Santa Cruz travel guide
Santa Cruz Tourism | Santa Cruz Guide
You're Going to Love Santa Cruz
With a population of 59,946, Santa Cruz is a must-see destination in California, United States. It is among the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Consider staying at least one whole day in Santa Cruz to see all of its attractions.
Activities & attractions in Santa Cruz
Tours
Nature & Outdoor Activities
Where to Eat in Santa Cruz
Downtown is the neighborhood with the most restaurants in Santa Cruz. These include popular favorites such as Oswald (121 Soquel Avenue), Laili (101B Cooper St) and Alderwood Santa Cruz (155 Walnut Ave). If you’re looking for affordable options, Soif Wine Bar Restaurant (105 Walnut Avenue) and Johnny's Harborside (493 Lake Avenue) are great picks.
When to visit Santa Cruz
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Santa Cruz in July, when the average temperature is 62.6 °F, and the highest can go up to 75.2 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 39.2 °F, with an average temperature of 50 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in January, when precipitation is around 6.2″. In contrast, July is usually the driest month of the year in Santa Cruz, with an average rainfall of 0.1″.
How to Get to Santa Cruz
Plane
Although Santa Cruz doesn’t have its own airport, you can fly to Mineta San Jose Airport (SJC), which is located 27 miles from Santa Cruz. Oakland Airport is the most popular, with regular flights from Spirit Airlines, Southwest, American Airlines and other airlines departing from the United States. The shortest domestic flight to Santa Cruz departs from Ontario and takes around 1h 20m.
Train
Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Santa Cruz. The train journey from Santa Cruz to Santa Clara takes 1h 01m and costs around $18 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from San Jose, expect to pay about $19 for a 1h 16m trip. The train station in Santa Cruz is called Santa Cruz, and is located 0.4 miles from the city center.
Car
Another option to get to Santa Cruz is to pick up a car rental from San Francisco, which is about 60 miles from Santa Cruz. You’ll find branches of Kyte and Sixt, among others, in San Francisco.
Bus
You can travel by bus to Santa Cruz using Greyhound or FlixBus. From Sacramento, the bus ride to Santa Cruz takes 125 miles and will cost you around $19. From Fresno, the ticket costs about $34 for a journey of 265 miles.
Airlines serving Santa Cruz
Where to stay in Santa Cruz
Average rates range from around $352 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $544 and up for a 5-star experience. There are also lots of vacation rental options in Santa Cruz, with prices from $106 to $561 per night. Downtown is the neighborhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Santa Cruz are about 184% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.
Where to stay in popular areas of Santa Cruz
Most booked hotels in Santa Cruz
Renting a car in Santa Cruz
Renting a car in Santa Cruz costs $67 per day, on average.
It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 3% cheaper than airport locations in Santa Cruz.
Expect to pay $3.82 per gallon in Santa Cruz (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $45.88 and $61.17. The most frequently booked car type in Santa Cruz is Mini (Chrysler Pacifica or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Volkswagen Golf or similar) are, on average, 65% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.