30 of the best · California, USA
The Best Things to See and Do in California
The Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz, Balboa Park and La Jolla Cove, the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Big Sur, Santa Barbara’s Mission and Lake Tahoe’s Emerald Bay.
Our 30 favourites, listed A–Z · Updated October 2026
What's onThis week in California
Insiders' picks
Three of our favourites from this list, vetted by people who know and love California.
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Walk or cycle across
Golden Gate Bridge
San Francisco’s great orange suspension bridge, open to walkers and cyclists.
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By ferry from Pier 33
Alcatraz Island
The former federal prison on its island in the Bay, reached only by the official ferry from Pier 33.
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On Cannery Row
Monterey Bay Aquarium
The aquarium on Cannery Row, looking straight out onto Monterey Bay.
886 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940Explore View on map
The full list: Sights, A–Z
Show 29 of 30 places on a map
San Francisco & the Bay Area 7
The icons.
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By ferry from Pier 33
Alcatraz Island
The former federal prison on its island in the Bay, reached only by the official ferry from Pier 33.
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Aquarium, rainforest and planetarium
California Academy of Sciences
A natural history museum with an aquarium, a rainforest dome, a planetarium and a living roof, in Golden Gate Park.
55 Music Concourse Dr, San Francisco, CA 94118Explore View on map
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Food hall on the Bay
Ferry Building Marketplace
The restored ferry terminal on the Embarcadero, now a marketplace of local food producers.
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Walk or cycle across
Golden Gate Bridge
San Francisco’s great orange suspension bridge, open to walkers and cyclists.
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Ride the hills
San Francisco cable cars
The city’s famous cable cars, run by SFMTA on three lines over Nob Hill and Russian Hill.
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Modern art in SoMa
SFMOMA
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, on Third Street in SoMa.
151 Third St, San Francisco, CA 94103Explore View on map
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Victorian row houses
The Painted Ladies, Alamo Square
The row of Victorian houses on Steiner Street, seen from Alamo Square with the skyline behind.
San Diego 6
Parks, beaches and the bay.
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Museums and gardens
Balboa Park
San Diego’s great park of museums, gardens and Spanish Revival buildings.
1549 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101Explore View on map
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Lighthouse and tide pools
Cabrillo National Monument
A national monument on Point Loma, with the Old Point Loma Lighthouse and views over the bay.
1800 Cabrillo Memorial Dr, San Diego, CA 92106Explore View on map
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Sea lions and clear water
La Jolla Cove
A small cove below La Jolla village, known for its sea lions and clear water.
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In Balboa Park
San Diego Zoo
The famous zoo in Balboa Park.
2920 Zoo Dr, San Diego, CA 92101Explore View on map
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Cliff-top trails
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
Trails among rare Torrey pines on the sandstone cliffs between La Jolla and Del Mar.
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An aircraft carrier on the bay
USS Midway Museum
A decommissioned aircraft carrier turned museum on the downtown waterfront.
Palm Springs & the desert 4
Art, gardens and mountains.
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Desert plants
Moorten Botanical Garden
A garden of cacti and desert plants on South Palm Canyon Drive.
1701 S Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92264Explore View on map
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Into the San Jacinto Mountains
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
A rotating tramway car from the desert floor into the cooler San Jacinto Mountains.
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Art and architecture
Palm Springs Art Museum
The town’s art museum on Museum Drive, with modern and contemporary art and architecture.
101 Museum Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92262Explore View on map
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Mid-century style
Palm Springs mid-century modern
The town’s mid-century modern houses, hotels and banks, best seen on a self-guided drive.
Santa Barbara 3
Mission and courthouse.
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The Queen of the Missions
Old Mission Santa Barbara
The Spanish mission above Santa Barbara, with tours of its church, museum and gardens.
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Spanish Colonial Revival
Santa Barbara County Courthouse
A Spanish Colonial Revival courthouse with painted rooms and a clock-tower view.
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On State Street
Santa Barbara Museum of Art
The town’s art museum on State Street.
1130 State St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101Explore View on map
Big Sur, Carmel & Monterey 6
The coast.
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The Big Sur postcard
Bixby Creek Bridge
The arched concrete bridge on Highway 1, the classic view of the Big Sur coast.
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Mission San Carlos Borromeo
Carmel Mission
The mission basilica at Carmel, with its museum and gardens.
3080 Rio Rd, Carmel, CA 93923Explore View on map
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At the south end of Big Sur
Hearst Castle
William Randolph Hearst’s hilltop estate above San Simeon, seen on guided tours.
750 Hearst Castle Rd, San Simeon, CA 93452Explore View on map
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A waterfall onto the beach
McWay Falls, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
The waterfall that drops onto a cove beach, seen from a short trail off Highway 1.
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On Cannery Row
Monterey Bay Aquarium
The aquarium on Cannery Row, looking straight out onto Monterey Bay.
886 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940Explore View on map
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Coves and cypress
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
Coves, cypress groves and sea lions just south of Carmel.
Lake Tahoe 4
Lake and mountains.
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Beaches and the Rubicon Trail
D. L. Bliss State Park
Beaches and lakeside trails on the west shore, next to Emerald Bay.
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Donner Lake and history
Donner Memorial State Park
A lakeside park at Donner Lake near Truckee, with a visitor centre on the history of the pass.
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Lake Tahoe’s most famous view
Emerald Bay State Park and Vikingsholm
The bay on the lake’s west shore, with Vikingsholm, a Scandinavian-style mansion, at the water’s edge.
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Skiing in Olympic Valley
Palisades Tahoe
The big ski resort in Olympic Valley, with its village of shops and restaurants.
1960 Olympic Valley Rd, Olympic Valley, CA 96146Explore View on map
