South Lake Tahoe Spring Itinerary: 4 Days in Lake Tahoe

Are you thinking of visiting Lake Tahoe in the spring and looking for the perfect itinerary?

I know you’ve seen plenty of summer and winter Lake Tahoe itineraries, but where is the love for spring?!

My husband and I recently spent 4 days exploring South Lake Tahoe in late March, and it was such a dreamy trip!! While it was too warm to ski and too cold to swim (by our standards), there were still plenty of things to do in Lake Tahoe to keep us busy.

Spring in Lake Tahoe brings gushing waterfalls, sunny days, blooming flowers, and so much more. This itinerary will show you exactly how to spend 4 perfect days in the South Lake Tahoe area in the springtime!

Note: I was hosted by the Visit Lake Tahoe tourism board for a portion of this trip. That said, all thoughts, experiences, and opinions shared in this post are entirely my own.

Things to Know Before Visiting Lake Tahoe

Getting to South Lake Tahoe

As mentioned, this itinerary focuses on the South Lake Tahoe region, which has portions in both Nevada and California (you’ll see the term “Stateline” referenced several times throughout this itinerary).

If you’re not driving distance from Lake Tahoe, the easiest way to get here is by flying into Reno-Tahoe International Airport, which is located about 60 miles north of South Lake Tahoe.

This is the closest major airport to Lake Tahoe, and they have both non-stop and connecting flights to airports around the country. We personally flew from Orlando to Austin to Reno-Tahoe on Southwest, and then Reno-Tahoe to Atlanta to Orlando on Delta on the way home!

Once you arrive at Reno-Tahoe airport, you have a few options for getting down to South Lake Tahoe (which is around one hour away): You can rent a car and drive yourself, take an Uber, or use the South Tahoe Airporter.

For our trip, we utilized the South Tahoe Airporter to get both to and from the airport; however, if you decide to rent a car for your trip (which I’ll cover more in the next section), they do have on-site rental car pick ups at the airport!

South Tahoe Airporter

The South Tahoe Airporter is a budget-friendly transportation service that runs between the Reno-Tahoe International airport and the South Lake Tahoe area.

This shuttle bus service runs 365 days per year from 7am to 9pm (and 11pm on weekends), making it a very convenient option for getting to and from the airport if you don’t have a car.

The cost of the shuttle is $32.75 for one way tickets or $59.50 for round trip tickets.

Here is a typical shuttle schedule, but please check their website for the most up to date version!

The times may vary depending on which pick-up or drop-off location you select.

The shuttle pick-up and drop-off locations are all located in South Lake Tahoe in the Stateline neighborhood (aka on the state line between Nevada and California). Here are the options: Golden Nugget, The Lodge at Edgewood, Caesar’s Republic, Harrah’s, Bally’s, and Margaritaville Resort.

Depending on where you are staying (more on that in a bit), you can either walk, take the Lake Link, or Uber to your hotel if you are not staying at one of the above!

We personally stayed at the gorgeous Landing Resort during our first two nights in Lake Tahoe, which includes a free shuttle service around town. So when we arrived at Caesar’s Republic on the South Tahoe Airporter, the Landing shuttle came and picked us up and took us to the hotel!

However, there are other ways of getting around, which I’ll cover below!

Getting Around South Lake Tahoe

When it comes to getting around the South Lake Tahoe area, you have a few different options.

One amazing perk of the South Lake Tahoe area is the Lake Link, a FREE ride-share shuttle system that runs daily from 7am to 9pm (or 11pm on Friday and Saturday).

Rides are requested through the app and given on a first-come, first-served basis, so there can be a wait to use the service (the expected wait time is shown before you request the ride!).

However, some activities in this itinerary are outside of the Lake Link’s service area, so you will need either a rental car or call an Uber for those activities (specially on day 3 and 4).

In addition, some hotels (like the Landing Resort) offer free shuttle services around town, which can also help you get around town. Just make sure to check how far they are allowed to take you!

We personally decided to rent a car on day 2 to give ourselves maximum flexibility. We picked up our rental car from the small Hertz location inside Caesar’s Republic, which was very convenient! However, you also have the option to rent directly from the airport (and skip the Tahoe Airporter).

For more insights into these different options, check out my full guide on Renting a Car for Lake Tahoe (Coming Soon!)

Where to Stay in Lake Tahoe

Before we dive into this Lake Tahoe itinerary, I wanted to touch on where to stay! Again, this itinerary is specifically for the south area of Lake Tahoe.

I personally think this is the best part of Lake Tahoe as it has everything you could possibly need: ski resorts, beautiful hikes, plenty of restaurants and bars, casinos, and access to the lake, of course!

There are several different areas with the South Lake Tahoe region, including Stateline, Zephyr Cove, Al Tahoe, Tahoe Sierra, Gardner Mountain, and more!

Luckily, all of these neighborhoods are within a 20-minute drive of one another, so it’s not super critical which one you choose.

This itinerary splits your time between the Stateline area and the Tahoe Sierra area, staying 2 nights at the Landing Resort & Spa and 2 nights at the Tahoe Mountain Inn.

For more details on the different areas (and more hotel/cabin recommendations), check out my full guide on Where to Stay in South Lake Tahoe (Coming Soon!!).

Day 0

Check into the Landing Resort & Spa

Welcome to Lake Tahoe!!!

Now that we’ve covered all the super fun logistics, let’s get into the actual itinerary!!! Day 0 is your arrival day, so this can be flexible depending on when you arrive!

We personally landed at the Reno-Tahoe airport around 2:30pm, so it was around 5:00pm when we finally checked into our first hotel: The Landing Resort & Spa.

As mentioned above, the Landing has a free shuttle service that runs within a 2-mile radius of the resort, which we definitely took advantage of while staying there. This included being picked up from the South Tahoe Airporter drop-off point right when arrived!

After arriving at the resort, we checked into our dreamy room that had a fireplace, heated floors, and an incredible balcony overlooking the lake. Oh, and did I mention a free glass of champagne? It’s literally heaven here!!!

Dinner at Base Camp Pizza + Beers at South of North

If you’re arriving around dinner time like we did, head over to the Heavenly Village to eat, which is right up the road from the Landing (you can walk or take the free shuttle!).

Heavenly Village, which you’ll explore more tomorrow, is the tourist heart of this area, with tons of restaurants, shops, breweries, and of course, access to Heavenly Mountain.

There are several options for food here, but one of the most popular is Base Camp Pizza. I highly recommend going here for dinner on your first evening!

While there is often a wait, it’s 100% worth it, and you can always explore around the village while you wait. However, because we visited during a quieter season, we got seated immediately! Yay for shoulder season travel.

This place is definitely not overrated – it was some of the best pizza I’ve EVER had. And they have gluten free crusts!! Make sure to try the Thai Chicken Curry pizza (it sounds weird but it was delicious!).

If you still have some energy after dinner, definitely stop by South of North Brewing Co. at the Basecamp hotel, which is on your way back to the Landing!

This cozy brewery has a big outdoor beer garden with fire pits, string lights, and live music every Wednesday through Monday. Also, their beer is brewed from the waters of Lake Tahoe – how cool is that??! It’s the perfect place for a night cap on your first evening in town!

Day 1

Explore Heavenly Mountain

It’s officially your first full day in Lake Tahoe, which means it’s time to explore the iconic Heavenly Mountain.

While there are several mountain resorts in Lake Tahoe, Heavenly is by far the most convenient! The lift up to the mountain is located right in the center of town at Heavenly Village (where you ate dinner last night!).

Depending on the weather during your trip, you can either use this day to ski/snowboard or just explore! While March is normally the best time of year to hit the slopes in Tahoe, we visited during a weird warm front, and all the snow had already started melting.

Luckily, there is still plenty to see and do at Heavenly without going skiing!

Instead of a ski pass, you can purchase a gondola ticket that includes your ride up to the top of the mountain. The ride in the gondola is absolutely stunning, but our favorite part was taking in the views from the observation deck halfway up!

Make sure you actually get off here on the way up the mountain! When we visited, you couldn’t stop here on the way down.

At the last station (where you’d normally ski), there are some fun activities to choose from in the springtime, including a mountain coaster, a zip line, a ropes course, and tubing (both summer and winter).

When we visited, only the mountain coaster and tubing were open, so it depends on the specific weather for your trip!

Once you start to get hungry, head back down the gondolas and have lunch at California Burger Company. This spot had great patio seating (with fire pits) to enjoy the beautiful spring weather, and their burgers were delicious!

Spa Day + Dinner at The Landing

In the afternoon, I recommend heading back to the Landing Resort and taking advantage of their amazing on-site spa!

We decided to indulge in a couples massage on our trip, and it was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made! Now my husband wants to get a massage on every trip we go on, haha.

The spa at the Landing is open from 10am – 6pm (Sunday – Thursday) and 10am – 8pm (Friday – Saturday). They have a huge list of treatment options, including massages, facials, and scrubs, plus unique seasonal treatments!

I added on a scalp massage with the most amazing conditioner – 10/10 recommend!

They also have two private steam showers that you can use after your massage, which was a lovely touch!

After your massage, spend time relaxing in your room (fireplace on!) before dinner. Tonight, I recommend staying on property and checking out the newly renovated Lakeside Dining Restaurant at the Landing.

This might have been the best meal of our trip – I had the salmon dish that was to die for. However, the best part was the brownie dessert with boysenberry ice cream. Sooo good!

Not only is the food amazing, but the restaurant looks out over the lake, so we had incredible sunset views during dinner. Afterwards, I highly recommend a sunset walk along the beach right in front of the resort!

Day 2

Lam Watah Nature Trail to Nevada Beach

Fair warning: today is an action-packed but incredible day!!

To start off, head to the historic Red Hut Cafe for a big breakfast. Note: There are several Red Hut Cafe locations in Lake Tahoe, but you’ll want to visit this one near Kingsbury!

You can get here via the Landing shuttle, the Lake Link, or via car (rental or Uber!).

We loved reading more about the history of this cafe on the back of their menu. And the food was delicious!

After fueling up, walk about 10 minutes (or drive if you have a car) down to the Lam Watah Nature Trailhead, where you can start one of my favorite hikes of the trip!

The Lam Watah Nature Trail is a mostly flat, easy loop that’s perfect for spring and beginners.. It starts out walking through wetlands and a historic beaver habitat (unfortunately we didn’t see any!!).

As you keep walking, the scenery starts to change and you’ll move into beautiful forested sections with massive pine trees and the biggest pine cones I’ve ever seen!!

Then, after about 30 minutes of walking, you’ll reach Nevada Beach, where the views are unreal! Bright blue water, snowy mountains in the background, and massive trees framing the whole thing. Only in California!

Feel free to hang out here for a while (there were tables and benches along the beach). Once you’re ready to start walking again, you can either continue along the full loop or just turn around and head back the way you came!

Emerald Bay Scenic Lake Cruise

Next up, it’s time to get out on the water!

Head back to the hotel using the Landing shuttle, then check out and pick up your rental car. Before you leave the Stateline area, I recommend grabbing a coffee from the little stand inside Caesar’s Republic – it was soo yummy!

From there, make your way to Zephyr Cove for your Emerald Bay scenic cruise at 12pm!

This is one of the best ways to experience Lake Tahoe during the spring when it’s usually still too cold to swim!

Once you’ve boarded the MS Dixie II, you’ll cruise across the lake while an audio guide shares fun facts about Lake Tahoe.

Eventually, you’ll make your way into Emerald Bay, which is one of the most famous and beautiful spots in Lake Tahoe! The bay is named for its stunning green water, as you’ll quickly notice when you arrive.

The bay has Lake Tahoe’s only island – Fannette Island – which still has the ruins of a historic tea house on it. You’ll also get a peak of Eagle Falls and Vikingsholm Castle! (Tomorrow you will be able to experience these spots up close, but seeing it from the water first was very cool).

Overall, the cruise lasts around 2.5 hours total and was the perfect way to spend the late morning enjoying the sunshine and crisp spring air while being out on the lake!

There is food on the boat if you get hungry, or you can grab a bite to eat afterwards when you get off!

Book your tickets for the Emerald Bay Scenic Cruise here! 🚢

Hangar Taproom and Check into Tahoe Mountain Inn

After the cruise, it’s time to check into your next accommodation: The Tahoe Mountain Inn!

This newly renovated motor lodge-style inn is located in a perfect location on the western side of South Lake Tahoe. It was right next to all the restaurants we wanted to visit and a short drive from most of the activities remaining on this itinerary!

While there’s no lobby area, they do have a communal kitchen and lounge area with couches, board games, coffee bar, stove, and more!

After checking in here, I recommend heading across to the street to the Hangar Taproom, which had a very cute grassy beer garden and heated dome tents too! This was the perfect spot to grab a beer and relax after a busy morning.

Himmel Haus and Knight Monsters Hockey Game

To kick off your evening, you absolutely have to visit Himmel Haus, an authentic German restaurant in the heart of South Lake Tahoe!

Located right at the base of the Heavenly Aerial Tram (less than 10 minutes from the Tahoe Mountain Inn), this restaurant lived up to its 4.7 Google rating!

We got the sausage platter (which was so yummy I forgot to take a picture of it), as well as the käsespätzle (basically German Mac and cheese) which tasted exactly like the ones we had in Munich! And of course, they have plenty of authentic German beers to choose from.

Once you’re finished with dinner, it’s time to make your way back toward the Stateline area to catch a Knight Monsters hockey game!

This might have been one of my favorite parts of the trip, even though it wasn’t on my radar at all! The Knight Monsters are a professional minor league hockey team that call Lake Tahoe home.

They play in the newly renovated Tahoe Blue Event Center, which really impressed us! The arena had local food and drinks inside (not just normal stadium food), and you can tell they love supporting their community.

You can check their event schedule here to see if there’s a Knight Monsters game while you’re visiting (the season runs until late April/early May). If you can catch a game, I highly recommend it!

Day 3

Hiking Vikingsholm Trail and Eagle Lake

As promised, today you’ll be exploring the Emerald Bay area of South Lake Tahoe on foot! Specifically, I recommend combining a few hikes into one epic morning.

Pro Tip: Start your day as early as possible, as this is one of the most popular parts of Lake Tahoe and gets busy very quickly.

We decided to grab a quick breakfast from Tahoe Bagel Company first, and omg I am so glad we did. The bagels and speciality lattes we got from here were absolutely incredible!

Once you have your bagels, try to arrive at the trailhead for Eagle Falls no later than 8:30am to make sure you can get parking!

Note: You will be hiking for several hours this morning, so make sure to bring enough water and snacks! There was no potable drinking water at the trailheads here.

You’ll be conquering 2 different hikes this morning: one down to Emerald Bay/Eagle Falls and one up to Eagle Lake.

I recommend starting with the Emerald Bay/Eagle Falls hike, as it’s more intense (in my opinion) and less shaded as the day goes on.

You can park at the Eagle Falls trailhead (there was roadside parking that we didn’t have to pay for) and take some photos of the epic lookout over Eagle Falls right across the road. There is a small set of stone stairs so you can safely get down to the waterfall!

From here, walk about 5 minutes up the road to the Emerald Bay State Park Lookout, which is the official start of the hike down to Emerald Bay. (There is also paid parking here if needed).

The hike down is steep but paved, and the views along the way of Emerald Bay are absolutely incredible!! It took us about 20 minutes to reach the lake at the bottom. From here, we walked around the lake’s edge and explored the outside of Vikingsholm Castle, which doesn’t open for tours until Memorial Day weekend.

You can start the hike back up at this point, or continue on towards the Lower Eagle falls trail. We chose to continue on, and after about 20 more minutes of hiking up, you’ll reach the beautiful falls, which are typically very active in the spring!

From this point, hike back the way you came, first down to the lake and then back up to the Emerald Bay Lookout (this took us about 40 minutes). Then, walk back down the road to wear you parked to start the second hike of the day to Eagle Lake!

We decided to add Eagle Lake onto our day since it was still early and we had the other half of our bagels to hold us over, and I’m so glad we did!

This hike is very different from the one down to Emerald Bay – the trail is not paved and you will have to climb lots of rocks! However, the views along the way of both Emerald Bay and the surrounding mountains are worth it.

After about 45 minutes, you’ll reach the beautiful Eagle Lake, of which photos definitely do not do justice. There are several spots to relax along the lake, and some people were even swimming here (burrrr)!

We stayed for around 20 minutes to just sit and enjoy the gorgeous scenery – the blue green lake with the snowy mountains in the background seriously looked like a postcard.

Late Lunch at Aleworx, Lake Walk + Riva Grill

After conquering not one but two difficult hikes, you’ve certainly earned a beer and probably have worked up an appetite.

I highly recommend grabbing a late lunch at Lake Tahoe Aleworx at the Y! Conveniently located near the Tahoe Mountain Inn on the way back from Emerald Bay, this restaurant was one of my favorites we visited!

They have a large, outdoor patio space where you can sit and enjoy the beautiful spring weather. Inside the restaurant, there’s a large selection of beers along the wall – just grab a glass, scan your card, and serve yourself!

But the food here was really what stood out. We had their speciality pizza that had blackberries, prosciutto, and goat cheese on it – it was absolutely heavenly!!!!

This was the perfect place to spend an afternoon, resting your legs after a very long morning of hiking. Make sure to stop in Cuppa Tahoe after – the cutest bookstore/coffee shop combo I’ve ever seen that’s in the same shopping center as Aleworx!

After lunch, I recommend leaving a few hours open in your itinerary to see how you feel. You can rest back at your hotel for a while. Or, if you’re looking for more to do, head over to El Dorado Beach for a lovely walk along the lake.

In the evening, you can check out the happy hour at The Idle Hour, an adorable wine bar right on the lake. Then, head down to Riva Grill On the Lake, which has indoor and outdoor seating, again right on the lake.

Both of these places are great spots to watch the sunset, so I recommend timing at least one with golden hour!

Day 4

Fallen Leaf Lake Trail

Today is your last day in Lake Tahoe (sad), so how much you can fit into today will depend on what time your flight leaves!

We personally took a red eye home, so we had a whole day to explore! But if you’re not that lucky, you can totally prioritize what you want from this itinerary.

No matter what time your flight leaves, I highly recommend doing the Fallen Leaf Lake Trail before you go. (I recommend grabbing breakfast at Bert’s Cafe beforehand!).

This is one of the easiest “hikes” I’ve ever done (it was mostly just walking along a trail) but some of the most insane views I’ve ever seen!

You can park at the Fallen Leaf Campground (there was plenty of free parking) and start your hike from there. After about 10 minutes of walking, you’ll be stunned by the dreamy views of Fallen Leaf Lake through the trees.

There were lots of doggies on this trail, which was a happy surprise! We spent awhile just sitting and enjoying the views of the lake and the swimming pups.

The whole trail is actually 3.5 miles (out and back) as you continue along the shores of the lake. However, you can go as far as you want and just turn back when you feel like it!

East Shore of Tahoe

Once you’ve wrapped up your hike, grab some lunch back in town. I recommend either Chicken In A Barrel BBQ or Elements Eatery!

After lunch, if you still have time to kill, another fun thing to do is drive up along the east side of Lake Tahoe, which has some of the most beautiful views and crystal clear blue water.

We decided to visit Cave Rock, another easy(ish) trail with some iconic views. The trailhead is located just north of Zephyr Cove, right before the Cave Rock tunnel. Instead of going through the tunnel, you’ll make a right and drive uphill to the trailhead.

From here, it’s a 15-minute walk along an unpaved dirt pathway to the base of the rock formation. If you want the best views (and don’t mind heights), you can scramble up the rocks to the very top, where you’ll be rewarded with 360 views of Lake Tahoe!

Even though it was a little scary, it was definitely worth it!

And if you have more time after Cave Rock, you can continue north along the east side of the lake, stopping along the way at spots like Sand Harbor or Memorial Point.

These lookouts have some gorgeous views of the turquoise blue lake and had us seriously considering jumping into the freezing water!

There’s also a long pedestrian path that covers 5.2 miles, called the Tahoe East Shore Trail, that you can walk or bike along for the best views.

Either way, make sure to give yourself plenty of time to get back to South Lake Tahoe, either to catch the Airporter bus, an Uber, or drive yourself to the airport for your flight!

Final Thoughts

As you can see, visiting Lake Tahoe in the springtime offers a whole new perspective on this incredible area.

You get a little bit of everything — mountain views, easy hikes, time on the water, yummy food, mild weather, and all without the crowds of peak winter or summer!

While this was originally going to be a ski trip for us, I’m so happy we were able to pivot into the perfect spring itinerary!

I hope I’ve convinced you that visiting Tahoe in the spring is absolutely worth doing. If you’re planning your own trip, make sure to check out my full guide on Where to Stay in South Lake Tahoe next (Coming Soon!!).