USA Road Trip: Pacific Coast — Seattle to LA (Self-Launched)
14 days · USA Pacific Coast (Seattle to Los Angeles)
G Adventures charges £2,450
No-markup version: ~£1,180 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of G Adventures' 14-day 18-to-Thirtysomethings Pacific Coast camping road trip — Seattle to Los Angeles via Mt Rainier, Portland, Bend, Crater Lake, the Redwoods, San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite and Santa Cruz. Instead of a private CEO-driven coach and participation camping, you hire a compact car (split between 2-4 travellers), sleep in HI hostels and cheap motels/lodge dorms, and self-book the same national parks, hikes and city highlights. US national park entry is covered by the America the Beautiful annual pass ($80 approx. £63 — split it with your car mates). Costs are rough estimates for a mid-budget, hostel/car-share traveller, excluding international flights; food, tolls, fuel and park passes will vary. Best run May–September (Tioga Pass and high trails closed in winter).
Day-by-day
Arrive in Seattle
Seattle, WA
Fly into SEA and take the Link Light Rail downtown (~$3 / £2.40, buy an ORCA card at the station machine) rather than $45-55 taxis. Check into an HI Seattle hostel dorm at Pike Place, then walk Pike Place Market (free), the gum wall and the waterfront. In the evening, self-organise a mini-golf or bar crawl with your travel mates — everything G Adventures does on night one is available to you directly.
🚌Link Light Rail from SEA-Tac to downtown, ~£2.50
🛏HI Seattle at the American Hotel or Green Tortoise Hostel — 4-6 bed dorm, ~£32/night
- →Pike Place Market (free)
- →Gum Wall & waterfront walk
- →Optional Space Needle or Chihuly Garden & Glass (book online, ~£28-35)
Mt Rainier National Park
Mt Rainier / Ashford, WA
Pick up your rental car (book 2-3 months ahead; compact ~£35-45/day split between 2-4 people) and drive 2 hrs to Mt Rainier. Pay the park entry on arrival or use the America the Beautiful annual pass. Hike the Skyline Trail or Nisqually Vista loop (free, 1.5-3 hrs), picnic lunch, then camp in the park (Cougar Rock or Ohanapecosh, ~$20-25/site) or grab a dorm bed at Whittaker's Bunkhouse in Ashford.
🚌Rental car self-drive, ~2 hrs each way + fuel ~£12
🛏Campground pitch (share with car mates) or Whittaker's Bunkhouse dorm, ~£20
- →Skyline Trail hike
- →Paradise visitor centre & wildflower meadows
- →Wildlife spotting (deer, marmots)
Drive to Portland
Portland, OR
3-hr drive south on I-5 to Portland. Check into HI Portland Northwest hostel. Free afternoon: Powell's Books, the Saturday Market if it's the weekend, the Rose Test Garden and a self-planned food-truck crawl. Portland's craft-beer scene is best done as a self-made walking tour — several breweries in the Pearl District have free-to-enter taprooms with $6-8 pints.
🚌Self-drive Portland + local TriMet day pass ~£4.50
🛏HI Portland Northwest Hostel — dorm, ~£30
- →Powell's City of Books (free)
- →International Rose Test Garden (free)
- →Self-guided food trucks & breweries
Portland to Bend
Bend, OR
Drive 3.5 hrs over Mt Hood to Bend. Afternoon options: rent a kayak or canoe at Cascade Lakes (Tumalo Creek Kayak & Canoe, ~$25-40 for 2 hrs) or paddle the Deschutes River through town. Beer lovers: Bend's Ale Trail has 30+ breweries — pick 3 and walk between them. Sleep in a hostel or budget motel; the Bend hostel scene is thin so book a mid-range motel or the Campfire Hotel dorm if available.
🚌Self-drive Portland–Bend, ~3.5 hrs, fuel ~£15
🛏Budget motel or hostel (Bunk & Brew Bend), ~£35
- →Kayak/canoe on Cascade Lakes (~£25)
- →Deschutes River float
- →Bend Ale Trail breweries
Crater Lake & the Redwoods
Crater Lake NP → Crescent City, CA
Early start: drive 1.5 hrs to Crater Lake National Park — pay the $30 car entry or use your annual pass, walk the Rim Trail for views of the deepest lake in the US. Continue 3 hrs to Redwood National & State Parks in California. If you want a proper redwood experience without a group, the Jedediah Smith Redwoods' Stout Grove loop (free, 1 hr) is a stunner at dusk. Camp at Jedediah Smith campground (~$15-20/site) or a Crescent City motel.
🚌Self-drive ~4.5 hrs, fuel ~£18
🛏Redwoods-area campground pitch or Crescent City budget motel, ~£22
- →Crater Lake Rim Trail
- →Stout Grove redwood loop
- →Tide pools at Crescent City
Redwood National Park
Redwood NP / Humboldt, CA
Morning hike in the old-growth forest (Tall Trees Grove requires a free permit from recreation.gov — reserve online). Afternoon: drive the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway, stop at Elk Prairie for Roosevelt elk, then hit the rocky California coast for tide pools and small fishing towns like Trinidad. Camp or motel it near Eureka/Arcata.
🚌Self-drive ~2 hrs, fuel ~£10
🛏Campground pitch or Arcata/Eureka hostel dorm, ~£22
- →Tall Trees Grove hike (free permit)
- →Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway drive
- →Trinidad tide pools & coast
Redwoods to San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Long driving day (~5.5 hrs) down US-101 through Mendocino and Sonoma wine country. Stop in Healdsburg or Santa Rosa for a tasting (many Sonoma wineries charge $15-25; cheaper: a tasting room in Geyserville). Arrive SF late afternoon and walk or drive the Golden Gate Bridge for photos at sunset. Check into a hostel in Fisherman's Wharf or the Mission.
🚌Self-drive ~5.5 hrs, fuel ~£22 + Golden Gate toll southbound ~£7
🛏HI San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf or Green Tortoise Hostel — dorm, ~£38
- →Sonoma wine tasting (~£15-20)
- →Golden Gate Bridge at sunset
- →Lombard Street drive/walk
Full day in San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Do the classic self-guided city day: historic cable car ride (~$8), Fisherman's Wharf, Lands End coastal trail, and a walk through Haight-Ashbury. Alcatraz must be booked weeks ahead on cityexperiences.com (~$45 / £35) — the night tour sells out fastest. Bikes can be rented for $8-32 from Bay City Bike or similar. Return your car at the end of the day if you're continuing by train (see day 9).
🚌Muni day pass ~£5
🛏Same SF hostel, ~£38
- →Cable car ride (~£6)
- →Alcatraz visit (pre-book, ~£35)
- →Lands End & Haight-Ashbury walk
- →Optional bike rental
San Francisco to Lake Tahoe
South Lake Tahoe, CA
Two options: (a) keep the car and drive 3.5 hrs to Tahoe, or (b) take the Amtrak Thruway bus / Greyhound from SF to South Lake Tahoe (from ~$35 / £28) and pick up a car there. Afternoon: hike Emerald Bay's Rubicon Trail or rent a paddleboard on the lake (~$25-40). Note Lake Tahoe straddles the Nevada line — casinos on the Stateline side are open to 21+ only.
🚌Self-drive SF–Tahoe (~3.5 hrs, fuel ~£18) or Amtrak Thruway bus ~£28
🛏Budget motel or hostel dorm in South Lake Tahoe, ~£35
- →Emerald Bay hike
- →Lake Tahoe paddleboard/kayak rental (~£25)
- →Optional Stateline casinos
Lake Tahoe to Yosemite
Yosemite National Park, CA
Drive south via US-395 and Tioga Pass (open roughly late May–Oct) into Yosemite — 4 hrs. Tioga Road is spectacular; stop at Tenaya Lake and Olmsted Point. Arrive in Yosemite Valley, hike to Mariposa Grove's giant sequoias (free shuttle from Wawona), then camp. Yosemite campsites book out exactly 5 months ahead on recreation.gov at 7am PT — set an alarm, this is the single most competitive booking of the trip.
🚌Self-drive ~4 hrs, fuel ~£18
🛏Yosemite campground (Upper Pines etc., ~$26/site) or Curry Village tent cabin, ~£20
- →Tioga Pass scenic drive
- →Mariposa Grove sequoias
- →Tenaya Lake swim
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite Valley, CA
Full hiking day in the Valley. Easy-moderate options: Mist Trail to Vernal Fall (3-4 hrs), Lower Yosemite Fall loop, or the Valley Loop trail. Rent bikes from Curry Village (~$30-40) for a flat, easy valley ride. Wildlife is everywhere — keep food stored properly and stay back from deer and bears. Guided ranger walks are free and listed at the visitor centre.
🚌Free Yosemite Valley shuttle
🛏Same Yosemite campground/tent cabin, ~£20
- →Mist Trail to Vernal Fall
- →Valley bike rental (~£28)
- →Free ranger-led walks
Yosemite to Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, CA
Drive 4 hrs west to the coast and drop into Santa Cruz's laid-back surf scene. Free afternoon: Santa Cruz Wharf, the beach coves, vintage shops downtown and the West Cliff Drive walk. Surfboard rental and a beginner group lesson book directly with local schools (from ~$80 / £63). Skee-ball at the Beach Boardwalk is free to enter. Stay in a hostel or budget motel.
🚌Self-drive Yosemite–Santa Cruz ~4 hrs, fuel ~£16
🛏Santa Cruz hostel or budget motel, ~£35
- →Santa Cruz Wharf & beach
- →West Cliff Drive walk
- →Optional surf lesson (~£63)
- →Beach Boardwalk (free entry)
Highway 1, Monterey & the Elephant Seals
Monterey / San Simeon, CA
Drive south on Highway 1 (check Caltrans for closures — Big Sur landslides are common in winter) through Monterey, the 17-Mile Drive (paid, ~$12), Bixby Bridge and Big Sur. Stop at the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery near San Simeon — free viewing platform with hundreds of seals depending on the season. Overnight in San Simeon or Cambria.
🚌Self-drive ~4 hrs, fuel ~£18
🛏Cambria or San Simeon budget motel, ~£40
- →17-Mile Drive (~£10)
- →Bixby Bridge & Big Sur
- →Piedras Blancas elephant seals (free)
San Simeon to Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
Final 4.5-hr drive down the coast into LA. Drop the car at LAX or downtown. Spend the afternoon on Venice Beach and Santa Monica Pier (both free), then wrap up with a taco dinner in Venice or Santa Monica. Fly home or extend in LA — HI Santa Monica hostel is a good base if you're staying on.
🚌Self-drive ~4.5 hrs, fuel ~£20 + car return
🛏Optional final night — HI Santa Monica hostel dorm, ~£40
- →Venice Beach & canals walk (free)
- →Santa Monica Pier (free)
- →Optional Hearst Castle tour en route (~£22)
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,180 | £2,450 |
| Duration | 14 days | 14 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,270 per person (52%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,180
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does USA Road Trip: Pacific Coast — Seattle to LA (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,180 per person for 14 days in USA Pacific Coast (Seattle to Los Angeles). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £2,450 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,180 — a saving of roughly £1,270 (52%) per person.
How long is the USA Pacific Coast (Seattle to Los Angeles) trip?+
This itinerary runs 14 days, covering 14 day-by-day stops through USA Pacific Coast (Seattle to Los Angeles).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a road-trip, adventure, hiking trip through USA Pacific Coast (Seattle to Los Angeles), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.