The Best Places to Go to in California for Luxury Travelers

California’s light, whether it’s mercurial over the desert, honeyed in wine country, or silvery along the Pacific, gives even the most mundane moments a cinematic quality. If you’re looking for the best places to go to in California, look past a list of cities and settle into a rhythm: a chef’s tasting under a starry sky, sunrise over the ocean from your private terrace, a late-morning hike scented by chaparral. You’re choosing a way of life rather than a place to stay when Haute Retreats curates your base, whether it’s beachfront, hillside, desert modern, or vineyard-adjacent.

Incorporating experiences with particular villa concepts from Haute Retreats’ California collection, this guide moves through the best places to go to in California for discerning tourists right now. You can anticipate discreet service, concierge care, and homes that seem like they were designed specifically for you.

How to Use This Guide

For the best places to go to in California, use each destination chapter as a mood board. You can choose whether your idea of California is barefoot on the sand, perched above sparkling city lights, or nestled between cypress and vines by combining a sense of place with recommended Haute Retreats villas and high-touch experiences. Look for the Signature Stays notes in each section for easy planning.

Malibu — Salt-Air Glamour on the Edge of the Pacific

Because it straddles two worlds—raw coastline and refined, understated luxury—Malibu is frequently mentioned when discussing the best places to go to in California. In the morning, dolphins can be seen tracking the break; in the afternoon, you can eat barefoot while feeling the sea spray on your wrist; and at night, you can enjoy a candlelit terrace while listening to the sound of the waves.

Signature Stays with Haute Retreats:

• Ideally situated between Santa Monica and the heart of Malibu, Blue Haven Malibu is a three-story oceanfront spread with direct beach access.
• Architect Norman Jarrett’s modern beachfront masterpiece, Villa Sea Glass, is all glass, light, and horizon.
• Selfridge Estate (Pt. Dume) — a gated 1.7-acre compound with coveted beach keys and easy access to Little Dume.
• Modernist vantage points for sunset rituals above the surf are Beachview Malibu (Marisol) and Latigo View in the hills.

Why it should be included in any list of the best places to go to in California When you’re craving movement, Malibu offers endless coast drives in addition to beach days, fine dining, and modern homes. The Malibu portfolio of Haute Retreats includes cliffside estates where the ocean is a living artwork as well as villas that are surf-friendly.

Beverly Hills & Bel-Air — Poolside Modernism and Old-Hollywood Ease

The best places to go to in California, in the opinion of many tourists, start and end in Beverly Hills, an urban resort designed for leisure. Morning laps in a private pool are peaceful. Afternoons are spent on a shaded patio enjoying house-made pasta and gallery visits. The evenings are filled with city lights and martinis.

Signature Stays with Haute Retreats:

• Summitridge is a sophisticated estate in Beverly Hills that features a guesthouse, a fitness center, and gardens where extended lunches are held.
• Villa Alta Paradise features four tranquil suites, a loggia for blue-hour dinners, and modern lines.
• The Zen Estate is a modern, five-bedroom home in the canyons that offers peaceful seclusion.
• Villa Mockingbird is a magnificent mansion on Bird Streets with expansive views of the city and ocean.

If serious shopping, dining close to your studio, and pools you won’t want to leave are all part of your definition of the best places to go to in California, consider this location. The Beverly Hills collection from Haute Retreats is designed for extended stays and easy entertaining.

Hollywood Hills & West Hollywood — Skyline Theatrics, Creative Pulse

There is a certain gravity to the ridgelines above Sunset. The hills hold their breath at dawn; the city flings sparks at night. Hollywood Hills offers access to everything and architectural drama for tourists planning the best places to go to in California.

Signature Stays with Haute Retreats:

• Near eateries and late-night jazz, Sierra Heights is a posh five-suite villa on a cul-de-sac in Bird Streets.
• Electra is a California modern home with seamless indoor-outdoor living and glass slides that open to the sky.
• Sunset View Mansion offers spa-like terraces for late-night stargazing, a private movie theater, an infinity pool, and a poker room.
• Hollywood Star Residence is a masterpiece perched on a hilltop overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the Hollywood Sign.

This is one of the best places to go to in California if you’re looking for restaurants, galleries, and music all within a short distance. Additionally, a dinner party at “home” ends up being the night you remember the most because the villas are made to host guests.

Palm Desert & Palm Springs — Desert Light, Mid-Century Lines

The palette changes as you head east: palms etched against cobalt, the granite spine of San Jacinto, and creosote and sunset neons. The best places to go to in California become reflective at this point—daybeds by the pool, an outdoor shower following a strenuous hike, and dinner beneath stars.

Signature Stays with Haute Retreats:

• Palm Desert Estate offers ranch-style tranquility, a glass wall overlooking the pool, a putting green, and a gym for pre-tee warm-ups.
• The Cielo Rock House is a two-acre desert compound that has been reimagined. It has a main house and a casita for complete seclusion.

When you want sun all year long and a villa that resembles a private resort, the Coachella Valley, which is surrounded by golf courses, galleries, and trailheads, is one of the best places to go to in California. It’s simple to host friends or have a peaceful business retreat off-site with Haute Retreats’ Palm Desert listings.

Napa Valley (and Neighbor Sonoma) — Vines, Kitchens, Conversations that Linger

Longer toasts, slower forks, and mornings that start with fog lifting off vineyards are all characteristics of wine country. This is pilgrimage territory for foodies and wine enthusiasts looking for the best places to go to in California.

Signature Stays with Haute Retreats:

• Between Napa and Sonoma (about 22 minutes to each hub), St. Helena Estate is a great place for tastings, chef dinners, or small parties.
• Calistoga Hideout is a rustic-chic compound consisting of a guest cottage and main house with seven bedrooms.

To see why this area is considered one of the best places to go to in California for serious epicureans, add a private vehicle and sommelier-led tasting sessions. Additionally, Haute Retreats organizes sophisticated wine-tour experiences, such as back-vintage pours, vineyard dinners, and invite-only estates.

San Diego & La Jolla — Blue Horizons, Easy Living

San Diego is softer around the edges south of the LA sprawl, with coves, sailboats, and rarely blinking sunshine. Anchor here if surfing before breakfast and sashimi after sunset are on your personal list of the best places to go to in California.

Signature Stays with Haute Retreats:

• Grand Blanc Maison is a two-wing, six-bedroom home designed for gatherings, offering concierge services like personal trainers and private chefs.

One of the best places to go to in California for families and wellness-conscious travelers alike is San Diego, which is known for its laid-back glamour, which includes the La Jolla bluffs, the gardens of Balboa Park, and its nightlife core. For the most recent options, visit Haute Retreats’ city page.

Lake Tahoe — Alpine Water, Four-Season Play

The best places to go to in California are sometimes those where the water is incredibly clear and the mornings feel cool even in July. In Tahoe, you alternate days between the lake, altitude fireside evenings, and hiking or skiing. Ask your Villa Specialist about current availability and insider recommendations in North and West Shore communities. Haute Retreats’ California hub showcases Lake Tahoe as part of its larger portfolio.

Dining & Daily Rhythm — A Taste for Every Map Pin

As much luxury is consumed as it is observed. Haute Retreats’ concierge can bring the kitchen home with a private chef and secure the best tables for dinner in Malibu, whether it’s an organic brunch on the pier, a classic steakhouse, or an omakase by the sea. Malibu continues to be one of the best places to go to in California for tourists who organize their days around the next great bite.

When to Go — Seasons and Sweet Spots

The variety of the best places to go to in California, including warm desert winters and golden autumns in wine country, is one of the reasons it works year-round. Early fall is magical for harvest season and late-afternoon swims without the crowds; spring brings soft temperatures and wildflowers. Winter is the best time of year to find snow in the Sierra. Take a look at Haute Retreats’ California page first, and then let your expert time-box the ideal week.

Why Choose Haute Retreats for Your California Stay

In addition to providing concierge services like a driver and chef, a sunset yacht charter, in-villa spa days, gallery access, or private wine country itineraries, Haute Retreats carefully selects villas with character—architecture, setting, and service that frame your days. One reason why many visitors use Haute Retreats whenever they map the best places to go to in California is because of this hospitality-based philosophy that has been honed through experience.

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Sample 5-Day Arc (Mix & Match)

Day 1–2: Malibu
When you arrive at a villa, the sound of the ocean plays. Enjoy a long dinner while the sky turns lavender, a hike in Solstice Canyon, a massage at home, and breakfast on the deck. You’ll see why Malibu consistently ranks among the best places to go to in California thanks to its sand, surf, and design-forward neighborhoods.

Day 3: Hollywood Hills / Beverly Hills
A private dinner with a view, a museum visit, and a lunch by the pool under citrus trees. These hills will always be on the short list of the best places to go to in California due to their architecture, which blends indoor and outdoor spaces.

Day 4: Palm Desert
Eastward, follow the light. Golden-hour cocktails in the pool pavilion, mid-day plunges, morning golf warm-ups on your own putting green, and stars so bright you can’t tell the time. The desert is one of the best places to go to in California because of its serene beauty.

Day 5: Napa Valley
Wine country is always one of the best places to go to in California when celebrations are planned, with a chauffeured day of tastings, a lunch at the vineyard, and a final dinner by the fire at your estate.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes these destinations the best places to go to in california right now?
Range and logistics. In a single trip you can pair ocean, desert, and vines—each with a Haute Retreats villa that feels like your own private resort.

How far in advance should I secure peak dates?
For festive periods, major events, or harvest season, treat the best places to go to in california like you would a sold-out performance: secure dates early and let the concierge pre-book the experiences.

Can Haute Retreats arrange chefs, drivers, and wellness?
Yes—our team builds trips around how you want to feel: nourished, restored, exhilarated. From private tastings in Napa to in-villa yoga in Palm Desert, this is the easy button for the best places to go to in california.

Design Your California

Ready to experience the best places to go to in california your way—coastal, hillside, desert, or vineyard? Speak to a Haute Retreats Villa Specialist for a custom shortlist of Malibu, Beverly Hills, Hollywood Hills, Palm Desert, Napa, San Diego, and Lake Tahoe homes, plus a day-by-day plan tailored to your travel style. (Toll-free from US & Canada: +1 888 279 6444.)

Read more: What Is Concierge Service? The Haute Retreats Way

In conclusion, California rewards people who plan with emotion rather than just location. The best places to go to in California become more than just places to visit with Haute Retreats; they become a way to remember time, measured in light, flavors, the silence between waves, and the slow exhale of a perfect day.