High Points

Where we stayed: Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe
Airport: Sacramento International Airport
Best hike: Secret Cove
Best views: Secret Cove + Sand Harbor
Favorite breakfast: Tunnel Creek Cafe
Favorite dinner: Big Water Grille
Favorite activity: E biking to Sand Harbor + kayaking
Trip length: 3 days

For our anniversary, Andrew and I planned a North Lake Tahoe anniversary trip and stayed at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe. It was our first time visiting, and we wanted a mix of hiking, good food, beautiful views, and time to relax. It ended up being one of our favorite trips we have taken together.

We visited North Lake Tahoe in September, which is considered the off season, but to me it was the BEST time to go. We had fewer crowds, amazing temperatures, and beautiful weather for hiking, biking, and kayaking.

If you are planning a North Lake Tahoe trip, I’m sharing our full three day itinerary, including where we stayed, our favorite restaurants, the best hikes and activities, and a few things we wish we had known before we went.

Day 1: Arriving in North Lake Tahoe

We flew into Sacramento because flights were half the price, rented a car, and drove about two hours to North Lake Tahoe.

Obviously, we had to make a very important (for the first time) pit stop for our first In N Out Burger. We both really liked it, but Shake Shack still wins for me. Nothing compares to that cheese sauce.

After checking into the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe, we grabbed a drink and read by the hot tub before dinner at Osteria Sierra.

A few food highlights:

• The octopus was interesting, but I am glad we tried it.

• The chicken piccata was SO good and definitely what I would order again.

• They treated us to dessert for our anniversary, which was such a sweet touch.

There is also a casino at the hotel if you want something to do after dinner.

Day 2: Hiking Monkey Rock and Secret Cove in North Lake Tahoe

I started the morning on the porch right off the hotel lobby. The spa music, quiet, and views made this my favorite spot for morning quiet time. Another thing we loved about the Hyatt was the location. Incline Village was only about a five minute drive away, which made everything incredibly convenient.

We grabbed breakfast at Drink Coffee Do Stuff, which gets a 10/10 from me. I had the Brown Sugar & Spice Latte with the avocado, feta, and sprouts bagel. Andrew got the Classic Cheddar and a vanilla latte. Everything was amazing. Heads up, I think there is usually a pretty long line, but we visited during the off season and didn’t have to wait at all.

Next we parked at Tunnel Creek and did the Monkey Rock Trail hike. It starts out paved before turning to gravel, so don’t worry if it doesn’t immediately look like a hiking trail. I wouldn’t call it a hard hike, and the views are WELL worth the effort.

*of note* if you are new to hiking like myself get the All Trails app its so helpful and keeps you on track.

We grabbed lunch at T’s Mesquite Rotisserie afterward. We both tried the Chicken and Tri Tip Tacos, and honestly, this was the only meal of the trip we didn’t love. With so many great places to eat around Lake Tahoe, I think you can do better for lunch. Even with high rating this could be a skip for your trip.

Next was Secret Cove, which had my favorite hiking views of the entire trip. The water was BEYOND clear and absolutely stunning.

Secret Cove Highlights:

• Secret Cove is a clothing optional beach. Consider yourself warned.

• The parking lot only has 31 spots. It was full when we arrived, and we eventually waited about 15 minutes for a space.

• We saw people parking along the road, but there were also no parking signs, so we didn’t risk it.

• Again download the AllTrails app. It saved us because we almost went the wrong way coming back a few times!

• The hike isn’t too difficult, but the walk back to the car is pretty much all uphill and about did me in.

After around 12,000 steps, we headed back to the Hyatt to read and recover by the hot tub, this became our afternoon rest time and it was amazing.

For dinner, we drove about five minutes to Big Water Grille. The Korean cauliflower appetizer was great. I ordered the salmon, which was good, but Andrew’s gnocchi with short rib was my favorite meal of the entire trip. I ate half of his and have zero regrets.

If you make a reservation, ask for a window table. The view is worth it.

Day 3: E Bikes, Sand Harbor and Kayaking in Lake Tahoe

I started the morning in my same spot off the lobby. I really loved these slow mornings before we started our day.

One Hyatt tip: bring your own coffee cup and water bottle. I was able to refill my coffee for free at the hotel coffee shop, and there are water stations throughout the property.

We decided this would be our “trying new things” day and rented E bikes. I was nervous because I had no clue how to use one, we had to cross roads, and coordination isn’t exactly my strength. Once I got comfortable, though, they were SO much fun.

We rode straight from the hotel to Tunnel Creek Cafe for breakfast, which ended up being Andrew’s favorite meal of the trip. I had the breakfast sandwich, Andrew got the Beesting, and we split the French toast.

One warning: eat inside. We tried sitting outside and were immediately swarmed by lots of yellow jackets. We weren’t the only table that eventually gave up and moved inside.

From there, we took the bike path to Sand Harbor, and it is every bit as beautiful as the pictures.

We parked our bikes and walked the scenic boardwalk to the kayak rentals (5 min walk on the other end of the beach, look for the white tent) kayaked toward Bonsai Rock. I would definitely rent a clear bottom kayak because the water is so clear you can see all the way down.

Also, bring a towel and possibly a change of bottoms. We were SOAKED and the water is chilly but beautiful.

We biked back to the Hyatt, returned our bikes, and grabbed lunch by the pool. The Margherita pizza was 10/10. Since it was Saturday, the pool was much busier, so we found a spot and spent the afternoon reading.

That night we ate at the hotel’s sports bar, Cutthroat’s Saloon. All we wanted was football and nachos, and that is exactly what we got. We even got to watch the LSU vs. Ole Miss game, which made the night

Would We Go Back?

100 percent.

I don’t know if it was the time difference or how much we packed into our days, but we were asleep by 9 every night and didn’t wake up until 6:30 or 7. It was glorious.

North Lake Tahoe gave us exactly what we wanted for an anniversary trip. We hiked, biked, kayaked, ate great food, read by the hot tub, and actually relaxed.

The Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe was also a great location because everything we wanted to do was so close. We were already talking about coming back before we even left.

If North Lake Tahoe isn’t on your travel list yet, I would add it.

If you’re planning your own North Lake Tahoe trip, I hope our itinerary helps make planning a little easier. I’ve also included my complete Lake Tahoe packing list below with everything I recommend bringing for hiking, biking, kayaking, pool days, and dinners out.

Hope you enjoyed, for more travel recaps check out this section on my Blog!