The variety of experiences on offer in northern California makes for a fantastically varied honeymoon, without the need for too much travel. If you go outside the popular summer months, you will be rewarded with fewer crowds and better prices, along with crisp bright mornings and cosy romantic evenings.
San Francisco is one of the world’s best-loved cities, and with its famous hills and views across the bay to the Golden Gate Bridge, it is certainly one of the most romantic. Cosmopolitan and sophisticated, with a laid-back, west-coast atmosphere, San Fran has various neighbourhoods to explore, many of which are accessible by the city’s streetcar system. Loews Regency San Francisco is an ideal base from which to explore the ‘City by the Bay’, situated within easy walking distance of Fisherman’s Wharf and Chinatown.
Sonoma Valley is bursting with fruitful vineyards. World-class boutique hotels lie in small villages which are home to some of California’s best and most innovative restaurants. Stay at the Farmhouse Inn for the embodiment of fine country living; feather beds and down duvets, toasting s’mores round the fire and a delectable breakfast of home-baked pastries and eggs from the ranch.
Driving south from Sonoma towards the Pacific Coast, you could stop in Monterey and stroll down Cannery Row in Steinbeck’s footsteps, and maybe have lunch in the lovely Carmel-by-the-Sea. Highway 1 runs down the Californian coast, incorporating some of them most beautiful coastal scenery in the US. Based at one of our favourite hotels, you can explore fantastic hiking trails or head out onto the Pacific for some of the best whale-watching America has to offer.
In this part of the world, the great outdoors is never far away. Walking below the towering redwoods, the tallest trees on Earth, is a humbling experience. In the summer months national parks tend to be busy, but in spring it can by idyllic; bird migrations enhance the redwood groves, while the Rhododendrons blossom.
The remote wilderness of the interior is enchanting. With lush forests, lofty mountains and pristine lakes, the Shasta Cascade region is an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise, without crowds. At the southern end of the region, the Lassen Volcanic National Park’s volcanoes, steam vents and mud pots provide yet another landscape to enjoy.
Northern California is where captivating cities meet the great outdoors – perfect for a beach or twin-centre honeymoon. Share a bottle of wine from a world-class vineyard, lose your inhibitions in San Francisco, wander under redwoods in a national park and lunch beside the sea in Carmel. Start planning your bespoke honeymoon by speaking to our experts; we’ll make sure your expectations are exceeded, so you can simply cosy up in Cali and enjoy the view.