An Adventurous and Relaxing Northern California Road Trip Itinerary

This Northern California Road trip itinerary was perfect for our anniversary — the perfect mix of adventure and relaxation. Although we didn’t hike as much as we usually do on this trip, we spent so much time outside soaking in all the natural beauty of this region. Northern California is so underrated and true blew us away! In this post, we’ll share our road trip itinerary and top recommendations for everything to see and do.

When to Visit Northern California

The beauty of Northern California is that it’s a year round destination. Although rain is more common during the winter, we found the weather in December to be amazing and we experienced very few crowds. Rain can also make the hikes through the redwood forests much more magical!

How to get to Northern California

We recommend flying into Sacramento International Airport (SMF) or San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Both SMF and SFO are around the same distance from the first stop on your Northern California road trip itinerary. We generally have a less stressful experience flying into Sacramento because the Sacramento airport tends to be less crowded and have less traffic than San Francisco airport. That being said, either SMF or SFO is a good option!

Northern California Road Trip Itinerary

We split this road trip itinerary into three regions: Wine Country, Anderson Valley, and Mendocino/Fort Bragg. All areas are worth visiting and have a completely different vibe from one another.

Wine Country: Road Trip Stop 1

Check into the Kenwood Inn & Spa

We wanted one to celebrate our anniversary and the end of a crazy year and this luxurious stay was perfect. We highly recommend for a romantic getaway and/or celebration. Rooms range from $400-$1000/night. We stayed in the Hillside Suite and it was one of the nicest hotel rooms we’ve ever stayed in! We loved the fireplace, balcony, double rain shower, and soaking tub. Other amenities include a heated pool and hot tub for use year round, a welcome drink and a daily happy hour with wine from a local winery, and a daily gourmet breakfast. The hotel is located in Kenwood, the heart of Northern California wine country and it’s extremely close to the wineries we visited. However, we won’t blame you if you don’t leave the hotel!

Wine tasting

• Ledson Vineyards: located in Kenwood, right next to Kenwood Inn & Spa; this massive property is known for looking like a castle and has several wine tasting options. We were really impressed with the fireside seated tasting featuring their wine and local cheese. Give yourself enough time to explore the beautiful grounds! Ledson Vineyards also has a deli with cheese, snacks and light bites
• Landmark Vineyards: this gorgeous vineyard had our favorite cheese and wine pairing! The server was very knowledgeable and added a lot of depth to our experience by sharing the history of the vineyard and wine. We even saw an otter in the pond outside and enjoyed walking around and photographing the beautiful property. Landmark Vineyards is also right next to Kenwood Inn & Spa.
• Aperture Cellars: Located in Healdsburg, this vineyard was started by travel photographer Andy Katz’s son. The vineyard is photography themed and the ceiling is designed as an aperture. The stunning architecture, delicious wines, and photography theme made this winery our favorite!

Explore Healdsburg

Healdsburg is such a cute town and you won’t regret stopping here on your Northern California road trip itinerary! We enjoyed exploring the charming streets full of cute shops and restaurants. Some of our favorite shops were Levin & Co Bookstore, Copperfield’s Bookstore, Black Oak Coffee Roasters, and Favorites Consignment.

Dinner at Sushi by Scratch

This meal was a highlight of our trip! This restaurant just opened in Healdsburg, but has several locations across the US. Sushi by Scratch is a 17 course omakase concept by Chef Phillip Frankland Lee. Every bite of sushi melted in our mouths and it was truly the best sushi we’ve eaten! Reservations can be made the month prior.

Anderson Valley: Road Trip Stop 2

Pennyroyal Farm Tour

A farm tour and a wine and cheese tasting?! This activity is great for all ages. We took an hour tour around Pennyroyal Farm and visited their sheep and goats while learning about cheesemaking, the animals, and the history of the farm. After the tour, we were treated to a seated wine and cheese tasting. The farm has beautiful mountain views and is very scenic!

Philo Apple Farm

This adorable farm sold fresh local apples and persimmons. There was a huge variety of local apple and we had fun taste testing them! The farm also sells apple products like jams and cider. The inside wasn’t open when we visited, but it’s still worth a stop to grab some delicious snacks!

Hendy Woods State Park

Hendy Woods State Park is a great stop to see redwoods on your Northern California road trip! It costs $8/vehicle to enter the park. The park offers camping, picnic areas, miles of hiking trails, and two redwood groves. We visited when it was raining and still really enjoyed our hike through the massive redwoods.

Mendocino: Road Trip Stop 3

Explore Downtown Mendocino

First things first, do yourself a favor and get a danish from Garden Bakery! It was the best we’ve ever had. Then, spend time exploring the charming shops in downtown Mendocino! Our favorite shops were Main Street Bookshop and Mendocino Chocolate Company, but we loved popping into all of the stores as well as window shopping!

Check into Inn at Newport Ranch

With miles of private coastal hiking trails and unique experiences like mushroom foraging, you won’t want to leave this massive property! We had an absolutely magical time staying at this idyllic inn perched on the coast. At over 2,000 acres, there’s so much to explore. Not to mention, you could spend all day hanging out in the lodge reading by one of the many fireplaces or enjoying a soak in your personal hot tub. Our room itself was so large and cozy that we spent a lot of time there relaxing! Click here for our full review of the Inn at Newport Ranch.

Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens

This is a great year round stop on your Northern California road trip itinerary! Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens is great for all ages and features miles of hiking trails, coastal views, and a plethora of plant and flower species divided into several areas. General admission is $20 per adult. Check the website for seasonal hours.

Mendocino Headlands State Park

We loved stopping at this park for sunset and walking the short coastal trail. There are several access points to this park and trails of several lengths from extremely short to many miles. Mendocino Headlands State Park has an option for everyone! We loved watching the sky change colors during sunset and we saw so much beauty on our short visit. Next time, we’d love to go on an adventure to hike one of the longer trails! Keep your eyes peeled for seals and sea lions!

Glass Beach

Located in Fort Bragg, Glass Beach is definitely one of the most unique beaches we’ve visited! This beach is unique due to the sea glass that makes up the sand. It was actually used as a dumping site for discarded glass and debris and over the years the waves have shaped the glass into beautiful multi-colored sea glass. We spent a while here admiring the variety of sea glass and scenic views of the sea. Be sure not to take any sea glass with you!

Depart

Time to say goodbye to Northern California! The diverse landscapes, breathtaking coast, world class wineries, and towering redwoods make this one of our favorite road trips in California. We hope you enjoyed this Northern California road trip itinerary!