NGL, Lake Tahoe has been at the top of my travel wishlist for way too long. I’m a total sucker for crystal-blue water and mountain views, so I’ve been dreaming of making the cross-country trek for a while. And let me tell you, when I finally made it happen, it blew my expectations out of the water. (Lol no pun intended.)
I went for a long weekend and packed in everything I love: good food, jaw-dropping scenery, and lots of close-up views of the mountains. If you’re eyeing a 3–4 day getaway to Lake Tahoe, here’s how I spent my trip — with plenty of recs to steal for your own itinerary. (You’re welcome in advance.)
Where to Stay
The first part to planning your trip is know where the F to stay. I chose to stay at Margaritaville Resort in South Lake Tahoe, and the location could not have been better. It’s right on the main strip—just a 10-minute walk to the lake and steps from cute shops, restaurants, and activities in the Heavenly Village.
We were welcomed to the resort with margaritas and chips + guac (they know me so well), and even got to mix our own margs in the room—a fun and creative way to kick off the weekend. Our room had a built-in fireplace, a super spacious layout, and a balcony with unreal mountain views that we woke up to every morning. I MEAN, LOOK AT THIS:
The resort has both indoor and outdoor pools, multiple on-site restaurants (check out JWB Prime Steak and Seafood), and a bunch of cozy fire pits out front. We spent nearly every evening posted up at Landshark with a frozen drink in hand, enjoying dessert by the fire. We’ve stayed at a Margaritaville before (TBT Cancun!), but this one felt so perfectly tailored to the Tahoe setting.
Oh, and it’s pet-friendly! We didn’t bring our dog this time (missed you, Gordo), but everyone else did, proving it’s a perfect place to bring the pup if you want to.
What to Do
Tahoe is one of the most beautiful places to visit if you love the outdoors. We fit in so much in such a short period of time: hiking, exploring parks, shopping, and yes, buying way too many souvenirs. Here are a few standout moments:
Emerald Bay State Park
We decided to rent a car for one full day to loop around the lake (which ended up being totally worth it) and our first stop was Emerald Bay. Honestly, there are so many car rental spots you can walk to from Margaritaville that I highly recommend looking into. For an extra $100ish, it was SO worth it to not have to worry about transportation and also making sure we got to see everything we really wanted to! The drive around the lake only took a few hours, so you can honestly see the entire thing in just a day if you really were in a time crunch.
Whether you’re into kayaking, hiking, swimming, boating, or just staring at pretty water (lol me), this spot is perfect for all of the above. Expect to take a million pics of the same shots — It looks like an IRL postcard from pretty much every angle.
Sand Harbor
This was hands-down our #1 favorite spot. The water is legit turquoise blue (the kind you only see on desktop backgrounds) and it was such a peaceful place to stop and soak in the views. With the mountains in the background, it was probably the most picturesque spot we saw!
We swam, relaxed, and even came across a wedding happening nearby (10/10 for people-watching). It was SO beautiful and so easy to get to, I really can’t recommend stopping here enough!!!
Explore Heavenly Village
Only five minutes from Margaritaville, this charming village is packed with boutique shops, restaurants, bars, and super cute patios. THIS IS WHERE YOU NEED TO GO SOUVENIR SHOPPING!!!! We bought the cutest matching mugs that we use for coffee now pretty much every morning now. Obsessed.
Picnic in the Park
Margaritaville recently launched a picnic package where they’ll pack you a cooler full of snacks, lunches, drinks, and even foldable chairs so you can enjoy your own picnic in the park!!! Some places to enjoy it:
* Van Sickle Park (right next door — we ended up going on a hike here and it was so fun and we found the BIGGEST pinecones)
* Cave Rock (a short drive and totally worth it for the views)
* El Dorado Beach
Restaurant Shout-Out: The Idle Hour Lake Tahoe
We spotted this gem on Instagram (and got local recs, too), and it completely delivered. It was the most adorable little spot that served wine flights and small plates right on the water with panoramic views. I honestly felt like I was in Europe.
Relax at the Hotel
I loved Lake Tahoe because we spent every day on the go, and then had the chance to spend every evening relaxing. Our hotel had nightly entertainment like live music, happy hours, lawn games, a hot tub, and more, and we made time to watch the sun set every single night.
TL;DR:
Lake Tahoe truly was a dream and I’d go back in a heartbeat! It was stunning, relaxing, and filled with so much fun and adventure. HMU if you’re going and need a tour guide — I will take any excuse to go back asap.
