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Who doesn’t have a Northern California road trip on their bucket list? There is so much variety to see in Northern California. Think of walking the streets of San Francisco, but also the raw nature of the California National Parks. We rented a jeep and had our honeymoon in Northern California. It was an adventure that we will always remember. We have crafted this itinerary for you, to get the most out of your Northern California road trip! 

Article Contents

Getting to Northern California

Flying

Northern California is a destination for millions of travelers each year. You will find major airports in San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose. Smaller airports are located in Sacramento, Fresno and Redding.

San Francisco (SFO) is your best option for this Northern California road trip itinerary, as San Francisco is the first stop. The airline ‘United’ has a major hub at SFO. Other airlines such as Alaska, Southwest, Delta and American fly to SFO as well.

You can easily find cheap flights or use credit card points to get you started on this road trip. If you want to know more about getting free flights, check out our beginners guide to travel hacking!

Driving

You can also use your own car for this road trip of course. You can drive to Northern California, but beware of parking fees in San Francisco.

How long do you need for your Northern California road trip?

We think the perfect amount of time for a Northern California road trip would be 21 days. But, we know not everyone has this much time to do a road trip.

Can a road trip be done in 10 days? Absolutely! We will give recommendations on how much time to spend in each destination, so you can adjust this itinerary to fit anywhere from 10 days to 21 days.

Renting a car

You can rent a car from any rental company of course. We use kayak to search for competitive prices and are usually able to find good deals.

It is awesome to drive in the desert or mountainous landscapes in a jeep. But let’s face it, that will be really expensive. You probably already know that California is an expensive state, and so the gas will be expensive as well. We have lived in Hawaii for one year and the gas prices are even more expensive in California than on Oahu!

Your Northern California road trip will be just as fun in an economy car!

Tolls

There are toll roads in California, but not throughout the entire state. You can find an overview of the toll roads on this website. The car rental company will most likely have toll tags attached to the windshield, so that you won’t have to worry about paying in cash.

Make sure to ask about this with the car rental company when you pick up your car.

Northern California Weather

You could say that California has a Mediterranean type climate, with hot and dry summers and mild and rainy winters.

The summers can be hot in Northern California, especially when you drive closer to the Southern part of the state. Though the temperatures can be high during the day, the evenings can be cool.

Karl the Fog you say? That’s the name of the famous Fog in San Francisco that is mostly prevalent in the spring and early summer months. And let me tell you, that the Fog can make it feel very cold.

It’s probably best to take some warm clothing with you on your road trip, so you can layer up when necessary.

Where to stay

We are big fans of Airbnb, so that we can stay in more authentic and unique stays on our road trips. This also gives you the advantage to cook dinners for yourself, which can be cost effective.

There’s of course always the option of booking a hotel, which offers an easier check-in process. You won’t have to contact people to be able to check in, which can be the case with an Airbnb.

Figure out your dates of travel and look around for accommodations. Some things to look out for are free parking, potential free breakfast options and a somewhat central location (easy access to the main road).

Start your road trip in San Francisco

San Francisco is a place most people dream of visiting. Exploring this city is a must for anyone traveling in Northern California. There are a few things to know before visiting San Francisco.

First, we recommend staying in Union Square instead of Fisherman’s Wharf. The Wharf is extremely touristy and was only interesting for a few minutes, before it became too crowded.

Next, there is homelessness all over San Francisco, which can lead to uncomfortable situations and petty crimes. Avoid any problems in San Francisco by planning your itinerary thoroughly, so you know what neighborhoods to avoid (such as Tenderloin). 

Finally, parking and driving can be a real pain. You don’t need a car during your visit to the city, rather simply walk or use public transportation.

Getting around San Francisco is quite easy. From SFO, simply take the BART (metro) to your hotel. The BART runs around the city and is a good option for getting around.

Day 1 – Barbary Coast Trail

San Francisco is a perfect city to explore by foot! Start with the Barbary Coast trail to explore much of the city including Union Square, Chinatown, historical bookstores and the touristy Fisherman’s Wharf! Follow the gold emblems labeled around the city to walk the Barbary Coast Trail.

See San Francisco’s Chinatown, which is one of the oldest and largest in the United States. Feel the history by walking through the Chinese gates, eating some fortune cookies and exploring the neighborhood shops!

Continue on to Vesuvio Cafe and have a drink where revolution happened. Famous members of the Beat Generation, such as Jack Kerouac and Allan Ginsburg enjoyed their drinks at this cafe! 

Don’t miss the walk up to Coit Tower, which has some of the best views in the city. If you are hungry, grab some pizza in Little Italy just down the hill.

If you’d like to have an actual printed walking tour, you can purchase guides or get it for free by following the major sites described here.

Day 2 – Golden Gate bridge

Experience the Golden Gate Bridge on your second day in San Francisco. We love adventure, so we wanted to bike the entire distance from the Presidio to the Golden Gate Bridge. Rent a bike from blazing saddles and make the trip out to the Golden Gate Bridge.

The presidio is the oldest part of the city, built by the Spanish to protect the Mission system that ranged from San Diego all the way to San Francisco. From here, you can start your bike ride to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Afterwards, you can bike to Sausalito. A beautiful and picturesque coastal town with a Mediterranean feel. This small town has great fish restaurants, sunny beachside strolls and endless possibilities for pictures.

Day 3 – Golden Gate park

Explore the Golden Gate park on your last day in San Francisco. You will find art and science museums, bison, beaches, windmills and a Japanese Tea Garden! What more can you ask for? 

Stop by the mission district to get some great Mexican food and view the oldest building in San Francisco, the Mission Dolores.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ROAD TRIP – Stop 2 (Monterey)

Recommended time to spend in Monterey: 1 day

Make your way down Hwy 101 and stop in Monterey. This area is home to Cannery Row, the 17 mile drive (the most scenic drive in Monterey) and a unique aquarium. 

Take a stroll along the coastline to Lovers Point and admire the bay, with its many resting seals on the beach. The highlight of our trip was eating at Peppers Mexican food! Yes, you heard that right! Our favorite part of this stop was food! This restaurant is family owned and they do everything right. The customer service is amazing, the food is delicious and the setting is picture perfect.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ROAD TRIP – Stop 3 (Big Sur

Recommended time to spend in the Big Sur: 1 day

Continue down Hwy 1 and start in the town ‘Carmel by the Sea’. The view along the entire Big Sur is stunning, as you will be driving along the high coastal cliff walls with spectacular ocean views! You may even spot migrating whales a few miles from the shore. 

There are so many stops to explore on the Big Sur, but we recommend these places:

• The iconic and picturesque Bixby Bridge
• Hike a trail and see redwood trees at Pfeiffer State Park
• Hike a short way up Moro Rock
• Visit Limekiln State Park
• The elephant seals at San Simeon! Do not miss this last stop, it was our favorite of all Big Sur stops.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ROAD TRIP – Stop 4 (Sequoia)

Recommended time to spend at Sequoia National Park: 2-3 days

Visit the largest trees in the world at Sequoia National Park. Imagine standing underneath one of these giant trees, or walking through an entire forest of sequoia’s.

We experienced the best hikes of our trip at Sequoia National Park, which also borders Kings Canyon National Park. You could decide to combine these two National Parks on this fourth stop of your Northern California road trip.

There are countless hiking trails at Sequoia National Park, but we recommend exploring the Giant forest, the Alta trail and the Topokah Falls trail. 

The Giant forest has some of the biggest and oldest trees in the park, which is spectacular to see on your trip. Who doesn’t want to see the biggest and oldest trees?

The Alta trail is a peaceful walk among the sequoia’s, and there are barely any people (isn’t that great?). It is such a peaceful hike in the park. We are stunned that it isn’t more popular, but then again, we don’t want it to become more popular…

And finally, the Topokah Falls trail is a fairytale hike in the woods. You will be hiking next to a river that makes you feel like you stepped into a movie. The walking paths are beautiful, filled with flowers, moss, small bridges and endless mountain views. Oh, did I mention the cascading waterfall at the end?

Trust me when I say, you could spend a whole lot longer in this park!

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ROAD TRIP – Stop 5 (Yosemite)

Recommended time to spend in Yosemite National Park: 3 days

Of course, you will visit Yosemite National Park. The most famous National Park in all of the United States, and for a reason.

The valley overlooking some of the most famous mountains and rock formations is just incredible. We recommend exploring Glacier Point, Yosemite Valley and driving the Tioga Road (only open during the summer months).

Start with Glacier point to see the famous rock formations of Yosemite and then make your way over to Taft point. 

Yosemite Valley is an amazing spot to see the famous rock formations up close and do various hiking trails, such as the Mist trail. 

Make your way out of the park by driving the scenic Tioga Pass. We found it to be our favorite part of the National Park, as it was less crowded and filled with small gems. The number one place to visit on Tioga Road is Tenaya Lake! We couldn’t get over how majestic and picturesque it was! We even put our swimsuits on and took a cold swim! Some other great stops are Olmsted Point and Tuolumne Meadows.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ROAD TRIP – Stop 6 (Lake Tahoe)

Recommended time to spend at Lake Tahoe: 3 days

Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in Northern California, with half of the lake being in Nevada. The color of the water has all shades of blue and emerald green. Did I mention the water is incredibly clear? 

It’s nice to enjoy some of the hikes at Lake Tahoe and to do some water activities. We recommend these activities in Lake Tahoe:

• Hiking to Eagle Falls
• Visit some of the lookouts in Emerald Bay State Park
• Hike the Rubicon trail in D.L. Bliss State Park 

You can easily rent kayaks or stand up paddleboards around Lake Tahoe and enjoy the water more up close. This is a nice activity to do, because you can see the crystal clear waters with massive rocks underneath you. Stop at one of the beaches and coves alongside the coast and have your lunch!

A popular beach to start your kayak or stand up paddle board activity is Sand Harbor. It’s a pretty beach to relax and spend the day, but do arrive early! Arrive as soon as they open, and not one minute later. You will thank us later!

Want to spend some extra time in Lake Tahoe? You can visit the town of Truckee and hike the historic Donner Pass train tunnels.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ROAD TRIP – Stop 7 (Lassen)

Recommended time to spend at Lassen Volcanic National park – half a day
Skip this stop if you want to shorten your itinerary

Did you know California has an active volcano? It does and it’s a National Park! Lassen Volcanic National Park is a great stop from Lake Tahoe, while you are on your way to visit the Redwoods.

We decided to hike the Bumpass Hell trail. It’s an easy-to-moderate 90 minute hike to the largest geothermal area of the park. It was our first time seeing volcanic activity up close and personal! Be warned though, it smells like rotten eggs. 

Next time we are in the area, we will try out some of the park’s other main attractions such as Lassen Peak and Manzanita Lake. This National Park feels like California’s best kept secret!

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ROAD TRIP – Stop 8 (Redwoods)

Recommended time to spend at the Redwoods – half a day

I will venture to say that this was our favorite stop during our Northern California road trip! All we had to do was to get out of our car and walk 5 minutes off the road.

We were surrounded by giant Redwood trees. I don’t consider myself very spiritual, but I felt a deep connection with these large trees! Some of these trees are 3x older than the entire United States. Think about that…

The Avenue of the Giants is a road that leads through patches of redwoods. You can spend a few hours here or the entire day depending on how many times you stop. Some people take their entire vacations at the state park.

Here is our recommendation: do everything you can to visit this park, as it is an unforgettable experience!

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ROAD TRIP – Stop 9 (Mendocino)

Recommended time to spend in Mendocino: 1-2 days
Spend 1 day if you want to shorten your itinerary

A sleepy coastal town in California with wineries, victorian villages and the rugged California coastline. Explore Mendocino and its history by visiting the visitors center, which also functions as a small museum. You will see many quaint streets, eateries and boutique shops.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ROAD TRIP – Stop 10 (Napa Valley)

Recommended time to spend in Napa Valley: 1 day

End your Northern California road trip in Napa Valley with several wine tastings! Taste some of the most famous wine in the world directly from the region itself.

There are many tastings, but you might want to research where you want to go. We had our wine tastings at Peju Winery, which to be honest, was quite expensive for the type of tasting you get.

We had a better time at Goldeneye Winery. Significantly cheaper and the surroundings are so picture perfect, you will not regret it. This winery is actually close to Mendocino, so you might combine this one with your Mendocino trip.

Napa Valley can be expensive! For cheaper prices, check out the less known wine regions around the area. Expect to be shown a variety of wine from the vineyard and walked through the taste profile. It’s a fancy experience.

What to bring on your Northern California road trip

We want to hear from you!

What do you think of our Northern California road trip? Do you have suggestions for others that they can’t miss on their road trip? Share it with us! We would love to hear from you!