Day Trips from San Francisco

The Bay Area is easy to escape. Within an hour or two of the city you can be among coastal redwoods, in wine country or on a wild stretch of Pacific coast. These are the trips we'd pick, from the easiest to the most ambitious.

Muir Woods

A valley of old-growth coast redwoods, some of them more than a thousand years old, about 25 km north of the Golden Gate Bridge. The boardwalk loop along Redwood Creek is flat and takes an hour or two, and the Hillside Trail climbs above the crowds. You can't just turn up by car: parking reservations are required and must be booked in advance on gomuirwoods.com, and they sell out at weekends. The alternative is the seasonal shuttle, which in 2026 runs from the Larkspur ferry terminal on Fridays, weekends and holidays through October, also by reservation. Take the Golden Gate Ferry to Larkspur and connect. Taxis and ride-hail cars can drop you off without a booking, but phone signal at the park is poor for the return trip.

Sausalito

The simplest escape of all. Ferries from the Ferry Building or Pier 41 cross the bay in about half an hour, passing Alcatraz and the bridge. Sausalito itself is a small waterfront town of galleries and seafood restaurants, and the houseboat community at its northern end is a pleasant walk. Some people cycle over the Golden Gate Bridge and take the ferry back.

Napa and Sonoma

Napa is the famous one, polished and pricey. Sonoma is more relaxed, with a leafy town square and smaller family wineries. Both are about an hour or so by car without traffic. Most wineries now require tasting reservations, so book ahead and choose a driver, or join a tour. Three wineries in a day is plenty.

Berkeley

Twenty minutes on BART. Walk the university campus and climb the Campanile for a view across the bay, browse the bookshops on Telegraph Avenue, and eat in the "Gourmet Ghetto" on Shattuck Avenue, where Chez Panisse started the California farm-to-table movement in 1971.

Monterey and Carmel

Around two and a half hours south, so start early. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is one of the best in the world, with a kelp forest tank three storeys high. Carmel-by-the-Sea has a white-sand beach and fairy-tale cottages, and the 17-Mile Drive between them follows the rocky coast past cypress trees and golf courses. It works better as an overnight trip.

Yosemite

About four hours each way, which makes it a poor day trip. Stay at least one night, ideally two. In 2026 the park is not using the timed entry reservations of recent summers, but it still gets very busy, so arrive early. Since January 2026, visitors who aren't US residents pay an additional per-person fee at Yosemite on top of the normal vehicle entry. Check the National Park Service site for current fees, road openings and conditions before you set off.