Today I want to share my Sonoma itinerary for 2 days in California’s wine country with you. This beautiful county is known for wine, but there’s a lot more to it than vineyards and tasting rooms. From golden hills to rugged coastline and picturesque town squares, it’s worth spending a couple days here to discover the highlights. I’m visiting now and I can’t wait to show you around. I’ve included a map, too.
Sonoma Itinerary for 2 Days
Sonoma is one of my favorite places to travel in California. Having grown up in the Bay Area, I’ve been visiting this part of the Golden State my whole life. In doing so I’ve gotten to know the county from coast to barrel.
On this trip I’m spending 2 days in Sonoma with my boyfriend to celebrate my birthday. We’re excited to see what new-to-us excitements the county has in store for us. Given how much we love traveling to this part of Northern California, we know it’s going to be an unforgettable trip.
Where to Stay in Sonoma County
That’s not least because we’re staying at SingleThread, an amazing hotel in Healdsburg. It’s housed in a former post office building in the heart of town, and it’s home to one of the best restaurants in wine country (and the entire country, for that matter).
The spacious rooms have high ceilings, huge bathrooms, and kitchenettes, all of which are kitted out with luxurious amenities and elegant decor. There’s a roof terrace for guests to soak up the Sonoma Valley sun and enjoy al fresco drinks, and an exclusive lounge for relaxing.
Day 1: Hike and Healdsburg
But I’m getting ahead of myself. We make our way up to Sonoma from San Francisco, leaving the city after rush hour to avoid morning traffic. Healdsburg is an hour’s drive north of the Golden Gate Bridge, making it easy to get to for a 2-day getaway.
Olompali State Historic Park
We love a good hike (and we know we’re going to consume far too many calories in Sonoma), so on the way up to wine country we stop to hit the hills. The area north of San Francisco is brimming with trails, and we’re spoiled for choice.
We pull off at Olompali State Historic Park, a 700-acre parcel of land in Marin County’s Novato. This place not only has a range of hiking trails, but also intriguing history.
There’s evidence of human settlement at Olompali dating all the way back to 6000 BC. The property is dotted with historic buildings that have been owned and rented by everyone from Native Americans to the Grateful Dead (unexpected, right?).
We spend the next 2 hours hiking on the 2.4-mile Miwok Loop Trail. It takes us up the lower hillside of Mt. Burdell. As we go, we pass by everything from a recreated Coast Miwok village to an abundance of wildflowers. We even see deer grazing in the woods.
Eventually our efforts are rewarded with sweeping views over San Pablo Bay and the local area. It’s a great way to kick off our trip.
Healdsburg
Back in the car, we continue our 2-day Sonoma itinerary by driving the rest of the way north to Healdsburg. This town is known for its tasting rooms, accoladed restaurants, upscale boutiques, and high-end hotels. They’re all arranged around an attractive central plaza.
When we arrive, we check into SingleThread and get settled in our room. Afterwards we spend an hour in downtown Healdsburg popping in and out of clothing shops, cellar doors, bookstores, and antique treasure troves.
We also duck our heads into cool places to stay like H2Hotel and Hotel Healdsburg, both of which my boyfriend loves from previous visits.
We’re hungry from our hike, so we pick up fat slices of carrot cake loaf at a coffee shop called Black Oak Coffee Roasters as we go. It’s delicious.
In the evening we have a reservation for my birthday dinner at our hotel. The restaurant at SingleThread has 3 Michelin stars, and we’re excited to experience the unique flavors of its Japanese-influenced cuisine.
Led by husband-and-wife team Kyle and Katina Connaughton, the restaurant serves dishes made from food farmed locally by her and cooked in the kitchen by him and his team. The dining room features a series of intimate spaces around a central area, and the decor is all smooth woods and hanging lanterns.
Our 10-course SingleThread tasting menu begins with one of the most eye-catching arrangements I’ve seen on a table. It consists of tiny ceramic bowls placed at intervals on a multi-level wooden board adorned with flowers and foliage.
From shiso-leaf sushi to Japanese squid, each bowl contains a bite of pure deliciousness (and a teaser of what’s to come later in the meal).
From there our dinner transitions into kaiseki-style dining. We relish dishes like Siberian caviar with lotus root and hamaguri clam with silken tofu. The highlight of the meal is steamed black cod with peas, morels, and yuba tofu skin.
After dinner my boyfriend and I float up to our room (it’s so nice to be staying upstairs!). We drift off to sleep dreaming of nori seaweed pesto and rhubarb-chamomile desserts.
Day 2: Wine Tasting and Sonoma Coast
The following morning our Sonoma itinerary for 2 days continues with another feast: a Japanese-style breakfast served in our hotel room.
The SingleThread breakfast is as famous as its dinner, and the table in our kitchenette is laden with everything from Japanese omelet to pesto rice and bone dashi broth. It all goes down a treat with a fresh pot of oolong tea.
Sonoma County Wine Tasting
After breakfast we pack our bags, check out of the hotel, and start our day with some wine tasting. Sonoma is famous for it, after all, and no itinerary would be complete without sampling some of the county’s famous vintages.
Our first stop is Convene by Dan Costa, a winery just down the road from Healdsburg Plaza at Bacchus Landing. There are several tasting rooms situated around a central courtyard here, and it’s a great place to try a range of wines.
We settle in outdoors at a low table with comfy sofas and sample wines ranging from Chardonnay to Zinfandel. Founder Dan Costa is one of Sonoma’s most celebrated vintners, so there are a lot of great wines to try here. We get some to take home, then continue on our way.
The next stop on our Sonoma itinerary is just down the way on Westside Road. It’s a small family-owned winery in Russian River called Porter Creek Vineyards. The outdoor tables are situated right next to the vines, and we’re excited to sip at the source.
With the sun shining over us, an abundance of flowers and greenery surrounding us, and two winery dogs accompanying us, we soak up the local, laid-back atmosphere as our host pours us a flight.
We sample everything from Chardonnay to Viognier, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel. We like the wines as much as the ambiance, and we buy a couple bottles before heading off to continue our Sonoma itinerary with one more tasting.
This one is in a small town in western Sonoma County called Occidental. Boheme Wines has a cellar door on the main street, and it’s so understated we pass it several times before finding it.
It turns out it’s a reflection of the owner-winemaker himself. We’re lucky enough to do a tasting with Kurt Beitler, who despite being from a line of California winemakers going all the way back to his great-great-grandfather, is as down-to-earth as people come.
Kurt founded Boheme in 2004, and he’s been impressing both enthusiasts and aficionados ever since. He focuses on producing fine wines from the Coast Range of Occidental, and he and his team farm all their vines by hand.
We sample every wine from the rose to the Pinot Noirs. As we do, he tells us about his winemaking process and answers our questions about everything from how he chose to call the winery Boheme to how he feels about whole-cluster pressing.
Occidental
At the end of the tasting, we buy a few bottles and head outside to take in the historic buildings along the main street in Occidental.
The town was founded in 1876 as the last stop on the North Pacific Coast Railroad. Today it’s full of bohemian shops, restaurants housed in heritage train stations, and quirky hotels full of character. Nestled in the redwoods, it feels like a local secret.
Sonoma Coast
When we’ve finished taking in the main street, our Sonoma itinerary for 2 days continues with a drive up Coleman Valley Road and out to the Pacific Ocean. Once on the coast, we head down beautiful Highway 1 and pass local beaches on the way to Bodega Bay.
When we arrive, we can’t help stopping for a late lunch at Spud Point Crab Company. This local favorite is known for its seafood, and we order a cup of the award-winning clam chowder and a bowl of crab cocktail.
We sit at a picnic table overlooking the harbor as we savor the meal and bask in the Northern California sunshine. It’s the perfect light lunch stop.
When we’re finished, we continue driving down the Sonoma Coast toward San Francisco. As Sonoma County fades into Marin County, we cruise along Tomales Bay and pull over to take pictures of the eye-catching Point Reyes Shipwreck.
We also stop to explore the pretty town of Point Reyes Station. Like Occidental, it’s a 19th-century railroad town with historic facades lining the streets. We walk around for a while, taking in everything from boutiques to galleries and restaurants.
Continuing south, we make a dinner stop at the Pelican Inn in Muir Beach. This classic British pub transports us from the San Francisco Bay Area to the English countryside. With rooms upstairs, it’s one of the most unique places to stay in California.
Sitting at an old wooden table by the fireplace, we tuck into classic pub fare and wash it down with traditional cider.
After dinner we continue our drive up winding hills with coastal views until we cross the Golden Gate Bridge and get back into San Francisco.
Best Sonoma Itinerary for 2 Days
We’ve enjoyed our Sonoma itinerary for the 2 days we spent in wine country, and we’re sad it’s come to an end. From the award-winning food and drinks to the scenic landscapes and amazing hotels, it’s shown us a range of what the county has to offer visitors.
As always, it’s made me excited to go back and discover more. From the small towns we drove through to the beautiful wineries we passed by, I could have spent a lot more time exploring Sonoma County. Which is why I’m already excited for my next trip.
Sonoma Map
As promised, you can find an interactive Google map of all the places on my 2-day Sonoma itinerary here. I hope it helps you plan your trip to this beautiful county in Northern California.
More Sonoma Itineraries
I hope you’ve enjoyed my Sonoma itinerary for 2 days. If you have more time, you can take a look at my other Sonoma itineraries for inspiration. These include my guide to a Sonoma day trip, my itinerary for spending 48 hours in Sonoma, my guide to a weekend in Sonoma, and my Sonoma itinerary for 3 days. They’ll all show you additional parts of the county.
If you want to include Napa in your travel plans, my guides to spending 2 days in Napa and Sonoma and 3 days in Napa and Sonoma can help. Happy travels!
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