Monterey: 17-Mile Drive Electric Bike Tour & Lone Cypress

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/22

Duration3h

GroupUp to 12

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Ride the 17-Mile Drive without pedaling uphill — electric bikes make the whole coast accessible

You ride 16 miles along Monterey's most scenic coastal road on an electric bike, stopping at the Lone Cypress, Point Pinos Lighthouse, Asilomar Beach, and several wildlife lookouts where you'll spot sea otters and seals. The motor handles the hills, your guide handles the stories, and you handle the camera. Three hours, all fitness levels, includes the bike, helmet, water, and a guide who knows the place.

Step-by-step itinerary

Electric bike tour of 17-Mile Drive

Start at Big Sur Adventures shop
Watch surfers and take photos
Ride oceanfront from Pacific Grove gate to Bird Rock
Ride 8-mile scenic 17-Mile Drive section
Stop at Lone Cypress for photos
Ride past golf course and hear history
Visit white sand beach and learn history
Snap photo and look for sea otters
Stop and enjoy coastal views
See old Chinese fishing village site
Restroom break and watch sea lions
Look for sea otters at lookout
View Cypress Point Country Club
Ride under Monterey Cypress tree canopy
Stop at Pebble Beach Lodge shops
Relax with coffee and snacks at Carmel Bay
Visit Point Lobos and Carmel Bay viewpoint
Walk out to Ghost Trees point

The Experience

You're going to spend three hours on the most photographed stretch of California coastline, and you won't arrive exhausted. The 17-Mile Drive between Monterey and Carmel is the kind of place that looks better from a bike than from a car — you move slow enough to notice the sea otters, the deer on the fairways, the way the light hits the rocks. An electric bike means you can coast through the ocean-front sections, stop whenever something catches your eye, and still cover 16 miles without your legs deciding they're done halfway through.

The tour starts at Asilomar State Beach, just up from the shop, and follows protected bike lanes or low-speed roads for most of the route. Your guide — and they really do know this place; one holds a master's degree in biology — stops at the Lone Cypress (the 250-year-old tree that's probably been photographed more than any other tree on earth), Point Pinos Lighthouse on the Pacific Grove side, Cypress Point Lookout if conditions allow, and a handful of smaller overlooks where you'll actually see what you came for: harbor seals, sea lions hauled out on rocks, maybe a sea otter in the kelp. There's a restroom break at Bird Rock, and if the group moves at a decent pace, you'll end up at a café in Carmel with a view of the bay and time to sit down.

The bikes come in over 50 models, which means they fit people from 4'10" to well over six feet, and the motor does the work on the climbs. Kids as young as 12 can ride solo; younger ones ride tandem on a cargo e-bike with a parent. You get a helmet, gloves, water, and a guide who actually knows the history — not just the wildlife, but the old Chinese fishing village that used to be here, the golf courses, the Spanish explorers. The whole thing is weather-dependent; if it rains, you reschedule or get your money back.

What’s included

Your day includes an electric bike fitted to your size, helmet, gloves, and bottled water.
A top-rated guide leads the group through the scenic sections of the 17-Mile Drive, stopping at the Lone Cypress, Point Pinos Lighthouse, Asilomar Beach, Cypress Point Lookout, and several wildlife viewing areas.
The tour covers approximately 16 miles in 3 hours on protected bike lanes and low-speed roads, with a restroom break included.
Groups are kept to a maximum of 25 people.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcome

Operated by Big Sur Adventures

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see the entire 17-Mile Drive without driving it, and without the strain of a regular bike on the hills — the electric motor and a knowledgeable guide turn three hours into a real tour instead of a workout.