Sonoma Valley Wine Country Tour
Tour Highlights
- Drive to Sonoma via the iconic Golden Gate Bridge
- Los Carneros Wine Region & its elegant chardonnays & Pinots
- Delight your palate with Sonoma’s top premium wines
- Visit Sonoma historic wineries & monuments
- Treat yourself with California's finest dishes
- Discover our organic, biodynamic & eco-friendly wine tour
- Explore Sonoma’s hidden caves & barrel tasting rooms
- Visit Sonoma’s top castle and champagne wineries
- Visit Sonoma’s best off the beaten path wineries
- >Sightsee Sonoma’s picturesque rolling hills & ancient vines
- Travel on the scenic back roads and meet with wine makers…
"Good wine is a necessity of life for me"
~ Thomas Jefferson
Brief description of the tour
Your exciting journey to California Wine Country starts in San Francisco when our certified tour guide will pick you up at your hotel. You will head north and drive through the colorful Golden Gate Bridge heading to the historic Sonoma Valley for a full day wine tasting tour experience. Join us and delight your palate with Sonoma Valley’s top Premium Estates Wines and champagne. Complementary red and white wine tasting, cheese, olive oil and chocolate will be offered.
Our experienced tour guides will be in charge of booking and organizing your favorite wineries and wine tasting schedule based on your taste and preference to ensure your journey to Sonoma Valley will be enjoyable, relaxing and unique. As you may know ,all wineries require reservations prior to your visit. No worry, our tour guides know very well how to book your favorite wineries and manage the schedule so you enjoy quality time in Sonoma Valley, and visit its famous and infamous Wine Regions. However, if you wish to visit particular wineries you are interested in; please feel free to add the names of these wineries at the bottom of our reservation page, under section “special request” and we will take care of the rest. Please note that you can fit three to four wineries in a one day wine tour including lunch. If you choose your own wineries, you will be in charge of the required wine tasting fees. However, if we choose the wineries for you, we wave your wine tasting fees. This saves each one of you more than $85.
Please Join us and enjoy a full day touring Sonoma Valley Wine Country and California's World famous Premium Wine growing regions located in Sonoma Valley.
Our Sonoma Valley Wine Tour combines and covers all Sonoma Valley wine growing regions, elegant chateau wineries, charming small wineries located off the beaten path,
organic, biodynamic and Estate wineries(optional). We can also organize private tours to visit wine caves and enjoy private or public barrel wine tasting, drive through vineyards and meet with wine growers and wine makers.
Why us?
We offer high quality customer service and seek in every step to meet and exceed your expectations!
Included: Because we include your tax and wine tasting fees for the same competitive price. We also include complementary, cheese and olive oil sampling. We offer you a full day guided tour in top of the line luxury SUVs or limousine vans conducted by certified tour guides rated as best tour guides on Trip Advisor and ratepoint.com. We offer our customers a unique and different wine experience away from the commercial wineries where you meet with wine makers or growers. We custom your tours to your particular travel needs and expectations to ensure you will enjoy a relaxing and a pleasant wine tour in Sonoma Valley. For families with kids or customers who do not drink wine, we select our wineries and itineraries to visit family friendly wineries where you can visit museums and other attractions are available in the required winery.
Our tours offer you more flexibility to meet your particular needs, special requests, and exceed your expectations. We go where other tours and ground transportations can’t go. We drive you to some off the beaten path wineries, through Sonoma Valley vineyards and back roads during the harvest season so you can taste and see how grapes are picked up manually. We can add cave and barrel tasting to your tours. We offer private and custom guided tours in 12 foreign languages. Our tour guides are excellent drivers, knowledgeable, photographers, entertainers and highly trained.
Finally, our certified tour reviews on Trip Advisor and Ratepoint.com among others, speak for themselves!
History: Sonoma Valley was inhabited by the native Pomo tribes, long before the Spaniards reach Alta California. The Spanish San Franciscans fryers who founded Mission Basilica de San Diego de Alcalá back in 1769 in San Diego to be the first Mission in Alta California, they also chose Sonoma Valley to be home to the last mission in California. Indeed, Mission San Francisco de Solano was established in 1823 at the actual Sonoma Historic Plaza in honor of St. Francis Solanus (who was a Spanish missionary in South America). The mission was however built and completed by the Mexicans who gained California from the Spanish after the decline of the Spanish Empire. The Valley of Sonoma offered everything the missionaries where looking for: fertile land, creeks and rivers, mineral and hot springs, lumber and a Mediterranean climate.
Alta California remained part of the Mexican territory until June 14, 1846, when the American pioneers who traveled from the Midwest took the Mexican General Mariano Vallejo by surprise and raised California Bear Flag, next the Mexican headquarter and barracks, known as the Sonoma Town Plaza.
They proclaimed the new California Republic in June 14, 1846. For that reason Sonoma Valley is considered as the Birthplace of the Statehood of California, and home to the First Vineyards , the Oldest Vines and Wineries in California.
The native Americans who were deprived of their land by the newcomers, called Sonoma valley “the Valley of the Moon”. The valley was also subject to a novel by the American author Jack London called “The Valley of the Moon”.
The novel was published in 1913 by the American writer Jack London who was a resident of Glen Ellen, it’s a wine region located in Sonoma Valley. The novel of the Valley of the Moon relates the story of a working-class couple, Billy and Saxon Roberts, struggling laborers in Oakland at the Turn-of-the-Century, who left the city life behind and searched Central and Northern California for a suitable farmland to own. The book is notable for the scenes in which the proletarian hero enjoys fellowship with the artists' colony in Carmel, and he settles in the Valley of the Moon.
Sonoma Valley Private & Semi-Private
Wine Tour Prices
By SUV: 2 people minimum is required
Tour Prices: Price per person |
Semi-Private Tour Price per person | Totally Private Tour Price per person | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Guest | $249.00 | $299.00 | included |
| 2 Guests | $249.00 | $299.00 | included |
| 3 Guests | $179.00 | $229.00 | included |
| 4 Guests | $149.00 | $198.00 | included |
| 5 Guests | $139.00 | $159.00 | included |
| 6 Guests | $129.00 | $129.00 | included |
| 7 Guests | $119.00 | $119.00 | included |
Charter the SUV for 8 full hours and go wherever you want go for $ 799 (for up to 7 persons) |
$799.00 | wine & tax included |
Note: Decreasing and discounted prices are applicable and based on the number of participants per each single reservation. No refund or discount would apply when sharing the SUV with other customers. We also guarantee your tour even if no other participants sign up for this tour.
Included: Visit three to four wineries in Sonoma Valley and enjoy 5 to 8 different complementary wine tasting in each winery. Complementary cheese and olive oil sampling will be offered. Complementary pick up and drop off, and all taxes are included.
Not included: Meals, optional and custom tours or requirements
Our SUV tours are highly recommended. The SUV tour offers you a full day wine experience guided tour with complementary pick-up and drop off. The SUV tour offers you more flexibility and go where other tours and ground transportations can’t go. We drive you to some off the beaten path wineries and through Sonoma Valley back roads and vineyards during the harvest season. You can taste and see how grapes are picked up manually. We can add cave and barrel tasting to your tours.
Book your private tour now and get 10% off (November to April except holidays & week-ends)
Tour Prices: Price per person |
Semi-Private Tour Price per person | Charter-totally private! Up to 14 people | Tax & Wine Tasting |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Guest | $129.00 | $1,759.00 | included |
| 2 Guests | $129.00 | $1,759.00 | included |
| 3 Guests | $129.00 | $1,759.00 | included |
| 4 Guests | $129.00 | $1,759.00 | included |
| 5 Guests | $129.00 | $1,759.00 | included |
| 6 Guests | $129.00 | $1,759.00 | included |
| 7 Guests | $129.00 | $1,759.00 | included |
| 8 Guests | $129.00 | $1,759.00 | included |
| 9 Guests | $129.00 | $1,759.00 | included |
| 10 Guests | $129.00 | $1,759.00 | included |
| 11 Guests | $129.00 | $1,759.00 | included |
|
$129.00 | $1,759.00 | included |
| 13 Guests | $129.00 | $1,759.00 | included |
| 14 Guests | $129.00 | $1,759.00 | included |
Included: Visit three to four wineries in Sonoma Valley and enjoy 5 to 8 different complementary wine tasting in each winery. Complementary cheese and olive oil sampling will be offered. Complementary pick up and drop off, and all taxes are included.
Not included: Meals, optional and custom tours or requirements
Our Sonoma Wine Country Limousine Tours
By Limousine
Our 8 and 10 passenger Limousine tours cost $ 129 per hour + 20% for Tax & Gratuity. 8 hours minimum is required per service. Each additional hour will cost $ 139 + tax. For stretch Limousines, bus charter and van tours, please send us a Travel Request with the required information including your budget for each service and we will take care of the rest! You may also consider our 15 passenger limousine vans that offer more room and comfort for the same price.
Group Tours by Bus 
We also offer guided tours to Sonoma Valley by luxury limousines vans, minibuses and motor coaches. For all groups of 15 persons or more, wine tasting fees will apply.
Golden Horizon Travel offers local and international clientele a complete leisure and Incentive wine tour packages from Corporate - Business Travel planning that includes conventions packages to group tours including accommodation, ground transportation, group shuttle service and dining. Let us make your business and leisure experiences a successful one, our Goal is to Exceed your Expectations! Please send us a travel inquiry with required information including your budget and we will take care of the rest. Please note that tour inquiries without budget are often disregarded.
- Daily Departures. Van and bus tours leave at 8:30 AM private SUVs and limousines and all Charter tours leave at 9 AM
- Duration : 8 hours approximately
- Pick-up time: 8:30 AM - 9:00 AM from SF, Sausalito, Napa or Sonoma Valleys.
- Return: 5:00 PM
How To Book My Tour?
- You can secure your booking directly through our secure reservation page (click here) and scroll down to "Step 1-Tour Information" section to choose your tour from the "select tour" drop down where you select your preferred tour, date & number of persons. Please fill out the credit card information under section "Step 2-Cardholder Information".
- Lastly, it's very important that you re-enter your hotel or pick up location and the date of your tour under section "Step 3-Submit Reservation". Please check your email you entered on our reservation form to get our merchant receipt, generated ONLY when transactions are approved! We will also send you a tour voucher confirming your tour, date and pick up time.
- When transactions are not approved, we simply don't get any information with this regard and therefore, you will not hear from us. Please double check and ensure you get an email from our Merchant account sent to you from: "Authorize.Net Auto-Receipt" <emailreceipts@authorize.net>
- If you don't get an email from <emailreceipts@authorize.net>, please start over with a different credit card and enter the exact billing information related to the required credit card. You may also contact us via email to inquire about your transaction if you don't get this above merchant receipt. However, if you do receive this above email, there will be no need to contact us.
If you have a special request, you can add it under “Step 3-Submit Reservation” in the section “special request” located at the bottom of this secure and encrypted form.
Our Sonoma Valley Tour Itinerary
9:00 AM Pick Up
Our tour guide will pick you up at your hotel in San Francisco downtown, Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, Japantown, Pacific Heights, North Beach, Sausalito or in Sonoma Valley. We can also customize your pick time according to your own schedule and pick up location when booking our private tours.
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Drive to Sonoma Valley via Marin County
Drive through the colorful and iconic Golden Gate Bridge and the rainbow tunnel on
Highway 101. Enjoy the picturesque views over the coastal town of Sausalito and its house boats, Tiburon and Mill Valley dominated by the imposing Mount Tamalpais.
As we drive north on highway 101, you can see Richmond-San Rafael double decker bridge which was built in a 1956.
The bridge measures 5.4 miles links the East Bay to Marin County. You also picture San Quentin State Prison that profiles at the near end of the bridge. A few miles away, you will be able to see Franck Lloyd's architectural masterpiece and National Monument known today as Marin County Civic Center. This eclectic landmark is crowned by circular domes symbolizing galaxies and infinity, has been the perfect setting for a number of science fiction movies such; Star Wars, Gattaca and THX 1138. We now exit highway 101 to go on highway 37 East towards Sonoma Valley. As we cross the bridge the separates Marin from Sonoma County, you can enjoy the views over Stone Tree Golf Club and the hanging houses overlooking San Pablo Bay and its picturesque lagoons. We are now coming into the southern part of Sonoma Valley as we pass Sonoma's famous Infineon Raceway on highway 12, located in the famous Los Carneros Wine Growing Region.
Los Carneros is a picturesque wine growing region that lies in southern Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley. In order to easily categorize and standardize the locations within the United States that produce wine, terms like these are given to geographical areas to make sure your favorite wines' grapes are authentically claiming to be from a certain Viticulture Areas. Therefore, every time a wine's label claims its grapes were grown in California's own Los Carneros Region, you know that at least 85 percent of the grapes in that bottle were grown within this beautiful region's boundaries.
Thanks to its Mediterranean climate and proximity to San Pablo Bay, Los Carneros Wine Region produces some of the best Pinots and Chardonnays in the US.
Some of the most famous wineries located within this Wine Regions are:
Acacia Vineyards, Artesa Winery, Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards, Homewood Winery, Robledo Family Winery, Schug Carneros Estate Winery, Bouchaine Vineyards, Buena Vista Winery, Larson Family Winery, Ceja Vineyards, Cline Cellars Viansa Winery, Cuvaison Estate Wines, Domaine Carneros, Jaccuzzi Winery
10:00 AM - Visit the first Winery & Enjoy Wine Tasting
Arriving to the picturesque rolling hills of Sonoma Valley where you will enjoy tasting your favorite wines. Our first wine tasting experience may take place in Los Carneros Wine Region. All wineries require appointments several days in advance. The sooner you book your wine tour, the better so we get the best wineries. You will enjoy up to 8 different complementary wines tasting including white, red wines and rosé. Optional tours may be offered within the wineries and additional fees may apply. Our private and small group tours allow you to interact with the wine experts or wine makers, ask questions and enjoy your narrated and guided wine tasting experience. Our drivers are certified tour guides and will offer you a comprehensive guided tour in Sonoma Valley.
We will leave round 11 am heading to the second winery within Sonoma Valley
11:10 AM – Visit the Second Winery
The second winery will offer you different wine varietals from smooth fruity wines to full body and bold wines. Red and whites wines will be offered by a wine expert or sommelier dedicated to you. We choose our wineries in the same geographic wine growing region so the traveling distance between two wineries doesn’t exceed 25 minutes. This allows you to enjoy quality and extra time within the wineries. Our tour itineraries are designed and written by our tour guides and our operation team to ensure your tour to California Wine Country will be successful and memorable.
12:30 Lunch - Sonoma downtown Historic Plaza
Delight yourself with European and California finest dishes
Sonoma historic downtown is known as Sonoma Historic Plaza and considered as the birthplace of the Statehood of California. The square is pure marvel of spanish-mexican architectural style with some western touch. Sonoma Plaza is the perfect mix of a rich historical tradition and modern sophistication. Located in the center of one of the most chic Wine-Growing Regions in the entire World, the city of Sonoma's historic town square manages to have retained its small-town personality in the middle of a burgeoning wine Empire.
Complete with spas, upscale eateries, a relaxing open-air plaza and courtyards, and home to the old barracks and Mission(the most northerly of the 21 historic California Missions). This town focal point is a true testament to the blend of old times and modernity that characterizes the entirety of the Sonoma Valley.
The plaza is home to the finest European and Californian dishes. Our operation team and tour guides have just jointly added the below section for you so you choose your favorite restaurant prior to the trip. We will escort you to the restaurant to ensure you will get the best table without reservation (except with the "Girl and the Fig Restaurant" that requires reservation):
Della Santina's Trattoria –Rated by our customers: *****
This is probably the best restaurant in term of quality and quantity on the square. Prices are reasonable and the food is delicious. You can enjoy lunch and dinner in the cozy atmosphere in the back patio, which is covered in grape vines and wisteria, and surrounded by balustrades that are planted with assorted flowers. Don’t miss their enoteca wine tasting room. If you are looking for fine and traditional Italian cuisine, this is your best shot! www.dellasantinas.com/
The Girl and the Fig: Rated by our customers: *****
It is an American restaurant serving French style cuisine. According to their reviews, this is a good place for dining but not easy to get a table for lunch without reservation. The price seems somehow reasonable for certain customers but pricy for others.http://www.thegirlandthefig.com/
El Dorado Kitchen: Rated by our customers: ****
This restaurant offers a stone courtyard for outside dining, a relaxing lounge with a fireplace for cocktails. El Dorado Kitchen is open for lunch and dinner daily. Executive Chef Justin Everett describes his food as “farm driven” .Others consider it as a California cuisine with French influence. http://www.eldoradosonoma.com/
La Casa- Traditional Mexican Cuisine : Rated by our customers: ****
Sisters, Ana and Marisela, long time Sonoma residents and Latina’s are bringing the smells and authentic traditional cuisine from Jalisco region of Mexico to La Casa in Sonoma Valley.
http://www.lacasarestaurant.com/
La Salette- Contemporary Portuguese Cuisine. Rated by our customers: ***
restaurant offers contemporary Portuguese cuisine. It’s the realization of Chef Manuel Azevedo’s dream to bring Portuguese cuisine throughout America and the Wine Country.
http://www.lasalette-restaurant.com/
The Plaza Bistro: Mixture of American European cuisine. Rated by our customers: ***
Offers Italian –American mixture of casual and classic cuisine.http://theplazabistro.com/
Sonoma Cheese Factory: Rated by our customers: ***
Offers casual BBQ, ribs, sandwiches, burgers, cheese, gelato, and a gift shop
http://www.sonomscheesefactory.com/
Swiss Hotel Restaurant: Italian modern cuisine. Rated by our customers: ****
A full service restaurant featuring modern renditions of classical Italian fare as well as pizza from a wood burning oven. www.swisshotelsonoma.com
Sunflower Café: Salad and sandwiches Café. Rated by our customers: **+
Salad and sandwiches and vegetarian food. This almost a self service cozy restaurants. Customers can eat in the back yards in warm sunny days.
http://www.sonomasunflower.com/
Basque Boulangerie: French Bakery: Rated by our customers: ***
Basque Boulangerie Cafe, Sandwich/Sub and Pastries Place in Sonoma.
For more information about Sonoma Valley restaurant, feel free to visit this link:
http://www.goldenhorizontravel.com/sonomavalleyrestaurants.htm
Lunch may also take place anywhere in Sonoma Valley in one of the above restaurants or as a picnic lunch within a winery in a different location within the valley.
2:00 PM More Wine Tasting
Our Sonoma wine tour will continue after lunch, your tour guide will offer you a relaxing afternoon for more wine tasting and sightseeing the best wine growing regions within Sonoma valley. Optional tours including caves and wine barrels private or public tours are available for all private tours. Reservation is required several days prior to the tour to visit a wine cave or barrel tasting. We can also offer you an optional side trip to a biodynamic and organic winery in Sonoma Valley. Please note that all optional tours special are subject to additional fees required by these wineries.
You can simply relax and enjoy our guided wine tour in Sonoma Valley and take advantage of our next complementary wine tasting we booked for you. Every winery will offer you a different bouquet and taste.
3:00 PM Visit a hidden & off the beaten path winery
You can now choose between visiting a new and last winery before heading back to San Francisco, go shopping in local boutiques and outlets or sightseeing different wine regions located within Sonoma Valley. Sonoma Valley is home to the oldest grapevines, wineries and vineyards in California. You can also inquire about our ancient zinfandel wine tasting that offers the palate a fine earthy bouquet or our late harvest wines that will surprise and delight your palate. Complementary cheese and olive oil sampling maybe available as well.
If time permitting, we will offer you one more wine tasting with or without a tour within one of our favorite wineries in Sonoma Valley Wine Country. For private tours, customers can add an optional side trip to visit a chateau champagne winery on this wine tour (additional fees will apply). You can also stick with our tour itinerary and visit a castle winery or a small charming winery located off the beaten path and taste local wines not available in the market or wine shops. During the harvest season, our tour guides drive our 4x4 SUVs on Sonoma Valley back roads to picture how grapes are picked up manually and eventually taste the grapes directly from the vineyards.
4:00 PM - 4:30 PM Back to San Francisco
Our tour guide will now drive you back to San Francisco after such amazing wine experience in Sonoma Valley Wine Country. An optional side trip may take to Sausalito where you can decide either to stay with us or enjoy Sausalito and return to San Francisco on the ferry (tickets are not included).
We often choose to make a last photo stop at Marin Headland overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay Area. The Golden Gate Bridge’s astonishing giant dimensions make it the most photographed bridge in the World. These spectacular sweeping views have drawn millions of tourists from all over the World. The Golden Gate Bridge inspired Hollywood most famous movies including James Bond, in a "View to Kill" .
5:00 PM Drop Off
Our tour guide will drive you back to your hotel with an optional side trip via the famous Pacific Heights, the most expensive district in San Francisco. It’s home to celebrities and gorgeous mansions.
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