A Long Weekend in Sacramento Itinerary You’ll Want to Steal
Last Updated on 16th October 2023 by Sophie Nadeau
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The capital of California and the fastest-growing city in the state, Sacramento is a bustling place that is worth a visit, especially if you’re planning a long weekend in Sacramento. It’s famous for its performing arts, theatres, nightlife activities, museums, historic places, parks, and zoos. The city is also known for farm-to-fork food and home-grown breweries.
This Sacramento itinerary has all the information you need to plan your weekend trip, including when to visit, how to get there, where to stay, and what to do. Here is our guide to visiting Sacramento.
Contents
When to Visit
The best time to visit Sacramento depends on your preferences. From April to June and September through November, the weather is quite pleasant. In the winter months, the area gets more rain but less crowds. The summer can bring the heat, but it also brings festivals and other activities you can participate in.
How to Get There
Depending on where you live, there are many ways to get to this city.
Just 15 minutes outside of downtown, the Sacramento International Airport (SMF) offers flights from over 35 destinations. Sacramento also has an Amtrak station downtown close to many hotels.
If you’re coming by car, it’s about 2 hours from San Francisco, 6.5 hours from LA, 9 hours from Vegas, 10 hours from Salt Lake City, or 10 hours from Portland—depending on traffic, of course.
Where to Stay
There are lots of hotels, motels, and vacation rentals in Sacramento. Some of the best hotels in the city are the Kimpton Sawyer Hotel, Hyatt Regency Sacramento, The Citizen Hotel, and The Westin Sacramento.
Is 3 days enough time to discover Sacramento?
Yes, 72 hours is more than enough time to see all of the main attractions thanks to the fact that most major points of interest are grouped fairly close together and so you won’t be spending a huge deal of time travelling between locations.
Day 1
Old Sacramento
Start your first day in Sacramento with a trip to Old Sacramento, a National and California Historic Landmark that hearkens back to the California Gold Rush. Here you’ll encounter horse-drawn carriages bouncing down cobblestone streets and many historic buildings.
If you like salt water taffy, Munchies is the place to visit while you’re here. It’s a family-owned candy store with delicious taffy.
There are several museums, shops, and restaurants in the area. We recommend visiting the California Railroad Museum. It has many exhibits, and you can even ride one of its historic steam or diesel locomotives on its railroad excursion.
The Sacramento Historical Museum is also nearby. The Sacramento Historical Museum has tons of events, and they stay up to date with their 2.4 million followers on TikTok. Check out their exhibits and learn about the history of the Sacramento Valley and all the people that have lived there.
Before you leave Old Sacramento, have lunch at the Pilothouse Restaurant, which is located in the Delta King—an authentic paddlewheel riverboat moored on the waterfront that has been remodeled and revived. The Delta King has been converted into a unique hotel, with its riverfront dining and rooms.
Sutter’s Fort
After lunch make your way to Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park, which sits in Midtown. Originally called, “New Helvetia” by its founder, Sutter’s Fort was the economic center of the first permanent European colonial settlement in California’s Central Valley from 1839 to 1849. The fort impacted the lives of many, including the natives who built the fort.
Today at the fort, you can see exhibits or take guided tours to learn more about the history of this area.
State Indian Museum
Nearby the fort is the State Indian Museum. Since it opened in 1940, the museum has been educating about the people who lived on the land long before European settlers came.
At this museum, you can see traditional baskets, a redwood dugout canoe, ceremonial regalia, beadwork, and hunting & fishing tools. Some of these items are more than twenty-four hundred years old.
McKinley Park
Next head over to McKinley Park, a 31.88-acre place with lots of fields and recreation areas. The park also has the Frederick N. Evans Rose Garden, named after the city’s first parks superintendent.
Evans wanted to create a beautiful space in the park, and he spent years experimenting with roses until he found the best varieties able to endure and flourish in the hot summers of California.
Tower Theatre
End your first day with a film at Tower Theatre. This historic building has been showing films since the 1930s. It’s the oldest remaining, continuously running picture palace.
Tower Theatre is devoted to bringing the finest independent and specialty films to the city. Along with the films, moviegoers can try craft beverages and bites before, during, and after the film.
If you’re hungry for more, you can pop next door to the Tower Café, an eclectic restaurant serving everything from classic breakfast food to Asian and Spanish dishes.
Day 2 in Sacramento
Capitol Building Museum
Start your second day in this city by visiting the state capitol building.
San Jose was originally the capital of California. It moved to the city of Vallejo, then Sacramento, then Benicia, before settling in Sacramento. They had trouble with the building itself before the permanent building was completed in 1874.
This is a gorgeous building inside and out, and they offer free admission and tours. Learn about the history of the state and see where present-day lawmaking takes place.
Capitol Park
Outside you can stroll through Capitol Park, a green space filled with memorials and monuments. Wander through the Camellia grove, study a Native American grinding rock, find local plant life, or take a walk through the World Peace Rose Garden.
Stop for lunch at The Waterboy, which is just around the corner. This cozy restaurant serves cuisine inspired by the food in northern Italy and southern France. Their menu changes seasonally, and they have a diverse wine list and a full bar featuring artisanal cocktails and aperitifs.
California Museum
After lunch head to the California Museum. Home to the California Hall of Fame, this museum has a lot to offer, including interactive exhibits.
Visitors can dance to reveal their custom-made identity collage, nominate their own inspiring woman, or interact with a giant video wall to hear recent immigrants’ stories of adapting to life in California.
The museum has many temporary exhibits that are always changing, so if you’ve been before, go again. You’ll see something new!
Tower Bridge
At the end of the Capitol Mall, you’ll find Tower Bridge. No, you haven’t suddenly traveled to London. Sacramento’s Tower Bridge differs from its UK namesake in many ways, but most noticeably its stark yellow color.
You can walk up the pathway that winds along the river to see different views of this well-known landmark. Or you can walk over the bridge and see the bright coloring up close. Locals often joke that Tower Bridge is the real Golden Gate Bridge because of its golden color.
R Street and K Street
Spend the rest of your evening exploring Downtown and Midtown via R Street and K Street.
Also called R Street Corridor, R Street is a great place to visit. The long road is filled with stores, restaurants, and public art. As you stroll down the street, you’ll see lots of gorgeous murals that are perfect for staring at or for those sought-after Instagram photos.
While you’re here you can visit WAL Public Market, a shopping complex in a historic building. The market has record shops, antique shops, and eateries.
Like R Street, K Street has many charming shops and restaurants. This historic street, also called The Kay, travels from Old Sacramento through Downtown and Midtown to East Sacramento. It’s a wonderful place to see some landmarks and get dinner.
Day 3 in Sacramento
Crocker Art Museum
On your third and final day in Sacramento, you’ll want to begin with the Crocker Art Museum, the oldest art museum in the Western United States. The museum is renowned for its holdings of European master drawings and international ceramics, and it showcases the leading display of California art.
The museum is housed in a historic building commissioned by Judge Edwin B. Crocker. He asked local architect Seth Babson to design a gallery building next to the Crocker mansion where the family could display their art. These two buildings eventually became what we now know as the Crocker Art Museum.
Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament
Make your way over to the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento. This beautiful building was completed in 1889.
They welcome visitors who want to see the gorgeous architecture or learn about the faith. They offer guided tours and the cathedral is often filled with music.
If you have more time before you leave on your last day, we recommend visiting the Stanford Mansion, a stunning museum that used to house Governor Leland Stanford; the Dragon House, a home with thousands of mosaic tiles in the shape of dragons and other animals; and Ella Dining Room & Bar, a refined New American and French restaurant.
Another option that’s worth considering is to book a river cruise along the beautiful Sacramento River like this one. The cruise departs from from L Street Dock in Old Town and coasts right under the Tower Bridge. Find more details here.
A final note on planning a long weekend in Sacramento
Sacramento is a beautiful city with a lot of fun things to do. We hope this itinerary helps you as you plan your trip. Have fun in this state capital!
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About the author: Lexi Cooper is a freelance editor and writer. Her parents taught her a love for traveling, seeing new sights, and learning about the world. Along with her passion for travel, she loves stories and dreams of spending her days reading and writing books and wandering the globe.
