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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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More Info on Santa Cruz
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More Info on Monterey
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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.
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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.
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