The Best Places to Visit in California Come at a Cost

The best places to visit in California may not be the cheapest. Staying in hotels in these in-demand spots will take a bite of the wallet but may be well worth the chomp. For instance, precious Carmel-by-the-Sea, a small and exquisitely quaint beach city on the Monterey Peninsula, is the priciest summer destination in California for hotel stays this year, according to a survey by Cheaphotels.org.

The survey looked at the cost of accommodation across 30 popular California destinations. For each destination, the average price for the cheapest available double room during July and August 2023 was established. Only hotels located close to a beach or in the city/town center, and with three or more stars, were considered for the survey.

With an general rate of $305 per night for the most affordable double room, Carmel-by-the-Sea my be one of the best places to visit in California but comes out as the state’s priciest destination. Only slightly more affordable are Santa Monica and Pismo Beach, with average rates of $287 and $280, respectively. 

Compare with 2019, when the survey was last conduct, hotel rates in Carmel-by-the-Sea seem to have increases by more than 30%. The only destination where a similar increase can see is La Jolla, an upscale seaside resort village just north of San Diego along the coast. On average, rates in California are up by only about 5% compares with four years ago. 

Surprisingly, with an average rate of just $115 per night, San Francisco in northern California emerges as the cheapest destination records in the survey – a 30% decrease compares with 2019.

Best Places to Visit in California: Priciest Possibilities

The following table compares 30 destinations for accommodation in California this summer. Prices shown reflect the average rate for each destination’s cheapest available double room for the period July 1 to August 31, 2023.

1. 1. Carmel-by-the-Sea $305

1. 1. Santa Monica $287

1. 1. Pismo Beach $280

1. 1. La Jolla $278

1. 1. Santa Barbara $257

1. 1. Laguna Beach $238

1. 1. Monterey $235

1. 1. Calistoga $232

1. 1. Palo Alto $231

1. 1. Carlsbad $230

1. 1. Cambria $217

1. 1. Napa $206

1. 1. Santa Cruz $205

1. 1. West Hollywood $201

1. 1. San Luis Obispo $182
   2. Long Beach $175 
   3. Santa Rosa $175 
   4. South Lake Tahoe $172 
   5. San Diego $160
   6. Eureka $158
   7. Los Angeles $155
   8. Paso Robles $152
   9. Mammoth Lakes $151
   10. San Jose $150
   11. Sacramento $150 
   12. Oakland $148
   13. Sunnyvale $132
   14. Palm Springs $117
   15. Anaheim $117
   16. San Francisco $115