Tahoe City is a town on the California side of the Lake Tahoe region. The city was once the site of logging and hunting activity for the northern Tahoe Basin, now it is little more than a year round vacation town catering to visitors and locals daily needs.

The town has a couple of dozen restaurants, multiple bars, sports shops, banks, boat marinas, the Tahoe Yacht Club, and a couple large chain grocery stores.

Understand

• 1 Tahoe City Visitor Information Center, 100 N Lake Blvd, ☏ +1 530 581-6900. (updated Jan 2019)

Get in

The easiest way is by car, from US Interstate 80, follow State Route 89 south to the Lake.

Get around

Tahoe Truckee Area Regional Transit (TART) runs buses. There are also several taxi companies. You can rent bikes from Olympic Bike shop in Tahoe City. Hitchhiking is also popular - locals are kind and give rides.

• Dave's Taxi Tahoe, Tahoe Vista, ☏ +1 831-521-5144. 24 hrs. Airport and local service to Northshore, Truckee, Tahoe Vista, Carnelian Bay, Incline Village and more. Flat rate airport runs to and from Reno, airport, Truckee airport and Sacramento airport. 

See

• 1 Tahoe City Marina, ☏ +1 530 583-1039. 

• 2 Gatekeeper's Museum, 130 W Lake Blvd, ☏ +1 530 583-1762. W–Su 11AM–4PM. Museum with exhibits about Lake Tahoe, featuring a large collection of Native American baskets. $10, $9 Seniors, 12 and under free. (updated May 2023)

Do

Many of the Ski areas become mountain bike trails in the summer. Float down the Truckee river for a leisurely activity. Bicycle, in-line skate or walk the many miles of paved path along the North Shore of Lake Tahoe or Truckee River.

Buy

• 1 Scraps Dog Bakery and General Store, 950 N Lake Blvd #10, ☏ +1 530 584-0220. 
• 2 Tahoe Dave's Skis & Boards, 600 & 590 N Lake Blvd, ☏ +1 530 583-6415. 
• 3 Swigard's Ace Hardware, 200 North Lake Blvd, ☏ +1 530 583-3738. 8AM–6PM. 

Eat

• 1 The Bridgetender, 65 W Lake Blvd, ☏ +1 530 583-3342. Su–Th 11AM–9:30PM, F–Sa 11AM–10PM. Traditional American cuisine and bar food: burgers, fries, sandwiches, salads, soups, steak, etc., with a full bar and dozens of beers on tap. (updated Jun 2023)
• Garwoods. Named after the wooden boats occasionally seen on the lake this is a year round favorite that has its own pier and adjacent marina. It houses a full bar, gourmet restaurant and its famous "wet woodies" a frozen house cocktail known for its potency. 
• 2 Rosie's Cafe, 571 North Lake Blvd, ☏ +1 530 583-8504. A year-round local favorite for breakfast and casual meals. (updated May 2023)
• 3 Christy Hill, 115 Grove St, ☏ +1 530 583-8551. W–Su Starting at 5PM. High end (for Tahoe) restaurant on the lake. Good food, nice ambiance, great views if you go before it gets dark. 
• Big Water Grille:. American contemporary cuisine with Mediterranean and Pacific Rim influences. Mountain top lake view. Entrees: $19 - 26. 
• Soule Domain. Cozy, elegant log cabin, featuring creative regional cuisine. Voted by locals "Best place to take a date." Entrees: $17-25. 
• Za's Lakefront, 120 Grove St, ☏ +1 530 583-9292. Great food, with beautiful views of the lake from the patio. (updated Jul 2021)

Drink

• Pierce Street Annex. Features a busy and crowded dance floor on Saturday nights, depending on the season. 
• Pete and Peter's. More of a local bar feel with shuffle board and weekly drink specials. 
• Rosie's Cafe. A local restaurant and breakfast spot with a separate bar that is open every night. 
• The Bridgetender, 65 W Lake Blvd, ☏ +1 530 583-3342. Just south of Fanny Bridge this is an longstanding Tahoe favorite with a full bar and restaurant serving great burgers and other bar food. 
• Garwoods. East of Tahoe City on state route 22 in Carnelian Bay. 
• Sunny Side. South of Tahoe City on State Route 89. More relaxed and upscale atmosphere than the bars in Tahoe City. 
• TC's, ☏ +1 530 562-2250. The place in Northstar to be for an après ski, starting around 2PM appetizers can turn into late lunch or early dinner. Dinner in the adjacent restaurant begins at 5:30PM. 
• Sol y Lago, 760 North Lake Blvd (upstairs in Tahoe City’s Boatwork’s Mall), ☏ +1 530 583-0358. The large bar area is a great place to meet après ski for terrific tapas and south-of-the-border drinks. 

Sleep

• Americas Best Value Inn Tahoe City. Member of a large budget chain. Large parking lot, TV, seasonal pool, year-round lake view hot tub, sandy public beach in front of the motel, public golf course behind motel. 
• BW Station House Inn, 901 Park Ave, South Lake Tahoe, ☏ +1 530 542-1101. Best Western Station House Inn features a complimentary full breakfast, a variety of specials and packages, and meeting facility. The hotel offers packages with ski resorts, golfing, and wedding. 
• 1 Pepper Tree Inn, 645 N. Lake Blvd, ☏ +1 530 583-3711, toll-free: +1 800 624-8590. 
• 2 Inn at Boatworks, 790 North Lake Blvd, ☏ +1 530-238-5544, reservations@innatboatworks.com. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: 11AM. (updated Dec 2020)
• Tahoe Moon Properties, 3045 Martin Drive, ☏ +1 530 581 2771, info@tahoemoonproperties.com. (updated Aug 2018)

Go next

Routes through Tahoe City

Mount Shasta ← Truckee ←

N  S

→ Homewood → Jct N S