5 Weekend Trips And Getaways From San Francisco

San Francisco radiates a heady high that’s not entirely due to the fog of its legalized dispensaries or the miles of sloping streets. In addition, the cultural hub bewitches visitors with swirling murals, Prohibition-era speakeasies and – beyond that – outstanding areas of natural beauty. If you’re dreaming of a rural escape, perhaps now is the time to take advantage of the verdant wine country, fantastical redwood forests and untouched wilderness within driving distance of the Golden Gate City.

Yosemite

Yosemite is a wild landscape that looks as if it was painted by Bob Ross himself. The vast national park is notorious for its clusters of cloud-climbing sequoias including the Instagram-worthy California Tunnel Tree – a man-made tunnel is carved through the tiger-orange trunk like a portal into Eden. Hike down one of the many routes that criss-cross the dense forest to find Bridalveil Fall, bursting from the crown of colossal granite cliffs.

1. Family-Friendly Hike in Yosemite

Activities, Tours

Swap well-trodden city streets for the root-twisted forest floor on this half-day family hike that takes you deep into the untouched corners of Yosemite. Tailored to you and your family’s ability, the hike is a perfect chance to explore the natural beauty that flourishes throughout the national park. Follow the guide along trails that snake through the sun-dappled wilderness and capture the experience on camera, with shots of towering evergreens and the Half Dome’s fissured rock formation. Be sure to bring your own lunch to enjoy beside one of the sprawling lakes.

Calistoga

2. Calistoga Wine Country Bike and Wine Tasting

Tours, Activities

Combining wine and wheels, this immersive bike tour around the idyllic landscape of Napa Valley is an ideal way to work up an appetite for some of the region’s finest wines. Setting off from characterful Calistoga, you’ll pedal past rows of manicured vineyards at a leisurely pace and stop at up to four wineries along the way. As you sip on several vintages, you’ll be regaled with insider tips and stories about the beloved beverage – before a picnic lunch to soak it all up.

Lake Tahoe

Thriving throughout the seasons with its popular ski resorts, wind-fueled watersports and network of hiking trails, Lake Tahoe attracts more than its fair share of day-trippers and sun-worshippers. The star of the show is the lake itself: a deep basin cloaked in a glassy cobalt veneer and backdropped by the lofty peaks of shrouded mountains. Its spellbinding setting is not without its own skeletons in the closet (or rather lake), as legend has it the chilly depths may hold the perfectly preserved bodies of mafia victims and lost divers.

3. Lake Tahoe Photography Tour

Activities, Tours

Capture the magic of Lake Tahoe on this photographic tour. It includes stops at a wildlife sanctuary to snap some native birds (plus a bear if you’re lucky, from afar that is) and – depending on your choice of itinerary – a drive through Incline Village, the site of the famous Western show Bonanza. When you arrive at Lake Tahoe, you can use the guide’s tips and tricks to shoot reflections of cloud-spearing mountains in its rippling waters before swinging by West Shore, one of the filming locations from The Godfather Part II.

Healdsburg

A pastoral paradise in Sonoma County, Healdsburg oozes country charm with its rustic farm-to-table fare and welcoming wineries. Strolling along streets that crunch underfoot with fallen leaves, you’ll come across the pinstriped signs of fashion boutiques and the creamy facades of buildings overrun by thickets of creeping ivy. There’s nightlife to be had, too – seek out Barndiva for a drink in its gallery-slash-bar setting.

4. Healdsburg Food and Wine Walking Tour

Tours, Activities

This jam-packed jaunt will take you around some of the best local eateries and wineries in Healdsburg. In a small group, you’ll wine and dine your way through the downtown area, meeting passionate culinary characters and learning all about sustainability along the way. One moment you might be salivating over tongue-tingling tapas, while the next you’ll be swirling a robust red wine and gushing about its earthy undertones. By the tour’s end, you’ll be brimming with newfound knowledge of this fabled wine country.

Sonoma

Famed for its sustainable farming and surrounding nature reserves, wine-soaked Sonoma is a dreamland for wine and nature lovers. Its technicolor tapestry of golden meadows, stripy emerald vineyards and peach-colored architecture creates a spectacular backdrop for visits to award-winning wineries.

5. Sonoma Horseback Riding Tour

Tours, Activities

Journey deep into California wine country the old-fashioned way – on horseback. Channeling classic cowboy swagger, hoist yourself up onto the saddle of a mare for the day to follow your guide down the dusty trails that creep into the wilderness of Sonoma County. As your horse trots over the rocky terrain, you’ll enjoy regular breathers to appreciate the electric-blue waters of Sonoma Lake, the bucolic views from Skaggs Vista and the sweet aromas of the many vineyards in Dry Creek Valley.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.