Best Weekend and Day Trips from San Francisco
We’ve lived in San Francisco for over 10 years and love the wide variety of things to do for either a quick day trip or a longer weekend trip.
Here are some of our favorites:
Table Of Contents
Also, check out:
Yosemite
Yosemite Park is one of the most famous and photographed national parks in the America and is about a 4 hour drive from San Francisco.
If crowds bother you, late spring or fall will be your best bet. Keep in mind that late spring might mean colder weather while fall might mean almost dry waterfalls. Early summer is a good combination of surging waterfalls, great temperatures, and not quite swelling crowds yet.
Some great places to hike inside Yosemite Park are:
Tuolomne Meadows
Yosemite Falls Trail
Mirror Lake
Sentinel Dome
Taft Point Loop
Mariposa Grove
Tenaya Lake Trail
I love using AllTrails when I hike - it’s free to use, great for researching hikes, and has a GPS tracking tool for the Pro edition.
For hotels inside Yosemite choices range from the high end Ahwahnee to the more affordable Yosemite Valley Lodge. The beautiful Wawona Hotel is also a great option.
For cheaper options inside Yosemite you try Curry Village or Housekeeping Camp, which offer tented cabins, concrete structures, fire pits, electricity, hot showers, and excellent locations inside the park.
If you plan far enough ahead you can nab one of the coveted High Sierra tented cabin spots.
There’s always traditional tent campgrounds and wilderness camping as well!
Also, check out:
Big Sur
One of biggest reasons why I’m usually not too impressed when I visit other coastlines around the world is because of how beautiful Big Sur is! I’ve driven up and down this amazing stretch of Highway One so many times. Each time my jaw is on the floor in awe. It’s only a short drive from San Francisco, so it’s definitely worth a weekend trip!
It’s best to do this with a car, so if you need to please rent one - you won’t be able to enjoy this without some kind of mobile freedom. You could possibly do it via bike, but then it would be a weeklong trip. Kayak is a great place for comparing car rental prices.
The best time to visit is September through October, which is the Bay Area’s summertime. It’ll be less crowded and there will be better weather.
You can also visit April through September, but there will definitely be more crowds especially in the June - August months.
Some of my favorite places along Big Sur are:
Point Lobos
China Cove
Bixby Bridge
Julia Pfeiffer Burns - Mcway Falls
Pfeiffer Beach
City of Carmel
Elephant Seal Vista Point (a bit far south)
Carmel is a great place to use as a base for Big Sur exploration. There are many lodging options ranging from budget hotels to luxurious options like Post Ranch Inn or Ventana. Check out my article on places to stay in Big Sur.
If you’re up for a beautiful hike near Big Sur, the Pinnacles National Park is a great option.
Sierra
Alabama Hills
From the surreal scenes at Mono Lake to the photogenic Alabama Hills, the Sierra area has so much to offer. There’s way too many things to choose from but here are some of our favorites:
Mono Lake
Alabama Hills
Devils Postpone National Monument
Bodie State Historic Park
Travertine Hot Springs
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San Luis Obispo
Sand Dunes at San Luis Obispo
This underrated Central Coast city, just off Highway 1, is a lovely historical town with a great mix of laid back surfers, natural beauty, wineries, and art shops.
While you’re here, some of the best things to do are:
Madonna Inn - this super kitschy hotel is full of color, character, and interesting decor. You can stay here or just hang out at the all pink restaurant, copper accented cafe, or Silver Bar to soak in the vibes.
Edna Valley and Arroyo Grande - For the wine aficionados out there, the rolling hills full of grapes and wineries are a must visit.
Fremont Theatre - An Art Deco masterpiece - it’s worth stopping by this historic theater to catch a flick or some live music.
Pismo Beach - A great place to surf or watch surfers do their thing. We loved the rolling sand dunes nearby. You can rent an ATV to explore them!
Bubblegum Alley - this alley between Broad and Garden is full of bubblegum that has slowly built up since the early 70’s. Feel free to add your own.. but please wash your hands after! :)
Madonna Inn San Luis Obispo
Lake Tahoe
Image courtesy of @gabriella_viola
During the winter, Lake Tahoe is transformed into a snow sports heaven of sorts. There are plenty of ski resorts in the area such as Heavenly, Kirkwood, Northstar, and Squaw Valley.
During the summer months, the Emerald Bay State Park and DL Bliss State Park are great places to find solace in nature.
Desolation Wilderness is a great hike to do in the spring and fall months as well.
In addition, since it’s right on the border of Nevada, you can literally cross over to gamble in the casinos located right on the state line.
Wine Country (Napa & Sonoma)
Beltane Ranch
Just a quick drive from San Francisco - wine country is one the best and easiest getaways from the city.
Wine Country is actually made up of many towns such as Sonoma, Healdsburg, St. Helena, Calistoga, Yountville, and Napa.
There are many fantastic wineries, world class restaurants, and charming hotels to pick from.
Two wineries that we loved for their excellent wine and surroundings:
Scribe
Landmark
Great places to grab a bite to eat:
Oxbow Public Market
Glen Ellen Star
Favorite stays:
Beltane Ranch
Gaige House
Beltane Ranch
Mendocino
Known for its stunning coastal views, delicious wine, and breathtaking natural scenery - Mendocino is a great weekend getaway from San Francisco.
On the way to Mendocino, make sure to stop by Hog Island for some oysters in Point Reyes. Oh and check out the Point Reyes Lighthouse on the way too! A great option for staying overnight near Point Reyes is Nick’s Cove, which offers cabins with waterfront views.
For the outdoorsy people, you can go sea kayaking through caves and on the coastline. There’s also excellent hiking at Van Damme State park or Mendocino Headlands.
Carmel
A great place to base your Big Sur weekend trip - this cozy town is a great mix of art shops, cozy cafes, cute bed n breakfasts, and a lovely beach.
It’s best to just stroll around town and peruse all the cute little shops!
Fun fact: none of the buildings have numbers.. so for example Patisserie Boissiere’s address is listed as ‘Mission Street between Ocean and 7th’. On top of all this - all Carmel residents have to go to the post office to get their mail since the mailman can’t deliver mail with a building number!
Make sure you visit Carmel Beach, Carmel Mission, visit some of the art shops, and have a bite at Dametra Cafe.
Carmel Beach
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