How to get from
San Francisco Airport (SFO) to Palisades Tahoe

About travelling from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Palisades Tahoe, CA

Palisades Tahoe, located in California’s Sierra Nevada range, is the Tahoe region’s largest ski resort, featuring over 6,000 acres spread across Palisades and Alpine Meadows. Renowned for hosting the 1960 Winter Olympics, the resort is credited as the birthplace of extreme skiing in the US, with big alpine bowls, steep pitches, glades, gullies, and long cruising runs. Despite its fame, novice and intermediate riders are well accommodated, especially on the Alpine Meadows side, which offers a gentler terrain and wide, scenic views over Lake Tahoe. The area receives consistent snowfall, ideal for powder enthusiasts.

The resort village adds charm off the slopes, with the Olympic Museum showcasing the resorts Olympic heritage. Après-ski is lively at places like The Summit Bar, Fireside Grill, or Azul Tequila Lounge. For more relaxed dining, Mountain View Café and Timber Ridge Bakery are go-to spots. Coffee lovers start their day at Snowcap Coffeehouse or Bluebird Espresso. Alpine Meadows maintains a quieter, low-key atmosphere with a few cozy slope-side spots.

In the warmer months, Palisades Tahoe is a hub for outdoor adventure and culture. Tahoe Summer Arts Festival and the Mountain Film Showcase bring music and cinema to the mountains, while trails like Shirley Canyon and High Camp loops provide accessible hiking with scenic overlooks, waterfalls, and alpine lakes.

If you’re beginning your trip at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Ridebooker makes it simple to reach Palisades Tahoe without renting a car or dealing with mountain driving — you don’t need a vehicle to enjoy the resort once you arrive. We offer everything from shared shuttles to private taxis, SUVs and larger vans for groups. The journey typically takes around four hours, following I-80 east out of the city and climbing into the Sierra Nevada before turning onto Highway 89 for the final stretch into Olympic Valley. It’s a longer trip than coming from Reno-Tahoe International Airport, but many travellers choose SFO for its wide range of flight options and convenient international connections.