PLEASE CHECK BACK IN JANUARY 2027 FOR DETAILS.

Flying to Monterey

Monterey Airport (MRY) -You can fly directly into the Monterey Airport, which is less than 8 kilometers/5 miles from campus. There are daily flights from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Diego.

San Jose Airport (SJC) - You can also fly into San Jose Airport, located in Silicon Valley, and take the Monterey Airbus for $40 to downtown Monterey, which is only a block away from campus. The San Jose Airport is approximately 120 kilometers/75 miles away from Monterey.

San Francisco Airport (SFO) - Additionally, you can fly into San Francisco Airport and take the Monterey Airbus for $50 to downtown Monterey, which is only a block away from campus. The San Francisco Airport is approximately 180 kilometers/110 miles away from Monterey.

Getting Around Monterey - From the airport, taxicabs meet every flight and will deliver you and your baggage to the Institute or to your hotel for approximately $20, including tip. You may also take Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) Bus 13 from the airport to downtown Monterey for only $1.50. Please check the bus schedule for more details. There are also several car rental services at the Monterey Airport, and you can pick up your rental car minutes after your flight arrives.

The Monterey-Salinas Transit buses also provide access to the major tourist destinations, shopping centers and restaurants throughout the Monterey Peninsula.

We invite you to browse the Monterey visitors web site at www.monterey.com for further information on your visit to Monterey.

This link will take you to a list of recommended hotels.

Here is the link to our favorites.

Places to Visit

For further information, stop by the Monterey Chamber of Commerce, (380 Alvarado Street, 648-5360).

In Monterey

PATH OF HISTORY: walking tours guide covers select portions of downtown Monterey, including the Larkin House, Pacific House, Robert Louis Stevenson House and the First Theater. Guided tours of many of the buildings are available for a nominal charge. A map of the walking tour and schedule of hours and tour information for the six public adobes is available in the Students Affairs Office as well as the Monterey Chamber of Commerce. You can also take a self-guided tour by checking out a tape for your Walkman from the Media Center. Ask for the “Old Monterey” tape.

FISHERMAN’S WHARF: The end of Figueroa Street is full of tourists, but fun. Enjoy a drink and a fresh smoked salmon sandwich or clam chowder at a variety of sidewalk restaurants. But please don’t feed the pelicans!

CANNERY ROW: The setting of Steinbeck’s famous novel by the same name, Cannery Row has a unique atmosphere and attracts a number of tourists. There are numerous restaurants to choose from and a variety of shops to browse in. One of the renovated canneries, Edgewater Family Fun Center, features a large carousel inside and a bike rental next door (Bay Bikes-646-9090). Rent a bike and ride the path from Lover’s Point in Pacific Grove up the coast to Marina. http://www.canneryrow.com/

MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM: The Monterey Bay Aquarium is located at 886 Cannery Row (648-4888 or 1-800-756-3737 toll free for advance tickets) and is open every day from 10 am to 6 pm. Regular admission is $21.95; students ages 13 to 17, full-time students and seniors 65 and older will be admitted for $19.95; children ages 3-12 and people with disabilities, $12.95. Advance ticket reservations, may be made by calling 1-800-756-3737 (24 hours per day). Stop at the information booth for tour scripts in Spanish, German, Chinese, Japanese and French. Group tours are available, subject to the availability of a guide, in French, German, Japanese, Spanish and Russian; call Education Reservations (648-4937) for information. https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/

JACK’S PEAK PARK: (647-7799) Open seasonally 10 am to 7 pm daily (10-5 in the winter, 11-6 or 11-7 in the summer), the park boasts a wonderful view of the Monterey area, 10.5 miles of hiking trails, and picnic areas. It is a nature park, so no sports are permitted. Take Route 68 East, turn right on Olmstead Road (opposite the airport entrance) and watch for the left turn onto Jack’s Peak Drive. There is a parking fee of $3.00 Monday through Thursday and $4.00 on weekends and holidays. Check website for park hours as they change monthly. http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/parks/

LAKE EL ESTERO: (off Del Monte Blvd. and Camino El Estero) This park offers lots of ducks and geese (please don’t feed them), a nice place to walk or run (including a “par course”) and paddle boats and canoes for hire. Dennis the Menace Park is an elaborate playground for children.

In Pacific Grove

Pacific Grove is a delightful community with many small Victorian houses. The town offers nice restaurants, the Pacific Grove Art Center at 568 Lighthouse Ave., the Museum of Natural History at 165 Forest Ave., and Bookworks at 667 Lighthouse (a combination bookstore and cafe). Beautiful Ocean View Boulevard skirts the town along the ocean from Cannery Row to Asilomar Beach and is a spectacular drive, but an even greater walk or bike ride. From October to March, Pacific Grove plays host to the migrating Monarch butterflies.

In Carmel

Carmel is one of the quaintest places in the area, filled with shops, restaurants, and galleries. There is a beautiful beach at the end of Ocean Avenue, which is great for sunset beach parties with bonfires (no permit required, but restricted to south of 10th Avenue). If you have a dog, take advantage of the fact that it can run on Carmel Beach without a leash. Carmel River Beach is lovely as well, and bonfires are also permitted (but dogs must be leashed).

CARMEL MISSION: (624-1271) Located on Rio Road just west of Highway 1 in Carmel, the Mission was built in 1771 and was the second in the chain of California missions initiated by Father Junipero Serra, who is buried in the church. It is an excellent example of mission architecture, and both the main courtyard and the smaller one outside the church feature beautiful landscaping. The grounds include a graveyard and a museum. The Mission is open Monday through Saturday, 9:30 am to 5:00 pm, and Sunday 10:30 am to 5:00 pm. It is an active Catholic church and open for services on a regular schedule. http://www.carmelmission.org/

CARMEL VALLEY: Spreading to the east of Highway 1, the Carmel Valley is a beautiful stretch of countryside backed by the Santa Lucia Mountains. You can take a picnic lunch to walk the trails at Garland Ranch Park, which is on the right side of Carmel Valley Road, about nine miles east of Highway 1. There are maps at the visitor’s center, and it is open daily from 8:30 am to dusk.

Other Local Points of Interest

POINT LOBOS: Located about two miles south of Rio Road on Highway 1, Point Lobos is one of the most beautiful parks on the California coast. It is also one of the best places to watch for whales as they travel south between December and May. Admission is $8.00 per car, or $4.00 if a senior, (62 or over) is in the car. The price includes a map. Hike the scenic trails, or ride your bike (on the roads only). The park is open 9 am to 5 pm daily in the winter months, and 9 am to 7 pm in the summer: auto and car traffic is stopped at 6:30 and you must leave by 7 pm. (Please leave your dog at home.) http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=571

17-MILE DRIVE: A beautiful route which winds through the Del Monte Forest, past the Pebble Beach Golf Course and along the magnificent coastline. There is a $8.75 per carload admission fee. Check a local map for the location of entrance gates. Biking is allowed without charge; you may enter the Pacific Grove gate on weekends and holidays before sundown, and any gate on weekdays before sundown. https://www.pebblebeach.com/17-mile-drive/

SCENIC HIGHWAY 1: (South of Monterey to Big Sur) This magnificent stretch of coastline is among the most beautiful in the country. Big Sur is an area more than a town, and what little there is consists of a post office and a few gas stations and inns. The Ventana Inn is a left turn from the highway and Nepenthe, a right. Both offer spectacular views, along with drinks or lunch. There are several state parks in the area with extensive hiking trails and overnight camping. Call the Big Sur Chamber of Commerce (667-2100) for information. http://www.bigsurcalifornia.org/

ELKHORN SLOUGH: (728-2822) A great bird-watching area, it is open Wed.-Sun. from 9 am to 5 pm. Take Highway 1 north to Moss Landing and turn right onto Dolan Road, which is just before the big smoke stacks of the PG&E company. Go three miles, turn left on Elkhorn Road, go two miles, and look for the sign on the left. The visitor’s fee for entering the Reserve is $2.50 for ages 16 and older. You can also pick up a free trail map and guide to assist you on your visit. You can enjoy docent-led tours on Saturdays and Sundays, at 10am and 1pm. http://www.elkhornslough.org/

VINEYARD TOURS AND WINE TASTINGS: A traditional California experience. Look in the Yellow Pages of the telephone directory under “Wineries.” Some provide a tour and wine tasting; others just wine tasting. Some charge fees, while others are free.

Parking on the MIIS campus is limited. There will be open parking in all Institute lots on the days of the conference, on a first-come, first-served basis. There will be signs at the entrances of the Institute parking lots on Pierce Street that day identifying available Monterey Forum parking.

There are three City of Monterey parking lots around our campus: parking lot 4 at the corner of Van Buren and Franklin, parking lot 8 in front of Casa Fuente, and parking lot 7, which is across Pacific Street.  Lots 4 and 7 have ticket machines.  Lot 8 is a partially metered lot. Attached is a campus map, which shows both Institute parking and City parking lots 4 & 8.  Unfortunately, City parking lot 7 is not on here, but it is directly across Pacific Street from Casa Fuente (Building #18 on the campus map). 

There is one- and two-hour parking available on the streets around the Institute campus.  Please be aware that the time limit is strictly enforced and could result in a $35 ticket. Forum participants are encouraged to park in the parking lots, rather than on the street. 

If your accommodations have parking available, please leave your vehicle there as parking at and around the Institute is very limited.