Best Things To Do In Sacramento

Sacramento rewards travelers who slow down. The capital of California packs Gold Rush history, one of the country's strongest food scenes and two rivers into a downtown you can cross on foot in twenty minutes.

Start in Old Sacramento. The wooden boardwalks and 1850s brick facades along Front Street are the most photographed blocks in the city, and a two-hour guided history walk is the fastest way to understand how a muddy riverboat landing became a state capital.

Spend your afternoon in Midtown. Hundreds of murals cover the neighborhood, and the chefs here built Sacramento's farm-to-fork reputation. A guided arts and food tour combines both in three hours.

Finish after dark. Evening ghost tours on the waterfront run year-round and take about an hour, which leaves plenty of time for dinner. For groups, the beer bike is the city's favorite night out.

On day two, head out of town. The South Fork of the American River is an hour east and offers the most popular whitewater rafting in the western United States, with Class II-III rapids suitable for first-timers and families with older kids.