3 day trip ideas from San Francisco

San Francisco is a melting pot of amazing food, activites, museums, parks, the list goes on. However, sometimes you need a break from the Karl the Fog so here are some ideas for nice, affordable day trips from The Golden City.

1. Ferry to Oakland and sample the Breweries

Sample some beers you say? Sounds good and to add to the goodness, you don’t need a designated driver because the San Francisco Bay Ferry has you covered. Make your way to the SF Ferry Building, grab something to eat and then hop aboard the Ferry from Gate G. Timetable linked here for your convenience, always check the website in advance for updated schedules. It takes about 40 minutes to arrive in Oakland at Jack London Square with a stopover in Alameda on the way (Don’t hop off here!). The ferry costs $4.50 each way and the views are to die for.

Once you hop off the ferry, the breweries options are unlimited but here are a few of my favourite, all within walking distance of the Ferry stop.

1. Original Pattern Brewing – 292 4th St, Oakland. I like to order a flight whenever they are on offer and OPB offer a great 6 flight tasting. You choose the beers and the rest is history. They also host a variety of pop-ups form local food vendors so check their website to what’s on offer before your visit.

2. Buck Wild Brewing – 401 Jackson St, Oakland. This taproom is bright, airy and full of lovely, lovely beers. They have board games available and they also serve their own food, I hear the fish & chips are good. If you like gluten-free beer, this is your place.

3. Oakland United Beerworks – 262 2nd St, Oakland. This pet friendly split level tap room offers a diverse selection of beers, hard kombuchas and bar bites. It used to be known as Linden Street Brewery before they rebranded as United Beerworks. Overall a great tasting room for those who appreciate a good IPA or Lager, whatever your poison may be. Remember, Always drink aware and don’t forget a glass of water every now and again between beers.

2. Floating on Russian River

Grab your nearest floatation device, pack your picnic and hop in the car. You can reach lots of beaches along Russian River from 1-1.5 hour drive North from San Francisco. It’s the ultimate summer day trip for a good dose of nature, countryside and sunshine. You can get a floaty for a few dollars on Amazon but I recommend investing in a good one if you plan to make a hobby out of this, here’s a good example. Your toughest decision of the day will be to decide which beach to go to or where to park as it get’s very busy at the weekends. Here’s a few recommendations of places I’ve been: Steelhead Beach Regional Park (good option for families, loads of parking and inflating pumps are available to the public) Monte Rio Beach (Public beach with loads of parking, float rental & nice views) and Johnsons Beach in Guernville (family friendly beach with kayak rentals & camping/accommodations on site & walking distance to Downtown Guernville). Guernville has loads of nice eateries and you can also sneak in a visit to Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve to see the huge California Redwoods. I could talk about Russian River all day and recommend wineries, breweries and towns to visit but sometimes it’s better to stumble upon these magical places along the way.

3. Hiking & Camping in Boulder Creek

An hour and 20 mins South of San Francisco, in the Santa Cruz Mountains lies the stunning Castle Rock State Park. This park is full of trees, trails and rock formations. You can do some short hikes or longer ones depending on how much time you have. Here are some trail recommendations from All Trails. Download your route ahead of time because coverage is sketchy to non-existent here and parking is $10 because it is a State Park. The parking facility has wifi and toilets though! After a few hours enjoying the trails, it’s a quick 25 minute drive to the charming town of Boulder Creek, California. Here lies a few good supermarkets to pick up some food, a charming local bar if you are in need of a drink and for us, a lovely campsite with a swimming pool. I use Hipcamp for my campsite & glamping reservations and you’ll be sure to find something there. Here’s a link to the site I stayed at and would recommend – Rudy’s Ranch. We were lucky enough to encounter a wild deer at the site after enjoying a few hours in the pool surrounded by huge trees and peaceful nature. Tent Camping is so peaceful when you have the right gear and I hope you enjoy this recommendation as much as I did.

There are endless day trip ideas from San Francisco and those were a few of my favorite. I will have to follow up with some more recommendations too, we haven’t even touch on Sonoma for wine tasting or the coastal towns like Capitola & Pacifica for sun, sand and surf.

Happy Planning,

Olivia