South Lake Tahoe is one of the best vacation spots in the country, no matter the season. We were lucky enough to get to visit this spring and got some amazing weather while we were there! Follow along as I take you through the best South Lake Tahoe Itinerary plus some bonus options!
South Lake Tahoe is one of those places that you could visit time and time again and see/do something new each time. Of course, there are some great favorites you will find, but the charm is so special down in this area. The community is amazing and you can really feel the love and appreciation everyone has for their town. I highly recommend visiting in spring and/or avoiding weekends to avoid the crowds, its much more enjoyable (and usually a little cheaper plus more accommodations available!)
Where to Stay:
4100 Pine Boulevard South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
Located just over the California line in South Lake Tahoe, you will find the cutest boutique hotel I have ever had the pleasure of staying at. Only about 2 blocks from Lakeside Beach and walking distance to the downtown strip it’s the perfect central location.
Coachman has an outdoor pool and hottub, 3 fire pit areas, a bar on site, amazing coworking space, they serve free meals every night and they have an amazing small breakfast menu in the mornings. The rooms are beautiful and newly renovated with multiple options for every family. We will be staying here every time we come back to town!
Things to Do:
- Rent or bring your own bikes! We brought our ebikes with us since we drove but there are plenty of places you can rent normal or ebikes while you are visiting. These were essential to explore the beaches, walking trails, downtown area and the breweries without having to worry about parking or paying $$$ for California gas if you know what I mean.
- Get involved with the community! Now this might strike you as uncommon to add, why would I care about getting involved when I am on vacation? South Lake Tahoe, Visit Lake Tahoe, Clean Up The Lake and Keep Tahoe Blue have been committed to keeping one of America’s most visited vacation spots clean and beautiful. We were lucky enough to chat with them on our visit and get together to help clean up some local trails and participate in a fundraiser they were holding.
- Check out all the local breweries! We only had time to visit two of the ones in town, but there are no shortage of breweries to find to match with anyone’s taste. Our favorites were The Hangar Lake Tahoe and Sidellis Lake Tahoe.
- Go to the beach! Now depending on what the weather is when you go this might not be a priority. When we visited in April, we got really lucky with a beautiful warm weekend so we checked out a few of the beaches. The water is always cold, even in summer so come prepared with spring wetsuits for kids if you are worried about it.
- Go snowboarding! Again, it depends on the season and weather. We visited at the tail end of the season and unfortunately it hasn’t been a great snow year so we decided to opt out of this visit. But there are over 15 ski resorts right around Lake Tahoe, so take your pick! Typically ski season is November-April so keep that in mind if skiing will be the focus of your trip.
Clean Up the Lake
This is another amazing organization you can support and/or get involved with while on your trip. Clean Up The Lake was founded in 2018, starting as a beach clean up organization and has now transitioned into underwater specialization clean up as well. Since 2020, they have completed 61.71 Miles of Lake Tahoe’s 72 Mile Subsurface Shoreline. If you are Scuba certified you can volunteer to help with any clean ups they have going on in Tahoe or surrounding lakes, or do your own clean up of local beaches and report it with the Take Care Tahoe app. The top 3 hot spots for litter accumulation are: 1. Zephyr Cove 2. Bonzai Rock 3. Marinas In General, so be on the lookout when you visit! We are responsible for helping keep Lake Tahoe as clean, beautiful and clear as possible. Read more about this here.
Where to Eat:
Kalani’s
California Burger Company
Artemis Mediterranean Grill (one location at Ski Run Marina and the other is located at the south end of town)
Freshies Ohana Restaurant and Bar
Basecamp Pizza Co
Driftwood Cafe
Coldwater Brewery and Grill
The Naked Fish
Azul Latin Kitchen
Thai On Ski Run
Okay so now that we’ve gotten through the details of everything you could possibly need to know to have an amazing trip, let’s build out an itinerary! Of course, take into account the time of year you are visiting and substitute any activities that don’t work for you.
Day 1:
Arrive in South Lake Tahoe. Check in at The Coachman isn’t until 4pm, but you can drop your car off in the parking lot and set out on foot or bike to enjoy your morning. Explore the Lam Watah Nature Trail to make your way to Nevada Beach for some swimming, relaxing or paddleboarding.
Make your way back to The Coachman to get settled and freshen up for dinner at Azul Latin Kitchen. Just a 5 minute walk from the hotel, they have a great outdoor patio and live music most weekends when the weather is good.
End your night with some smores around the fire pit or a dip in the hot tub before turning in for the night.
Day 2:
Wake up and grab some yummy breakfast burritos at the hotel, then hop on your bike to go spend an hour or two helping to clean up any local trails or beaches nearby. You can check for upcoming events here: or just get to it on your own! Make sure to use the app to keep track of anything you find.
Grab lunch at Thai On Ski Run, super super yummy and has great outdoor seating as well!
Spend your afternoon brewery hopping, some of our favorites are:
South Lake Tahoe Brewing Company
Sidellis Lake Tahoe
Cold Water Brewery and Grill
The Hangar Lake Tahoe
Take a late afternoon dip at Lakeside Beach or just stroll the downtown area.
Get dinner at Freshies Ohana, super great healthy, fresh food for any palette!
Day 3:
Grab breakfast at the hotel before checking out.
Take a leisurely drive up the east coast of the lake to check out some more beaches such as Nevada Beach, Chimney Beach, or Sand Harbor before heading home!
Make sure to check out my post talking more in depth about Clean Up The Lake! If you need more information about your visit to South Lake Tahoe make sure to check out their website: Visit Lake Tahoe or City of South Lake Tahoe.
