California attractions

Set in the heart of downtown Los Angeles and billed as the ‘world’s shortest railway,’ Angel’s Flight has vintage California style. If you recognize the smartly painted orange-and-black cars, it’s likely because the railway boasts dozens of onscreen appearances, includingPerry Mason andLa La Land.

Zabriskie Point was built go offer visitors views of prominent landmarks in Death Valley's Badlands. Visit for views of rippling, eroded mudstone and the 110-mile Amargosa Range, which rises in the distance. Bring a camera to snap photos of visitors dwarfed by the hilly surroundings, or venture into the craggy ravines for a hike.

Reaching almost 10,000 vertiginous feet (3,050 meters) high in the Sierra Nevada, Tioga is not only the highest mountain pass in California—it's the eastern entry point to Yosemite National Park and the apex of one of the most scenic drives in the US. When open, the pass leads past Tioga Peak and Mount Dana to Tuolumne Meadows, three of the most eye-watering places in Yosemite.

A testament to the evolving cultural landscape of downtown Los Angeles, Union Station is both transit hub and arts destination, featuring everything from live music to eateries. Despite the updated image, the station still serves travelers first. Find regional trains, bus and car sharing services, and even car rental agencies on site.

The white-walled Santa Barbara Courthouse is one of the city’s most famous landmarks and is considered one of the most beautiful public buildings in the US. Hand-painted frescoes, sunken gardens, and an 85-foot (25-meter) clock tower are some of its distinctive features, drawing many visitors to the nearly century-old sight.

Sandwiched between Civic Center and Alamo Square, Hayes Valley is one of San Francisco’s trendiest neighborhoods. Both residential and commercial, the area is home to boutiques, wine bars, coffee shops, gourmet and casual restaurants, and parks, attracting a mix of locals and visitors, from moms with strollers to young professionals.

The driest desert in North America, the Mojave is home to Death Valley National Park and Badwater Basin, the lowest point on the continent—282 feet (86 meters) below sea level. The Mojave’s 31,000 square miles (81,000 square kilometers) also encompass Las Vegas, Lake Mead, Mojave National Preserve, and more. The region attracts all kinds of visitors, from outdoorsy travelers interested in hiking and camping to rock climbers, road-trippers, and beyond.

Dotted with Buddha statues, cherry trees, and koi ponds, the Japanese Tea Garden is a perfect peaceful spot to escape the city. It’s one of the oldest public Japanese gardens in the US, where you can wander along carefully landscaped pathways, admire Japanese design elements, and stop for tea and snacks at the teahouse, in the heart of the garden.

The views are impressive both in and outside of San Francisco’s Legion of Honor museum. Sitting on a hilltop at the heart of Lincoln Park, the neoclassical landmark—built as a replica of the Legion of Honor Palace in Paris—affords sweeping views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Behind its colonnaded facade, the vast collection of European art on display spans more than 4,000 years and includes works by Rodin, Rembrandt, Monet, and Rubens.

Located in the world-renowned Carneros wine region, which straddles the Napa Valley, the Madonna Estate is a unique winery utilizing dry-farming production and organic grapes. The vineyard is family-owned and operated by the Bartoluccis, who use a combination of traditional and modern winemaking techniques to produce handcrafted wines.

Riding a cable car up and down the city’s famous hills is a must-do activity for first-time visitors to San Francisco—but if you’re interested in more than just a photo op, it’s worth exploring the Cable Car Museum in Nob Hill. Learn about how these local icons work, view original cars from the 1870s, and discover other transit-related artifacts.

Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias is home to more than 500 mature giant sequoias, making it the largest grove of sequoias in Yosemite National Park and a highlight of the park. President Abraham Lincoln signed legislation protecting this grove in 1864—the first step towards the development of the system of national parks in the United States. The grove contains 1,900-year-old trees soaring more than 280 feet (85 meters), and you can follow several different trails to explore.

A hub of artistic creativity in San Diego, the Spanish Village Art Center is located inside Balboa Park. Originally built in 1935 for an exposition to depict a Spanish village, the center is home to working art studios and pieces by more than 200 local artists.

This 26.4-acre (1-hectare) park located along Ocean Avenue is perched above sandstone bluffs in Santa Monica. The waterfront Palisades Park offers guests the opportunity to explore the coast in a delightful outdoor setting. Whether it’s meandering along its paved paths, stopping to smell the roses in the rose garden, or admiring the Pacific Ocean from atop the promenade, the park is a welcomed respite.

Universal CityWalk is the 3-block entertainment epicenter of Universal Studios Hollywood—it’s the place to be after a fun day at the theme park for dining, shopping, and live entertainment. Visitors here will find dozens of restaurants, a multiscreen movie theater, plenty of shops, indoor skydiving, and even a live concert venue. Because once the theme park closes, the fun doesn’t have to end.

Founded in 1899, Hollywood Forever Cemetery is Hollywood's only cemetery and serves as a burial ground for some of the city's most famous deceased citizens, including Rudolph Valentino, Judy Garland, and Mickey Rooney. Today, it's also a gathering place for community events such as its Dia de los Muertos (Mexican Day of the Dead) celebration and summer outdoor movie screenings.

Of all Yosemite’s lodging options, the Ahwahnee Hotel (formerly the Majestic Yosemite Hotel) stands out not only for its location—you can see Yosemite Falls from the legendary dining room—but also for its interior, redolent of Yosemite’s early years. And you don’t need to book a room to enjoy this National Historic Landmark.

Originating in the Sierra Nevada mountains and running to Sacramento, the American River is a popular white-water rafting and day-trip destination from points across Northern California and beyond. The river boasts three forks of raftable water, and more than 100 miles (161 kilometers) of hiking and bike trails along historic California Gold Rush sites, providing ample opportunities for kayaking, fishing, swimming, and more.

As the name suggests, this stretch of sand in San Diego’s upscale La Jolla neighborhood was once a swimming spot for families, thanks to a seawall that shelters the cove. Nowadays, Children’s Pool Beach is a favorite resting and breeding ground for harbor seals and a popular wildlife-watching area.

Home to the San Francisco Giants major league baseball team (winners of the 2010, 2012, and 2014 World Series Championships), Oracle Park is known for its waterfront setting on San Francisco Bay. This ballpark also features better-than-average stadium food, from Dungeness crab tacos to Hawaiian-style poke to Ghirardelli chocolate sundaes.

El Campo Santo Cemetery in San Diego’s Old Town was used during the mid- to late-1800s. As San Diego grew, the old cemetery was reduced in size and many of the graves were paved over to build a streetcar line and roads. Since then, tales of car trouble, ghostly apparitions, and shadowy figures have been reported.

San Francisco’s Cow Hollow neighborhood caters to young professionals with its hip shops and vibrant nightlife. Once an open valley where cows grazed (hence its name) and fishermen lived (due to its proximity to the Bay), it’s now filled with high-end boutiques, trendy restaurants, and bars.

The original Laugh Factory opened on Sunset Boulevard in 1979, and today this storied club remains a go-to destination for some of the best stand-up comedy in Los Angeles. Comedy legends and rising stars grace the club's stage almost every night, offering travelers a place for outrageous live acts, right in the heart of Hollywood.

San Francisco’s Sutro Baths was once a public bathhouse with seven indoor swimming pools. Perched atop granite bluffs at the city’s western tip, it symbolized the great wealth brought by the Gold Rush.

Occupying the oldest structure in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, this museum is a great place to learn about what life was like in San Diego during the Victorian era. Perhaps the most unusual thing about the house is that it was pre-fabricated in Maine in 1850 and then shipped to San Diego by boat via Cape Horn.

El Prado, the beautiful 13-acre (5-hectare) Spanish colonial complex built for San Diego’s Panama-California Exposition in 1915, is considered a jewel of Balboa Park. The former House of Hospitality is now home to a popular restaurant, while the Spreckels Organ Pavilion hosts free outdoor concerts in the summer.

Nestled between La Jolla and the coast, Ellen Browning Scripps Park is often called San Diego’s most photographed spot and it’s easy to see why; it’s the park is home to three sandy beaches, a wide- open lawn for picnicking, and a scenic walkway along the bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean with viewpoints for whale watching and beautiful California sunsets.

Running for 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers) along San Francisco’s Pacific coast, Ocean Beach marks the western edge of the city. The wide shoreline attracts both locals and visitors for picnics, walks, beach bonfires, and beautiful sunsets. Though swimming isn’t common here (the water is cold), surfing is popular.

Warner Bros. Studio, founded in 1923 on Sunset Boulevard, moved to its present location in 1928. For a revealing look at how shows and movies are made at this classic studio, few experiences beat the Warner Bros. Studio Tour. No two trips through this production studio are alike, and lucky visitors may even spot a celebrity or two on set.

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMoMA) is a stunning venue for experiencing art in all its urgent vitality. The permanent collection, exhibitions, and events give artistic voice to issues facing California, the United States, and beyond, and encourage visitors to engage with art as an essential part of public life through interactive installations.