Navarro Vineyards and Roederer Estate are our favorites. Explore Capitol Hill: Our favorite! You can drive straight down I-5, stopping in Portland and Eugene, which is the fastest route. Crater Lake is the largest lake in the United States (over 1900 ft deep!) For dessert, ice cream is your best bet. It can be hard to decide which iconic spots to see . Make your first stop after Crescent City into Jedediah Smith Redwoods National Park. It does cost $8 per car but where else can you drive through a tree? stay for about 1 hour. From there, visit Klamath and Shasta-Trinity national Forests, and consider doing an optional detour to Lassen National Forest. Restaurants in Napa for girls outing? Today, an island called Wizard Island juts up from beneath the surface of the water. The best times to do the road trip from Seattle to San Francisco are a bit counterintuitive - the unique terrain that defines the route and San Fran's distinctive climate follow a different set of rules than your average oceanside tourist attraction. Cap Hill as we locals call it, is home to the best selection of food, drinks, and coffee in the city. Search for RV campgrounds. Matt grew up in Seattle, lived there for 15+ years including six in the city itself, and we return several times a year to visit family and spend time in the Pacific Northwest during the beautiful summer months. (were probably gonna do a 10-14 day trip). Drive From Seattle To San Francisco - Drive Weather San Francisco's hottest season is usually the fall, when the temperatures peak at around 70 degrees and there are plenty of residual tourists left over from the summer. 20 Best Highway 101 Road Trip Stops 2023 | Ultimate 101 Trip The high-60s temperatures are just warm enough for you to spend your time outdoors, so this is when most tourists tend to flock to the city. to double check the weather. Rainier and Mt. The Ultimate San Francisco to Seattle Road Trip restaurants around Napa: Our favorites would be Becks Motor Lodge (close to the Mission) and Hotel Kabuki (in Japantown). Seattle To San Fran: What To Do During This Epic Road Trip The drive between Washington and Oregon is rather uneventful but there are some suggestions below if you have time. Crater Lake National Park is the only National Park in Oregon and whilst it may be slightly off course, we promise you wont regret it! We wouldnt recommend spending the night here instead, continue south to Portland for the night, which is just a couple of hours south. Distance from Seattle to San Francisco: approximately 575 miles. Saint Helens. Dont forget to share your experience by writing a comment to this post. The Society is the best value hotel in Portland, with options from dorm rooms to suites, so you can pick an option that works for your style and budget. If youve got 3-4 days, sleep in Portland on night one, Redding on night two, and finish the drive to San Francisco on day three. Who would have thought trees could be so fascinating? Alexander Valley Wine Region: Take a drive through the Alexander Valley Wine Region to enjoy some of the tastiest (and most affordable) wines in California. First, at Lake Crescent to hike to Marymere Falls. Theres nothing worse than being 100 miles from the nearest toilet! International Rose Test Garden (20 mentions) Click the button below to explore more questions This route never strays from the interstate, so aside from some highly recommended detours, the drive is extremely straightforward and beginner-friendly. Past Dunnigan, hop onto Interstate 505 and either follow it south to Vacaville or detour to Sacramento. And we dont recommend it. Portland (246 answers) If youre anything like us, by now you may be sick of trees and slightly hungry so pull off the highway and stop into Arcata for lunch. Advice to avoid snowy road conditions from SF to Seattle (January). Pacific coast Highway - driving from Seattle to San Francisco Redd If you're driving from Seattle WA to San Francisco CA check the weather conditions for a safer trip. This article shares the 15 top tips that turn your San Francisco trip into an unforgettable journey. If you have more time, here are some other places to stop along the way from Seattle to San Francisco. The best way is to be prepared for the open road by visiting our checklist of road trip essentials. questions about Ashland (Oregon): . Have you done this road trip before? You'll cover three states, at least three national parks, and see sweeping coastal views and no end of charming towns. There are of course cheaper alternatives, but this HIGHLY recommended. By early afternoon, make your way to Pacific City on the Oregon coast for horseback riding, a drink at the Pelican Pub and Brewery and Cape Kiwandato see the second Haystack Rock (the first and most famous one is at Cannon Beach). And for this, 9.00 AM will be late. Yep, the name speaks for itself! The two best hotels in Seattle are actually in South Lake Union, which happens to be between Belltown and Capitol Hill. in Noey Valley and we found it to be far less touristy with a beautiful community feel. This is a 31 mile scenic stretch of road that runs through the Red Wood Forest parallel to the highway. Book early for any weekend trips. If you're having issues using the site, please enable JavaScript and refresh your browser. There are so many places to stop and it all depends on the time you have as well as your interests. No Seattle to San Francisco road trip would be complete without making a stop in the weird and lovable city of Portland. Well, thats it for us! Lardo Roseburg. Breakfast was included, it was clean and surrounded by shops, places to eat and gas stations. If there was one thing on this whole trip that we really wanted to see, it was Big Sur. San Francisco hotels are surprisingly expensive considering how many of them there are. Read: An Extensive Guide to Seattle. Its only 3 hours though, and you can stop in Berkeley or Oakland on your way into the city if youre looking for somewhere to grab lunch. Instagram: @just.globetrotting & @justcreative, Just Globetrotting | Jacob & Emily Cass. Since then, Matt and his wife Alysha have visited 18 national parks, spent three months in Europe and six weeks in Colombia, and have explored every corner of the Pacific Northwest, which is where Matt grew up. This coastal adventure is a perfect year-round itinerary. To help you plan your trip, were putting our heads together, along with all of our personal experience, to curate the best stops along the way to give you the information you need to plan an unforgettable trip down the west coast. Rather random? Trip (807.8 mi) on Map San Francisco Seattle. Next: See how to edit the route to each other and sharing tips and advice. We spent the past two years traveling, which included 18 national parks here in the United States, and an extended trip to Europe. We want to explain the top three destinations we recommend on the San Francisco route. What makes summer an appealing time to visit The Golden City are the mild climate and the abundance of amazing events. What an amazing road trip! Thirsty? If its on (or even if its not), you should stop in Ashland. You wont regret it. Drive Time from Seattle to San Francisco: approximately 10 hours. We hope this guide has helped make your road trip from Seattle to San Francisco as enjoyable as possible. View Road Map. Drive to Port Angeles, with a stop at Nourish Sequim along the way for a delicious (and gluten free) lunch. who wants the trip to end? Go Anywhere | Tesla Limited time in Napa, help with my itinerary! looking for a vacation rental or Airbnb? When venturing from the i5 highway, the trip takes approximately 12 hours and 45 minutes of non-stop driving. Driving Directions from San Francisco to Seattle The Fastest Route The easiest way to get on the road to Seattle from San Francisco is via Interstate 5. The 960-mile road trip from Seattle to San Francisco takes 20 hours 30 minutes. Mendocino is a largely unspoiled area of California that has beaches, valleys, and forests. Seattle to San Francisco Luxury Road Trip | All Roads North restaurants around Portland: If youre craving a drink, here are a few of our favorite bars in Seattle. The only thing to watch out for weather-wise is snow on the Siskyou Pass and the rest of southern Oregon in the winter months. Below is an interactive map or see below for a static map to save. After charging your batteries at the bar and Jackrabbit Restaurant, you can burn some calories at the incredible fitness area before heading into town. Last, but certainly not least (the opposite, in fact) is to head inland and hit Mt. I did have a concern though, Im likely doing 2 weeks from October 28th to Nov 11th 2022. Choosing which vineyards to visit can be rather overwhelming, so we strongly recommend spending at least a night at one of the magnificent Bed and Breakfasts to get the full experience. Stay at the Graduate Hotel, a college-themed boutique hotel in the center of Eugene. The Ultimate San Francisco To Seattle Road Trip: 55+ Stops You Need To Finish the drive into San Francisco, stopping in the Marin Headlands at the Golden Gate Bridge to hike down to Kirby Cove and marvel at the beauty of the bridge before driving into the city and to the airport to drop off your rental car (or to your final stop, wherever that might be). Seattle to San Francisco: Tips for a Highway 101 Road Trip - DIY Playbook Leave Roseburg after breakfast and head directly towards Crater Lake National Park. So sorry for the late reply I totally missed this. What is your favorite restaurant in Redding? Read that for the details behind the picks below! Photo Credit: Bigstock. This industrial-chic Airbnb in South Lake Union is a close second for the next time were looking for a place to stay in Seattle. One of the liveliest, most accessible neighbourhoods. Hotels: The Hoxton and the Society Hotel (weve stayed there) are our top hotel picks in Portland. He writes super detailed guides to the places they visit, bringing together personal experience and historical context to help YOU plan an amazing trip. Driving non-stop from Seattle to San Francisco How far is San Francisco from Seattle? Mileage: It's 808 miles from Seattle to San Francisco. Mount Shasta (California) (9 answers) The tallest trees on the planet are on full display in the Redwoods National and State Parks. Head out to the Point Reyes Lighthouse, Cypress Grove, and do a portion of the Tomales Point Trail. US California 20 18:25 941 mi $145 Take This Trip Share Featured Trip Guides Created by Roadtrippers - July 21st 2016 Seattle 1 4.5 2000 Second Avenue, Seattle, WA, US The Palladian Hotel FastBook $$$ 1 2 4.5 85 Pike St, Seattle, WA, US Not even a little. Here are a couple of ways to do this road trip based on your interests and number of days. Read:The Ultimate Guide To Crater Lake National Park. A city filled with unique coffee shops, breweries, restaurants, seaplanes, shopping, sculptures, parks and of course the home of Greys Anatomy (yup, Im lame). Rainier to Portland, stopping at Mt. For example, here are some questions people have asked about San Francisco. Portland Saturday Market (13 mentions) We have five restaurant recommendations worth your attention. What is your favorite restaurant in San Francisco. See here for our top things to do in San Francisco. CitizenM Seattle is one of the best value hotels in Seattle. San Francisco to Seattle drive - plan a road trip The 363 mile Oregon coast has cute towns, beaches and photo ops all along the way. Timberline Lodge (12 mentions) Get out and explore Portland, particularly the areas east of the river along Hawthorne and Division St. Day 3: Drive from Portland to Eugene, stopping at Silver Falls State Park to do the Trail of the Ten Falls (truly spectacular) and then refueling in Salem, the capital of Oregon, at Bigwig Donuts (100% gluten free donut holes, fried to order). It is the seat of King County, Washington. most talked about places recommended by Trippy members. 2 Week Road Trip Itinerary Overview Over the course of 2 weeks, we drove approximately 1650 miles (2330km) at a moderate pace. Hike the short and sweet Trinidad Head Trail for amazing coastal views. Roadtrippers helps you find the most epic destinations and detoursfrom roadside attractions to natural wonders and beyond. Except the authors have strong perspectives on what adventures you should choose. Don't forget about exploring your own hometown with a staycation. Today is a long but good day of driving. Planning a trip in your Tesla? open-ended. Seattle To San Francisco Road Trip (Day 1 &2) Since Seattle is the starting pointand five days is like a few minutes on this tripone should get to Seattle early enough. Before we go on to give you our 2-week itinerary, please note that there is no right or wrong way to do this trip. Finally, you can drive down Howland Hill Road, which is mostly unpaved but well-maintained road traversing a magnificent redwood forest. Thanks for all the info happy travels . Eureka: The small city of Eureka is a charming coastal stop with some delicious beer and cider to try at Lost Coast Brewing and Humboldt Cider. Road trips are F-U-N! Taking the quickest possible route, the road trip from Seattle to San Francisco takes 13 hours and spans 810 miles. Enter a city to drive through, or find all. Planning a Trip to Mount Rainier National Park? Drive through Cape Perpetua (stop at Thors Well and the scenic overlook), Heceta Head Lighthouse, and finally to Samuel H Boardman Scenic Corridor. If youre lucky, you may spot the local bald eagles. As you can tell, Jacob was less than impressed. Spas in the Ashland area? where to stay in San Francisco. restaurants around Redding: Life is all about the journey, not the destination! If you only have three days, youre obviously not going to be able to hit some of the far flung destinations like Crater Lake and Bend. Here are some of our favorite things to do in Hood River. In addition, you can read detailed information about the restaurants in the section titled 5 Best Restaurants On The Way From Seattle To San Francisco. and hotels is the Trippy page on because there's an entire community of travelers talking Camping along the way? If youre coming from somewhere too far away to drive to Seattle, then youll want to fly into Seattle Tacoma Intl Airport (SEA). You made it! Planning to drive from Adelaide to Melbourne via the Great Ocean Road? This road tripis suitable for all types of travellers with a little bit of everything; rugged coastlines,world-class wineries, wildlife, bustling cities, Redwood forests, sweeping valleys, accessible hikes and of course, relaxing sandy beaches. Its just outside of downtown Hood River, on the Washington side. Here we are answering the frequently asked questions about the Seattle to San Francisco drive. Get coffee at Noble Coffee Roasters, and lunch in Ashland (and catch a show, if thats your thing) before heading over the Siskyou Pass into California. Both of which have large hotel chains and some hostels. Dont miss these! They remembered my mum right away and we chatted with them about their lives. You should also know going in that San Francisco is generally an expensive place to visit expect to pay over $100 a night to stay in the city, and usually much more than that. Seattle Center has some cool attractions though. 1. stay for about 1 hour and leave at 1:00 pmdrive for about 1 hour, 2:04 pm Redding There are only a few petrol/gas stations in Big Sur and they charge far more! We basically spent a full two months on this route last summer, and it was every bit as memorable, beautiful, and amazing as you might imagine. Looking for the best coffee in a city known for amazing coffee? Where to stay on the San Francisco to Seattle drive? Start your day early and travel down HWY 101 along the coast of Oregon. The Underground Tour: A little quirky and offbeat, kind of like Seattle, the Underground Tour is worth doing while youre in Pioneer Square. stay for about 1 hour and leave at 3:04 pmdrive for about 3 hours, 6:02 pm Napa Some of these trees have been known to measure 360 feet in height, making it the tallest measured tree species on earth. Find out how many days in San Francisco to stay. San Fran is one of the States' most iconic cities, so it should come as no surprise that it's home to some of California's fanciest hotels. Here are our favorite places to visit at these locations. I was excited to have the opportunity to follow this road for 6 days starting from Seattle and ending up in San Francisco. We will be in de US for about 4 weeks. (17 answers). Rainier National Park (the Paradise Side), More Time? It helps if you put your mirrors in to go through the tree. In terms of height, it is one of the tallest lighthouses in the United States and stands at 115 feet. Check out the. Read Next: 4 Days in San Francisco: A Complete City Guide from a Local. Seattle ( / sitl / ( listen) see-AT-l) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. Weve made this trip in one straight shot in just 12 hours when taking I-5. If you dont already live in the Seattle area, then you can fly in and rent a car to take the Seattle to San Francisco drive. Standing on the rim of the canyon, youll be staring thousands of feet down into crags and crevices winding through the world-famous chasm that millions of people flock to every year. Todays a long driving day, but its broken up with many stops. GNIS feature ID. A road trip through the Pacific Northwest and Northern California is equally epic, but with less traffic. Psst! by Emily Cass | Oct 18, 2017 | Most Popular, North America | 3 comments. There are many beautiful pit stops along the way to San Francisco. Seattle Center: I actually dont really recommend you go up to the top of the Space Needle. Ashland is a cool little town known for hosting the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. This scenic drive is one of the most sought after in the country, as well as the world. Ocean View Inn and Suites. Again, take Interstate 5 out of Seattle and follow it past Capitol State Forest and Gifford Pinchot National Forest before pulling into Longview. There you have it a complete guide to planning a road trip from Seattle to San Francisco. Hike Fern Canyon if you want to go through a narrow canyon whose walls are entirely lined with ferns and moss. The tour guides are funny, and you get to learn about the history of Seattle from a slightly different perspective. 4. Unfortunately, this is our last stop on this incredible road trip. Stay charged anywhere you go, with access to our global charging networks. 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Not sure what to do in Seattle? The cheapest way to get from Seattle to San Francisco costs only $116, and the quickest way takes just 4 hours. The Northern California Coast is considered to be one of the most scenic areas in the entire country, and for many reasons. Starting on I-5 south for 90% of . To visit all of these areas, we recommend taking the first exit to Monterey off the freeway and work your way around. Traveling with a dog or cat? 1512650 [9] Website. The best road trip route from Seattle to San Francisco is definitely the coastal one - while taking the interstate can also take you to some incredible places, nothing can match the combination of the Pacific Coast to the west and the chain of parks and forests to the east. Take your pick! You can pick one of them that suits your taste. Youre in for a treat full of pristine beaches, crystal-clear turquoise water, and charming small towns dotting Portugals southern coast. Best Car for This Road Trip: Convertible or SUV. Miles and miles of rugged, unspoiled coastline that hugs the oceans edge. The drive will take a few hours, but its gorgeous. Do this road trip and you'll probably do around double that. Seattle Anyway, walk through the market and check out the vendors selling everything from candied nuts to flowers, and of course, the flying salmon. Trinidad: Hike the Trinidad Head trail to enjoy stunning 360-degree panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. 3029 Spirit Lake Highway, Castle Rock, WA, US, 13515 SE McLoughlin Blvd, Milwaukie, OR, US, 4303 Sardine Creek L Fork Road, Gold Hill, OR, US, The Embarcadero And Beach St, San Francisco, CA, US. If you're in the mood for something more extravagant, you can enjoy a cocktail in the Lobby Lounge before taking a dip in the gigantic swimming pool. travelers and answer their questions about Seattle! You can roam the vineyards, taste plenty of wines and relax while overlooking acres of grapes. Check out the 5th St. Public Market for a combination of shopping, eating, and drinking with local vendors. Note: We skip over San Francisco here, and loop back to itbecause our flight leaves from San Francisco+ we have to return our rental car here. Aug 19th, 2009 08:02 AM. One of our all-time favourite things to eat! The Hoxton is a super stylish hotel that is one of our favorite hotel chains in the world. Thank you so much for posting this and with such fabulous photos! Get ready for a day of tree exploring! This route was intriguing to us because the arrival time was almost 3 hours faster than the Highway 101 alternative, but we decided that this drive was once in a lifetime and we had to take the longer option if it meant we'd be driving the Oregon coast the entire day. Tip: Stop into Safeway (large grocery store) prior to your arrival and pick up a variety of cheese, meats, crackers and fig jam to create your own charcuterie plate. Dont forget to stop at the iconicBixby Bridge (40 minutes from Monterey). Road Map from San Francisco to Seattle Click the blue button below. And if you know Seattle well, please help your fellow stay at Ace Hotel. Add anything that looks interesting! West Coast road trip starting in Seattle or San Francisco? Rainier as early as possible (if youre flying in, youll want to book an early flight!). If you find it difficult to organize your luggage on the road trip, take a look at the, Are you traveling with children?