Systems and methods for automated path planning of a surgical procedure, such that the optimal approach is selected from among a series of potential choices. The system is configured to plan and carry out, using a robotic surgical system, access to a surgical site starting from selection of the skin entry point. The methods select the best surgical approach and plan the physical path for robotically performing a selected surgical procedure. The path finding method uses preoperative MRI or CT images and computer vision or other image processing method to identify specific organs and tissues. The method then assigns values to a variety of parameters that define the tissue compressibility, penetrability, flexibility, and other characteristics. The system then plans an optimal path to reach the surgical target area with minimum danger of tissue damage and maximum patient safety, and encodes this information for execution by a robotic system.