Southern California Road Trip: 7 Days of Beaches, Desert and San Diego

For a one-week Southern California road trip, drive a loop from Los Angeles: two days in LA and Malibu, east to Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park for two nights, south through the Anza-Borrego Desert to San Diego for two nights, and back up the coast through Laguna Beach and Orange County. The loop covers about 650 miles. The best time is October through May, when the desert is pleasant. Avoid driving into or out of LA at rush hour.

Southern California packs an astonishing range of landscapes into a few hours of driving. In a single day, you can surf at dawn, eat tacos at lunch, hike among boulders and Joshua trees in the afternoon and watch the stars over the desert at night. The climate is famously mild, and the region’s food, from fish tacos to Korean barbecue, is some of the best in the country. The catch is traffic, especially around Los Angeles. Plan your driving around it, and SoCal becomes one of the most rewarding road trips in America. This loop is designed to keep long drives in the middle of the day and give each region at least one full night, so you spend your time on beaches and trails instead of freeways. It works for couples, families and solo travelers, and in most months, it works for the weather too.

• 7 daysFor the full loop
• ≈650 miLA back to LA
• Oct–MayBest desert weather
• Rush hourThe one thing to plan around

The route at a glance

Days 1–2: Los Angeles and Malibu

Los Angeles is huge, so focus on a few areas rather than trying to see it all. On day one, watch sunset from Griffith Observatory, free to enter, with the Hollywood sign on one side and the downtown skyline on the other. Visit the Getty Center, also free, for art, gardens and views from the ocean to the mountains. On day two, head to Santa Monica and its pier, rent bikes along the beach path to Venice, and then drive north along the Pacific Coast Highway into Malibu. Parts of the Malibu and Pacific Palisades area were devastated by the January 2025 wildfires; rebuilding is ongoing, so respect closures and residents. El Matador State Beach, with sea stacks and coves, is a beautiful sunset spot further north.

Our Los Angeles itinerary has a full four-day plan if you want more time in the city.

Days 3–4: Palm Springs and Joshua Tree

Drive east on Interstate 10, about two hours from central LA without traffic, past fields of wind turbines in the San Gorgonio Pass, into the Coachella Valley.

Palm Springs is a desert resort town famous for mid-century modern architecture, swimming pools and Hollywood history. Take the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, whose rotating cars climb about 2.5 miles up Mount San Jacinto’s cliffs to a mountain station at about 8,500 feet, often 30 degrees cooler than the desert floor, sometimes with snow. Hike in Indian Canyons, on land of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, where palm oases line streams in rocky canyons. Take a self-guided tour of mid-century homes, and spend an afternoon by a pool. In the evening, stroll Palm Canyon Drive, the main street, for dinner and people-watching.

The next day, drive about 45 minutes to Joshua Tree National Park. Walk Hidden Valley and Barker Dam, scramble around Skull Rock, hike Ryan Mountain for the big view, and drive south to the Cholla Cactus Garden at sunset. Stay for the stars; the park is an International Dark Sky Park. Our Joshua Tree guide has the details. Sleep in Palm Springs, Twentynine Palms or a desert rental near the park.

Day 5: Anza-Borrego and Julian

Drive south through the desert to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California’s largest state park, at roughly 600,000 acres. Around the town of Borrego Springs, more than 130 large metal sculptures of dinosaurs, mammoths, desert animals and a huge serpent stand in the open desert, created by artist Ricardo Breceda. They are free to visit and fun to find. In a wet spring, the desert floor can bloom with wildflowers. Borrego Springs is also an International Dark Sky Community.

Climb west into the mountains to the old gold mining town of Julian, at about 4,200 feet, famous for apple pie. Stop for a slice, still warm if you’re lucky, and wander the old main street with its wooden storefronts. Then descend through forests and ranchland to San Diego, about an hour and a half away.

Day 6: San Diego

San Diego has some of the best weather in the country and a relaxed beach-town feel. Watch sea lions and harbor seals at La Jolla Cove, kayak to the sea caves, stroll Balboa Park with its Spanish Revival buildings and museums, and visit the San Diego Zoo if you have kids. Take the ferry to Coronado and its famous red-roofed hotel and wide beach. Eat fish tacos everywhere. In the evening, walk the Gaslamp Quarter or Little Italy for dinner, or watch the sunset from Sunset Cliffs in Point Loma, one of the prettiest places on the whole coast. Our San Diego guide has a full three-day plan.

Day 7: The coast back to Los Angeles

Drive north along the coast instead of Interstate 5 when you can. Stop in Carlsbad, where flower fields bloom with ranunculus in spring and LEGOLAND entertains families. In Laguna Beach, explore tide pools, art galleries and coves like Thousand Steps Beach and Victoria Beach. Watch surfers at Huntington Beach, nicknamed Surf City USA. If you have time, stroll the boardwalk in Newport Beach or ride the ferry to Balboa Island. Then return to Los Angeles, timing your arrival to avoid the evening rush.

Traffic: the rule that saves your trip

Southern California traffic is notorious. Weekday rush hours, roughly 6 to 10 a.m. and 3 to 7 p.m., can double or triple drive times around Los Angeles and Orange County. Friday afternoons are worst, especially heading out of LA toward the desert. Sunday afternoons are bad heading back in. Plan long drives for mid-morning or early afternoon on weekdays, and check live traffic before every trip. Toll lanes and express lanes can save time; check whether your rental car has a toll transponder or how tolls will be billed.

Beaches worth a detour

Southern California has hundreds of beaches, and each has its own personality. El Matador and Point Dume in Malibu have dramatic cliffs and coves. Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach, south of LA’s airport, are classic volleyball-and-pier beach towns. Crystal Cove State Park, between Newport Beach and Laguna Beach, has a historic cottage district, tide pools and hiking trails in the hills above. Laguna Beach is full of small coves backed by cliffs. In San Diego, La Jolla Shores is calm and family-friendly, Coronado is wide and sparkling, and Ocean Beach is laid-back and quirky. Remember that Pacific water here is cool, often in the 60s even in summer. Most surfers wear wetsuits. Swim near lifeguard towers, and watch for rip currents and stingrays; shuffle your feet when wading.

Desert safety

The desert portion of this trip is beautiful and unforgiving. Carry at least a gallon of water per person per day, keep your gas tank above half, and don’t rely only on your phone; cell service vanishes in parts of Joshua Tree and Anza-Borrego. Hike early in the day, especially from May to October. Watch for flash floods in washes during rare storms, and for rattlesnakes in warm weather. Never leave kids or pets in a parked car, even for a few minutes. Our ten hiking essentials list covers what to carry.

When to go

October through May is the best time for this loop, with pleasant desert temperatures. Spring, from March to April, brings wildflowers in the desert and Carlsbad’s flower fields. Summer is very hot in Palm Springs and Joshua Tree, often above 105°F, though the coast is mild. Late spring and early summer can bring May Gray and June Gloom, a marine layer of low clouds over the coast. Fall, from September to November, is often the warmest and clearest season at the beach.

Check event calendars. The Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals in April fill every hotel in the Coachella Valley, and prices skyrocket.

Where to stay

In Los Angeles, Santa Monica or West Hollywood make good bases. In the desert, choose a classic mid-century hotel in Palm Springs, a resort in Palm Desert or a quirky rental near Joshua Tree. In Anza-Borrego, Borrego Springs has small hotels and campgrounds. In San Diego, stay downtown, in Little Italy or near the beach in La Jolla or Pacific Beach. Many hotels charge resort fees and parking; read our resort fees guide.

What it costs

Southern California is not cheap. Coastal hotels often cost $200 to $450 a night, desert hotels a little less outside festival season. Gas prices in California are among the highest in the country. Parking in LA and San Diego adds up. Many great sights are free, including the Getty, Griffith Observatory, the beaches and the sculptures in Borrego Springs. A week for two typically costs about $2,500 to $4,500, before flights. Our budget travel tips can help.

Food highlights

Fish tacos in San Diego. A California burrito with French fries inside. Korean barbecue in LA’s Koreatown. Date shakes in the Coachella Valley, where most US dates are grown. Apple pie in Julian. In-N-Out burgers at least once. And fresh produce at farmers markets in Santa Monica and San Diego.

Extensions

Head north: drive the Pacific Coast Highway through Santa Barbara and Big Sur to San Francisco. See our Pacific Coast Highway itinerary.

Add Death Valley: about four hours from LA, best in winter. See our Death Valley guide.

Add Las Vegas: about four hours from LA or Joshua Tree. See our Las Vegas on a budget guide.

With kids

This loop is packed with family fun: the San Diego Zoo, LEGOLAND in Carlsbad, Disneyland in Anaheim, tide pools in La Jolla and Laguna Beach, the aerial tramway and climbing boulders in Joshua Tree. Plan shorter driving days and pool time at your hotels. Bring sun protection and plenty of water for the desert.

Packing list

• Layers: cool coastal mornings, hot desert afternoons, cold desert nights
• Swimsuit and beach towel
• Hiking shoes for Joshua Tree and Indian Canyons
• Sunscreen, sunglasses and a wide-brim hat
• A gallon of water per person for desert days
• A phone mount and charger for navigation in traffic

Common mistakes

Driving at rush hour. It can turn a two-hour drive into four.

Visiting the desert in July. Extreme heat makes hiking dangerous.

Booking Palm Springs during Coachella by accident. Check festival dates.

Trying to see all of LA. Pick a few neighborhoods.

Frequently asked questions

Plan your trip

1. Pick dates between October and May, avoiding festival weekends.
2. Book lodging in LA, the desert and San Diego.
3. Plan each drive for mid-morning or early afternoon.
4. Save Joshua Tree for an evening of stars.