There are almost countless possibilities for day and weekend trips from San Rafael! We selected some of the highlights here. The best way to get there is to get together with your friends and rent a car for the weekend. Also ELS organizes trips on weekends, and there are some commercial tour operators. Don’t forget to visit the Sunrise Shop, which offers some excellent guidebooks, maps, DVDs and more!

Napa Valley If you love wine, you are in paradise. If you like to visit wineries, try different wines and learn how it is made, there is no better place to visit than Napa Valley! Hundreds of wineries offer wine tasting and free tours of the winery. But there is more in Napa Valley: Calistoga is famous for its hot springs, massages and hot air balloons; there are outlet stores in Napa (take the First Street exit); and there are many fabulous restaurants (Bistro Don Giovanni is one of our favorites). Please don’t drink and drive – have a dedicated driver or join a Napa Valley tour. Location: Napa Valley starts about 60 kilometers northeast of San Rafael but there are already wineries along the way! Visit Napa Valley Online for more information.   Point Reyes It’s a beautiful drive of about one hour through West Marin to reach Point Reyes. Here you will find beautiful hikes (you may even see some elks), an educational earthquake trail (by the visitor center), a fascinating lighthouse (you may be able to spot some whales), an oyster farm, an outdoor museum (showing ranch buildings of former times), and California’s rugged coast line. Location: Point Reyes starts about 40 km west of San Rafael. Visit Point Reyes National Seashore (National Park Service) for more information.   Farallone Islands The Farallone Islands are a beautiful, rugged group of uninhabited islands about 45 kilometers off the Golden Gate Bridge. The islands are home to thousands of birds, sea lions and many other animals; there are also whales and dolphins. Several tour operators offer day trips. Visit San Francisco Bay Whale Watching- Farallon Island and Eco Tours for more information.   Six Flags Marine World This amusement park is a combination of wildlife park, aquarium and theme park. It features animal shows, an aquarium, roller coasters and other rides. Location: About 45 kilometers northeast of San Rafael in Vallejo. Visit Six Flags Marine World for more information and online tickets.   Great America Another exciting amusement park with lots of roller coasters, water rides and shows. However, we prefer Six Flags Marine World because of its rides, its animal shows and because it’s not as far. Location: About 100 kilometers south of San Rafael in Santa Clara. Visit Paramount's Great America for more information, directions and public transportation.   Monterey and Santa Cruz A trip along the picturesque highway 1 to Monterrey and Santa Cruz could be a day trip or a weekend trip. The drive along the coast is beautiful. If you have time, stop at Ano Nuevo to see the elephant seals. Santa Cruz has a beautiful beach and the famous beach boardwalk. Monterrey is home of one of the world’s most famous aquariums. Don’t forget to drive along the gorgeous 17-Mile Drive. Location: Santa Cruz is 150 kilometers south of San Rafael, Monterey is an additional 60 kilometers further south. Visit the Santa Cruz County and Monterey websites for more information.   Lake Tahoe Lake Tahoe is a beautiful lake in the Sierra Nevada, about 3 hours from San Rafael. There is fabulous skiing in winter and spring (our favorite ski area is Heavenly Valley which offers stunning views of Lake Tahoe and the Nevada desert) and lots of water sports and hiking in summer. On the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe are a number of large casinos with great restaurants and shows. Location: About 290 kilometers northeast of San Rafael. Visit Virtual Tahoe for more information.   Yosemite Yosemite is a spectacular national park best known for its many waterfalls, its sequoia tree grove (sequoia trees are the largest living objects on earth), and its stunning views. Yosemite Valley can get very crowded, especially in summer; if you want to get away from the crowds, visit Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite’s upper part. You may even see a bear!. Location: About 340 kilometers east of San Rafael. Visit Yosemite National Park for more information.

 

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