Today I want to share my California road trip itinerary for a drive from Monterey to Malibu with you. This stretch of California is beautiful, and there’s lots to do and see along the route. From wine tasting to restaurants and natural scenery, it’s one of the most scenic drives in the state. I’ve included a map, too.
Monterey to Malibu
There are a number of ways to get from Monterey to Malibu. The one you choose depends on how much time you have and what your interests are. From the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH or Highway 1) to Highway 101 (US-101) and Interstate 5 (I-5), there are three main options.
I’m taking Highway 101. This drive from Monterey to Malibu is around 320 miles. The driving time is 5 hours and 45 minutes in normal traffic, but it can vary depending when you go.
Monterey
Along with a friend, I begin my road trip from Monterey to Malibu in the morning. Being food lovers, we can’t help starting the drive with breakfast at a coffee shop called Captain + Stoker. It comes highly recommended, and we can’t wait to try it.
We drive to it from our hotel in Monterey, and we like the place as soon as we see it. Captain + Stoker has a hip vibe, open atmosphere, and fun decor with bicycles suspended from the ceiling.
We order everything from lattes and pour-overs to hot pink doughnuts and avocado toast. It goes down a treat at the communal table, and the meal sets us up well for our California road trip.
Paso Robles
After Captain + Stoker, we continue our drive by heading south on 101 through Gonzales, King City, and San Miguel. Soon we get to the next stop on our Monterey-to-Malibu road trip itinerary: Paso Robles. The drive has taken 2 hours, and we pull into the heart of town ready to do some wine tasting.
Why? Paso Robles is famous for wine. Vineyards blanket the hills in this part of California, and the area is known for its GSM blends (that’s Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre if you’re not familiar with the term).
They’re reds known for their bright fruit, and they’re usually associated with Cotes du Rhone wines from France. But growers in Paso Robles discovered years ago that these varietals thrive here, too. The region is becoming increasingly well-known for them.
We stop at a tasting room in downtown Paso Robles. We settle into cozy chairs as our host serves us a range of wines including a Grenache, a GSM blend, and a Syrah. We love the wines, and we purchase some bottles to take with us on our road trip to Southern California.
Lunch at In-N-Out
After wine tasting, we hop back in the car and continue our Monterey-to-Malibu road trip with a 10-minute drive to In-N-Out Burger in Atascadero. This iconic California fast-food chain is known for its fresh food and classic menu.
We tuck into everything from grilled cheese sandwiches animal style (with pickles, extra spread, grilled onions, and mustard) to fries, burgers, and drinks. It’s the perfect California road trip lunch, and it fuels us on our journey south.
Wine Tasting on Foxen Canyon Road
Leaving In-N-Out, we continue our drive from Monterey to Malibu by heading down 101 past cities like San Luis Obispo and coastal areas like Pismo Beach. After an hour and 20 minutes, we reach Foxen Canyon Road in Los Olivos, which is near Santa Barbara. Like Paso Robles, it’s known for wine.
We’re here to visit Demetria Estate. It’s a family-owned winery practicing biodynamic farming methods on its 200 acres of land. Demetria focuses on Rhone varietals and producing Old World-inspired wines.
After driving down a long, narrow road through the vineyards, we arrive at the tasting room. It’s a peaceful outdoor area with an oak canopy to shade us from the hot afternoon sun. A resident cat greets us as we walk in, and soon we’re sitting at a table overlooking a green field and hills full of grapevines. It’s beautiful.
We taste a range of wines here, from Sauvignon Blanc to Pinot Noir and Mourvedre. There are a couple blends in the mix, too. We’re not as big of fans of the wines as we were of the ones in Paso Robles, but we still enjoy the tasting and love the atmosphere.
Los Olivos
Back in the car, we head through more vineyards and rural areas en route to Los Olivos. 20 minutes later we find ourselves in the middle of a pretty town with historic buildings and lots of tasting rooms. The movie Sideways was filmed around here, and there’s no shortage of places dedicated to wine (I’ve even published a Sideways trip itinerary).
We head into Taste of Santa Rita Hills for a final tasting of the day. This place showcases Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from vineyards in the nearby Santa Rita Hills (hence the name), and it has an impressive range on offer.
We taste a variety of wines from Paul Lato, Walt, Beau Marchais, and Moretti in the contemporary tasting room as we chat with the other guests at the communal table. The wines are delicious, and we buy some to take with us when we go.
Before we get back in the car, we walk around Los Olivos to take in the scene. There are beautiful shops selling home furnishings, wine tasting rooms galore, and restaurants dotted throughout. We stop to pick up snacks from a local grocer before hitting the road again.
Malibu
The next leg of our drive from Monterey to Malibu is our last. It’s also the most beautiful. We head down Highway 154 past Cachuma Lake in the Santa Ynez Valley, taking in the stunning waterfront scenery as we go.
Before long, we find ourselves back on 101 on the Santa Barbara coast. It’s a beautiful drive along the Pacific Ocean, and we continue on Highway 1 to get to Malibu. The drive takes 2 hours, and we end it at a beachfront restaurant called Malibu Seafood.
We order at the counter, picking up ceviche and fish tacos to eat at the picnic tables outside. We’ve arrived right at sunset, and it’s nice to enjoy dinner as the sky turns pink and purple overhead.
Monterey to Malibu Map
I’ve created an interactive Google map of our driving route from Monterey to Malibu, including all the stops we made along the way. You can see it here.
Monterey to Malibu
I hope you’ve enjoyed this itinerary for a California road trip from Monterey Bay to the Los Angeles area. It’s a fun way to spend a day, and a great way to experience some of the highlights of the Golden State. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it if you get a chance to do it yourself someday.
You can also check out my video about this road trip on YouTube. If you want more, you can take a look at my other California road trip itineraries. They include my blog post about a San Francisco to Los Angeles road trip itinerary for 2 days and my California road trip itinerary for 5 days.
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