Beautiful California is undoubtedly a fantastic place to visit. The state is home to a jaw dropping number of natural and man made attractions. Whether you’re a fan of nature or city life there are loads of places in California that will suit your interests.
This article covers over 101 fantastic places to visit in California. We’ll cover where to see some of the best sunsets in the state, where to drink wine in California, where to spa, where to eat, where to see sunflowers and pumpkin patches and much much more.
From the lakes of Southern California to the hot springs of Nothern California and San Francisco, Yosemite and San Diego and more inbetween get ready to start building your California bucket list!

101+ Amazing Places in California You’ll be Dying to Visit
Table of Contents
- 101+ Amazing Places in California You’ll be Dying to Visit
- Places in California
- 13 Lakes in Southern California You Should Visit
- 27 Best Weekend Trips From San Francisco for a Terrific Getaway
- 17 Most Popular Stops on a Road Trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco You'll Love
- 31 Famous California Landmarks: How Many Have You Seen?
- 13 Best Pumpkin Patches in San Diego To See This Fall
- 15 Great Spots to Watch San Francisco Sunsets
- 15 Best Northern California Hot Springs You Can’t Miss
- 15 Sensational Sunsets in California: Where You Need to Go to Watch the Sun Go Down
- 17 Unique Restaurants in San Francisco Not to Miss
- 14 Best Things to do in Calistoga California for Grown-Ups
- Solage Spa & Hotel Review Calistoga
- Best Spots for Livermore Wine Tasting - from Trolley to Winery to Bar
- Yosemite in October: 16 Best Things to do
- 32 Best Places To Visit in Bay Area You'll Love
- 15 Golden Sunflower Fields in California You'll Love
- 19 Best Places to see San Diego Sunsets You'll Love
Places in California
California is a fantastic state for holidays, even if you prefer not to visit the major cities. In fact, lakes in Southern California are a popular option - there are about 3000 of them. Some are naturally-formed, others man-made. Some are classified as lakes, while others are referred to as reservoirs.
Whichever the case, many offer recreational activities and pastimes like hiking and boating. In most cases, they are surrounded by extraordinary views of hills and mountains, and, more often than not, contained within a national park or protected area.
Even so, most offer the added bonus of camping or RV accommodation (who doesn't want to spend a couple of nights and days in the great outdoors?) Then there are the nearby towns and communities who each provide that welcoming atmosphere for their visitors. Sample the local delicacies, dishes, and hospitality to get the full experience, why don’t you?
No article can detail every single lake or California landmark contained within its reach, so let’s just look at 13 of the favorites among visitors.
San Francisco is a great city in its own right, with plenty of splendor on offer. But, what truly makes this place special is the number of attractions within a couple of hours from The Golden City. Whether you go up north, east, west, or down south from the city, you’re bound to find something that piques your interest.
Thanks to being in the heart of California, there are plenty of weekend trips from San Francisco that suit all travellers. Adventurers can enjoy hiking and breathtaking scenery at the Big Sur. Nature lovers can take in natural beauty at Yosemite, and wine enthusiasts can sip on reds at one of many vineyards — the list goes on.
Embarking on a road trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco will prove very rewarding for any happy traveller. This is one of the most breathtaking routes to drive along the Pacific Coast. Although there is the option to take a more direct path along the I-5 Highway, the Pacific Coast route provides a unique, scenic, and relaxing drive.
And by planning your trip over several days, you can ensure enough time to fully experience the stops along the way. This route includes some iconic points of interest in California including the Santa Monica Pier and the famous 17-mile drive.
San Francisco is a great city in its own right, with plenty of splendor on offer. But, what truly makes this place special is the number of attractions within a couple of hours from The Golden City. Whether you go up north, east, west, or down south from the city, you’re bound to find something that piques your interest.
Thanks to being in the heart of California, there are plenty of weekend trips from San Francisco that suit all travellers. Adventurers can enjoy hiking and breathtaking scenery at the Big Sur. Nature lovers can take in natural beauty at Yosemite, and wine enthusiasts can sip on reds at one of many vineyards — the list goes on.In this article, I have highlighted some of the top attractions and little towns to stop in along the way. Take your time marvelling at the magnificent views along this stretch of coastline that spans approximately 615km (382 miles). Stop in at Big Sur for a surf, explore the quirky town of Solvang, enjoy an evening of wine tasting or set out on a morning hike.
California is a massive state filled with many important landmarks. There are too many to name, but this list of California landmarks contains the best of them. From breathtaking natural sites to modern marvels and historic gems, there’s something everyone will appreciate.
The coast of California hugs the breathtaking Pacific Ocean while the interior is filled with National Parks and charming cities. It’s easily one of the most beautiful states in the US.
Many of the landmarks listed are world-famous, but you’ll learn about some sites that you’ve probably never heard of before too.
Fall is upon us which means that it is that time of the year where the days will start to get a little shorter, the temperature a little colder and pumpkin spiced lattes return. This also means that Halloween is almost here and getting the perfect pumpkin for your eerie decorations is important.
If you are in the spirit of the season and want to pick your own pumpkin, these are the best 13 pumpkin patches in San Diego to go and grab your little orange friend from.
Sunsets are one of the most magical moments on this planet. They give you romantic moments with your partner, minutes of mutual astonishment with friends and times of peace on your own.
Sunsets have this way of taking you to another world while never having to leave ours. San Francisco’s landscape offers multiple ways to witness the sunset with a range of iconic backdrops to accompany it. That is why we can retreat to one of these 15 stops to watch San Francisco sunsets. You’d be surprised at just how many different ways you can watch the sky change to pastels in the evening.
Northern California, or NorCal as it’s affectionately known, is full of attractions as well as natural splendours that attract hordes of visitors yearly. This includes the majestic Yosemite National Park, scenic mountains, magnificent beaches, and rejuvenating hot springs.
There are free natural hot springs scattered throughout NorCal, as well as others found in wellness retreats. The hot springs boast mineral-rich waters, which are said to have healing and calming properties.
This is why it’s important to choose only the best hot springs, and I’ve made that choice easier for you. These are the best Northern California hot springs you must visit to get rejuvenated to the max.
California is a mesmerising state on the USA’s west coast. It’s well known for its sunny weather, incredible wine, and spectacular national parks such as Yosemite. However, California also boasts panoramic sunsets.
With fabulous beaches, hip rooftop bars, and countless hills and mountains, and endless road trip opportunities, there are plenty of spots to watch sunsets in California. Now, whether you’re a local or traveller, you’ll want to know when and where you should go to get a glimpse of the golden hour rays of sunsets in California.
Looking for some unique restaurants in San Francisco? This city was always known for sourdough bread, clam chowder and of course Ghiradelli chocolate.
These days it is one of the hottest food destinations in the world, championing new trends and trialling new concepts.
There are fun restaurants in San Francisco, cool restaurants in San Francisco, fine dining restaurant options in the Bay Area, dim sum, ice cream and so many other exciting options that make for unique dining experiences.
There are loads of fun things to do in Calistoga California. Calistoga Napa Valley is a super cute small town in California. Within the Napa Valley, there are several lovely towns with restaurants and accommodation.
However, I did find Calistoga to be the quirkiest and most interesting.
Solage Spa & Hotel Calistoga generally receives rave reviews as one of the top spas in Calistoga for good reason – this luxury spa is a stunning place to eat and to stay.
Solage Hotel Calistoga, part of the Auberge Resorts Collection, is beautifully designed and laid out. The entire area has the most wonderful relaxed feel and everything seems to glimmer in the Napa sunshine.
Solage Napa is the type of place where you could quite feasibly not leave whilst staying and have a fantastic time! Having said that it would be a shame to miss the lovely bikes that are provided with each of the rooms and don't miss the Solage restaurant and their Calistoga day spa - more to come.
It appears that the Napa Valley got all the best marketers in California. Livermore is about the same distance south-east of San Francisco that Napa is north-east but seems to get very little press. Which is quite shocking considering how extremely good their wines are.
Livermore is an older wine region than both Napa and Sonoma, is the home to california Chardonnay and last year produced the number one in Cabernet in the United States.
So Livermore Valley wine country is a genuine hidden gem – with delicious wines waiting for you to come and taste them! So here is my guide to Livermore Wine tasting.
Visiting Yosemite in October is a truly special experience. Most of the key attractions within Yosemite National Park are still open but traffic and tourists are at considerably lower numbers.
Best of all, Yosemite National Park is full of deciduous trees that break into glorious blazes of colourful leaves in the autumn. October in Yosemite Park was a truly stunning experience and perfect if you like taking photos! This may be the best time to visit Yosemite!
Reaching across America's West Coast, San Francisco's Bay Area provides stunning views and top-tier cuisine from various vibrant cultures to tantalise your tastebuds. The city of San Francisco is home to quite a few famous landmarks and popular tourist attractions such as the Golden Gate Bridge.
San Francisco's Bay Area is simply bursting with adventures, foodie-delights and sights to behold. Take your time looking over the list down below to discover your favourite San Francisco Bay Area spots.
California has some pretty spectacular fields of sunshine and exploring them makes for the perfect adventure in nature. They’re found throughout this beautiful US state, but only during certain times of the year.
This list is your inclusive guide to discovering sunflower fields in California. It has everything you need to know, from the best time to photograph the flowers, to what to wear, and what months they bloom in.
It is difficult to find a bad place in San Diego to watch the sunset. This city has a well-deserved reputation for providing some of the most amazing sunsets in California. This city has more than 70 miles of coastline so there are lots of options for a good view of the sun coming down.
Diego are known for their photogenic pink and purple shades but it is said that the most beautiful San Diego sunsets take place in the fall and winter months.
I covered all of the costs associated with writing this article. Also, this places in California post includes affiliate links. That means if you click through and end up making a purchase I will receive a small commission. I wanted to make sure you were aware of this.