Sonoma County Itinerary

Looking for some wine and a little bit of the great outdoors?? This is the Sonoma County itinerary for you!

We spent just over 2 days in September in Sonoma County staying in a retro Airstream camper. More on that experience here! We obviously wanted to visit some wineries, but we also wanted to do something active and see the Northern California landscapes. Here’s all the details of our Sonoma County itinerary. Enjoy!

Where we stayed

We stayed in an adorable Airstream camper in the countryside of Sebastopol, California. This was the perfect location – right in-between some great hiking and the Sonoma and Napa wineries. We rented a car and were able to get everywhere in less than an hour! This retro camper definitely gives you a glamping experience, with a cute interior, gas fire pit, and outdoor hot tub! Read more about our stay here.

Day 1

Take a hike at Bodega Head

When I saw that Bodega Head was in Sonoma County, we had to go! Parking and entrance is free, so drive up to Bodega Bay Trailhead (use that exact wording in Google Maps) to see the sights. The hike is easy and flat if you stay on the trail…we chose to climb down to the beach which was really fun too!

Eat at Spud Point Crab Co.

Spud Point Crab Co. is located right in Bodega Harbor and is famous for its clam chowder. It’s made from scratch every day and there was even a line out the door in the rain! We shared a bowl of the white clam chowder and it was absolutely amazing!

Eat again at Fisherman’s Cove

Fisherman’s Cove is right next to Spud Point Crab Co. so we decided to try both restaurants – and it also had a line out the door. So many good spots in one place! Here, we shared a fresh crab sandwich and oysters, along with a Bodega Head IPA. SO delicious!

Hike through the Redwoods

Cole and I have never seen Redwoods before, so we were beyond excited to visit Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve. The park is about 45 minutes north of Bodega Head which gave us plenty of time to digest our seafood before the next hike. We parked for free at the visitors center and then walked into the park. Walking into the park is free, but there’s a fee if you choose to drive. It was rainy the day we went so we had most of the walking trails to ourselves! Note: the trails are super easy. The park is huge, so we spent about 2 hours taking our time walking the Pioneer nature trail and the Discovery Trail. Make sure to see the Colonel Armstrong tree!

Get some drinks at The Barlow

We stayed in the small town of Sebastopol, which has the CUTEST downtown. We stumbled upon an area called The Barlow which is an outdoor market full of local beer, wine, food, coffee, and shops! Seriously, so perfect. Please stop here even if you aren’t staying in Sebastopol!! We stopped for a beer at Crooked Goat Brewing and shared a wine tasting at Macphail Wines. Just what we needed after a long day in the rain!

Eat a hearty dinner at Smokehouse Bistro

We were SO HUNGRY after our day in the great outdoors, so we decided on some barbecue for dinner. Smokehouse Bistro is a cute little restaurant that has great outdoor seating (if the weather is nice) and was exactly what we needed. The wings and pulled pork were fantastic!

Day 2

Get your caffeine fix at Taylor Lane Organic Coffee

We headed back to the Barlow in the morning to stop by Taylor Lane Organic Coffee. This spot has lots of seating, complete with an upstairs loft and outdoor patio. My iced coffee was the perfect start for the long day of wine tasting ahead of us 🙂

Have a tasting at Huge Bear Wines

I didn’t schedule our wine tastings in advance, so all the tasting rooms and wineries I mention in this post allow walk ups! Our first stop of the day was Huge Bear Wines in Calistoga. At 10 am! Cole and I shared a $20 tasting, but they definitely poured us a few extra samples once we got talking!

Drink wine in a retro garage at Tank Garage

Also in Calistoga, Tank Garage is one of the most unique tasting rooms you’ll ever see! We shared another $20 tasting here and loved the the unique wine bottle labels. The staff were super friendly and the atmosphere was so cool.

Grab lunch at Gotts Roadside

Two words: Hamburgers and Fries. Where’s the mouth watering emoji when you need it?? Gotts Roadside in St. Helena was much needed after a few wine tastings. Get here before noon to avoid crazy long lines. So yummy!

Step back in time at Ashes and Diamonds

Ashes and Diamonds is the newest winery in Napa but has intense mad men vibes. I love mid-century modern design and this spot was full of it! Tastings here are $40, but it was our favorite stop of the day. Such a relaxed vibe and great wines.

Relax in the gardens of Chateau St. Jean

We made it to Chateau St. Jean at 4 pm, so we had one hour to enjoy this beautiful winery before they closed at 5! So many tasting options are available here, even for walk-ins! Cole and I decided to have a few glasses of wine and play bocce ball in their gardens. This was some of the best wine we had on our trip!

Head back to the Barlow

I told you I loved this market! On our second night, we stopped for some ice cream at Two Dog Night Creamery and had a beer at Woodfour Brewing Company. Two Dog Night Creamery makes its ice cream and cones fresh daily! And Woodfour Brewing Company has beer AND food – made right in house.

Day 3

Sip champagne at Gloria Ferrer

On our way back to San Francisco, we stopped by just one more winery before heading home 🙂 I drink champagne at all occasions, so I was so excited to try Gloria Ferrer caves and vineyards. We had a champagne tasting on the patio overlooking the vineyards – so beautiful!

Stop for lunch at Angelo’s Deli

Right across from Gloria Ferrer is the hidden gem of Angelo’s Deli. This spot was busy with locals running in and out – so you know it’s good! We built our own sandwiches and they hit the spot without being too heavy.

This wraps up our Sonoma County itinerary! We packed our days full, but we love to make the most of our time when we’re somewhere new. Any other recommendations for next time?? Comment below!