10 Day California Itinerary:
Lake Tahoe, Yosemite National Park, and Napa Valley
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Getting there
If you’re flying to visit Lake Tahoe, Yosemite National Park, or Napa (depending where you start), you have several airport options:
- Fresno -Yosemite International (FAT)
- Oakland International (OAK)
- Sacramento International (SMF) – I chose SMF due to proximity, flight times, and flight costs
- San Jose International (SJC)
- San Francisco International (SFO)
- Reno/Tahoe International (RNO)
May 26th – Travel day TPA to SMF, then 2-hour drive to Lake Tahoe.
I started this epic California adventure by flying into Sacramento (SMF) and meeting my best friend, Supriya. We left her car in the economy lot and drove my rental to Lake Tahoe! We arrived in the dark at our Vrbo – The Chalet at Kings Beach.
3 days at Lake Tahoe
We kicked off Day 1 at Lake Tahoe with the Eagle Lake Trail hike, arriving in the parking lot by 7:00 AM. This entire hike was so beautiful! It will forever remain a favorite. From there, we went to the Cascade Falls trailhead. The combination of errors on Google Maps and tree removal taking place made it a little tricky to find, but we eventually made it. Being a shorter hike, we thought it would be more crowded than Eagle Lake but we only saw a handful of other people (and lots of cute dogs).
Alltrails stats for Eagle Lake: Length – 1.8 mi; Elevation Gain – 429 ft; Route Type – Out & Back; Difficulty – Moderate
Alltrails stats for Cascade Falls: Length – 1.3 mi; Elevation Gain – 209 ft; Route Type – Out & Back; Difficulty – Moderate
After our first 2 hikes, we picked up lunch to-go at Pep’s Place and then back to the Airbnb to get ready for our annual bestie photoshoot. We met our photographer Kaitlyn Hubbard at Sand Harbor Beach and frolicked around the trees and beach. Lake Tahoe offers the best scenery!
When we were done playing at the beach, we were supposed to pick up paddleboards. But the winds were too strong at the Lake and we weren’t able to rent them. So we made our way back to change and then walked to dinner at Caliente. The Google reviews aren’t great, but we loved it!
Day 2 was supposed to start off with the Sierra Cloud Mimosa Cruise. However, due to the high winds that weekend, it was sadly canceled. Instead, we made our way to the Stateline Lookout trailhead. If you choose to hike this trail, be mindful that it is in a neighborhood. Parking should only be done in designated spots (which were tricky to find). After Stateline, we had a yummy breakfast at Sage Leaf. With the mimosa cruise and paddle boarding being canceled, we had a lot of extra free time. We asked some of the restaurant staff what we should do, and they recommended the Made in Tahoe festival that was happening in Olympic Valley.
The festival was full of local vendors and live music. Such a great time!
After the festival, we ventured off on another hike! This time Secret Cove Beach (clothing optional) to Whale Cove Beach. The wind was strong and the water was cold, but seeing this beautiful shoreline was worth the hike.
Alltrails stats for Stateline Lookout: Length – 1.7 mi; Elevation Gain – 305 ft; Route Type – Loop; Difficulty – Easy
Alltrails stats for Secret Cove Beach to Whale Cove Beach: Length – 3.1 mi; Elevation Gain – 298 ft; Route Type – Loop; Difficulty – Moderate
Morning 3 was our last few hours together for our annual girl’s weekend before we were heading back to Sacramento. We had booked a Via Ferrata tour in Squaw Valley at 8:00 AM. Like paddleboarding and our mimosa cruise, it was canceled. Not for wind this time, but because the road up the mountain had frozen overnight.
The guides were apologetic and recommended the Shirley Canyon trail nearby. So we set off for our 4th hike of the weekend! As bummed as we were, the beautiful waterfalls on this trail turned our feelings around fast. This was such a great spot to end our weekend.
After this hike, we started to make our way back to SMF so that I could drop Supriya off at her car and pick up Cameron for our Yosemite and Napa adventure!
Alltrails stats for Shirley Canyon: Length – 4 mi; Elevation Gain – 1,374 ft; Route Type – Out & Back; Difficulty – Hard
3 days at Yosemite
Day 1 at Yosemite started with Tunnel View sunrise. Cam and I were staying at a Vrbo inside of Yosemite (Rustic Cabin & Loft). **I do NOT recommend staying here, but the location was great so check the map for other rentals nearby!** We woke up in the dark to make the drive before the sun peaked. Check the current sunrise time when you visit so that you won’t miss it! At the end of May, the sun started to peak through the mountains right around 6:00 AM.
After the most gorgeous sunrise, we drove to the Mirror Lake trailhead. The lake, like many of the falls, will be dry by the end of summer. We didn’t see any other people on this trail and soaked in the peacefulness. Then we drove along the Northside Drive Meadow for a great view of Half Dome.
Alltrails stats for Mirror Lake Paved Trail: Length – 2 miles; Elevation Gain – 108 ft; Route Type – out & back; Difficulty – Easy
Next on our list were Lower Yosemite Falls and the Sentinel Meadow Cook’s Meadow Loop trail. We lucked out on the weather and could not believe how gorgeous this park was. We took far too many pictures and just sat and enjoyed at certain parts. These loop trails were great for kids and those who are not equipped for moderate to hard hikes.
Alltrails stats for Lower Yosemite Falls: Length – 1.2 miles; Elevation Gain – 55 ft; Route Type – Loop; Difficulty – Easy
Alltrails stats for Sentinel Meadow Cook’s Meadow Loop: Length – 2 miles; Elevation Gain – 78 ft; Route Type – Loop; Difficulty – Easy
After our time in the meadow, we drove back to our rental house to change and pack a picnic. Then made our way over to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. Along the trail, we found 3 stumps that we used for our picnic setup – pretzels, pimento cheese dip, dark chocolate, prosciutto, cheese, crackers, and mini bottles of champagne. You can imagine the looks we received… but what better way to enjoy a snack than surrounded by amazing sequoias!
To get to the grove, you can park and hike (1.9 miles each way) or you can catch the shuttle bus. We hiked there and rode the shuttle bus back.
Alltrails stats for Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias (if you hike the entire thing): Length – 6.7 miles; Elevation Gain – 1,217 ft; Route Type – Out & Back; Difficulty – Moderate
Experiencing the grove was the perfect ending to an incredible first day at Yosemite.
Day 2 initially included some disappointment because I had tried in the pre-season and daily lotteries to get permits to hike Half Dome during our time at the park. I was confident that my odds were better visiting on a Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, but I did not succeed.
We went with the backup plan and started our day hiking Vernal and Nevada Falls via the Mist Trail. To this day, Alltrails says that this is a 6.4-mile trail. But both mine and my husband’s watches (mine Apple, his Garmin) logged 9 miles. Both falls were beautiful and we loved the hike, but those 3 extra unplanned miles had us whipped. **You do not have to hike to see Vernal Fall – there is a great viewing platform at the bottom.
Alltrails stats for Vernal & Nevada Falls via Mist Trail: Length – 6.4 miles; 2,208 ft; Route Type – Loop; Difficulty – Hard
After the long hike, we went to the Valley to get lunch. Since Half Dome wasn’t happening, we had more time than originally planned. Cam called a few local rafting companies to see if any had availability for the afternoon. Zephyr Whitewater Expeditions did and took us on a great 1/2 day tour of the Merced River! This was my first time white water rafting and I can’t wait to go again.
Day 3 was our final day and we chose to hike Upper Yosemite Falls. But once we got to the viewpoint of the falls, we decided that our feet were done. When we made it back down to the car, we started our drive to Napa (about 4 hours). But not without a few final turnouts for pretty views.
Alltrails stats for Upper Yosemite Falls: Length – 6.6 miles; Elevation Gain – 3,254 ft; Route Type – Out & Back; Difficulty – Hard
Tips for visiting Yosemite
- Download the offline park map on your Google Maps app – this will work when you don’t have service in the park
- Pack bear spray
- Pack binoculars
- Pack a hot/cold bag to store lunches in the car
- Do NOT approach wildlife
- Follow the 7 principles of Leave No Trace
Additional hikes
Alltrails has 382 hikes listed for Yosemite National Park:
- 43 rated Easy
- 122 rated Moderate
- 217 rated Hard
271 have a review rating of 4.5+
Things to do
- Winter sports – ski and snowshoe
- Water activities – rafting, fishing, swimming
- Stargazing
- Rock climbing
- Horseback riding
- Wildlife viewing
- Biking
- Tours
Food in Yosemite Valley
- The Awahnee Dining Room (fine dining)
- The Awahnee Bar
- Base Camp Eatery (food court)
- Mountain Room (upscale casual)
- Mountain Room Lodge (light fare)
- Village Store (groceries – where we shopped for our picnic!)
- Degnan’s Bakery
- The Loft at Degnan’s
- Village Grill
- Curry Village Pavilion
- Curry Village Pizza Patio & Bar
- Meadow Grill
2 days in Napa Valley
We arrived in Napa with time to check into our Airbnb and go out to dinner. The Oxbow Public Market was a great spot with a lot of options. We snacked a bit at different vendors and then ate dinner at C Casa.
After a full week of hiking, I was ready to relax! Day 1 in Napa began with a delicious breakfast at Boon Fly. After that, we had a full day of vineyard tours booked.
First, Stags’ Leap Winery (not to be confused with Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars) from 10:00-11:30 AM with wine and charcuterie. This ended up being in my top 2 favorites with its gorgeous property!
Next, Bell Wine Cellars from 12:30-1:30 PM. I was impressed by all of the vineyards that we toured, but this one didn’t have anything exceptional compared to the others.
Lastly, Hoopes Vineyard (same parking lot as Bell) from 2:00-3:30 PM. This one ranks high on my list for overall fun! It was filled with farm animals and huge vegetable gardens. I can’t tell you how happy I was to pet a goat while drinking wine in the California sunshine. Plus, the best charcuterie board of our 2 days!
Later that afternoon we were exhausted so we picked up takeout from Bounty Hunter and watched a movie.
Day 2 in Napa started EARLY. I surprised Cam with a sunrise hot air balloon ride – something we had never done! All I can say is what an amazing experience. When the balloon takes off, you don’t even feel it moving. Then you get to float around enjoying the never-ending views of Napa. After the ride, we stayed for brunch (I knew I would be hungry after a 5:30 AM tour).
After our balloon ride, we had 2 more wine tours.
First, Shadybrook Estate Winery from 11:00-1:00 PM (but we ended up staying longer). Our tour here began with a horseback ride of the property. Between hot air ballooning, petting goats, and riding horses, it was getting more difficult to convince me to leave. After our ride, we enjoyed wine and charcuterie. Plus, the vineyard cat took a liking to us and hung out for snuggles.
Lastly, The Caves at 3:00 PM. This was a unique spot and very cool but I did prefer the gorgeous outside views of the other properties.
When we were done with our day, we went back to Oxbow Market and tried Live Fire Pizza for our final vacation dinner.
June 4th – Travel day (and day 10 of my California adventure): Drive from Napa to SMF (1 hour); SMF to TPA; TPA to home.