Southwest® flights from San Diego to Sacramento from $59

After landing in Sacramento, the city center with all of its farmers markets, rich cultural history, and captivating street art is an easy drive from the airport, so you won’t have to waste a single second before diving into the action! Start off your city tour with Old Sacramento State Historic Park, an area developed during the Gold Rush in the late 1840s. Today, this business district from pioneer times has been preserved, so visitors can enjoy seeing historic landmarks like the Eagle Theater and the old school house, cobblestone streets, and covered plank sidewalks. If you’re interested in learning more about Sacramento’s history, check out the California State Railroad Museum to see restored locomotives and railroad cars.

When you’re ready for some art, head over to the Crocker Art Museum, which has been in continuous operation since a record-setting 1871. The building itself is an architectural sight to be seen, consisting of two stylistically disparate buildings—an airy contemporary wing and the original Italian-style museum. In the galleries, visitors can browse the large collection of ceramic pieces, as well as Asian, African, and European art.