With world-class eateries, charming little towns, spas, art, and shopping, you will be spoiled for choice on what to do on in Napa Valley on your weekend getaway. Why go: California’s premier wine country destination is one of the most fun short trips from San Francisco, whether you enjoy wine or not. Here, then, are the most exciting weekend trips from San Francisco! Napa Valley: Wine Country Delights And to avoid the traffic on long holiday weekends, take a day off to make your own long weekend and enjoy the nice peaceful drives to and from your getaway! If the driving time is more than 3 hours in normal traffic, we suggest reserving the destination for a long weekend trip from San Francisco. Just a note on driving distances and times: they are based on Google maps with a generic start point of San Francisco and without taking possible traffic delays into account.įor visitors to the area: know that traffic can be heavy at peak times on weekends (heading out of the city on Friday from late afternoon onward and heading back into the city on Sunday from late afternoon onward). We have done many of these mini California road trips more than once, and would absolutely jump at any opportunity to do them any of them again! (And if you are looking to get away just for the day, check out our article on some great nature spots for San Francisco day trips.)

But each place listed is among the top-notch quick getaway destinations for both residents and visitors to the City by the Bay. This list of our favorite weekend trips from San Francisco by road is by no means exhaustive. Road trips are the perfect way to explore California, because the state is so scenic! You will love having the ability to stop off to photograph the views, or to enjoy wildlife you spot en route, or to sample fruit and nuts from roadside stands.Ĭalifornia’s scenery is made for road trips! Lassen Volcanic National Park: Mud Pots and Volcanoes.Santa Monica: Classic Southern California Fun.Paso Robles: Central California Wine Country.Pinnacles National Park: Tall Spires and Cool Caves.Monterey: Whale Watching and Coastal Beauty.Mendocino Coast: Spectacular Coastal Scenery.

Yosemite National Park: Waterfalls and Granite Cliffs.Best Weekend Getaways from San Francisco.

Weekend trips