Sacramento City Guide

Sacramento, the capital of California, is one of the fastest growing cities in the USA. This city is located 383 miles north of Los Angeles and 90 miles east of San Francisco in California’s Central Valley and is often referred to the ‘City of Trees’ for it is home to numerous parks and tree-lined streets.

Sacramento, which originated as supply town for gold miners is a popular vacation destination that offers many attractions like the historic sites of Old Sacramento, excellent shopping, dining and entertainment as well as numerous recreational activities on the banks of the American River which traverses the city.

Most visitors to Sacramento elect to stay in the downtown section of the city, which hosts the historic enclave of Old Sacramento, a 12 block restored neighborhood that is located near the river and hosts several Victorian buildings. The area also hosts a wide range of hotels, great shopping at malls like the Downtown Plaza and the K Street Mall and numerous entertainment options in the form of good theater, excellent restaurants and bars and sweeping views of the river. This downtown area of Sacramento also hosts nearly 250,000 trees of various varieties including fruit, flowering and palm trees which help shield the population from the searing heat of many summer days.

If you are on vacation in Sacramento with young children, you may want to take them to city’s old world theme park, Fairytale Town which encourages imaginative play. This theme park is not equipped with rides but features "sets" of beloved nursery rhymes and fairy tales where children can pretend to be their favorite characters. The park also features a petting zoo which features animals like rabbits, pigs, goats and other animals.

This museum showcases historic locomotives and train cars, which played an important role in the growth and development of Sacramento and much of the west. During the summer months a restored Sacramento southern railroad steam train, which belongs to the museum, offers rides along the Sacramento River.

The Sacramento Zoo is yet another child-friendly attraction in Sacramento. This zoo offers displays of nearly 4000 exotic animals like snow leopards, red pandas and more. The Sacramento zoo is known for its conservation efforts and its breeding programs. The zoo also hosts a variety of educational and entertainment events all throughout the year.

This museum, which is located in Old Sacramento, offers displays of restored vintage automobiles as it chronicles the changing face of American automobiles through the 20th Century. The museum also hosts concerts, shows, auctions and swap meets as a part of its events calendar.

The Sacramento Science museum is an educational space that aims on making science fun for its young visitors. The museum offers a wide range of thought-provoking, interactive exhibits along with a nature trail that extends over 14 acres. Also located within the museum premises is a planetarium, which offers simulated space missions which are extremely popular visitors.

Sacramento has a climate that is characterized by damp, wet, mild winters and hot dry summers. The summer months typically last from June to September in Sacramento. The city is known to experience scorching temperatures that range from 90 °F (32 °C) to 100 °F (38 °C) though these high temperatures are somewhat moderated by a sea breeze known as delta breeze that originates from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The city also has a wet season that extends from October to April. The wet season is characterized by morning fog, which is so dense that is hampers visibility and makes driving in the city quite difficult.

The average year round temperature in Sacramento is however a pleasant 61.1 °F (16.2 °C) and this somewhat comfortable temperature renders the city as an all weather destination that can be visited at any time of the year.

In fact, we at Fare Buzz often announce amazing flight deals for Sacramento so if you are currently scouting around for cheap air tickets for Sacramento trip, you would do well as to contact Fare Buzz to snag some cheap air flights for your vacation.

Sacramento is served by its Sacramento International Airport located 12 miles northwest of downtown Sacramento. This airport is served by all the major domestic full service and low cost carriers that make getting to Sacramento a breeze.

Sacramento is a compact city laid out in a grid like pattern, though like many other cities in California, it offers limited public transport options in the form of the bus and light rail systems.

Most visitors to Sacramento choose to rent a car for the duration of their stay in Sacramento as driving is the best way to get around the city. If you need to rent a car for your Sacramento vacation, you should try Fare Buzz with your requirements, for we offer a wide range of affordable car rentals for Sacramento that can be booked at the same time and via the same platforms that you make your other travel bookings for Sacramento.

California’s capital city, Sacramento, offers varied shopping choices that encompass both the usual and the eclectic. The city like various other American urban centers, hosts several malls like the Westfield Downtown Plaza, the Country Club Plaza mall, Roseville Galleria, the Sunrise Mall and Arden Fair. These large shopping complexes abound with a plethora of choices from America’s most well-known retailers.

Alongside these huge bastions of retail, the city also hosts unique and charming shopping districts, like the 28-acre Old Sacramento state historic park. This area located on the east bank of the Sacramento River, was the epicenter of all the action during the era of the Sacramento Gold Rush. Today, this enclave has been transformed into a prominent cultural attraction which offers much scope for shopping, dining and entertainment. Located here are several locally-owned small businesses, retailing novelty gifts, accessories, apparel and various other delights.

Another shopping locale of note in Sacramento is the Antique Plaza in Rancho Cordova, a small stretch located on the outskirts of the city. This antiques row hosts several stores offering antiques and various other curiosities. Fans of outlet shopping will be delighted to learn that Sacramento offers much discount shopping at its Folsom Premium Outlet mall which features discount outlets of various well-known brands like Nautica, Kenneth Cole, Nike and Sak’s Fifth Avenue.

Sacramento is home to a rich mix of cultures and culinary tastes. The city, thus offers a varied dining landscape that reflects the city’s vibrant population mix. Mexican, American, Thai, Indian, Italian are just some of the many cuisines on offer at Sacramento’s many lively eateries. Favored dining haunts in Sacramento, currently include eateries like Mulvaney’s B&L, the Firehouse restaurant, Bandera restaurant, Moxie restaurant (all restaurants offering New American fare), Biba and the Waterboy (both Italian), Lemon Grass Restaurant (Vietnamese), C F Cheng and Hong Kong Wok (Chinese), Chada Thai Restaurant and Bangkok Garden (Thai), Tres Hermanas (Mexican) and Shaz Restaurant and Monsoon Cuisine of India (India).

The thriving nightlife scene in Sacramento aims to cater to all tastes. Tourists and locals welcome a chance to de-stress and relax at the city’s various entertainment venues like bars, cocktail lounges, comedy clubs, dance clubs and more. Buzzing nightlife haunts in Sacramento currently include spots like Pre-Flite Lounge, Monkey Bar, Barcode(a dance club), the Sacramento Comedy Spot, Crest Theater, Capitol Bar and Tap Room and Pangea Two Brews Café, Downtown and Vine, 58 Degrees and Holding and Vino Volo (all wine bars).