Yosemite National Park

California stretches along the Pacific coast between Oregon and Mexico, and with around 39.4 million inhabitants, it is the most populous state in the USA. You come here for its approximately 1,350 kilometers of coastline, for metropolises like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego, and for high mountains, deserts, and redwood forests that lie close to each other.In the east, the Sierra Nevada stretches through the state. Its highest peak is Mount Whitney at 4,421 meters, the highest mountain in the USA outside Alaska. Just over 100 kilometers away lies Death Valley: Badwater Basin is located around 85 meters below sea level, and in 1913, 56.7 °C was measured here. On the coast, Highway 1 in Big Sur follows the steep cliffs above the Pacific for 114 kilometers.California has nine National Parks. In Sequoia National Park stands the General Sherman Tree; Redwood National Park in the north protects almost half of the remaining coast redwoods; and Joshua Tree is located at the transition of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts. Approximately 90 percent of US wine comes from California.

San Francisco lies in Northern California at the northern tip of a peninsula between the Pacific and San Francisco Bay. The city, founded in 1776 with around 874,000 residents, is known for its steep hills, the Cable Cars, and the Golden Gate Bridge.Opened in 1937, the 2.7-kilometer-long Golden Gate Bridge connects the city with Marin County. The Cable Cars, a National Historic Landmark since 1964, operate on three lines, the two Powell lines running from Market Street to Fisherman's Wharf. Chinatown is considered North America's oldest Chinatown. Ferries to the former prison island Alcatraz depart from Pier 33; day tickets for adults cost 47.95 dollars and can be booked up to 90 days in advance.BART, Caltrain, light rail, and buses serve the city and region. Expect fog and cool winds from the Golden Gate: In summer, San Francisco is one of the coolest major cities in the USA; a jacket is advisable even in July.

Nevada is located east of California, between Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and Arizona. The state is primarily known as the home of Las Vegas, but you'll also find desert mountains, red sandstone canyons, and one side of Lake Tahoe here.With an average of around 180 millimeters of precipitation per year, Nevada is the driest state in the USA. Most of it belongs to the Great Basin, the south to the Mojave Desert, and over 80 percent of its area is federally administered. Its highest peak is Boundary Peak at 4,007 meters. Carson City is the capital, Reno is the center of the north, and about one-third of Lake Tahoe's water area lies in Nevada.To the east, the Great Basin National Park protects bristlecone pines, which are up to 5,000 years old, as well as the Lehman Caves. Around Las Vegas are the Hoover Dam from 1936, the Valley of Fire, Nevada's oldest State Park, and the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. A part of Death Valley also belongs to Nevada.

Just about 27 kilometers west of the Strip, the city abruptly ends. In Red Rock Canyon, red-and-white striped sandstone walls rise from the Mojave Desert; the area has been protected as a National Conservation Area since 1990 and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Its rocks are an international climbing destination; for everyone else, there are hiking trails ranging from short family loops to summit treks.Geologically fascinating is the Keystone Thrust, a fault that formed about 66 million years ago and is visible for about 21 kilometers along the rock face. The red Aztec sandstone originated from dunes that were here about 180 million years ago, glowing particularly intensely in the Calico Hills. In some places, you'll find rock art from earlier indigenous cultures.Most visitors drive the 13-mile (21 km) long Scenic Drive, featuring viewpoints and hiking trail parking areas. Important: From October 1st to May 31st, you'll need a Timed-Entry Reservation via Recreation.gov for entry between 8 AM and 5 PM; this also applies to the Visitor Center. With the ticket, you may enter up to 30 minutes earlier and stay all day, but re-entry requires a new reservation.The best time to visit is autumn, winter, and spring. Those wishing to visit without a reservation can enter before 8 AM or after 5 PM. On weekends, parking lots are often full between 9 AM and 3 PM.

Malibu is not a city with a central core, but rather a 34-kilometer-long stretch of coastline along the Pacific Coast Highway, nestled between the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Officially, Malibu lies outside the city of Los Angeles, only establishing itself as its own municipality in 1991. It is known for its surf beaches, rocky coves, and rugged cliffs.The fires of December 2024 and January 2025 hit Malibu hard; the Palisades Fire destroyed a large portion of the beach houses in the eastern part of the area. The Pacific Coast Highway has been open to all traffic again since May 2025, reconstruction is ongoing, and many restaurants have only gradually reopened.On the eastern edge of the coastline lies the Getty Villa, a recreation of the Roman Villa dei Papiri from Herculaneum, housing around 44,000 Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities. Further west, Point Dume juts into the sea, a headland at the northern end of Santa Monica Bay. From February into spring, you can often spot gray whales and humpback whales on their migration from here. Approximately 16 kilometers west of the center, paths and stairs lead down to El Matador State Beach, a small cove nestled beneath the cliffs.For Malibu, you'll need a full day and preferably a car. The beaches are emptier in the mornings, and a sunset at El Matador or on Point Dume makes for a perfect end to the day.