If you are interested in doing “scenic road trips from San Francisco,” then you have come to the right place. San Francisco is the right place to start road trips that will head north, south and east from the famous city by the bay. In this post we will tell you about the best road trips in all three directions.
Contents
- 1 San Francisco, The City by the Bay
- 2 Best Time to Visit San Francisco California
- 3 Fun Things to do in San Francisco
- 4 Road Trips from San Francisco – Headed North to the Wine Country
- 5 Road Trips from San Fancisco Heading East
- 6 Road Trips from San Fancisco Heading South – Pacific Coast Highway
- 7 Conclusion
San Francisco, The City by the Bay
Starting road trips from San Francisco is a lot of fun, but first lets look at when is the best time to visit San Francisco California and some fun things to do in San Francisco before we begin our road trips from San Francisco.
Best Time to Visit San Francisco California
Fun Things to do in San Francisco
Chinatown
For us, perhaps the most interesting hidden gem in San Francisco is Chinatown. In addition to classic street scenes, and traditional stores (e,g, The Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Company), there is also some wonderful street art and a truly unique church, the Old St. Mary’s Cathedral and Chinese Mission in the heart of the neighborhood where the Christian paintings reflect Asian faces. If you want to check out another great Chinatown, see our post on NYC.
Urban Hikes in San Francisco
If you want to go hiking, you might think that you need to go on one of the road trips from San Francisco just to go kihing. Not true, there are plenty of urban hikes in San Francisco that you can do withouit leaving the city. Here is a partial list:
- Crosstown Trails: This is a 17-mile all day hike that connects the four corners of San Francisco, the Crosstown Trails run through hidden trails, public parks, shopping corridors, tiled stairways, and community gardens along the way. You can walk, run, or bike them (in either direction!). You can cross the city in one day or just try a section.
- Trails that offer Urban Hikes in San Francisco, and a view of the city from up high:
- Twin peaks
- Mount Davidson
- Buena Vista Park
- Lands End
- Tank Hill
- Glen Canyon Park
- Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve
- Other Urban Hikes in San Francisco that are more touristy:
- Presidio
- Golden Gate Park
- Embercadero
- Best Hike of All: Cross the Golden Gate Bridge
Street Art in San Francisco
There is wonderful Street Art in San Francisco. This picture in Chinatown is one of oiur favorites.
However, the Mission District murals are the most famous for their colorfulness and variety. They are spread out all over the Mission District in San Francisco and something you have to see when you visit. San Francisco has more than 1,000 murals throughout the city. However, the largest concentration of them is in the Mission District.
Other Things to Do In San Francisco
For more information about other activities to do in San Francisco, please check out Trip Advisor.
Interested in finding places to hike or other things to do in San Fran,cisco? Then check out Trip Advisor for a full list of fun things to do in the "City by the Bay."
Road Trips from San Francisco – Headed North to the Wine Country
Starting witt the Golden Gate Bridge, not only is a it classic California landmark, but it is a good place to start Road Trips from San Francisco to Northern California. Before leaving the bay area you can stop first in Marin County which is a popular destination and a short drive from the Golden Gate Bridge. Next take a scenic drive and wander up into the wine country of Napa and Sanoma Counties.This is the perfect place to enjoy a San Franisco Road Trip.
Driving from San Francisco: Napa Valley
Napa Valley is home to many great wineries, most of which feature lush, jammy Cabernet Sauvignons. Because of its popularity, wine tasting in Napa is becoming a bit expensive. During a recent search for vineyard tastings, the top price we found was $175 per person. This motivated us to expand out tastings to the more moderate region of Sonoma. And we are glad we did, finding equally wonderful visits there. Check out the tours on Trip Advisor (see above)..
Robin’s Favorite Napa Wineries (in no particular order):
- Newton,
- Outpost,
- Krupp Brothers,
- Carmen Policy,
- Cade,
- Mumm,
- Grgich Hills,
- 2929,
- Celani Family,
- Schramsberg (and Charles Krug),
- Gargiulo,
- Gemstone and Pride.
One area that produces some great wine is the Russian River Valley. The Russian River Valley is admired across the globe for its world-class Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Zinfandel. Receiving American Viticultural Area (AVA) status in 1983, the Russian River Valley now includes over 15,000 planted acres and is home to some of the world’s most renowned winemakers and growers.
Robin’s Unfortunate Experience in Napa Valley
Robin had the unfortunate experience of being in Napa on August 23, 2014. During her visit a 6.1 earthquake shook the wine region. Since then, she has been obsessed with earthquakes….
Road Trips from San Francisco: Sonoma County
We found the Sonoma region to be utterly charming, feeling a lot like Napa of the old days. Two of the vinyards we visited, Hanzell Winery and Repris are located at the top of mountains. Here the wines enjoy the cool Pacific Ocean breezes. The ride up the mountain is as pleasant as is the visit. Both visits were special experiences. We were the only ones at Hanzell and we had a private tour including a 4 WD up the mountain at Repris. And the wines at both places were delicious!
We also visited Buena Vista which bills itself as an 1857 winery with historic buildings, tastings and picnic spots. Although quite commercialized, the wines were very good, and the tasting tour included sampling freshly squeezed grape juice. The last visit was to Ledson Winery & Vineyards. This featured a gorgeous castle setting. Although our tasting tour was next to the vinyards, it was our least favorite of the four.
To visit the San Francisco Wine region in either Napa or Sonoma, we recommend taking a tour. This will allow you to better enjoy the wines and keep you from driving under the influence.
Road Trips from San Fancisco Heading East
There are a number of places worth visiting on Road Trips from San Francisco heading east on US-80 past the Bay area. First there is Sacramento, then South Lake Tahoe, and most importantly to see the National Parks: Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Park where you can see the Giant Sequoias, and Death Valley National Park.. This is not a day trip, like it might be on the San Francisco Road Trip up to the wine county in Northern California, but a long drive out to the Yosemite Valley. We also recommend you check out the Big Basin Redwoods State Park.
San Francisco and Yosemite Itinerary
Yosemite Day Trip from San Francisco
- Early Start:Begin your day early, around 5-6 AM, to maximize your time in Yosemite.
- Scenic Drive:Enjoy the approximately 3.5-4 hour drive, potentially stopping in towns like Oakdale or Groveland along the way.
- Yosemite Valley Exploration:Once inside the park, focus on key attractions like Yosemite Falls, Bridalveil Fall, and Tunnel View.
- Evening Return:Start your drive back to San Francisco in the late afternoon or early evening to arrive before dark.
Multi-Day Yosemite Itineraries (2-4 days):
- Day 1:Arrive in Yosemite Valley, check into your lodging, and explore Yosemite Village, Cooks Meadow, and enjoy a sunset view.
- Day 2:Head to Glacier Point Road for stunning views of Half Dome and Yosemite Valley. Hike to Vernal Fall or Nevada Fall.
- Day 3 (Optional):Explore the giant sequoias in Mariposa Grove, or hike to Mirror Lake.
- Day 4 (Optional):Drive along Tioga Road (if open, typically late May through fall) for high-elevation scenery, and consider a hike around Tuolumne Meadows.
Tips for planning:
- Transportation:Driving is the most common way to get to Yosemite from San Francisco.
- Reservations:Book lodging and tours in advance, especially during peak season.
- Best Time to Visit:May and June offer the best combination of open trails and waterfalls, while July and August are popular for hiking and swimming.
- Hiking:Pack appropriate gear for hiking, including sturdy shoes, layers of clothing, and plenty of water.
- Flexibility:Be prepared to adjust your itinerary based on weather conditions and trail closures.
Explore multiple options for trips to Yosemite from San Francisco
Road Trips from San Fancisco Heading South – Pacific Coast Highway
Our favorite Road Trip from San Francisco is to head South and travel on the Pacific Coast Highway, a scenic highway, past beautiful beaches, all the way down to Central California and San Simeon. First, on the coastal route, make sure you stop off at Half Moon Bay.
Half Moon Bay – a Wee Bit of Scotland
One of our favorite stops and a long-time dream of Robin’s was to stay and play golf at Half Moon Bay. It is sheer gorgeousness, with it’s Scottish type cliffs and golf. It certainly didn’t disappoint, complete with early morning fog and dew. The bag piper who wanders the resort at sunset is a site not to miss.
California – Monterey Peninsula
The first place you may want to visit when you reach Monterey on your Road Trip from San Francisco South is the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It is one of the best Aquariums in the United States.
The Monterery Peninsula includes the memorable 17-mile drive from Pacific Grove to the well-known Pebble Beach Golf Course. The Peninsula and its large artist community, Carmel-by-the-Sea with its many art galleries, anchors the northern portion of the equally famous Pacific Coast Highway, certainly one of the most scenic drives in North America. Equally famous, but clearly a hidden gem, is the Lone Cypress which serves as the official symbol of Pebble Beach.
A true Hidden Gem in the region is the San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo Mission, or as it is better known, the Carmel Mission. This Mission became the headquarters for Spain’s expanding California mission system.
Pacific Coast Highway
Leaving Carmel and heading south, one will get to enjoy some of the best Hidden Gem scenes anywhere in the world. Big Sur, which is the rocky mountain region that reaches to the sea and Pfeiffer Beach State Park present some of the most beautiful coastal towns anywhere, offering the perfect weekend getaways. This California coast region stretches from Carmel to San Simeon. For more information, please see our Best Road Trips for Couples Post.
Central California – San Simeon and Paso Robles
San Simeon and Paso Robles are two areas within the central coast county of San Luis Obispo. San Simeon is on the coast and best known for the famous Hearst Castle; Paso Robles is about 30 miles inland from San Simeon and about 30 miles north of San Luis Obispo.
Elephant Seals in California
We found a Hidden Gem in the area around San Simeon, the Northern Elephant Seal Rockery. These are huge elephant seals in California who obviously enjoy the protected area.
California – Wine Country Mid-State
Paso Robles is the fastest wine growing region of California. We stopped in at the Justin winery, to honor Justin, our step-son. This is one of more than 150 wineries in the region, offering some great wine.
Conclusion
Whether you decide to head North, East or South, road trips from San Francisco will bring you to a perfect place to enjoy the State of Califronia. Enjoy your travels.
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