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. We recommend you stay at least 4 days in order to fully appreciate everything Big Sur has to offer.

When to visit Big Sur

Big Sur in March
Estimated hotel price
$1030
1 night at 3-star hotel
Big Sur in March
Estimated hotel price
$1030
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Big Sur in August, when the average temperature is 64.4 °F, and the highest can go up to 77 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 42.8 °F, with an average temperature of 51.8 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in January, when precipitation is around 8.5″. In contrast, July is usually the driest month of the year in Big Sur, with an average rainfall of 0″.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Average
Fahrenheit (°F)
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 76 miles from Big Sur. San Luis Obispo County is the most popular, with regular flights from American Airlines, United Airlines, Avianca and other airlines departing from the United States. The shortest domestic flight to Big Sur departs from Las Vegas and takes around 1h 27m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Big Sur. The train journey from Big Sur to Fairfield takes 0h 57m and costs around $19 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Santa Clara, expect to pay about $18 for a 1h 01m trip.

Car

Another option to get to Big Sur is to pick up a car rental from San Francisco, which is about 110 miles from Big Sur. You’ll find branches of Kyte and Thrifty, among others, in San Francisco.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Big Sur, including FlixBus, Megabus and Greyhound.

Airports near Big Sur

Airlines serving Big Sur

Lufthansa
Good (2,981 reviews)
KLM
Good (511 reviews)
British Airways
Good (2,147 reviews)
SWISS
Good (646 reviews)
Delta
Good (3,686 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (1,738 reviews)
Air France
Good (638 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (3,645 reviews)
Iberia
Good (1,196 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (1,702 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (322 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (1,462 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (2,667 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (162 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (606 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (794 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (589 reviews)
Finnair
Good (865 reviews)
JetBlue
Good (1,456 reviews)
LOT
Good (484 reviews)
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Where to stay in popular areas of Big Sur

Most booked hotels in Big Sur

Ventana Big Sur, an Alila Resort - Adults Only
Excellent (9.5, 34 reviews)
$2,856+
Fernwood Resort
Good (7.8, 395 reviews)
$256+
Big Sur River Inn
Good (7.8, 197 reviews)
$420+
Big Sur Lodge
Good (7.7, 558 reviews)
$316+
Post Ranch Inn
Poor (0, 0 reviews)
$2,315+

Renting a car in Big Sur

Expect to pay $3.82 per gallon in Big Sur (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.