Attractions
Discover the Best Monterey Attractions
Explore one the most beautiful and alluring destinations on the California central coast. Located along the Pacific Ocean south of Santa Cruz, Monterey is an exciting place to explore with sandy beaches, scenic parks, iconic attractions, unique museums and a vibrant food and drink culture.
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Immerse yourself in the ocean world at this incredible aquarium on Monterey Bay. The famed Monterey Bay Aquarium is home to 80,000 amazing animals in naturalist habitats, including sharks, jellies, sea otters, penguins, and a blue whale.
Attraction Details
- Attraction Details
Address
886 Cannery Row,
Monterey, California, 93940
Distance from Hotel: 2.74 milesPhone
- More Details
Visit the world-famous Monterey Bay Aquarium, one of the best things to do for both kids and adults.
- Events & Activities
Events:
- Halloween Dinner
- Otter Days
- Evenings by the Bay
Activities:
- Animal Exhibits
- Tours
- Live Shows & Feedings
- Open Sea
- Educational Programs
- Family Activities
- Kelp Forest
- Rocky Shore
- Splash Zone
- Penguins
- Mission to the Deep
- Prices
- Adult(ages 18-69): $59.95
- Youth(ages 13-17): $49.95
- Child(ages 5-12): $44.95
- Senior(ages 70+): $49.95
- Before you go
FAQS
How long does it take to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium?
It takes about three hours to visit and explore the Monterey Bay Aquarium and its incredible marine life exhibits, shows, and encounters. You can easily spend the whole day touring the aquarium and seeing more than 80,000 animals from the world's oceans. Check out the daily schedule, tours, and new exhibits before you come.
How to get discount tickets to Monterey Bay Aquarium?
The Monterey Bay Aquarium has special offers through its partners or community programs. You can also buy Monterey Bay Aquarium tickets from AAA with a $2 discount for adults and children. The Inn at 1252 Monterey offers the Monterey Bay Aquarium Package with tickets that give you a second day free, a savings of $50 for adults, and $30 for kids.
Is there parking at the Monterey Bay Aquarium?
Located at the west end of Cannery Row, the Monterey Bay Aquarium offers three convenient parking lots and metered street parking. The best way to get there from downtown Monterey is by the free trolley, which is a 15-minute walk from our hotel.
What marine life will I see at the Monterey Bay Aquarium?
You will see a fantastic variety of sea life at this world-class aquarium that's a window to Monterey Bay. Popular animals include sea otters, Giant Pacific Octopus, jellyfish, penguins, sharks, tuna, jellies, and a blue whale.
Are there hands-on exhibits?
The Monterey Bay Aquarium has many interactive exhibits, including penguins, sea otter feedings, and multi-media shows. Meet the creatures of the Rocky Shore and Kelp Forest with rays, barnacles, sea stars, abalones, sea urchins, and kelp crabs. Be gentle with these creatures and help small children to do the same.
Cannery Row
Tucked into the coastline on Monterey Bay, historic Cannery Row is a popular destination with waterfront restaurants, pubs, and shops. Discover Cannery Row's colorful history and picturesque charm and soak up the culture and beauty of the California central coast.
Attraction Details
- Attraction Details
Address
Cannery Row & Wave Streets,
Monterey, California, 93940
Distance from Hotel: 2.35 milesPhone
Website
- More Details
Cannery Row is made famous by the John Steinbeck novel; this vibrant waterfront attraction captivates with its picturesque charm and colorful history. Former home to Monterey's sardine industry, Cannery Row is now an exciting destination for shopping, dining, and wine tasting. Stroll the fabled street to unique shops, sip a glass of wine at the tasting rooms, and savor fresh seafood at waterfront restaurants with breathtaking views of Monterey Bay. Cannery Row also boasts popular attractions like the Monterey Bay Aquarium and activity outfitters, where you can rent kayaks and stand-up paddleboards.
- Hours & Prices
Hours: Per business
Prices: Per business - Events & Activities
Events:
- Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony
- Jazz Legends Gala
- Cannery Row Block Party
Activities:
- Waterfront Dining
- Shopping
- Wine Tasting
- Kayaking
- Monterey Bay Aquarium
- Wildlife Viewing
- Before you go
FAQS
What are some fun things to do on Cannery Row?
Cannery Row offers beautiful waterfront restaurants, bars, shops, and wine stores on Monterey Bay. Enjoy the freshest local seafood, wine tasting, and sightseeing at this historic waterfront, where you will also find the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. You can also rent a kayak to explore the Edward F. Ricketts State Marine Conservation Area.
What are the best restaurants on Cannery Row?
Yes, Texas Tech University offers daily tours, group tours, and even virtual tours online for prospective students and parents. The tour schedule varies throughout the year.
Old Fisherman's Wharf
Old Fisherman's Wharf is a waterfront shopping, dining and entertainment destination on Monterey Bay. Experience incredible bayfront restaurants, unique shops, whale watching cruises, sailing tours, glass bottom boat rides, and fishing charters, just five minutes from us.
Attraction Details
- Attraction Details
Address
Wharf 1,
Monterey, California, 93940
Distance from Hotel: 1.52 milesPhone
- More Details
Spend the day exploring the charming waterfront dining and shopping destination on Monterey Bay. Fisherman's Wharf has unique shops, seafood to steak restaurants, bars, and cafes with harbor views. From a whale-watching cruise to a sailing tour, or fishing trip, Fisherman's Wharf is a place to experience in Monterey.
Shop for souvenirs, dig into a bowl of clam chowder, and enjoy nightly entertainment and live music. Hop on the free MST trolley from downtown, less than a mile from our Monterey hotel to Old Fisherman's Wharf, for an unforgettable experience.
- Hours & Prices
Hours: Old Fisherman's Wharf is open daily, 365 days a year. Hours are per venue and business.
Prices: Per venue and business. Access is free. - Events & Activities
Events:
- Summer Sailstice
- Salmon Stravaganza
- Whalefest
Activities:
- Shopping
- Sailing, Dining & Seafood
- Fishing Charters
- Whale Watching Tours
- Theater and Music.
- Before you go
FAQS
What is there to do at Fisherman's Wharf?
Fisherman's Wharf offers waterfront dining, shopping, nightlife, and outdoor activities. Join a whale-watching cruise, sailing and fishing charters, or stroll along the waterfront and enjoy fresh local seafood, an incredible mix of restaurants, and entertainment.
Is there parking at Fisherman's Wharf?
You will find five parking lots by Fisherman's Wharf, including the Waterfront Attendant Lot on Washington Street. Most parking lots charge $1.50 per hour or $15 daily. You can also take the free MST trolley from downtown, where there are many parking garages, or park at Monterey Bay Park, with $10 all-day parking on the Coastal Trail so you can walk or bike to Fisherman's Wharf.
Laguna Seca Raceway
Tee off on Laguna Seca Golf Ranch's signature Robert Trent Jones golf course, a challenging Monterey golf course that follows the terrain of the coastal hills. The 18-hole championship course features elevated tee boxes with beautiful views, rolling fairways, and greens guarded by challenging bunkers.
Attraction Details
- Attraction Details
Address
1021 Monterey Salinas Hwy,
Salinas, California, 93908
Distance from Hotel: 14 milesPhone
- More Details
Laguna Seca also features a clubhouse, a golf shop, and natural grass practice greens.
- Hours & Prices
Hours: 8 AM to 6 PM
Prices: N/A
- Events & Activities
Events:
- Sea Otter Classic
- Trans Am Speedfest
- Motul Course de Monterey (IMSA)
- MotoAmerica Superbike Speedfest at Monterey
- AHRMA Classic MotoFest of Monterey
- Monterey Pre-Reunion
- Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion
- Corkscrew Hillclimb & Community Day
- Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey (INDYCAR)
- Porsche Rennsport Reunion 7
Activities:
- Camping
- hiking trails
- biking trails
- Before you go
FAQS
Where is Laguna Seca Raceway?
Laguna Seca Raceway is a paved road racing track built in 1957, close to Salinas and Monterey, California. Enjoy motorcycle and automobile racing with spectacular views just 15 minutes from downtown Carmel.
How much does it cost to visit Laguna Seca?
Laguna Seca is adrenaline fun for all ages, and the ticket cost is $35.
17 Mile Drive/ Pebble Beach
Cruise 17-Mile Drive as it winds along the Pacific coast in Pebble Beach. Discover one of the most scenic drives in the world with breathtaking scenery, from coastal cliffs and beaches to forests and golf courses. See the Lone Cypress, Crocker Grove, Fanshell Beach, and the Restless Sea at Point Joe, or stroll the boardwalk above the beach at Spanish Bay.
Attraction Details
- Attraction Details
Address
17 Mile Dr,
Monterey, California, 93953
Distance from Hotel: 4.52 milesPhone
- More Details
See the Lone Cypress, Crocker Grove, Fanshell Beach, and the Restless Sea at Point Joe, or stroll the boardwalk above the beach at Spanish Bay. If you want to drive, there is a small fee at the entrance, but it's free to bike or walk.
- Hours & Prices
Hours: Open between sunrise and sunset. The gates are operated 24 hours a day.
Prices: $10.50 per vehicle. Free for biking and walking.
- Events & Activities
Events:
- 78th U.S. Women's Open
- Hickory Sticks Invitational
- The Pebble Beach Concours D'elegance
Activities:
- Fanshell Overlook - See harbor seals in the springtime (April-June)
- Spanish Bay Beach - Stop for a picnic, relax on the sand, surf waves, or walk the boardwalk
- Take in the view from 800 feet above sea level at Huckleberry hill
- Bird Rock Beach - Stop to birdwatch in this sandy cove
- The Lone Cypress - Photograph a Monterey Peninsula landmark, a 250+ years old cypress tree.
- Watch the bagpiper at Spanish Bay at sunset
- Pebble Beach Visitor Center with shopping and dining
- Before you go
FAQS
Do you have to pay to get on 17-Mile Drive?
There is a $10.50 fee per vehicle to access 17-Mile Drive, and motorcycles are not permitted. The fee gets you on this scenic drive and brings you a driving guide with points of interest to take on your adventure. Bicycles can get on for free through the Pacific Grove gate.
Where does 17-Mile Drive begin and end?
17-Mile Drive is a scenic road that starts in Monterey in the south, passes through Pebble Beach, and ends in Pacific Grove on the north end of the Monterey Peninsula. Most of the road hugs the Pacific coastline and passes beaches, famous golf courses, and scenic attractions, including the Lone Cypress, Bird Rock, and the Del Monte Forest of Monterey cypress trees.
Big Sur Coast Highway
Big Sur is a magnificent stretch of land off the popular Pacific Coast Highway. From lush mountains to coastal redwood forests, fog-shrouded cliffs, windswept cypress trees, and hidden beaches make this one of the most remarkable destinations on California's central coast.
Attraction Details
- Attraction Details
Address
Big Sur,
Monterey, California, 93920
Distance from Hotel: 28.8 milesPhone
- More Details
Enjoy the unmatched scenic beauty, epic hiking trails, camping spots, and breathtaking historic & state parks.
- Hours & Prices
Hours: N/A
Prices: N/A
- Events & Activities
Events:
- Whale migration
- Elephant seal breeding season
Activities:
- Hiking
- Watching for wildlife
- Picnicking by the beach
- Before you go
FAQS
What is the distance from Monterey to Big Sur?
The driving distance from Monterey to the northern end of Big Sur is 10-15 minutes approximately.
Which are the best hiking trails in the Big Sur area?
Explore some picturesque hiking trails like Point Lobos State Reserve, Andrew Molera Loop, and Pfeiffer Falls Trail near Big Sur in Monterey.
Monterey State Historic Park
Take a walking tour of the oldest buildings in California at this heritage park in Monterey's Old Town historic district. The park features scenic walking and biking trails, beautiful gardens, historic houses, including Custom House Museum, and the Monterey Walking Path of History.
Attraction Details
- Attraction Details
Address
20 Custom House Plaza,
Monterey, California , 93940
Distance from Hotel: 1.46 milesPhone
- More Details
Located throughout the Monterey Old Town historic district, discover California's historic houses and buildings, California's first theater, and the site where the U.S. flag was first raised over the state. Enjoy a guided tour or stroll past 17 historic buildings, many of which showcase California's transition from a remote Spanish outpost to an official state. This heritage attraction features an open-air museum, beautiful gardens, and the Custom House, the oldest government building in California.
- Hours & Prices
Hours: May through September: 9 AM to 5 PM; October through April: 10 AM to 4 PM.
Prices: Free
- Events & Activities
Events:
- History Fest
- Christmas in the Adobes
Activities:
- Historic Buildings
- Guided Tours
- Walking Path Tours
- Gardens
- Museums
- Sightseeing
- Before you go
FAQS
Can I go inside any of the historic buildings?
Some buildings are open; however, you can view many historic adobes with a State Park Guide. Sign up for a tour at the office at 20 Custom House Plaza or call 1-831-649-7118.
Are there tours at Monterey State Historic Park?
The park offers guided tours starting at the Custom House Plaza near Fisherman's Wharf on Thursday through Sunday of the month, 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, for $10, and kids are free. The 2-mile Monterey Walking Path of History is free entry at any point in the park. Follow the yellow-tiled markers, which guide you past 12 significant buildings and residences from California's history, including the Custom House, the oldest government building in California. A self-guided mobile phone tour gives you a deeper experience.
Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail
Bike, walk, or surrey along this 18-mile paved path that stretches from Castorville to Pacific Grove along Monterey Bay and the Pacific coast. With gorgeous scenery and ocean views, the trail is a fun way to explore Monterey beaches, parks, and attractions such as Cannery Row, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and Fisherman's Wharf.
Attraction Details
- Attraction Details
Address
Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail,
Monterey, California,
- More Details
Winding along the Pacific coast, this scenic 18-mile paved path stretches from Castroville to Lovers Point Park in Pacific Grove along the beautiful Monterey Bay shoreline. Bike or walk through gorgeous scenery, with views of Monterey Bay and wildlife viewing, harbor seals, sea otters, sea lions, and whales. You can rent bikes, surreys, and skates from a local business along the trail.
The multi-use rail trail is a great way to avoid the roads to get to downtown Monterey, beaches, parks, historic sites, and popular attractions such as Cannery Row, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Fisherman's Wharf, lined with restaurants, bars, and shops.
- Hours & Prices
Hours: Open daily, 24/7
Prices: Trail access is free to the public
- Events & Activities
Events:
- Old Monterey Farmer's Market
- Monterey 250 Celebrations
Activities:
- Walking
- Biking
- Dining
- Skating
- Surreys
- Wildlife Viewing
- Sightseeing
- Shopping
- Photography
- Before you go
FAQS
Where can I rent bikes on the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail?
The trail runs along the Pacific Ocean and Monterey Bay for 18 miles, following the former Southern Pacific Railroad line. The trail can be accessed in Monterey at Fisherman's Wharf and Cannery Row and at many points along the shoreline in the Monterey County communities of Pacific Grove, where the trail starts at Lovers Point Park, Seaside, and Castroville, CA.
Where can I rent bikes on the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail?
Visitors can rent bikes, surreys for up to six people, in-line skates, and kayaks from several local Monterey outfitters, including the nearby Adventures by the Sea and Monterey Bay Kayaks.
Monterey Conference Center
Located downtown, the Monterey Conference Center is a state-of-the-art destination for trade shows, conventions, conferences, business meetings, social events and cultural happenings.
Attraction Details
- Attraction Details
Address
1 Portola Plaza,
Monterey, California, 93940
Distance from Hotel: 1.2 milesPhone
- More Details
The convention center features 41,000 square feet of meeting space, 19,600 square feet of exhibition space, a 500-seat amphitheater, and ballrooms in an exquisite waterfront setting on Monterey Bay.
- Hours & Prices
Hours: 8 AM to 5 PM
Prices: N/A
- Events & Activities
Events:
- Meetings
- Weddings
- Social Events
Activities: N/A
- Before you go
FAQS
Where is Monterey Conference Center?
The Monterey Conference Center is located in downtown Monterey in, California. It has business services, eateries, and parking.
How far is the Monterey Conference Center from Monterey Bay Aquarium?
Yes, Texas Tech University offers daily tours, group tours, and even virtual tours online for prospective students and parents. The tour schedule varies throughout the year.