Is my SF to DL itinerary doable?

[Nahanni]

We (DW, DS10, DD8 and me) are flying into SFO before DL trip this summer. Do you think the following itinerary is doable?

Thursday - Arrive SFO 1:30, cab to Union Square hotel and check in, visit Children's Creativity Museum (closes at 4), walk to Union Square for cable car ride, get off at Lombard St, walk down to and explore Fisherman's Wharf, find way back to hotel.

Friday - Pick up car rental, drive to Muir Woods (2-3 hrs), visit Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland (primarily because DS loves astronomy and we've never seen big telescopes), overnight in Palo Alto area (because we have a visit to make that evening).

Saturday - The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, drive down to Monterey, 17 mile drive, Carmel Mission, beach, overnight in Monterey. Aternatively, drop The Tech, visit Monterey earlier and head towards Yosemite late afternoon to have a the extra hours Sunday morning, not sure where to overnight.

Sunday - Drive to Yosemite, visit the Valley (Tram tour ??) and Glacier Point, overnight in Fresno

Monday - Kings Canyon and/or Sequoia, drive to DL, drop off car

Tuesday-Friday - Disneyland and relaxation time

Saturday - early AM shuttle to LAX

Any comments are appreciated.

 

[wanderlust7]

Your flight arrives at 1:30? By the time you get off the plane and get your luggage, it might be 2:30. Get the cab, get to the hotel, get checked in - about 3:30. I don't think you'll make the Children's Creativity Museum. The rest of your plan for that day sounds good.

Your Friday plan is probably doable, but you're crossing the bay twice and traffic on the bridges can be bad. The Exploratorium is really fun, if you haven't been. Personally, I might pick that over Chabot since you're in the city already (I haven't been to Chabot yet though).

Your Saturday plan sounds way too full. I would just do the whole day in Monterey/Carmel and overnight there. There is usually traffic to Monterey on nice beach weather weekends.

 

[swooshbear]

I agree that you might not make the Children's Creativity Museum after you land. I would also recommend taking an Uber to your hotel, it will save you money if you need to sit in traffic although mid afternoon is usually clear on the freeway.

For Friday, if you really are set on going to Chabot, I would recommend not going back into San Francisco and instead going across the San Rafael bridge. You can also pass by Pixar in Emeryville on the way to Oakland. You can't go in but you can see the Pixar gate and one of the buildings has a seagull from Finding Nemo on top of it.

I also agree that Saturday is too full. Once you get into the late morning, early afternoon, the road to Monterey will be bumper to bumper traffic. I would recommend skipping the Tech Museum and just head to Monterey as early as possible.

 

[VandVsmama]

I agree w/the other posters. You likely won't have time to go to the Children's Creativity Museum if it closes at 4pm.

Friday - keep an eye out for rush hour traffic times when you are going from Oakland to Palo Alto.

Saturday - this day sounds a bit full. The Tech Museum doesn't open until 10am. It will take about an hour to an hour and a half to get from San Jose to Monterey/Carmel. If you plan on spending 4 hours at the Tech Museum, you won't have time to do everything in your itinerary in Monterey/Carmel.

 

[China Expat]

Traffic from San Jose to Monterey on the weekends is bumper to bumper. It will take a lot longer than you anticipate.

 

[Ndusmama]

I don't know much about sf but I can say that the 17 mile drive to Monterey can take hours with traffic. Now if you don't get to Muir Woods (one of my favorite spots on the planet) then definitely go to sequoia national park. You have to see the redwoods! Be careful where you stay in Fresno. Some areas aren't that great. If you can either stay closer to Yosemite in Modesto or drive down to Visalia. Visalia is a tinish town but it's a quiet and safer town then Fresno. Plus it's closer to sequoia (as in you have to go through it to get to sequoia or to leave to drive to Disneyland). Visalia is probably an hour drive from Fresno and its maybe 4 hours to Disneyland.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I wouldn't recommend going to Visalia on the way to Yosemite or from Yosemite to Sequoia - it's too far south. Look at staying either in Oakhurst or Coarsegold. Also, I would have no problem staying in Fresno (have done it before).

I have gone from Yosemite through Kings Canyon/Sequoia on my way to LA several times. I recommend taking 180 to Kings Canyon, then take the Generals Hwy to Giant Forest. You will pass the Lost Grove (nice 10-15 stop), and I recommend parking by the Giant Forest museum, then take the shuttle to the General Sherman tree and Crescent Meadow - take a small hike/walk around Crescent Meadow to Tharpes Log. It's a lovely area.