Big Sur travel guide

Big Sur Tourism | Big Sur Guide

You're Going to Love Big Sur

With a population of 1,000, Big Sur is a must-see destination in California, United States. Consider staying at least one whole day in Big Sur to see all of its attractions.

When to visit Big Sur

Big Sur in February
Estimated hotel price
$1822
1 night at 3-star hotel
Big Sur in February
Estimated hotel price
$1822
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Big Sur in August, when the average temperature is 18 °C, and the highest can go up to 25 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 6 °C, with an average temperature of 11 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in January, when precipitation is around 216 mm. In contrast, July is usually the driest month of the year in Big Sur, with an average rainfall of 0 mm.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to Big Sur

Plane

Although Big Sur doesn’t have its own airport, you can fly to Mineta San Jose Airport (SJC), which is located 122 km from Big Sur. The shortest flight to Big Sur from Australia departs from Melbourne and takes around 14h 10m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Big Sur. The train journey from Big Sur to Sacramento takes 1h 41m and costs around $32 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Fresno, expect to pay about $40 for a 3h 58m trip.

Car

Another option to get to Big Sur is to pick up a car hire from San Francisco, which is about 177 km from Big Sur. You’ll find branches of Thrifty and Alamo, among others, in San Francisco.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Big Sur, including FlixBus, Busbud and Greyhound. From Los Angeles, the bus ride to Big Sur takes 684 km and will cost you around $132. From Burbank, the ticket costs about $64 for a journey of 708 km.

Plane

Although Big Sur doesn’t have its own airport, you can fly to Mineta San Jose Airport (SJC), which is located 122 km from Big Sur. The shortest flight to Big Sur from Australia departs from Melbourne and takes around 14h 10m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Big Sur. The train journey from Big Sur to Sacramento takes 1h 41m and costs around $32 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Fresno, expect to pay about $40 for a 3h 58m trip.

Car

Another option to get to Big Sur is to pick up a car hire from San Francisco, which is about 177 km from Big Sur. You’ll find branches of Thrifty and Alamo, among others, in San Francisco.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Big Sur, including FlixBus, Busbud and Greyhound. From Los Angeles, the bus ride to Big Sur takes 684 km and will cost you around $132. From Burbank, the ticket costs about $64 for a journey of 708 km.

Airports near Big Sur

Airlines serving Big Sur

Lufthansa
Good (4,623 reviews)
KLM
Good (850 reviews)
SWISS
Good (927 reviews)
British Airways
Good (4,466 reviews)
Delta
Good (4,607 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (2,294 reviews)
Air France
Good (973 reviews)
Iberia
Good (1,547 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (476 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (4,930 reviews)
Emirates
Good (2,125 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,484 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (5,746 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (228 reviews)
Finnair
Good (877 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (832 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (1,161 reviews)
LOT
Good (682 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (916 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (832 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in popular areas of Big Sur

Hiring a car in Big Sur

Expect to pay $1.60 per litre in Big Sur (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between $19.17 and $25.56.

Expect to pay $1.60 per litre in Big Sur (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between $19.17 and $25.56.