Offbeat San Francisco and NorCal: 2 Days
Two days is enough to prove San Francisco works as a base rather than the whole trip: one day inside the city, one day out at Muir Woods and Sausalito, both reachable without ever renting a car. This is the short end of a spine that runs to 7 days; the 3-day version adds Alcatraz on top of exactly this.
Book these before you go:
- Muir Woods parking or shuttle reservation, required year-round: reserve at gomuirwoods.com
- Alcatraz, if you can shift plans to fit it in: book directly through Alcatraz City Cruises (tickets release ~90 days out)
- A no-car Muir Woods and Sausalito day: browse guided tours on GetYourGuide
| Stop | Distance | Drive time |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Gate Bridge | in city | walkable from the Marina |
| Muir Woods | ~12 miles | ~45 min |
| Sausalito | ~10 miles (or ferry) | ~20 min drive / 30 min ferry |
Day 1: The bridge, the wharf, the cable car
Get to the Golden Gate Bridge before 9am for the vista points without the crowds, and walk the span itself from the San Francisco end, free the entire way, with Crissy Field’s flat path underneath for anyone skipping the pedestrian crowd on the bridge itself. By early afternoon head to Fisherman’s Wharf mostly to see the sea lions that colonized Pier 39’s K-dock uninvited in 1990 and never left; skip lunch there and walk 10 minutes into North Beach instead. Ride the Powell-Hyde cable car, $9 in 2026, boarding mid-route to dodge the worst of the Powell turnaround queue, and let it drop you near Lombard Street’s crooked block, free to walk on foot. Dinner in North Beach, unhurried.
Day 2: Muir Woods and Sausalito
Muir Woods needs a parking or shuttle reservation booked at gomuirwoods.com before you leave the city, not on arrival; standard parking runs about $10, or take the weekend and holiday shuttle from Larkspur Landing for about $4 round trip if you’d rather skip the car entirely. There’s no cell signal on site, so download the confirmation first. The redwoods themselves, some near 250 feet, are worth the paperwork. From the woods, continue to Sausalito for the afternoon, a small, hilly, houseboat-dotted town, then either drive back over the bridge or take the Golden Gate Ferry back to the Ferry Building, about 30 minutes and $14 one-way, arguably the better way to close the day since the skyline arrives from the water rather than a windshield.
Do you need a rental car for this 2 day version?
No. Muir Woods and Sausalito are both reachable by the weekend shuttle and the Golden Gate Ferry without a car, and inside the city a rental is just a $50 to $75 a day parking bill. Only rent one here if you’re continuing straight on to Wine Country or Monterey afterward, in which case pick it up the morning you leave, not the morning you land.
Getting around both days
Muni, not BART, moves you around the city itself: buses and the cable cars, all on the same Clipper card worth loading on arrival. BART only matters for the SFO run in. Uber or Lyft covers the gaps a bus won’t, and is often faster over the hills than waiting for one.
What catches people out
June through August is San Francisco’s cold, foggy season, nicknamed Karl by locals who’ve made peace with it, so pack a jacket regardless of the calendar. September and October are the actual sunny window, worth remembering for next time. And if you skip a car entirely, remember the Muir Woods reservation still has to be booked online before you go, shuttle or not; there’s no walk-up option at the gate.