If you are wondering what to do in Sonoma Valley- keep reading! I am sharing all of the details from our four day trip with friends.
After around 6 years of being pregnant and breastfeeding, Marcus and I finally made it to the California wine country!
Where is Sonoma Valley?
Sonoma Valley is just 45 miles north of San Francisco. You can fly into San Francisco, Oakland or the closest regional airport is Santa Rosa. We heard from lots of friends that Sonoma was more affordable than Napa, but the wine was just as good. I’ve never been to Napa, so I can’t truly compare the two, but Sonoma was lovely!
We booked this trip (the hotel and rental car) through Costco Travel and after pricing it out I can confidently say it saved us a good chunk of $$. If you are a Costco member, definitely check out their travel packages.
Where to Stay in Sonoma Valley?
We stayed at the Sonoma Hyatt Regency. It was one a nice hotel, but not particularly unique in my opinion. Our package through Costco included a free breakfast every day, which we were able to take advantage of each morning outside of the day we took a hot air balloon ride! The breakfast had quite a bit of variety including lots of hot options. They also had a courtyard with a fire pit we enjoyed one evening.
If I were to return to Sonoma, I would love to stay at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa or The Lodge at Sonoma Resort.
What to Do in Sonoma Valley – Day 1
Our first stop off the airplane was Salito’s Crab House in Sausalito for a delicious waterfront lunch. The atmosphere was relaxed, and the food was fresh and flavorful.
Next, we headed to Domaine Carneros for a bubbly tasting in Napa (this was on our way to Sonoma). The views were stunning, and I highly recommend adding this stop to your itinerary if you’re visiting the area. Learn more about Domaine Carneros. This spot was in my top 3!
Dinner was at La Gare French Restaurant in Santa Rosa, just a one-minute walk from our hotel, Hyatt Regency Sonoma. We tried frog legs for the first time and enjoyed comforting classics like Beef Wellington and filet. The restaurant was dimly lit and had a cozy atmosphere.
Day 2: Sonoma Valley Wine Tour
We did an amazing full-day winery tour with Platypus Wine Tours, which made exploring Sonoma’s wineries effortless. The small group setting was cozy, and they picked us up right from our hotel. The tour included discounted tastings and a packed lunch. We didn’t get to choose the wineries for this tour. They select them based on relationships they have, how busy they expect them to be, the route for the day, etc. But that actually turned out to be nice and one less thing for us to research. Platypus wine tours might not be for you if you have very specific wineries you want to hit. We decided to do one day like this and have the other days more planned out.
Our first stop was Mill Creek Winery, which had a charming outdoor tasting area and water wheel. It felt quaint and the staff was very kind.
Next was J.Rickards. Winery, which had gorgeous rolling vineyard views. Here they took us on a little tour of the property and we enjoyed a upscale box lunch provided by Platypus Wine Tours. This one was the most crowded of the three.
Lastly we visited Due Ruscelli, this charming vineyard is completely family run and has a very intimate feel. We were the only people there!
That evening, we dined at Cabianca Italian in Santa Rosa. Their bolognese was the standout dish, and I highly recommend sitting on their patio covered in ivy and beautiful lights.
Day 3: Hot Air Balloon Ride
Day 3 was a perfect blend of adventure and relaxation. We kicked things off checking something off my bucket list – a hot air balloon ride with Sonoma Ballooning. We booked the Soar & Savor package, which included a post-flight wine tasting at Sangiacomo Vineyards among the vines with pastries and charcuterie.
If you are afraid of heights this probably isn’t for you, but I felt very safe the whole time. Sonoma Ballooning are extremely conservative on when they’ll take balloons up depending on the weather. They will either change locations or cancel altogether if conditions aren’t looking ideal.
A few things to note:
- The flights are early in the morning. We had to be there by 6:45. We got to see the sun rise!
- This would be so fun for a family with older kids. You must be 8 years old and 54” tall.
- It’s super slow moving and peaceful.
- They provide coffee and tea before takeoff and serve champagne once you are back on the ground! 🥂
Overall, I highly recommend a hot air balloon ride, especially if you can do it somewhere as beautiful as Sonoma! The whole thing was just really fun to experience.
Sangiacomo Vineyards was the second part of our Soar and Savor package through Sonoma Ballooning, and this spot did not disappoint. We got a little tour and history lesson, but the pastries, charcuterie and wine tasting at a cute little table nestled within the vines was the standout for me.
Afterward, we enjoyed cocktails and ceviche at El Dorado in Sonoma’s historic downtown square, followed by massages at the stunning Fairmont Sonoma Spa. The whole Fairmont property is beautiful, and their spa is no exception. The Fairmont Spa is known for their bathhouse ritual which includes an exfoliating scrub, steam room, sauna, cold drench, hot tub and a mineral pool. The best part to me was the bathhouse was co-ed so we could all hang out together!
To wrap up the day, we grabbed pizzas to-go from Mary’s Pizza Shack, which hit the spot after a busy day! We ate in our hotel lobby before calling it a night! We drove our rental car this day.
Day 4: Chateu St. Jean and Kunde Winery
We only planned two wineries for our last day, so we could really enjoy the properties, and it was so nice to take our time. Chateau St. Jean was one of our favorite wineries we visited in Sonoma!
After arriving, we did a seated tasting and then opted for got a box lunch (which came with half a bottle of wine per person 🍷) to enjoy on our own on the property. Wandering through the vines and just enjoying the beautiful view and good company was a highlight of this stop. I loved the slower pace we had on our final day, this allowed us to enjoy our time without having to watch the clock and rush through anything.
Then we moved over to Kunde Winery for the whole afternoon! It was the biggest of the wineries we went to. We did a guided tour that took us into the wine cellar and drove us up to the top of Kunde Mountain for a breathtaking view, wine, and a charcuterie box! I think Kunde was the most impressive in terms of the property itself. If you are looking for quaint, this isn’t it, but it definitely embodied the Sonoma feel. We enjoyed it and would 100% recommend making it a part of your trip if you visit.
Note: You need to book a tour of Kunde ahead of time.
We had a driver earlier that morning and released him after he dropped us off at Kunde (so we wouldn’t have to pay him to wait for us for the rest of the day). Salt and Stone was across the street from Kunde, so we just walked there for our dinner reservation! We enjoyed a lovely meal and Ubered back. Ubering in this area is a bit of a risk as there aren’t a ton available.
How to Get Around Sonoma Valley?
For transportation, we used @wedrivecom, which provides drivers that will drive your car or rental car. They pick you up at your hotel and will stay with you through the entirety of your day. It was a less expensive option than a private driver, and we had a good experience. I’d do it again!
Tips for Planning
- Don’t wait! My friend and I did a lot of research and booked all of our tours and most of our meals ahead of time. It was a lot of work, but for this locale I highly recommend going in with a lot of reservations on the books. I think we were booking a few months ahead and some dates and times were already taken. This is not a trip I would have been wanting to “wing it” the day of. We also paid for a lot of tours ahead of time.
- Don’t over schedule yourself. You don’t want to be rushed through your time at these gorgeous places, and honestly you don’t want to drink too much and feel cruddy either.
- Space out your heavier drinking days with something a little more relaxing in between. We purposely put our hot air balloon and spa day in the middle of our wine tour days, and I was really happy with that decision. I never felt hungover or “over” wine during the trip.
- Think about your meals! Be sure to eat a good breakfast and decide where you’ll be getting lunch (some wineries offered more solid meals).
- Go with friends! This trip was a blast to do with our buddies!
If you are planning your own Sonoma Valley trip, save or pin this graphic below!!
Looking for other places to go with friends, check out my blog posts on Cinnamon Shore, Santa Barbara, or Seaside, Florida.
