6 Days: San Francisco Plus NorCal
Six days adds Point Reyes, the quietest full day on this spine, after Muir Woods, wine country, a car-free Berkeley day and Half Moon Bay. This assumes San Francisco itself already has its own two days elsewhere; our city guide covers the landmarks properly. Only have five days? See the 5-day version .
Book these before you go
- Muir Woods parking or shuttle reservation, book the moment your dates are fixed: gomuirwoods.com
- No car for the redwoods? A small-group tour with a ferry option: Muir Woods and Sausalito on GetYourGuide
- Wine country without driving yourself: Napa and Sonoma day tour
- Rental car for days two, three, five and six: Discover Cars, San Francisco
- Hotel for your six nights: check rates on Booking.com
Day 1: Land, settle in
BART into downtown from SFO runs about 25-30 minutes for $10-11, plus a roughly $5.51 airport surcharge. Get a Clipper card, drop your bags, keep it simple tonight.
Day 2: Muir Woods and Sausalito
Cross the Golden Gate Bridge, about 17 miles and 30-35 minutes. Muir Woods needs the parking or shuttle reservation booked in advance, plus a separate $15-per-person entrance fee . Walk the main loop, then drop into Sausalito for lunch.
Day 3: Napa or Sonoma wine country
No train, no BART; 60 to 90 minutes each way, Napa generally the closer of the two. Tasting fees run $40-75 a person per winery . Book a tour if nobody’s staying sober.
Day 4: Berkeley, the day you don’t drive
BART gets you there in 25-30 minutes. Telegraph Avenue and Tilden Park fill the afternoon, and campus-adjacent parking makes driving here a mistake.
Day 5: Half Moon Bay
Highway 1 south for 45 minutes, no useful transit. Mavericks is viewable from the cliffs roughly November through March, and the October pumpkin festival jams the tiny downtown if the dates catch you by surprise.
Day 6: Point Reyes, the day nobody plans for
Drive north across the bridge and up toward Point Reyes National Seashore, 1 to 1.5 hours out depending on which part of the Seashore you’re headed for: tule elk, oyster farms around Tomales Bay, a genuinely quiet coastline. Cell service drops past the gateway town of Point Reyes Station, and the old winter shuttle-only access to the Lighthouse and Chimney Rock during elephant-seal season has been suspended indefinitely, so check current road access on nps.gov before driving out expecting it. The parking lot closes by 4pm regardless of season. Return the rental car that evening; you won’t need it again.
Is Point Reyes worth it if you’ve already done Muir Woods?
Yes, they’re different landscapes entirely. Point Reyes is open coastline, tule elk and a working dairy region, not another redwood grove, and it’s the one full day on this list where you might not see another day-tripper on the trail.
What’s the one Point Reyes mistake people make?
Assuming the Lighthouse and Chimney Rock are open on a walk-up basis. Check current road access on nps.gov before you drive out; winter elephant-seal season access has changed, and the parking lot closes by 4pm no matter the season.
The distances, side by side
| Day | Focus | Distance / drive time from SF | What it costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrival, settle in | 0 miles, in the city | BART from SFO $10-11 plus $5.51 airport surcharge |
| 2 | Muir Woods and Sausalito | ~17 miles / 30-35 min | $15/person entrance, $10 parking or $4 shuttle |
| 3 | Napa or Sonoma | 60-90 min | Tasting fees $40-75/winery |
| 4 | Berkeley | ~12 miles / 25-30 min by BART | BART fare only, no car needed |
| 5 | Half Moon Bay | ~30 miles / 45 min | Free to visit; car required |
| 6 | Point Reyes | 37-63 miles / 1-1.5 hrs | Free entry; car required |
Check nps.gov for Point Reyes road access before you leave the hotel; it’s the one day trip on this list where the official page, not the reservation, is the thing to verify.