About

About ULTIMATE California Guide

ULTIMATE California Guide is an independent guide for visitors to California, USA. We publish 7 curated lists: hotels, michelin stars, wine country, sights, national parks, property and getting around. We cover San Francisco and the Bay Area, Napa and Sonoma, Big Sur, Carmel and Monterey, Santa Barbara and Montecito, San Diego, Palm Springs and the desert, and Lake Tahoe, plus the Pacific Coast Highway and California’s national parks. Los Angeles has its own guide.

How we choose

Every place in our lists has been checked against its own website or an official source such as the National Park Service, California State Parks or Caltrans. We don’t use review scores, and we leave out anything we can’t confirm. MICHELIN distinctions are quoted only from the official MICHELIN Guide.

Before you go

Opening hours, road conditions and seasons change often. Please check directly with each place, and with Caltrans for roads, before you travel. Prices are in US dollars.

For venues

Run a venue in California and spotted something to update? We review our lists regularly and welcome corrections.

Photo credits

• Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay, by Frank Schulenburg, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sardines at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, by Rhododendrites, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Golden Gate Bridge, by Denys Nevozhai dnevozhai, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Botanical Building in Balboa Park, by Rhododendrites, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• McWay Falls in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, by King of Hearts, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bixby Creek Bridge and the Pacific, Big Sur, by Tuxyso, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A San Francisco cable car, by © Pierre André, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Old Point Loma Lighthouse at Cabrillo National Monument, by Garyscub, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park, by King of Hearts, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A Caltrain electric train, by 4300streetcar, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Carmel Beach, Carmel-by-the-Sea, by Marie Obligacion ma_rie, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Carmel Mission Basilica, by Nheyob, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Domaine Carneros above its vineyards, by Jun Seita, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Castello di Amorosa, Calistoga, by Frank Schulenburg, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Anacapa Island, Channel Islands National Park, by TripOfALifestyle.com, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Santa Barbara County Courthouse, by Konrad Summers from Santa Clarita (Valencia) , California, USA, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Death Valley from Zabriskie Point, by Tuxyso, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe, by Eric Philbin, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bixby Creek Bridge and the Pacific, Big Sur, by Tuxyso, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Fairmont San Francisco on Nob Hill, by JCruzTheTruth, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Ferry Building on the Embarcadero, by JaGa, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The French Laundry in Yountville, by _e.t from Saratoga, USA, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Golden Gate Bridge, by Denys Nevozhai dnevozhai, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Healdsburg Plaza, by Missvain, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hearst Castle, San Simeon, by King of Hearts, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Golden Gate Bridge at sunset, by Umer Sayyam, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hotel del Coronado from the air, by Armandoartist, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hotel del Coronado from the air, by Armandoartist, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Joshua trees in Joshua Tree National Park, by Tuxyso, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• La Jolla Cove, by Invertzoo, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Griffith Observatory with downtown Los Angeles beyond, by The Fun Chronicles, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• McWay Falls in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, by King of Hearts, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Mendocino coast at Elk, by wikiphotographer, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A mid-century modern house in Palm Springs, by (User:Wgreaves), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The USS Midway Museum on the San Diego waterfront, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Rosewood Miramar Beach, Montecito, by Brett Morrison, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Vineyards in the Napa Valley, by Brocken Inaglory, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Acropolis of Athens by day, seen from Philopappos Hill, by A.Savin, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Goat Cay and the turquoise shallows of the Exumas, by DrGvago, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The golden sand and calm water of Paynes Bay, St. James, by Barry haynes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The old town of Belgrade above the Sava, with the spire of the Cathedral Church of St Michael, by Tatil Dükkanı, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Romanian Athenaeum in its garden, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hungarian Parliament lit up at night on the Danube, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bixby Creek Bridge on the Big Sur coast, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The beach at Rosemary Beach on the Gulf of Mexico, by Miamireader, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Oia’s white houses and blue domes on the rim of the Santorini caldera, by Norbert Nagel, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Blue Mosque at night, by Nan Palmero from San Antonio, TX, USA, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Las Vegas Strip at dusk, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Triple Bridge over the Ljubljanica, by Fred Romero from Paris, France, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Palace of Westminster and the Elizabeth Tower, by Domob, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Griffith Observatory with downtown Los Angeles beyond, by The Fun Chronicles, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• An aerial view of a small island ringed by reef in the Maldives, by Luka Peternel, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Yachts in Puerto Banús, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Art Deco hotels on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, by Robbschultz69, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Monaco from above, Port Hercule and Monte-Carlo below the mountains, by Spike, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sunset at the Naples Pier, by pmarkham, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The New York City skyline from Top of the Rock, by Dillan Payne, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Millennium Bridge over the Morača, by Desemeus, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sebilj fountain and the square of Baščaršija, by Yukof, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Stone Bridge over the Vardar, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, by Julian Lupyan, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The ramparts of Galle Fort, by Daibo Taku, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gros Piton and Petit Piton, the twin volcanic spires of the UNESCO-listed Pitons, by xiquinhosilva, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Skanderbeg Square with the Et’hem Bey Mosque, by Andrew Milligan sumo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The spires of Zagreb Cathedral above the rooftops, by Alex Sirac, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Victorian houses in Pacific Heights, by Nicolas Lannuzel from Singapore, Singapore, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Painted Ladies on Alamo Square, by King of Hearts, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Garden Court at the Palace Hotel, by Dllu, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The village at Palisades Tahoe, by 9yz, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Palm Springs below the San Jacinto Mountains, by Farragutful, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Yosemite Valley from Tunnel View, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bixby Creek Bridge and the Pacific, Big Sur, by Tuxyso, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Rock formations at Pinnacles National Park, by Brocken Inaglory, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Whaler's Cove at Point Lobos, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Palm Springs Art Museum, by Gillfoto, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Victorian houses in Pacific Heights, by Nicolas Lannuzel from Singapore, Singapore, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Redwood National Park, by National Park Service Digital Image Archives, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The French Laundry in Yountville, by _e.t from Saratoga, USA, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The San Diego waterfront and marina, by PictorialEvidence, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Santa Barbara coastline, by Prayitno / Thank you for (12 millions +) view from Los Angeles, USA, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Mission Santa Barbara, by Bernard Gagnon, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Schramsberg Vineyards, Calistoga, by Frank Schulenburg, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The General Sherman Tree, Sequoia National Park, by m01229 from USA, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The San Francisco waterfront from Pier 7, by King of Hearts, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• SFMOMA from Yerba Buena Gardens, by Beyond My Ken, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The International Terminal at SFO, by Constantine Kulikovsky, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The San Francisco waterfront from Pier 7, by King of Hearts, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Vineyards in the Sonoma Valley, by Jim G, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, Napa Valley, by Jim G from Silicon Valley, CA, USA, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Pacific Surfliner by the sea at Del Mar, by Mds08011, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lake Tahoe in the morning, by John D., licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The cliffs of Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, by Stch2022, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The view from the top of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, by Infrogmation, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Pacific Surfliner by the sea at Del Mar, by Mds08011, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Vikingsholm on Emerald Bay, by Mike McBey, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Vineyards in the Napa Valley, by Brocken Inaglory, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Vineyards in the Napa Valley, by Brocken Inaglory, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Yosemite Valley from Tunnel View, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.