Museum · 25 min south
California Academy of Sciences
An aquarium, planetarium, rainforest dome and living roof all under one roof in Golden Gate Park.
- 3-5 hrs · Easy
- Open daily (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Day Trippin' › California › From San Rafael
Day trips from San Rafael
From San Rafael, Muir Woods National Monument is about 20 minutes away, Angel Island State Park about an hour, and Mount Diablo State Park under an hour and a half. The best day trips from San Rafael, by drive time.
177 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
10 day trips from San Rafael
- California Academy of Sciences 25 min south
- Exploratorium 27 min southeast
- Six Flags Discovery Kingdom 32 min northeast
- Winchester Mystery House 1 hr 7 min southeast
- Point Reyes Lighthouse 1 hr 8 min west
- Alcatraz Island 1 hr 13 min southeast
- Old Sacramento State Historic Park 1 hr 23 min northeast
- Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park 2 hr 11 min northeast
- Empire Mine State Historic Park 2 hr 21 min northeast
- Pinnacles National Park 2 hr 29 min southeast
Within an hour from San Rafael 43 spots
Theme park · 32 min northeast
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
Roller coasters, a water park and live animal shows in one park in Vallejo.
- Full day · Easy
- Check calendar; fall and winter events on select days (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Museum · 27 min southeast
Exploratorium
Hands-on science exhibits on the San Francisco waterfront. Great for kids and curious adults.
- 2-4 hrs · Easy
- Closed Mondays (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Island · 1 hr southeast
Angel Island State Park
Ferry to a bay island with a loop road, hiking, bike rentals and old military sites.
- Full day · Easy to moderate
- Year-round; reduced ferry in winter (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Garden · 27 min south
Golden Gate Park
A huge city park with gardens, lakes, museums, bike paths and the Japanese Tea Garden.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Hike · 29 min east
Tilden Regional Park
A park in the Berkeley hills with trails, a lake, a carousel and a small steam train.
- 2-4 hrs · Easy to moderate
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Zoo · 31 min south
San Francisco Zoo
A zoo on the ocean edge with lemurs, gorillas, a children's zoo and a carousel.
- 3-5 hrs · Easy
- Open daily (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Food town · 41 min northeast
Oxbow Public Market
Food hall by the Napa River in downtown Napa with cheese, oysters and coffee.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Open daily (confirm before you go)
- Free entry
1 to 2 hours from San Rafael 60 spots
Landmark · 1 hr 7 min southeast
Winchester Mystery House
A huge odd mansion in San Jose with stairs to nowhere and doors that open to walls.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy to moderate
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Landmark · 1 hr 8 min west
Point Reyes Lighthouse
A historic lighthouse at the end of a long peninsula road with steep stairs and winter whale watching.
- 2-3 hrs · Moderate
- Year-round; open Thursday to Monday (confirm before you go); whale season Dec to Apr
- See the official site for current fees
Island · 1 hr 13 min southeast
Alcatraz Island
Ferry to the old island prison with an audio tour and big city views.
- Half day · Easy to moderate
- Year-round when ferry is running
- See the official site for current fees
Historic site · 1 hr 23 min northeast
Old Sacramento State Historic Park
A riverfront district of Gold Rush and railroad-era buildings with wooden sidewalks, under Tower Bridge.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Theme park · 1 hr 37 min south
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Classic seaside amusement park with a wooden coaster, arcade and a wide beach next door.
- Half day · Easy
- Open daily in summer; limited days in winter (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Observatory · 1 hr 38 min southeast
Lick Observatory
Historic hilltop telescopes above San Jose with a long winding road and big views.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Grounds open daily; visitor center hours limited (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Small town · 1 hr 4 min north
Napa Riverfront and Downtown Napa
A walkable downtown with tasting rooms, shops and river views.
- 2-4 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free to walk
State park · 1 hr 20 min east
Mount Diablo State Park
A tall peak in the East Bay with a summit road, wide views and many trails.
- Half day · Easy to strenuous
- Year-round; spring wildflowers; summit views best on clear days
- See the official site for current fees
2 to 3 hours from San Rafael 62 spots
Historic site · 2 hr 11 min northeast
Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park
The place in Coloma where the 1848 gold find set off the Gold Rush, with a replica sawmill, a museum and gold panning on the American River.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- California State Parks day-use fee (per vehicle)
Historic site · 2 hr 21 min northeast
Empire Mine State Historic Park
One of California's richest hard-rock gold mines, with a stone owner's cottage, formal gardens and the old mine yard.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Admission (per person); trails free
National park · 2 hr 29 min southeast
Pinnacles National Park
Spires and talus caves from an ancient volcano, plus condors and good hiking trails.
- Half day · Moderate
- Year-round; best Oct-May
- See the official site for current fees
Small town · 2 hr 31 min northwest
Mendocino Village
A seaside village on a bluff with art galleries, shops and Victorian houses.
- 2-4 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free to walk
Historic site · 2 hr 36 min east
Columbia State Historic Park
A whole Gold Rush town kept as it was, with stagecoach rides, gold panning, old saloons and costumed shopkeepers.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Waterfall · 2 hr 57 min south
McWay Falls at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
Short walk to an overlook of an ocean waterfall dropping onto a beach.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
State park · 3 hr east
Calaveras Big Trees State Park
Giant sequoias in the North Grove on an easy, mostly flat loop, where the big trees first became famous in the 1850s.
- 2-4 hrs · Easy
- Year-round (best May to October)
- California State Parks day-use fee (per vehicle)
Aquarium · 2 hr 13 min south
Monterey Bay Aquarium
World-famous aquarium with kelp forest, jellyfish and sea otters, right on the water.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
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Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 94901 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.