California
Independent hotel guides, travel articles, and travel videos for California.
Destinations within California
Hotel guides
Travel videos
youtube.com
Creative Travel Guide is a YouTube travel channel by a British couple sharing vlogs, travel advice, hotel tours, and trip tips.
This guide video is a useful statewide starter list, covering 25 things to do in California for broader trip planning.
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Wolters World is a YouTube travel channel offering first-hand travel advice, destination tips, and perspectives on positives and drawbacks.
This travel advice video gives a balanced California visitor perspective, discussing beaches, parks, cities, food, and practical travel tradeoffs.
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Hungry Passport is a YouTube travel channel offering travel guides and tips for major destinations around the world.
This California travel guide video presents ten trip ideas across San Diego, desert areas, Palm Springs, Orange County, Los Angeles, and other statewide highlights.
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Hey Nadine is a YouTube travel channel by Nadine Sykora focused on destinations, travel advice, and practical trip expectations.
This road trip vlog captures a good group-travel route through California, including Mammoth Lakes, Mono Lake, and Lake Tahoe.
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Joel and Emilia is a YouTube travel channel by Joel Friend and Emilia Beattie focused on global travel and remote adventures.
This travel video follows a scenic California coast road trip on the Pacific Coast Highway from Carmel-by-the-Sea through Big Sur.
Travel articles & blogs
Practical Wanderlust is a responsible budget travel blog and podcast with practical guides, humor, and social context. Their California travel guide is a helpful statewide resource, combining favorite places with practical tips, tricks, and notable locations to consider.
Pouring our love of California into this California Travel Guide of all our favourite things, tips and tricks and must-see locations!
practicalwanderlust.com/california/
Earth Trekkers is a family adventure travel site specializing in detailed guides, itineraries, road trips, hikes, and national parks. Their California guide is strong for adventure-focused planning, covering major places such as San Francisco, Yosemite, San Diego, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, and Death Valley.
California Travel Guide. San Francisco, Yosemite National Park, San Diego, Los Angeles, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Death Valley.
earthtrekkers.com/united-states/california/
ViaTravelers is a travel media and planning site combining destination guides with practical comparison and itinerary tools. Their 2026 California travel guide offers a well-rounded look at the state’s landscapes, culture, cities, beaches, redwoods, deserts, wine regions, and outdoor appeal.
California, the Golden State, embodies the American dream with its stunning diversity of landscapes, cultures, and experiences. From
viatravelers.com/destinations/california/
2TravelDads is an LGBTQ family travel blog focused on road trips, national parks, family travel, and inclusive destinations. Their California article is useful for family and road-trip planning, with ideas spanning national parks, budget travel, beaches, hikes, and city getaways.
California travel guide focusing on exploring the state via road trips, enjoying National Parks, and visiting California on a budget. From San Diego to the Oregon border, hiking, beaches and city getaways all over California.
2traveldads.com/best-things-to-do-california/
NOMADasaurus is an adventure travel and photography blog with destination guides, sustainable tourism coverage, and visual storytelling. Their 2026 California guide gives travelers a broad and practical list of 25 attractions and activities across the state.
Looking for all the best attractions in the Golden State? Our guide to all the best things to do in California is all you need!
nomadasaurus.com/things-to-do-in-california/
Our Escape Clause is a travel blog publishing detailed, experience-driven itineraries and guides, especially for Europe, the USA, and road trips. Their California roundup is a helpful planning reference for comparing 25 cities, beaches, and vacation spots across the state.
Looking for the best places to visit in California? From cities to beaches, here are the California vacation spots to add to your bucket list!
ourescapeclause.com/best-places-to-visit-in-california/
The Poor Traveler is a budget travel and itinerary site focused on practical planning, logistics, documents, and value-conscious travel. Their California article offers five practical ways to make a trip more special, drawing on the state’s landscapes, cities, coastline, food, wine, and outdoor settings.
It's seldom that we find destinations that have desert lands, snow-capped mountains, splendid shores, and bustling metropoles all within their boundaries.
thepoortraveler.net/2017/01/california-5-ways-make-trip-special/
Nomadic Matt is a long-running budget travel planning site focused on cheaper, longer, and more independent travel. Their 21-day California road trip itinerary is a practical route-planning guide for seeing the state’s main sights over three weeks.
In this 3 week California road trip itinerary, get suggestions to help you see the main sights and have an epic road trip experience!
nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/california-road-trip-itinerary/
Trekaroo is a family travel community and planning resource built around parent-written advice, reviews, guides, and itineraries. Their 10-day family California road trip itinerary is especially helpful for planning a coastal route from San Francisco to San Diego.
This year, take your family on a grand California Road Trip down the coast. From San Francisco to San Diego, there is something for everyone on this 10 day itinerary.
blog.trekaroo.com/grand-california-road-trip/
Inside The Travel Lab is a journalism-led online travel magazine focused on thoughtful guides, cultural context, and sustainable travel. Their California road-trips article gives thoughtful route inspiration and planning context, with ideas stretching from the Sierra Nevada to the Redwood Coast.
Explore the very best of the Golden State, from Sierra Nevada to the Redwood Coast, in this essential guide to the best California road trips.
insidethetravellab.com/best-california-road-trips/
The Family Voyage is a family travel site focused on practical advice for trips with kids, packing, gear, and itineraries. Their California with kids guide is a practical resource for choosing 10 family-oriented activities around the state.
Don't miss these epic things to do in California with kids - find the best of what the Golden State has to offer!
thefamilyvoyage.com/best-things-to-do-in-california-with-kids/
Hand Luggage Only is a travel, food, photography, and home blog known for visual destination guides and travel inspiration. Their California national parks guide is a visually oriented and helpful resource for visitors interested in eight of the state’s varied landscapes.
There's no beating around the bush with California, it's a stunning state to visit (and pretty diverse, too). From the southerly fringes near San Diego to - 8 Best National Parks In California To Visit - Travel, Travel Advice - California, North America, USA - Travel, Food and Home Inspiration Blog with door-to-door Travel Planner! - Travel Advice, Travel Inspiration, Home Inspiration, Food Inspiration, Recipes, Photography
handluggageonly.co.uk/8-beautiful-national-parks-in-california-to-visit/