Northern Cities in California Itinerary (7 Epic Days)

Looking for an epic road trip this summer? You’ll love this Northern Cities in California Itinerary!

If you’re wondering, “Where can I spend a week in northern California?”, this guide is for you!

Whether you like bustling cities quiet towns, sandy beaches, or redwood forests, this Northern Cities in California Itinerary has it all! In seven days you’ll see some great towns, explore San Francisco, and see magnificent redwood forests, and windswept beaches.

Whether you like tasting delicious seafood, walking on tranquil sandy beaches, or hiking to waterfalls and forests, I know you’ll enjoy this trip. It’s the perfect combination of a city and nature getaway.

Northern California is calling your name. Keep reading to find out more…

Northern Cities in California Itinerary

Day 1: Fly into San Francisco

Your first day in northern California is all about flying in and getting situated.  Depending on how early you fly in, and how ambitious you are, will determine what you can see or do.

Day 2: San Francisco

For your full day in San Francisco, you’ll definitely want to cover ground!  In the morning, you could visit Alcatraz Island for a tour of the historic prison.  For sure, you’ll want to explore Fisherman’s Wharf and pick up a fresh caught seafood lunch, before walking over to Ghirardelli for dessert.

After, drive over to the Presidio of San Francisco, where you can explore the brick Civil War era Fort Point, right under the Golden Gate Bridge.  Also, you can check out the opulent Palace of the Fine Arts, built for the (?) World’s Fair.

Finally, you can spend the rest of the evening at either North Beach or Baker Beach, taking in the great views.

You could also do any of these activities on the first day, depending on how much time you have, too.

Day 3: San Francisco to Santa Rosa

For this day, you’ll want to start bright and early.

Take the US 101 north over the Golden Gate Bridge, before stopping at the Headlands Overlook in Marin County. Enjoy the wide, sweeping views over the famed Golden Gate Bridge and straights, which in person is absolutely an incredible sight to take in.  This doesn’t have to be a long detour, maybe 30 – 60 minutes at the most.

Continue up towards Point Reyes National Seashore, where you can see the windiest point in the western US.  Stop by the white cliffs of Drake’s Bay, experience the wind of Point Reyes Beach South, and enjoy the epic ocean views from the historic Point Reyes Lighthouse.  Also don’t miss the short Earthquake Trail, where you can witness the effects of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.  In all, you should need about 3-4 hours in Point Reyes.

Finally, continue on to Santa Rosa for the night.

Day 4: Santa Rosa

For your day in Santa Rosa, you have two excellent choices.

First, you could go visit the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, home to some of the best hiking and redwood groves on the California coast.  After, continue up to the small, relaxed coastal town of Bodega Bay.  Here, you absolutely can’t miss Spud Point Crab Company, which hands down has the best clam chowder I’ve ever tasted.  In Bodega Bay, you can also hike the overlook trail, which like Point Reyes is extremely windy. Definitely an interesting experience to say the least!

Alternatively, you could explore Sonoma and/or Napa Valley.  If wine testing is your thing, you’ve got no shortage of options.  Also, if you enjoy hiking, then you can’t miss Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, with plentiful trails through the rolling grassy hills and creeks.  Don’t miss the 2-mile Canyon Pony Gate loop trail, which takes you through a forest and down by a waterfall.

Day 5: Santa Rosa to Arcada / Humboldt

On this day you’ll have about 3 ½ hours of driving.  You’ll absolutely want to stop by the Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Don’t miss the Avenue of the Giants, a 31-mile scenic drive through some of the greatest redwood forests on the coast. Here the vegetation is lusher than redwood groves like Muir Woods or Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Preserve, but not so much to where it’s hard to actually see the trees.

Some good short hikes include Rockefeller Loop and Bull Creek. These will take you past some of the better groves in the park.

Related: Redwoods Travel Guide

Day 6: Northern Coast Redwoods

For the sixth day of your Northern California adventure, you’ll want to explore the Redwood National and State Parks. Close to the Oregon State line, the vegetation gets thicker and the weather gets rainier up here. Be sure to plan accordingly. Two excellent hikes I enjoyed were the Lady Bird Johnson Trail, kind of an introductory trail to the park. The other was Redwood Creek Trail, a lovely 3 mile hike through an impressive redwood grove.

Day 7: Drive Back to San Francisco

For the final day of your northern California road trip, you’ll want to drive back to San Francisco.  This should be a little under five hours of driving, depending on traffic or road work. Definitely get an early start, so you arrive in San Francisco long before evening rush hour. Catch a flight out that night, or spend one more day in the city.

What to do if You Have More or Less Time

If you have more time:

• Spend a day visiting Napa and or Sonoma while in Santa Rosa.
• Consider adding Shasta Lake, Burney Falls, and Lassen Volcanic National Park if you have an extra two or three days.

If you have less time:

• Subtract the Northern Redwoods (Days #5 and #6), freeing up two or three days. San Francisco and the Santa Rosa area would make for a nice long weekend or 5-day trip.

Lassen Volcanic National Park

How to Get Free Airfare to San Francisco:

Flying to Northern California?  Why pay, when you can score FREE airfare?!?  When you use Swagbucks, you can get free gift cards for Southwest Airlines and Delta, which both fly into the San Francisco International Airport.  Overall, this is the the best way to reduce the cost of your airfare to California.  I’ve been a member of Swagbucks for about 10 years now, and it’s still one of my favorite ways to earn Free airline gift cards!

Here’s how it works:

• Sign up with Swagbucks
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• Cash in your Swagbucks SB Points for Free Southwest Airlines Gift Cards and Free Delta Gift Cards!

So, are you looking for even more great California travel destinations? Go check out these guides and itineraries below…

California Road Trip Itinerary (14 Days in Northern + Southern California)

If you’re wondering how to do California in 2 weeks, you’ve come to the right place!  This California Road Trip Itinerary from San Francisco to Los Angeles will show you the best of what the state has to offer in just 14 days.

San Francisco Travel Guide Things to do

Whether you’re looking to visit San Francisco on a shoestring or plan the ultimate vacation, this San Francisco travel guide is your go-to resource for exploring the city.

Lassen Volcanic National Park Travel Guide

So whether you’re looking for a fun weekend getaway, or you want to visit Lassen as part of a road trip down the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway, this Lassen Volcanic National Park travel guide is the comprehensive resource you’ll want on hand for exploring the area!

Yosemite National Travel Guide

Between all the grandeur, it can be a bit tricky trying to narrow down how to spend your time in this California! That’s not to worry; this Yosemite National Park travel guide has all the information you need. This includes what to see, where to stay, what to bring, how to save money, nearby destinations, and more!

Seattle Washington Travel Guide

So whether you’re visiting Seattle for the first time or the tenth, or simply want to know what it’s famous for, you’ve come to the right place!  I want to help make your next visit to Seattle amazing, so I’ve put together this Seattle travel guide filled with the best places to eat, memorable day trips, a handy packing checklist, and even some budget tips to help make your trip a reality.

Bucket List Trips

If you’re not quite decided on where to go, don’t worry!  Based on the places I’ve visited, these bucket list trips will show you what I believe are some of the most incredible destinations across America and around the globe!

Don’t miss out!  Now that you’ve read this Northern Cities in California Itinerary, follow along with Never Ending Journeys for more fun Travel Tips and Ideas!

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