Anchors and Otters: What to Do in Monterey for 10 Days Without Going Completely Shellfish

Your Salt-Air Saturated Guide: What To Do In Monterey For 10 Days

Planning what to do in Monterey for 10 days requires strategic thinking. Only amateurs attempt to cram everything into a weekend, leaving exhausted and with a camera roll full of blurry sea lion photos. The sophisticated traveler spreads out, breathes deep, and follows this neighborhood-by-neighborhood guide with the relaxed confidence of someone who has packed enough windbreakers.

Days 1-3: Central Monterey’s Greatest Hits

The Monterey Bay Aquarium stands as the crown jewel of Cannery Row, housing a mesmerizing two-story kelp forest tank where sardines swirl in hypnotic patterns. Adult tickets run $49.95, but here’s the insider tip that feels like finding money in an old coat pocket: tickets are valid for all-day reentry. Leave during the midday crush when school groups reach peak volume, enjoy lunch elsewhere, then return for the 3pm sea otter feeding when the animals perform their adorable aquatic ballet. Arrive 30 minutes before opening to beat the crowds that form with the predictability of coastal fog.

Cannery Row itself has completed its metamorphosis from industrial fish-processing district to tourist thoroughfare with the enthusiasm of a butterfly who’s discovered retail therapy. Ghost Tree Brewing offers craft beers at $8 a pour while the Ghirardelli ice cream shop provides sundaes for $12.95 that require a commitment bordering on marriage. The shopping experience resembles a nautical-themed mall that somehow escaped the 1990s, but savvy visitors seek out McAbee Beach, a tiny pocket of sand hidden between the shops where locals sometimes still cast fishing lines.

Old Fisherman’s Wharf operates on the economic principle that no one should pass a restaurant without being offered free clam chowder samples in tiny bread bowls. The whale watching tours ($65 for 3-hour trips) boast an 85% success rate for sightings, which are considerably better odds than most Vegas games. Harbor seals frequently lounge near the pier pilings, offering free entertainment to those who’ve spent their souvenir budget on saltwater taffy. Watch closely and you’ll spot the fascinating divide between tourists (identifiable by their brand-new sweatshirts purchased after underestimating the coastal chill) and locals (who navigate the boardwalk with the efficiency of salmon returning upstream).

Accommodations range from the budget-friendly Monterey Hotel at around $130 per night (historic charm with slightly dated bathrooms) to the mid-range Portola Hotel and Spa at $250 (where the lobby’s living trees make you feel like you’re checking into an upscale forest). Luxury seekers gravitate to the Monterey Plaza Hotel at $400+ nightly, where rooms feature balconies perfectly positioned for contemplating how quickly vacation funds can evaporate when faced with ocean views.

Days 4-6: Coastal Treasures Beyond the Tourist Core

The famous 17-Mile Drive charges an $11.25 entrance fee, which feels mildly offensive until you learn it’s reimbursed with a $35+ purchase at Pebble Beach restaurants. The route delivers celebrities of the natural world: the stoic Lone Cypress perched on its rocky outcrop and the haunting Ghost Trees with their skeletal limbs. Harbor seals gather on the beaches like tourists at a buffet. Visit before 9am to avoid the procession of tour buses that arrive with clockwork precision and the Instagram influencers posing dramatically against coastal backdrops.

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, often called “the crown jewel of the State Park system” by people who apparently haven’t seen enough jewelry, charges a $10 parking fee for access to its network of trails. The Cypress Grove Trail (0.8 miles) and Sea Lion Point (0.6 miles) offer relatively flat terrain with disproportionately spectacular views. The reserve hosts 450+ plant species and marine mammals that seem to pose for photographs with suspicious regularity. Morning fog creates an ethereal atmosphere before burning off to reveal vibrant tide pools teeming with miniature ecosystems.

Carmel-by-the-Sea resembles a European village that’s been shrunk, beautified, and placed in a snow globe without the snow. The dog-friendly beach allows canines to run unleashed, creating the world’s happiest concentration of wet retrievers. The town famously lacks street addresses, which isn’t charming when you’re trying to find a specific restaurant before your dinner reservation. Wine tasting rooms offer flights averaging $20, while shopping options cater to those whose credit cards don’t melt under pressure. The architecture consists entirely of storybook cottages that would make hobbits feel inadequate.

Pacific Grove offers Lovers Point Park where, despite the romantic name, families predominate with picnic baskets and rental kayaks ($30/hour). Asilomar State Beach provides rugged coastline views without the Pebble Beach price tag, while the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary (October-February, free admission) hosts thousands of orange-winged insects that somehow navigate to the same trees annually without GPS or complaining about the drive.

Dining options span from Sea Harvest’s unfussy fish and chips ($22) to Passionfish’s sustainable seafood entrees ($28-45) that come with side dishes of environmental awareness. Gianni’s Pizza serves specialty pies ($22) that make travelers momentarily forget they came for seafood. The region’s restaurants collectively answer the question of what to do in Monterey for 10 days with a resounding: “Eat until your pants protest.”

Days 7-10: Day Trips and Hidden Gems

Big Sur lies just an hour south, though the drive takes longer because you’ll stop approximately every 100 yards to photograph increasingly spectacular vistas. McWay Falls drops 80 feet directly onto a beach inaccessible to visitors, nature’s way of displaying something beautiful just beyond reach. Bixby Bridge serves as the unofficial gateway, competing with the Lone Cypress for “Most Photographed Landmark” status. Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park ($10 entry) offers redwood-studded hiking trails for all abilities. Gas prices run about 30% higher than in Monterey, which feels like paying a scenic beauty tax.

Elkhorn Slough provides guided kayak tours ($50 for two hours) through one of California’s largest wetlands, with guaranteed sea otter sightings or your disappointment is free. Birdwatchers can spot 350+ species, making it the Vegas of avian biodiversity. The calm waters make this suitable even for kayaking novices who normally consider floating in a hotel pool sufficiently adventurous.

Monterey Wine Country spreads through Carmel Valley, where Folktale Winery and Bernardus offer tasting experiences in settings that make visitors question their life choices. Transportation options include rideshare services or wine shuttles ($45) that eliminate both the designated driver dilemma and the navigational challenges that intensify with each tasting. Consider this region Napa without the attitude or price tag—the wine country equivalent of finding designer clothes at outlet prices.

Fort Ord Dunes State Park stretches across four miles of undeveloped beaches connected by eight miles of trails through restored dune habitat. The former military base (Army, 1917-1994) offers historical perspective along with uninterrupted coastal views. Unlike more famous beaches, visitors here can sometimes walk for an hour without encountering another human, which feels like discovering a secret California from before the population boom.

Pinnacles National Park, a 1.5-hour drive inland, showcases volcanic rock formations that resemble a geological art installation. Talus caves house bat colonies, while California condors with their 9-foot wingspans patrol the skies. The $30 vehicle entrance fee grants access to hiking trails ranging from “pleasant stroll” to “questioning life decisions.” The park divides into east and west sections with no connecting road, a quirk that confuses first-time visitors and GPS systems equally.

Practical Matters: Weather, Transportation, and Strategic Planning

Monterey’s weather follows a script written by someone with a fog machine and a sense of humor. Mornings typically start enshrouded before revealing sun around midday, with average temperatures ranging from 55-70F year-round. September and October offer the most consistently sunny days, which locals discuss with the reverence usually reserved for religious experiences. Layering isn’t just a fashion choice but a survival strategy, as temperature swings can transform a pleasant morning into a chilly afternoon faster than you can say “coastal inversion layer.”

Transportation options include rental cars ($40-65/day), the free MST Trolley connecting major attractions, and bicycle rentals ($35/day from Adventures By The Sea). Parking downtown requires the patience of a fisherman and the timing instincts of a seagull spotting an unattended sandwich. The most strategic approach to deciding what to do in Monterey for 10 days includes positioning your accommodation to minimize driving needs.

Money-saving opportunities abound for the resourceful traveler. Combination passes for the Monterey Bay Aquarium and 17-Mile Drive offer modest discounts. Happy hour at Montrio Bistro (4:30-6:30pm) delivers high-end appetizers at half price, while several museums offer free admission days that aren’t prominently advertised. Off-season visits (January-March, excluding holidays) deliver lower accommodation rates and the smug satisfaction of watching locals treat 60F as winter weather.

For crowd avoidance, Tuesday through Thursday visits to major attractions prove most effective. Early mornings at beaches offer solitude and improved wildlife viewing before the masses arrive with their beach umbrellas and portable speakers. Local events worth planning around include the Monterey Jazz Festival (September), Artichoke Festival (June), Car Week (August), and ATandT Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament (February), each attracting their own distinct demographics ranging from music aficionados to vegetable enthusiasts.