Looking for a weekend vacation in California? This state is filled with awe-inspiring destinations of all sorts, which makes choosing the perfect getaway difficult as there are so many incredible places to choose between! But no matter whether you’re looking for a big city to explore or breathtaking nature to enjoy, this list of 15 of the best weekend getaways in California will help you choose your next perfect vacation as you discover more of the beauty of the Golden State!
1. San Diego
When you’re looking for California weekend getaways, choosing a classic California city like San Diego is an excellent choice! There are tons of incredible things to do in San Diego so you’ll be spoiled for choice during your weekend here.
From stunning beaches, to incredible food, to intriguing museums, you’ll find plenty to keep you occupied. You may enjoy outdoor activities like watching the seals at the Children’s Pool in La Jolla, taking a kayaking tour of the La Jolla Sea Caves, going whale watching, or even simply watching one of the stellar San Diego sunsets.
Of course, while here you should also spend some time exploring the city itself and visiting the fun Old Town area and beautiful Balboa Park. Going on an Old Town Tequila and Tortillas Food Tour is an excellent weekend activity, or you could simply take a tour of San Diego City or a tour of the most scenic parts of the city to explore some of the best of San Diego.
Regardless of what you choose to do with your weekend in San Diego, you are sure to enjoy this fun California weekend getaway! You certainly won’t regret the time you spend in this paradise on earth.
Read next: The Ultimate 2 Days in San Diego Itinerary
2. Big Sur
Thinking about trying to find the best nature weekend getaways in California? Look no further than Big Sur! Big Sur is indubitably one of the most beautiful coastal spots in California and makes an excellent stop on a road trip or for an entire weekend.
You can visit Big Sur on your own if you have a car (which is my preferred method) or you can also easily visit on a two day tour from San Francisco. Whichever method you choose, you’ll want to enjoy this stretch of the coast on your weekend here with its gorgeous waterfalls like McWay Falls, the incredible Pfeiffer Beach, and of course the iconic Bixby Creek Bridge as well. There is so much to enjoy here and you will definitely want to return time and time again after experiencing a weekend in this beautiful place!
3. Santa Barbara
Another excellent idea for a weekend trip in California, Santa Barbara is an amazing vacation spot and a beautiful city with all its white buildings and red tile roofs that echo the city’s Spanish colonial history and heritage.
You’ll discover plenty of cool attractions here, including the Santa Barbara Courthouse (which offers dreamy views over the city), the Mission Santa Barbara, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.
Other activities you might enjoy include going kayaking and surfing here, exploring the many boutiques and restaurants, going wine tasting, or even going up in a hot air balloon! With so many fun activities to enjoy on water, land, and air, you’re sure to enjoy your time to the fullest in this delightful California city!
4. Newport Beach
Weekend vacations in California don’t get much better than Newport Beach! This cute city has a fun waterfront to explore and plenty of opportunities to go out on the water as well.
Perhaps the top reason to visit, though, is to go on an incredible whale watching trip. On my last visit to Newport, I went whale watching with Davey’s Locker and it was one of the best whale watching experiences I’ve been on in California!
On your weekend trip to Newport Beach, however, you may also enjoy checking out nearby attractions like Crystal Cove State Park or Balboa Island. You could also go on a dinner cruise here for some excellent views, a touch of romance, and (of course) good food as well.
So whether you spend your time on the water or experiencing the stunning outdoor areas or if you spend your time exploring the city areas and lounging on a dinner cruise, you are sure to have the weekend vacation of a lifetime here!
Read next: 50 Adventurous and Fun Things to Do in California
5. Solvang
If you’re looking for unique weekend getaways in California, then Solvang is the place for you! This cute Danish-style town will make you feel like you’ve gone on a weekend trip to Europe even though you’re still in California.
This city is the perfect place to spend a relaxing weekend, and while you’re here you’ll want to try all the Danish pastries and æbleskiver, wander around the boutique shops, explore museums about Danish culture, and go wine tasting at one of the downtown tasting rooms or nearby wineries. Or if you like photography, you may also enjoy taking a fun food and photo tour with a local!
The atmosphere here is calm, slow-paced, and relaxing…with many of the shops even closing early in the day instead of staying open into the evening. As such, you’ll have plenty of time to relish the tranquility and the small town charm of this delightful city during your California weekend vacation.
6. San Francisco
San Francisco is one of the most popular places to visit in California and makes an excellent place to go for the weekend. With iconic sights like the Golden Gate Bridge plus plenty of other enjoyable activities, you’ll find plenty to occupy and amuse you while you’re here.
Beyond the Golden Gate Bridge, you’ll also want to see other popular attractions like Golden Gate Park, Fisherman’s Wharf, Lands End, Muir Woods, and Alcatraz Island. But there are also plenty of more exciting activities as well, such as taking a cruise to see the Golden Gate bridge from the water, watching sunset from a catamaran or taking a helicopter ride over the Golden Gate Bridge for a truly unforgettable experience!
Whatever you decide to do on your weekend in San Francisco, this is definitely one of the best weekend getaways in California!
7. San Luis Obispo
One of my favorite weekend trips in California is to San Luis Obispo (SLO), a cute little city on California’s central coast. This city has a little bit of everything you could possibly want, whether you like mountains, beaches, or city!
San Luis Obispo and the surrounding county offer up a lot of fun things to do and see in the area, but this city is particularly keen on the outdoors with plenty of places to hike and lots of places to go to enjoy the ocean. Hikes like Bishop Peak and Serenity Swing are a few of my favorites, while nearby beaches like Avila, Pismo, and Montaña de Oro are the perfect places to enjoy all that California beaches have to offer.
Yet if you enjoy the city scene, you’ll love SLO’s small and cute downtown filled with restaurants and boutiques. The weekly downtown Farmers’ Market is a true gem that visitors and locals alike love, plus you’ll definitely have to stop by one of the most unique hotels in the world nearby—Madonna Inn! This iconic hotel is a landmark of the area with its extravagant hot pink interior and hot pink accents throughout the property, and you won’t want to miss getting a glimpse of it while you’re in town!
So whether you enjoy the outdoors or a cute downtown scene, SLO has plenty to offer to visitors to the area. And one thing’s certain—after visiting SLO, you’ll be longing to spend all your weekends in this charming place!
8. Napa Valley
Looking for a beautiful weekend getaway in California complete with gorgeous hillside vineyards? Napa Valley is the place for you!
Napa is particularly well-known as a popular wine region and is the excellent place to go for a weekend filled with wine tasting and relishing in the beautiful countryside. And if you want to combine wine tasting with a bit of nearby sightseeing, then taking a wine tasting tour like this one is the perfect choice!
Another popular and unique activity in the area is to hop aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train, taking you on a ride in a vintage locomotive through the cute towns and lush vineyards of Napa Valley. During your ride, you even get to enjoy a three-course lunch in an antique dining car! This is definitely a special and fun activity that will turn your trip into the perfect weekend getaway.
9. Lake Tahoe
If you love the outdoors, then taking a weekend trip to Lake Tahoe is a fantastic choice. This place is filled with beauty and is one of the top destinations for outdoor lovers, so I highly recommend this for your next weekend vacation!
The variety of activities you can enjoy here is nearly endless, but some of the top attractions include exploring Emerald Bay, going hiking, going kayaking, or even going skiing nearby in the winter. But above all of these, going stand up paddleboarding is definitely an activity you will want to try! You can take a paddleboarding tour for some guidance if you like, or you can rent a paddleboard and go out on your own.
Looking for even more exciting adventures? Consider renting a jet ski, going parasailing, or even splurging on a helicopter tour to see the most incredible views of Lake Tahoe. You won’t find a better view anywhere else!
With so many amazing places to visit in California, it can be hard to decide just which location to choose for your weekend getaway. But Lake Tahoe is definitely one of the more special places and is the perfect choice for anyone who loves the outdoors!
10. Los Angeles
When thinking of the best weekend trips in California, Los Angeles is a city that comes directly to mind. LA is a popular choice for any California vacation (especially with those from out of state)…but it’s particularly exciting for those who love large cities and love Hollywood!
This city is one of those places that you could spend your whole life exploring and never get bored. But some activities you may wish to consider include taking a Hollywood tour and seeing celebrity homes, visiting Universal Studios, taking surf lessons at Venice Beach, or even visiting nearby Disneyland.
You’ll find that beyond these classic LA activities there are also plenty of other popular sights to experience, including the Getty Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Griffith Observatory. The La Brea Tar Pits are also an incredible place to explore and learn about fossils and the excavation work here in the heart of LA!
This city will keep you busy for your full weekend vacation and plus many, many more weekends to come…so go ahead and book your trip to LA to start exploring all that this incredible city has to offer!
11. Santa Cruz
If you’re looking for another fun beachside weekend getaway in California, then Santa Cruz is an excellent choice. This city offers up some amazing beach activities as well as an incredible boardwalk!
The Santa Cruz Boardwalk offers up exciting rides, including some really cool vintage rides like the Giant Dipper Roller Coaster (a historic wooden roller coaster that first opened in 1924). This is a fun place to go for kids and adults alike!
And if you’re looking for more amazing activities, you could always try going surfing or going kayaking or even taking a delightful bike tour of this town and beaches! But of course, there are also nice cafes, restaurants, galleries, vintage clothing stores, and other fun places to shop here as well. So this really is the perfect getaway for anyone who loves the California beach scene!
12. Palm Springs
Palm Springs, sometimes called “Hollywood’s Playground”, is a wonderful choice for a weekend getaway in the California desert. This resort town is known for its stylish and upscale hotels, hot springs and spas, golf courses, and more!
On a visit here, you can enjoy any of the above activities plus explore the fun shopping district complete with vintage boutiques and delicious restaurants. One thing you won’t want to miss is trying the popular date milkshake from Windmill Market!
If you like, while you’re here you can even go on a celebrity tour of Palm Springs to learn more about the stars who have lived here, including Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley. Taking the Palm Springs aerial tram is another popular attraction as it takes you up into the San Jacinto Mountains for spectacular views over the desert below!
Other exciting attractions in the area include taking a jeep tour of the infamous San Andreas Fault (just hope there’s no earthquakes when you visit!) or going exploring in the stunning nearby Joshua Tree National Park. With so many fascinating things to do and see in the area, your weekend here in Palm Springs will be filled with all sorts of exciting possibilities!
13. Sacramento
Looking for a weekend vacation in California that you can combine with discovering cool California history? Start booking your trip to Sacramento!
As the capital of the state of California as well as being wrapped up in the gold rush and the transcontinental railroad, Sacramento offers up some pretty incredible historical tidbits as well as being simply a fun place to explore.
Old Sacramento in particular is fun for visitors (if a bit touristy), as you can walk along the wooden sidewalks and enjoy shopping in the fun stores all around. The Wells Fargo museum makes a fun place to stop in and learn about the Pony Express and the telegraph, while the nearby California State Railroad Museum allows you to get up close and personal with train artifacts from the early days of the railroad in California. If you’re looking for even more fun, then you may wish to consider taking a river cruise along the Sacramento River!
Of course, no visit to Sacramento would be complete without exploring the State Capitol building and museum…plus my personal favorite historical site, the Leland Stanford Mansion. Both tours offer up interesting historical stories, while the Capitol also takes you into the heart of government in California today.
So if you’re looking for a fun but still slightly educational place to visit for a weekend, you can’t go wrong with a visit to Sacramento!
14. Big Bear
Big Bear is another delightful destination for a weekend in California, especially since it is an amazing place to visit all year round. You’ll discover some spellbinding mountain scenery no matter what time of year you visit!
Big Bear and Big Bear Lake offer up some great opportunities for exploring the outdoors, whether that be swimming in the lake and enjoying other water activities or skiing, snowboarding, or snowshoeing during the winter.
You’ll also find plenty of fun shops and boutiques along the streets of Big Bear Lake village, plus plenty of breathtaking mountain trails to enjoy hikes nearby. No matter what sort of outdoor adventure you like, Big Bear is the perfect place to go!
15. Santa Catalina Island
Want a bit of island paradise while in the state of California? Don’t worry, we have the perfect weekend getaway for you! Santa Catalina Island is at the top of the list of incredible California vacations and is perfect for those searching for the island life…or for those looking for a romantic US getaway as well!
This island offers up a variety of activities, including simply relaxing, shopping, and eating delicious food. You can enjoy taking a food tour of the island as a perfect laid-back activity to enjoy while you’re here, or you can simply enjoy wandering and trying all the delicious food you find on your own.
For those looking for more adventure, this is the ideal island getaway for you. Whether you want to go swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, or more, you can do that here! But you can also go zip lining, go on an amazing underwater cruise to discover the local marine life, or even go on an expedition to see the island’s bison population. Plus, if you visit between May and September, you won’t want to miss taking a boat out to see the flying fish! You’re sure to be amazed with this incredible natural phenomenon.
So whether you’re looking for a relaxed island vacation or the island life with a large dash of adventure, Catalina makes the perfect place to go on your ultimate California weekend getaway!
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