From food and wine tours to farm excursions, here are some of our favorite ways to explore Sonoma County.
Bohemian Highway Travel Company: How you get to where you’re going is half the fun on private tours with Bohemian Highway Travel Company. The company’s refurbished Land Rover Defender 110s add an extra spark of fun to traversing the vineyards. A number of customizable experiences are available, ranging from spending the day with a winemaker to picking produce. Starts at $210 per person. Tasting fees additional. (Courtesy of Bohemian Highway Travel Company)
Bohemian Highway Travel Company takes visitors on vineyard tours in refurbished Land Rover Defender 110s. (Courtesy of Bohemian Highway Travel Company)
Sonoma Adventures (also known as Sonoma Segway): This company offers both private bike and Segway tours. Private, customizable experiences on Segways typically last six hours with stops at a couple of wineries and a picnic lunch. $189 per person for three or less riders. Winery tasting fees are not included. Private bike tours range in cost from $109 to $229 per person, plus tasting fees. Masks are not required when riding on the back roads of Sonoma, however they are required when rolling along bike paths. (Courtesy of Sonoma Adventures)
“We are seeing a really steep increase in the number of people coming here from somewhere local,” said Emily Martinson, manager at Sonoma Adventures. “Lots of people from the Bay Area and Southern California. A lot of them have never really spent that much time here in Sonoma.” (Courtesy of Sonoma Adventures)
Bike Healdsburg: The Wine & Nibbles tours have a way of turning heads when they roll through town. Available for private groups of six to 12 people, they can be booked in the morning, midday, or afternoon. The tour stops at three wineries and last three to three-and-a-half hours. $119 per person all-inclusive for six to nine people. $99 per person for 10-12 people. Masks must be worn when not eating or drinking. (Courtesy of Bike Healdsburg)
Bike Healdsburg is currently only running private tours. Bookings must be made by phone or email, and two or more days advance notice is recommended to ensure availability. Through the end of the year, tours are 100% refundable up until the day before the booked tour. (Courtesy of Bike Healdsburg)
Pepperwood’s Learning Landscapes: Private, guided hikes are now available by reservation at Pepperwood Preserve in Santa Rosa. The three hour outings are led by naturalists; hike topics, distance, and intensity can be customized. The cost for a 3-hour guided outing for up to ten people is $425, or $385 for Pepperwood members. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)
Hikers are required to bring masks and encouraged to maintain social distancing while exploring Pepperwood. Naturalists wear masks during the introduction to the hike and when trails require a closer interaction with participants.
Private, guided hikes are available at Pepperwood on select Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Hikers are welcome to bring their lunch and picnic until 1 p.m. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)
Charlie's Acres: This farm animal sanctuary in Sonoma introduced itself to the world during the pandemic with offerings like virtual goat yoga and tours. Now, with safety protocols in place, they are once again offering private sanctuary tours for groups of two to 10 people with a donation. (Courtesy of Charlie's Acres)
Private tours at Charlie’s Acres run approximately 90 minutes and include about a half-mile of walking. Masks and social distancing are required. (Courtesy of Charlie's Acres)
Ace It! Bike Tours: The Bodega Bay Bike & Hike private tour is ideal for people looking to spend more time exploring the coast. In approximately four hours, you’ll roll eight miles on the bike and cover one to two miles on foot. With the exception of the incline to Bodega Head, (where guests are welcome to walk-up their bike) trails are mostly easy and flat. $578 for two guests, $856 for four guests, $139 per person for eight or more guests. Private tours must be reserved by phone, 707-688-4063. (Beth Schlanker / The Press Democrat)
Ace It! Bike Tours requires masks when social distancing is not possible; the guide wears a mask for the duration of the tour. (Shutterstock)
Food & Farm Tours: Think of these private tours as a feast of flavors from Sonoma and Marin County. The customizable tours run about five hours and include roughly three to five stops at a variety of farms and ranches. Think delicious spots like Valley Ford Cheese & Creamery, Monte-Bellaria di California, Griffo Distillery, and Belden Barns. (Courtesy of Food & Farm Tours)
Food & Farm Tours’ private offerings can include four to 10 people. Currently, most guests are opting to drive themselves; staff lead a caravan in a separate vehicle. Starts at $780 for four guests. Masks are required whenever guests are not eating or drinking (or in their personal vehicle). Staff are masked at all times. (Courtesy of Food & Farm Tours)
Wine Country Walking Tours: With stops at three tasting rooms and two eateries, you should allow four hours for these customizable, private tours of Healdsburg. $109 per person, all-inclusive. Guests are required to wear masks when walking; they can be removed when seated for tastings. Guides and servers at stops also wear masks. (Photo courtesy of Kim Carroll)
Whether you’re a longtime Sonoma County resident our a first-time visitor, private tours can be a great way to explore all that this area has to offer. From food and wine tours to farm excursions, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite ways to explore Sonoma County in the above gallery. If you’re planning an outing during the pandemic, remember to wear a face mask and maintain at least six feet distance.
