Day Trip From San Francisco to Healdsburg

For a sampling of the best that Northern California’s famous Wine Country has to offer — fine wine, farm-to-table cuisine, art, music, natural beauty, small-town charm, world-class shopping, and relaxation — be sure to schedule time during your San Francisco visit to spend a day in Healdsburg.

Located about 65 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge (typically about a 90-minute drive), trendy Healdsburg (pop. 11,541) leads the way in savoring the good life, with charm and laid-back style. Drive straight up Highway 101 to the Central Healdsburg exit, and prepare to immerse yourself in the Wine Country lifestyle.

Morning

Follow the signs to downtown Healdsburg’s historic central plaza, named by Travel + Leisure Magazine as one of “America’s Most Beautiful Town Squares.” The plaza’s outdoor bandstand hosts free concerts, antique fairs, the annual holiday tree lighting, and other festivities.

Your first stop is the Costeaux French Bakery, a Healdsburg institution since 1923 and celebrated for its legendary artisan breads, fresh pastries, and yummy breakfasts. This makes a great spot to rest and refuel while deciding which of Healdsburg’s many attractions you want to enjoy first.

The stores and galleries around the Plaza are a shopper’s delight, offering everything from antiques and fine art, to clothing, books, cookware, crafts, gifts, and more. For art lovers, some two dozen art galleries are within walking distance of the plaza. A few blocks off the Plaza, the 4,000-square-foot Modern Antiquarium antiques collective overflows with offerings from more than 30 vendors.

When you’re ready for a bite to eat, the options range from down-home goodies to farm-fresh gourmet delights.

And, this being Wine Country and all, you can walk to more than two dozen winery tasting rooms in downtown Healdsburg.

If you’re not sure where to start or what to see, consider taking a guided walking tour with Healdsburg Wine & Food Walking Tours, Let’s Go Wine Walk, or Savor Healdsburg Food Tours to get an insider’s view of this unique town.

Afternoon

Options abound. Healdsburg sits at the juncture of three prime winegrowing regions — the Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, and Russian River Valley wine appellations. With more than 100 world class wineries and tasting rooms within a short driving distance, you can follow country roads winding through rolling hills to find that perfect vintage.

And to stretch your legs a bit between winery visits, you can take a free, self-guided vineyard walking tour at Francis Ford Coppola Winery. Or, meander through five acres of dazzling gardenscapes at Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery.

All these acres of vineyards, rolling hills, stunning vistas, and quiet roadways means the Healdsburg area offers gorgeous cycling routes. Ace It Bike Tours offers a Healdsburg Wine Country Cycling tour; Getaway Adventures offers a Healdsburg Sip ‘N Cycle tour; or check our listings of Outdoor Activities in Sonoma County and click on Bike/Segway Tours.

For something a bit different, Bike Healdsburg offers tours on a party bike, which is powered by the pedaling of 10 people. Cycle with your friends or make new ones as you eat, drink, and pedal your way around downtown Healdsburg.

Perhaps pampering indulgence is more your style. A Simple Touch Spa offers herbal spa facials, body scrubs or wraps, and aromatherapy baths; or check our listings of Sonoma County Spa & Wellness Centers and click on Healdsburg.

Evening

If you want to sip a bit more wine before dinner, several of the tasting rooms on the Healdsburg plaza — like Banshee Wines or Thumbprint Cellars — are open until 6 or 7 p.m. And when you’re ready for dinner, the possibilities are deliciously diverse.

The hyper-local Barndiva chooses the best ingredients from boutique Sonoma County farms and food producers, and serves its mouthwatering dishes in a mahogany barn with pitchforks on the walls. 

Sample small plates designed for sharing at Willi’s Seafood & Raw Bar or Bravas Bar de Tapas, or find the cuisine you crave by checking our listings of Sonoma County Restaurants and click on Healdsburg.

There are a couple of options if you want to experience a bit of Healdsburg night life before heading back to San Francisco. 

Saturday nights, you can check out the music at Spicy Vines, a fun, stylish tasting room that offers wine by the glass, a curated flight, a small bites pairing, or craft wine cocktails. Its Saturday Night Jive offers an intimate live music experience where guests are invited to lounge, listen, and sip. Make reservations at least 24 hours in advance if you want dinner with the show.

Enjoy a classic cocktail or glass of wine, bistro menus, and a classic French supper Sunday evenings at Barndiva Gallery + Bar, which serves as an art gallery by day, but offers dining and drinks at night, Wednesday to Sunday.

Duke’s Spirited Cocktails specializes in amazing craft cocktails made to order, with almost all liquors and bitters made from local Sonoma County products, as well as some ingredients from their own gardens. Or, check out the local watering hole John & Zeke’s Bar which includes a pool table and shuffle board.

And if you decide to extend your day and spend the night, you can enjoy sweeping vineyard views ringed by redwood forested-mountains at the Raford Inn; or browse our listings of Sonoma County Lodgings and click on Healdsburg.

Written by Sonoma Insider Patricia Lynn Henley