Top 6 weekend trips from Sacramento
- Big Sur / Los Angeles
- Venice Beach / Carmel By the Sea
- Monterey / Santa Monica
- Manhattan Beach / Malibu
- Santa Barbara / San Luis Obispo
- Carmel / Santa Cruz
For any of these trips, you could visit just the first or second destination if you want to do less driving and spend more time in the area.
The longest trip is about 39.5 hours of total driving, so you may want to plan to do this over a long weekend.
Trip idea #1: Sacramento → Big Sur → Los Angeles → Sacramento
leave Sacramento on Friday
36 minutes → Vacaville
55 minutes → Oakland
51 minutes → Mountain View
1 hour → San Juan Bautista
40 minutes → Monterey
47 minutes → Big Sur (stay Friday night)
36 minutes → Vacaville
55 minutes → Oakland
51 minutes → Mountain View
1 hour → San Juan Bautista
40 minutes → Monterey
47 minutes → Big Sur (stay Friday night)
5 hours of driving
Big Sur to Los Angeles
leave Big Sur on Saturday
54 minutes → Pinnacles National Park
1.5 hours → Villicana Winery
1.5 hours → Lost Hills
49 minutes → Bakersfield
2 hours → Universal Studios Hollywood
17 minutes → Los Angeles (stay Saturday night)
54 minutes → Pinnacles National Park
1.5 hours → Villicana Winery
1.5 hours → Lost Hills
49 minutes → Bakersfield
2 hours → Universal Studios Hollywood
17 minutes → Los Angeles (stay Saturday night)
6.5 hours of driving
Los Angeles to Sacramento
leave Los Angeles on Sunday
2 hours → Griffith Observatory
49 minutes → Bakersfield
1 hour → Lost Hills
1.5 hours → Harris Ranch Inn & Restaurant
1.5 hours → Pea Soup Andersen's
51 minutes → Stockton
13 minutes → Sacramento (back home)
2 hours → Griffith Observatory
49 minutes → Bakersfield
1 hour → Lost Hills
1.5 hours → Harris Ranch Inn & Restaurant
1.5 hours → Pea Soup Andersen's
51 minutes → Stockton
13 minutes → Sacramento (back home)
8 hours of driving
Total driving time for this trip is about 19.5 hours of driving.
Trip idea #2: Sacramento → Venice Beach → Carmel By the Sea → Sacramento
leave Sacramento on Friday
51 minutes → Stockton
1.5 hours → Pea Soup Andersen's
1.5 hours → Harris Ranch Inn & Restaurant
1 hour → Lost Hills
49 minutes → Bakersfield
2 hours → Griffith Observatory
22 minutes → Venice Beach (stay Friday night)
51 minutes → Stockton
1.5 hours → Pea Soup Andersen's
1.5 hours → Harris Ranch Inn & Restaurant
1 hour → Lost Hills
49 minutes → Bakersfield
2 hours → Griffith Observatory
22 minutes → Venice Beach (stay Friday night)
8 hours of driving
Venice Beach to Carmel By the Sea
leave Venice Beach on Saturday
21 hours → Grapevine
1 hour → Lost Hills
1 hour → Cass Winery
1 hour → King City
50 minutes → Salinas
31 minutes → Carmel By the Sea (stay Saturday night)
21 hours → Grapevine
1 hour → Lost Hills
1 hour → Cass Winery
1 hour → King City
50 minutes → Salinas
31 minutes → Carmel By the Sea (stay Saturday night)
26 hours of driving
Carmel By the Sea to Sacramento
leave Carmel By the Sea on Sunday
40 minutes → Monterey
1 hour → San Juan Bautista
42 minutes → San Jose
41 minutes → Livermore
53 minutes → Oakland
32 minutes → Napa
36 minutes → Vacaville
10 minutes → Sacramento (back home)
40 minutes → Monterey
1 hour → San Juan Bautista
42 minutes → San Jose
41 minutes → Livermore
53 minutes → Oakland
32 minutes → Napa
36 minutes → Vacaville
10 minutes → Sacramento (back home)
5.5 hours of driving
Total driving time for this trip is about 39.5 hours of driving.
Trip idea #3: Sacramento → Monterey → Santa Monica → Sacramento
leave Sacramento on Friday
36 minutes → Vacaville
32 minutes → Napa
53 minutes → Oakland
41 minutes → Livermore
42 minutes → San Jose
1 hour → San Juan Bautista
39 minutes → Monterey Bay Aquarium
5 minutes → Monterey (stay Friday night)
36 minutes → Vacaville
32 minutes → Napa
53 minutes → Oakland
41 minutes → Livermore
42 minutes → San Jose
1 hour → San Juan Bautista
39 minutes → Monterey Bay Aquarium
5 minutes → Monterey (stay Friday night)
5 hours of driving
Monterey to Santa Monica
leave Monterey on Saturday
1 hour → King City
50 minutes → Paso Robles
1 hour → Lost Hills
49 minutes → Bakersfield
1.5 hours → Burbank
37 minutes → Santa Monica (stay Saturday night)
1 hour → King City
50 minutes → Paso Robles
1 hour → Lost Hills
49 minutes → Bakersfield
1.5 hours → Burbank
37 minutes → Santa Monica (stay Saturday night)
6.5 hours of driving
Santa Monica to Sacramento
leave Santa Monica on Sunday
2 hours → Griffith Observatory
49 minutes → Bakersfield
1 hour → Lost Hills
1.5 hours → Harris Ranch Inn & Restaurant
1.5 hours → Pea Soup Andersen's
51 minutes → Stockton
22 minutes → Sacramento (back home)
2 hours → Griffith Observatory
49 minutes → Bakersfield
1 hour → Lost Hills
1.5 hours → Harris Ranch Inn & Restaurant
1.5 hours → Pea Soup Andersen's
51 minutes → Stockton
22 minutes → Sacramento (back home)
8 hours of driving
Total driving time for this trip is about 19.5 hours of driving.
Trip idea #4: Sacramento → Manhattan Beach → Malibu → Sacramento
leave Sacramento on Friday
51 minutes → Stockton
1.5 hours → Pea Soup Andersen's
1.5 hours → Harris Ranch Inn & Restaurant
1 hour → Lost Hills
49 minutes → Bakersfield
2 hours → Los Angeles
35 minutes → Manhattan Beach (stay Friday night)
51 minutes → Stockton
1.5 hours → Pea Soup Andersen's
1.5 hours → Harris Ranch Inn & Restaurant
1 hour → Lost Hills
49 minutes → Bakersfield
2 hours → Los Angeles
35 minutes → Manhattan Beach (stay Friday night)
8.5 hours of driving
Manhattan Beach to Malibu
leave Manhattan Beach on Saturday
11 minutes → In-N-Out Burger
11 minutes → Culver City
11 minutes → Santa Monica
11 minutes → Getty Villa
14 minutes → Nobu Malibu
15 minutes → Malibu (stay Saturday night)
11 minutes → In-N-Out Burger
11 minutes → Culver City
11 minutes → Santa Monica
11 minutes → Getty Villa
14 minutes → Nobu Malibu
15 minutes → Malibu (stay Saturday night)
1 hour of driving
Malibu to Sacramento
leave Malibu on Sunday
2 hours → Los Angeles
2 hours → Bakersfield
1.5 hours → Harris Ranch Inn & Restaurant
1.5 hours → Pea Soup Andersen's
51 minutes → Stockton
59 minutes → Sacramento (back home)
2 hours → Los Angeles
2 hours → Bakersfield
1.5 hours → Harris Ranch Inn & Restaurant
1.5 hours → Pea Soup Andersen's
51 minutes → Stockton
59 minutes → Sacramento (back home)
8.5 hours of driving
Total driving time for this trip is about 18 hours of driving.
Trip idea #5: Sacramento → Santa Barbara → San Luis Obispo → Sacramento
leave Sacramento on Friday
59 minutes → Napa
1.5 hours → Palo Alto
1.5 hours → Monterey
1 hour → King City
50 minutes → Paso Robles
1.5 hours → Solvang
43 minutes → Santa Barbara (stay Friday night)
59 minutes → Napa
1.5 hours → Palo Alto
1.5 hours → Monterey
1 hour → King City
50 minutes → Paso Robles
1.5 hours → Solvang
43 minutes → Santa Barbara (stay Friday night)
8.5 hours of driving
Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo
leave Santa Barbara on Saturday
20 minutes → Cold Spring Tavern
17 minutes → Cachuma Lake Park
21 minutes → Solvang
21 minutes → Los Alamos
23 minutes → Boardwalk Ln
28 minutes → Laetitia Vineyard & Winery
17 minutes → Pismo Beach
18 minutes → San Luis Obispo (stay Saturday night)
20 minutes → Cold Spring Tavern
17 minutes → Cachuma Lake Park
21 minutes → Solvang
21 minutes → Los Alamos
23 minutes → Boardwalk Ln
28 minutes → Laetitia Vineyard & Winery
17 minutes → Pismo Beach
18 minutes → San Luis Obispo (stay Saturday night)
2.5 hours of driving
San Luis Obispo to Sacramento
leave San Luis Obispo on Sunday
1.5 hours → Morro Bay
41 minutes → Parkfield
1.5 hours → Harris Ranch Inn & Restaurant
48 minutes → Pea Soup Andersen's
41 minutes → Westley
51 minutes → Stockton
18 minutes → Sacramento (back home)
1.5 hours → Morro Bay
41 minutes → Parkfield
1.5 hours → Harris Ranch Inn & Restaurant
48 minutes → Pea Soup Andersen's
41 minutes → Westley
51 minutes → Stockton
18 minutes → Sacramento (back home)
6.5 hours of driving
Total driving time for this trip is about 17.5 hours of driving.
Trip idea #6: Sacramento → Carmel → Santa Cruz → Sacramento
leave Sacramento on Friday
36 minutes → Vacaville
32 minutes → Napa
53 minutes → Oakland
41 minutes → Livermore
42 minutes → San Jose
1 hour → San Juan Bautista
40 minutes → Monterey
10 minutes → Carmel (stay Friday night)
36 minutes → Vacaville
32 minutes → Napa
53 minutes → Oakland
41 minutes → Livermore
42 minutes → San Jose
1 hour → San Juan Bautista
40 minutes → Monterey
10 minutes → Carmel (stay Friday night)
5.5 hours of driving
Carmel to Santa Cruz
leave Carmel on Saturday
17 minutes → Marina
12 minutes → California 1
11 minutes → Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve
15 minutes → Watsonville
19 minutes → Seacliff State Beach
15 minutes → Santa Cruz (stay Saturday night)
17 minutes → Marina
12 minutes → California 1
11 minutes → Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve
15 minutes → Watsonville
19 minutes → Seacliff State Beach
15 minutes → Santa Cruz (stay Saturday night)
1.5 hours of driving
Santa Cruz to Sacramento
leave Santa Cruz on Sunday
51 minutes → Palo Alto
41 minutes → Livermore
53 minutes → Oakland
32 minutes → Napa
36 minutes → Vacaville
47 minutes → Sacramento (back home)
51 minutes → Palo Alto
41 minutes → Livermore
53 minutes → Oakland
32 minutes → Napa
36 minutes → Vacaville
47 minutes → Sacramento (back home)
4.5 hours of driving
Total driving time for this trip is about 11 hours of driving.
Discover weekend getaways from Sacramento and explore
places that are easily drivable for a short 3-day trip or a longer weekend
if there's a holiday or you can get time off. Once you've picked a
destination, you can search for alternate routes that might have more
interesting stops along the way. If you're looking for all of the
possible destinations, try searching for a radius of
50 miles from Sacramento up to 200 miles from Sacramento or anything in between. If you don't have enough time for a
long weekend, try searching for day trips from Sacramento, or you can make Sacramento your destination instead. If you have more time, you can plan a drive from Sacramento to Nevada.
