7 Days in Yosemite National Park, Napa, and Sonoma

Welcome to California

A trip to Yosemite National Park and the world-renowned wine regions of Napa and Sonoma offers the best of all worlds: great hiking with spectacular views and delicious wine tasting. (It’s really no surprise that I would like this, as my general trip philosophy is: Explore on foot by day. Relax with a glass of wine in the afternoon.) We went in August and the weather was beautiful. The day-trip hikes in Yosemite provided incredible views of Half Dome and El Capitan. Sonoma, in particular, is a worthwhile visit; compared to Napa the wineries are smaller and more intimate, tasting fees are lower, and the vibe is generally more laid back. Regardless, you really can’t go wrong with a trip to the area.

Where to Stay

We found it difficult to find a place to stay inside Yosemite National Park (what with us not being willing to camp) so we stayed a short distance outside of the park entrance near North Fork. This meant we had to commit to about 90 minutes of driving each way into the park each day (not ideal) but also meant we were close to a town center with a grocery store for essentials. The area was beautiful and we’d stay there again, although wish we’d been able to reduce the time in the car. We stayed in Glen Ellen in Sonoma County which is ideally situated for Sonoma wineries and not too far (~30-40 minutes) from the wineries in Napa. Glen Ellen was beautiful and we’d absolutely go back.

**Day 1. Arrive in Yosemite National Park**

Arrive late-morning in San Francisco, about four hours from Yosemite National Park.

11:00 - Arrive at the airport in San Francisco and pick up a rental car for the week.

11:30 - Drive to Yosemite National Park (~4 hours east). When close to the Airbnb, stop for groceries to pick up fixings for breakfast, packable lunches for hikes, and dinner for three days/four nights. We found that since we spent time in the car driving to and from the national park, we preferred to keep it low-key in the evenings with home-cooked meals.

5:00 - Check in to the Airbnb and cook dinner.

yosemite-falls — **Day 2. Hike Vernal and Nevada Falls**

Start with a challenging full-day hike with beautiful waterfall views.

8:00 - Have breakfast and then head to the Vernal and Nevada Falls trail entrance. Pack a lunch and snacks for the hike. Try to get out early since it might be a bit of a drive to get to the trailhead.

10:00 - Hike Vernal and Nevada Falls via The Mist Trail. This is a difficult hike (~9 miles) with lots of steps and switchbacks (~2,000 feet of elevation gain). It’s a popular trail so may be crowded. After lunch at the top, you can either return down the Mist Trail, or continue over the bridge to the John Muir Trail for an alternate route back with great views of Liberty Cap and different views of Nevada Fall. Note that the John Muir Trail is longer (4 miles one way vs 2.5 miles on the Mist Trail). (More about the trail.)

3:00 - Head back to the Airbnb to relax and cook dinner.

**Day 3. Hike Sentinel Dome and Taft Point**

Enjoy beautiful views of Half Dome on the second day of hiking.

8:00 - Have breakfast and then drive into Yosemite National Park.

10:00 - Stop first at Glacier Point. There is a short, easy walk to a stunning lookout over Half Dome.

10:30 - Continue on to the trailhead for Sentinel Dome/Taft Point. Hike Sentinel Dome Trail, a moderate-difficult 2-mile route (500 feet of elevation gain.) Have your packed lunch at the top of the dome.

1:00 - Then follow the signs back to the trailhead but continue on to Taft Point, another 2-mile route that takes you out to a huge rock cliff where you can walk out to the edge (if you’re not afraid of heights.)

3:00 - Head back to the Airbnb to relax and cook dinner.

**Day 4. Hike Upper Yosemite Falls Trail**

The final hiking day in Yosemite. Try to get an early start because it’s a long one!

7:30 - Have breakfast and then drive into Yosemite National Park to the Yosemite Falls trailhead.

9:30 - Hike the Upper Yosemite Falls Trail, an 8-mile, out-and-back trail that is challenging because of the switchbacks and seemingly never-ending steps (3,000 elevation gain). The views are great though! Have lunch at the top and then make your way back down. (More about the trail.)

3:30 - Head back to the Airbnb to relax and cook dinner.

**Day 5. Start Wine Tasting in Santa Rosa**

Say goodbye to Yosemite and head to Sonoma/Napa for the first of many wine tastings.

8:00 - Have breakfast and check out of the Airbnb.

9:00 - Drive to Sonoma/Napa (~4 hours).

1:00 - Stop for a quick lunch at Brew in Santa Rosa (A) and then get groceries at the nearby Safeway (B) (if staying near Glen Ellen). Pick up ingredients for breakfast and one dinner.

2:00 - Check in early to the Airbnb (near C) or drop bags off if not ready yet.

2:30 - Take a ride share to Matanzas Creek Winery (D) (tasting room open daily 10-4:30). This was one of our favorite wineries. Enjoy the tasting ($30) or pick up a bottle and bring it outside where you can play bocce and enjoy the views of the surrounding lavender fields.

6:00 - Hail another ride share and head to dinner at Trattoria Cattaneo (E). You can bring a bottle from Matanzas and pay a $10 corkage fee.

Spend the day touring the ritzy Napa wineries with their expansive, scenic views and classy tastings. Plan to take a ride share between all of the stops unless you have a volunteer designated driver. Note: be sure to confirm open hours for the wineries, as some wineries temporarily closed due to wildfires in the area.

10:00 - Have a late breakfast at the Airbnb.

11:00 - Ride share to Silver Oak (A) (open Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 11am-5pm, $40). The one-hour tour includes three wines. The property is beautiful and the tour guides are knowledgeable. Make a reservation.

12:30 - Have lunch at Giugni W F & Son Grocery (B).

1:30 - Head to Cakebread Cellars (C) (open daily 10-4:30) ($35). Make a reservation.

3:30 - The final stop is Sterling (D). The Silver Experience ($55) includes a tasting and a trip on their gondola. Make a reservation. The views from the gondola are pretty neat and make for a fun end to the day.

6:00 - Have dinner at Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch (E). Make a reservation.

On your last day, explore Sonoma Valley wineries either on a bike (recommended!) or by car.

Option 1 - Bike tour. One of our favorite things we did in Sonoma was seeing the vineyards on a bike tour. A bike tour is a great way to explore the area: the fresh air between stops is appreciated, it’s nice to be able to stretch your legs and pause between tastings, and the surroundings are so beautiful, it’s nice to be able to take them in slowly on a bike vs. flying by in a car. We did a bike tour in Healdsburg on a separate trip which is a bit too far way (~45 mins from Glen Ellen). However, Sonoma Valley Bike Tours seems like a good option ($139 for the tour + tasting fees of ~60). The day starts around 9:30 and goes until 4:30.

Option 2 - DIY Sonoma. If you prefer to do more of a “DIY-approach”, some of the vineyards we went to were Lasseter Family Wines ($35 tasting fee with cheese pairing), Wellington Vineyards ($15 tasting fee) and Laurel Glen (known for a wine and chocolate pairing for $50). Lasseter and Wellington are walking distance to each other and Laurel Glen is about 2 miles away. We had a very good experience at all three.

Have More or Less than 7 Days?

If you have more time, consider spending a couple of days in San Francisco, including visiting Alcatraz Prison, hiking in Mount Tamalpais State Park, exploring Golden Gate Park, and eating some delicious and unique food. If you have less than seven days, spend at least two days hiking in Yosemite and don’t miss Sonoma wineries.