
Day 3: Yosemite National Park
For your third day of this one week Central California itinerary, head to Yosemite National Park. You could easily spend several days exploring the park, but if you only have one day, opt to see the highlights.
Start the day with a short hike to Glacier Point for some of the best views of the valley and Half Dome. The earlier you get there, the fewer people will be around! After that, hike the Sentinal Dome Trail and stop at Taft Point. This 2.2-mile trail takes you past gorgeous views of the valley.
In the afternoon, head into Yosemite Valley to take in the views of Yosemite Falls. If you visit in the late summertime, the falls will be the most visible as the snow melts. Visitors can opt to hike to the lower falls viewpoint or if up for an intense hike, you can go all the way to the top.
Day 4: Yosemite National Park to Monterey, California
Drive Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Hotel Option: Holiday Inn Express Monterey, the Hyatt Regency Monterey, or the Hampton Inn Monterey.
This morning drive from Yosemite to Monterey, California. Monterey is a cute seaside town in the northern part of the Central Coast. It is a bit of a long drive, so the earlier you leave the better. If you have more than one week, you can opt to head into San Francisco today instead.
First up this morning, stop at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. This is one of the best aquariums I have been to and they have some really amazing exhibits. The Open Sea exhibit is one of the best exhibits, which is the 1.2 million gallon tank you may have seen pictures of. Another popular exhibit is the Sea Otters. Plan to spend 3-4 hours wandering through the aquarium exhibits.
If you like Mexican food, stop for lunch at Sarita’s the Original. This restaurant has some of the best Mexican food I have tasted outside of Mexico. You won’t be sorry!
Then spend some time this afternoon wine tasting. The Monterey area has a ton of tasting rooms scatted throughout town. Hahn Estate and Taste Morgan are my two favorites. Make sure to make reservations online ahead of time, because the tasting rooms tend to fill up.
For dinner wander around the Cannery Row and Old Fisherman’s Wharf area as they have many awesome restaurant choices. This area once used to be big for fish catching and sardine canning. Monterey should be part of any one week Central California itinerary.
Day 5: Monterey to Paso Robles, California
Drive Time: 3 hours
Hotel Option: The Oaks Hotel and Suites or Hampton Inn Paso Robles
Today will be a gorgeous day of driving along the infamous Highway 1 and taking in the views. A drive down the coast should be part of any one week Central California itinerary.
First up this morning, opt to visit Point Lobos State Natural Reserve which has a ton of hiking trails and nature walks. You will not be sorry with the views of the area from here. Then, opt to continue heading down Highway 1 towards Paso Robles.
Your first stop along Highway 1 should be the Bixby Creek Bridge, the iconic bridge that you will recognize from all the pictures. Then head to Julia Pfeiffer State Park to take in more spectacular views of the coast. Next up, you will want to stop at McWay Falls. This area is known for the 80-foot waterfall coming from the cliffs.
In the afternoon, stop for a visit to Hearst Castle, a historic estate located along the Central Coast. This mansion was built by William Randolph Hearst between 1919 and 1947. You will be amazing at all the ornate architecture and details. You can even wine taste at Hearst Ranch (they have an awesome Chardonnay).
Once you have spent enough time at Hearst Castle, finish the drive to Paso Robles and get some rest for a day of wine tasting tomorrow.
Day 6: Paso Robles to San Luis Obispo, California
Drive Time: 30 minutes
Hotel Option: Madonna Inn or The Kinney San Luis Obispo
Today, spend the day exploring what Paso Robles has to offer. Wine Tasting in Paso Robles is the main activity, but if that is not your thing, you still have many other options.
If you opt to go wine tasting, make sure to visit Halter Ranch, Tablas Creek, Sextant, and Sculpterra. All of them offer some really delicious wines and provide a wide sampling of what the area has to offer in regards to wine. You can easily spend several days visiting all the wineries.
For lunch, head to Tin City where they have some awesome restaurant options. You can also eat at several of the wineries if you want to stick to one area. Another option is to eat at Jeffery’s Wine Country BBQ.
If you want other things to do besides wine tasting, you can opt to go on a hike, go olive oil tasting, visit a brewery or distillery, or relax at the hot springs. No matter what, there are a ton of things you can do in Paso Robles during this one week Central California itinerary.
Grab dinner at Buono Tavola, a delicious Italian restaurant in downtown Paso Robles. You could also opt to eat at Basil Thai Restaurant. After dinner, head to Sensario, an awesome light display by Bruce Monroe. You get to walk around a path through the light displays.
Day 7: San Luis Obispo to Santa Barbara, California
Drive Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Hotel Option: Holiday Inn Express Santa Barbara or Hampton Inn Santa Barbara/Goleta
If you need to cut a day off this one week Central California itinerary, skip this day and head directly to Santa Barbara. However, if you have the time, spend today exploring the Central Coast area of California.
First, head to Pismo Beach to grab some yummy cinnamon rolls from Old West Cinnamon Rolls. You can walk around the area or sit on the beach to enjoy it. Afterward, if up for a hike, head to the Pismo Preserve which offers over 10 miles of hiking trails.
Next, stop at Sextant Winery for lunch and a wine tasting. They have some delicious red wines and a ton of great food options. I highly recommend the flatbread and Sextant bars. After that, you have a couple of choices as to what you can do. You can opt to head to more of the Santa Maria wineries or visit the town of Lompoc for other wineries and local sites.
I suggest that you head into the Santa Ynez Valley. Here you can stop for wine tasting in Los Olivos, which is an entire town full of tasting rooms. After, head to the Dutch town of Solvang for some delicious pastries or you can grab some food for dinner. Another dinner option is to head to Anderson’s Pea Soup in Buellton, famous for… its pea soup!
Once you have explored the Central Coast, drive to Santa Barbara where you will stop for the night. You can also plan to grab dinner there too. I highly recommend grabbing dinner at Bettina, a spectacular Italian restaurant.
Day 8: Santa Barbara to Los Angeles to Home
Drive Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Today, spend some time exploring Santa Barbara, another adorable coastal city just north of Los Angeles. Start the morning with a visit to Mission Santa Barbara, one of the major missions on the California mission trail. This mission was founded in 1786. It costs $15 for a self-guided tour. Make sure to stop at the rose gardens in front of the mission for some gorgeous shots.
Next, head to Stern’s Wharf for awesome views of the Santa Barbara area and the beach. You can opt to spend some time relaxing on the beach or visit the Santa Barbara Sea Center, home to many marine animals.
Grab lunch at Shalhoob’s Funk Zone Patio, which has delicious barbeque or you can grab some food from Bettina, an amazing Italian place. Make sure to try a white Negroni and get one of their pizzas.
Other fun things to do in the Santa Barbara area include the Chumash Painted Cave State Park and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. On the way out of town, make sure to stop at the Chromatic Gate for an Insta-worthy picture.
It should take about an hour and a half to get to Los Angeles from Santa Barbara. You can opt to fly out from Los Angeles tonight or spend more time exploring Los Angeles and catch a flight the next morning. Either way, there are so many options for this one week Central California itinerary.
More than One Week in Central California?
There are so many more places you can add to your one week Central California itinerary if you have more time. You can also extend the time in and of the stops in the above itinerary. There are so many other fun California road trips to take.
Death Valley National Park
Mammoth Lakes
Mammoth Lakes is located on the other side of the Sierra Mountains from Yosemite National Park. In the summertime, it offers a ton of fun hiking and water sports. Meanwhile, in the wintertime, you can partake in a multitude of winter sports. Devil’s Postpile National Monument is also located nearby.
Pinnacles National Park
Pinnacles National Park is another one of the California National Parks and is the least visited of the 7 California Parks. Rock formations divide the park into two sections both of which offer a variety of hikes. It makes for an easy day trip from Salinas.
San Francisco
You can opt to add in some time in San Francisco in the middle of this trip if you feel like spending more time in a city. You can easily spend a week just exploring San Francisco, but in two days, you can see many of the main sites.
Final Thoughts on a One Week Central California Itinerary
California obviously has a ton of things to see so you could easily spend a lot more time exploring the state. If you have time, explore Northern California with the Redwoods and more nature areas.
Southern California offers gorgeous beaches and tons of fun things to do in San Diego. Head out to Palm Springs for a relaxing getaway. You could even go on a National Parks road trip. No matter what, you can find a ton of things to add to your one week Central California itinerary.
