6 Days: San Francisco and NorCal

Six days from a San Francisco base adds a second, quieter wine country day to the five-trip loop: Muir Woods and Sausalito, Point Reyes, Napa, Half Moon Bay, Monterey, and now Sonoma on its own. Same spine as the 5-day plan , one more wine day added. Give the city itself its own days first, our 6-day San Francisco itinerary handles that ground.

Book these before you go

Day Trip Distance / Drive Time
1 Muir Woods + Sausalito 30 min north; ferry back 30 min
2 Point Reyes 1-1.5 hr north (37-63 mi)
3 Napa Valley 1-1.5 hr east, no train
4 Half Moon Bay + Pescadero 45 min south on Hwy 1
5 Monterey, Carmel + 17-Mile Drive 2-2.5 hr south
6 Sonoma Valley 1-1.5 hr northeast, no train

Day 1: Muir Woods and Sausalito

Morning

Cross the bridge into Marin, a brief stop at Battery Spencer (leave nothing visible, it’s a known break-in target), then Muir Woods, about 30 minutes out. Parking or a shuttle seat, never both, reserved year-round at gomuirwoods.com , roughly $10 or $4 round trip. No cell signal on site.

Afternoon

Lunch in Sausalito, houseboats and bay views.

Evening

Golden Gate Ferry back to the Ferry Building, about $14 one-way.

Day 2: Point Reyes

Morning

North into Point Reyes National Seashore, 1 to 1.5 hours out, a genuine full day. Cell service drops off past Point Reyes Station, and the winter Lighthouse shuttle has been suspended indefinitely, check the official park site for current road access.

Afternoon

Point Reyes Station for lunch, Tomales Bay oysters, tule elk and, in winter, elephant seals. Parking closes by 4pm.

Evening

Back into the city for a quieter night.

Day 3: Napa Valley

Morning

East to Napa, an hour to ninety minutes, no BART or train, designate a driver first.

Afternoon

Budget $40-75+ per tasting at name-brand wineries, cheaper walk-in flights exist. Friday-afternoon traffic on Highway 37 or 121 gets bad heading back.

Evening

Dinner in downtown Napa, or stay the night if tasting ran long.

Day 4: Half Moon Bay and Pescadero

Morning

Highway 1 south past Devil’s Slide, then Half Moon Bay, about 45 minutes out, home to the Mavericks big-wave break and an October pumpkin festival.

Afternoon

Pescadero for tide pools at Bean Hollow State Beach and olallieberry pie at Duarte’s Tavern.

Evening

Dinner in Half Moon Bay, or back into the city for an early night ahead of tomorrow’s long drive.

Is Renting a Car Actually Worth It for a Trip This Long?

Yes, for every day but one. Five of these six days sit outside Muni and BART range entirely, and a rental pays for itself against rideshare fares well before Day 6. Compare rental cars in San Francisco before you land.

Day 5: Monterey, Carmel and the 17-Mile Drive

Morning

The big push, 2 to 2.5 hours each way, leave early. Straight to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, then Cannery Row.

Afternoon

Drive the 17-Mile Drive through Pebble Beach , $12.50 per vehicle (refunded with a $35+ Pebble Beach Resorts purchase), entering at the Pacific Grove or Carmel gate to shorten the loop. The Lone Cypress is the classic stop.

Evening

Wander Carmel-by-the-Sea before the drive back, or stay over if your schedule allows it, this day asks a lot of a single tank of gas.

Day 6: Sonoma Valley

Morning

Sonoma sits an hour to ninety minutes northeast, its own separate trip from Napa rather than a same-day add-on. The pace here runs calmer and less crowded than Napa’s tasting-room traffic.

Afternoon

Budget $40-75+ per tasting, though Sonoma has more walk-in bar flights in the $25-40 range than Napa does. Sonoma Plaza is a good lunch anchor between wineries.

Evening

Dinner on Sonoma Plaza before heading back into the city, the last drive of the loop.

Why Split Napa and Sonoma Into Separate Days Instead of Combining Them?

Because both genuinely deserve a full day on their own. Combining them means driving between two wine regions in addition to driving from the city, which cuts real tasting time at both. Treating them as separate days, as this itinerary does, respects that Napa and Sonoma have different personalities worth experiencing at full length.

Where to Stay

Union Square or the Financial District works for all six nights. If Day 5 runs long, book one night in Monterey or Carmel instead of driving back.

Getting Around

None of the six days touch Muni or BART, the whole loop runs on the rental car. Return it only once the loop is finished.

Fill the tank before Day 2 and again before Day 5, the two longest stretches with the thinnest gas station coverage on this whole route.