Sacramento maintains its status as a must-visit destination with farm-to-table dining, a cobblestone old town, major theatre venues and more than 2,000 hectares of parkland. Sacramento swaps Cali’s beaches for its rivers while ensuring you’re never far from craft beer, live sport and art galleries.

Things to do

The Sacramento and American rivers meet in Sacramento, which has provided the city exceptional waterfront dining, boating and swimming opportunities. More outdoor fun can be found in William Land Park, which has a golf course and tranquil picnic spots, and Southside Park, which boasts a jogging track, swimming pool, fishing lake and amphitheatre.

Sacramento’s diversity is apparent in its museums, ranging from the 1850s-inspired Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park to Crocker Art Museum and Native American exhibits at the California State Indian Museum. Music is a huge part of the Sacramento’s modern culture, so get down to Cesar Chavez Plaza in Summer to see local bands put on a show.

Family fun is always around the corner, thanks to the out-of-this-world Fairytale Town, a storybook-themed playground with live performances, gardens, a petting zoo and family campouts. It’s located near Sacramento Zoo, where you can meet rare and endangered animals, such as Sumatran orangutans, snow leopards and red pandas.

Wander past Old Sacramento’s preserved 1850s buildings or take a tour around the historic neighbourhood in a horse-drawn carriage or steam-hauled train. Entertainment comes in all forms in Sacramento, from the live theatre at the Sacramento Shakespeare Festival to the high-octane sports action during Sacramento Kings basketball games at the Golden 1 Center.

Getting around

Bicyclists love Sacramento for its convenient bike lanes and flat terrain, consistently ranked one the top walkable cities in the United States. You can also catch the Yolobus, local buses and the trolley to neighbourhoods within the city. Use the light-rail system to venture further out of town.