Our recent Northern California road trip included two days in San Francisco, two days at Yosemite National Park, and four days in Lake Tahoe! This was my very first time on the West coast of the United States and it was everything i’d hoped it would be and more.
In this post, Iβm sharing all the details: where we stayed, what we did, and all the must-see stops along the way π
What is the best time of year to visit Northern California?
First I have to mention that I think we went at the perfect time (for us, anyway). We went in late Spring- specifically towards the end of May, flying out the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend.
It could be that we just got lucky, but the weather was lovely. You definitely need layers because the early morning and evenings are cooler, and the Bay Area was very windy, but the sun was shining and an average of 70 degrees each day. In Lake Tahoe, it was 60s and sunny every day, but we learned that 60s feel like 70s with the elevation change!
Additionally, we didn’t have to deal with the crowds that come with the summer months! We were still expecting to wait in lines or struggle to find parking, especially in Yosemite and Lake Tahoe, but we never had an issue! If anything, we were shocked that there weren’t more people visiting this time of year. After chatting with locals though, early Summer (after Memorial Day Weekend) seems to be the when the season really kicks off and starts getting busy.
San Francisco- Day One
Thankfully everything went smoothly with our flight and we arrived in San Francisco around noon, giving us half a day to explore. And I have to say, we covered a lot in this half day.
Hotel Check-In
First we checked into our cute little bed and breakfast, Petit Auberge. I can’t believe I didn’t get any photos of our room! The whole building was incredibly charming, with lots of floral wallpaper and antique furniture. It’s a great location too, in the Lower Nob Hill area (just outside of Union Square)!
However, I’m not sure i’d stay there again just because it’s pretty pricey and we barely spent any time there. A friend on Instagram, and local to San Francisco, recommended either The Donatello or King George Hotel π
Chinatown
We were starving after our 5 hour flight! Thankfully, Chinatown was just a quick walk from our hotel and happens to be one of the best places to go forΒ good food. You could easily bop around and try a couple things at multiple places, but we decided to go to Fusion Dumpling for a big meal! I’d seen this place recommended a bunch on Instagram and it didn’t disappoint.
We got the crab rangoons (one of my favorite foods so it was a must), steamed pork bao, crab meat lomein, and the general tso’s chicken. It was all so delicious, and definitely one of my favorite meals of this entire trip!
Sutro Baths and Lands End Trail
Next, we burned off our meal with a gorgeous hike along the coast! We started at Sutro Baths, which is a historical landmark in San Francisco.Β Here’s the history behind it! This is on the Pacific Ocean side of San Francisco, so we had to grab an uber. (It was about a 30 minute drive.)
From Sutro Baths, we walked to Land’s End Trail, which offers great views of the Golden Gate bridge. After this, we walked through the Sea Cliff neighborhood to admire the mansions! This was a perfect hike for our first day in.
Lost Marbles
At this point, we were thirsty so we stopped at Lost Marbles Brewpub for a couple drinks! If you’re looking for a good vibe and great beer, this is the perfect place to stop π
Del popolo pizza
Del Popolo Pizza just happened to be right next door to our hotel. Convenient, right?! So obviously we had to snag a pie on our way back to the room that night. It’s a Neapolitan style pizza so the crust was blistery and soft… so good!
San Francisco- Day Two
This was our only full day in San Francisco, so we knew we had to do it right! Our itinerary was basically one long walk (between 7-8 miles) that hits several iconic spots.
Devil’s Teeth Bakery
We started off the morning with a walk to Devil’s Teeth Bakery to try their well-known biscuit breakfast sandwiches. They have a few locations throughout the city, but we went to the one on Embarcadero Center, in the Financial District. Just a heads up- they don’t have any seating so you have to order them to-go. The sandwiches were so good, especially the one Dan got (it’s called the special), but very filling too!
Ferry Building Marketplace
If I were to do this day over again, i’d probably just skip the breakfast sandwich and grab a pastry and a coffee at The Ferry Building. They had so many cute shops and restaurants here! Definitely worth walking through π
Pier 39
Our next stop was Pier 39, which I was really looking forward because I couldn’t wait to see the sea lions!! Oh my gosh it was so fun to watch them. They have so much personality and it was just cool to see them play and interact with each other. In my opinion, they’re the only reason it’s worth stopping at Pier 39, because the rest felt very touristy.
Fisherman’s Wharf
This is another one of the very touristy stops in San Francisco. We walked through it pretty fast. I was really hoping to get some clam chowder and sourdough bread, but unfortunately we were still full from our breakfast sandwiches π We did, however, stop at Buena Vista for their iconic Irish coffees! Its a cute place with beautiful views and the Irish coffees are strong and delicious.
Ghirardelli Square
I was expecting Ghiradelli Square to be really touristy too, and in ways it is, but it was actually so adorable! We stopped at the San Francisco Brewing Co. for a beer and just to take a break from all the walking for a bit. The beer garden area was so cozy with all the brick and greenery π Before we left, I had to get a mini hot fudge sundae from Ghiradelli for the road. I’m so glad I did.
Fort Mason Park, Chrissy Field, Palace of Fine Arts
Next we walked through Fort Mason Park to Chrissy Field, which was so pretty!! It’s right along with water with views of the Golden Gate. We even rented some scooters for part of the trail which was a lot of fun! After this, we turned around and walked through the iconic Palace of Fine Arts. It was stunning and would make the perfect picnic area.
Sadly we didn’t have picnic supplies so we stopped for some authentic Italian food at Roma Antica! They had a cute outdoor setup and the food was delicious! π
Lombard Street
I’d seen a few people share about Lombard Street on Instagram so I wanted to check it out! We weren’t too far away, but we really wanted to try the Waymo driverless cars. They’re everywhere in San Francisco! We were so impressed (and fascinated!) by the experience. Honestly, we felt safer in one of these than we did when we had a human Uber driver the previous day! It’s a tiny bit more expensive and you have to download the app, but it was one of my favorite adventures on our trip π
Lombard Street was cool! If you didn’t know, it’s known for being one of the most crooked streets in the world. It’s a very cute street with a brick road and lots of flowers, but we could’ve done without seeing it! There were a lot of people and we didn’t spend much time there.
North Beach
Our last stop of the day was the North Beach area of San Francisco, also known at Little Italy! We were meeting up with a friend in this area and hung out at Otherwise Brewing. Once again, I was wishing I was hungry because it looked like there was some great food in this area. Golden Boy Pizza is a very popular spot to stop! I wish we got to try it!
We were exhausted at this point and ended up calling it an early night, especially since we were heading to Yosemite the next morning!
A few other notes:
- There’s a few things we wanted to do but didn’t get to. If we had some extra time, we would:
- Tour Alcatraz Island- This does take a few hours though, so I think we made the right call for our short trip! If you do decide to go, book tickets in advance!
- Painted Ladies- As a big Full House fan, I’m so bummed we didn’t get around to seeing these homes which were highlighted in the opening credits.
- Cable cars- I can’t believe we didn’t do this!!! We really should have.
- Golden Gate Park
- Wine Tastings- Napa valley really isn’t too far from San Francisco. If we had another day or two, I would’ve loved to try the Napa Valley Wine Train
- If you have a rental car with you, don’t leave anything it in. Even sunglasses. This advice was given to me by several people before our trip! Unfortunately there are some bad areas within San Francisco. The Tenderloin District is a dangerous area that you definitely want to avoid on your trip!
- Wear layers! San Francisco was the coolest part of our Northern California trip due to all the wind. If you’re planning to be by the water, bring a jacket!
Yosemite National Park- Day One
Our first day in Yosemite was only half day since we had to travel from San Francisco, and make a pit stop for my first In-and-Out experience π The drive was about three hours and I’m not going to lie, once you start approaching the mountains, the roads can be a little scary! There’s drop offs and a lot of the roads don’t have any guard rails… yikes! But the views are worth it, trust me!
Definitely check the park’s website regarding reservations. During the time frame we went, they weren’t required, but they started requiring them just the weekend after! I believe we paid $30 or $35 for a three day pass.
Yosemite valley
Once you enter the park, you still have to drive for quite a bit to get to Yosemite Valley, which was where we spent this day. Our first stop was the tunnel view which is a stunning highway overlook! I mean, everywhere you turn is a scenic view when you’re in this park.
We weren’t planning to do any crazy trails this day since we got in later, but we bopped around to various points, starting with the Bridalveil Fall Trail. This waterfall was so beautiful and just a quick little 15 minute hike!
After this, we stopped and hung out at El Capitan Meadow. This is an ideal spot to post up for a little picnic or just some drinks and snacks! It’s also a popular place to watch climbers. Sadly, we didn’t see any, but its still so incredible just to look at.
Our next stop was the Lower Yosemite Fall Trail, which is an easy one mile hike! Lastly, we took a nice stroll through Cooks Meadow. It was lovely!
The Coolest Airbnb
From where we were in the park, our airbnb was about 1.5 hrs away, so we left the park around 6pm! I’m glad we did, because all of the restaurants near our Airbnb closed at 8pm. We had just enough time to grab some wings to-go from South Gate Brewing in Oakhurst.
Our Airbnb was in the Bass Lake area and only about 30 minutes away from the park entrance. If you visit Yosemite, I highly recommend staying in one of the Cookie Butter Cabins. We stayed in their Honeycomb Cabin and it was truly the most charming and thoughtful place i’ve ever stayed! Plus, it has a hottub which is a major bonus after a day of hiking! I was genuinely sad to leave the day we checked out.
Yosemite National Park- Day Two
This day, we went to the park fully equipped with PB&J sandwiches, lots of snacks, and water! We knew it was going be a long day of hiking. Spoiler alert: it was! We got in a full 10 miles.
The Mist Trail
Our biggest, and most exciting, adventure of the day was hiking The Mist Trail. There’s two falls on the mist trail- Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall. We did the loop trail that goes up to Nevada Fall and descends through the John Muir Trail. It was about 6.5 miles round trip (8 miles when you factor in the walk to and from our car!) and took us just under 5 hours. It was the most challenging hike we’ve ever done, but also our favorite!! We were both exhausted and elated when we finished!
You definitely don’t have to do the longer hike up to Neveda Fall though, just the hike to Vernal Fall was breathtaking. This is where we saw a double rainbow and got to experience the mist from the waterfall (definitely wear a waterproof jacket!)… it was magical!
Like I said, we were exhausted after this hike so we knew the rest of the day had to be chill. We stopped at Devil’s Elbow, which is part of the Merced River, to rest and have more snacks.
Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias
Lastly, we had to stop at Mariposa Grove to see the giant sequoias. Luckily this was on our way out of the park anyway! We decide to squeeze in one more tiny hike and did the Giant Grizzly Loop.
Lake Tahoe- Day One
Next up is Lake Tahoe, which was the longest leg of our trip. I’ve been wanting to visit for years! If you didn’t know, Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America, lying over 6,000 ft above sea level. It’s just incredible and I already can’t wait to visit again one day!
Our drive to Lake Tahoe from our Airbnb was the longest of our trip, taking about 5 hours total. And just a heads up- a large portion of this drive is through the Sierra Nevada mountains. The views were insane, but the roads were windy and sometimes stressful. Also, there’s no where to stop for a couple hour stretch so plan accordingly!
We arrived in Lake Tahoe around 4pm and checked into our hotel. We stayed at The Landing in South Lake Tahoe first our first few nights. We loved our stay here, between the lake view from our room, to the easy access to a beautiful beach! Since we came during the week in off-season, we got a really affordable rate on our room.
After settling in, we walked to South of North Brewing Co for some food and trivia!! It was a perfect casual night after a long drive!
Lake Tahoe- Day Two
Eagle Lake Trail
Our first full day in Lake Tahoe started with a short hike! We did the popularΒ Eagle Lake TrailΒ and I highly recommend it! It was our favorite of the easy hikes we did! Desolation Wilderness has several hiking trails, for any skill level, to choose from.
The lake was so beautiful and a perfect place to just chill and relax for a bit. Bring some breakfast with you π It took us two hours total which included us stopping and enjoying the lake!
PS there was only a small parking lot for this trail, the larger one was closed, so i’d double check on that and recommend getting there early if it’s still closed! Oh, and on your way there or out, stop at Lower Eagle Falls for more beautiful views.
After this, we walked over to the Emerald Bay State Park Lookout. It was right across the street so definitely worth stopping even for just a little bit. There is a parking fee though, so if you were able to get parking at the Eagle Lake Trail, i’d just carefully cross the street. The view is unreal!
Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course
We grabbed some lunch at brewery called Sidellis Lake Tahoe and then headed back to our hotel to rest for a bit and get ready for our tee time at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course.
It was a dream of my husbands to play golf on a course that had mountain views so we figured this was his perfect opportunity! It was definitely the nicest (and most expensive!) course he has ever played but the views were simply stunning. We did a ‘twilight’ tee time (it’s cheaper and the sunset was everything) and paid a $50 fee for me to ride along with him. Again, worth it. I got to be his passenger Princess, sipping on drinks and enjoying the scenery.
This was one of my favorite evenings of our whole trip!
Base Camp Pizza
Pizza is always a great way to end the evening. Base Camp Pizza was recommended and I understand why! It was delicious. We split a large pizza which left us with a few slices to take back to the hotel π
Lake Tahoe- Day Three
Okay if you’re staying in South Lake Tahoe, you have to try the Tahoe Bagel Company. I’m a big bagel person and these were so good that we came back the next morning too! The cream cheese (I got veggie and Dan got jalapeno popper) was especially delicious.
Sand Harbor State Park
We got our bagels to go and headed to Sand Harbor Beach. This is a really popular spot in Lake Tahoe, so if you’re going during their busy season, you’ll definitely want to get reservations and go early! When you get reservations, you have to arrive before 10am or they’ll open up your spot and it becomes first come, first serve.
Either way, you have to go! This is one of the best beaches in Lake Tahoe, known for it’s crystal-clear waters. They also have paddle board and kayak rentals! Unfortunately there was a wind advisory the day we went, so our plans to rent those didn’t come to fruition π It was also really chilly due to the intense winds so we didn’t stay as long as i’d hoped.
The parking area is right by the main beach, but I recommend walking along the trail and posting up at one of the small beach areas! These were even prettier and they has less people and more protection from the winds. We totally would have done this if we knew!
Once we got back to our hotel, we immediately got into the hottub to warm up π
Tahoe Tasting
The only thing I booked in advance for this trip was a wine tasting boat tour. And I’m so glad I did. This experience far exceeded my expectations! It was on a cute vintage wooden boat and the wine was fantastic. I was a little worried about it being cold with the wind advisory, but we lucked out and got one of the little tables on the inside portion of the boat.
Everything about this experience was perfect! Kelsey did our wine tasting and she was incredibly knowledgeable and a lot of fun. She also shared that Primos has amazing Italian food and said that one of the best ways to end an evening is hiking up to Cave Rock Trail, with a bottle of wine of course, to watch the sunset π
Cold Water Brewery
If you can’t tell by now, we love our breweries! Lol! After our boat tour we went to Cold Water Brewery for some dinner! I can’t remember what we got (perhaps due to all the wine…), but I remember we really enjoyed it and had zero leftovers!
Lake Tahoe- Day Four
For our final night in Lake Tahoe, I wanted to stay somewhere on the North shore of the lake… just for fun π It was cool getting to see different views of the mountains and just a different atmosphere. The Northern part of the lake is more rustic and relaxed.
Monkey rock
Our check-in wasn’t until 4pm, so we decided to do the Monkey Rock Trail which is an easy day hike. This trail is in Incline Village, which was on our way to North Lake Tahoe anyway! Just like the day prior, we brought bagels with us to enjoy once we got to the top. This was a great hike. The monkey rock is adorable and the view of the lake was breathtaking!
Right next Monkey Rock is Tahoe East Shore Trail. The entire trail is about 5 miles, but we didn’t walk the whole thing! It was a nice, easy stroll and definitely a good place to have a bike!
Mourelatos Lakeshore Resort
We stayed at Mourelatos Lakeshore Resort. The room was huge (other than that, nothing too special) and we got a lake view which was awesome!
One of the best things about staying at this place was the private beach area with beautiful views of Lake Tahoe. We intentionally arrived before check-in so we had time to lounge on the chairs and listen to the waves. We even sat out here and enjoyed the stars at night!
They also have paddle boards and water bikes to use at your leisure. Although, since we booked the room through a third-party, we would have had to pay a $50 rental fee. If you book through their website, it should definitely be included!
Gar Woods Pier & Grill
A Lake Tahoe local recommended going to Gar Woods Pier & Grill which was a quick five minute drive from where we were staying! They’re known for a boozy frozen drink called “Wet Woodys” so obviously we had to try one. They were dangerously good!! This place is a little pricier for sure, but the views and the vibe (they had live music) make it worth it π
Other Things to do in Lake Tahoe
We simply did not have enough time to do everything we wanted in Lake Tahoe. There’s just so many good hikes and beaches to choose from so I wanted to share some other options here.
Also, if you’re into skiing or snowboarding (we aren’t), Lake Tahoe is a very popular destination in the Winter months! Our hotel even had heated floors and toilet seats to accommodate those Winter guests. Even in the Spring, I appreciated them π
Lake Tahoe Hikes
We did the easy Lake Tahoe hikes, but they have some awesome, more challenging trails too. I’ll list some of the other popular hikes here:
- Rubicon Trail
- Mount Tallac Trail
- Cascade Falls Trail
- Boulder Lodge to Van Sickle Trail via Tahoe Rim Trail
South Lake Tahoe Beaches
- Pope Beach
- Baldwin Beach
- Zephyr Cove Beach
- Kiva Beach
- Regan Beach
- Secret Cove (clothing optional beach)
- El Dorado Beach
- Nevada Beach
- Lakeside Beach
North Lake Tahoe Beaches
- Kings Beach
- Incline Beach
- Moon Dunes Beach
- Hidden Beach
- Speedboat Beach
Truckee, California
Our flight back home wasn’t until 9pm, and our drive to the San Francisco airport was about 3 hours, so we had a half of a day to kill! We decided to check out Truckee, California. I’d heard good things and it was basically on our way out anyway!
I’m so glad we did because it was adorable. First we went and got coffees and a huge almond croissant from Coffee Bar Bakery. Everything was delicious. We took our coffees to-go and strolled through the little village which had tons of cute shops to browse!
Next, we went to Donner Memorial State Park and just walked a trail to the Donner Lake. This park was so nice!! They had lots of picnic areas and people enjoying water sports π When we go back to Lake Tahoe again, we’d love to spend a full day at this lake.
Lastly, we stopped for some lunch at Donner Creek Brewing which was right near the park! We split a pretzel and a jalapeno panini and loved them both!
Finally, we headed to the airport and made our way back home π We truly had the most amazing trip, which is why I had to share the all the details. I hope you find this post helpful in planning your own Northern California road trip π Cheers!
Elisha
