Sacramento travel guide
Sacramento Tourism | Sacramento Guide
You're Going to Love Sacramento
With a population of 466,488, Sacramento is a must-see destination in California, United States. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. Sacramento deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.
Activities & attractions in Sacramento
Nature & Outdoor Activities
Where to Eat in Sacramento
Downtown is the neighborhood with the most restaurants in Sacramento. These include popular favorites such as Camden Spit and Larder (555 Capitol Mall), Frank Fat's (806 L Street) and Frog & Slim (1420 16th St). If you’re looking for affordable options, Cafeteria 15L (1116 15th St) and The Waterboy (2000 Capitol Avenue) are great picks. For delicious green meals, Frasinetti Winery & Restaurant (7395 Frasinetti Rd) and The Melting Pot - Sacramento (814 15th Street) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Sacramento.
When to visit Sacramento
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Sacramento in July, when the average temperature is 75.2 °F, and the highest can go up to 91.4 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 39.2 °F, with an average temperature of 46.4 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in January, when precipitation is around 3.6″. In contrast, July is usually the driest month of the year in Sacramento, with an average rainfall of 0″.
How to Get to Sacramento
Plane
When flying to Sacramento, you’ll arrive at Sacramento Airport (SMF), which is located 15 km from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Sacramento include American Airlines, Air Canada and Air France. The shortest domestic flight to Sacramento departs from Ontario and takes around 1h 20m.
Train
Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Sacramento. The train journey from Sacramento to Sacramento takes 1h 37m and costs around $29 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Fresno, expect to pay about $28 for a 4h 00m trip. The train station in Sacramento is called Sacramento, and is located 0.6 km from the city center.
Car
Another option to get to Sacramento is to pick up a car rental from San Francisco, which is about 119 km from Sacramento. You’ll find branches of Kyte and Sixt, among others, in San Francisco.
Bus
You can travel by bus to Sacramento using Greyhound or FlixBus. From Oakland, the bus ride to Sacramento takes 40 km and will cost you around $9. From Reno, the ticket costs about $25 for a journey of 636 km. The most popular bus station is Sacramento Fruitridge Rd, located 7 km from downtown Sacramento. Sacramento California Automobile Museum is also a commonly used station, and is 1.9 km from the city center.
Airlines serving Sacramento
Where to stay in Sacramento
If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Hyatt House Sacramento Midtown and TownePlace Suites by Marriott Sacramento Cal Expo. There are also lots of vacation rental options in Sacramento, with prices from $56 to $1,225 per night. Southeastern Sacramento is the neighborhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Sacramento are about 47% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.
Downtown - In Sacramento’s most popular neighborhood to stay, recommended hotels include The Citizen Hotel, Autograph Collection, Inn Off Capitol Park Ascend Hotel Collection and Kimpton Sawyer Hotel.
North Natomas - Here you’ll find travelers’ favorites such as Homewood Suites by Hilton Sacramento Airport-Natomas, Holiday Inn Express Hotel Sacramento Airport Natomas, An IHG Hotel and Hampton Inn & Suites Sacramento-Airport-Natomas. The average nightly price for a double room in North Natomas is $135.
Where to stay in popular areas of Sacramento
Most booked hotels in Sacramento
Renting a car in Sacramento
Renting a car in Sacramento costs $54 per day, on average, or $109 if you want to rent if for 2 days. Alamo, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Hertz are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Sacramento is the Dollar branch at 6327 Aviation Drive, which is 15 km from the city center.
It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 27% cheaper than airport locations in Sacramento.
Expect to pay $3.90 per gallon in Sacramento (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $46.79 and $62.38. The most frequently booked car type in Sacramento is Compact (Nissan Rogue or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy rental cars (Kia Forte or similar) are, on average, 69% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.
Best car rental deals in Sacramento
Supplier choice
5 Adults, 5 Bags
$24/day
Economy
2 Adults, 2 Bags
$25/day