Healdsburg Travel Guide: A Stunning Taste of Sonoma

Time of Year

July to September is the best time to see the prettiest vines. It’s Harvest as well so there’s a liveliness in the air among the local farming communities.

October to November has most changing fall colors and the most crowds. Definitely book your tastings, drivers, and hotel(s) well in advance if traveling during this time.

December to January is the dormant season. You won’t see any beautiful leafy vines against the rolling hills, but you will be able to experience Healdsburg without the crowds.

February to April is also a bit less crowded, but when you’ll start seeing the vineyards budding again.

Finally, May to June is the prime of the growing season and when you’ll start seeing an uptick in wine country tourism.

Length of Trip

1-2 full days are all you need if you’re just visiting Healdsburg’s downtown, but plan for 3-4 days if you’re also headed to the local wineries and any neighboring towns like Sonoma or Santa Rosa.

Ubers and Lyfts are extremely difficult to call from Healdsburg, especially after the onset of the pandemic. I once tried for over an hour to call a car and then waited for another 15 minutes before my driver arrived.

Hotels

Sonoma is a world-class wine region, so be prepared for higher hotel prices that reflect that value:

Montage Healdsburg – $$$$

Hotel Healdsburg – $$$

Best Western Dry Creek Inn – $$-$$$

Wild Haven Glamping – $$-$$$

The Matheson – Upscale Farm-to-Table

• Great food and cocktails. I loved the Zen Garden Cocktail made with 123 Tequila.

Valette – Upscale Californian

• My Pan Seared Alaskan Halibut was heavenly! I’d dine again just for that.

Willi’s Seafood & Raw Bar – Seafood

Cafes and Dessert Shops

Baci | Cafe and Wine Bar – Cafe & Italian Restaurant

• I didn’t try their cafe, but had an amazing Italian dinner in their wine room. Their speciality is veal, so I shared two delicious combinations of veal and pasta.

Black Oak Coffee Roasters – Coffee Shop

Noblefolk – Ice Cream and Pie Bar

• Vegan and gluten-free options available

Wineries

Jolie-Laide – 100% Natural

Jordan – Sustainable

Joseph Swan – Biodynamic

• Rod Berglund, known as the “Rodfather”, is head winemaker and owner of Joseph Swan. He’s one of the most iconic winemakers in not only Sonoma, but all of California.

Rodney Strong – Sustainable

• Check out their top Cabernets: Alexander’s Crown, Rockaway and Brothers.

Scherrer – Biodynamic

Truett Hurst – Biodynamic

VML Wines – Biodynamic

• VML Club Members enjoy waived or discounted tasting fees at Truett Hurst, their sister winery next door.

Tasting Rooms

Hirsch Vineyards Tasting Room – Tasting Room with plenty of Pinot Noir

Idlewild – Family style dining with amazing vegetable dishes!

Ruth Lewandowski Wines – Natural Wine Tasting Room

Bars & Lounges

Duke’s Spirited Cocktails – Cocktail Bar

John & Zeke’s Bar – Local Dive Bar with Pool Tables and Dart Boards

Roof 106 – Rooftop Lounge and Open-Air Restaurant

• We tried the Fried Sweet Corn, without the Citrus Crema – on my end. The perfect summer snack!

Shops

The best shopping is located around Healdsburg’s historic town plaza in its downtown area:

Gallery Lulo – Shopable Fine Art and Jewelry

gathered wildeflowers – Women’s Clothing, Accessories and Home Accessories

Levin & Company – Indie Bookstore with an Upstairs Art Gallery

Lime Stone – Home Furnishings

Mr. Moon’s – Gift Shop

• We were drawn to their fun greeting cards and intricate artisan soaps!

Downtown Sonoma

Soak up everything that wine country has to offer in Downtown Sonoma. Like Healdsburg, I adored the historic main plaza which was surrounded by fantastic restaurants, tasting rooms and shops. Sneaking into Valley Bar + Bottle for a pre-dinner glass of natural wine was certainly a trip highlight.

And after the main plaza, head on over to Wit + Wisdom for a true farm-to-table foodie dinner. I tried an allergy-friendly version of their Della Fattoria Farm Rolls and was not disappointed! Their taste slowly transformed sweet into savory right on my palette.

Distance from Healdsburg: 45 Minutes

Bodega Bay

Break up the lush wine tastings and hot vineyard visits with a drive to Bodega Bay. Located on the California coast, this spot was made famous by Alfred Hitchcock’s film, The Birds. In fact, you can even still visit a few of the original filming locations throughout town.

Bodega Bay’s local wildlife isn’t as terrifying as it seems in the film though. Spend your day whale watching or horseback riding before heading back inland.

Distance from Healdsburg: 45 Minutes

Napa Valley

For a taste of world-famous wines, visit neighboring Napa Valley. Take on the vineyards in style with a historic Napa Valley Wine Train, a hot air balloon ride or even a bike tour.

For a more traditional wine tasting adventure, Brown Estate, Ehlers Estate and PEJU are all amazing wineries.

Distance from Healdsburg: 1 – 1.25 Hours

San Francisco

San Francisco is easily more of a multi-day trip, but I still had to include it as a day trip based on its distance alone.

Take the drive through Marin County and over the iconic Golden Gate Bridge to get to The City, stopping in The Mission District for burritos, Lower Pac Heights for the Painted Ladies and Lands End for epic Pacific Ocean hiking views.

Distance from Healdsburg: 1.5 Hours