If you love wildflowers, sunshine and the promise of new beginnings, there’s nothing quite like springtime in Sonoma Valley. While there is enough to do in Sonoma Valley to fill well more than three weeks, three days in Sonoma Valley is a great way to start. Here’s an action-packed itinerary to best enjoy the beauty of the season while you’re here.
The best way to enjoy any Sonoma Valley experience is to book your reservations in advance. For more suggestions, visit our two Visitors Centers or email us your questions at info@sonomavalley.com.
DAY 1: Downtown Sonoma & Carneros
- Enjoy a hearty breakfast at the El Dorado Kitchen, on the historic Sonoma Plaza, and savor unique spins on classic brunch fare, with an incredible list of morning cocktails and mocktails to enjoy.
- After breakfast, tour Sonoma’s historic hotspots: the San Francisco Solano Mission, the Mission Barracks, General Vallejo’s Home, and the Bear Flag Monument with George Webber History Tours. Are you more of an independent traveler? Check out the free guided app of the Sonoma Plaza History Tour.
- Enjoy a light lunch at Sonoma’s Best Deli & Coffee and sit in their sun-dappled garden terrace to relax and unwind after a busy morning or grab some sandwiches to go for a picnic at one of the wineries listed below.
- Tour the quiet (and flat) vineyard roads around Sonoma by bike or by e-trike for both independent or guided tours. Along the way, consider stopping at Bartholomew Estate Winery, Buena Vista Winery and Gundlach Bundschu—three historic estates in Carneros.
- Head back to your hotel or rental for a refresh.
- Dine at girl & the fig, one of downtown Sonoma’s most iconic restaurants, for steak frites, duck confit, and unforgettable charcuterie plates.
- End the evening with some live music and delicious craft cocktails at Starling Bar.
DAY 2: Up Valley
- Start the day with breakfast and coffee at Pillowfight Coffee in downtown Kenwood, where the pastries and the morning vibe will set you right for the day.
- Pick up some picnic supplies at VJB Cellars’ “La Cucina” deli, where you can find a panini or salad to go…not to mention many wines available for tasting and purchase.
- Drive a couple of miles up into the mountains to Sugarloaf Ridge State Park for a morning hike to catch some of the valley’s finest wildflower viewing—perfect for a lunch picnic. Not much of a hiker? No worries. Catch the wildflowers on a slow stroll at Sonoma Botanical Garden due south on Highway 12 in Glen Ellen.
- Drive down to the charming town of Glen Ellen for an afternoon winemaker tasting at Schermeister Winery, situated in an old historic mill alongside the babbling Sonoma Creek.
- Head back to your hotel or rental for a refresh.
- Enjoy dinner in Glen Ellen’s Salt & Stone, where surf and turf can be enjoyed in abundance on their garden terrace, overlooking spectacular vineyards.
- Grab a nightcap at Jack London Lodge in Glen Ellen—a local hangout and old time saloon—where you can buy a drink and a round of trivia on their creekside patio.
DAY 3: Decadent Sonoma Valley
- Start your day with a healthy breakfast on the romantic garden patio at Sunflower Caffe with anything to match your hunger and dietary needs, from a nut-butter smoothie or avocado toast to Turkish eggs and breakfast burritos.
- Browse Sonoma’s fabulous boutiques! Find everything from novelty stores and fashion to home design and locally made products…and everything in between. Not much of a shopper? Check out downtown Sonoma’s galleries and the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art. Looking to really geek out? Check out the di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art in Carneros, whose outdoor installations are as captivating as their indoor collections.
- At lunch, head over the sumptuous Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn in Boyes Hot Springs, where you can nosh poolside on healthy meals and light bites, soak in their exquisite thermal pools and enjoy countless spa treatments.
- Book a late-afternoon private cabana tasting at B.R. Cohn Winery, where you’ll catch incredible vineyard views during the magical hours before the sun sets behind Sonoma Mountain while sipping on bright, luscious white wines and deep, penetrating reds.
- Head back to downtown Sonoma to savor a farewell dinner unlike any other at Enclos Sonoma, a unique tasting experience of 8-10 courses, where nearly every ingredient is lovingly sourced from the county. Be sure to book well in advance.
- Need a night cap? Walk over to Taub Family Outpost’s hidden upstairs speakeasy, whose craft cocktails celebrate an elegant end to a fabulous getaway!