Things To Do
California State Capitol Park
Visit the beautiful capitol of California. There's also a beautiful rose garden behind the capitol and lots of great eats within walking distance.
Crocker Art Museum
Golden 1 Center
This plaza has many great food spots, local events, and access to scooters where you can explore the city firsthand. Also home to the Sacramento Kings stadium.
Old Sacramento Waterfront
Lots of good coffee (Blueprint Coffee) and good food (Delta King, Rio City Café & the Firehouse Restaurant)! Plus it's a short walk to the Sacramento Tower Bridge where you can sit waterfront and enjoy the views on the west Sac side or the capital side, rent a scooter and explore the city firsthand, or take a short walk to see the Sacramento Subtile Sculpture. Ahmed's personal favorite place here is Candy Heaven.
Gunther's Ice Cream
Rick's Dessert Diner
Philz Coffee
Tower Café
Napa
Napa is about a one hour drive from Sacramento. Even if you don't drink, you can still visit this beautiful town and take in all the scenery, bike around, look at the pretty castles, book a hot air balloon ride, or try one of their incredible restaurants (think fine dining and Michelin starred experiences).
Lake Tahoe
This is a ~2 hour drive east from Sacramento, in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The lake has plenty of hiking trails, water activities and more. The beautiful scenery alone is worth the trip! Perfect if you’re spending the entire weekend in NorCal.
San Francisco
This is a ~2 hour drive down south, but well worth your time if you are spending the entire weekend in NorCal. Spend the day in SF and enjoy one of the many beaches, go to Fisherman’s Wharf, visit Alcatraz, stroll around the Japanese Tea Gardens, survey the SF Museum of Modern Art, visit the Painted Ladies (from Full House), take pictures at the Palace of Fine Arts, taste some ice cream at Ghirardelli Square, relax at the Golden Gate Park, get some good eats in Chinatown, and more! Literally, the possibilities are endless in SF.
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite is about a ~2 hour drive from Sacramento. This national park is actually the reason we have preserved national lands in the US today, President Lincoln wanted to preserve the natural beauty of the land and so he signed a grant in 1864. The hikes, waterfalls, and views are unbeatable.
Monterey
Monterey is a bit father from Sacramento, 3 hours down south. But there's so much to do, and fun fact, it was actually the inspiration for the Pixar movie Finding Dory! The best sites to see are the Monterey Bay Aquarium (one of the largest aquariums in the US), the 17 Mile Drive at Pebble Beach, Caramel by the Sea, Fisherman's Wharf, Cannery Row and the Monterey Bay. Also the Julia Pfeiffer State Park, in Big Sur, is only a short drive away, along scenic Highway One, and has one of the most beautiful waterfalls in all of CA, McWay Falls.
