Epic 9 Day Northern California Road Trip Itinerary

When planning the ultimate 9 day Northern California road trip itinerary, you’ll be overwhelmed with all the different ways you can do it but if you’re looking to blown away by a legendary national park, other-worldly landscapes, award-winning wines, crystal-clear lakes, giant sequoias, Gold Rush western vibes, a famous bridge, and more, this is the real California Dreamin’ trip.

Use this as planner, to-do list, and bucket list guide as you build out your dream trip, or if you’re looking to go care-free, learn how I booked this exact trip through Globus.

Planning Your Northern California Road Trip

Northern California is a traveller’s paradise and truly has it all. It’s the perfect road trip destination because it has such a diversity of things to see, do, eat and sip.

With NorCal you’ve got the Sierra Mountains, wine country, vibrant cities, and glorious lakes. With 9 days to work with or even 8 if you are crunched for time, you’ll be able to put together an itinerary that ticks off plenty of bucket list items, will be unbelievably photogenic, and will also want you coming back for more.

What to Know Before Choosing Your Itinerary

Northern California is HUGE. Even with 9 days you’ll be scratching the surface of the state and a bit of Nevada (just the tip!).

As you start planning out your road trip itinerary, you’ll be making concessions and be forced to cut things out because you’ll be balancing the time required to drive to get around and also what makes sense to fit in.

The biggest recommendation we can make is to put some of that FOMO aside and just know that you won’t be able to see it all. That said, the plan we’ve put together here thanks to Globus’ own California Dreamin’ tour really does combine the best of the best and is especially good for first timers.

At the end of the day though, this itinerary is a good foundation to build on so totally feel free to tweak it and make it your own. I won’t be upset if you decide to do Napa vs. Sonoma or if you decide to cut Sacramento a bit shorter in order to increase your time in Yosemite.

The good news is that if you keep reading, you’ll find that we provide a nifty spreadsheet to help you which is part of our secret to the art of planning trips.

How To Get Around Northern California

This is a road trip after all, so you’ll need something with wheels to get you around. While most people think about San Francisco when it comes to NorCal but once you look at everything above and around it in the Golden State, you realize that there are a lot of miles to cover.

Your best bet to getting around with this Northern California road trip itinerary is to rent your own car once you arrive at SFO. This is great for folks that want full independence and enjoy driving long distances and comfortable with winding mountain roads.

Car Rental Deals: For the best deal, make sure you know about car rental coupon codes that you can apply.

If you’d much rather have someone else do the driving (trust me, that back-and-forth driving you have to do in Yosemite is not as fun as you think), you should consider booking a tour like the Globus California Dreamin’: Northern California by Design where all the details are taken care of. More on that next.

Lastly, something else you could consider are to do smaller day trips in between the driving you’re doing from spot to spot. For instance, you can look for tours in San Francisco, Sacramento, Lake Tahoe, and Yosemite.

Book This Exact Tour With Globus

For a carefree travel experience, I actually got to see Northern California through Globus.

The tour you want to look at is Golden State of Mind: Northern California By Design and this is one of their newest tours that incorporates what’s called Choice Touring.

Choice Touring is awesome because it allows you to decide what kind of excursions you do throughout the journey. For someone like me that loves outdoor adventure and photography, you can pick those activities.

While I’m normally not a tour bus person, I’ve certainly done it before with the likes of Flying Kiwi in New Zealand. Count this as another excellent experience where I loved that I didn’t need to do much of the planning, logistics, and planning and could just enjoy the moment and also meet a ton of like-minded travellers as well.

We dive into what it was like to travel with Globus so make sure to check out our in-depth review of the tour!

How To Use This Northern California Road Trip Itinerary

As with all of our detailed itineraries such as 2 days in Istanbul, 8 day Iceland itinerary, 3 days in Kauai, and more, we provide you with as much detail as we can about each sight and destination based on what we actually experienced on the ground and practical tips that only someone that’s been there would know.

At the same time, we understand that everyone’s travel style is different and every group has different interests. That’s why we’ve included alternatives whether it be bookable tours, restaurants, and places to stay.

You can easily do this itinerary in reverse if you’d like and you can also tear it apart to reconstruct in your own way. For instance, this doesn’t include much of the Pacific Coast Highway including favourites such as Point Reyes, Mendocino, and Trinidad, although arguably, that’s a very different NorCal road trip itinerary.

You’ll just have to come back for a separate trip!

9 Day Northern California Road Trip Itinerary

Map of this NorCal Road Trip

The below is a map of the entire itinerary including points of interest broken out by day and the driving route. Within each location, you can learn more about each spot by clicking on the links inside.

TIP: To save this onto your phone, expand the map and then make a copy of the map to your own account. This will give you access to the map on the Google Maps app.

Day 1: San Francisco

Your Northern California road trip adventures starts off with a bang. If you’ve never been to San Francisco, you’ll want to cram in as much as you can in the city. If you’ve been before, you’ll be able to spend a relaxed day settling in and picking a few of your favourite spots to revisit.

For everyone, you’ll want to account for time for your commute to San Francisco whether you’re taking the car, bus, train, or plane. If you’ve read our NorCal driving tips, you’ll know that we don’t recommend you to rent a car from the airport. This way, you don’t need to worry about driving and parking in the city and you can save some money on your rental.

Once you get settled into your hotel, it’s time to go out and explore on foot. Since you’ll be staying downtown, you’ll be able to get to many of the city’s highlights but keep in mind that the walk from the Marriott Marquis to Pier 39 is considerable which is why your best bet is to take the cable car.

After you stroll around the Union Square area and do a little shopping, head over to Power and Market where you can board a cable car, a quintessential San Francisco experience. Single trips are currently $8 USD where you can pay by cash at the kiosk but has to be exact change. We recommend that you take the Powell/Hyde route to get you as close to the pier as possible although Powell/.

Ride the cable car all the way down to the Beach Street turnaround. From here, you can explore Fishermans Wharf, Pier 39, Fort Mason, all the way out to Fort Point if you’re ambitious and get right up to the base of Golden Gate Bridge, or just plan on grabbing lunch at the In-N-Out and have a leisurely afternoon.

Alternatively, you could walk from your downtown hotel after a ramen lunch at Ippudo and explore the historic China Town, stop by Golden Gate Bakery if it’s open, have bubble tea at Boba Guys, catch views from Coit Tower, and pick up some coffee at Blue Bottle at the Ferry Building before walking back.

If that’s too much walking, there’s always the Hop-on-Hop-off bus which can be combined with an Alcatraz and Bay Cruise tour. Let’s just say there are a lot of options!

For dinner, San Francisco is your oyster! Our recommendations is Tadich Grill to have the famed Cioppino that originated in this very city.

Day 2: Sausalito and Sonoma

After a fun day in San Francisco, it’s finally time to hit the road!

For those that decide to book with Globus, you’ll be getting on your bus here. If you’re renting a car, pick up your in the city.

Have your cameras ready as you cross the Golden Gate Bridge but if you miss it, you can stop at the convenient Golden Gate Bridge View Vista Point.

Your first main stop for the day is the harbor town of Sausalito that has uninterrupted views of San Francisco (if the fog hasn’t taken over), a whole community of houseboats, a cute seaside-type village, and the backdrop of the hillside.

Early in the morning, you’ll be able to have a calming walk along the water with a cup of coffee in hand. Stop by a couple of shops and galleries along the way. There’s also nothing wrong with having the famed Lappert’s Ice Cream which hails from Hawaii.

From Sausalito, Sonoma is a 1.5 hour drive. You might be wondering why Sonoma over Napa. Having done both, you’ll find that Sonoma Valley is unapologetically laid-back and way more laid back than what can be a more pretentious Napa.

The winery that you’ll be visiting is Gloria Ferrer that’s nestled in the picturesque valley and fertile hills of Carneros. In fact, they were the first sparkling winery in the Carneros area of Sonoma. With breathtaking views of vineyard from their terrace, there are a number of tasting and dining experiences available that’ll give you a great opportunity to be delighted by their featured wines.

Another big difference from Napa is that Sonoma’s downtown plaza is highly walkable and approachable town square that’s also in the shape of a square.

Start the afternoon grabbing lunch at any one of the eateries in town. From there, you’re free to discover the hidden alleyways, art galleries, boutiques, and green space. There’s plenty of history that you’ll notice whether it’s the Old West culture in its facades, Mission San Francisco Solano, and well-preserved military barracks (Presidio of Sonoma) built to house Mexican army troops in the early 1800s.

Plan to leave Sonoma a little earlier because it’s a 2 hour drive to get to Sacramento.

After getting settled at the Embassy Suites, you’ll be able to enjoy an evening in the Old Sacramento where the whole area oozes the Gold Rush-era with historic old time boardwalks and the highest concentration of buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.

Evenings come to life with a lively atmosphere and numerous eateries including Fanny Ann’s Saloon which is such a fun place to have a delicious burger with its eclectic decor.

Day 3: Sacramento

Out of everywhere on your Northern California road trip, Sacramento is easily one of those places that you don’t expect to encounter. On your third day, get to know the state capital (that’s right, it’s not Los Angeles or San Francisco).

Start your day off by doing a mini-tour of Sacramento by driving through its neighbourhoods, passing by its galleries, museums, and historic landmarks such as the California State Capitol, Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park, and the Johnny Cash mural created by the same artist that did Obama’s “Hope” poster.

The nice thing about the Globus bus tour is that our guide was stellar at telling us about the stories, people, and history behind the many places we drove by, allowing us to learn quite a bit as the driver took us on a well-curated route.

This is also the first day of YourChoice excursions. There were several activities to choose from but I ultimately chose one called “Off the Rails” to learn about Sacramento’s important role in the California Gold Rush, the Pony Express, and it also being the terminus of America’s first transcontinental railroad.

Spend a few hours at the incredible California State Railroad Museum where you’ll be blown away by the number of classic locomotives they have on display. Unlike many train museums where they’re outdoors, this is fully indoors, allowing you to comfortably learn how the “iron horse” connected California to the rest of the country including a huge diorama of how tracks were laid through the Sierra Nevada, the important role of the Chinese, and a massive toy train collection.

Since the museum is right next to Old Sacramento, you’ll be able to easily find a restaurant to grab lunch in one of the many saloons.

Now that you’ve learned about trains, it’s only fitting that you get to ride a locomotive just outside of Sacramento. River Fox Train is a scenic train ride through Yolo County farmland while paired with drinks that’ll be nostalgic and a good old-fashioned fun time.

To round out your day in the city, you’ll head back to Old Sacramento and its riverfront one last time. A restaurant we recommend checking out is Rio City Cafe which has a spacious outdoor patio that has views of the Tower Bridge and the river.

Day 4: Lake Tahoe

Get pumped for day 4 of the road trip because you’ll making your way towards Lake Tahoe or Mammoth Lakes and through what is considered to be one of America’s Most Beautiful Drive.

The first pitstop you’ll make is in Truckee where you’ll have to brush up on a bit of US history and learn the story of the Donner Party. It’s here where Donner Lake and Donner Pass got its name.

From here you’ll make start descending into the Lake Tahoe region. The lake is a shimmering freshwater lake that’s known for its emerald clear waters, beaches, and ski resorts.

The famous drive circumvents North America’s largest alpine lake but you’ll be doing the eastern side of the lake which is considered to be a National Scenic Byway. Since the state line between California and Nevada bisects the lake, you’ll actually be driving on the Nevada side.

You could easily spend a ton of time doing hikes, side routes, and water adventures here if you’re here in the summer but in the interest of time, you’ll be making stops at the Memorial Point Scenic Overlook in Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park and at Logan Shoals Vista Point.

Both stops are provide a unique vantage point of Lake Tahoe, giving you an appreciation for how large it is, the dominating mountains that surround it, the clarity of the water, and rounded boulders that dot its shores.

For lunch, you’ll cross back into California and the ski resort village of South Lake Tahoe. The town centers around the Heavenly Village resort. You’ll find plenty of shopping and food options here for lunch.

You won’t be able to linger too long though because you have a long drive ahead of you. It’s 2 hours and 45 minutes to make it into Mammoth Lakes and your hotel for the next 2 nights, Mammoth Mountain Inn.

Have a low-key night in the mountain village by grabbing yourself a pint and bahn mi or juicy burger at Mammoth Brewing Company. You deserve it!

Day 5: Mammoth Lakes

I’d say after Sacramento, Mammoth Lakes was also quite the revelation on this Northern California road trip. Mostly known for being a haven for skiing, the majestic scale of the surrounding mountains here is on full display when you visit here in other parts of the year.

After a good night’s rest at the mountain lodge in their loft-style rooms, have an early morning breakfast there so you can catch the sunrise at Brees Lookout, adjacent to Hot Creek Geological Park.

Steaming geysers and the bubbling creek winds its way through the gorge and leads your eye to dominant Sierra Nevada mountains behind. As the sun rises, its beams catch the lifting fog and the rainbow of colours below. The scene is absolutely magical.

TIP: This is only accessible by car. It’s a gravel road but there is plenty of space for cars at Brees point. The view is right at parking so you don’t have to hike far. If you’re with Globus, you can arrange your own transportation to get there. You can book a cab for the morning. Although it can get expensive, it’s totally worth it!

As another part of the Globus Choice Touring, there were 3 options but I opted to “Strike Gold in a Ghost Town”.

Next, you’ll head to a gold mining ghost town called Bodie State Historic Park. Only part of it remains but what’s left is in what they call “arrested decay”. This means that nothing has been touched. Everything you see inside the buildings were left as they were found.

In its heyday, 10,000 residents and produced more than $35 million in gold and silver from 1877 to 1882. Today, 200 buildings are left. Through their free public tours or on your own, you’ll be able to peer into a place frozen in time.

Photographer’s will love shooting here as well. If you’re keen, the Bodie Foundation also offer photography workshops so make sure you take a look to see if you’re interested in booking any in advance.

For lunch, head to the the diner, Nicely’s Restaurant, which is known for their killer milkshake and pie.

In the afternoon, make your way to “The Dead Sea of California”. Mono Lake has a very high concentration of salt which not only makes you float, has a unique ecosystem of brine shrimp, attracting millions of migratory birds each year.

The main sight to see at Mono Lake State Nature Preserve are the tufa towers. These are calcium-carbonate spires that have formed through the interaction of freshwater springs and alkaline lake water. They are a striking feature along the coastline and jut out from the water, creating an other-worldly landscape of jagged rock in the shimmering blue water.

With an awesome sunrise, why not wrap up the day with a sunset hike. The nice thing about staying at Mammoth Mountain Inn is that the hike trail to Minaret Vista is right at the parking lot. This trail is a gentle 1.5 mile climb through the pine forest and takes only 30-40 minutes.

From the viewpoint area, you’ll get iconic views of Mammoth Lakes with a sheer wall of jutting spires and the Ritter Range with the sun dropping right behind it.

Close off the day with dinner at Mountainside Bar & Grill inside the lodge. Think about ordering the bacon-wrapped elk chop!

Day 6: Yosemite National Park

Today’s the day! You’ll be making the long-awaited entry into the legendary Yosemite National Park. This is an outdoor lover’s paradise and with 3 days to work with, you’re going to be making most of your time here.

At Yosemite, you’ll be treated to incredible views of the most epic granite formations, ancient sequioa groves, thundering waterfalls, and jaw-dropping valleys. Photographs simply don’t do it justice. It’s the scale of everything that you see that will blow you away.

Leaving Mammoth Lakes, you’ll be entering the national park from the east entrance through Tioga Pass.

TIP: Before making that turn into the pass, stop by the Tioga Gas Mart & Whoa Nellie Deli to stock up on souvenirs, snacks, drinks, and sandwiches for lunch because they’ll be harder and more expensive to get inside the park.

After entering the park, your first stop is Tenaya Lake. This is a gorgeous alpine lake with spectacular views of the surrounding granite mountains, beach along the western shore, and inviting blue waters.

Since you’re coming in from the east gate, you’ll have the opportunity to visit Olmstead Point. Normally you get to see Half Dome from the traditional angle but from here, you get vistas of the famed landmark from the northern side. When you’re here, make sure you take the path down to where the vistas open up. Wander the entire granite slope to see “erratic” boulders, and also Tenaya Lake and Tenaya Canyon to the east as well.

The winding Tioga Pass eventually connects with Big Oak Flat Road that takes you down into Yosemite Valley.

When you think about Yosemite National Park’s major highlights and the work of Ansel Adams, almost everything is concentrated in this glacial valley surrounded by massive granite summits and densely sprawling pines. It’s only 1% of the park area but as visitors, this is the base of most of your exploration.

The valley floor has so much to see that it’s a bit of a choose-your-own-adventure. As you drive in you’ll see Bridalveil Fall on your right. Stop here and do the easy 0.5 mile round trip hike. The water peaks in the spring and early summer but will be quite dry in the fall.

Bridalveil Fall Rehabilitation Project: Until fall 2022, the entire trail is closed so you won’t be able to hike to the waterfall.

After you have your own picnic lunch or grab something to eat at Base Camp Eatery, you’ll be able to explore on foot, a good chunk of the valley including Lower Yosemite Falls, Cook’s Meadow Loop, Sentinel Bridge, Berg Bridge, and Yosemite Valley Chapel.

Don’t worry if you don’t get to do it all in an afternoon as you’ll be coming back.

Back in your car or bus, make stops at El Capitan Meadow. Grab your binoculars to see if you can spot climbers hanging precariously on the sheer cliff walls.

Another epic view you can’t miss is Yosemite Valley View. There’s pull off parking here and it’s here that you get another iconic shot of El Capitan, Bridalveil Fall, and the Merced River flowing in the foreground.

On your way out of the valley, you’ll arrive at the view that Ansel Adams made famous. Tunnel View is a scenic viewpoint where in one panorama, you can see El Capitan, Yosemite Valley, Sentinel Rock, Cathedral Rocks, Half Dome, Bridalveil Fall, and a lush carpet of green below. It’s simply perfectly framed.

Finally, make the drive south towards your home for the next 3 nights, Tenaya Lodge. Located in Fish Camp and outside of park grounds, this is a luxury and rustic resort nestled in the mountains with an award-winning spa, a range of outdoor activities, restaurants, and tours.

A challenge with any Northern California road trip is deciding where to stay in Yosemite because you have options like Tenaya Lodge which are at the highest level of quality but the tradeoff is that it’s far and takes 1 hour and 15 minutes to get to Yosemite Valley. Alternatively, you could try to stay within the national park but prices are sky high and difficult to book.

The good news is that there are a number of options and for this itinerary, we’ve selected several accommodations that could work for you.

For dinner, since Tenaya Lodge is a bit isolated, you’ll be having most dinners at the property’s main restaurant, Jackalopes Bar & Grill which is surprisingly good.

Day 7: Yosemite National Park

As part of the Globus trip, there are a number of excursions options for this day. Whether you’re with the tour or on your own, I highly recommend booking one of the educational classes offered by The Ansel Adams Gallery.

Stewards of the famed photographer and advocate for Yosemite, the gallery and their photography instructors run various guided photography walks including one called “In The Footsteps of Ansel Adams”.

The Globus YourChoice excursion included with the itinerary I was on turned out to be an incredible custom tour that took us to several hidden locations and vantage points and at the same time, teaching us about natural framing, scale and perspective, and various stories of Ansel Adams’ life.

The highlight of the tour though was our guide setting up a traditional view camera, the same kind that Ansel Adams would have used back in the day, complete with expanding out the bellows and using the dark cloth over the head.

For those that are interested, the secret photography spots we went to were the Swinging Bridge and the unnamed hiking trail that leads to the bridge from Yosemite Valley Lodge.

After the tour, you can either grab lunch again at Base Camp Eatery or take advantage of the time to explore other parts of Yosemite Valley such as going to the actual Ansel Adams Gallery, taking a peek at The Ahwahnee, or one of the spots you missed the previous day.

On the bus ride back, stop at the Pioneer Yosemite History Center which is where the original horse-drawn stage coaches entrance to Yosemite was located. Here, you’ll find a fleet of original stage coaches, a wood-covered bridge, and original historic structures.

Back at Tenaya Lodge, you’ll have the rest of the afternoon to enjoy the resort itself, enjoying time at the pool, a spa session, or take on the hike to the waterfalls that starts from the property.

Day 8: Yosemite National Park

It’s been quite the NorCal road trip and you’ve got one full day to go so make it count!

With a full day to work with, the Globus itinerary has this as a free day at Tenaya Lodge but we suggest that you make alternative plans to see more of Yosemite National Park. To do this, look at booking with a reputable brand such as Discover Yosemite or one of the tours linked to below for a small group or private tour.

If you have your own car, you can put together your own plan as well but here’s a look at what our private full day tour included.

With Discover Yosemite, you’ll be picked up by a black Escalade for your private group. Their tours are fully catered to what you want to do. Given everything that you’ve seen so far in the park, there are still 2 major places that you’ve missed – Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias and Glacier Point.

Having a guide to take you to Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias is critical because for one, large tour buses can’t get in and because shuttles aren’t running right now, you need an experienced guide to get you in as close as you can so you can focus on hiking within the actual grove.

Only someone with insider knowledge will know to take you through secret logging roads as a shortcut to bypass the hike from the lower parking lot to the Grove Arrival Area Trailhead. Instead, this route has you coming in through the Sierra National Forest and the Perimeter Trail.

Expect to spend 4-6 hours here, doing the full Mariposa Grove Trail visits both Lower and Upper Grove. Even if you don’t easily impress, you’ll be in amazement as you literally walk amongst giants and be in the shadow of the ancients that can be close to 3,000 years in age. You’ll pass through many famous named trees including Grizzly Giant, the Bachelor, and Three Graces. Just as impressive are the fallen trees as well with their roots hoisted from the earth.

TIP: Photographing sequoias is a challenge so a trick we learned from our guide is the use your smartphone’s panorama mode and do it vertically instead of horizontally.

For lunch, a packed picnic lunch is included with the tour which you’ll have in Wawona near the Pioneer Yosemite History Center.

Continue your afternoon by driving up towards Glacier Point. Where you’ve so far seen most of Yosemite’s wonder from the valley floor and other viewpoints along your drive, the reason why this overlook is so impressive is because you’ll have a towering view of Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, and Vernal Falls from this vantage. It’ll almost feel like you’re at a point that matches the peak of Half Dome.

Something you’ll notice is that the panorama views aren’t just limited to the official Glacier Point or where the Glacier Point Amphitheater is. I found that the views from the point where the Glacier Point Road curves and presents Half Dome in full view and the area around it to be even more photogenic especially with fewer crowds. That said, Glacier Point does have quite the aerial view of Yosemite Valley.

Another stop you can make along the way up is Washburn Point.

TIP: Remember to be on the lookout for bears and other wildlife along your drive!

For your final night, Globus has a special farewell dinner with the group followed by a stargazing event organized by the National Park Service.

Day 9: Back to San Francisco

Your final day is a transit day back to San Francisco. For most, this means flying back home but for others, you might want to consider extending your stay so that you get to see more of the city. The choice is yours!

With Globus, you’ll be dropped off directly at the airport.

If you’ve rented a car in the city, you’ll need to drop that off first. From there use a private airport transfer service.

8 Tips For Driving In Northern California

As you start planning your epic road trip, it’s worth noting a couple of things when it comes to driving around Northern California:

1. Driving in San Francisco isn’t fun – If you’re going to spend time in San Francisco, you’re better off relying on a hop-on-hop-off, taking Muni (their subway), or using Uber/Lyft to get around (watch the Uber airport hack). Traffic is bad and it’s very hilly (as if parallel parking wasn’t hard enough).
2. Parking rules in San Francisco – If you do plan on driving in the city, it’s worth noting all the parking rules, and more importantly, not how NOT to get a ticket. Know your curbs!
3. Rent a car from the city and not the airport – Since you’re starting in San Francisco, it’ll be a smart move to book a rental car in the city instead of picking it up at SFO in combination with car rental coupon codes.
4. Gas is expensive – This part of the US has some of the most expensive gas prices (similar to Hawaii) so don’t be too surprised. If you’re hunting for cheap gas prices, you can hunt around using apps like GasBuddy or check Google Maps.
5. Tolls – This one’s easy to forget but there is one toll you’ll encounter and that’s the Golden Gate Bridge and depending on how you come back to San Francisco, most likely the San Mateo/Hayward Bridge or Bay Bridge. Thing is, especially since COVID, cash isn’t accepted anymore and car rental companies love dinging renters with exuberant fees unless you rent their FasTrak Toll Tag. Online booking doesn’t often mention it so you’ll have to ask in-person.
6. Freeway driving – You’ll notice that on the major freeways, some Californians drive quite fast on the fast lane. If you’re not comfortable, stick to the slower lanes.
7. Yosemite speed limit – You’ll be tail-gated from drivers wanting to go fast. Instead of driving faster, it’s better to let them pass. On single-lane roads, there are periodic pull offs where you can let them through so use them. Follow the posted speed limits which ranges from 25 mph to 45 mph. Another good reason to follow this is that wildlife (including bears) can pop out of nowhere so its good to be safe.
8. Don’t drink and drive – If you’re doing any wine tastings, make sure to do so safely and have a designed driver.

Best Time To Do This Road Trip

When it comes to weather and the most favourable conditions for a road trip, I’d pick the shoulder season so that’s April to May and September to October with autumn having a slight edge.

Hear me out. Summer is a great season but if you’ve never been to San Francisco, those are actually the coldest and foggiest months.

With spring, you get the warmer weathers, smaller crowds, and with the snow melt, raging waterfalls as well. The only challenge with spring is that Tioga Pass is closed and doesn’t typically open until mid to late May.

In the autumn season, you have comfortable warm weather with fewer crowds. The tradeoff is that water levels are low so many of the famous waterfalls at Yosemite National Park are down to a trickle or completely dried out.

You could do a variation of this in the winter but it would depend on what month. Winter would be great for Lake Tahoe and Mammoth Lakes because all of the ski resorts would be fully operational. The downside is that much of Yosemite National Park would be inaccessible as there is a chance that roads there and other parts of the Sierra Nevada could be closed due to snow.

What to Pack for a Northern California Trip

Planning for what to wear and gear to pack for a Northern California road trip isn’t as easy as you think and a lot of it has to do with how dynamic the weather is and the various altitude and climates you’ll be dealing with. Ultimately, the key is to be prepared.

Here are a few tips on what to pack.

• Binoculars – Even if you’re not birding, these come in handy especially when encounter wildlife when you least expect it.
• Layers – No matter how warm it may seem, you’ll want to have a good hoodie/sweater and light jacket especially for the cold breezes that you’ll encounter in San Francisco and higher up in altitude when in Lake Tahoe, Mammoth Lakes, and Yosemite National Park.
• Windbreaker jacket – On the topic of jackets, this Columbia rain jacket for men and this one for women are great options.
• Buff headwear – Along the lines of layers, something I swear by for all of our packing guides, are the same buffs that you see on Survivor which I use either as a headband, scarf, or wristband to wipe off sweat.
• Wifi hotspot – If you live outside of the US, you’ll need a hotspot for data. I recommend using something like Pokefi (use code GAP24300 to get $20 off) or Solis (rebranded from Skyroam).
• Sunscreen – It may not feel like it but when you’re at higher altitudes whether cloudy or sunny, the UV is really strong so make sure you put on a good 50 SPF Sun Bum.
• Headlamp – If you plan on doing any sunrises or sunsets, this is going to be mandatory equipment. Check out our review of the Fenix headlamp which is the best one we’ve ever owned.
• Hiking shoes – A quality waterproof hiking shoe is recommended especially on any of the hikes you’ll be doing or even if you’re getting on a boulder for a photo at Lake Tahoe. The Keen Targhee II for Men and Women is highly recommended.
• Water bottle – You shouldn’t be buying water bottles. Instead, bring your own refillable bottle like this one from Hydroflask where you’ll be able to fill up at the hotel. You can always refill your bottle at breakfast!

One Epic Trip

Through the Globus California Dreamin’ tour, I had an incredible time exploring Northern California so throughly on this road trip itinerary. This gave me a greater appreciation for the incredible natural beauty here from its lakes to the mountains.

While I had an idea of what to expect from its main sights, this trip was also very much about the unexpected.

I didn’t know there was that much to see and do in Sacramento. Not knowing about its history in the Westward expansion and the development of America’s trans-continental railroad, I had so much fun in Old Sacramento with its old-timey atmosphere.

Lake Tahoe certainly could’ve used a bit more time than what we had but I was expecting a much smaller lake but it turned out to be way larger with a ton more to see.

Mammoth Lakes was also a revelation with surprises such as Mono Lake, the ghost town of Bodie, and the geothermal activity that can be found there.

Overall, Globus did a fantastic job putting this Northern California road trip together. In many ways, I’m glad I didn’t have to do the driving, bookings, and trip planning because it allowed me to have a truly stress-free vacation.

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This article was brought to you as a result of the Globus trip, a project between Monograms and iambassador but all opinions on Going Awesome Places are our own.