Today I want to bring you my Northern California travel itinerary for 3 days in Napa and Sonoma. These neighboring counties near San Francisco are known for their world-class wines. But there’s a lot more to them than vineyards and barrels. I’m here for a few days to discover a wide range of things Sonoma and Napa have to offer. I can’t wait to show you what I find. I’ve included a map, too.
3 Days in Napa & Sonoma
I drive up to Sonoma County on a Friday, exited to spend a long weekend in wine country. With 3 days in the area I’m planning to revisit some of my favorite places and explore a few new-to-me ones. From tasting rooms to beaches, this part of California shows off the best the Golden State has to offer.
Where to Stay in Wine Country
I’ve booked myself a room at the Sonoma Creek Inn. It’s a jewel of a hotel tucked away on a residential street right outside downtown Sonoma. It calls itself as a “casual alternative to pricey wine country Sonoma hotels”, and I can’t help but agree.
I love the local decor and laid-back atmosphere (not to mention the refreshingly reasonable rates compared to other places nearby).
There’s lots of other good accommodation in this part of California, too. If you want to see more, you can find one that fits your style in Sonoma here and Napa here.
Day 1: Sonoma County
Instead of starting my trip at my hotel, I’m kicking off my Napa and Sonoma itinerary in Sebastopol. It’s a cool town in Sonoma County that’s packed with great restaurants, fun shops, and quirky cafes.
Sebastopol
It takes around an hour to drive from San Francisco to Sebastopol. I’ve come here first because this place is home to my favorite local coffee shop in Sonoma County.
Just outside the main part of town, family-run Hardcore Espresso is everything I love about hippie Northern California. Featuring a large outdoor space with funky seating areas made from salvaged tables and upcycled decor, it’s one of the most unique places in wine country.
After enjoying a coffee and a vegan breakfast sandwich, I drive over to The Barlow. It’s an outdoor shopping-and-market district brimming with industrial-chic warehouses full of independent boutiques, restaurants, and tasting rooms. I spend an hour here taking in everything from eco-friendly clothing to lush succulents.
Downtown Healdsburg
The next stop on my itinerary for 3 days in Napa and Sonoma is downtown Healdsburg. A 25-minute drive from The Barlow, this town is known for its attractive central plaza. Around it sit pretty shops, award-winning restaurants, high-end hotels, and a plethora of wine tasting rooms.
I come here almost every time I visit Sonoma County, and on this trip I spend an hour exploring everything from classic bookstores to chic clothing boutiques. They remind me why this place is so popular with visitors and locals.
Wine Tasting in Dry Creek Valley
When I’m done, I make the 2-minute drive over to Bacchus Landing in Dry Creek Valley. This place features a curated collective of open-air boutique tasting rooms arranged around a central courtyard. I’m meeting friends here for a tasting at Convene by Dan Costa, one of the wineries on site.
We settle in at the counter and enjoy samples of everything from Chardonnay to Pinot Noir and Zinfandel. Founder Dan Costa is one of Sonoma County’s most famous vintners, so there are a lot of great wines to try here.
Dinner in Kenwood
After the tasting, I drive through Santa Rosa and down towards the city of Sonoma to get to Salt & Stone restaurant in Kenwood. I’m meeting friends from high school here for dinner, and we tuck into roasted beet salads, burrata, and blackened snapper in the airy dining room. It’s a great way to end the first day of my trip.
Day 2: Sonoma County
The next morning my itinerary for 3 days in Napa and Sonoma continues with a mix of culture and coast. From one of Sonoma’s cutest museums to a hike by the Pacific Ocean, I’m excited to take in the exhibitions and breathe the fresh sea air.
Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa
My first stop is the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa. Yes, it’s the Snoopy museum. I’m still a kid at heart, and I love the famous beagle. And Woodstock. And the whole Peanuts gang.
After a stopping for a latte and pastry at family-owned Crooks Coffee in Santa Rosa, I spend an hour engrossed in comic strips, temporary exhibitions about various topics and characters from Peanuts, and exhibits on the life and work of cartoonist Charles M. Schulz. It’s delightful.
Sebastopol
After the Charles M. Schulz Museum, my 3 days in Napa and Sonoma continue with lunch at Handline, a beloved Sebastopol restaurant that serves casual California fare. Housed in a repurposed Foster’s Freeze, it has character to match its cuisine.
Friends in San Francisco have recommended the fish tacos, and they’re every bit as delicious as they’ve promised. I’m in and out quickly, which is great because I have a big afternoon ahead.
Sonoma Coast
My itinerary continues with a drive through the Russian River Valley to get to the Pacific Coast Highway in Jenner. From Goat Rock Beach to Jenner Beach, this part of Northern California has plenty of places to find sun and sand.
But I’m not here to work on my tan. I’m here to hike. The Sonoma Coast is one of my favorite places in my home state, and I’m excited to hit the trails here.
I drive up to Jenner Headlands Preserve, a 5,630-acre area next to Sonoma Coast State Park. It’s packed with trails with spectacular ocean views, coastal prairie land, and redwood forests.
For the next couple hours, I hike part of the Sea to Sky trail. It’s a 15-mile path leading from the Pacific Ocean to the top of Pole Mountain, the highest point in the region.
As I climb, I spot everything from local flora to stunning views of the ocean at Sentinel Point. It’s the perfect introduction to Sonoma County’s hiking trails, and a great way to work off some of the calories I’ve consumed since I arrived in wine country.
Pacific Coast Highway
After leaving Jenner Headlands Preserve, I drive up and down the Pacific Coast Highway to take in the boulder-studded scenery. First I head north toward Mendocino, then I make my way south toward Bodega Bay.
I take in the beaches with their thundering waves, and stop at vista points with views of rock formations that remind me of Big Sur.
Dinner in Sonoma
Later I drive back to Sonoma to have dinner at El Molino Central, a colorful Mexican restaurant right near my hotel. A local favorite, it serves all the classic dishes. My tamales and tortilla chips go down a treat, and afterwards I drift off to sleep at the Sonoma Creek Inn dreaming of Snoopy chasing the Red Baron.
Day 3: Napa and Sonoma
The next morning my itinerary for 3 days in Napa and Sonoma starts in downtown Sonoma. I park by Sonoma Plaza, a 19th-century square surrounded by historic buildings from the time before California was part of the United States.
I take in the Spanish-style architecture of Mission San Francisco Solano before making my way over to see the heritage buildings in the open-air museum at Sonoma State Historic Park.
From there I walk around Sonoma Plaza, browsing in the shops and checking out the tasting rooms before hitting the road to drive to Napa Valley.
Napa Valley
I pull into downtown Napa just before lunch. As soon as I’m out of my car, I notice how different Napa feels from Sonoma. Everything here seems bigger and more glam.
I stroll by high-end clothing boutiques and restaurants, crossing the Napa River to get to Oxbow Public Market. The covered space is full of counters offering everything from crab cakes to cupcakes. I want to eat it all.
I end up getting lunch around the corner at Model Bakery, a place that’s come highly recommended by friends that know the area well. It’s famous for its artisan breads, so I order a sandwich and savor it at one of the sunny outdoor tables.
Wine Tasting in Los Carneros
After lunch I walk around the downtown area for a while before continuing my Napa and Sonoma itinerary with some wine tasting.
My first stop is Artesa, a winery in Los Carneros. It’s one of the most unique wineries I’ve ever been to. Architect Domingo Triay’s concept of embedding the hilltop winery into the surrounding landscape and covering it with native grasses makes it worth a trip for its design as much as for its wine.
As I settle into a table in the light-filled, design-led Artesa Tasting Salon, I look forward to trying the wines. Artesa was the first winery I ever tasted at when I turned 21, and I’m excited to be back again.
Over the next 90 minutes, I sample 5 wines from the Artisanal Tasting flight. Director of Winemaking Ana Diogo-Draper focuses on low intervention and wild fermentation, and I learn how she harvests, ferments, and ages each lot separately before composing the final blends.
The result is a range of Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays, Cabernet Sauvignons, and varietals like Tempranillo that show off the winery’s Spanish roots (Artesa is owned by Spain’s oldest winemaking family).
Wine Tasting in Stags Leap
From Artesa my 3 days in Napa and Sonoma continue with a drive north to Silverado Vineyards in Napa Valley’s Stags Leap District. Owned by the Disney family, this hilltop winery features a tasting room with views onto the hills and vineyards around it.
Silverado primarily focuses on estate and single-vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. My tasting flight includes everything from Cab from Oakville to Malbec from Coombsville.
I sip the wines at a pretty table by the window. It’s hard to imagine a better place to sit with a view of this part of Napa Valley.
Dinner in Santa Rosa
After the wine tasting at Silverado Vineyards, I drive over to Santa Rosa for dinner at Bird & The Bottle with a Sonoma County local.
The restaurant is a modern tavern and grill serving sharing plates that celebrate the American melting pot. We order everything from mac ‘n’ cheese with crispy kale to smokey tuna poke with rice cakes.
3 Days in Napa and Sonoma
After a good night’s sleep at the Sonoma Creek Inn, my Napa and Sonoma itinerary comes to an end. I check out of the hotel and hop in the car for the hour-long drive to San Francisco.
It’s been a great 3 days in wine country, and I’ve loved experiencing such a variety of things to do and see in this part of Northern California. I hope my itinerary has inspired you to come here and discover the best of the area, too.
If you want more inspiration, you can take a look at my Napa itineraries, my Sonoma itineraries, my itinerary for 2 days in Napa and Sonoma, my guide to spending 48 hours in Sonoma County, and my 3-day Napa itinerary.
Itinerary Map
As promised, I’ve created an interactive Google map of all the places I’ve written about in my itinerary. You can find it here. You can use the map to plan the perfect wine country trip of your own. Happy travels!
Find this helpful? Buy me a coffee!
Some of the links in this blog post are affiliate links. At no cost to you, I earn a small commission when you click on them and make a purchase. It doesn’t affect the way you shop, and it’s a great way to support the California Wayfaring blog.
Pin it!