Should I spend 1, 2, or 3 days in Sacramento?

Should you spend 1, 2, or 3 days in Sacramento?

Most people spend one to two days in Sacramento during their visit. The relaxed city offers amazing highlights such as the famous sights and museums, the cuisine, the nightlife scene, and the shops and boutiques.

Sacramento is the capital of the state of California and it sits where the Sacramento River meets the American River. The city has a number of museums, particularly in Old Sacramento. While it's an important political center for the state, it is often overlooked by tourists.

Do you have one or two days to visit Sacramento? Here's our comprehensive breakdown of how much time you might need for your trip along with some suggestions for things to do.

Is one day enough time in Sacramento?

Sacramento isn't a particularly popular city for tourists, despite having some sights and attractions worth seeing. Given only one day, you will likely find yourself hurrying to experience the key highlights such as the famous sights and museums, the cuisine, and the nightlife scene. To truly savor all that the city boasts, a more generous amount of time is probably needed even though it's not a huge city. Many travelers opt for one to two days to thoroughly relish the wonders of the city. However, if your schedule is tight, we have a handful of recommendations for making the most of your visit.

How to spend a day in Sacramento

A number of fantastic museums and famous landmarks are found in Sacramento, so spend at least one full day exploring those that look the most appealing to you. As the state capital, you'll find a number of historical and informational museums around town. You should check out the State Capital, as well as the California State Railroad Museum, the Crocker Museum of Art, Sutter's Fort State Historic Park, and the California Automobile Museum.

You can't miss out on tasting the fantastic cuisine at one of the best restaurants in town, so make sure you find somewhere special for lunch or dinner. Casual restaurants with laid back atmospheres are what's most common around town. You'll also find a variety of international cuisines that include Korean and Vietnamese.

A few tour suggestions include:

Midtown Sacramento Arts and Food Tour ($98)
Midtown Sacramento Walking Food Tour ($125)
Downtown Sacramento Historical Food Tour ($98)

Is a weekend (two to three days) enough time in Sacramento?

A weekend is the perfect amount of time in the relaxed city of Sacramento, as many visitors prefer to spend around one to two days here. Since it's not a huge city, over two days or on a weekend trip you'll be able to explore the museums and famous sights, dine out at amazing restaurants, grab some drinks at a bar, and go shopping. We have some suggestions for what to do and where to start your weekend adventure below.

Sacramento, California

How to spend 2 days in Sacramento

Having a weekend (two to three days) in Sacramento will provide you with more time to take in the best activities in the city.

Perhaps the most famous spot in Sacramento is the California State Railroad Museum, so make sure you set aside some time to check it out. It might not be at the top of your list, but it's worth experiencing during your trip.

The nightlife scene is very popular here. After dark, head out to one of the many venues around town. There highest concentration of activities are found in Downtown Sacramento. You'll find bars, clubs and live music in the area. You can also head to midtown, which has performing arts and comedy shows.