Eastern Sonoma County Tour Itinerary

On this tour of eastern Sonoma County, California, wind along two-lane country roads as the delights of the Sonoma Valley unfurl before you. Cradled between the Mayacamas and Sonoma mountain ranges, this bountiful section of Wine Country is a gently rolling patchwork of vineyards, farms, and 13,000 parkland acres that weave through the popular towns of Kenwood, Glen Ellen, and Sonoma.

Sonoma Valley

Native Americans of the Miwok, Wappo, and Pomo tribes were the first to settle Sonoma Valley, which they called the “Valley of the Moon.” In 1823, Franciscan monks built a Mission in the town of Sonoma, the only one established under Mexican rule, independent of Spain.

In the early to mid-19th century, this area was home to Mexico’s famed General Vallejo and the site of the Bear Flag Revolt, which forcibly transferred California from Mexican rule to a U.S. territory.

Early pioneers of the California wine industry planted vineyards and built wineries in this valley. Today, it is home to many of the award-winning wineries that have made Sonoma Wine Country famous.

If You Only Have One Day

Start in Santa Rosa by fueling up with a hearty breakfast at Jeffrey’s Hillside Café, a local favorite owned and run by Jeffrey Madura, former executive chef at the celebrated John Ash restaurant.

Madura’s café serves breakfast and lunch using local produce, dairy, and meats. Lunch typically features burgers, sandwiches, salads, and quiche, with a changing menu that may include fromage blanc blintzes with seasonal berries, or a tofu scramble with shiitake mushrooms.

Continue to the charming town of Kenwood, where you’ll find the family-owned Kunde Family Winery.

The tasting room — a replica of the original Kinneybrook Ranch cattle barn, which stood on this land for more than a century — is surrounded by estate vineyards, a shaded picnic area under majestic valley oaks, a reflecting pool, and burbling fountains. Stop here to experience cave tours and barrel tastings of estate-grown wines. Or consider signing up for a Mountain Top Tasting, Cave Tasting, and other fun options. Private tours are available.

Next, venture to the village of Glen Ellen to explore Jack London State Historic Park. It was here that author and bohemian adventurer Jack London lived and wrote at his pristine Beauty Ranch.

The park’s 1,400 acres include more than 26 miles of trails, stunning views, a museum, the remains of a 19th-century winery and farm buildings, a 2,000-year-old redwood tree, the cottage where London wrote, the remains of London’s dream home that burned before he and his wife could move in, and more.

After you’ve explored the park, head to Jack London Village, where shops and restaurants are housed in the old Glen Ellen Winery.

Cruise on to Cornerstone Sonoma, home to gallery-style gardens, a gourmet café, boutique tasting rooms, and home and garden shops. The Sunset Magazine Test Gardens and Kitchens is also here, offering inspiration to cooks and gardeners.

In the town of Sonoma, discover the picturesque Sonoma Plaza. An early-20th-century two-story city hall sits at the center of this lovely park, lined with shops, restaurants, and tasting rooms.

On the edge of the plaza, you’ll find a number of living history sites — the Sonoma Barracks, the Toscano Hotel, and the Mission San Francisco Solano.

Lodging Suggestion

The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa is the ultimate elegant oasis, blessed by natural mineral hot springs. The property offers rooms for every taste, from restored Fairmont Heritage rooms to signature suites. Guests can participate in daily complimentary hike and bike adventures, and each afternoon enjoy complimentary wine tasting in the lobby, showcasing a different local winery each day.

Restaurant Suggestion

Santé Restaurant is the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn’s premier dining room with a national reputation for outstanding food. Condé Nast Traveler has said, “it’s worth a special trip just to eat here,” and Gourmet Magazine called the food “the best of the new Wine Country style.” Only the freshest local produce, meats, poultry, and seafood are used to create elegantly simple dishes that let natural flavors speak for themselves.

If You Have Two Days

If you have a bit more time to explore this beautiful valley, here are some excellent sites to include.

If you’re into hiking and outstanding views, try the rugged trails at Hood Mountain Regional Park & Open Space Preserve near Kenwood and Santa Rosa. In this area, you can also visit the family-friendly Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, where the headwaters of Sonoma Creek run through the canyon and across the meadow floor.

While in Glen Ellen, drop in at Benziger Family Winery. This picturesque biodynamic 85-acre ranch is cradled by the slopes of Sonoma Mountain. Visitors can enjoy a tram tour of the vineyards, wine tasting, a gift shop, estate gardens, and a picnic area among the trees.

In the town of Sonoma, check out the historic General Vallejo’s Home. Known as Lachryma Montis (mountain tear) because of the property’s freshwater spring, this two-story wood-frame house was built in 1851 and 1852, in a Gothic Victorian style. Vallejo and his wife lived here for more than 35 years, and the home and its 20 acres were acquired by the state in 1933.

Love cheese? While in the town of Sonoma, check out the Vella Cheese Company, housed in a historic stone-walled building just east of the Plaza, featuring its carefully nurtured and aged Dry Jack Cheese, along with many other varieties.

Stretch your legs while in Sonoma, on the Sonoma Overlook Trail, a footpath that winds up a hillside to a meadow that offers spectacular views of Sonoma Valley and the Bay Area. This gently graded trail has a loop at the top, and is slightly less than three miles round trip. A side trail leads to the Montini Open Space Preserve, which also offers beautiful views.

Restaurant Suggestion

Located in the historic Sonoma Hotel building on the beautiful Sonoma Plaza, the girl & the fig offers “country food with a French passion.” Owned and operated by cookbook author and celebrated restaurateur Sondra Bernstein and acclaimed chef John Toulze, the girl & the fig features an antique bar with French aperitifs, unique and traditional cocktails, an award-winning wine list, a seasonal menu, cheese and charcuterie platters, and outdoor garden patio seating.

If You Have Three Days

Sonoma Valley is a great place to indulge. Depending on your interests, here are some gems.

Revel in the luxurious treatments offered by Fairmont Spa, part of the Fairmont Mission Inn. For hundreds of years, ancient thermal mineral waters have graced this site. Today, this is one of the only luxury spa resorts in the country with its own source of thermal mineral water. Inspired by world-class bathhouses, all spa packages include an exfoliating shower, a warm therapeutic bath, a hot pool with Jacuzzi jets, a mega shower, an herbal steam room, a traditional dry sauna, and a relaxation room.

For outstanding food and wine, consider the five-course Wine and Food Pairing at St. Francis Winery & Vineyards in Santa Rosa. In a relaxed, fun, and unforgettable experience, guests gather at a shared table to enjoy an assortment of small dishes created by executive chef Peter Janiak, paired with hand-selected artisan wines.

TripAdvisor called it “the best Wine & Food Pairing we’ve ever experienced,” and Bite Club Eats said the small plates “rival the kitchen of any Michelin-starred restaurant.” Each seating is hosted by a friendly wine expert, and the dishes change daily to reflect seasonal markets.

If your idea of a really great time is a heart-pumping pace, consider hitting the track at the Sonoma Raceway. This year-round motorsports complex hosts several major annual events and includes both a twisting road course and a quarter-mile drag strip.

Restaurant Suggestion

Enjoy a wide range of small bites or full-size entrees while you sip on a glass of wine overlooking the wine garden at Kivelstadt Cellars Wine Garden & Eatery. The menu reflects a new wave of California food and wine. It is thoughtfully crafted and meant to be savored, but never taken too seriously.