Secrets of San Ramon

Take a Hassle Free Getaway to San Ramon

09.21.2022
San Ramon jazz outdoors

Sometimes the best secrets are right under your nose, or at least where you might not be looking! San Ramon is close enough to travel without hassle yet takes you far from the daily grind. Take a meditative hike in one of its vast open-space preserves, relax poolside at your hotel, enjoy a little retail therapy, and dine at one of San Ramon’s world-class restaurants. Unplug and unwind in San Ramon! Here’s your guide to a rejuvenating respite.

Trail Mix

hikers in San Ramon

San Ramon has so much beautiful open space, including over 40 trails to discover. The multi-use Iron Horse Trail is flat, paved, and ADA accessible. You can enter it from several points in San Ramon and soak in the beautiful landscape—including Mount Diablo. Pro Tip: The Iron Horse Trail is car-free, making it ideal for an electric bike. Rent an E-bike from Pedego Electric Bikes in San Ramon and get tips on top places to ride. Hikers looking for a challenge should try the Tassajara Ridge Trail—featuring rolling hills, multiple overlooks and an incredible vista of Mount Diablo.

Discover San Ramon

Wine & Halloween Events

Women drinking in San Ramon

San Ramon is always keeping pace with events to suit each season. September is wine month! Pick up your wine glass, then swirl among 15 merchants partnered with some of the region’s premier wineries: The September Sips event (September 25) is at City Center Bishop Ranch (pre-sale tickets are $10; day-of tickets are $15). Enjoy wine tasting and small bites along with live music as you meet the merchants who have partnered with wineries. Upcoming this October in San Ramon’s Central Park: The Scarecrow Scavenger Hunt! Scarecrows will be popping up all over the park October 21 – 31 and you’ve got to find them.

Discover San Ramon

Where to Stay & Eat

San Ramon fire pit

women shopping in San Ramon

people dining in San Ramon

Whether you want a hotel with outdoor fire pits for cozying up around with a cocktail, or prefer relaxing poolside all afternoon, San Ramon has plenty of offers and packages for overnight stays plus dining. If your relaxation comes from retail therapy and a leisurely lunch, head for City Center Bishop Ranch. Renowned architect Renzo Piano designed this beautiful East Bay landmark with a public square for all to enjoy. Check out stores new and classic and take your pick of restaurants with something to please every palate: from the Slanted Door and Fieldwork Brewing Company, to Marugame Udon and Salt & Straw ice cream.

TIP: Get the definitive dining list for San Ramon and start planning your vacation.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Man hiking up a trail at Montara Mountain, with a view of the Pacific and Grey Whale sand beach in the background

    From Beach to Summit

    No need to decide between a beach and a mountaintop—this hike includes both! Explore the stunning coastal scenery on this 6-mile out-and-back up Montara Mountain and into Rancho Corral de Tierra.

    View

  2. Picnic and a Pedal

    West Marin has all the right stuff for an afternoon getaway: bike paths, babbling brooks, canopy forests, and secluded picnic spots. Combine a picnic and a pedal at Samuel P. Taylor State Park by biking the easygoing Cross Marin Trail.

    View

  3. Most Peaceful Hike of All

    Is this the most peaceful one-hour hike in the Bay Area? It's got our vote! Lake Lagunitas is the smallest lake in a series of five found on the north side of Mount Tam, so it’s got that tiny but mighty charm. Do a 1.5-mile loop around the lake's shore-hugging trail.

    View

  4. Sebastopol Food & Wine Roll

    One apple farm, three charming towns, multiple wineries, and infinite natural beauty. Savor a perfect autumn day in Sonoma County by biking the West County Regional Trail from Sebastopol to Forestville via Graton. It’s a 17-mile (round-trip) adventure. 

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Woman walking in the Venice Canals of Los Angeles County

    Canal Contemplations

    With its incense-scented boardwalk, bohemian shops, skateparks, and abundance of body builders, Venice is happily eccentric, and artistic. Exhibit A: Its network of European-style canals with charming bridges, offering a tranquil tour of the town’s history.

    View

  2. Wine Down, Dine Out in Lake Chelan

    The fertile soil around Washington State's Lake Chelan is ripe for more than just the amazing apples. Vineyards here yield high quality grapes, and some of the country’s best less-discovered wineries. Locals know it, and you will too when you start choosing from the more than 30 wineries in the region.

    View

  3. What's Up, Winthrop!

    It’s not just its location close to Washington State’s spectacular and less visited national park (North Cascades) that makes Winthrop such a winsome mountain town. This lively enclave in the Methow Valley bristles with a whimsical blend of Wild West charms, contemporary culture, and a mosaic of outdoor adventures—from river to lake to waterfalls, and beyond.

    View
  4. Hike San Diego Volcan Mountain Wilderness

    Planet of the Oaks

    Let us count the number of oak tree species in the Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve near Julian: coast, scrub, canyon, black, and Engelmann. Five! The preserve’s Five Oaks Trail is a 3.2-mile hike that boasts all five.

    View