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Budget Travel Buff

11 Cheapest Places to Visit in California in 2023

California is a state known for its glitz, glamour, and expensive tourist destinations. However, there are many cheap vacation spots in California that offer a great vacation without breaking the bank. From stunning beaches to scenic mountains and everything in between, California has something for everyone.

In this article, we’ll explore some of the cheapest places to visit in California, perfect for those seeking an affordable vacation without sacrificing fun and adventure.

Whether you’re a budget-conscious traveler or just looking for an affordable California destination, this article will provide you with all the information you need to plan an affordable and memorable trip . We’ll take a closer look at the top cheap vacation spots in California, including hidden gems that are often overlooked by tourists.

So, pack your bags and get ready to explore some of the most beautiful and affordable destinations in the Golden State with our guide to the cheapest places to visit in California.

• 10 Tips How to Book Cheap Flights
• How To Book Budget Hotels
• 10 Best Ways to Eat Cheap While Traveling
• Cheapest Ways to Travel in The USA

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Table of Contents

1. big bear lake.

Big Bear is just 2 hours drive away from Los Angeles  and is one of the cheapest vacation spots in California. Whether it is summer or winter, Big Bear and Big Bear Lake both are amazing places to escape into nature.

This is a popular ski destination in the USA and can get crowded in winter. Getting a cheap deal on accommodation in Big Bear can be difficult during the winter season.

But if you travel in summer, Big Bear Lake and nearby Lake Arrowhead are popular lake destinations in California and have plenty of things to offer its visitors like hiking, camping, fishing, swimming, mountain biking, and many more.

Although Big Bear has no offseason  but traveling in the shoulder season can save your budget . During spring and fall time, one can find some great deals on accommodations .

Cheap or Free Things to do in Big Bear

• Visit Big Bear Alpine Zoo , located right next to Big Bear Mountain Resort. You can see some native animals in this area such as black bears, arctic foxes, bald eagles.
• Big Bear Lake itself has a lot of water activities. Rent a kayak or take a boat ride  in the lake. If you are looking for something more interesting try your hand at fishing .
• During winter, Big Bear is popular as   a ski spot that offers ski runs for all levels.
• You can hike the San Bernadino Mountains , one of the best hikes in southern California , or can explore the place by riding on a mountain bike. Castle Rock trail  is another popular scenic hike(short) that offers a stunning panoramic view from the top. Check the hiking tours below and choose the most appropriate one:
• Go on this Family-Friendly Nature Hike around the Big Bear Valley which is fit for kids and adults. Go off the beaten path, learn all about the flora and fauna of this incredible area, taking in the landscapes, and more
• Explore Big Bear by hiking and swimming in the lake with this Private Guided Hike in Big Bear
• Escape the crowds of Big Bear on this Private Hiking Tour to Bluff Lake Reserve

Suggested Budget for Big Bear

Hotel(2 people): $55-100 Food: $15-20 Transport:  $20 Activities:  $10-15 Daily Budget: $70/person

Cheap Hotels in Big Bear Lake

• Robinhood Resort : It is an affordable hotel in Big Bear Lake that features an onsite tavern and pub for a variety of food and entertainment options. 
• Big Bear Frontier : Nestled in the San Bernardino Mountains, surrounded by tall pines this breathtaking resort expresses a chic, yet rustic charm that offers serenity and tranquility. Cabins are very cute and close to the lake.

2. MENDOCINO

Mendocino, located on California’s rugged north coast, is a hidden gem that offers a unique blend of natural beauty and small-town charm. Last year, I visited this place with my parents and I was really surprised to see how affordable the place is.

This scenic California beach town is a fantastic choice for travellers on a tight budget. There are many low-cost or free activities to enjoy, from the scenic Mendocino Headlands State Park to the historic Point Cabrillo Light Station.

Additionally, you can find affordable accommodations such as cozy B&Bs or vacation rentals with breathtaking Pacific Ocean views. Overall, Mendocino is an excellent choice for people seeking a budget-friendly and memorable California vacation.

Cheap or Free Things to do in Mendocino

• Discover the Mendocino Headlands State Park, which features a network of hiking paths and breathtaking ocean vistas.
• Visit the Ford House Visitor Centre & Museum, which welcomes visitors and offers free admission to learn more about the fascinating history of the area.
• Explore Mendocino, a lovely town famous for its unique shops, galleries, and Victorian architecture.
• Visit the Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park to take beautiful hikes along the rocky shoreline and discover the lighthouse’s past. Relax on stunning beaches including Van Damme State Park Beach and Big River Beach.
• Explore the hiking trails, waterfalls, and scenic beaches in the Russian Gulch State Park.

Budget-Friendly Hotels in Mendocino

• The Mendocino Hotel and Garden – This historic hotel offers affordable rooms and suites, many of which feature ocean views or fireplaces. The hotel is located in the heart of downtown Mendocino, making it a convenient base for exploring the town and its surrounding areas.
• The Hill House Inn – This budget-friendly inn offers cozy rooms and suites with beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean. The property also features a heated outdoor pool, hot tub, and a garden area where guests can relax and take in the scenery. The Hill House Inn is located within walking distance of downtown Mendocino and is a great option for budget-conscious travelers who want to stay in a picturesque location.

Just north of Los Angeles, Ventura is an inexpensive beach town outside the hustle and bustle of city life. It is a laid-back beach town with lots of free activities, natural beauty, and reasonable accommodations.

Ventura is not all about the beach. Beyond this, it has a delightful Ventura Pier and promenade, gardens, and natural beauties.

Cheap or Free Things to do in Ventura

• Take a short stroll on the Ventura Pier  in the evening and watch the shimmering sunset. The promenade is perfect for morning or evening runs. You can rent a bike and explore the Ventura Pier.
• Ventura Botanical Gardens is a popular botanical garden in California and it is free to visit. Follow the walking trail that leads uphill and offers mesmerizing ocean vistas.
• Take a boat ride to Channel Island National Park . It opens daily and admission is free here. Learn about this island, see exhibits. You can spend a nice family time here.
• Visit The San Buenaventura Mission  which was built in 1749. This Spanish mission has experienced pirate attacks, fires, earthquake but still is in working order. The admission fee for adults is $4 and for kids just $1.
• If you love biking, don’t miss the chance to explore Paved Bike Path . The path goes to the neighboring city of Ojai which is also known as ‘ Shangri La ’ for its stunning landscapes.

Suggested Budget for Ventura

Hotel(2 people): $60-110 Food: $10-15 Transport:  $10 Activities:  $10 Daily Budget: $60/person

Cheap Hotels in Ventura

• Amanzi Hotel : If you are looking to stay near the beach, book Amanzi Hotel which is just 200 m away from the beach. It features free breakfast, a heated outdoor pool, as well as free WiFi throughout the property. All rooms are air-conditioned, spacious, and equipped with a microwave and refrigerator.
• Vagabond Inn Ventura : It is located in Downtown Ventura near the historic Oldtown and features an outdoor swimming pool, jacuzzi, free WiFi, and free parking. Ventura State Beach is just 300 m away from the hotel.

4. DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK

If you are into adventure and are looking for cheap vacation ideas in California, Death Valley National Park could be the perfect weekend destination for you.

Well, the name isn’t inviting though, but trust me, Death Valley is strikingly beautiful. It is located in central California. It takes around 2.5 hours to reach Death Valley from Los Angeles by car.

What car rental service is the best to choose?

If you are looking for car rental which can be trusted, then I recommend choosing Rentalcars , an international car rental booking service that is present all over the world. So you will definitely find the most appropriate car wherever you are.

Death Valley is one of the hottest and driest places in the US. The best time to visit Death Valley is March to early May when the wildflowers bloom and the weather is comparatively pleasant.

Camping in Death Valley is very cheap if you arrive there early. There are a total of nine campgrounds and four of which are free. All of them are first come first served. The rent of chargeable campsites starts from $14 . Check out 10 Best Campsites in Southern California .

Cheap or Free Things to do in Death Valley

• Visit Badwater Basin , the lowest point in the USA. The surreal landscape features a vast salt plain that makes up a serene white concrete spanning for miles.
• Go for the Natural Bridge hike  in late fall, winter, or early spring. This is a short hike that offers stunning rock formations.
• Ubehebe Crater  must be included in your Death Valley itinerary . It is the largest of the maar volcano clusters, created by a volcanic belch about 300 years ago. To see it from a different point of view, hike the trail that leads along the giant Ubehebe Crater’s southwest rim to other older craters.
• There is a short bike path  from Furnace Creek Visitor Center to Harmony Borax Works. Explore the park’s extensive network of dirt roads with a mountain bike.

Suggested Budget for Death Valley

Camp(2 people): $14-60 Food: $10-15 Transport:  $15 Activities:  $10 Daily Budget: $42/person

Cheap Hotels in Death Valley NP

If Camping is not your thing, you can stay at Death Valley Inn & RV Park which is located 13 km away from the entry point of Death Valley National Park.

This motel offers all the modern facilities including a flat-screen TV, a refrigerator, a microwave, and a coffee machine in an air-conditioned room with free WiFi and an outdoor pool.

5. JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK

There are lots of amazing National Parks in California and Joshua Tree is one of those which is located in the southeastern part of California . Whether you’re looking for a calm atmosphere, a strenuous adventure, an Old West-inspired getaway, you will find plenty of things to do in Joshua Tree National Park and its surrounding area.

Though the park is open year-round, the best time to visit Joshua Tree National Park is early spring (March to May) and October to November.

There is an entrance fee of $30 per vehicle and $25 per motorcycle. The cheap campgrounds and lots of free activities (hiking, rock climbing) made Joshua Tree National Park an affordable vacation in California.

Cheap or Free Things to do in Joshua Tree National Park

• With 8000 climbing routes, 2000 boulder problems and hundreds of natural gaps, Joshua Tree national park is a climber’s paradise. It has challenges for all ability levels. However, the routes in Echo Cove are great for first-timers.
• Located just 12 miles south of the park’s north entrance, Cholla Cactus Garden is a must-visit place in your Joshua Tree National Park itinerary . Walk through the garden of the world’s densest concentrations of the dangerous cholla cactus.
• Enjoy the shimmering sunset from the Key View , the highest point and a secret place in Joshua Tree National Park . From an elevation of 5185 feet, this viewpoint offers a breathtaking view of Coachella Valley and Palm Springs .
• There are plenty of hiking trails in Joshua Tree National Park . Indian Cove Natural Trail is highly recommended. Enjoy the park’s namesake flora. It is an easy straightforward hike. If you are lucky you can see the wildlife animals such as bighorn sheep and desert tortoises

Suggested Budget for Joshua Tree National Park

Hotel(2 people): $50-100 Food: $15-20 Transport:  $10 Activities:  $10 Daily Budget: $60/person

Cheap Hotels in Joshua Tree NP

• High Desert Motel Joshua Tree National Park : This motel is just 10 minutes drive from the National Park entry point. It offers an outdoor pool, free parking. Each room has a cable TV and microwave and coffeemaker. The staffs are really friendly and helpful.
• Safari Motor Inn – Joshua Tree : Nice and quiet despite being in a great location for the national park at an affordable price.

Oxnard is one of the cheapest cities in California located in the north of Malibu. It is a coastal town of southern California, just a few miles away from Channel Island also known as America’s Galapagos . Many people are moving to California and choosing coastal towns to spend the rest of their life. Check out the pros and cons of living in California .

From local cheap farmer’s markets to the palm tree-lined beachfront, biking trails, museum- Oxnard is packed with a lot of tourist attractions. Early spring is the ideal time to visit Oxnard when the crowd is less and the room rates are less expensive.

Cheap or Free Things to do in Oxnard

• Stroll around Channel Islands Harbor . It boasts several activities such as picnic spots, biking, and hiking trails, Channel Islands Maritime Museum,  and many more. Take some magnificent photos at sunset of the homes that line the waterway.
• If you are into culture, tour the local farmer’s market . It’s free to wander through the shops. Explore the market, buy some local treats, or grab a bite to eat and enjoy the mild breezes.
• You must visit The Murphy Auto Museum  if you are fond of vintage cars. It features cars that date back to 1903 with great classics like the 1910 Duro, the 1963 Studebaker. See the model railroad display. There is no admission fee.
• Fly kites on Mandalay beach . It is a natural pristine beach with fragile dunes and a palm tree-lined beachfront. Rent a kite for $5 from Wheel Fun Rentals and enjoy flying kites.

Suggested Budget for Oxnard

Hotel(2 people): $70-120 Food: $10-15 Transport:  $10 Activities:  $5 Daily Budget: $60/person

Cheap Hotels in Oxnard

• Crystal Lodge Motel :  This inexpensive motel offers comfortable guestrooms and suites with convenient amenities.
• Holiday Inn Express & Suites Camarillo : It is a mid-range hotel located between Santa Barbara and Malibu and offers an outdoor pool and hot tub.

Want to get European flavor while traveling in California? Visit Solvang, the Danish Capital of America , located in the scenic Santa Ynez Valley. The city is mostly known for its wineries and Danish-style unique architecture.

The city is filled with picturesque buildings in the central point where there are also plenty of options to enjoy museums, local food, and culture at a reasonable price.

You can save decent money on hotels if you stay in Buellton which is just a 5-6 minute drive from Solvang. The numerous hostels, hotels, and other types of accommodations give visitors plenty of options to find a room that fits their budgets.

Cheap or Free Things to do in Solvang

• Solvang is a small town. Walk around  the town and stop at the Visitors Center of Copenhagen Drive. It has a free travel guide. Visit the wooden windmills  throughout downtown. Take some fantastic photos of this large windmill. You can also rent a bicycle to get around the city.
• Exploring the vineyards and wineries is one of the best things to do in Solvang . Visit the Rusack Vineyards  that produce world-class wines. Go for wine tasting  and relax on the oak-shaded deck while sipping the award-winning handcrafted wines. Enjoy a homemade picnic that can be ordered on-site.
• Don’t miss Hans Christian Anderson Park , especially if you are here with kids. There is no entrance fee. The park features lots of fun activities for kids of all ages. There are a skate park, climbing wall, playground, and a music-making machine.
• Take a hike in the beautiful countryside of Solvang. The lush green hills, Santa Ynez and San Rafael mountain ranges that hug the valley provide impressive scenery. Climb to Gaviota Peak  which offers a bird’s-eye view of the Pacific coastline.

Suggested Budget for Solvang

Hotel(2 people): $50-90 Food: $15-20 Transport:  $20 Activities:  $10 Daily Budget: $70/person

Cheap Hotels in Solvang

• Hadsten House Inn : This European style hotel is located at the center of Solvang and boasts decorative fireplaces, flat-screen TVs, and lavish linens.
• Hotel Corque : It offers a restaurant on-site, an outdoor pool and free WiFi.

YOU MAY ALSO READ: 10 Most Affordable Weekend Vacation Spots in Colorado

8. SACRAMENTO

When you are planning for a cheap weekend getaway in California, how can you miss the state capital  Sacramento? Filled with rich history, culture, interesting museums, and lots of affordable dining, and sleeping options, Sacramento is a popular California road trip stop that you shouldn’t miss.

Sacramento can be traveled at any time of the year. During the spring and fall seasons, temps are mild and the sun is plentiful. Sacramento is also considered as one of the best fall destinations in the USA . Visitors can use the city’s SacRT public transit system to get around the city at a low cost.

Locating at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers, Sacramento offers lots of free or cheap things for its visitors that include California State Capitol Building, historic sites, candy tours, and many more.

Cheap or Free Things to do in Sacramento

• Visit The California State Capitol Museum , the iconic Neoclassical-style building which was constructed in 1874. It is totally free to visit. Explore the splendid architecture of the building. Don’t miss free documentary films  which are shown daily at the basement theatre.
• Do you love cycling? Go for the American River Bike Trail , one of the best free things to do in Sacramento . Starting from Discovery Park in Old Sacramento to Beal’s Point, the entire 32 miles trail is full of natural beauties. If you are not into cycling, consider hiking or horseback riding.
• If you are with kids, you must take Jelly Belly Factory Tours  which offers an inside view of California’s Jelly Belly factory. Every day it offers a free walking tour that lasts about 40 minutes from 9 am to 4 pm. More than 50 types of delicious jelly beans are produced here.
• Folsom Lake  is one of the most visited places in California. This man-made reservoir sits at the base of the Sierra Nevada foothills. You will have several outdoor activities here that include hiking, biking, horseback riding, boating, and waterskiing.

Suggested Budget for Sacramento

Hotel(2 people): $45-100 Food: $15-20 Transport:  $10 Activities:  $5-10 Daily Budget: $55/person

Cheap Hotels in Sacramento:

• HI Sacramento Hostel
• Arden Star Hotel

READ NEXT: 10 Cheapest Places to Visit in Florida

9. PISMO BEACH

Probably the best destination on this list for travelers looking for a beach vacation and great deals that fit into their budget. It is a small town along the California coastline .

From a charming ocean-view to Monarch Butterfly Grove, Dinosaur Caves Park, and Pismo Pier, there are plenty of budget-friendly things to do in Pismo Beach. Visit this beach town in the spring or fall season to get a clear sky, smaller crowds, and amazing hotel deals.

Cheap or Free Things to do in Pismo Beach

• Riding on the Oceano Dunes  is the most popular activity on Pismo beach. This is the only public beach in California where you can drive your vehicle. You can rent ATVs or ride dune buggies with your friends or families.
• Take a short stroll on Pismo Beach Pier and Promenade . Take some stunning snaps at the end of the pier with the limitless and unobstructed ocean in the background.
• If you are bored with beaches, take a short drive to Central Coast Wine County . See the vineyards and go for wine tasting at Edna Valley Vineyard Tolosa winery.
• Dinosaur Caves Park  is a kid’s friendly park where kids can play on the ground. You can enjoy a laid-back stroll in this 11-acre park.

Suggested Budget for Pismo Beach

Hotel(2 people): $80-100 Food: $10-15 Transport:  $10 Activities:  $0 Daily Budget: $60/person

Cheap Hotels near Pismo Beach

• Quality Inn Pismo Beach
• Ocean Palms Motel

This charming seaport town is another cheap place to travel to in California. The city has a magnetic collection of cultural charms and boasts of outdoor activities.

With a Victorian-style Old Town , historical parks, and plenty of museums, Eureka is such a beautiful place that you cannot afford to miss. For its beautiful combination of old-fashioned charm and modern comforts, it is an ideal destination for couples looking for a budget romantic getaway in California .

Cheap or Free Things to do in Eureka

• Explore the Old Town of Eureka on foot. It is packed with ample Victorian styled architecture and historic buildings. The Old Town features an array of art galleries, antique stores, museums, restaurants, and coffee shops.
• Visit Fort Humboldt State Historic Park  which was built in 1853. It was abandoned in 1870 and now it stands as a historical museum that showcases the history of logging in Eureka, with displays of logging equipment, an authentic Native American canoe, and trains.
• Visit the Sequoia Park Zoo , the oldest zoo in California . This zoo is home to over 200 vertebrates and approx. 1700 invertebrates. It has a good collection of llamas, various bird species, mammals, and reptiles.
• Go for a scenic drive on the Redwood Highway . You will find the giant redwood trees on both sides of Highway 101 that create a magical ambiance throughout the route.

Suggested Budget for Eureka

Hotel(2 people): $60-100 Food: $15-20 Transport:  $20 Activities:  $5-10 Daily Budget: $70/person

Cheap Hotels in Eureka

• Travelodge by Wyndham Eureka
• Redwood Coast Cabins and RV Resort

11. DANA POINT

Dana Point is a charming city in Southern California and is also known as one of the best surfing areas in the USA . The city has been wooing whale and dolphin watchers and water sports lovers for generations.

From the lively Dana Point Harbor, and beautiful Nature Interpretive Center to adrenaline-pumping parasailing excursions or whale watching , there is no shortage of activities for all types of travelers.

The best time to visit Dana Point is late August to early September. Traveling in the fall season is highly recommended to get plenty of cheap hotel deals .

Cheap or Free Things to do in Dana Point

• Visit Dana Point Harbor . It is also known as the ‘ Whale Capital of the World ’. Dana Point Harbor offers specialty shopping, fishing and whale watching excursions , and a variety of restaurants.
• You shouldn’t miss the Ocean Institute , a natural attraction in Dana Point Harbor. The institute conducts different nature-focused educational programs throughout the year.
• Adventure enthusiasts must experience parasailing in Dana Point . Dana Point Parasail is a very popular and renowned company for its high-quality operations to have safe, fun, and memorable parasailing adventures along the beautiful Pacific Ocean coastline.

Suggested Budget for Dana Point

Hotel: $50-110 Food: $15 Transport:  $10 Activities:  $20(parasailing is not included here) Daily Budget: $70/person

Cheap Hotels in Dana Point

• Best Western Plus Dana Point Inn-by-the-Sea
• Best Western Plus Casablanca Inn

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Frequently Asked Questions about Cheapest Places to Visit in California

1. what are the great and cheap family vacation spots in california.

A : Carlsbad and Big Bear Lake are pretty affordable places in California and offer countless family-friendly activities.

2. Where should I go for a cheap weekend getaway in California?

A : It depends upon what you want to see. California is a large state and full of natural wonders. If you like to go for an affordable beach vacation in California, you can visit Ventura and Oxnard . You can also visit Solvang , an underrated place in California.

3. What is the cheapest National Park to Visit in California?

A: If you are looking for a cheap National Park in California, visit Death Valley NP or Joshua Tree NP . Don’t miss the Cholla Cactus Garden in Joshua Tree where you can world densest concentrations of the dangerous but beautiful cholla cactus.

4. Where is the most affordable place to visit in Southern California?

A : Oxnard is a beautiful coastal city in SoCal that offers plenty of free things to do. Walk along Channel Islands Harbor, visit The Murphy Auto Museum or fly kites in Mandalay beach – all are free activities in Oxnard.

5. What are the cheapest places to visit in California with kids?

A : You can visit Carlsbad if you have kids. Legoland California is an amazing place in Carlsbad that offers various rides and shows that keep children well entertained.

6. Where should I visit for a cheap vacation in Northern California?

A : Looking for an inexpensive place to visit in Northern California ? Sacramento can be an ideal place for you. Visit California State Capitol Museum and explore Old Sacramento State Historic Park.

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10 Comments

Great list! I really liked Ventura when I ran a marathon there. I need to visit the national parks! Fun!

This is awesome! A great list and I love how you included so many free things to do I each spot! I went to Palm Springs last year but it was during the shutdown, so I didn’t get to see Joshua Tree! Definitely going to use this list when I go back. Thanks for sharing – Danielle

hank you so much Danielle. This post is fully prepared for budget travelers. People might think that free thing is impossible in California. That’s why here is my solution to travel cheap in California.

Definitely going to bookmark this list for when we can travel again. I’ve been wanting to go to California and these seem like great locations.

Wow Nice Info, Thanks for sharing with us.

Thank you, Selan.

Thanks for the nice suggestions and some great information for solo travellers.

You’re welcome.

Where to visit in California in winter on a budget?

You can visit Palm SPrings and Death Valley NP in winter.

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How Much Will a California Trip Cost in 2024?

Last Updated on December 14, 2023

by Maggie Turansky

Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. That means if you click a link and make a purchase, we may make a small commission. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. For more information, see our privacy policy.

The California lifestyle is an iconic one, and those seeking it have made it the most visited state in the US. However, this west-coast state also has a reputation for being expensive and unattainable to visit for budget travellers, which begs the question: How much will a California trip cost?

Of course, visiting California can be quite expensive if you’re not smart about where you spend your money, however, it is also possible to visit this great state on a shoestring budget. Especially if you’re interested in outdoor activities (of which California has many) and are willing to cut costs in your food and accommodation costs, your trip can end up being a relatively affordable affair.

On average, you can expect your trip to California to cost $135-330 per person per day for budget to upper mid-range travellers. However, your trip cost can vary significantly depending on how you plan to allocate your spending across the below categories.

Table of Contents

Accommodation Prices

Whether you’re exploring beautiful beaches or heading to the shores of Lake Tahoe , you’re going to need to find a great place to stay.

The first thing you need to consider when trying to figure out the average cost of your trip is how much your accommodation costs will be. Accommodation is likely to take the biggest dent out of your total California vacation cost, so it can help to get a good idea on how much you’re willing to spend.

If you’re planning a coastal road trip and plan to stay in hotels, expect to pay, at a minimum, about $80-100 per night. Hotels in California, even traditionally “budget” hotels, can be incredibly expensive.

You also could opt to get a private room on Airbnb . While this is something we recommend on virtually every other cost guide we have written, it stands as true in California as it does elsewhere in the world.

Not only does a private room through Airbnb give you a comfortable bed in a room all to yourself, but you also get the added benefit of staying with a friendly local who will help you out with all the best tips and tricks for where you’re staying. 

Depending on where you are, private rooms on Airbnb typically start at around $80-100 per night. If you want to cut costs even further, try and find accommodation a little bit outside the main tourist centre. This will inevitably save you some money in the long run.

If you want to try and cut costs even further, look for a room that allows you access to the kitchen so you can prepare your own meals. I will get into the cost of food in California later on in this article, but it’s worth finding accommodation with self-catering facilities if you want to try and cut costs on your eating habits.

Another way to try and save on accommodation during your trip to California is to camp. While wild camping is definitely illegal in the state, there are a number of campsites throughout the state that are infinitely more affordable than a hotel stay, particularly if driving inland to Yosemite through central California or other national parks.

It is worth noting, however, that if you’re used to European prices of campsites, you still might be surprised at how much a tent plot will cost in California.

If you want to go the traditional backpacker route, you will be pleased to know that, while not so commonplace in the entirety of the USA, there are a few hostel options in most major California cities. There are numerous hostels to choose from in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles or San Diego.

While a dorm bed in a California hostel will typically start at around $40-50 per night, private rooms can come in at over $100. So, if you’re travelling as a couple and value your privacy, Airbnb might still be the best choice for you.

For those who are looking to stay in more traditional accommodation, expect to spend at least $150 per night in a mid-range hotel. And if you’re after a boutique B&B or a high-end hotel, this will be far closer to $250-300 per night.

Transportation Prices

One of the other constant and most expensive factors that needs to be considered are your transportation costs. With the possible exception of San Francisco, California is a state where visitors very much need a car in order to see everything and get everywhere you might want to go.

Very few places in the US have adequately invested in public transportation which makes it extremely difficult to get around if you don’t have your own personal vehicle. So, if you want to get around everywhere and not lose precious time and sanity by trying to rely on public transport, you’re seriously going to need to consider renting a car in California.

Fortunately, car rental doesn’t have to be exceedingly expensive, especially if you opt for a weekly rather than a daily rate. In the USA, there is little to no difference in price between a manual or automatic transmission, either. All in, if you know where to find the best car rental deals (we suggest Rentalcars.com !), then expect to pay about $50 per day on a basic hire car.

Another way to reduce your overall trip cost by saving on accommodation is to hire an RV or campervan through Outdoorsy. This gives you more freedom on the road and is a great way to save significant money in the expensive Golden State.

If you are renting a car for your transportation in California, you also need to factor in the cost of fuel and this is where the state might cut you a break, budget-wise. While California might have some of the highest fuel prices in the country, the cost is a fraction of what you might expect to pay for petrol in Europe.

With average petrol/gas prices coming in at about $5 per gallon (about $1.35 per litre) and cars being more fuel-efficient than ever, you probably won’t need to spend too much money on fuel while on a California road trip.

All in all, expect to pay about $50-70 per person per day on transportation while visiting California, assuming you’re splitting the cost of a car hire.

Food Prices

The third constant in your California trip budget that you’re going to need to factor in is the cost of food. You need to eat and, unfortunately, that costs money. Especially in the trendy California restaurants where such things as tax and a customary 20-25% tip are not factored in.

While eating out in restaurants can be expensive, as it is most everywhere in the Western world, supermarket prices can be surprisingly affordable and getting a good portion of your meal at local grocery shops can save a significant amount of your total trip to California cost.

California is one of the most ethnically diverse states in the USA, meaning that there are numerous culinary influences and one of the best food scenes in the country.

Though eating out in high-end restaurants every single night can certainly add up, you also would be missing out if you didn’t sample some of the fantastic gastronomic offerings in this beautiful state.

If you avoid super expensive restaurants in California and maybe only eat at lunch, which is frequently more affordable than dinner, you can expect this to cost around $15-20 for a main meal.

For those not from the USA, it’s worth remembering that this is not what you will pay – as tax is added after the fact and you need to ensure you tip at least 20%, as well. All in all, don’t expect to eat out at a restaurant for less than about $50-60 for two people.

If you stay at an accommodation with self-catering facilities (like a hostel or Airbnb), you can end up saving a significant amount of money on your food costs if you prepare a number of your own meals.

Head to an affordable grocery shop — we like Trader Joe’s — and pick up some easy breakfast and lunch foods and only eat dinner out. Or better yet, pick up enough for all three of your daily meals and you need only spend a fraction of what you would if you ate every meal out.

If you alternate when you eat out and when you cook for yourself, you can save a lot of money on food, giving you more room for other things in your California travel budget.

On average, expect to spend around $20-50 per person per day on food while visiting California. If you plan to eat out more, multiply that by two.

Activity Prices

Now that we’ve covered the three most basic constant costs of your trip, let’s talk about how much your day-to-day activities are going to cost you.

This is a section where you could either spend a small fortune every single day to see top attractions or nothing at all and it really just depends on your habits.

If you’re interested in visiting museums while visiting some of California’s historic cities, for instance, don’t expect that to be an affordable experience.

If you’re like us and you’re used to the free museums of the UK or otherwise affordable museums on the European continent, then the price of entry to museums in California is going to come as quite a shock. Expect to pay no less than $15-20 for an adult ticket at a state-run museum in the state.

If you’re keen to go hiking and enjoy some of California’s excellent natural scenery , many of the best hiking trails and routes are in state parks, which costs about $10 (total, not per person) to park and enter. If you don’t go into a state park, however, you needn’t spend a dime on a hike. The same goes if you’re able to find free parking outside of the park.

Another iconic California activity is wine tasting, as the state has some of what is considered to be the best wine country in the world. If you want to save money on a wine tour to the vineyards themselves, which can really add up in cost, a great idea is to head to some tasting rooms.

Cities like Santa Barbara , Carmel , and San Francisco are packed with wine-tasting rooms where you can get a flight for roughly $15. To save money further, share one flight between two people.

If you’re able to prioritise which activities you think are worth spending money on, you only need to average about $15-30 per person per day on this when visiting California. If you intend to do more than basic activities, your upper end can be limitless (especially if you’re planning to visit any theme parks (like Disneyland!), for instance).

Entertainment Prices

Now that we’ve covered the cost of accommodation, transportation, food, and activities in California, it’s time to tackle the least constant and necessary of budgeting categories: entertainment.

However much you decide to allot to your entertainment costs in California really depends on your own habits and tendencies.

That is to say, if you love to go out and check out the bars and nightlife of wherever you’re visiting, your entertainment budget is going to need to be higher than if you like to be in bed with a cup of tea by 9 PM.

To give you an idea of how much to budget for entertainment when figuring your total cost of a trip to California, I’ll break down a few prices for you.

A local, non-craft beer at a bar (think Budweiser or Coors) will set you back about $5-6. If you venture to one of the many, many craft beer bars (and you should!), expect the price of a pint to be closer to $8-10.

A glass of wine, whether local or imported, runs somewhere around $10-12 in most restaurants and bars and a basic cocktail will often cost about the same, depending on how fancy the establishment you happen to be drinking in is. Again, this is all not including tax and tip. Please remember that it is essential to tip a bartender even if you don’t get table service (plan for about $1 per drink or at least 15% of the total bill).

If you like to have a few drinks but don’t particularly like the steep price tag that comes along with it, you can cut a significant amount off of your total trip cost if you take advantage of some happy hour deals. Most bars and restaurants have some sort of happy hour (usually lasting from 4-6 PM) that have great deals on drinks and food.

Of course, you can save a lot of money on booze if you buy from a supermarket. A 6-pack of beer will cost somewhere around $8 depending on the quality and where it comes from and you can get a bottle of wine from Trader Joe’s for as little as $2 (plus tax)!

In summation, depending on your habits, it is easy enough to save money on your entertainment costs. Try not to drink every night, purchase alcohol from the shop rather than a bar, or don’t drink at all. All in, I would say to budget about $10-30 per day for entertainment.

California Trip Cost Calculator

With the above categories of a California travel budget taken into consideration, this is how much you can expect to spend per person per day when you are visiting the Golden State. This is assuming you are splitting costs like accommodation and car hire between two people and does not include expenses like flights.

Accommodation:  $40-150/night

Transportation:  $50-70/day

Food: $20-50/day

Activities:  $15-30/day

Entertainment:  $10-30/day

In total, expect your average California trip cost to be about $135-330 per person per day. While there are certainly ways that you can cut down on costs and not spend that much, this is the budget to stick to if you want to cut costs in some ways and splurge in others.

This doesn’t include any pre-trip expenses such as anything on your California packing list or travel insurance.

The total cost of a California trip doesn’t have to break the bank, especially if you’re smart about where and how you spend your money. Keep track of your expenses and how much you’re spending, and you can make California a budget-friendly destination!

Are heading to the Golden State? Have questions about the prices in California? Let us know in the comments!

Related Posts:

The Perfect 2 to 3 Days in Napa & Sonoma Itinerary

The Perfect Day Trip to Monterey from San Francisco

9 Best Stops on a San Diego to Grand Canyon Road Trip

About Maggie Turansky

Maggie is a co-founder and writer for The World Was Here First. Originally from the US, she has lived in five different countries and has travelled to dozens more, both solo and with her partner, Michael. She particularly loves exploring Spain and spending time in the Caucasus and the Baltics. Read more about Maggie

Thanks Maggie for the updated information and it really helps. Do you have information the must stops along the PCH from San Francisco to LA? As a Photography enthusiast would like to stop along the way and any suggested pace to stop over for a 3 day road trip would be helpful.

Thanks for your comment, Reuben! We have an entire article dedicated to the PCH: https://www.theworldwasherefirst.com/la-to-san-francisco-drive/ Hope you have a great trip!

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How to visit California on a budget

Sep 14, 2023 • 5 min read

See the major sights for free on a self-guided walking tour of California's towns and cities © adamkaz / Getty Images

There is a price to pay for California’s envious bounty: miles of salty coastline, bright, sun-filled days, dynamic cities, an infinite amount of tranquil and heart-pumping outdoor pursuits...we could go on forever.

But that doesn’t mean you have to pay full price to enjoy it all. Although most things in the Golden State are more expensive than other US destinations, budget trips to California are possible if you know where and how to look for savings. Consider these nine tips and things to consider to help you travel to California without breaking the bank.

Daily Costs

• Hostel room: $85-$90
• Basic room for two: $160/night
• Self-catering apartment (including Airbnb): $130/night
• Public transport ticket: $3-$5
• Sandwich: $10
• Dinner for two: $60
• Beer/pint at the bar: $5-$7

Think small to go big

Generally, the price of accommodation veers steeply upwards in major cities, along the coast, and near major attractions – find savings by booking a hotel in surrounding areas. For example, travelers set on exploring San Francisco may want to consider accommodations in San Jose or Oakland , which come with their own charms, such as multicultural food scenes.

Dreaming of a sunny, coastal getaway to Malibu or Santa Barbara ? Smaller beach towns like Cambria, a few hours’ drive north of Santa Barbara, or Ventura, an hour north of Malibu, may prove more affordable.

Opt for self-guided tours

Check out a city’s tourism office or chamber of commerce website for recommended itineraries you can complete at your leisure. In Palm Springs , begin at the Palm Springs Visitors Center, a midcentury modern landmark itself, and follow their recommendations to glimpse some of its most well-known architectural residences, buildings, and hotels.

Up north, Visit Redwoods compiled a number of self-guided adventures, from a mural tour of Eureka to a guide to Humboldt County ’s historic lighthouses. Further south, Santa Barbara offers its Red Tile Walking Tour – a compilation of 17 stops showcasing its Spanish-style adobes dating between the 1700-1800s.

Research cultural attractions ahead of time

Save on activities like museums and scope out cultural attractions that offer free or reduced admission. In Los Angeles, the California African American Museum , The Getty Center , and the Broad are just some that offer free admission year-round. Orange County Museum of Art , the first floor of Mingei International Museum , and the Women’s Museum of California in San Diego, also offer free admission year-round.

Museums across the state also host designated free museum days, and some may require proof of residency to participate. Asian Art Museum , San Francisco Museum of Modern Art , Contemporary Jewish Museum , and Oakland Museum of California are just some San Francisco area institutions that participate in free museum days.

Bundle attractions for savings

Seek out city passes in most major cities to enjoy discounts to theme parks, museums, and other activities. Many city passes offer an all-inclusive pass to use over 3, 5 or 7 days, or an option to purchase a set number of activities at a discounted rate to use over a defined length of time, such as an eBike tour or whale watching.

At California’s parks, to camp or not to camp?

Compare various costs when deciding to stay and play in or near California’s bucket-list parks. Parks like Yosemite , Sonoma Coast State Park, and Joshua Tree National Park book up quickly on lodging, campsites and recreational permits.

Depending on when you’re traveling and what your preferred travel style is, it may make more financial sense to book that lodge instead of camping out when you consider fees for showers, and the equipment and time required to prepare and store your own food. Time will work in your favor as you plan your trip, as the longer you wait the options to potentially cut costs grow slim.

Be patient deciphering parking signs

In some cities’ downtown areas, it may seem like you need a PhD to interpret street parking rules. Can I park in a designated spot? For how long, and what exemptions do I qualify for?

Without having to deep dive into California’s driver handbook, avoid getting slapped with a parking violation that you’ll have to reconcile with your rental car company and take the time to carefully read through parking signs. One other tip: generally, conveniently located yellow and green loading and temporary parking zones are typically free to park in after 6pm.

Dine out during Restaurant Week

Sample some of California’s top restaurants for oftentimes reduced prices during participating cities’ restaurant weeks. From Sonoma to Sacramento, Los Angeles to Long Beach, Orange County to San Diego, participating restaurants typically offer an exclusive prix-fixe lunch and dinner menu.

In Los Angeles, for example, restaurant week lunch menus begin at $15 and $25 for dinner. Sometimes, a restaurant’s signature dishes are included in prix-fixe menus, so do some sleuthing to determine the best value for your dollar during this time.

Seek out more affordable wine regions

Napa undoubtedly oozes name recognition and some of the country’s best-fermented grape juice, but the state boasts many more regions producing high-quality wines at accessible price points. Consider wine-tasting itineraries in Sonoma , Monterey County’s Santa Lucia Highlands , Santa Barbara and Paso Robles along the central coast, and Temecula Valley in southern California.

With more than 100 American Viticulture Areas (AVA), or federally designated wine-growing regions, it’s possible to plan a wine-focused trip in California that won't leave you crying into your pinot when you get the bill.

Plan for marquee events well in advance

Sometimes, a trip isn’t about escaping the crowds, but reveling in them. Whether you’re keen to partake in San Francisco’s Pride festivities, the flower-strewn floats of the Rose Parade in Pasadena, or vibe into the wee hours in the southern California desert at Coachella, wallets benefit from more forward planning than less. It's wise to begin booking accommodations and rental vehicles for these marquee events up to a year or more in advance.

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9 Top Tips for Planning a Trip to California on a Budget

By: Author Laura

Posted on Published: 6th February 2022  - Last updated: 12th January 2024

Categories USA , Travel

If you’re trying to plan a trip to California (and are hoping to do California on a budget), you need to know these budgeting tips so you’re not caught out when you get there. Don’t plan your California travel budget until after you’ve factored these finance tips in!

The first time I visited California, I spent around two to three weeks in the cities San Francisco , Los Angeles and Palo Alto. These are some of the most expensive cities in America.

I had a loose travel budget in mind before I went and I knew it was going to cost a pretty penny if I wanted to do everything on my bucket list.

Although I was willing to be flexible with my budget to make the most of the experience (it’s a long way to fly!), I still wanted to keep costs as low as possible.

The trip ended up costing more than I envisaged and I definitely could’ve saved money with better planning and better knowledge. It’s so easy to go way over budget in a place like California and I wish I had known the below things in advance.

These are my top finance tips to bear in mind when planning a California vacation on a budget. I hope they may help you adjust your California road trip budget!

9 Tips for California on a Budget

Book flights in advance

If like me, you live in Europe, then the largest cost for a trip to California is going to be the flight. Or so I thought. 

We were planning to visit California in September and after a bit of date jiggling, we managed to get tickets for £275.

Tickets from London to California for £275!

This wasn’t via any special service either – we found these tickets on Skyscanner .

This price didn’t include baggage though so once we had added that it was around £350. Still much cheaper than I had envisaged for an 11+ hour flight.

But if you want to maximise your chances of getting cheap flights, sign up to mailing lists from Jack’s Flight Club and TravelScoop . They send out daily bulletins outlining the cheapest flights available at the moment.

Factor in tax AND tip for all food and services

This is the biggie. 

I was shocked to find that both a meal tax and a large service tip are expected when you eat out in California.

That means that the price shown is often very different from the final price owed.

In California, we were usually taxed around 9% on meals out and then asked to pay a tip of 15-25% in addition to that.

Let’s say you have a meal for $20, then you’re actually looking at spending around $26.80 for your meal instead.

As this happens at every establishment you eat at, the cost of eating out can quickly stack up.

The service tip is even expected when you’re buying something in, say, Starbucks, where your interaction with the staff has been minimal.

As someone from the UK, this surprised me quite a bit.

We also have a service charge here that is typically added to the bill for a meal but it is usually fixed at 12.5% and is almost always discretionary.

There’s also no expectation that you add service when you go to a takeaway coffee shop like Starbucks.

It’s just a very different way of tipping so it’s worth knowing about if you’ve never been to the USA before!

Remember portion sizes are huge…

Portion sizes in America are often huge compared to Europe so always consider sharing. When we first got to California, my friends and I often wasted a lot of food unintentionally because we had underestimated the portion sizes.

Now I’m the kind of person who hates to waste food. But even I was defeated by some of the meals we ordered.

Fast food, for example, I found to be quite cheap compared to the same type of food in London and the portions to be way bigger.

If in doubt, ask the waiter for a size reference or check out pictures in online reviews.

There were lots of instances where we could’ve just ordered one portion, shared between all of us, and had a very cheap meal!

Don’t bother looking on Airbnb

According to Condé Nast, both San Francisco and LA are considered two of the most expensive cities for Airbnbs in the world.

My own findings certainly corroborated this when I discovered that the average price of an Airbnb for my time in San Francisco was $300 per   night .

What’s more, it is illegal to rent out a property that isn’t your primary residence in LA . 

So skip Airbnb and head straight to Booking.com for the best deals on accommodation in California.

Book accommodation early (and factor in tax again! )

Definitely book your accommodation in advance. I didn’t book my accommodation in LA until the day before we flew there and we ended up paying £50 per person, per night for a dingy hotel in downtown LA with shared bathrooms and sketchy WiFi.

And this was the cheapest thing we could find!

The average cost of a double hotel room in California is said to be $185 .

And that probably doesn’t include the city tax so the actual cost could be a lot higher. Before booking, make sure you check all of these costs and see whether they are included in the price displayed or not.

You don’t want to get caught out upon arrival at your accommodation!

Make sure you have CASH for petrol

If you’re renting a car and going to be needing petrol, bear in mind that there are often different prices depending on whether you are paying with cash or credit.

The difference can be 10 cents per gallon or more so you definitely want to be carrying enough cash for your petrol bill if you’re driving around California.

The reason there’s such a big price difference is that gas station owners find their profits squeezed too hard by the credit card companies they use and therefore those paying with credit need to pay more.

Buy attraction tickets in advance

If you want to go to Alcatraz, BUY TICKETS IN ADVANCE, otherwise you have to buy a package deal which is much more expensive.

A normal Alcatraz night tour ticket is $56, the package I got was $150. So it can be three times the price if you don’t plan ahead!

These packaged tour tickets may include entrance to other attractions or include transportation costs such as bus passes. Whilst these can be useful, if it’s an unexpected cost or you didn’t need that bus tour ticket then it’s a massive waste of money.

By the way, the official place to buy Alcatraz tickets is here . There are lots of other resale websites but I’d recommend getting your tickets straight from this website.

RELATED: Tips To Know Before Visiting Alcatraz

Look for bundle deals for major attractions

Following on from the above, if you are going to major attractions such as Universal Studios , you can get cheaper bundle tickets from websites like GetYourGuide .

Take advantage of free things that often get thrown on top of these. For example, my Alcatraz ticket included a big bus pass for three days. This was the only option available.

Whilst I would never have thought to buy a big bus pass (they seemed really touristy!), since it was included with my ticket, I used these buses to get around the city.

They’re not normal buses, they are tour buses so they are likely to go between lots of top attractions on your California bucket list.

As interesting as San Francisco’s history is, I didn’t need to re-listen to it every time I boarded a Big Bus bus.

But it saved me a lot on transport fees around the city and I got to go to some places that I wouldn’t have added to my itinerary myself, for example, Sausalito, which is a little out of the city.

Get a Monzo card

Online banks like Revolut and Monzo are all the rage right and most young people will have one or the other. I actually own three of these types of cards, one from Revolut , Monzo and Transferwise .

These are absolutely essential for travel to any destination as you will save so much money on handling fees and exchange rates.

What’s great about these cards is that you don’t even need to convert the currency on the card before you spend it – it will convert it automatically.

Plus, these cards come with accompanying apps that break down your spending into different categories so you can see if you’re sticking to your budget.

They also have really easy functions to transfer money to friends you have saved as contacts and you can set up shared tabs for your trip to split costs.

Have you ever been to California? Do you have any budgeting tips of your own to share?

If you liked this post, check out these other posts about US travel: 50 Things to Do in San Francisco 25 Things to Do at Night in San Francisco 14 Things You Didn’t Know About San Francisco Things To Know Before Visiting Alcatraz 12 Things to Know Before Visiting Warner Bros Studio LA Magical Things to Do at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter LA

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Home » North America » USA » California

Epic California Road Trip Guide [Coolest Routes in CA!]

Going on a road trip in California has to be one of the best ways to experience the state. With amazing national parks, world-class cities and everything in between – California has everything that a road tripper could ever want!

But California is huge , and is practically a nation unto itself. Where do you pick where to go on your California road trip? How long will you visit each place? How much will it cost?

Don’t worry – we have the insider information you need for an EPIC road trip.

Written by our road-trip experts, this epic guide covers everything you need to know about your California road trip.

We’ll show you exactly how to stick to a budget, where to find California’s hidden gems, and give you plenty of ideas and itineraries so you can easily plan out your entire California trip!

The highway is calling – let’s dive right into our insider California travel guide!

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California Road Trips Costs

Cool itineraries for a road trip in california, southern california roadtrip, sf and the sierra nevada, eastern california road trip, the california coast road trip, places to visit in california, california road trip tips, apartments and hotels in california, renting a car or campervan in california.

Let’s be frank here: a road trip in California is not going to be cheap by any means.

It’s not the kind of cost to be discouraged though since we at The Broke Backpacker still look for ways to save! Even if we are unable to travel for $10 a day we can at least help reduce the prices of a California road trip to a reasonable level.

The average daily budget for a California road trip is between $75-$150 – this includes gas, a rental car, lodging, food, drink, and entry into certain attractions. Make note of this number but please do not let it discourage you – we’re going to show how to reduce it to a more budget-friendly amount soon.

The Broke Backpacker is supported by you . Clicking through our links may earn us a small affiliate commission, and that's what allows us to keep producing free content 🙂 Learn more .

The largest cost will definitely be your rental car, as it is unavoidable for a road trip. We suggest visiting California outside of peak season for cheaper prices.

California is a large state – don’t be surprised to drive 5+ hours in a day – so gas prices are inevitable too. While much cheaper than say, Europe, California gas prices are one of the most expensive in the country.

Finally, lodging, food, and drink can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it. This is where you can really bring the costs down, which we’ll break down in the next section.

The USA is  blisteringly beautiful. It’s also blisteringly expensive! Visiting two national parks in day can run you $70+ in entry fees.

Orrrr… you kick those entry fees to the curb, buy an annual ‘America the Beautiful Pass’ for $79.99,  and get unlimited access to ALL 2000+ federally managed sites in the States totally FREE!

You do the math. 😉

Average Costs of a California Road Trip

Rental car per day: $30-$100

RV rental: $100-$300

Gallon of gas: $3.65

Private AirBnB home: $100-$200

Hotel room: $150-$250

Hostel: $25-$45

Campground: $10-$20 (sometimes free!)

Sandwich: $8-$12

Beer at a bar: $5-$8

Coffee: $3-$4

Bottle of Whiskey from market: $18

Dinner for two: $60-$80

Southern California Road Trip – 5 days

Sf and the sierra nevada – 7 days, eastern california road trip – 10 days, road trip on the california coast – 14 days.

Below is a list of the best itineraries for a California road trip. Varying from 5 to 14 days in length, they cover many of the top destinations in California. Each itinerary provides day-by-day highlights, which are meant to give you some good California road trip ideas.

Southern California may be the first place everyone imagines when they think about the state. Fine-sand beaches, palm trees, plenty of urban sprawl, and plenty more weed and booze, SoCal is quintessential California.

Going on a road trip in Southern California will afford you lots of chances to try all of the aforementioned activities.

The area between Los Angeles and San Diego is classically considered SoCal. Between two massive cities, you’ll get to do everything from surfing to smoking to skating in the parks. You’ll get to hang with hipsters in Echo Park, have date nights in La Jolla, and chillax in Venice Beach.

If you’d like to shoot for the stars, you can even make road trips to Southern California’s other top spots, likes of Santa Barbara, the San Bernardinos, and Santa Catalina Island.

Road Trip Length:

Highlights:.

San Diego, Los Angeles, Huntington Beach, Malibu, San Bernardino’s, Santa Catalina, Channel Islands

Notable bars and restaurants:

The food carts, Lost Abbey (San Diego), Greenflash (San Diego), El Prez (San Diego), A.O.C. (LA), Night Market Song (LA), Tabula Rosa (LA)

Where to Sleep:

Samesun Venice Beach (LA), Grafton on Sunset (Los Angeles), USA Hostels Hollywood (LA), ITH ZOO Hostel San Diego , Lucky D’s (San Diego)

Activities:

Surfing, brewery walks in San Diego, food tours in Los Angeles, partying in Hollywood, Venice Beach oddities, hiking on the Channel Islands

Scenic Drives:

I-5, California Highway 1 road trip, Palos Verdes Drive

Festivals and Events:

Sun and Sea Fest San Diego (July), Rose Parade and Rose Bowl (January), Adult Swim Festival (October), Desert Daze (October), Camp Flog Nawg Festival (November)

Wanna know how to pack like a pro? Well for a start you need the right gear….

These are packing cubes for the globetrotters and compression sacks for the  real adventurers – these babies are a traveller’s best kept secret. They organise yo’ packing and minimise volume too so you can pack MORE.

Or, y’know… you can stick to just chucking it all in your backpack…

The Bay Area is (in my opinion) the best part of California – it’s drop-dead gorgeous, prosperous, dynamic, and absolutely chalked full of things to do. Food, drink, nature, culture, weather; it’s all here. No road trip on the California Coast is complete without stopping in the Bay.

There are just so many superlatives around the Bay:

San Francisco is probably the most beautiful city in the USA (it knows this though). Oakland is low-key the coolest part of the Bay. Napa produces the best wine in the state. Finally, a road trip down California Highway 101 will land you in Santa Cruz – the surf capital of NorCal – and then Big Sur, which is arguably the most popular part of the coast.

The Bay Area is also conveniently within a few hours’ drive of amazing outdoor destinations like Yosemite National Park and Lake Tahoe. Both offer some of the most scenic drives in California, not to mention an endless amount of outdoor activities.

John Muir Woods, San Francisco, Oakland, Yosemite National Park, Lake Tahoe, Napa, Big Sur

Bierhaus (Oakland), Wreck Room (San Francisco), Zeitgeist (SF), Thieves Tavern (SF), Stonefly Restaurant (Markleeville), Austin’s Restaurant (Tahoe)

USA Hostels San Francisco, Green Tortoise Hostel (SF), Knights Inn (Oakland), Yosemite Bug Rustic , Mellow Mountain Hoste l (Lake Tahoe)

Climbing in Yosemite, wine tasting in Napa Valley , swimming at Lake Tahoe, beers in Dolores Park, art walks in Oakland, staying in Big Sur

Highway 1, Tioga Pass, Lake Tahoe Scenic Drive, Silverado Trail

Treasure Island Festival (October), SF Pride Parade (June), SF Chinese New Year (February), Outside Lands (August), Festival Napa Valley (July)

Things go wrong on the road ALL THE TIME. Be prepared for what life throws at you.

Buy an AMK Travel Medical Kit before you head out on your next adventure – don’t be daft!

Eastern California is a side of the state that not too many see. A lot of people are turned off by the region’s heat, desolation, and lack of coastline.

While the East may not be as popular as a road trip on the California Coast, it is still beautiful in its own way.

As you make a road trip on California’s 395, you will be presented with unexpected natural splendor. To the west, the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada rise very prominently. To the east, the Great Basin stretches on for unfathomable miles.

This California road trip route offers a lot of the state’s best destinations, like Death Valley, Mt Whitney, Lake Mono, and Lassen Volcanic Park. All of these locations are stunning and it goes without saying that some of the best hikes in California are around these parts.

Death Valley, Alabama Hills, Bishop, Lake Mono, Lake Tahoe, Lassen Volcanic National Park

Holy Smokes Texas Style BBQ (Bishop), Aaron Schat’s Roadhouse (Bishop), The Stove (Mammoth Lakes), John’s Pizza Works (Mammoth Lakes), La Vecchia (Reno), Peg’s Glorified Ham n Eggs (Reno)

Grafton on Sunset (Los Angeles), USA Hostels Hollywood (LA), Morris Burner Hostel (Reno), Moderne Hostel ( Mammoth Lakes ), Hostel California (Bishop), Mellow Mountain Hostel (Tahoe)

Climbing Mt. Whitney, skiing at Mammoth Lakes, hiking in John Muir Wilderness, paddleboarding at Lake Tahoe, gambling in Reno

Highway 395, Lake Tahoe Scenic Drive, Lassen Scenic Byway

Burning Man (August), Reno Artown (July), Reno Hot August Nights (August), Mammoth Festival of Beers and Bluesapalooza (August), Mammoth Village Summer Jam (June), Bishop Manzanar Pilgrimage (April)

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A road trip on the California Coast is the stuff of dreams – it’s one of the most romantic parts of the entire USA and has inspired countless people to pack up their lives and move west. Ultimately, it is a superbly beautiful place to travel around and, crucially, very easy as well.

You can take a road trip on California Highway 1 and 80% of the time you will never leave the coast. Seriously, the ocean is within sight for the near entirety of the trip. For those who want to be close to the sea, this California Coast road trip route is about as close as it gets.

You will also visit most of the state’s top locations while on a Highway 1 California road trip as well. This includes San Diego, Los Angeles, Big Sur, San Francisco the Redwoods; all that and then some.

San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, SLO, Big Sur, San Francisco, Marin Country, Redwoods National Park

Greenflash (San Diego), El Prez (San Diego), A.O.C. (LA), Night Market Song (LA), Tabula Rosa (LA), Wreck Room (San Francisco), Zeitgeist (SF), Oaxaca Grill Restaurant (Eureka), Annie’s Cambodian Cuisine (Eureka)

USA Hostels Hollywood, ITH ZOO Hostel San Diego , HI San Luis Obispo, HI Monterey, USA Hostels San Francisco, Emerald Forest Cabins (Eureka)

Hanging out in Santa Cruz , hiking in SLO, road trip along Big Sur, food in LA, photography with the Redwoods, beers in San Diego

The entire road trip on California Highway 1

Kinetic Grand Championship (May), Redwood Coast Music Fest (May), Reggae on the River (August), Pride Parade (June), Outside Lands (August), Sun and Sea Fest San Diego (July), Desert Daze (October)

Below is a list of the best road trip stops in California. Study them well and decide which ones you like the most. Check out this post for  romantic getaway ideas  found along your California road trip route.

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Road Trip to Los Angeles

When people imagine California, the first place that comes to mind is Los Angeles . Let’s just get it over with. Not that it isn’t a great place to visit in California. In many ways, Los Angeles does epitomize Californian life – hopeful, buzzing, fortunate, decadent, and decrepit all at once. I can think of no better place to start a road trip in California than the “City of Angels.”

Located in Southern California on the Pacific Coast, Los Angeles is an enormous city. It’s the second-largest city in the USA and has dozens of unique districts that offer their own flair. To speak to each one would require a lot more time than we have in this guide so we’ll have to gloss over a lot of LA. If you want to get a better idea for the city, then check out our in-depth Backpacking Los Angeles guide .

Los Angeles does a lot of things to do. It is statistically superlative: the most LGBT-friendly city in America, one of the most ethnically diverse cities, and one of the most sexually active. In summation, LA is really good at being open-minded and enjoying itself.

Much of LA’s reputation precedes it. World-famous Hollywood is still a playground for the rich, famous, and beautiful. Santa Monica is still the place for family fun and fresh-out-of-college greenhorns. Venice Beach is still full of weirdos.

There is a lot more to LA these days. Once crime-ridden and neglected areas like Koreatown, Silverlake , and Echo Park are on the rise. Hipsters are becoming the new socialites, not aspiring actors. If there’s one thing I can credit LA for, is that it’s always surprising me.

So stay in Los Angeles for good food, good parties, and good vibes. You’ll find it to be one of the most unique things to do in Southern California.

Road Trip to San Diego

People often imagine Los Angeles as a laid-back surfer town with sick beaches and good vibes but this is not always the case. If this what you’re looking for, you should visit San Diego instead as it is the more the stereotypical Southern California road trip experience.

San Diego is a fun, easygoing beach city that is renowned for its excellent surf, seriously spectacular weather, and righteous residents.

San Diego is south of Los Angeles and sits right on the border of Mexico. Literally, from a large hill, you can Tijuana and the Mexican border . This makes trips to Mexico very easy and also imbues the city with a very Latin vibe.

Aside from Balboa Park , the best places to visit in San Diego are the many coastal neighborhoods or one of the many cultural sites.

San Diego has a lot of history, both as an ex-colonial town and important military base during World War years. You’ll a decent amount of Spanish-inspired architecture in San Diego and many landmarks like the Cabrillo Monument , the USS Midway , and the Old Colonial Park.

Seriously, you can’t go wrong with just laying on the beach in San Diego. The city beaches here are some of the best in California and should not be missed. Coronado, Mission, La Jolla , and Pacific are all noteworthy ones.

Be sure to grab a drink or attend a concert while road tripping in San Diego. The Gaslamp Quarter (Downtown) is definitely ground zero for parties in San Diego though Mission and North Park are also good. There are many breweries around San Diego and it’s often ranked one of the best beer cities in America. Check out ListenSD for all up upcoming music shows.

Road Trip to Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo

Heading north from Los Angeles we begin our real road trip in Southern California; the area we’re about to describe is known as the Central Coast and arguably the best area in the state.

When driving northbound, you definitely have to drive on California Highway 1 and 101 . These coastal routes are among the most famous roads in California because they hug the coast perfectly and offer breathtaking scenery.

Leaving Los Angeles and the ultra-luxurious Malibu , you’ll first pass through Ventura . Ventura is a nice coastal town with a couple of things to do ; mostly it’s a welcome respite from mad LA. Look out for the iron bells on the 101, which mark the original pilgrimage of Junipero Serra, who was one of the most important religious figures in Californian history.

Keep driving on the 101 and you’ll eventually you’ll arrive in Santa Barbara . Santa Barbara is one of the most beloved cities in California due to its historical significance, downtempo vibe, and excellent beaches.

The Mission Santa Barbara and County Courthouse are two of the best examples of the local (Catholic) Mission-style architecture. They’re nice to appreciate but only for about 15-30 minutes.

Much better is East Beach and Leadbetter Beach , which could rival any Californian beach in terms of beauty. Try visiting more cultivated spots like Lotusland and the Botanic Gardens also.

If you’d like to stay in Santa Barbara for the night be sure to check out the best places to sleep in the city . (Hint: the lodges are really nice here.) Otherwise, let’s move on.

Back on the road again, we head further north towards San Luis Obispo . You’ll notice by now the landscape becoming increasingly green and rugged, which comes to a zenith in San Luis Obispo. Upon arriving in San Luis or “SLO,” you’ll see that it’s a gorgeous college town.

San Luis Obispo is surrounded by woods, volcanic-formed hills, and rugged coastline, all of which are prime places for hiking and adventure sports. It’s also close to Paso Robles , a popular spot for wine-lovers passing through the area.

For the more hedonistic travelers, there is an excellent farmers market in SLO every Thursday that offers live music and plenty of fresh food. Wine tours in the Edna Valley are also recommended.

Road Trip to Big Sur and Monterey

The coastline between Los Angeles and San Francisco, referred to as Big Sur , is considered by many to be one of the top destinations in California.

This part of the California Coast is an absolute feast for the eyes. With wind-warped trees, towering cliffs, and some of the most rugged topography in the state, this will be one of the highlights of your road trip on California Highway 1.

Not long after you enter Big Sur from San Simeon in the south, you’re afforded views of one the most photographed places in California: McWay Falls . This near-perfect waterfall empties straight onto a gorgeous beach and is framed by equally inspiring sea cliffs. There are several trails around this area that take you to various little canyons and cascades.

Moving along, you’ll drive further into Big Sur and past many remote beaches. Pfeiffer Beach is one of the most famous due to the keyhole formation in a local seastack and sparkly, purple sand. You can access several more beaches from Andrew Molera State Park via hiking trails.

Continuing on you’ll round Point Sur and be afforded some epic views of the coast. There are lots of vistas here on the side of the road so be sure to pull over for photos.

You’ll also see the impressive Bixby Creek Bridge , another oft-photographed landmark in Big Sur. Don’t forget to stop by Garrapata Beach for a break.

Last but not least on our Big Sur road trip is Point Lobos , which has lots of gorgeous coves that are accessed via trails. Beyond Lobos is Monterey  and the upscale Carmel , a charming little beach town that deserves a day or two to be explored.

If you’re looking for some excellent surf, nearby Santa Cruz is legendary for its waves as well as its alternative lifestyles and omnipresent fog. Don’t be surprised to smell the grass. Check out this post for fun things to do in Santa Cruz. If you need cheap accommodation in Santa Cruz, check out these stunning motels .

You can either sleep in Big Sur or around Monterey Bay. We love Monterey and the local hostel there but camping in Big Sur is an awesome experience.

Road Trip to San Francisco

San Francisco has always been in a league of its own. Though it often competes with Los Angeles for the title of “coolest city in California,” it is in so many ways incomparable to any other city, both in America and the world for that matter.

A supremely confident place with a host of attractions that most international cities dream of having, San Francisco is simply one of the coolest places in California.

San Francisco is a different city from Los Angeles both culturally and geographically. Here, ubiquitous, bright sunny days are swapped for more moody, misty ones and people here are generally more alternative in their lifestyle choices. That is not to say LA and SF are at odds with one another. At the end of the day, the two cities probably have more in common than not.

There is just a fuck ton to do in San Francisco and, like Los Angeles, we can’t cover everything in this brief section.

My advice for what to do in San Francisco is to just start walking around. As one of the densest urban areas in the USA, there is literally something to see on every street corner.

Take a walk down Market Street to see the city’s skyscrapers. Tour the ultra-touristy Fisherman’s Wharf and make your way past Marina District to the elegant Presidio . Get Italian food in North Beach . Explore the ritzy Nob Hill and Russian Hill food and bar scene. Wander around the increasingly gentrifying Mission, Haight , and Castro districts, which were once the hubs of civil action.

Of course, no road trip to San Francisco is complete without seeing the Golden Gate Bridge too.

If you want to really dive into the city, then be sure to read out more comprehensive backpacking San Francisco travel guide!

Road Trip to the Greater Bay Area

It’s sometimes easy to forget that San Francisco is a part of a much larger urban organism, one that is among the most dynamic in the USA. Referred to as the Bay Area , there are many cities besides worth visiting when planning a trip to SF . The most noteworthy of these include Oakland, San Jose , and the combined counties of Marin and Napa . Between these other destinations, there is an even greater amount of things to do outside of San Francisco.

San Jose aka “Silicon Valley” is the center of the technological world in California and probably the entire United States. Here are some of the richest, most daring company headquarters in the world, including Google, FaceBook, and Apple, and yet San Jose is kind of a boring place.

Oakland is a way more fun to visit, arguably more than San Francisco actually. Granted, Oakland has had a pretty rough reputation in the past for being crime-ridden and underprivileged, but it is quickly becoming one of the most eclectic and interesting places in California.

The lifestyle here is notably more relaxed than San Francisco and much more geared towards the anti-establishment mentality. With soaring costs of living though, this could all change.

Berkeley is famous for its local university but is a charming place to visit otherwise. Think hippies who made a lot of money and wanted to settle down; that’s Berkley. The local Cal Sailing Club also offers free sailing tours in the Berkeley Marina on certain nights, which is one our favorite free things to do in California!

North of SF is Napa Valley, famous for its world-class wineries, and Marin County, arguably the prettiest part of the Bay Area. This area is also where rich hippies settle down. Both make for excellent day-long road trips from San Francisco. Be sure to check out Mount Tamalpais and the Bay’s own redwood collections.

Road Trip to Yosemite

One of the most popular road trips from San Francisco is to Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada . Sacred to rock climbers and incomprehensible to first-timers, Yosemite is one of the best places in California and the entire world for that matter. If you’re planning on a road trip to California’s national parks , Yosemite is absolutely mandatory.

Yosemite is a short 4-hour drive away from the Bay Area. You’ll drive along the 508 and Highway 5 through the Central Valley before merging onto the 120 , which will take you all the way to the edge of the park.

Beyond Yosemite, the 120 is also one of the most beautiful and famous roads in California because it goes over the Tioga Pass . Views are plentiful and astounding in the summer but during the winter the pass is closed.

Most people end up staying in Yosemite Village where the Visitor’s Center is. You’ll have to pay a $35 per vehicle entry fee for Yosemite National Park.

If you are visiting more than one national park on your California road trip route, then we highly suggest buying an America the Beautiful pass. It allows unlimited entry to all national parks for one year, and only costs $80 (limit one per vehicle).

In Yosemite Valle y, you’ll see all of the park’s most iconic features, including the hallowed Half Dome and El Capitan . Both of these granite gods are legendary rock climbing destinations and arguably the most famous places to go sport climbing in the world.

For the more casual outdoors person, Yosemite has some of the best hikes in California. The trails leading up to Glacier Point via 4 Mile, Vernal/Nevada Falls via Mist , and Yosemite Falls are all spectacular. You can even hike to the top of Half Dome with a highly competitive permit. Several viewpoints, like Tunnel View and Glacier Point View , are accessible by car as well.

Road Trip to Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe is an unfathomably beautiful lake, the likes of which is a great source of pride for Californians. Lying deep in the Sierra Nevada and on the border of the state of Nevada, Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in the USA and the largest freshwater lake in California.

It is one of the most popular road trip spots in California among locals and visitors alike.

There are several roads leading to Lake Tahoe. Both Highway 50 (to South Lake) and 80 (to North Lake)will take you to the lake from the Bay Area and both will take 3-4 hours to drive. If you’re looking for a piece of American history, try taking a detour over Donner Pass , which is another famous road in California due in part to the story of the Donner Party .

Arriving at Lake Tahoe, you will be knocked dead in your tracks by the beauty of the lake. It is a massive body of water with huge boulders intermittently strewn and a painter’s palette of colors.

The water, a deep turquoise and blue, is often considered some of the clearest in the world and ranked right up there with Lake Baikal and Crater Lake.

There are several places to stay at around Lake Tahoe . The major towns are South Lake Tahoe and Tahoe City  in the north. There are several little villages, resort towns, and campgrounds all around the perimeter of Lake Tahoe as well.

Summer is the most popular time of year to visit Lake Tahoe. Swimmers, hikers, and boaters all enjoy the crystal clear (and very cold) water at this time as well as the scenery. There are several gorgeous beaches, both obvious and hidden, around Lake Tahoe.

Lake Tahoe has awesome skiing in the winter. Tahoe gets absolutely dumped on by snow during this time, sometimes 8 feet at a time, though as of late the snow seasons have been hit or miss. The opening of the ski season varies wildly depending on the year as the climate is becoming increasingly unpredictable.

Home to the number one rated hostel in all of California, nowhere else can compete with South Lake Tahoe neighborhoods in terms of budget accommodation options. Check it out yourself and decide what suits you best!

Road Trip to Northern California

Northern California , excluding the Bay Area and Sacramento, is a very different place than the rest of the state. With a penchant for successionism and a far, far sparser population/infrastructure, Northern California can feel like a completely separate state.

It receives far fewer visitors than the more southern California destinations and, for this reason, is actually kind of exotic. With hidden coastlines, gigantic flora, and a string of overactive volcanoes, Northern California is an excellent place for an adventure.

Your Northern California road trip route will probably start in the state capital of Sacramento . A misunderstood city, Sacramento is often mislabeled as “dull” or “backwater.” In reality, Sacramento has an amazing cultural scene, with excellent dining and lots of history, not to mention an exploding arts scene thanks to the influx of hipsters.

Driving north along I5 , you’ll travel quite a ways before you reach anything noteworthy, first of which is the Lassen Volcanic National Park . Due to its isolation, Lassen is one of the least visited parks in the state but has some of the most unique offerings. There are bubbling thermal pools here, surreal landscapes, and one of the most active volcanoes in the country.

Traveling north along the 89, a very scenic drive in California, you’ll pass by Burney Falls , which is one of the prettiest falls in the state. Beyond Burney, you’ll see the massive Mt. Shasta in the distance, which, at 4322m, is one of the most bulbous mountains in the lower 48.

In the summer, you can climb the mountain over several days or get a good view from Castle Lake/Heart Lake.

Making the long drive west over the Trinity Alps , which is great for wilderness backpacking, you’ll eventually land in Redwood National Park , home of the giants. Truly, one of the most beautiful places in California, do not miss the state parks around RNP.

At this point, you’ve met back up with Highway 101 and the California coast. Road trip back down through Eureka and Humboldt County, the weed growing capital of California, until you arrive back in the Bay Area or keeping driving north to Oregon!

National Parks in California

California has a whopping 9 national parks , which is more than any other state in the USA! Between these many parks are some of the best hikes in California as well as some awesome campgrounds and villages. On your California road trip route, visiting at least some of the nationals parks are absolutely mandatory!

• Yosemite – Yosemite is Mecca for rock climbers and photographers. Here are some of the most imposing, most dramatic, and most beautiful rock walls in the entire world. Everyone who visits Yosemite and the valley is awestruck.
• Kings Canyon/Sequoia – Two separate national parks that are located right next to each other. Sequoia National park is famous for its towering sequoia trees e.g. General Sherman and Tunnel Tree . Kings Canyon is a craggy, mountainous terrain that is typical of the High Sierra. Lake Marjorie in Kings is one of the most beautiful places in California.
• Death Valley – One of the lowest and hottest places on Earth! Characterized by high mountains, surreal geology, and the tallest dunes in North America. Be sure to look for accommodation in Death Valley ahead of time as well – you don’t want to be stuck in the heat without a place to stay.

• Joshua Tree – Very popular place for boulderers and weekend road trippers from Los Angeles. Very unique flora and fauna and arguably the best stargazing in the state. There are also great accommodation options near Joshua Tree National Park .
• Redwood – The Land of the Giants. This enormous park is full of giant redwood trees, which are among the tallest trees on the planet. One of the lushest and most ancient places in California.
• Lassen Volcanic – Lesser-visited park in Northern California. A very geologically active place full of bubbling lakes and active volcanoes. A little Yellowstone.
• Pinnacles – Small and newest national park in the country, but significant national park southeast of San Francisco.
• Channel Islands – Islands that have huge ecological diversity. Good for whale watching, scuba diving, and hiking.

Off the Beaten Path California Road Trip Ideas

California is an absolutely massive state and so there are plenty of opportunities to get off the beaten path. Most travelers stick to the popular routes while road tripping in California as well, which means these locations will be way quieter. Consider visiting these remote and special destinations in California while on your adventure.

• Lost Coast – The name alone gives away this location’s anonymity! Located in Northern California south of Eureka, this area experienced massive depopulation in the 30s thus giving it its name. The Lost Coast is one of the most underdeveloped and remote places in California for this reason and is stunningly beautiful. The eponymous Lost Coast Trail is very popular with backpackers and hiking this may be your only chance in Cali to have a beach to yourself.
• John Muir Wilderness – John Muir is a legend in the outdoor community thanks to his herculean effort to navigate and preserve California’s nature. Long gone, he is now honored with a section of wilderness in the Sierra Nevada named after him. The John Muir Wilderness and Ansel Adams Wilderness has some of the most beautiful natural attractions in all of California including Thousand Islands Lake/Minaret Lake, Bear Lakes Basin, and Sailor Lake . To appreciate this area, you’ll have to go wilderness backpacking for several days, at least, or maybe even for a whole month if you want to complete the whole John Muir Trail !
• Eastern Sierra Nevada – The Western side of the Sierra Nevada receives far more visitors than the blistering hot Eastern side. If you can be there in the Spring or Autumn, the Eastern Sierras are absolutely breathtaking! Aside from hosting the highest mountain in the lower 48, Mt. Whitney (4421m), the Eastern Sierras are far more rugged and barren than the Western side, making them look like an alien planet. Travel between the towns of Lone Pine and Bishop for the best of the Eastern Sierra.

California Roadside Attractions

Americans have a weird affinity to the strange landmarks that are usually found out in the middle of nowhere. These roadside attractions have become so admired that many people go on a trip just see them! If you’re around one of these sites on your California road trip, be sure to drop by. Did we mention that a lot of these stops are among the best cheap things to do in California as well?!

• Galleta Meadows (Borrego Springs) – A collection of fantastical iron-welded sculptures in the middle of the desert!
• Salvation Mountain (Niland) – A pretty famous attraction on the edge of San Diego. Surreal and Gaudi-like shrine in the desert. Definitely one of the most unique things to do in Southern California.
• Cabazon Dinosaurs (Cabazon) – One of the OG California roadside attractions! A favorite for many.
• Neverland Ranch (Los Olivos) – The former residence of the infamous pop singer, Michael Jackson. Now an abandoned palace that sometimes attracts offerings from ardent fans.
• Forestiere Underground Gardens (Fresno) – An impressive and intricate series of underground passageways with gardens everywhere. Very pretty place.
• Trees of Mystery (Klamath) – An amusement park of sorts with, most notably, two giants statues of Paul Bunyon and his ox Babe .
• International Museum of Bananas (HWY 111 near the Salton Sea) – Hope you like bananas for this one! Or else you’re going to go bananas if you visit here….

California Scenic Drives

There are many famous roads in California, renown for both their beauty and history behind them. Those who want to take the long-way-round should definitely check out these scenic drives in California.

• Highway 1 – Highway 1 and its neighbor Highway 101 run the near entire length of the California coastline. It is arguably the most romanticized road in all of America outside of Route 66. From north of San Diego to the border of Oregon (HWY 101), you can see the best of the California coastline. For those looking for the best California road trip route, Highway 1 is without question the road for you.
• Silverado Trail – Wine-os rejoice! The Silverado Trail is an awesome Californian scenic drive north of San Francisco through prime winery territory. On this byway, you’ll have lots of chances to try the local drops, responsibly of course.
• Route 395 – Most travelers stick to Highway 1 on their road trip through California, which is totally understandable but they’re missing out on the epic Route 395. Running all the way from the outskirts of Los Angeles to the Canadian border, 395 passes through some of the most stunning landscapes in Eastern California. If you’re looking for more deserts and mountains on your California road trip, Route 395 is undoubtedly the better choice. Be sure to drop by Mono Lake, which is one of the most interesting places in the USA!
• San Diego to Las Vegas – This way passes through some of the finest desert landscapes in the state. Watch the sea slowly recede behind you and an ocean of sand rise ahead. You’ll pass by the Anza Borrego Desert, the Salton Sea, San Bernardino National Park, Joshua Tree, and the Mojave Desert on this route. Big Bear Lake makes for a picturesque place to stop for a rest stop.

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Why Visit this Part of the World

How many songs have been written about the state of California? Hundreds? Thousands? Whatever the final count it is, it should be made apparent that people are quite fond of this state. California Dreamin’ by the Mamas and Papas; California Love by Dr. Dre; every single song every written by the Red Hot Chili Peppers (these guys really like Cali); the list goes on and on.

California is one of the most attractive, most prosperous, and most desirable places in not only the USA but the whole world. The landscape here is absolutely jaw-dropping, the lifestyle is notorious if not expensive, the food is honestly some of the best in the country, and the legendary parties are, for the most part, just as you’d expect them to be – that is wild and crazy.

In a lot of ways, California is the epitome of American decadence and, at the same time, its problems.

Everyone knows about California, and I mean everyone . I’ve met village people in the Karakorum of Pakistan who don’t know what a cellphone is but know what California is. That’s saying something.

For those who want to get a taste for the American dream, and for those who want to see some of its greatest natural attractions, California is probably your best option.

Granted, you will see some ugliness in the state, including rampant homelessness, gentrification, and gang-related crime. With an open mind though, you’ll be able to digest these harsh realities and look beyond towards California’s greater positives. At the end of the day, California simply has everything going for it.

Getting Insured

Whilst the USA is generally safe for tourists , not everything goes as planned.

Traveling without insurance would be risky so do consider getting good backpacker insurance sorted before you head off on an adventure.

I have been using World Nomads for some time now and made a few claims over the years. They’re easy to use, professional and relatively affordable. They may also let you buy or extend a policy once you’ve started your trip and are already abroad which is super handy.

If there’s one insurance company I trust, it’s World Nomads.

ALWAYS sort out your backpacker insurance before your trip. There’s plenty to choose from in that department, but a good place to start is Safety Wing .

They offer month-to-month payments, no lock-in contracts, and require absolutely no itineraries: that’s the exact kind of insurance long-term travellers and digital nomads need.

SafetyWing is cheap, easy, and admin-free: just sign up lickety-split so you can get back to it!

Click the button below to learn more about SafetyWing’s setup or read our insider review for the full tasty scoop.

Top Tips for Broke Backpackers

Below is a list of California road trip ideas for saving money. Try and practice these as much as possible.

• Rent an economy car: Prices can be as low as $25/day depending on the time of year and how far in advance you reserve. Economy cars are also more fuel efficient so you’ll save on fuel. Use apps like ViaMichelin to find cheap gas, which, seriously, always ends up being one of the most surprising and costly expenses on a road trip.
• Use vehicle relocation services: These brilliant services offer huge discounts to people on the condition they get a vehicle to a certain place at a certain time. No joke, you can rent a car sometimes for as low as $1/day! Availability is very limited though, so keep a watchful eye on the sites. Check immova and Cruise America to start with.
• Sleep overnight in an empty lot: Though not technically legal in California, people sleep in parking lots all the time. Make sure the lot is safe by asking around. Walmarts are reportedly good places to park overnight as they allow overnight parking.
• Camp: Unless you want to fork out big bucks for a lodge, you have to camp. Campgrounds are way less expensive and sometimes even free. Check out this post for a breakdown of the best tents to take backpacking.  If you’re feeling really adventurous and want to save some cash, consider picking up a backpacking hammock.
• Cook your own food: Eating out can be very expensive in California. Cook your own food as much as possible to save – I recommend bringing a portable backpacking stove. Otherwise, have a fancy night out at a food cart.
• Do free shit: There are lots of free things to do in California! From hiking to laying on the beach to going to the local monuments; all of these things cost you nill. Be sure to keep your ear to the ground for all things free in California.
• Buy an America the Beautiful Pass : Seriously, if you’re visiting more than two national parks, you’d be a fool not to buy this.
• Pack a travel water bottle: It’s good for your wallet and the environment.

Good news is that there is a huge array of hotels and apartments in California. The bad news is that they’re all expensive, even by American standards. Staying in San Francisco can be ESPECIALLY expensive.

For those road tripping in California on a budget, you’re either going to have to get very creative or accept the fact that you’ll be crashing in some pretty basic digs.

Cheap hotels in California are like those in much of the USA – barren, bland, and sometimes bleak. You’ll find some pretty decent motels and budget hotels in California, ones that are clean and tidy, but they’ll still be an eyesore and often located in a rough part of town. You’ll be paying at least $60-$80/night minimum as well.

AirBnBs in California are usually around the same price as hotels, if not cheaper. Since you’ll often be staying in someone’s home or in a shared space, there’s a better rapport and at least some character.

Californians can be really creative with their homes as well – I’ve seen luxury Airstreams, yurts, and even a Gingerbread house on AirBnB!

To save the most money, stick to hostels and campgrounds on your road trip through California. Hostels in California are actually really nice (some of the best hostels in the US , in fact) and are usually the most affordable accommodation available. Camping is the best way to experience the beautiful nature in California; it’s also the cheapest way to visit California.

If you’re feeling lucky you could try your hand at couchsurfing! Lots of people use this though so competition is quite high in California.

Camping in California

Camping in California won’t just help you stick to a budget, but is a great way to make the most of your road trip experience. Campgrounds are way cheaper to stay at than hotels or apartments, and often may be your only means of lodging. If you’re going to go on an affordable road trip in California, camping will be a necessity just as much as pleasure.

There’s all sorts of nature in California and, consequently, countless places to go camping. There are several types of campsites in California that range in price and amenities. Some common examples include walk-up sites, cabins , and primitive sites. You can even stay in a fire lookout , which has to be one of the coolest things to do in California!

The grand majority of campgrounds in California will require payment that can either be accepted via an electronic authorization or a physical drop box at the actual grounds. In regards to the latter option, some people get away with not paying since receipts are not always checked. Whether or not one actually pays or not is none of our business, but the money does go towards maintaining the grounds for future guests.

If you intend on going on a “National Park Road Trip” in California and want to sleep inside one of them, prices will be much higher and availability will much lower. When camping in California’s most popular outdoor areas like Yosemite or the Redwoods, I highly recommend reserving ahead.

If there is no reservation system, get to the campground as early as possible to claim a walk-up campsite. Generally, the more expensive sights have running water, clean bathrooms, and fire pits. Primitive camping often requires you bring your own water (or means of filtering natural water nearby).

For a complete list of official campgrounds in California, you can refer to this website here  for a useful search engine.

Camping in California – Gear Checklist

Camping is one of the best ways to travel cheaply in the USA , and California has some of the finest camping in the whole country. You could sleep in your car or an RV while road tripping in California but sleeping outside under the stars is way more fun. Having a good tent will keep you comfortable on those chilly nights and give you lots of flexibility when it comes to finding a place to sleep.

Here are some other essentials that we recommend if you plan on camping out…

Travel Security Belt

This is a regular looking belt with a concealed pocket on the inside – you can hide up to twenty notes inside and wear it through airport scanners without it setting them off.

Microfiber Towel

Hostel towels are scummy and take forever to dry. Microfibre towels dry quickly, are compact, lightweight, and can be used as a blanket or yoga mat if need be.

Petzl Actik Core Headlamp

A decent head torch could save your life. If you want to explore caves, unlit temples, or simply find your way to the bathroom during a blackout, a headtorch is a must.

‘Monopoly Deal’

Forget about Poker! Monopoly Deal is the single best travel card game that we have ever played. Works with 2-5 players and guarantees happy days.

Hanging Laundry Bag

Trust us, this is an absolute game changer. Super compact, a hanging mesh laundry bag stops your dirty clothes from stinking, you don’t know how much you need one of these… so just get it, thank us later.

Check out our full road trip packing list for more inspiration on what to bring on your road trip!

Free Camping in California

There are a number of free campgrounds in California that road-trippers should totally take advantage of. Refer below for a list of these. Note that electricity, bathrooms, and running water are not guaranteed at any of these. Bring water just in case.

Books to Read during your California Road Trip

These are some of my favorite travel reads and books set in California. Read one or two and you may have some great road trips ideas for California…

• The Girls – A young and impressionable woman becomes attracted to another woman in a group of girls. She becomes a part of the group and is eventually caught up with a burgeoning cult.
• The Mountains of California – The musings and ramblings of John Muir, one of the most famous and beloved naturalism in American history.
• Slouching Towards Bethlehem – A collection essays about some of California’s greatest icons including John Wayne, Howard Hughes, and the Haight neighborhood of San Fran.
• The Big Sleep – One of the most culturally significant murder mystery novels in existence. A piece of American history in itself.
• East of Eden – One of Steinbeck’s masterpieces, considered his magnum opus by many. Explores the relationship between two families in the Salinas Valley in the early 20th Century.
• The Octopus – A semi-biographical novel about the conflicts between California wheat farmers and the Union Pacific Railroad. A look into the brutal and relentless tactics of capitalism.
• Lonely Planet Coastal California – It’s sometimes worth traveling with a guidebook.

Renting a car is the most popular way of getting around California. There are a myriad of car rental agencies here that offer varying deals and varying models.

To find the best rental car deal in the USA, use search engines that compare the prices from individual companies. We personally like using rentalcars.com as they’ve never failed to give us a great price.

You can also rent an RV in California, which means you don’t have to worry about packing camping gear. They cost a bit more to rent, but they do make for some epic travel stories!

We suggest booking a campervan with Outdoorsy as they usually have a good selection and good prices. Better yet, Broke Backpackers also get a $40 discount with Outdoorsy! Just use the coupon code “BACKPACKER” when checking out.

The roads in California are generally very good and a sedan or economy car should deliver you to most of California’s top destinations. Only in the most remote portions of the state and the Sierra Nevada, will the roads be so bad that you need 4×4 or at least high clearance.

If you’re on a road trip in California in the winter and want to go to the mountains, you will definitely need all-wheel or 4-wheel drive.

If traveling onwards, check out our West Coast road trip guide then!

Tips for Saving Money on Car Rentals in the US

• We mentioned before that you can reach out to vehicle relocation services, like immova and Cruise America, as a way of saving heaps of cash on rentals. Pursue these as best you can as they can save you a lot of money. Don’t get your hopes up too much though, as availability is always limited.
• Car insurance isn’t always mandatory in the USA but is highly encouraged. This being said, you don’t necessarily have to buy car insurance from the company you’re renting from. Purchase a RentalCover.com policy to cover your vehicle against any common damages such as tires, windscreens, theft, and more at a fraction of the price you would pay at the rental desk.
• Many credit card companies offer free car insurance if you book the car with the proper card. Call your credit card company for more information regarding terms and conditions.

Best Time to Visit California

With so many places to see, and so many things to do in California, it’s tough to know when the best time to visit is. With a very mild climate, compared to the rest of the USA, and a plethora of activities appealing to all sorts of travelers, California can, honestly, be visited at any time of the year.

California is a big state and so is subject to several different types of climates. Most of the coast has a lovely Mediterranean-like climate while the interior is dominated by harsh desert or alpine conditions. There are unique pockets strewn throughout the rest of the state.

Generally speaking, California has four seasons regardless of geographic position. Most of the state has warmer, drier summers and cooler, wetter winters. Temperatures and annual rainfall vary depending on latitude and local geography. Northern California gets much more rainfall and is generally more temperate while the south is quite arid and very hot depending on how far from the coast you are.

In terms of road tripping in California on a budget , the summer months should be avoided at all costs. During this time there way too many tourists and prices are even higher than usual.

On another note, forest fires are becoming very common and very violent in recent years. They usually start in July and can rage until September. Air quality may be very poor in August.

Spring and Autumn are the best times to visit California because there are fewer people and the weather is still agreeable. The mountains may still have snow or be on fire depending on the season. Southern California will have very comfortable temperatures at this time.

If you like winter sports, you can totally visit California in the winter! There are lots of world-class ski resorts ( Mammoth Lakes , Squaw Valley, Heavenly, etc.) in the Sierra Nevada and the surf is sometimes epic with big winter storms coming through.

Food in California

California is consistently rated by several national publications as one of the top states in the country for foodies. Thanks to its bountiful crops, large immigrant population, and demand for high-quality products, California is simply one of the best places to eat!

Most of California’s restaurants will be located in the larger cities. Los Angeles and San Diego are most famous for their amazing and authentic Mexican food, which, swear to God, is the best you’ll find north of the border.

San Francisco is known more for its eclecticism and diversity of culinary offerings due in part to the fact that it has more restaurants per capita than anywhere in the country. You’ll find excellent Asian food in the Bay Area, where many immigrants have settled throughout the century: Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, India, you name it.

Sacramento, considered the breadbasket of California, has an amazing farm-to-table food scene and the city is one of the greatest hidden culinary gems in the state. Expect excellent farmers markets year round. You’ll also find some affordable motels in Sacramento which are perfect for road trippers.

When driving on the highways, you’ll encounter a mix of fast food and holes-in-the-wall along the way. Along the major routes, like I5, you’ll see a lot of burger and taco joints including the infamous In-and-Out Burger , which you should definitely try at least once (get the animal style).

On the smaller, satellite roads, you’ll see more diners and mom-and-pop joints , which are, in my opinion, far better. In these little haunts, you’ll get great home cooking and for a low price.

If you’re trying to stick to a budget in California, you’ll have to limit how much you eat out. Rely more upon off-the-beaten-path diners when driving and food trucks when in the cities.

Seriously, food trucks will be your best friend on any road trip in California as they offer cheap and delicious eats. If your hostel or campground has cooking facilities, use them too!

Get your Buzz on in California

It’s hard to imagine an easier place to unwind or party in than California. The wine is superlative, the beer is endless, the bars are raucous, and weed is legalized. How can it get much better than this?

You will have lots of opportunities to drink and smoke on a road trip in California. Whether or not you choose to do so in the cities or at the campgrounds makes no difference. Everywhere you go, there will be booze or cheeky smokes. Though remember my young backpackers, the drinking and marijuana age is 21 and over.

All of the larger Californian cities have a huge selection of bars and nightclubs. Los Angeles and San Francisco, in particular, have some of the best nightlife in the country. You could find anything that you could possibly want in these cities from dives to speakeasies to burlesques to underground raves. You can even procure your favorite drugs in these places quite easily if that’s your thing.

Partying in the big cities regardless of how you do so will almost always be expensive. Cover charges are exorbitant in places like Hollywood and the price of drinks/drugs will not be far behind.

On the other hand, California has some cheapest retail prices for booze in the entire USA. There are alcohol superstores in California that are dangerously inexpensive, and you can buy alcohol in just about any food store in California (which is not the case in many states).

A better road trip idea for California would be to buy alcohol from a supermarket and then prefade. Few things can top a pint of cheap camp whiskey or craft beer enjoyed next to the fire.

Weed is legal in California! To buy weed in California, all you need to do is have a valid ID that proves you’re over 21 years of age and go to a dispensary . Dispensaries look and behave very much like any bottle shop with educated clerks and a wide selections of strains. Note that dispensaries only accept cash .

Being a Responsible Backpacker in California

Remember to be a respectful camper while on your California road trip. Depart from the grounds at a decent hour, follow leave no trace principles , and be very, very aware of fire bans. Forest fires are an enormous problem in California and are often caused by reckless campers.

Californians are also very conscious of the environment and like to take care of it, as should you.

Reduce your plastic footprint: Perhaps the best thing you can do for our planet is to make sure you do NOT add to the plastic problem all over the world. Don’t buy one-use water bottles, the plastic ends up in a landfill or in the ocean.

I know it can be hard, but do your best to use the least amount of plastic water bottles that you can. Refill the ones that you do buy! Use a Grayl Geoprress . Refill at your hostel/guest house! There are plenty of ways to reduce plastic!!!

Pack a  tough and cool travel water bottle . You’ll use it every single day whether you are traveling or not! Help save the planet, and pick up a water bottle here.

Check out our post on how to be a responsible backpacker.

Make Money Online Whilst Traveling in California

Want to stay in the USA longer? Worried that you don’t have enough cash for a longer California road trip? One idea is to make money while traveling!

Teaching English online is a great way to earn a consistent income—from anywhere in the world with a good internet connection. Depending on your qualifications (or your motivation to obtain qualifications like a TEFL certificate) you can teach English remotely from your laptop, save some cash for your next adventure, and make a positive impact on the world by improving another person’s language skills!

It’s a win-win! Check out this detailed article for everything you need to know to start  teaching English online .

In addition to giving you the qualifications to teach English online, TEFL courses open up a huge range of opportunities and you can find teaching work all over the world. To find out more about TEFL courses and how you can teach English around the world, read my in-depth report on teaching English abroad .

Broke Backpacker readers get a 50% discount on TEFL courses with MyTEFL (simply enter the code PACK50), to find out more, please read my in-depth report on teaching English abroad.

Whether you are keen to teach English online or looking to take your teaching game a step further by finding a job teaching English in a foreign country, getting your TEFL certificate is absolutely a step in the right direction.

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> The largest cost will definitely be your rental car, as it is unavoidable for a road trip.

Huh? Unavoidable? Millions of people actual OWN a car.

Thanks for clarifying this. It is indeed news to us as we were under the impression that it is not possible to own a car. Our guide will be updated in due course to reflect this strange and terrifying development!

Roaming Ralph has a dirty mouth ? My pre teen daughter was reading your article out loud to the family. Our “excited to plan our family road trip together” session was marked by fifth because of your bad language. Now we have an unpleasant memory associated with our trip. You know, there are people in this world who make it a better place by promoting clean, wholesome goodness. Ralph you’ve clearly shown by your base expressions that you surely must walk around with a slimy butt as dirty as your mouth. Too bad you never learned your manners Ralph. How does it feel to leave a trail of filth as you go?

You’re welcome for the awesome free resource, if you don’t like certain parts of it or find some of our language offensive, you can either 1. Create your own content, 2. Stop reading, or 3 (the one I recommend for you Esla), go fuck yourself.

Awesome that you cover the costs – super useful!

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How To Travel California On A Budget

California is an incredible destination. You’ve got jaw-dropping National Parks , incredible coastlines, fantastic cities, and amazing wine regions. But California is one of the most expensive destinations in the United States and the world, so I created this guide for you to travel California on a budget.

How To Travel The U.S. On A Budget

So I’ve rounded up my best budget tips and tricks to help you take your dream California vacation.

Here’s how to travel California on a budget!

I can plan your trip!

Let me take care of the research and bookings so you can be stress-free.

My travel advisor service is FREE

I work with any budget

How To Save Money While Traveling

The Best Vacation Homes in California

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The Best Vacation Homes In California

Dreamy Sonoma Vacation Home Rentals

Monterey, Carmel & Big Sur Vacation Home Rentals

Luxury Vacation Home Rentals in Napa Valley

San Diego Luxury Vacation Home Rentals

Incredible Vacation Homes Near California’s National Parks

Joshua Tree Vacation Rentals

2-Week California National Parks Road Trip

Incredible Vacation Homes In California

Best Stops On The Pacific Coast Highway

Shop my california essentials.

Do you have any other tips on how to travel California on a budget? Let us know in the comments!

For planning the rest of your california trip.

Bin 415 Tour of Napa Valley

Plan a Girls Trip To Sonoma

Sonoma Luxury Hotels

Sonoma Trip Planner

Napa Valley Romantic Hotels

Plan a Napa Valley Girls Trip

Death Valley National Park Photos To Inspire Your Trip

The Best Hotels in Big Sur, Monterey & Carmel

Honeymoon Hotels in San Francisco

Road Trip To Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon

Your Guide To Yosemite National Park

Redwood National Park Itinerary

Bin 415 Private Tours of San Francisco

Staying at The Oasis At Death Valley

Death Valley National Park 1-Day Trip

Visit Monterey, Carmel, and Big Sur

Plan a Girls’ Trip To San Francisco

Napa Valley Travel Guide

Recommended tours in california, frequently asked questions, how much should i budget for a trip to california.

Suggested daily budgets for California:

Budget/Backpacking: Less than $100 a day.

Lower End: $150 a day.

Midrange: $250 a day.

Higher End: $350 a day and up.

What is the cheapest part of California to visit?

California’s national parks and inland cities are some of the most budget-friendly destinations in the state. Here are some budget tips for California:

1. Visit during the shoulder and off-seasons.

2. Take day trips to more expensive cities. Visiting San Francisco, Monterey and Carmel, Los Angeles, Napa Valley, Palm Springs, and San Diego as day trips will save you a lot of money on accommodation.

3. Eat off the beaten path.

4. Bike, walk, and use public transportation.

5. Book ahead of time.

How can I go to California on a budget?

Budget tips for visiting California:

1. Rent an RV.

2. Do free activities. Scenic drives, self-guided walking tours, hikes, and lounging on a beach are all iconic California vacation activities that (with some careful selection) are free.

3. Use your points. Reward points from the best travel reward credit cards can go a long way to offset the cost of a California trip.

4. Thoroughly research accommodation options. Compare hotel prices across multiple sites to make sure you’re getting the best deal. And consider a hostel or vacation home.

5. Drive a high-MPG car. If you’re driving your vehicle, bring the most fuel-efficient one in your family. And if you’re renting a car, get a high-MPG vehicle because gas can break the bank in California.

What is the cheapest month to visit California?

September usually has the cheapest travel costs in California. Fall is a fantastic season to visit Northern California because the temperatures will be cooling off, but the days are still long and sunny. The foliage will be changing into vibrant colors, and prices and tourist numbers will be decreasing from the peak summer season.

This is Napa and Sonoma’s grape harvest season, all of the National Parks and roads will still be open, and you can experience the Monterey Jazz Festival.

The north will start to see snow and rain in late October and November, but Southern California will still be sunny and dry.

What is the cheapest city to fly into California?

Cheapest airports to fly to in California:

1. Los Angeles (LAX)

2. San Diego (SAN)

3. Santa Ana (SNA)

4. Oakland (OAK)

5. San Francisco (SFO)

What month is the best to visit California?

Spring is a beautiful time to visit California. The warm, pleasant days and refreshingly cool nights make these months an excellent time to visit, and the wildflowers will be in full bloom.

Most roads and trails will re-open, and as long as you avoid the peak Spring Break weeks from mid-March to early April, the crowds and prices will still be relatively low.

Summer days are sunny and hot. Daytime temperatures can be in the 90s (24-28°C), and temperatures will be even higher in the deserts. The nights will be pleasant, especially for camping.

The higher elevations can still be chilly in the mornings and evenings, so bring layers with you. Big Sur, Monterey, Carmel, and San Francisco have microclimates, making them surprisingly cool in the summer. Spring and Fall give you drier and warmer weather in San Francisco, and Monterey is known as the “perpetually chilly city.”

This is prime beach season. But be aware that, like most places in the U.S., summer is the peak travel season because of school breaks, so crowds and prices will be at their highest.

Fall is a fantastic season to visit Northern California because the temperatures will be cooling off, but the days are still long and sunny. The foliage will be changing into vibrant colors, and prices and tourist numbers will be decreasing from the peak summer season.

This is  Napa  and Sonoma’s grape harvest season, all of the National Parks and roads will still be open, and you can experience the Monterey Jazz Festival.

In Winter, you can head inland to the mountains for snow. Or you can head to the deserts for mild weather. The coasts will be cold, but snow is rare.

Winter is the low travel season for California, so prices and tourist numbers will be at some of their lowest. The exceptions to this are during Christmas and New Year’s.

Some National and State Parks will have trail or road closures, so make sure you check in advance whether a hike or scenic drive is open.

What is the most affordable beach town in California?

Oxnard usually ranks as the most affordable beach town in California. This beautiful city is about an hour north of Los Angeles, making it a perfect getaway from the city.

Is it safe to visit California?

I felt very safe during all of my trips to California. But, as with any destination, you need to take precautions to keep yourself safe. Don’t walk by yourself at night, stay in a secure and well-located hotel or vacation home, use slash-proof, lockable, and RFID-protected bags and purses, and always have a charged cell phone with you.

YOUR TRAVEL CHECKLIST

Book your flight, get travel insurance, book your accommodation, make sure you're traveling with the best credit card to earn travel points and avoid international fees, find out if you need a visa and get one here, pin this guide.

This post is not a sponsored post, and, as always, the thoughts and opinions expressed in this article about how to travel California on a budget are entirely my own. Some of these links are affiliate links, and, at no cost to you, I may earn a small commission.

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Plan Your California Vacation

Some people wreck their California vacations by planning too many things to do. If you don't live in California, you may not realize how big the state is, how far apart the major sights are or how to get around. Use these resources to decide what's most important to you and find out how to plan California vacations that maximize what you can see without wearing you out.

Where are the places you might want to go? They're all on the California vacation planning map .

What is California all about?  From the mundane to the ridiculous, get some facts about California.

When to Go to California

Betsy Malloy Photography

Californians love to brag about their weather and say it's a great place to visit any time of the year.

They're not far from wrong, but it can be foggy at the beach in mid-summer, Yosemite waterfalls slow to a trickle after the spring thaw and in late summer, San Diego is packed with Arizonans escaping the heat.

Get a look at the typical weather, temperatures, and rainfall for  Death Valley ,  Disneyland ,  Lake Tahoe ,  Palm Springs,   Los Angeles ,  Yosemite ,  San Francisco , and  San Diego .

The best time to visit for you may not be the most obvious. These guides will fill you in with seasonal differences, weather, packing tips, and what's special in each season.

Here's what you need to know about  Winter in California , Spring in California , Summer in California , and  Autumn in California .

Be a Savvy California Visitor

We've been visiting California attractions and watching others at them for well over a decade, and we've seen it all, from the smart to the silly. Let those other poor dorks stand in line at Disneyland, miss the boat to Alcatraz, pay too much for their hotel rooms or get stuck in traffic. You'll know better with these travel tips.

Avoid all those Disneyland rookie mistakes and embarrassing bloopers. Check the guide to 8 ways to visit Disneyland the smart way .

You can hit Lake Tahoe like a pro, avoid fun-busting gridlock, smoky forest fires and more if you use these six tips for planning a trip to Lake Tahoe .

You can avoid Los Angeles freeway tie-ups, know what to wear and when to wear it, pick the best hotel and go to the best beach. Just use the guide to 8 ways to avoid common slip-ups in Los Angeles .

Napa Valley can be tricky to do right, and it's all too easy for a first-timer to have a lackluster experience. You'll avoid all those pitfalls if you know these 10 Insider Tips for Visiting Napa Valley .

You'll be singing the praises of  San Diego  and telling all your friends what a smart travel planner you are after you read these 8 Ways to be a Smart San Diego Visitor .

In San Francisco , you don't have to walk away disappointed from the Alcatraz ticket office, stand in an endless line to catch a cable car or shiver in the city's summer fog. All you need to know are these 10 Ways to be Smart San Francisco Visitor .

It's also hard to do Yosemite right, but you can do it. Just use these tips to plan your Yosemite trip like a pro .

Getting Around in California

Most California visitors get around by automobile, but we've got all the details for going by planes, trains, and buses, too. Just look for the cities and places you want to travel to (or from), and you'll find a complete guide to how to do it - by airplane, train, bus or shuttle.

• LA - San Francisco on US Hwy 101
• LA - San Francisco on California Highway One
• LA - San Francisco on I-5
• Los Angeles - Disneyland
• Los Angeles - Las Vegas
• Los Angeles - San Diego
• Los Angeles - San Francisco (Air, Bus, Train)
• San Diego - Disneyland
• San Diego - Las Vegas
• San Diego - San Francisco
• San Francisco - Las Vegas
• San Francisco - Yosemite
• Pacific Coast Highway, End to End

California on a Budget

We all think we know how to save money on vacation: stay in a cheap motel, eat at a fast food joint, and try to find discounted tickets.

It doesn't have to be like that. You might be surprised to find out that you can stay in a nice hotel for the price of the Cockroach Inn, get a nice meal at a decent price - and save a ton of money on tickets.

Just use our proven travel tips to find out things you don't know that can save you money on your California vacation.

You can start saving money just like I do by using this set of tested tips for how to save money on California lodging .

Disneyland is not a cheap trip, no matter what you do, but you can manage to keep your costs down with these ways to  save money at Disneyland .

If you're visiting one of the big cities, you could leave way too much of your hard-earned cashed behind. That is unless you read these guides to how to save money in San Diego ,   save money in San Francisco , and  save money in Los Angeles .

If you're really smart and plan well, you can also visit  Yosemite on a Budget .

The Best California Destination for Your Interests

These collections of things to do in California can help you indulge your personal interest. Take a browse through the links below to find something that appeals to your sense of play.

California and the Old West :  Western film locations and Old West sites that you will love. Think stagecoaches and gunfights.

Factory Tours: Get into the inner workings of how things are built, cooked, brewed and created.

Frank Lloyd Wright in California :  Three of the famous architect's most important works are in California, but you'll find plenty more of them to see. I should know. I visited and photographed every single one of them.

Gardens and Flowers :  Places stop and smell the roses, as they say.

Ghost Tours and Haunted Places:  California is full of ghost tours and other paranormal-focused activities that may be just for you.

Herons and Egrets :  It's a common sight around California's wetlands: tall, long-legged, long-necked birds wading in the shallows, looking for fish.  Here's where to see them.

History Lovers' Top Sights :  These places will help you discover the history that has made California what it is today.

Marilyn Monroe in California :  Find Marilyn Monroe's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Route 66 in California :  The iconic cross-country highway called Route 66 stretched toward the sea when it reached California. It passed through the Mojave Desert, over the mountains and ended at the Pacific Ocean when it reached Santa Monica.

Scenic Spots :  One of the joys of visiting California is all the natural beauty.  Here's where to find it.

Starstruck California - Film and Movie Sights: If you are starstruck, try the guide to San Francisco's top film sites or browse the most familiar film and movie sites in LA .

The San Andreas Fault :  The San Andreas Fault begins near the Salton Sea, runs north along the San Bernardino Mountains, crosses Cajon Pass and then along the San Gabriel Mountains east of Los Angeles. Here's how to follow every single mile of it from end to end.

Wildflowers: When and Where :  California's wildflower blooms can be spectacular - and fleeting, but you'll know where to find them when you use this guide.

January in California: Weather, What to Pack, and What to See

November in California: Weather, What to Pack, and What to See

December in California: Weather, What to Pack, and What to See

Best of the West: Top Tourist Destinations

Summer in California: Weather, What to Pack, and What to See

San Francisco Tourist Tips

July in California: Weather, What to Pack, and What to See

April in California: Weather, What to Pack, and What to See

Southern California CityPASS

How to Plan a Weekend Getaway to Death Valley

How to Plan an Awesome San Diego Weekend Trip

How to Travel from San Francisco to Napa Valley by Car, Bus, and Ferry

August in California: Weather, What to Pack, and What to See

Your Trip to San Francisco: The Complete Guide

How to Visit Los Angeles on a Budget

Yosemite National Park Vacation Guide

DISCOVER CALIFORNIA

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11 Tips for Traveling on a Budget in California

Remember these tips for traveling on a budget when you plan a family vacation and you won’t have to fall back on your #TravelGoals.

June 26, 2021

Some think that budget-friendly and travel are two different things—not if you know how to travel cheap . Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to break the bank trying to plan the ultimate summer vacation. Most people end up saving for months, only to spend it all in one week. On the contrary, traveling can be extraordinary without having to cost a fortune. 

We love a good bargain just like any other person, and we’re here to make sure that you don’t overspend and compromise on fun the next time you’re on the road . Remember these tips for traveling on a budget when you plan a family vacation and you won’t have to fall back on your #TravelGoals. 

How To Travel on a Budget Without Sacrificing Anything

1. Make Your Plans After Peak Tourist Season

Should we state the obvious? Yes, because oftentimes, this is the part where people splurge the most. Airline tickets skyrocket and airline companies profit greatly, especially when families travel during the holidays. The key is to plan beforehand, and by that, we mean way before. Do your research to find out which season is the best time to visit the destination of your choice, and see whether tickets are cheaper before or after the peak tourist season (most of the time it’s after). And if you’re traveling to the City of Angels or Palm Springs , the weather will never be an issue because it’s always sunny in SoCal. 

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2. Travel Light

What’s the point of packing eight different outfits for a one-week vacation? Go ahead, we’ll wait. The answer is there’s absolutely no point. If you want to travel on a budget , you have to start with saving space instead of cramming your outfits in a suitcase. The airline will probably charge you an additional fee if you have checked baggage, so do your best to stick to just a carry-on. And if you’re road tripping , you won’t have to worry about packing on the last day of your vacation. Oh, and one more thing—you’ll always have room for souvenirs. 

3. Opt For A Reasonably Priced Airbnb Instead of a Hotel Room

We don’t mind staying at an eco-friendly or desert hotel when traveling, but we’re also aware that they can get pretty pricey. Every traveler’s bible has a verse on booking Airbnbs instead of hotels, especially if you’re traveling with a group. This comes with several advantages besides the cost, and one of them is taking part in Airbnb experiences . Alternatively, you can always rent a cabin if you’re going somewhere remote—just make sure it doesn’t cost you too much and is close to the places you want to visit. 

4. Take Advantage of Public Transportation

Angelenos can’t imagine life without a car, and San Franciscans can’t imagine life without the BART. We can argue all day about the advantages and disadvantages of public transportation, but let’s face it—if you want to budget properly for a trip , you may as well embrace it. Do your research on the pricing systems and routes of trains, buses, and metros. You’ll end up saving time and money instead of spending half of your time pumping gas in your car and looking for a parking spot. If anything, you’ll get to see new places along the way when using public transportation. 

5. Try New Food, But Don’t Eat Your Cash Away

Did you really travel if you didn’t try local food? Pics or it didn’t happen. French-dip sandwiches and California burritos are iconic foods you must try in the Golden State . And while we wouldn’t mind eating away at all the best spots in San Diego or vegan restaurants in the Bay Area , we also have to think economically. People usually forget this part when they budget for a vacation , and it ends up costing them a fortune. We’re by no means saying you should refrain from dining at restaurants. However, instead of slurping Michelin-starred ramen , opt for making dinner at your Airbnb one night. 

6. Make Use of Free Museum Days

Free art galleries and museum days are one of the best things that happened to travelers and you can’t convince us otherwise. Whether it’s archeology, history, or maritime museums, you'll find something that suits every mood. Look up the ones you want to visit and see which days offer free admission. The same applies to art galleries. Any tip for traveling on a budget involves taking advantage of free things, so don’t hesitate to put that to good use. 

7. Check Out Local State and National Parks

If you’re going on a road trip on a budget but don’t want to miss out on visiting awesome places, you’ll be pleased to know that state and national parks cost little to nothing. These underrated places pack so many adventures for people of every interest . All you have to do is pick the ones close to you and drive on the highway until you reach your destination. With 300 state and nine national parks, you’ll be spoiled for choice in California.   

8. Visit Touristy Places, But Avoid Tourist Traps

Sure, you’d love to see the Cabazon Dinosaurs, they’re pretty awesome. But, do you really need to buy a $20 mug from the gift shop there? There are plenty of tourist attractions to visit and fun free things to do while vacationing in Palm Springs , Orange County , or San Francisco . So don’t worry about visiting all the fun places you see on Instagram, but don’t fall for the tourist traps when you’re there either. 

9. Explore Small Towns

Are you vacationing around Yosemite ? Consider venturing out to the nearby small towns . Planning a solo getaway to Death Valley ? You’d love to visit the interesting places in and around the national park . Most of the time, these underrated areas offer the most exciting adventures and they often go unnoticed. Believe it or not, by the end of your trip, checking out these towns will be the highlight of your vacation. 

10. Purchase Souvenirs from Small Businesses 

That souvenir shop looks hella cute on Melrose Avenue, but chances are they’re overpriced. So while you’re exploring small towns nearby, why not purchase gifts from small businesses there? Shop for eco-friendly presents that everyone will love and purchase the perfect souvenir for your personality type . And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the best tip for traveling on a budget . 

11. Ask Locals For Insight

Sometimes, you end up listening to the wrong people and find yourself relying on your credit card too much on your trip. The locals probably think you’re loaded due to all the money you’re spending, but in reality, this whole trip is just getting too expensive. What do you do? Ditch the travel itinerary that’s costing you too much and ask the locals where the cool kids are going these days without splurging. You’ll probably get to visit the most spectacular places and not spend a single dime. They’re most likely uncrowded too!

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The cheapest places to visit in California and budget travel tips

Find out the cheapest places to visit in California and get amazing tips for budget CA vacations, including free attractions and free accommodation.

Tiffany Tiff Travels

Mar 21, 2023

This blog post will be about how to travel around one of the most beautiful (and most expensive) states in the USA with a limited amount of funds . From the cheapest places to visit in California (most of them are actually free!) to special budget travel tips, you'll find all you need to plan your backpacking trip.

A guide to cheap California vacations

I'll go into depth about how I stayed one month in San Francisco California , one of the most expensive cities in the USA, and only spent two hundred dollars.  I will also share my experience with budget travel in LA and San Diego.

As a backpacker on a budget, the more I am able to stretch my money, the more time I get to spend abroad. So let's talk about how I went to so many beautiful places and had fun-filled and cheap vacations in California .

Finding saver tips from things like accommodation, riding the bus, grocery shopping and cooking helps a lot, so that's why I'm here to share my knowledge with you.

And if you are wondering what are the cheapest places to visit in California, I'll go even beyond that: I'll tell you about amazing destinations that you can visit for free.

So to sum up, this is what you'll find in this article:

a) The cheapest places to visit in California

I'll tell you about the best cheap (or free) spots to visit in three big cities:

• San Francisco
• Los Angeles

b) 7 general tips to cheap California vacations

• Learn to save money with food in your trip
• Use affordable modes of transportation 
• Find the rigt flight in the rigth time 
• Save money in a long term trip in California
• Save money in a short term trip in California
• Plan your budget trip to California in advance
• Remember: the best memories don't cost a dollar 

The cheapest places to visit in California

Now let's go to the best part, the free activities! Listed down below are the cheapest places to visit in California: sites, parks , monuments and museums that are completely free to visit or charge a small fee.

I'll focus on three of the main destinations in California: San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego.

Best spots to visit in San Francisco on a budget

Golden Gate Bridge - FREE

I took a bus directly to the entrance of the Golden Gate bridge and gave myself a self guided tour by walking around with another fellow solo traveler. We chatted as we walked down the 1.7 mile long bridge.

My solo walking excursion was much better than those “hop on, hop off” bus tours that get up to about $40 and don’t fully allow you to immerse completely into the city’s culture.

Twin Peaks - FREE

Twin Peaks is the tallest point in all of San Francisco! Upon arriving at the top of the hill, it is common for tourists and locals to wait for the sun to set and watch the lights in the entire city turn on.

It's a great spot to snag a photo and show family and friends as well. A truly remarkable scenery.

Picnic across the Painted Ladies - FREE

Have you ever watched the show “Full House”? This free hotspot is the famous houses where the comedy TV is supposed to take place. There’s a nice park across the road from the houses where you can enjoy a perfect view while snacking on some fruit with friends.

Mission Dolores Park - FREE

This was a park I went to almost everyday during my stay in San Francisco. I came here to meditate, do yoga, read, and even have small meals. It was a great place to go and hang out with a friend as well as there were many sightseeing places and shops across the street.

Ocean Beach - FREE

Another one of my favorite spots in San Fran was Ocean Beach. A couple of gals and I from my hostel caught the nearest bus and headed over there for an amazing view.

The landscape was absolutely stunning as it seems like the ocean runs on forever. I visited a couple of times to watch the sunset and out of all the five countries I’ve solo traveled to, I can’t recall any beating Ocean Beach.

Golden Gate Park - FREE

A bit similar to Mission Dolores, Golden Gate is the more known park that attracts tourists. It's got cafes to chill at, a looking tower, a lake to stroll by and a couple of other things that come at a cost.

Golden Gate park is commonly known for catching a great sunset so if you’re looking for an affordable evening of fun, grab a snack and watch the sky turn from blue to a beautiful magenta pink.

Top Worldpackers work exchange in San Francisco: Join a friendly hostel community with daily tasks a few hours per day

Best spots to visit in Los Angeles on a budget

Hike to the Hollywood Sign - FREE

If you’re going to Los Angeles it's basically mandatory to take an instagram pic by the infamous Hollywood sign. You can go with a guided tour, but it's also possible to view the sign for free.

When viewed from the front, there is no way to get directly close to the sign. You’ll be able to get close enough to snag a good picture but nowhere near close enough to touch.

If you are going alone be sure to bring lots of water, as the hike can get up to 2 hours, and google some directions to not get lost!

Self Guided Hollywood Walk tour - FREE

There are many guided tours for sale of a walk around the block of Hollywood avenue checking out all of the famous stars that have made their impact in the film/entertainment industry.

Although you can hire a tour guide to walk you around the city for a few hours a day, taking a self guided tour is a great way to save a few bucks.

A visit to Santa Monica & Venice Beach - FREE

You can’t complete a trip to LA without visiting two of the most famous beaches in all of California! Admission is completely free and both beaches are within 1 hour walking distance of each other.

It is also possible to rent a bike for an hour or two to ride to your preferred beach destination, but walking in between is the more affordable option.

Enjoy the interesting characters and colors at Venice beach and ride the ferris wheel at Santa Monica.

Window Shopping at Rodeo Drive - FREE

Anyone wanting to visit LA probably has an interest in seeing the infamous Rodeo Drive, the hotspot with all the expensive name brands only super rich celebrities can afford.

If you’re a budget backpacker like me, none of these items will be on your shopping list. Still, it's a fun experience to take a stroll down the avenue and window shop.

The Getty - FREE

The Getty is a free museum that has historical European paintings. Even though I’m not much of a fan of museums, I loved the beautiful garden in the back.

The museum has a beautiful fountain and garden decorated with an array of different species of flowers that were super cool to check out and better yet - everything was completely free!

Runyon Canyon hike - FREE

Runyon Canyon is a great place to do a quick hike and see most of Hollywood from the hills. On your walk up, you’ll pass by lots of cute doggies and maybe get a chance to adopt one for the day! It's also a great spot to take a seat and enjoy the scenery as there are many designated seating areas and benches scattered across the entire trail.

Beverly Hills Tour - small fee

In order to view the most popular neighborhood in Los Angeles, a budget backpacker has two options- book a sightseeing tour with a hostel or go on foot and attempt to explore as much as possible while solo.

Although it's possible to view Beverly Hills alone, it may be difficult as the celebrity’s houses are located somewhat far apart and there are no names on the outside. For this one I would suggest going through a tour with a hostel as they’re usually cheaper than outside organized tours.

Even if iyou go for a paid tour, this is still one of the cheapest places to visit in California.

Top Worldpackers work exchange in Los Angeles: Help a hostel with housekeeping and enjoy L.A

Best spots to visit in San Diego on a budget

San Diego Embarcadero - FREE

Embarcadero basically means a ‘landing place’. Many California cities resting by water have embarcaderos, including San Diego. There are plenty of activities that take place here, like eating at restaurants, exploring the fishing village, or just taking a sight-seeing stroll.

Balboa Park - FREE

This is another sightseeing spot to chill, have a picnic, or just walk around. The park also offers a few interesting museums.

A day at Mission Beach - FREE

Mission is a beautiful laid back beach where you can walk (or bike) for miles on the pedestrian walkway with a perfect view of the ocean. Entrance to the beach is completely free and a great destination for those wanting to explore San Diego.

La Jolla Shores Beach - FREE

La Jolla beach is one of the best swimming destinations for San Diego. Grab your swimsuit, sunscreen, and a snack because entrance to this attraction is also free.

Top Worldpackers work exchange in San Diego: Be a content writer at an International Hostel

7 great tips for cheap vacations in California

As a 20-year old full time traveller, I am always looking for ways to get out and explore the world without breaking the bank. I knew I would have to be very wise with my spendings, as California is the third most expensive state to live in the United States.

Although it may seem impossible to travel within California on a budget , it doesn't mean it actually is! It is totally worth it travelin around there, since it has some of the best beach getaways of the USA , amazing sceneries and a lot of culture.

Later on I'll tell you about the cheapest place to visit in California. Before that, lets jump into my secrets and tips on how I was able to have an amazing trip to California all within my backpacker’s budget.

1. Learn to save money with food in your trip

I know, I know, when we go on vacation the first thing we want to do is check out the fanciest restaurants and order a three course meal with dessert included. But if you want to visit California on a budget, eating out often is not an option. 

Actually, from my two months staying in San Francisco I only ate out one time and did not regret my decision whatsoever. By eating in and cooking all the time I saved hundreds of dollars and got a chance to experiment with my chef skills.

So far I’ve visited three amazing and surprisingly different cities in California : San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. My first time visiting Cali was a week-long trip to LA and I stayed in a hostel; since my time was much shorter, I had a bit of a bigger budget. I allowed myself to eat out once a day, twice if it was extremely necessary.

When I got to San Francisco a few months later for another Cali trip , I knew I would be there for much longer than my first trip to LA and I would have to spend wiser as I was on a strict budget. 

I shopped once a week at Trader Joes for frozen meals and snacks and shopped for produce at other local markets and got to cooking. 

With me being a vegan traveler , I made sure to stock up on fruits and veggies at local corner stores with the cheapest prices; and I shopped in more ‘diverse’ areas as opposed to getting groceries from a high income neighborhood (life hack). 

Be sure to set a weekly budget for how much you want to spend on groceries and do not go over that limit.

Also, take advantage of free food!  In San Francisco I  volunteered at a hostel through Worldpackers , a platform where you can find hosts offering free accommodation in exchange for a few hours of work. There, the hosts often had free food available for guests, such as vegan canned soups, water, peanut butter, bread, rice, and other goodies.

Using the food available at my accomodation and incorporating those to my home cooked meals was how I was able to save hundreds on my amazing slow travel trip in San Francisco.

2. Use affordable modes of transportation in California

Another way I was able to save so much money in California was by taking local transportation . 

In each of the cities I toured, I made it a necessity to collect a local metro transportation card for the train and the bus. I got a clipper card in San Fran and was able to ride the bus around EVERYWHERE, down from the moment I came off my first landing flight departing from the SFO airport.

In Cali, especially in the biggest cities, walking is also another popular form of getting around . From the hostel I volunteered in San Francisco, most places I visited were within walking distance.

3. Find the rigt flight in the rigth time 

In order to find cheap flight prices, I scan for all possible bookings through the website kiwi.com. This site finds the lowest prices and compares them to other sites and it is the best option for budget backpackers.

A personal hack I use is to search for flights during the weekdays at night. On the weekends, flight prices sky rocket as people are out of work considering their next vacation spot. I book late at night because this is when airlines usually put their bookings even cheaper.

It's also important to use a VPN or a private browser when searching for flights. Otherwise, the website will recognize your computer or browser has been on flight websites and they typically raise the price if they notice a search engine pattern.

Extra tip: try not to plan your vacation around the high season (Summer months) as flight and tourist attraction prices will be at an all time high.

4. Save money in a long term trip in California

Let's get into accommodation in Cali. I'll be honest: it can get very expensive. Looking at the average Airbnb price for the most common tourist hot spots: San Francisco’s average range was about $143 a night, LA being $175 and San Diego was about $186. 

Even hostels are a bit pricey . In other countries you can snag a bunk bed for as little as five dollars a night whereas the cheapest bunk in San Francisco is $20 and the most expensive can range up to $36 a night. In Los Angeles, some hostel beds in a dormitory are even going for up to $70 for one night!

As I briefly mentioned above, the way I was able to skip these ridiculous prices for a place to sleep in between my adventures was through volunteering, also known as work exchange.

That is when you exchange your time and skills in return for free accommodation. In San Francisco, I applied for a hostel to work for 15 hours a week doing simple household chores such as laundry, taking out the trash, filling the dishwasher, and greeting guests. 

Two hours of work a day that was self led in exchange for a bed in a room with one other volunteer - it was a dream come true! 

This kind of volunteer program with Worldpackers  has allowed me to explore different parts of the world on my own time and my own budget. 

Volunteering is the best option for those who want to travel slower than a typical tourist. The hosts I volunteered for in San Francisco were extremely kind. They always made sure I was okay and safe and gave me tips on the cheapest places to visit in California.

Work exchange with Worldpackers in San Francisco not only saved me a lot of money but also gave me the opportunity to make friends and meet other solo travelers; many unforgettable memories were created. 

The hostel in which I volunteered was about $30 per night for a bunk and I stayed for about 2 months; calculating full expenses would have been $1,800. Almost two grand for accommodation that I got for zero dollars by exchanging my time and skills . 

Slow travel is highly recommended in more expensive areas as you’re able to take more time to thoroughly explore the whole city and explore volunteer opportunities for free accommodation.

5. Save money in a short term trip in California

Okay, say you don’t have that long in Cali. Maybe you’ve got a few weeks to explore the whole state and you want to hit San Diego, San Francisco, and Los Angeles so you don’t have time for a work exchange. Not a problem!

Hostels are another great alternative to those looking to explore California on a budget. My first piece of advice I can give is to not stay directly in the city center as accommodation prices are usually higher than in nearing suburban neighborhoods. 

Along with hostel beds, Airbnb commonly has great priced rooms for travellers on a budget. There are decent shared and private rooms going for $25 (Airbnb's nightly average is $138 a night) located in Oakland California, a neighboring city just 30 minutes away from San Francisco.

When it comes to accommodation on vacation, I always say it is just a place to sleep. Never look for a bougie all inclusive resort; most of your time and money will be spent out exploring. Do not invest all of your money into accommodation when only around 25% of your time will be spent there. Affordable accommodation is available, it just might not be the most luxurious option.

But if you want to get the best of California, either on a long or short term trip, you can volunteer with Worldpackers . Take a look in some awesome positions and get to know the cheapest places to visit in California:

• Join a permaculture project  in Wheatland 
• First volunteer experience? Start with this amazing hostel in San Diego
• Live an incredible experience in the mountains while helping a hostel at an adventure lodge in Big Bear Lake, CA

6. Plan your budget trip to California in advance

One of the main keys to have  cheap CA vacations , especially for  long term travel, is creating a budget.

When we are on vacation, we often want to splurge, buy as many things as possible and say “I'll just earn the money back when I get home”. Well, with the expensive rates of tourist cities in California, it may take a while to re-save all those hundreds spent.

When I was in LA for a week, I budgeted all of my expenses and gave myself $750 USD to spend on everything, including accommodation, food, tours, airfare, and transportation. Creating a spending limit allows travelers to explore more places for longer.  Breaking down a spending budget can start in a week’s terms. 

7. Remember: the best memories don't cost a dollar 

Last but not least tip: the phrase I’ve been living by (that has saved me hundreds of dollars as a matter of fact) is that photos are the best souvenirs.

The habit of over shopping is not only going to be costly, but souvenirs also take up lots of precious suitcase space. The best way to travel is carry-on only. Many airlines charge a hefty fee for checked in luggage and carry-on is also safer considering that thousands of checked bags get lost every day.

I hope this article with some of the cheapest places to visit in California and my best budget travel tips has showed you that traveling California does not have to put a huge hole in the bank. 

Here’s to successful trips and the birth of new budget backpackers!  

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Tiff Travels

Hello beautiful people of the internet! My name is Tiffany and I've been traveling the world solo for the past 2 years (I'm currently 21) and been to 5 countries including Zanzibar. My first 2 experiences with worldpackers have been in Ocho Rios, Jamaica and San Francisco, California and I plan on continuing my travels with the company. Let's go explore the world together!

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Your California Vacation

California vacation packages in 2024 deliver glistening ocean sunsets, sparkling city lights, snow-capped peaks, and morning sunbeams through giant redwood forests. Discover luxurious and affordable Northern California vacation packages for couples taking in wine tours or hitting cool city nightspots. For a family trip buzzing with activities, you could go for the California beach vacation packages in Malibu or San Diego . With deals on flights, hotels, car rental, and tickets to the hottest places, you can build your dream California vacation package right here. Book through Expedia to save dollars and get the full VIP treatment on your next CA-vacay.

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Discover the heart of the U.S. film industry with nearby studios, stroll along the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame, and visit landmarks like the Dolby Theatre and Hollywood sign. Shop at the Hollywood & Highland Center mall and easily navigate via the Metro Rail B Line.

Downtown Los Angeles

DTLA's offers a wide variety of shopping options in its many neighborhoods, such as FIGat7th in the Financial District and Japanese Village Plaza in Little Tokyo. Explore sights like Olvera Street and Grand Park, while easily accessing urban rail transit.

Downtown San Diego

Cultural and financial hub, Downtown San Diego boasts the Symphony, Opera, theaters, museums, and historic sites like Gaslamp Quarter. Enjoy diverse shops, dining, nightlife, and convenient public transport options.

Mission Beach

Spanning nearly two miles of oceanfront, this sandbar community offers sunbathing, surfing, and beach volleyball, with nearby attractions like Belmont Park's Giant Dipper Roller Coaster and SeaWorld in Mission Bay Park.

Pacific Beach

Boasting a lively nightlife scene, Pacific Beach offers miles of sandy shores, a bustling 3.2-mile boardwalk, and attractions like Crystal Pier and Kate Sessions Park. Enjoy local shops, bars, and eateries along the vibrant walkway.

Family Vacation Packages in California

Lively, welcoming and with plenty of things to do for all ages, California is a wonderful family destination. So why not give your gang a trip to remember by booking one of our Kid-Friendly Vacation Packages in California ? Use our handy filters to find hotels with family-friendly amenities like kitchens, pools and water parks. You can even search for properties near popular attractions such as Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium , Monterey Bay Aquarium and San Diego Zoo . Another tip? Read reviews written by fellow family travelers to make sure your stay packs plenty of fun for the kids, and a little luxury for you.

Paradise Point Resort & Spa in San Diego is a favorite. Add this island resort to your California vacation package and enjoy five pools, a nine-hole putting course, recreational activities for all ages and loads more. Another awesome pick is Garland Hotel in North Hollywood, Los Angeles. With amenities like adults-only and family hot tubs, dive-in movies and a bar, everyone is taken care of here. Plus, it’s just moments from major family attractions like Universal Studios Hollywood and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter !

California Beach Vacation Packages

Whether you want to chase waves at Surfrider Beach in Malibu , soak up the lively vibe of Mission Beach in San Diego or get off the beaten path at Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur , there’s a beach setting here for everyone. Fill your vacation to California with sun, sea, sand and surf by choosing one of our California Beach Vacation Packages .

Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort is a popular place to stay just steps from East Beach in Santa Barbara . This upscale retreat features tree-lined pools, a spa and a terrace restaurant with sea views. Or add Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica to your California vacation package. Overlooking iconic Santa Monica Beach , it has lush gardens, a poolside cinema in summertime and free beach activities. To find a hotel or resort just a saunter from the sand, use our handy ocean view filter.

Where to Stay in California

California is calling with its perfect weather, Hollywood glamour, multicultural cities and cool coastal vibes. Plan your California vacation package with our list of top places to stay:

• Los Angeles : Whether you want to be in the star-studded entertainment capital of the world, near family-friendly attractions or hang out at the beach, California’s largest city has something for everyone.
• San Francisco : One of the USA’s most vibrant cities, stay here for outdoor adventures, iconic attractions and neighborhoods packed with culture and charm.
• Sacramento : Base yourself in the laid-back state capital for historic sites, world-class museums, leafy parks and grand Victorian homes.
• San Diego : Searching for sun, sea and sand? Home to around 70 miles of sunkissed coastline, you’ll find it in California’s oldest city.
• Anaheim : World-class family attractions and theme parks like Disneyland help make Anaheim a popular California vacation package destination.

Top Things to Do

To help you plan your California vacation package, check out these top attractions and experiences that capture the best of the Golden State:

• Iconic Sights : From the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island in San Francisco to the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Griffith Park in Los Angeles to Santa Monica Pier , California delivers on bucket-list attractions.
• Nature : Embrace the great outdoors at Joshua Tree National Park and Yosemite National Park . Big Sur and Lake Tahoe also lure nature lovers.
• Culture : Quench your thirst for knowledge at California Academy of Sciences and be inspired by the artworks at Getty Center in Brentwood . Or go on a Hollywood Sightseeing and Celebrity Homes Tour by Open-Top Bus .
• Family-Friendly : There’s nonstop fun for the whole gang at LEGOLAND® CaliforniaResort in Carlsbad , Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park and Madame Tussauds Hollywood .
• Food & Drink : Treat your taste buds to a San Francisco Food Tour or add a Napa Valley & Sonoma - Wine Country Tour from San Francisco to your California vacation package.

For more options to fuel your California dreaming, read our guide on What to Do in California .

How to Find Cheap California Package Deals

Browse our incredible offers on Cheap Hotels in California to find your perfect stay. You can filter your search results by the cheapest option, amenities, guest rating and more. Then, add your flights and any activities that catch your eye. With deals like that, you’ll have more money to spend on Disneyland Resort Tickets or amazing experiences like a San Francisco Vista Grande Helicopter Tour .

California Essential Information

Prepare for your california vacation with our essential travel info, california hotel deals.

Reviewed on Jun 13, 2024

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Frequently asked questions, discover the most popular places to visit in california, disneyland® resort.

Have a fun-filled day at Disneyland® Resort and see why this is a favorite theme park in Anaheim. Experience the acclaimed theater scene and entertainment choices in this family-friendly area.

Universal Studios Hollywood

Part film and TV studio, part entertainment complex and part amusement park with full-throttle fun at every turn.

Disney California Adventure® Park

Disneyland® Park’s neighbor is a celebration of all things California, and gives guests the chance to experience the newest generations of Disney characters and magic.

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Cost of a Trip to California & the Cheapest Time to Visit California

The average price of a 7-day trip to California is $1,389 for a solo traveler, $2,080 for a couple, and $4,562 for a family of 4 . California hotels range from $75 to $334 per night with an average of $116, while most vacation rentals will cost $200 to $680 per night for the entire home. Average worldwide flight costs to California (from all airports) are between $703 and $1,145 per person for economy flights and $2,207 to $3,595 for first class. Depending on activities, we recommend budgeting $56 to $114 per person per day for transportation and enjoying local restaurants.

See below for average , budget , and luxury trip costs. You can also look up flight costs from your airport for more tailored flight pricing.

The Cheapest Times to Visit California

On average, these will be the cheapest dates to fly to California and stay in a California hotel:

• January 8th to March 11th
• April 16th to April 29th
• August 13th to November 18th

The absolute cheapest time to take a vacation in California is usually early to mid September .

Average California Trip Costs

Average solo traveler.

The average cost for one person to visit California for a week is $1,411-$2,889 ($202-$413 per day)

Food, Travel, and Sightseeing : $56 to $114 per day for one person’s daily expenses

Flights : $431 to $1,011 for economy

Lodging : $98 to $134 per night for one 2 or 3-star hotel room

or $147 to $180 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental

Average Couple’s Trip

The average cost for a couple to visit California for a week is $2,227-$4,699 ($318-$671 per day)

Food, Travel, and Sightseeing : $111 to $228 per day for two people’s daily expenses

Flights : $862 to $2,023 for economy

Average Family Vacation

The average cost for 4 people to visit California for a week is $4,461-$8,857 ($637-$1,265 per day)

Food, Travel, and Sightseeing : $223 to $456 per day for four people’s daily expenses

Flights : $1,724 to $4,045 for economy

Lodging : $196 to $267 per night for two 2 or 3-star hotel rooms

or $221 to $270 per night for a 2-bed vacation rental

Traveling Cheap to California

How cheap can you make a vacation to California? The cheapest trip to California is about $144 per person per day for travelers willing to take standby flights, deal with inconvenience, and otherwise limit travel expenses. About 1% of rentals are available in the $0 to $100 range for an entire place, and vacation rentals can be booked for as low as $20 per night. These inexpensive rentals must be booked as early as possible and may not be in the most desirable areas. 1-star hotels are more likely to be available, with rooms starting at around $64.

Even cheaper trips are possible depending on where you live and whether you can drive. Check the cheapest times to fly for more saving ideas.

Budget Solo Traveler

The lowest cost for one person to visit California for a week is $1,011-$2,201 ($144-$314 per day)

Food, Travel, and Sightseeing : $28 to $56 per day for one person’s daily expenses

Lodging : $64 to $75 per night for one 1-star hotel room

or $104 to $133 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental

Budget Couple’s Trip

The lowest cost for a couple to visit California for a week is $1,638-$3,598 ($234-$514 per day)

Food, Travel, and Sightseeing : $56 to $111 per day for two people’s daily expenses

Budget Family Vacation

The lowest cost for 4 people to visit California for a week is $3,263-$6,806 ($466-$972 per day)

Food, Travel, and Sightseeing : $111 to $223 per day for four people’s daily expenses

Lodging : $127 to $150 per night for two 1-star hotel rooms

or $155 to $200 per night for a 2-bed vacation rental

Overall it is very difficult to travel to California cheaply.

The Cost of a Luxury California Trip

There is no true ceiling on the cost of a luxury trip, so our estimates are based on what most people do in California.

Luxury Solo Traveler

The high-end price for one person to visit California for a week is $2,898-$12,159 ($414-$1,737 per day)

Food, Travel, and Sightseeing : $111 to $228 per day for one person’s daily expenses

Flights : $1,071 to $2,517 for first class

Lodging : $175 to $334 per night for one 4 or 5-star hotel room

or $671 to $1,341 per night for a preferred vacation rental

Luxury Couple’s Trip

The high-end price for a couple to visit California for a week is $4,753-$16,265 ($679-$2,324 per day)

Food, Travel, and Sightseeing : $223 to $455 per day for two people’s daily expenses

Flights : $2,142 to $5,034 for first class

Luxury Family Vacation

The high-end price for 4 people to visit California for a week is $9,505-$28,515 ($1,358-$4,074 per day)

Food, Travel, and Sightseeing : $445 to $910 per day for four people’s daily expenses

Flights : $4,284 to $10,067 for first class

Lodging : $351 to $669 per night for two 4 or 5-star hotel rooms

or $1,004 to $2,013 per night for a preferred vacation rental

California Hotel Prices

The cost of staying in California is much higher than the average city. On average hotels are less expensive than vacation rentals. Luxury vacation rentals are more expensive in California due to very high property costs. The graphs below show how much cost can vary depending on the type of experience you’re looking for.

California Lodging Cost by Star Status

The average price for the class of hotel is on the (y) axis. The hotel class (out of 5 stars) is on the (x) axis.

Prices are based on California hotel averages and may not reflect current prices. In some cases, we extrapolate prices to estimate costs, and hotels with your desired star rating may not be available.

Vacation Rental Prices

The percent of vacation rentals in the price range is on the left (y) axis. Price range is on the bottom (x) axis.

There are a healthy amount of vacation rentals serving all budgets in California.

Flight Costs to California

Averaging flights around the world, prices go from a high of $1,145 average in late July to a low of $703 in early to mid September. Median flight price is $692. These prices are based on millions of flights. For California our data includes hundreds of originating airports, and dozens of airlines. The area has more variance in price compared with other locations.

Average Flight Cost by Season

Average flight cost by day of week.

The cheapest day to fly in is typically Tuesday, and the cheapest day to fly back is usually Tuesday. Click here to see data for the cost of flights from your airport. In California, the difference between the cheapest and the most expensive week is about $442, so you can easily save about 63% simply by using our free flight guides and booking in advance.

Daily Expenses Budget

Daily vacation expenses vary more based on what you’re interested in doing. A fine dining restaurant with drinks around California can easily cost $418 per person or more, while a standard nice meal might be about $28 per person. Private tours can cost $835 per day, but self-guided tours to see the outdoor sights can be free. Costs vary wildly, so recommendations are made based on the cost of living and averages we see for this type of vacation.

Other California Guides

Travel costs nearby.

• Corcoran, CA, US
• Kettleman City, CA, US
• San Joaquin Valley, CA, US
• Wasco, CA, US
• Hanford, CA, US
• Lost Hills, CA, US
• Tulare, CA, US
• Lemoore, CA, US
• Delano, CA, US
• Visalia, CA, US

Travel Costs in Popular Places

• Kaohsiung, Taiwan
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• Feb 12, 2018

8 Tips for Planning a California Vacation on a Budget

Updated: May 15, 2022

Are you planning a family vacation in California on a budget? If you are headed to the west coast for some fun in the sun but trying to stick to a budget, you're not alone. California is notorious for being expensive, both for residents and tourists. It can be challenging to plan a vacation that lets you see and do the things you want while also sticking to your financial plan.

Fortunately, planning a trip to California on a budget isn't impossible. It just takes some forethought and careful strategy, on everything from airline tickets to hotel reservations. When it comes to saving money on a California vacation, being strategic about your flight, your lodging, and timing is key. There's a lot more you can do to save money, too. Read on for key tips to help you make ends meet while you revel in the glory of California dreaming.

Best Budget California Vacation Tips

1. evaluate flights carefully..

California is home to a mind-boggling number of airports. This is a great thing for you, the traveler, as it means there is competition to drive prices down! In some instances, you may find it best to fly in and out of Los Angeles via LAX. Many airlines offer great fares there, like Southwest Airlines or JetBlue.

However, if you're planning to spend much of your time outside of the greater LA area, you might be better off overall flying into a small airport , like Burbank, and using Uber rather than renting a car from LA.

Flexibility can save you big on airline flights . If you're still wondering where to vacation in California on a budget, try this strategy: test out different flight , hotel, and car rental combinations before finalizing your plans. I always use this method when planning a trip, and I am often surprised by what I find!

2. Be flexible on dates.

California is the real deal. Because it's the home of so many major events across entertainment, sports, media, and tech, hotels can book up well in advance. Some events, like Coachella, are well-established and happen every year. This means that hotel companies likely raise their rates for event dates well in advance. Try to schedule your trip around those times and you'll be better off when it comes to cost.

3. Visit during the shoulder season.

Another way to save by changing your time is to visit during the "in-between" time. You could consider visiting during the shoulder season. The shoulder season is defined as the time between the high and low seasons for tourism. In California, this means visiting between September and November or March and May.

Of course, there are plenty of other ways to save money on your trip as well. For example, you could look for hotel deals and discounts, or take advantage of what California's state parks have to offer. No matter what, you with a little bit of planning, you can absolutely find ways to visit California on a budget!

4. Find the best hotel deals

Hotels in California can be expensive. However, there are ways to save money on hotels in the sunshine state. You can start by looking for hotel deals online. There are many websites that offer discounts on hotels in California, from Booking.com to Expedia.com and beyond.

If at all possible, try to book your hotel room in advance. This will give you the opportunity to find a better rate. You should also consider staying at a hotel that is not in the heart of the city. Hotels in downtown areas are typically more expensive than those located in more suburban areas.

Still want to save? Look for hotel discounts and coupons. You can often find these online or in travel magazines.

While it can be tempting to splurge on a luxurious hotel or resort, cutting back here leaves you more money to spend on other aspects of your vacation.

5. Explore freebies.

California is loaded with awesome free things to see and do. From the Griffith Park observatory in Los Angeles to Santa Monica beach to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, you could easily plan an entire vacation revolving around free attractions. Budget California vacations are a real thing! (That being said, you will pay through the nose for parking anywhere you go, so park wisely.)

When you're planning a trip to California on a budget, don't forget our nation's best-kept "secrets"--our National Parks! National Parks sometimes have free admission days, so take advantage of California's natural beauty whenever possible, too! If all else fails, California is largely coastline, and driving up the Pacific Coast Highway might just be one of the most gorgeous ways in the world to spend a day.

6. Consider camping (or glamping).

If you're a fan of the great outdoors, Cali is a great place to make the most of nature! Pitch a tent and enjoy warm weather as you adventure throughout the state. Camp sites are usually half the cost of a reasonable hotel, if not even less. It's a surefire way to save some cash when you are trying to enjoy a budget friendly family vacation in California.

If a Southern California vacation on a budget is your ideal trip, give the San Onofre Bluffs Campground a chance. There's nothing quite like sleeping right next to the ocean!

7. Pick and choose your splurges.

Don't get me wrong, there are some awesome things to do in California that cost an arm and a leg. They might even cost a bit more than you'd hoped to spend. But it's your vacation, and who knows when you might get there again, right? I hear you.

If you're looking to splurge on a once-in-a-lifetime experience, there are still ways to do it in moderation. Headed to Universal Studios Hollywood? Eat a decent breakfast beforehand, skip lunch in the park, and opt for a Butterbeer instead. Head offsite for an inexpensive dinner when you're all done riding the Hippogriff ride for the 18th time, and call it a night. Same thing goes for Sea World, Disneyland, or the Warner Brothers Studio Tour. Big-ticket attractions are costly, so save on food, souvenirs, or transportation wherever possible.

Budget-friendly California beach vacations are also a great way to save money while seeing some of the most gorgeous sights you'll ever set eyes on. Take a stroll along Venice Beach and focus on the blue and purple mountains in the distance, juxtaposed against the colorful carnival rides on the Santa Monica Pier and the crystal-clear waters. It's absolutely heavenly.

8. Take pictures instead of buying souvenirs.

California on a budget is still filled with excellent shopping that is world-class in every way. When you're on vacation, it's extremely tempting to want to buy everything in sight anyway. It's even harder when you're in a place like this!

Taking photos instead of buying souvenirs may help. This is actually my favorite cost-saving strategy for budget vacations, regardless of my destination. Souvenirs are great, but most things can be purchased anywhere these days (local crafts and food items aside, of course).

Why purchase something in San Diego that you'll have to haul all the way to San Francisco and then stuff into your carry-on? California is gorgeous and is filled with tons of natural beauty, as well as awesome landmarks. Take photos of them, have fun with it, and let those serve as your souvenirs. You'll be glad you did when you get home and your wallet is a lot fuller than it would have been otherwise!

Have you been to California? What budget-friendly vacation tips did you pick up? Share your budget California vacation advice below!

Have questions about the best way to save on your flights to the sunshine state? Check out our post, " Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Visa Credit Card From Chase: Is It Worth It? " to see whether this benefit-packed credit card could help put some serious cash back in your pocket.

And that's it! With a little bit of creativity and flexibility, you can plan an unforgettable California vacation without breaking the bank. Just remember to have fun--that's what vacations are all about, after all!

Bon voyage!

Did you find this post helpful? Share it with your friends on social media or pin it on Pinterest.

#California #WestCoast #Budget #BudgetTravel #BudgetVacation #Vacation #Vacationplanning #Budgettips #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesofAmerica #CaliforniaBudgetVacation #SouthwestRapidRewardsCreditCard

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Travel Budget for Los Angeles Visit Los Angeles on a Budget or Travel in Style

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• Best Hotels for One Week in Los Angeles
• Best Hotels for One Night in Los Angeles
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• Is Los Angeles Expensive?
• How much does a trip to Los Angeles cost?
• Is Los Angeles Worth Visiting?
• All Los Angeles Travel Guides
• Cheap Universal Studios Tickets in Los Angeles
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• The Northeast
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• How much does it cost to travel to Los Angeles? (Average Daily Cost)
• Los Angeles trip costs: one week, two weeks, one month

Is Los Angeles expensive to visit?

• How much do I need for a trip to Los Angeles?
• Accommodation, Food, Entertainment, and Transportation Costs
• Travel Guide

How much does it cost to travel to Los Angeles?

You should plan to spend around $258 per day on your vacation in Los Angeles. This is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors.

Past travelers have spent, on average for one day:

• $60 on meals
• $42 on local transportation
• $280 on hotels

A one week trip to Los Angeles for two people costs, on average, $3,614 . This includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.

All of these average travel prices have been collected from other travelers to help you plan your own travel budget.

• Travel Style: All Budget (Cheap) Mid-Range Luxury (High-End)
• Average Daily Cost Per person, per day $ 258
• One Week Per person $ 1,807
• 2 Weeks Per person $ 3,614
• One Month Per person $ 7,744
• One Week For a couple $ 3,614
• 2 Weeks For a couple $ 7,228
• One Month For a couple $ 15,489

How much does a one week, two week, or one month trip to Los Angeles cost?

A one week trip to Los Angeles usually costs around $1,807 for one person and $3,614 for two people. This includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.

A two week trip to Los Angeles on average costs around $3,614 for one person and $7,228 for two people. This cost includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.

Please note, prices can vary based on your travel style, speed, and other variables. If you're traveling as a family of three or four people, the price per person often goes down because kid's tickets are cheaper and hotel rooms can be shared. If you travel slower over a longer period of time then your daily budget will also go down. Two people traveling together for one month in Los Angeles will often have a lower daily budget per person than one person traveling alone for one week.

A one month trip to Los Angeles on average costs around $7,744 for one person and $15,489 for two people. The more places you visit, the higher the daily price will become due to increased transportation costs.

Independent Travel

Traveling Independently to Los Angeles has many benefits including affordabilty, freedom, flexibility, and the opportunity to control your own experiences.

All of the travel costs below are based on the experiences of other independent travelers.

Prices in Los Angeles are reasonable and comparable to your average travel destination. Hotels, food, and sightseeing are generally within normal price ranges.

Within North America, which is known to be an expensive region, Los Angeles is a moderately priced destination compared to other places. The overall cost of travel here is fair for the region and comparable to Boston or Houston.

For more details, and to find out if it's within your travel budget, see Is Los Angeles Expensive?

How much money do I need for a trip to Los Angeles?

The average Los Angeles trip cost is broken down by category here for independent travelers. All of these Los Angeles travel prices are calculated from the budgets of real travelers.

Accommodation Budget in Los Angeles

Average daily costs.

Calculated from travelers like you

The average price paid for one person for accommodation in Los Angeles is $140. For two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room, the average price paid for a hotel room in Los Angeles is $280. This cost is from the reported spending of actual travelers.

• Accommodation 1 Hotel or hostel for one person $ 140
• Accommodation 1 Typical double-occupancy room $ 280

Hotel Prices in Los Angeles

Looking for a hotel in Los Angeles? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options.

Find the best hotel for your travel style.

Actual Hotel Prices The average hotel room price in Los Angeles based on data provided by Kayak for actual hotel rooms is $169. (Prices in U.S. Dollars, before taxes & fees.)

Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world.

Recommended Properties

• The Metric - Los Angeles Downtown Budget Hotel - Kayak $ 172
• The London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills Luxury Hotel - Kayak $ 449

Transportation Budget in Los Angeles

The cost of a taxi ride in Los Angeles is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $42 per person, per day, on local transportation in Los Angeles.

• Transportation 1 Taxis, local buses, subway, etc. $ 42

Recommended Services

• Hollywood Private Transfer to/from Universal Studios or Burbank Viator $ 39
• Anaheim Resort Private Transfer to or from Hollywood Viator $ 79

Flights to Los Angeles

Rental cars in los angeles, what did other people spend on transportation in los angeles.

Typical prices for Transportation in Los Angeles are listed below. These actual costs are from real travelers and can give you an idea of the prices in Los Angeles, but your costs will vary based on your travel style and the place where the purchase was made.

• Hotel Parking for a Day $ 22
• Taxi to Airport $ 55

Food Budget in Los Angeles

While meal prices in Los Angeles can vary, the average cost of food in Los Angeles is $60 per day. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out an average meal in Los Angeles should cost around $24 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Los Angeles is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.

• Food 2 Meals for one day $ 60

Recommended

• Venice Beach LA Food Tour Viator $ 89
• Vegan African Dinner Party in Playa Del Ray Viator $ 132

What did other people spend on Food in Los Angeles?

Typical prices for Food in Los Angeles are listed below. These actual costs are from real travelers and can give you an idea of the prices in Los Angeles, but your costs will vary based on your travel style and the place where the purchase was made.

• Mexican Dinner (family of 4) $ 32
• Burritos for Two $ 15
• Coffee and Danish $ 7.70

Entertainment Budget in Los Angeles

Entertainment and activities in Los Angeles typically cost an average of $82 per person, per day based on the spending of previous travelers. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.

• Entertainment 1 Entrance tickets, shows, etc. $ 82

The Go City Los Angeles Pass offers great discounts on attractions in Los Angeles. With the Go City Explorer pass, you can choose to visit specific sights and attractions at a discount. Or, you can visit as many included attractions as you like with a multi-day All-Inclusive Pass. The average visitor saves 30% off of the regular admission prices.

Recommended Activities

• Private EBike Tour of Santa Monica and Venice Beaches Viator $ 119
• Beverly Hills Food, Film and Fashion Tour Viator $ 189

What did other people spend on Entertainment in Los Angeles?

Typical prices for Entertainment in Los Angeles are listed below. These actual costs are from real travelers and can give you an idea of the prices in Los Angeles, but your costs will vary based on your travel style and the place where the purchase was made.

• Santa Monica Pier Rides (family of 4) $ 37
• Bowling $ 13
• Hollywood Tour for Two $ 30
• Six Flags for 2 $ 96

Tips and Handouts Budget in Los Angeles

The average cost for Tips and Handouts in Los Angeles is $2.14 per day. The usual amount for a tip in Los Angeles is 10% - 20% .

• Tips and Handouts 1 For guides or service providers $ 2.14

Scams, Robberies, and Mishaps Budget in Los Angeles

Unfortunately, bad things can happen on a trip. Well, you've just got to deal with it! The average price for a scam, robbery, or mishap in Los Angeles is $154, as reported by travelers.

• Scams, Robberies, and Mishaps 1 $ 154

Alcohol Budget in Los Angeles

The average person spends about $15 on alcoholic beverages in Los Angeles per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.

• Alcohol 2 Drinks for one day $ 15
• LA Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl Get Your Guide $ 34
• Malibu: Vintage VW Sightseeing Tour and Wine Tasting Get Your Guide $ 195

Water Budget in Los Angeles

On average, people spend $4.01 on bottled water in Los Angeles per day. The public water in Los Angeles is considered safe to drink.

• Water 2 Bottled water for one day $ 4.01

Expert Advice from Local Travelers

We're asking our community members and registered users to contribute their experiences about Los Angeles.

Why would you recommend Los Angeles to budget travelers? Or, why not?

The city is really diverse and you'll find stuff for all budgets. There are hostels around town, but we've never personally stayed at any. You can also pass your time hanging out on the beach, or visit any of the many sights around town.

I love the energy of this city. We found it to be an expensive city to get around because we really wanted to have a car, but there's a great restaurant scene with many casual and cheap eateries.

What makes Los Angeles a budget-friendly destination? Or not?

We save money in LA by staying a bit outside of the main touristy areas, away from the beaches.

There are so many food trucks and cheap eateries with amazing local and international dishes!

Are you an experienced traveler? Help other travelers! Answer a quick question about your past travels. + Add Comment

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How California, Once Flush, Got Stuck With a Budget Shortfall

Lawmakers passed a preliminary budget that technically meets a legal deadline while they work out final details. State finances have fluctuated wildly in recent years.

By Shawn Hubler

Reporting from Sacramento

California’s state budget dwarfs the gross domestic products of some countries, supporting the nation’s most populous state and the world’s fifth-largest economy. When Golden State finances swing, there is an impact — and they can swing wildly. Two years ago, the state was projecting a record surplus; now, state lawmakers are confronting tens of billions of dollars in red ink.

State law requires legislators to pass a balanced budget by June 15 each year or lose their pay and expense money. It’s typically a fraught process. This year’s negotiations have largely centered on how much social spending the state will cut and whether the state should postpone an increase in the minimum wage that was signed into law last year for nearly all health workers, many of whom work at state hospitals and clinics or at facilities whose patients are reimbursed through California’s version of Medicaid.

On Thursday, the Legislature passed place-holder legislation that allows lawmakers to technically meet the deadline while talks with Gov. Gavin Newsom continue on some of the remaining sticking points. A final deal, to be written into a few supplemental bills, is expected in a few days. The budget takes effect on July 1.

Why do California’s finances jump around so much?

Volatility is a natural byproduct of California’s system of taxation. Designed to be progressive and fairer to low-income taxpayers, it relies heavily on taxes on personal income and capital gains.

When rich taxpayers have a good year, the state government reaps a windfall. But when initial public offerings slump or the stock market reverses, revenue tanks . And the state has limited flexibility in raising revenue in times of shortfall because, in most cases, the law requires a two-thirds supermajority in the Legislature to pass a tax increase.

What has the state done to manage the volatility of its finances?

Californians have chipped away for some time at the state’s budget dysfunction, which used to be much worse. In 2004, voters passed a constitutional amendment requiring the state to reserve 3 percent of general fund revenue every year, regardless of the state’s economic performance. But the reserve fund barely got off the ground before the 2008 financial collapse slammed the state.

The recession’s aftermath prompted a number of budget reforms. In 2010, for example, lawmakers successfully put forward a ballot measure that bolstered the reserve fund. Voters also approved a ballot measure that streamlined the budget-making process, lowering the two-thirds supermajority threshold for budget passage to a simple majority vote.

As the economy rebounded, Gov. Jerry Brown and state lawmakers capitalized on those reforms to further stabilize the state’s finances, persuading voters to increase the reserve fund, require that even more money be funneled into it when capital gains tax revenue is booming and toughen the rules for using the money in lean times.

As the recent fluctuations have proved, the system still has room for improvement. But California lawmakers expect to dip into that healthier reserve fund to help balance the budget this year.

What caused California’s recent huge swing from surplus to shortfall?

In 2021, a robust stock market drove state revenue up, only to drag it back down when the market slumped the next year. As the Federal Reserve raised interest rates in an effort to curb post-pandemic inflation, higher borrowing costs for businesses led to higher unemployment and fewer initial public offerings and startups, which in turn depressed revenue from the tax on capital gains.

The economy bounced back in 2023, but write-offs from the previous year dampened the state’s rebound. On top of that, winter storms prompted the Internal Revenue Service to extend the tax filing deadline for most California taxpayers, making it hard for the state to accurately project its own tax receipts.

Lawmakers had to pass the budget the state is currently operating on before it was clear how much money would be coming in, and they were too optimistic. When the state’s financial picture finally became clear, it showed that state tax receipts were 22 percent below expectations.

Where does California’s budget stand now?

In December, the state’s nonpartisan budget analyst projected a deficit of about $68 billion for the 2024-25 fiscal year. A month later, the governor’s finance experts, using different methods, pegged the shortfall at about $38 billion, which was slightly more manageable.

Governor Newsom and state lawmakers made some early cuts, shifts, delays and other spending maneuvers that, by the governor’s estimate, whittled the gap for the coming year to about $27.6 billion.

In May, the governor proposed a grab bag of solutions that included no new taxes but would cancel some planned spending, spread the pain across a range of state programs, suspend some tax breaks for businesses and dip into state reserves. His proposal also omitted funding for a planned increase in the minimum wage for health-care workers to $25 per hour.

Legislators countered with a plan to make deeper cuts in the state’s prison funding and speed up the suspension of business tax breaks, leaving more money for the social safety net, including child care and health care. Otherwise, their plan has largely aligned with Mr. Newsom’s, including eliminating about 10,000 unfilled state jobs.

Will this year’s budget deal address California’s structural budget issues?

It could. Both of the current proposals budget for two fiscal years rather than just one, allowing lawmakers to start work early on projections that revenue will come in short again next year. Both the governor and legislators also want to gradually increase the size of the state’s rainy-day fund. And both would create a temporary account that would prevent a portion of future surpluses from being spent until the money is actually in hand.

What’s left to be decided?

Lawmakers say they are close to a deal and expect to announce one shortly. State law requires that the final legislation be in print for 72 hours before it is voted on.

Shawn Hubler is based in Sacramento and covers California news, policy trends and personalities. She has been a journalist for more than four decades. More about Shawn Hubler

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Gavin Newsom and top Democrats are deciding California’s budget behind closed doors

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The Legislature passes a placeholder state budget, but must still negotiate with Gov. Newsom on the final deal. How the state spends taxpayer money is largely being decided out of public view.

After legislative leaders failed to reach an agreement with Gov. Gavin Newsom about how to close California’s projected multibillion-dollar deficit, the Legislature passed a placeholder state budget today, just ahead of a mandatory deadline.

With only a few weeks left until the start of the new fiscal year on July 1, both sides refuse to publicly discuss what specific issues are holding up a deal.

Newsom’s office and his Department of Finance declined to answer questions about the remaining differences with the Legislature that still need to be worked out. Representatives for Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas , who are in charge of negotiating with the governor, would not make them available to the media today after their members approved a spending plan that almost certainly will not be the actual budget.

“There’s a shared set of priorities,” Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel , an Encino Democrat who leads the Assembly budget committee, told reporters following the vote. “It’s more about what are the most effective solutions, what are the programs and services that we think are the best way to go forward versus others.”

His counterpart on the Senate budget committee — Sen. Scott Wiener , a San Francisco Democrat — did not respond to an interview request.

Newsom presented a plan last month to address what his administration estimates is a remaining funding shortfall of $56 billion over the next two years, including by dipping into reserve accounts, deferring school funding, eliminating government jobs and cutting or delaying money for infrastructure, health and climate programs. 

Democratic leaders in the Legislature, where the party holds supermajorities in both houses, released a counterproposal a few weeks later . Among the major discrepancies is a push for more substantial reductions to prison funding to reverse some of Newsom’s proposed cuts to college scholarships for middle-income students , public health programs, subsidized child care slots and housing development .

The governor and the Legislature must also decide whether to repurpose billions of dollars that were earmarked to increase payments for health care providers who treat low-income patients, as Newsom has suggested, and whether to further delay minimum wage increases for health care workers , which could potentially save the state billions of dollars but faces strong opposition from unions.

Gabriel defended the process as “exceptionally transparent,” pointing to dozens of legislative budget hearings in which he said “there’s been a very public vetting of these issues” and “opportunities for Californians to weigh in.” He said he did not think any of the final solutions would come as a surprise.

“I think Californians have a good understanding of what the major issues are that are at stake in this process,” he said.

Despite ongoing negotiations over undisclosed provisions, Democratic lawmakers voted today to adopt their version of the spending plan because they must pass a balanced budget by midnight Saturday in order to get paid. The bill passed by a vote of 29-8 in the Senate and 59-14 in the Assembly, along largely partisan lines.

Republicans criticized the proposal as out of touch with Californians’ needs. They raised objections to provisions pausing some tax deductions for businesses to raise additional revenue and reversing previous commitments on expanded health care spending. Several members called out the inclusion of billions of dollars for the state’s troubled high-speed rail project and to expand health care access for undocumented immigrants while other programs are cut. 

“This is a shameful budget,” Assemblymember Kate Sanchez , a Rancho Santa Margarita Republican, said during floor debate. “This budget is heartless, it’s divisive and it’s completely detached from the reality and the struggles that Californians are actually facing.”

What drives California’s budget decisions? A lot of politics, not as much data

California’s budget whiplash: From a record-setting surplus to a massive shortfall in one year

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Alexei Koseff Capitol Reporter

Alexei Koseff covers Gov. Gavin Newsom, the Legislature and California government from Sacramento. He joined CalMatters in January 2022 after previously reporting on the Capitol for The Sacramento Bee... More by Alexei Koseff

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Opinion: Can California control its boom-and-bust budget?

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California has until Saturday to balance a budget that is billions of dollars out of whack, and not in a good way. Ambitious, worthy programs put into place in 2022, when Gov. Gavin Newsom was projecting a record surplus, are being paused or rolled back, and state reserves are being drawn down. California is awash in red ink.

We asked Chris Hoene, the executive director of the progressive California Budget and Policy Center, and Joshua Rauh, a Stanford economist and scholar at the conservative Hoover Institution, how the state could avoid the whiplash of budget surpluses and shortfalls in the future.

The tools used to manage the state’s finances need structural reform

By Chris Hoene

California’s leaders are negotiating a serious budget shortfall. They must balance the budget, fund essential services that keep the state and its infrastructure running and protect the well-being of Californians through investments in education, healthcare, child care and more.

Volatility in state revenues is normal. The rapid shift from a budget surplus to the shortfall we face today is both predictable and manageable. But structural reforms to the tools policymakers can use to balance the budget would make the process even more manageable.

California’s progressive income tax structure, which taxes higher earners more, is an equitable approach to taxation that has long been supported by voters. However, this structure yields revenue volatility because high earners tend to receive more of their income from capital gains and stock-based compensation rather than wages. When economic conditions tighten and the stock market fluctuates, so do California’s resources. That’s why we find ourselves facing a sizable shortfall this year.

Compared with what happened during the Great Recession, when the state had no available reserves, California is much better prepared to handle the shortfall challenge. Thanks to a decade of prudent budgeting and efforts by former Gov. Jerry Brown, Gov. Gavin Newsom and state legislators to build up rainy day funds, today’s leaders can tap into nearly $30 billion in reserves. Those funds will allow them to avoid deeply harmful cuts in services and to sustain investments in critical programs and infrastructure, especially for Californians with low incomes and communities of color.

Despite the progress made in managing changing budget conditions, state leaders need a freer hand when it comes to making meaningful investments, raising revenues and adding to California’s reserves.

For instance, a two-thirds supermajority in the Legislature is required to raise taxes, hindering reasonable policy changes such as reducing or eliminating unnecessary and inefficient tax breaks for corporations and wealthy households, which persist even in a state as progressive as California. The looming Taxpayer Deception Act , a ballot measure backed by big business and real estate interests that would make it harder for local governments and the state to raise taxes and other revenues, would further hamper the state’s ability to adapt to economic challenges, jeopardizing critical community services.

Although state leaders have maxed out California’s primary reserves over the past decade, they would have preferred to save even more during prosperous years. However, poorly structured spending limits mandated by voters in the 1970s treat putting money into reserve funds the same as expenditures. That blocks efforts to further build state reserves and, not incidentally, reflects the dangers of short-sighted ballot initiatives.

If we want our leaders to be able to govern and spend in the best interest of Californians — in good times and in bad — we need to approve structural reforms that empower them to freely use all the tools available to protect and fund vital programs, prevent shortfalls and manage the budget. This includes making the tax system more fair, ending caps that prevent saving more during prosperous times and rejecting efforts to restrict the options state and local leaders have to manage budget decisions to prioritize the well-being of all Californians.

Chris Hoene is the executive director of the California Budget & Policy Center .

The coming budget cuts are just the beginning

By Joshua Rauh

Facing a massive budget deficit for the coming fiscal year, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s revised state budget for 2024-2025 addresses a $ 45-billion gap . Even as the Legislature debates the governor’s proposals, which include significant cuts to such priority areas as homelessness spending, the question remains whether California can reset itself on a sustainable fiscal path.

Unfortunately, the cuts will do very little to shore up the long-term fiscal health of the state.

Newsom’s proposal includes drawing billions from state reserve accounts. Furthermore, most of the long-term spending plans enacted two years ago, when the government projected a $97.5-billion surplus for 2022-2023, remain in place, including investments meant to tackle homelessness and climate change and to establish universal prekindergarten and healthcare for undocumented immigrants.

California’s budget problems at their root come from increasing expenditures significantly while depending on flimsy revenue assumptions, which is further exacerbated by a volatile revenue stream.

Half of personal income tax revenue in California comes from the top 1% of earners , whose incomes fluctuate along with stock market gyrations. In 2021, the fluctuations and federal pandemic funds played a strong role in the future surplus forecast. But in 2024, the surpluses have vanished.

To avoid these boom-and-bust problems, the state must change its budgeting process to ensure that more of the revenues resulting from sudden and clearly unsustainable increases go into reserve accounts. But it must also permanently reduce spending.

Public employee pensions remain an expanding money sink for the state. State contributions to California’s defined-benefit pension plans — which guarantee lifelong salaries and benefits to public employees regardless of the state’s ability to actually pay — amounted to $26 billion in 2022. That’s a hefty 9% of the governor’s $288-billion revised budget, and using reasonable assumptions about state retirees, $26 billion significantly underestimates the real government costs.

To protect future budgets, new state employees should be brought in on defined-contribution plans, like the private sector’s 401k plans, rather than defined-benefit plans. Even if these plans were more generous than private sector’s, they would save the state considerable money, prove desirable to many public employees and stop the defined-benefit Ponzi scheme. Similarly, retiree health benefits for state employees cost the state more than $7 billion per year . In many cases, these are duplicative of benefits available to retired public employees through Medicare and the Affordable Care Act exchanges, and thus they could be eliminated.

While budget cuts may seem scary for citizens who depend on public services, the bottom line is that the state’s spending is unsustainable. Perhaps no group is a more egregious representation of the state’s wasteful approach than correctional officers. Their total compensation rose by 16% from 2021 to 2022 , even as the prison population remains 25% lower than it was in 2018 .

Even in the area of K-12 education, do we really think the problem is that the level of spending is too low? All-source per pupil spending in California public schools is projected to be $23,878 for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, although satisfaction with public schools is low and enrollment is down.

The 2024-2025 California budget will require painful cuts. Taxpayers need more accountability in public spending and a better deal for their tax dollars.

Joshua Rauh is a professor of finance at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution.

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California Legislature rejects many of Gov. Gavin Newsom's budget cuts as negotiations continue

Associated Press

Melissa Lamattina, a home support service worker, left and Patricia Moran, a child care provider, right, join others at a rally against proposed budget cuts to state provided social safety net programs, in Sacramento, Calif., Tuesday, June 11, 2024. The California Legislature on Thursday, June 13, rejected many of Gov. Gavin Newsom's most difficult budget cuts, choosing instead to speed-up a temporary tax increase on some businesses to help pay off an estimated $45 billion deficit while preserving spending on many social safety net programs. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California Legislature on Thursday rejected many of Gov. Gavin Newsom's most difficult budget cuts, choosing instead to speed-up a temporary tax increase on some businesses to help address an estimated $45 billion deficit while preserving spending on many social safety net programs.

The budget lawmakers approved is not the state's final spending plan. Newsom and legislative leaders are still negotiating how to fix the shortfall before the start of the new fiscal year on July 1. But lawmakers had to pass a balanced budget by Saturday or else they would forfeit their six-figure salaries — a rule voters approved in 2010 to prevent the types of budget stalemates that had delayed negotiations in the past.

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That is why Thursday's vote was not really a public rebuke of Newsom, a Democrat who for the most part has had a good relationship with a Legislature dominated by members of his own party. Instead, the vote highlights the differences between Newsom, a second-term governor who many believe holds presidential aspirations, and a liberal state Legislature that is often more willing to take risks.

While Newsom's budget proposal preserved most of the state's major assistance programs, he included a number of smaller cuts that angered his Democratic allies. He proposed to stop paying for in-home caretakers for some disabled immigrants on Medicaid. He wants to eliminate a program that helps provide housing for families with incomes less than $13,000 per year. And he suggested delaying a rate increase for organizations that care for people with intellectual disabilities.

To reject these cuts, lawmakers needed to find more money. They found it by taking one of Newsom's ideas and making it happen faster.

Newsom proposed temporarily stopping some businesses from deducting financial losses from their state taxable income, thus increasing their tax bill. It has become a common way to increase revenue during budget shortfalls. The Legislature chose to do this, too, but their plan would start the tax increase one year earlier. That generated an extra $5 billion in revenue compared with Newsom’s plan.

Lawmakers also found large budget cuts in other places. They want to cut $1 billion out of the state's prison budget, arguing the money isn't needed now that the prison population is about half of what it was two decades ago. And they want to cancel a $400 million loan to PG&E that would help extend the life of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant .

Those are just some of the disagreements that the Newsom administration and lawmakers must resolve by the end of the month. On Thursday, both sides indicated they have made good progress. Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire said lawmakers could be voting on a final budget deal by the end of next week.

“I firmly believe the final budget that we’re going to have in front of us here next week will follow the same framework that’s in front of this body here today,” he said.

One major issue that has yet to be addressed by either side is what to do about a minimum wage increase for health care workers that is scheduled to start on July 1. Newsom signed a law last year that would eventually raise health care workers' minimum wage to $25 per hour over the next decade.

The wage increase is expected to cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars in increased wages for some state workers and increased payments in the state's Medicaid program, according to an analysis by the University of California-Berkeley Labor Center. Newsom has said he wants to delay the minimum wage increase, but he so far has been unable to get an agreement from the state Legislature.

Republicans, who don't have enough numbers to sway policy decisions and say they were left out of the budget negotiations with Democrats, criticized the Legislature's spending plan as unsustainable.

Republican Assemblymember Heath Flora said raising taxes on businesses to help close the deficit would be “an economy killer," adding “our citizens are not here to provide overdraft protections.”

“We can't continue to make up the lie that tax increases are a solution to bad management,” he said.

Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener defended the tax proposal, noting it was just seven years ago that Congress slashed the federal corporate tax rate by 40%.

“All we are asking here during a difficult budget year is to be part of the solution,” Wiener said. “This is a very reasonable approach.”

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Main Report

Update (10/20/22): A previous version of this report excluded $2.5 billion in targeted legislative augmentations from the discretionary spending total. As a result, our estimate of the surplus has increased.

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October 12, 2022

The 2022-23 Budget

Overview of the spending plan (final version), introduction, budget overview, evolution of the budget, major features of the 2022‑23 spending plan.

Each year, our office publishes the California Spending Plan to summarize the annual state budget. This publication provides an overview of the 2022‑23 Budget Act , gives a brief description of how the budget process unfolded, and then highlights major features of the budget approved by the Legislature and signed by the Governor. All figures in this publication reflect actions taken through July 1, 2022, but we have updated the narrative to reflect actions taken later in the legislative session. In addition to this report, we have released a series of issue‑specific, online posts that give more detail on the major actions in the budget package.

Budget Condition

Figure 1 summarizes the condition of the General Fund under the revenue and spending assumptions in the July 2022 budget package, as estimated by the administration.

General Fund Condition Summary

(In Millions)

Total General Fund Reserves Reach Nearly $28   Billion Under Spending Plan. As shown at the bottom of Figure 1, the budget package assumes that 2022‑23 will end with nearly $28 billion in total reserves. This consists of: (1) $23.3 billion in the Budget Stabilization Account; (2) $3.5 billion in the Special Fund for Economic Uncertainties (SFEU); and (3) $900 million in the Safety Net Reserve, which is available for spending on the state’s safety net programs, like Medi‑Cal.

Proposition   98 Reserve Also Reaches $9.5   Billion. In addition to the general‑purpose reserves described above, the Proposition 98 Reserve (dedicated to school and community college spending) would reach $9.5 billion under the spending plan. We do not include this reserve in the total because withdrawals supplement the constitutional minimum spending level for K‑14 education and therefore do not help the state address future budget problems. However, this reserve does benefit schools and community colleges because it mitigates the funding reductions that occur when the constitutional minimum drops.

Figure 2 displays the administration’s revenue projections as incorporated into the July 2022 budget package. The most notable change between 2021‑22 and 2022‑23 is the drop in corporation tax revenues. Most of this drop is due to timing issues related to a recent change in how the state taxes pass‑through businesses. These changes resulted in a one‑time revenue boost in 2021‑22, which tapered off beginning in 2022‑23.

General Fund Revenue Estimates

(Dollars in Millions)

Policy Changes Reduce Tax Revenues. The budget package includes several policy changes which reduce tax revenues. These changes are expected to reduce revenues in 2021‑22 and 2022‑23 by $2.2 billion and $4.2 billion, respectively. The most significant policy change is the early elimination of limits on business’ use of certain tax credits and deductions to reduce their tax payments. These limits originally were put in place for tax years 2020 through 2022, but the budget package ended the limits for 2022. The budget package also includes tax relief for businesses receiving pandemic assistance from various federal programs. Finally, the budget package makes some changes related to the state’s cannabis taxes (which are special fund revenues and not included in Figure 2). The plan moves the point of collection for the retail excise tax from distributors to retailers, and it also eliminates the cultivation tax. To address the resulting loss of cultivation tax revenue, the plan appropriates $150 million General Fund in 2023‑24 and authorizes periodic administrative adjustments to the retail excise tax rate.

Spending Plan Provides One‑Time Refund Payments to Most California Taxpayers. In addition to the revenue policy changes described above, the spending plan includes $9.5 billion General Fund for a one‑time tax refund payment, the Better for Families Refund, also known as the Middle Class Tax Refund. Payments will be made to taxpayers with adjusted gross income (AGI) below $500,000 (for joint filers) and $250,000 (for single filers). The payment amount is based on AGI, with larger payments going to taxpayers with lower income levels. For example, a married couple with two children whose AGI was $100,000 will receive $1,050. A similar family with AGI of $300,000 will receive $600. The stated intent of the refund is to help offset higher costs resulting from recent inflation. (In the budget accounting, a refund is scored as spending, rather than a revenue reduction, however.)

Figure 3 displays the administration’s July 2022 estimates of total state and federal spending in the 2022‑23 budget package. As the figure shows, the spending plan assumes total state spending of $303 billion in 2022‑23. This represents a slight decrease (2 percent) over the 2021‑22 level. However, that decrease is attributable to the spending plan scoring new discretionary spending, particularly for spending that meets the definition of capital outlay under the state appropriations limit (SAL), to 2021‑22. The next section describes some of the major discretionary spending choices reflected in the spending plan.

Total State and Federal Fund Expenditures

Federal Funds Expected to Decline Significantly Between 2021‑22 and 2022‑23. The figure also shows federal funds decline $175 billion, or 55 percent, between 2021‑22 and 2022‑23. This decline is the result of several significant federal programs enacted in response to COVID‑19 expiring in 2022‑23. For example, funding the state receives for federally enhanced unemployment insurance benefits are accounted for in the Employment Development Department (EDD) budget. Under the administration’s assumptions, federal spending in EDD would decline from $34 billion in 2021‑22 to $7 billion in 2022‑23. Other federal programs also are expected to expire in 2022‑23, including the enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage for the state’s Medicaid program (which the administration assumes will expire in December 2022) and $27 billion in fiscal relief funding from the American Rescue Plan. However, there are also some increases in federal funds in 2022‑23 related to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Hundreds of Millions of Dollars in Additional Augmentations Linked to “Trigger” Language in 2024‑25. Chapter 48 of 2022 (S B 189 , Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review) contains trigger language that prioritizes specified future program augmentations if certain conditions are met. Figure 4 lists these program augmentations. In the spring of 2024, the state will assess whether the General Fund can support these augmentations over the multiyear forecast. Though prioritized for funding in 2024‑25, these program augmentations are not automatic. If the General Fund is determined to be able to support the augmentations, subsequent legislation still would be needed to enact them.

Augmentations for 2024‑25 Prioritized by Trigger‑On Language

The Surplus

Budget Package Includes $72.4   Billion in Discretionary General Fund Spending Choices. Figure 5 displays the major discretionary spending decisions in the 2022‑23 Budget Act . It includes: (1) the $38.6 billion in spending choices using the overall General Fund surplus (this figure only includes the amount spent from the surplus and excludes reserve deposits, tax refunds, and debt payments, which are shown instead in Figure 6) and (2) the $33.8 billion surplus within the school and community college budget. As the figure shows, schools and community colleges would receive the largest spending allocations reflecting the significant growth in Proposition 98. Within the overall General Fund surplus, most spending amounts were dedicated to resources and the environment, transportation, health, and housing and homelessness. The remainder of this section discusses the major components of each of these funding amounts.

Overall General Fund Surplus

A surplus occurs when, over the three‑year budget window, the state anticipates collecting more in General Fund revenues than it requires to meet its existing obligations. Put another way, the overall General Fund surplus is the amount of revenue available for new spending commitments after paying for the costs of programs under current law. (If, instead, we found spending under current law was higher than projected revenues, we would use the phrase “deficit” or “budget problem” to describe the difference.)

Spending Plan Allocated a $55   Billion Overall General Fund Surplus. We estimate the Legislature had a $55 billion overall General Fund surplus to allocate in the 2022‑23 Budget Act . The surplus is about $3 billion larger than our estimate at the time of the May Revision due to changes in federal funds assumptions and some workload budget adjustments. Figure 6 shows how the 2022‑23 Budget Act allocated that surplus. Overall, we estimate 96 percent of the surplus was devoted to one‑time or temporary purposes and 4 percent is ongoing. Specifically, the budget allocated:

• $36.3   Billion to One‑Time or Temporary Spending.  The spending plan used 64 percent of the overall General Fund surplus, or $36.3 billion, for one‑time or temporary programmatic expansions. (We define temporary to mean three years or fewer.)
• $10.5   Billion to Revenue Reductions and Tax Refunds.  The spending plan used $10.5 billion, about 20 percent of the overall General Fund surplus, to reduce revenues. (Nearly all of these revenue‑related amounts are one time or temporary.) In particular, this category includes the $9.5 billion Better for Families Tax Refund, one‑time payments to households with incomes up to $500,000.
• $3.5   Billion to Maintaining Reserves. The spending plan enacts a year‑end balance in the SFEU of $3.5 billion. (This amount is technically discretionary because the Legislature can choose to set the balance of the SFEU to any amount above zero. However, recent budgets have enacted SFEU balances around $2 billion to $4 billion, which the state uses to cover costs for unanticipated expenditures.)
• $2.3   Billion to Ongoing Spending Increases.  The spending plan includes $2.3 billion in ongoing spending increases, using about 4 percent of the surplus. The ongoing costs of these augmentations would grow over time, reaching $4.9 billion by 2025‑26.
• $2.5   Billion to Pay Off Debts and Liabilities.  Each year, the state pays many billions of dollars towards debts and liabilities. (Under the spending plan, for example, the state would make $3.4 billion in constitutionally required debt payments under Proposition 2, as well as other routine debt payments made by the state, such as annual actuarially required contributions to the state’s pension systems, debt service on state bonds, and the state’s plan to prefund retiree health.) In addition to these routine payments, the spending plan uses $2.5 billion from the overall General Fund surplus funds to repay state debts and liabilities. This includes $1.9 billion for converting some projects currently funded by lease revenue bonds to cash and repaying around $600 million in special fund loans to the General Fund.

Surplus Within the School and Community College Budget

Total state spending on schools and community colleges is determined mainly by a set of constitutional formulas set forth in Proposition 98 (1988). These formulas establish a minimum funding requirement for K‑14 education, commonly known as the minimum guarantee. The state meets the guarantee through a combination of General Fund and local property tax revenue. The Legislature, in turn, decides how to allocate this funding among specific school and community college programs. When the guarantee exceeds the cost of existing programs, the state has a “surplus” within the school and community college budget. This amount is separate from the overall General Fund surplus and must be allocated for school and community college programs (or deposited into the Proposition 98 Reserve).

How the Budget Allocates the Surplus Within the K‑14 Education Budget. After setting aside funding for statutory cost‑of‑living adjustments (COLAs) and other planned program expansions, the budget plan includes $33.8 billion in discretionary spending proposals to meet the minimum required funding level for schools and community colleges. As Figure 7 shows, the spending plan includes $7.9 billion for ongoing increases to the main school and community college funding formulas and $6.2 billion for ongoing increases to restricted categorical programs. The budget plan also includes $19.7 billion in one‑time funding, of which $12.1 billion is for discretionary block grants to schools and community colleges.

State Appropriations Limit

The SAL limits how the state can use revenues that exceed a certain limit. When revenues are expected to exceed the limit before the state makes its discretionary budget choices, it has a SAL requirement. (In other words, a SAL requirement is the amount of revenue the state is required to allocate in ways that meet its constitutional requirements under Proposition 4.) The Legislature can meet SAL requirements by: (1) reducing taxes or issuing tax refunds, (2) spending more on excluded purposes (categories of excluded spending include: subventions to local governments, debt service, federal and court mandates, capital outlay, and emergency spending), or (3) splitting excess revenues between tax refunds and additional school spending. For more information on how the SAL works, see our report: The State Appropriations Limit .

State Revenues Not Expected to Exceed Appropriations Limit. Figure 8 shows the administration’s July 2022 SAL estimates after accounting for all of the spending plan decisions. As the figure shows, 2020‑21 would end with “negative room” (appropriations subject to the limit above the limit) of $16 billion. However, 2021‑22 would have positive room of $29 billion. Because the state’s SAL position is considered on net over two fiscal years, these two years have roughly $13 billion in room remaining, meaning there are no excess revenues in 2020‑21 and 2021‑22. Further, while the Governor’s May Revision left $3.4 billion in unaddressed SAL requirements for 2022‑23, the July budget package reflects different choices. As a result, under the spending plan, the administration estimates the state would have $12 billion in room in that year.

SAL Estimates in the 2022‑23 Budget Act

(In Billions)

Budget Allocates $48   Billion of Surplus to Discretionary Choices That Address SAL Requirements. A key reason that the state does not have excess revenues across 2020‑21 and 2021‑22 (as well as room under the limit in 2022‑23) is that the spending plan includes $48 billion in discretionary choices that meet SAL requirements across the budget window. This includes:

• $36.2   Billion From the Overall General Fund Surplus. The spending plan dedicates about 66 percent of the overall General Fund surplus to meeting SAL requirements, including $24 billion in spending proposals, $10.5 billion in tax refunds and other revenue reductions, and nearly $2 billion in debt payments—specifically , the state’s conversion of some lease revenue bonds to cash.
• $11.5   Billion From the Surplus Within the Schools and Community Colleges Budget. In addition, the spending plan dedicates one‑third of the surplus within the schools and community colleges budget, or $11.5 billion, for SAL‑excluded purposes. The largest components of these exclusions are $8.6 billion in emergency spending for discretionary block grants to assist schools and community colleges in the long‑term recovery from the COVID‑19 pandemic, $1.4 billion to purchase electric school buses, and $630 million for community college facilities maintenance and instructional equipment.

Figure 9 shows the distribution of the $48 billion in discretionary resources that meet SAL requirements by type. As the figure shows, more than three‑quarters of the total is dedicated to excluded spending, including about half going to capital outlay projects. (Importantly, the definition of capital outlay under the SAL is more expansive than the typical definition in the budget.) Some of the largest augmentations that meet this definition include: over $5 billion for various components of the transportation infrastructure package, nearly $2 billion (across the budget window) for the strategic reliability reserve (part of the Energy Package), $1.6 billion for the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (part of the Housing Bridge program), and $1.3 billion for the school facilities aid program. Just less than one‑quarter of the SAL‑related budget choices are for revenue reductions and tax refunds, including the $9.5 billion Better for Families tax refund. (The box nearby also describes some administrative and statutory changes to the SAL calculation reflected in the spending plan, which result in lower SAL requirements across the budget window.) We plan to discuss the SAL estimates and major SAL‑related decisions in the 2022‑23 budget package in more detail in a forthcoming post.

Administrative and Statutory Changes to the State Appropriations Limit (SAL) Calculation

Modifies the Definition of Subvention. The State Constitution allows subventions to local governments to be counted against that local government’s limit (instead of the state’s limit). Previously, the definition of subvention included only state funding to local government that was unrestricted. (This change built on actions taken last year, which we described here ). Chapter 48 of 2022 (S B 189 , Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review) expanded the definition of subvention to also include a variety of other specific streams of funds, as listed in Government Code 7903. For example, subventions will now include funds to counties for the administration of health and human services programs like Medi‑Cal. In addition, the new law requires local agencies to identify and report any new state subventions that would cause that entity to exceed its own appropriations limit so that the state can continue to count those amounts at the state level instead.

Counts More School District Capital Outlay Expenditures. School districts, like local governments and the state, have their own appropriations limits. State law requires most school districts to set aside a portion of their general‑purpose funding for the ongoing and major maintenance of their facilities. Districts currently set aside approximately $2.2 billion per year related to this requirement. These funds meet the definition of capital outlay for SAL purposes, and so the spending plan adopts a plan to require school districts to exclude this spending from their limits. Because of the way school district limits interact with the state’s limit, excluding this change results in dollar‑for‑dollar reductions in appropriations subject to the limit at the state level.

Counts Certain Information Technology (IT) Expenditures as Excluded. Previous spending plans did not categorize IT expenditures as SAL excludable, but this year’s spending plan identifies IT expenditures totaling $226.5 million General Fund in 2021‑22 and $478.8 million General Fund in 2022‑23 as expenditures on qualified capital outlay excluded from the SAL calculation. These expenditures include most IT project development and implementation costs and software licensing costs. Expenditures not currently identified as SAL excludable include hardware costs, IT project planning costs, and most IT system maintenance and operations costs.

This section provides an overview of the 2022‑23 budget process. Figure 10 lists the budget and budget‑related legislation passed as of July 1, 2022.

Budget‑Related Legislation Passed on or Before July 1, 2022

Governor’s January Budget Proposal

On January 10, 2022, Governor Newsom presented his proposed state budget to the Legislature, marking the formal beginning of the 2022‑23 budget process. At the time of the Governor’s budget, and under the administration’s revenue estimates, we estimated the Governor had a $29 billion surplus to allocate in the 2022‑23 budget process. This surplus was nearly entirely the result of higher revenue collections and estimates compared to 2021 budget projections. The Governor proposed spending about 60 percent of discretionary resources, or $17.3 billion, on a one‑time or temporary basis for a variety of programmatic expansions. The Governor also proposed using $6.2 billion to reduce revenues and $2 billion for ongoing spending increases. In addition, the Governor’s budget allocated a nearly $13 billion surplus within the schools and community colleges budget.

Governor’s May Revision

On May 13, 2022, Governor Newsom presented a revised state budget proposal to the Legislature (called the “May Revision”). At the time of the May Revision, and under the administration’s revenue estimates, we estimated the Governor had a $52 billion surplus to allocate in the 2022‑23 budget process. This surplus was higher than the January estimate for three reasons. First, revenues were higher by nearly $57 billion compared to the Governor’s budget, reflecting continued, unprecedented growth in revenue collections. Second, offsetting this increase in revenues, constitutional spending requirements were higher by $23 billion. Third, also offsetting the increase in revenues, baseline spending was also higher by $11 billion. This was primarily the result of early legislative action, including adopting $5.7 billion in a variety of revenue reductions—such as the restoration of net operating loss deductions—and $2.7 billion for rental assistance. (The final budget package reflected a slightly lower appropriation amount, $2 billion, for rental assistance.)

Legislature’s Budget Package

The Legislature passed an initial budget package on June 13, 2022. The Legislature’s budget package provided the same level of overall spending for schools and community colleges as the May Revision, but designated more ongoing and one‑time funding for discretionary purposes. Relative to the May Revision, the Legislature’s budget also: (1) rejected the Governor’s transportation‑related relief proposals and instead provided tax rebates of $200 per taxpayer and dependent for those with incomes below $125,000 ($250,000 for joint filers) and one‑time cash assistance to Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment recipients and California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids families; (2) provided significant additional funding for affordable housing development, established a new homeownership program, and provided additional discretionary funding for homelessness services at the local level over multiple fiscal years; (3) provided larger ongoing base increases and funded higher enrollment growth at the universities; (4) provided larger augmentations for student financial aid grants; (5) accelerated the implementation of a developmental services rate study; (6) provided additional funding for health workforce development; and (7) deferred action on, but set aside funding for, a number of the Governor’s major health‑related budget proposals, most notably the hospital and nursing facility retention payments proposal.

Final Budget Package

The Legislature passed a final budget package on June 29, 2022 and a series of additional budget‑related bills in late August 2022. Figure 11 contains a list of the budget‑related legislation passed later in the legislative session.. The next section of this report describes the major features of the final budget package.

Budget‑Related Legislation Passed After July 1, 2022

The major General Fund and federal fund spending actions in the 2022‑23 budget package are briefly described in this section, mostly organized around the issue areas shown in Figure 5 in the first section of this report. We plan to discuss these and other actions in more detail in a series of forthcoming publications this fall.

K‑14 Education

Significant Increase in School and Community College Funding. The Proposition 98 minimum guarantee depends upon various formulas that adjust for several factors, including changes in state General Fund revenue. For 2021‑22, the guarantee is up $16.5 billion (17.6 percent) compared with the estimates made in June 2021 ( Figure 12 ). This increase represents one of the largest upward revisions since the adoption of Proposition 98 and is due to higher General Fund revenue estimates. For 2022‑23, the guarantee increases by an additional $117 million (0.1 percent) relative to the revised 2021‑22 level.

Comparing June 2021 and June 2022 Proposition 98 Estimates

Makes Required Reserve Deposit and Funds New Programs. When the minimum funding requirement is growing quickly, the Constitution requires the state to deposit some of the available funding into a statewide reserve account for schools and community colleges. Under the adopted budget plan, the state deposits a total of $9.5 billion into this account across the 2020‑21 through 2022‑23 period—an increase of $4.5 billion compared with the estimates made in June 2021. The budget allocates the remaining funds for significant one‑time and ongoing program increases. For schools, the largest ongoing augmentation is $7.9 billion to provide a 13 percent increase to the Local Control Funding Formula and provide greater fiscal stability to school districts experiencing declining attendance. The budget plan also includes $12.1 billion in one‑time funding for two K‑12 block grants—$7.9 billion focused on learning recovery and $3.6 billion intended for arts, music, and instructional materials. For community colleges, the largest augmentation is $1.1 billion ongoing for apportionment increases, consisting of a COLA as well as a base increase above the COLA. In addition, the budget plan includes $841 million one time for facilities maintenance and instructional equipment and $650 million one time for a COVID‑19 block grant.

Adjusts Guarantee Upwards for Expansion of Transitional Kindergarten. The June 2021 budget plan established a plan to expand eligibility for transitional kindergarten beginning in 2022‑23. Under the plan, all four‑year old children will be eligible by 2025‑26. (Previously, only children born between September 2 and December 2 were eligible.) The Legislature and Governor also agreed the state would cover the associated costs by adjusting the Proposition 98 formulas to increase the share of General Fund revenue allocated to schools. Consistent with this agreement, the budget plan includes an increase in the 2022‑23 guarantee of $614 million related to the first‑year costs of the expansion.

School Facilities Grants.   The budget allocates $1.4 billion (non‑Proposition 98 General Fund) attributable to 2021‑22 for school facilities grants. Of this total, $1.3 billion is to cover the state share for new construction and modernization projects under the School Facilities Program. These funds supplement existing funds from Proposition 51, the state school bond approved by voters in 2016. (Funding from Proposition 51 will likely be exhausted in 2022‑23.) The remaining $100 million is for schools to construct or renovate State Preschool, transitional kindergarten, and full‑day kindergarten classrooms.

Resources and Environment

Energy Package.  The spending plan includes a total of $7.9 billion across five years from the General Fund—including $1.2 billion through the California Emergency Relief Fund—for energy‑related activities. This includes $5.2 billion—$2.3 billion in 2021‑22 and $2.9 billion in 2022‑ 23—for activities such as actions to ensure there is adequate statewide electricity supply over the next few years, financial support to cover unpaid household energy bills that accrued during the pandemic, and incentives for long‑duration st orage projects.

Drought Response and Resilience Package.  The budget package includes $2.9 billion across three years from the General Fund—including roughly $1 billion through the California Emergency Relief Fund—to respond to current drought conditions, as well as for activities to prepare for future droughts. This includes $2.3 billion—$1.9 billion in 2021‑22 and about $400 million in 2022‑ 23—for activities such as actions to improve water conservation, drinking water supplies and projects, grants for repairs to community water systems, and steps to protect fish and wildlife from drought impacts. These funds add to $880 million provided for water‑related activities in 2022‑23, consistent with a multiyear agreement that was part of the 2021‑22 budget package.

Wildfire Resilience and Response. The spending plan provides resources to improve the state’s resilience to wildfires, as well as to augment the state’s capacity to respond when fires do occur. First, it includes a total of $900 million from the General Fund on a one‑time basis over three years—$80 million in 2021‑22, $320 million in 2022‑23, and $500 million in 2023‑ 24—for various departments to implement a package of proposals focused on wildfire prevention and improving landscape health. This funding is in addition to $200 million annually in continuously‑appropriated funding from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) for similar purposes. Second, the spending plan provides roughly $850 million in 2022‑23, of which about $500 million is  ongoing—almost  entirely from the General  Fund—for  various augmentations aimed at enhancing the state’s wildfire response. These augmentations mainly support additional personnel and equipment at the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, but also provide wildfire response resources for the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, California Military Department, and California Conservation Corps. Notably, the budget package also includes approval of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Unit 8, which represents CalFire firefighters. As we discuss in our August analysis , this MOU could increase out‑year wildfire response costs significantly.

Zero‑Emissions Vehicles (ZEV) Package.  The budget package provides a total of $6.1 billion over five years for ZEV programs. (This amount is in addition to $3.9 billion included in last year’s budget.) This includes $3.1 billion from various funds across 2021‑22 and 2022‑23, such as $1.5 billion from Proposition 98 General Fund for zero‑emission school buses, $804 million from the General Fund for various activities including ZEV fueling infrastructure grants, $600 million from GGRF for heavy‑duty vehicle incentives, and $77 million in federal funds for ZEV fueling infrastructure.

Climate Change Response.  In addition to the aforementioned drought and wildfire packages, the spending plan contains funding targeted to address other climate change impacts. This includes additional General Fund generally consistent with the 2021‑22 agreement to address extreme heat ($150 million in both 2022‑23 and 2023‑24) and nature‑based climate solutions ($594 million in 2022‑23 and $428 million in 2023‑24). The budget package also provides significant augmentations to address sea‑level rise, including roughly $600 million in 2022‑23 and $650 million committed for 2023‑24. (These totals include some funding incorporated within the nature‑based solutions package.)

Transportation

Transportation Infrastructure Package. The budget package includes $9.5 billion across four years from the General Fund to support transportation infrastructure. This includes $7.7 billion—$3.7 billion in 2021‑22 and $2 billion in both 2023‑24 and 2024‑ 25—to fund transit and rail projects throughout the state. The package also includes (1) $1.8 billion in 2021‑22 to support active transportation, climate adaptation, and grade separation projects, and (2) $100 million in 2023‑24 to augment a local litter abatement and beautification grant program initiated in 2021‑22.

Supply Chain Resilience Package. The budget includes $1.4 billion from the General Fund over four years for a package of initiatives intended to support ports and goods movement infrastructure, workforce development, and operational efficiency at the state’s ports Specifically, the package consists of (1) $1.2 billion for the California State Transportation Agency to fund port, freight, and goods movement infrastructure; (2) $110 million for the California Workforce Development Board to establish a goods movement workforce training campus; (3) $40 million for the Department of Motor Vehicles to increase capacity to issue commercial driver’s licenses; and (4) $30 million for the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development to fund operational and process improvements at ports.

High‑Speed Rail Project. The budget package appropriates essentially all of the remaining unappropriated Proposition 1A bond (2008) funds—$4.2 billion—for the high‑speed rail project in 2021‑22. The budget package also includes associated budget trailer legislation that establishes a new independent Office of the Inspector General for the High‑Speed Rail Authority and prioritizes funding the Merced‑to‑Bakersfield segment of the project, among other provisions.

Health and Developmental Services

Retention Payments for Workers in Certain Health Care Facilities. The budget package includes roughly $1.1 billion General Fund (transferred into the California Emergency Relief Fund) in 2021‑22 to provide one‑time retention payments to eligible workers in certain health care facilities, including hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. Eligible workers could receive up to $1,500 from the state. A similar payment is being included in labor bargaining agreements for state employees, paid using a mix of General Fund and other funds. In addition to the $1.1 billion amount, the spending plan includes $70 million General Fund for a separate program to provide retention payments to eligible workers in health care clinics.

Behavioral Health. The spending plan reflects a number of major investments in behavioral health. These investments include roughly $2 billion in General Fund expenditures in 2022‑23 approved last year as part of the multiyear Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative. This initiative funds a variety of programs administered by multiple state departments intended to transform behavioral health service delivery for children and youth under age 25. In addition, the spending plan includes $1 billion General Fund in 2022‑23 ($1.5 billion General Fund over two years) to establish a state‑level Behavioral Health Bridge Housing program, which will support the creation of immediate, clinically enhanced housing settings for people experiencing homelessness with serious behavioral health conditions.

Late in session, the Legislature passed the Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) Act. The CARE Act creates an alternative judicial process to connect those with severe mental illness to behavioral health services and supports. The spending plan provides $88.3 million General Fund (of which $57 million is for direct assistance to counties) to the Department of Health Care Services, the California Health and Human Services Agency, and the Judicial Branch for the implementation of the CARE Act in 2022‑23. CARE Act implementation will begin in seven “Cohort I” counties by October 1, 2023, with the remaining counties to begin implementation no later than December 1, 2024.

Medi‑Cal Coverage Expansion to Remaining Undocumented Populations. Historically, undocumented residents were only eligible for limited Medi‑Cal coverage. In recent years, the state has taken steps to expand eligibility for comprehensive Medi‑Cal coverage to undocumented residents under the age of 26 as well as those over the age of 49. The budget package expands eligibility for comprehensive Medi‑Cal coverage to otherwise‑eligible undocumented residents between the ages of 26 and 49 beginning no later than January 1, 2024. While there are no costs in 2022‑23, the expansion is expected to result in increased spending of $2.1 billion General Fund at full implementation.

Developmental Services Rate Reform Acceleration. The 2021‑22 budget included funding to begin implementation of service provider rate reform, with funding for rate increases and quality incentives ramping up to $1.2 billion General Fund in 2025‑26 and ongoing. The 2022‑23 budget spending plan includes one‑time General Fund in 2022‑23 ($159.1 million), 2023‑24 ($34.1 million), and 2024‑25 ($534.1 million) to accelerate the time line, reaching full implementation by 2024‑25, one year ahead of the original schedule.

Housing and Homelessness

Significant Funding Largely Continues Existing Efforts. In addition to the $9 billion for housing and homelessness programs provided in the budget last year, the 2022‑23 budget authorizes an additional $4.8 billion General Fund over three years to nearly 20 major housing and homelessness programs within the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency and the Housing and Community Development Department. The vast majority of funding is one time or temporary. However, the budget does provide $34 million in ongoing funding beginning in 2023‑24 for housing assistance for foster youth and former foster youth. Most of the funding—$2.9 billion General Fund—is primarily for housing‑related proposals, while $1.9 billion General Fund is allocated primarily towards homelessness‑related programs.

Some of the major uses of housing and homelessness funding in the budget would support encampment resolutions; provide flexible aid to local governments to help address homelessness in their communities; fund affordable housing development; and establish a new homeownership program. The budget also provides funding that could be used to help address homelessness and/or housing affordability in other program areas, including the health, courts, and higher education areas.

Higher Education

Base Funding Increases for Universities’ Core Operations.   The spending plan provides the California State University (CSU) and the University of California (UC) with 5   percent increases to their base General Fund support. These base increases equate to a $211   million augmentation for CSU and a $201   million augmentation for UC. The universities have discretion over how to spend their base augmentations. They likely will use the funds primarily to cover salary and benefit cost increases. (In addition to CSU’s unrestricted base increase, the budget provides CSU with $103 million General Fund to cover certain pension and retiree health benefit cost increases.) The 5   percent base increases are consistent with the Governor’s January proposal for the universities (also reflected in the Governor’s university “compacts”). The June legislative package had contained higher base increases for the universities. (We treat funding increases for core operations, including pensions and other employee benefits, as maintaining current service levels rather than discretionary spending.)

Additional Funding Increases for Undergraduate Enrollment Growth.  Largely consistent with 2021‑22 Budget Act provisions, the 2022‑23 spending plan provides $81 million to CSU and $99 million to UC for resident undergraduate enrollment growth. At CSU, enrollment is expected to grow by 9,434 full‑time equivalent (FTE) students from 2021‑21 to 2022‑23 (leaving CSU still approximately 3,000 FTE students below its peak enrollment level in 2020‑21). At UC, the budget funds growth of 7,132 FTE students—consisting of 1,500 FTE students that were not funded in previous budgets, 902 FTE students resulting from replacing nonresident with resident slots, and an additional 4,730 FTE new students. UC has through 2023‑24 to enroll these additional 4,730 FTE students. The budget also indicates that UC is to grow by a further 1 percent in 2023‑24, with this additional growth funded from an unrestricted General Fund base augmentation to be provided that year. The budget package also reflects UC’s continued implementation of its statutory nonresident replacement plan, with an additional 902 nonresident slots replaced with resident slots in 2023‑24. The budget package sets no 2023‑24 enrollment expectation for CSU.

Note: In the online version of this report, we include a series of Appendix tables that have detailed information on the discretionary choices in the 2022‑23 Budget Act .