TOUR DESCRIPTION. Leave San Francisco early by crossing the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin County. This breathtaking stretch of coastline along California's Monterey Peninsula takes visitors through a maze of beautiful scenery, unique wildlife, and amazing mansions. This means that if you choose to purchase, Ill make a small commission.). ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-46694221', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Napa Valley. Hikes range from the easy Big Trees accessible loop trail (.3 miles) to the more strenuous Mariposa Grove trail (7 miles), which covers four famous trees, more groves and a panoramic overlook. 7 nights from 3,499 per person. 10 Hour excursion. For a longer one, from the Golden Gate Bridge, drive along Highway 1 to Stinson Beach, where you can enjoy the scenic route of the coastline. Youll probably approach from the east driving past the bizarre Mono Lake, a soda lake full of strange salt formations. If you are living in or are visiting San Francisco, one of the benefits is your proximity to places like Napa Valley. Reply Subscribe . If you are making this a 6-7 day road trip, you can probably do all of them. Discover the top eight things to do in these quaint towns from boating to Gold Rush-era experiences. First stop will be the valley, where the visitor centre and a couple of hotels sit in the imposing shadow of El Capitan, a favourite of rock climbers from all over the world. I would cut one place out . 1 night San Francisco; 2 nights Napa Valley; 2 nights Lake Tahoe; 3 nights Yosemite Day 1: Arrival in San Francisco. Find more information at www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress/hotels/us/en/oakdale/oklca/hoteldetail, Highway 120 (Big Oak and Hetch Hetchy entrances). We have been looking at hotels and B&B's. Explore Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay That being said, the most convenient way to travel to wine country is by renting or driving your vehicle. Most would suggest 3-4 full days to see SF so if want to add a day trip to Napa valley, I think that would be fine. var obj = document.getElementById("2527080060dates_range_end"); Stop #3: Bodega Bay. Commentdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a4e44061edd6cc9e94ca29cff754da9d" );document.getElementById("bdd8f95227").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); We are a participant in the various affiliate programs including the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Break for Modesto Take this itinerary north from, Or just hang out in SF and visit a few of the local. Once home to Al Scarface Capone and other notorious criminals, Alcatraz Island is a National Park Service site located 1.25 miles offshore. If you want to visit some wineries . Driving From San Francisco To Napa Valley. From there, we'll head to Yosemite for 2 days . Check the Forest Service site before you go as there are occasional closures due to weather and downed trees. Stop #2: Point Reyes National Seashore. But the Parks Service also offers aguided bus tourto Glacier Point. south of San Francisco, around Santa Barbara, and lots more. Read More: If you are keen on mining history, check out this article onCalifornia ghost towns. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-46693821', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');rent a car and at least see the city and Napa Valley. Go on Thursday, not on the weekend. - California Wine Country: The Complete Guide, How to Travel From San Francisco to Lake Tahoe By Train, Bus, Car, and Plane, How to Travel from Sacramento to San Francisco by Train, Bus, Car, and Plane, How to Travel From San Francisco to Yosemite by Train, Bus, Car, and Plane, The 9 Best Day Trips From Napa and Sonoma, How to Travel From San Francisco to Las Vegas by Bus, Car, and Plane, Getting Around the San Francisco Bay Area: A Public Transit Guide, How to Travel From San Diego to San Francisco by Train, Bus, Car, and Plane, How to Travel From San Francisco to New York by Plane, Train, Car, or Bus, How to Travel From Cancun to Cozumel by Bus, Car, Ferry, and Plane. After spending the day enjoying San Francisco, youll drive to Napa Valley, just an hour out of the city where you will check into your hotel for two nights. Stay at Evergreen Lodge just a mile from the parks Hetch Hetchy Entrance or Rush Creek Lodge less than a mile from the Big Oak Flat Entrance. Take the ferry from Vallejo Ferry Terminal to San Francisco Ferry Building . They can either head north across the Golden Gate Bridge out of the city, or they can go first across the Bay Bridge to the east and then continue north. Your time here will fly by and by the time you leave youll most likely be planning your next trip! If you can snag a camp spot or lodge reservation inside Yosemite Valley, go for it. Excellent tour, the best way to know Napa valley. From there, you can ride the shuttle to many attractions and trailheads in the park. As you make your way towards the coast, consider that little snowflake and its incredible journey. Suggested Overnights: Crescent City, Eureka, Benbow, Mendocino, Santa Rosa. If you want to grab a bite, you can go to Ariscault Bakery and get their popular Chocolate Almond Croissant. 5. SF to Yosemite via Highway 120 E. Travel Time: 3 hours and 45 minutes. Over 800 5-star reviews. San Jose is the central city in the Silicon Valley region of California's Bay Area, which is world-famous for its technological innovations and successful startups. Re: San Francisco - Napa Valley - Yosemite? The Sunny Side of the Bay The grandiosely-named Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, California is a huge, ornate outdoor structure that is part of the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Signing up for a guided tour is usually the lowest-priced way to tour Napa Valley, but you may be stuck in a crowd of 30 people or more and won't have any choices about where you go or when you stop. . If you want to maximize your road trip to Napa Valley, the best route would be via the Golden Gate Bridge to the Marin Headlands. There are also working stores selling authentic-ish goods like sarsaparilla soda, gold rush candies, soaps and more. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Which means one spot is getting one night which isn't much time when you consider what time you might arrive and the time you have to leave the next day. Nowadays, B&Bs seem to be mostly listed on TripAdvisor under B&Bs -- not so much under Specialty Lodging any longer. Hopefully your return flight is late in the day! One minute later, people will see a sign to Napa for Highway 29, where they should take a right and stay for around 10 minutes on Highway 29/12. Its understandable if you want to drive straight there from San Francisco so that you can start exploring without delay. You can use public transportation to get to Yosemite all year. Route. 1 Hour 30 Minutes, Admission (Optional): Adult $28; Child (3-9 yrs) $18|Duration: Approx. There are lodging suggestions for these towns in the article. After that, they will witness the sign for Highway 37, which is for Exit 33. Yosemite Falls is one of the largest waterfalls in North America. Beautiful weather and waterfront views await visitors as well! The Madera area also grows wine grapes and its a secret spot that is far less crowded than Napa or Paso. However, if you can hold your hunger and want to have your breakfast in downtown Napa, you can visit The Model Bakery and get the English muffin Oprahs favorite. The state park is really fun for families as they offer docents in period attire, stagecoach rides and panning for gold. There are a ton of hiking trails that start in or near Tuolumne Meadows. . You must print the e-tickets and take them along on your trip; they are your proof of purchase. Aerial view of hot air balloon flying over green Napa Valley, San Francisco To Napa Valley: How To Plan The Perfect Day Trip Itinerary, The Trip From San Francisco To Napa Valley, What Driving From San Francisco To Napa Valley Is All About, Why Napa Valley Is Such A Famous Eco-Destination, your proximity to places like Napa Valley, The 10 Best Napa Wineries For First-Timers To Visit, Check Out These Hidden Gems In Napa Valley, It is branded as one of the best California tasting sites, wineries of Napa Valley rival the Old World wine regions, something to do in Napa Valley any month of the year. Now, if you think that you have had too much to drink and need to spend the night in Napa, you can visit Andaz Napa or Archer Hotel Napa, which are both located downtown. Whatever you end up doing, we know youll love your time in Lake Tahoe. Start your second day with some morning exploration taking you from Fisherman's Wharf to stylish Union Square. For out-of-town visitors, the process can be painstakingly complicated, so you're really better off booking a guided tour or renting a car and driving. Dear irene, yes, the total fee is around $600 per person and it doesn't include your own air ticket, meals and any private expenses. The University of California at Berkeley is the flagship branch of the University of California system. For the trip itself, driving from San Francisco to Napa Valley takes about 1 to 1.5 hours, depending on the traffic, and add a bit more if you are going to take the scenic route along the way. We've been offering travelers a safe, eco-friendly, reliable way to connect with nature since 1993. Ten minutes in, they will turn right, where there will be a sign reading " State Route 121/Napa/Sonoma." It is also the oldest, having been founded in 1868. There are ten day hikes, swimming, scenic viewpoints and three National Park sponsored tours. 1 of 2. See, touch, discover, and learn about the fascinating marine life of the San Francisco Bay and its surrounding waters. We do enjoy wine so would definately like to take advantage of Napa. Shed your weary, nerve-shaken bones and let the mountains guide you on your Yosemite road trip. The fastest way to get from SF to Yosemite is out I580 through Tracy, connecting with Highway 120 in Manteca. youll turn into the park and drive through to the western edge where youll check into your hotel for three nights. In addition to touring the castle interior, visitors can taste a wide selection of fine Napa Valley wine which is made on premises and not sold elsewhere. Stanford University is recognized as one of the world's leading research and teaching institutions. Check out some impressive numbers of Napa Valley: More than 400 wineries; Home to more than 150 restaurants; More Michelin stars per capita than any other wine region in the world FUN FACT: For all its (worthy) success, only 4% of California's wine comes from Napa Valley. Create a personalized feed and bookmark your favorites. On arrival in San Francisco you will make your own way into the city and check into your hotel for one night. Here are four fun stops to make along the route: Historic Sonora is named after the miners from Sonora Mexico who settled the city in 1848. Hot Tip: Do you need a rental car for your San Francisco to Yosemite road trip? You can do that on the east or west side of the body of water, but many prefer the western route because it's more scenic, even if it does take a little longer: The easiest way to get from San Francisco to Napa using public transportation is to take the San Francisco Bay Ferry from the San Francisco Ferry Building or Fisherman's Wharf Pier 41 to Vallejo. Napa Valley has plenty of luxurious resorts, spas, and top-rated restaurants. From San Francisco, California's wine-famous Napa Valley is 60 miles to the north. $(obj).not(".hasDatepicker").datepick({onSelect: function(dateText, inst) {$(this).blur();} , minDate: new Date(), showTrigger: false, constrainWidth: false}); A few San Francisco tour companies offer a personalized way to get to Napa Valley from San Francisco, taking small groups on adventures planned just for them. There are many picnic spots, beaches and swimming holes dotting the river. 16 San Francisco Bay Sunset Cruise by Luxury Catamaran. The ultimate guide to activities inside Yosemite National Park. Theyre growing more than almonds and peaches in the Central Valley (although if you do this drive in the spring, be sure to stop for thelovely almond blossoms). Hi. RELATED: The 10 Best Napa Wineries For First-Timers To Visit. Notable Stops: Jamestown (Gold Rush Town) Suggested Gas Stop: Oakdale (Shell, Quik Stop, 76) Highway 120 is the most straightforward way to get to Yosemite from San Francisco, and it will take about 3 hours and 45 minutes to get there. That's when the average price for a train ticket is expected to be just $14 - the lowest of the year. What is best way to fit Yosemite into San Francisco to Las Vegas drive (i am planning to complete the 7 day trip on this site to get from SF to LV including Bridgeport and Death Valley but not sure best way to include Yosemite into the trip). See the Most Controversial Spot in Yosemite near the Hetch Hetchy Entrance Take the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) from San Francisco on the Richmond line. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-46693958', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Napa valley, I think that would be fine. Merced is Yosemites smallest grove of giant sequoia, but its also the most secluded and its worth putting in the effort to visit. You can get from San Francisco to Yosemite National Park in around 3 to 3 hours and 30 minutes, and the two most conventional routes cover 165 and 200 miles, respectively. Now that you've set your multi-destination itinerary, I suggest you go to the city/destination forum page. Driving along Conzelman Road provides a shorter scenic detour. 1. It was the only port of entry for taxable goods in California. . Napa Valley is roughly considered to be the area from American Canyon to Calistoga at the northernmost point, with the city of Napa located near the southern part of the valley. After Yosemite, wind your way back through beautiful farmlands and orchards, stopping in Modesto where youll find a sea of lovely white blossoms in the spring, thanks to the citys groves of almond trees. This small group tour takes you from San Francisco to the famed Napa Valley. See complete details at the, Free upgrade to bus first 3 rows seating, subject to availability, All domestic ground transportation via air-conditioned vehicle. Find Western Heritage in Oakdale There is travel time involved as well. Northern Yosemite is the higher elevation portion of the park and there are yet more stunning hikes and views in this part of the park. Three Sonoma and Napa valley tastings. For its part, Yosemite Valley tallied 40 inches of snow Tuesday alone. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-43239749', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');San Francisco in November. From Vallejo, connect to the Napa Valley VINE bus system Route 10, which can take you all the way to Calistoga . All that personal attention means you might pay more than you would for a big group bus tour, but if you're traveling with several other people, the price difference grows smaller. Each entrance has its own unique character and special points of interest along the way. Coming northwest out of Yosemite puts you smack into California gold rush country. You can drive yourself up to Glacier Point, which is a lovely, popular overlook in the park.. Better to do fewer things more slowly and savor your experience, than rush around, barely scratching the surface.