Lonely Planet’s Best of California is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Taste the wines of the Sonoma Valley, explore Alcatraz, and drive California’s iconic Highway 1; all with your trusted travel companion. Discover the best of California and begin your journey now!

Inside Lonely Planet’s Best of California:

Up-to-date information - all businesses were rechecked before publication to ensure they are still open after 2020’s COVID-19 outbreak

Full-color images throughout

Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests

Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots

Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices

Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss

Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - history, art, food, wine, sport, landscapes, wildlife

Free, convenient pull-out San Francisco map (included in print version), plus easy-to-use color maps to help you navigate your destination

Covers San Francisco, Sonoma Valley, Redwood Forests, Coastal Highway 1, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite National Park, Big Sur, Santa Barbara, Palm Springs, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Death Valley National Park

The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet’s Best of California, our easy-to-use guide, filled with inspiring and colorful photos, focuses on California’s most popular attractions for those looking for the best of the best.

Looking for a comprehensive guide that recommends both popular and offbeat experiences, and extensively covers all the country has to offer? Check out Lonely Planet’s California guide.

Looking for a guide for San Francisco or Los Angeles? Check out Lonely Planet’s San Francisco guide for a comprehensive look at all the city has to offer, or Pocket Los Angeles, a handy-sized guide focused on the can’t-miss sights for a quick trip.

About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveler since 1973. Over the past four decades, we’ve printed over 145 million guidebooks and phrasebooks for 120 languages, and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travelers. You’ll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, videos, 14 languages, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more, enabling you to explore every day.

‘Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.’ - New York Times

‘Lonely Planet. It’s on everyone’s bookshelves; it’s in every traveler’s hands. It’s on mobile phones. It’s on the Internet. It’s everywhere, and it’s telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.’ - Fairfax Media (Australia)