Today I want to bring you a Sonoma itinerary that will show you the best of this county in Northern California. When most people think of visiting Sonoma, they think of wine tasting. But there are a lot of things to do here beyond the vineyards, and I’ve discovered the highlights over the years. If you’re curious, today I bring you my Sonoma itinerary for exploring the best of the valley, coast, vineyards, and cities. I’ve included a map, too.
Sonoma Itinerary
Situated on the California coast north of San Francisco, Sonoma County has long been my favorite place to go wine tasting in my home state. It’s more laid-back and unpretentious than its glamorous neighbor, Napa, and it’s where locals tend to go when we go to wine country.
Most of my visits to Sonoma are day trips from San Francisco, but on this trip I have some extra time to explore more of the county. I’m excited to get out and share the highlights with you.
I’m staying in Guerneville in Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley with a friend. There are lots of great hotels, B&Bs, and apartment rentals here. You can check availability and book one here.
Sonoma Itinerary: Day 1
On the first morning of our Sonoma itinerary we do what everyone does: head to the wineries. They’re what draw most people to this part of California, and no visit would be complete without a wine tasting or three. We’re starting in the Russian River Valley, an American Viticultural Area (AVA) known for Pinot Noir (among other varietals).
Wine Tasting in the Russian River Valley
We start at Korbel, the closest winery to where we’re staying and one of the few in Sonoma County that still offers complimentary tastings. This place is known for its sparkling wines, but we try a range of still, sparkling, red, and white to get a feel for what they produce (technically they only offer 3 tastes for free, but our host is generous).
Afterwards we get lunch at Korbel’s deli and enjoy a salad on the sunny terrace. This is the only winery I’ve been to in Sonoma County with an in-house eatery, and it’s a welcome addition to the overall experience.
Leaving Korbel, we drive deeper into the Russian River Valley and stop at a winery called Matrix in the Middle Reach neighborhood. Its tasting room is nestled between redwoods and vineyards, and it feels quintessentially Sonoma.
Given Russian River is known for Pinot Noir (the climate here is perfect for growing it), Matrix has plenty of it for us to try. The winery also offers everything from Chardonnay to Petite Sirah and Zinfandel to round out the tasting menu.
The wines are excellent, and we’re happy to have stumbled upon this place. Better yet, our host offers us a card that gives us free tastings at their sister wineries in the area.
Healdsburg
From Matrix we drive into Healdsburg. This has always been one of my favorite towns in Sonoma County. With a leafy central plaza and plenty of boutiques and tasting rooms, it has everything I love about wine country in one place.
We pop into antique treasure troves like Modern Antiquarium and browse the wares at Lime Stone as we make our way around downtown Healdsburg. As we go, we’re impressed by how many amazing restaurants and beautiful hotels there are here.
After exploring the area, we walk over to Rockpile Vineyards for some wine tasting. The menu is primarily focused on single appellation wines, and everything from Zinfandel to Cabernet Sauvignon goes down a treat in the airy tasting room.
Sonoma Itinerary: Day 2
The next morning our Sonoma itinerary continues with a day of non-winery activities. We begin with a drive to Santa Rosa, the largest city in the county.
Santa Rosa
We’re here for a specific reason: Snoopy. I love the cartoon dog so much I’ve convinced my friend to spend the morning at the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center. This cultural institution is dedicated to all things Peanuts, including Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Woodstock, and the rest of the gang.
The museum is home to Peanuts comic strips and memorabilia, as well as special exhibitions and exhibits about Schulz’s life and work. There’s a gift shop and cafe across the street, and an outdoor area for soaking up the Sonoma County sunshine. There’s even an ice skating rink.
We spend an hour exploring the museum, then drive to lunch at a local Mexican place called Taqueria Las Palmas. This colorful hole-in-the-wall restaurant gets excellent reviews, and the burritos live up to their reputation. The mix of lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, and cheese in my veggie one is delicious.
Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve
We need to burn off some calories after lunch, so we continue our Sonoma itinerary with a drive out to Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve. This area was set aside as a natural park and botanical garden by lumberman Colonel James Armstrong in the 1870s, and it opened to the public in 1936.
Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve is packed with California’s most famous trees, and it features miles of hiking trails through the Sonoma County hills. The park also has a visitor center and a variety of picnic facilities.
After parking in the lot, we go on a 5.6-mile hike along the East Ridge Trail and Pool Ridge Trail. It takes us through stunning redwood forests and up a few challenging hills. It’s exactly what we need after a big lunch.
Stumptown Brewery
When we finish the hike, we drive to Stumptown Brewery in Guerneville for a drink. This local bar is right on the Russian River, and it has a wide deck for enjoying al fresco food and beer. Its rustic atmosphere makes for a fun place to end our day.
Sonoma Itinerary: Day 3
We start the last morning of our Sonoma itinerary in Guerneville, the historic 19th-century logging town where we’re staying. The main street here is lined with cafes, bars, and restaurants, and there’s a fun atmosphere among the redwoods and along the Russian River.
Guerneville
One of the restaurants in town is home to some of the most famous biscuits in the United States. Piknik Town Market (formerly Big Bottom Market) serves these fluffy numbers with a wide range of toppings. They’re so delicious Oprah even added them to her list of favorite things.
After picking up lattes at Coffee Bazaar, we walk into Piknik Town Market and order biscuits topped with smoked salmon, creme fraiche, pickled onions, and capers. They’re as light and fluffy as they look, and the toppings are packed with flavor.
After breakfast we spend some time walking around Guerneville. The phrase “lumberjack chic” describes the town well. With a thriving gay scene, accommodation featuring vintage airstream trailers, and quirky galleries, this town is as eclectic as its surroundings are beautiful.
Sonoma Coast
After exploring Guerneville, our Sonoma itinerary continues as we drive out to the coast. This county has classic Pacific Ocean coastline featuring everything from boulder-studded beaches to hiking trails in the hills.
We first visit Goat Rock State Beach, a stretch of sand near the mouth of the Russian River. We hike up to a viewpoint here to take in the classic Sonoma Coast scenery.
From Goat Rock we drive south to Bodega Bay, then inland to Bodega. Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds was filmed in both places, and we pop over to see the famous house from the movie while we’re in town.
Wine Tasting
After visiting Bodega we drive back up to Healdsburg for a last bit of wine tasting. We start at Pezzi King, a warehouse-type tasting room where the focus is on world-class Zinfandels from the heart of Dry Creek Valley.
From Pezzi King we drive to Wilson, a family-owned winery on Dry Creek Road. The tasting room here has an expansive terrace overlooking sun-kissed vineyards. It’s the perfect place to sip everything from Zinfandel to Petite Sirah.
We stay until closing, taking in every drop of sunshine on the leaves before heading back to our accommodation in the Russian River Valley.
Sonoma Itinerary
After picking up our bags, we drive to San Francisco. It’s been an amazing trip to Sonoma County, and we’ve enjoyed spending more time here than usual. There’s so much to do in this part of Northern California that it’s been great to have a few days in Sonoma to see more of the area than just the wineries.
I hope my itinerary has inspired you to spend a bit of extra time here, too. If you want more inspiration, you can take a look at my other Sonoma itineraries, including my day trip itinerary, my Sonoma itinerary for 2 days, my itinerary for 48 hours in Sonoma, my guide to a weekend in Sonoma, and my Sonoma itinerary for 3 days.
If you want to include Napa in your travel plans, my guides to spending 1 day in Napa and Sonoma, 2 days in Napa and Sonoma and 3 days in Napa and Sonoma can help.
Sonoma Trip Map
As promised, I’ve created an interactive Google map of all the places on my Sonoma itinerary. You can see it here. I hope it helps you plan your trip to the county. 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!