Napa & Sonoma Hike, Bike, Food, & Wine
October 21 - 25, 2012

California's Wine Country is the number one bicycle touring destination in North America. The scenery is outstanding and the side roads are perfect for touring by bike.

However, we also love the area for its hiking, especially our specialty the "vineyard walk" which allows you to get out of the tasting room and into the vineyards, where winemakers will tell you "90% of the winemaking is done".

Our two days of excellent biking - one in Napa and one in Sonoma - are mostly quiet back roads with the occasional road with traffic but good shoulders (such as the Silverado Trail) that is so beautiful we just have to include it. Our short routes are mostly flat to rolling while longer routes have some significant hills, for those seeking a workout.

We include a number of hikes on the tour: a walk from the square of Sonoma up to the Overlook Trail above town; an optional 11-mile roundtrip hike to the summit of Mt. Saint Helena, the highest mountain in the San Francisco Bay Watershed; a walk through the vineyards of Michel-Schlumberger Wine Estate; and a final morning hike in the Lake Sonoma recreation area.

The wine is world class and makes a great diversion at the end of a bike ride or long hike. (Some people think the biking and hiking are just an excellent diversion before getting to the wine.) We include local food visits including an organic winery that grows its own produce and raises its own chickens; an olive oil mill; and a local cheese tasting. We stay in three small cute towns on our tour in top accommodations.

In short, biking and hiking through California's Wine Country will likely be one of your most memorable vacations ever!

Notes
Our rental bikes are excellent cross bikes with upright handlebars, appropriate for most cyclists.

Accommodations
We stay our first night at the Sonoma Valley Inn, one block off the main plaza in the heart of Sonoma. The hotel is within walking distance of everything Sonoma has to offer. Our second night we switch to Napa Valley and the luxurious Yountville Inn. The four-star Inn is one of the nicest hotels we use on any of our tours and is right in the midst of wine country. Our third and fourth nights we spend back in Sonoma County at the H2 Hotel in Healdsburg. This is a hip, new hotel in one of the nicest wine towns in the area.

For More Information
See our Sonoma & Napa Frequently Asked Questions or Itinerary pages for more information.