Sacramento CA California
USA

Sacramento, California | Cruise Port Guide

Wooden sidewalks that echo underfoot, storefronts with balconies, stagecoaches standing still in the golden dust of the afternoon: docking in Sacramento means landing in the middle of the Gold Rush. Boats tie up at the L Street landing, right on the edge of Old Sacramento, a historic district of more than ten hectares preserved as it was when gold seekers travelled up the river from San Francisco, fever in their blood and shovels on their shoulders.

Old Sacramento, a life-size set

Designated a National Historic Landmark District, the neighbourhood lines up its brick and wooden buildings from the 1850s along the river. You wander among old-fashioned candy shops, converted saloons and pocket-sized museums, while horse-drawn carriages pass cyclists on the cobblestones. The city's history museum brings the 1849 Gold Rush and its period printing presses back to life, while beneath today's streets, guided tours explore the original foundations: after the floods of the 19th century, the young city was raised several metres, burying an entire level of shops that you now explore by lantern light.

A temple of the railroad

At the northern corner of the district stands one of America's great railway museums: the California State Railroad Museum. More than forty restored locomotives and cars gleam beneath its skylights, from the steam giants of the transcontinental line to sleeping cars you walk through in a half-light rocked by recreated clatter. It was from right here that the first rails of the transcontinental railroad set out eastward, an enterprise founded by four local merchants that changed the destiny of the continent. Allow a good two hours to do it justice; families are guaranteed to be delighted.

The Delta King and the riverfront promenade

Permanently moored at the quays, the Delta King recalls the golden age of inland navigation: this 1920s paddlewheel steamer made the overnight run to San Francisco before becoming a hotel and restaurant. Its white-and-red silhouette, together with the golden Tower Bridge just upstream, forms the visual signature of the riverfront. The promenade along the quays links terraces, river excursion landings and viewpoints over the comings and goings of pleasure boats.

Toward the Capitol, beneath the trees

A footbridge spans the freeway and links the historic district to the modern downtown. In a quarter of an hour's walk through generously shaded streets — California's capital prides itself on one of the densest urban tree canopies in the country — you reach the California State Capitol, a white dome surrounded by a park planted with trees from around the world. The interior, restored to its 1900 appearance, is open to visitors free of charge on weekdays and traces the political life of the most populous state in the Union.

Pointers for the day

  • L Street landing: direct access to Old Sacramento; everything can be done on foot.
  • Railroad museum: opens in the morning, with smaller crowds early in the day.
  • Capitol: about 1.5 km from the dock, an easy two-hour round trip including the visit.
  • Very hot, dry summers: bring water and a hat; the arcades provide much-needed shade.

Before the river takes over again

As the sun sinks behind Tower Bridge and the old-fashioned lamps light up along the balconies, the old district recaptures something of 1850. You head back on board with the feeling of having leafed through the first chapter of California — the one where it all began with a nugget, a river and boundless daring.

Frequently Asked Questions

At the L Street landing, right on the edge of Old Sacramento. You step ashore straight into the historic district, with no shuttle or taxi needed.
Yes. Old Sacramento begins at the foot of the gangway and the California State Railroad Museum stands at the north corner of the district. The California State Capitol is about 1.5 km away, a fifteen-minute walk over a footbridge that crosses the freeway.
Allow a good two hours for the California State Railroad Museum, wander the cobbled streets of Old Sacramento and walk the riverfront past the Delta King. With extra time, continue to the Capitol, whose interior can be toured freely on weekdays.
A national historic district of more than ten hectares, preserved as it stood during the gold rush: 1850s brick and timber buildings, wooden sidewalks, galleried storefronts and horse-drawn carriages on the cobbles. This is where prospectors arrived from San Francisco by river.
Because after the 19th-century floods the young city was raised by several metres, burying an entire level of shops. Guided tours now walk those original foundations by lantern light.
More than forty restored locomotives and cars under glass roofs, from the steam giants of the transcontinental line to sleeping cars you can walk through in the half-dark. The first rail of the transcontinental railroad headed east from this very spot, in a venture launched by four local merchants.
A 1920s paddle steamer moored permanently at the waterfront, now a hotel and restaurant. It once ran the overnight service to San Francisco, and its white and red silhouette, with Tower Bridge just upstream, is the visual signature of the riverfront.
Yes, and the railroad museum is the main reason: full-size locomotives, cars you can walk through, and careful staging. Old Sacramento adds old-fashioned candy shops and carriage rides, and everything is within walking distance.
The US dollar and English. Credit cards are accepted everywhere and restaurant tipping runs 15 to 20 percent.
Spring and autumn. Summers here are very hot and dry: bring water and a hat, and take advantage of the shade under the historic district’s arcades and the downtown tree canopy, one of the densest in the country.