Cruise through California wine country with this scenic self-guided driving tour of Sonoma and Napa Valley. As you drive, you’ll get tips about the wineries in the valleys, when to visit, and what to try. Visit the medieval-inspired Castello di Amorosa. Stop by Charles Krug Winery, the birthplace of Napa Valley’s wine industry. Learn about the Mondavi family feud. And so much more! Each stop offers unique stories, beautiful scenery, and unforgettable experiences! Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together! After booking, check your email to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action, enter your unique password, and access your tour. These steps require good internet/Wi-Fi access. From there, follow the audio instructions and the route. New, extra validity — now yours for an entire year! Use multiple times over multiple trips!
- Exploring on foot lets you get up close and personal with the sights
- This private tour offers the most personalized way to travel
- Enjoy a classic Chicago experience when you try deep-dish pizza
- Tickets to the 360 Chicago observation deck are included in the cost
What To Expect
Sonoma Plaza
We’ll be passing by lots of wineries on this tour, most of which are open for tastings. This tour isn’t affiliated with any of the wineries, but I’ll let you know their opening hours in case you’d like to stop by. If you do indulge in some tastings, just remember you should never drink and drive!
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Valley of the Moon
Maybe we’ll trust Mariano Vallejo, a statesman who founded the city of Sonoma. Vallejo claimed that the word ‘Sonoma’ meant ‘Valley of the Moon.’ Supposedly, indigenous peoples observed the moon bobbing strangely between the tall, sharp peaks on the east side of the valley. Some nights, the moon seemed to rise seven times as it disappeared and reappeared between the mountains!
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
London Ranch Road
London Ranch Road to visit Jack London’s Ranch or the Benziger Winery.
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Benziger Family Winery
The Benzigers moved to Sonoma in the ‘70s and started to gain attention in the 90s as they transitioned to biodynamic farming.
• Admission Ticket Free
Glen Ellen Village Market
We’re passing through the small village of Glen Ellen. If you think Glen Ellen looks a little sleepy today, imagine this spot in the 1800s!
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Kunde Family Winery
One of the winery’s biggest draws is its volcanic wine caves. Volcanic eruptions sent lava tumbling through this area five million years ago. Some of that lava burrowed underground and hollowed out huge caves perfect for storing wine! And that’s not all. The minerals left behind by this eruption worked their way into the soil. Now, that volcanically-charged soil gives the Kunde wines a totally unique flavor!
• Admission Ticket Free
Kenwood Vineyards
Ahead is Kenwood Vineyards, which actually owns land that once belonged to Jack London’s ranch! This vineyard now grows grapes on that soil that London looked after so well.
• Admission Ticket Free
Chateau St. Jean Winery
The gorgeous chateau dates back to 1920, when a pair of mining and lumber magnates moved here from Michigan. They wanted to grow grapes for wine, but Prohibition dashed those hopes pretty fast. What did they do instead? They grew prunes and walnuts!
• Admission Ticket Free
Ledson Winery & Vineyards
Barker Ledson was born to English nobility, but he yearned for the wildness of the West. He came out here and worked long, sweaty days in the Mojave as a surveyor for the railroad. A far cry from his cushy origins! Ledson used the money to buy a ranch, and eventually turned that ranch into this vineyard!
• Admission Ticket Free
Santa Rosa
This peaceful community was once the site of a very strange cult. Thomas Lake Harris led a religious movement called the Brotherhood of the New Life in the late 1800s. Harris held all sorts of unusual beliefs. Although he was a Christian, he also claimed to communicate with fairies.
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Petrified Forest
A real California treasure lies about a mile ahead: The Petrified Forest! Here, you can walk between ancient, perfectly preserved redwood trees. But how did these enormous, rock-hard monuments come to be?
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Mount Saint Helena
We can trace the story of this mountain back to the same eruption that created the Petrified Forest! After the eruption, much of the volcanic ash hardened into a rock known as welded tuff. Over time, tectonic forces squeezed the earth together and drove this rock upwards… creating Mount Saint Helena!
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Old Faithful Geyser of California
Old Faithful of California is also a bit of a fortune teller. The geyser’s eruptions often slow down in the weeks prior to an earthquake. So if you see Old Faithful sputtering… Get ready for a rumble!
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Chateau Montelena
Just ahead is the Chateau Montelena winery. These winemakers had a starring role in the 1976 Judgment of Paris, the wine competition I talked about earlier. It was their Chardonnay that won the blind taste test!
• Admission Ticket Free
Calistoga
Among the early settlers here was a young Mormon leader named Samuel Brannan. Brannan would become California’s very first millionaire. Where did he get his money? The Gold Rush, of course!
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Sterling Vineyards
If you’re interested in a winery with a view, look out for Sterling Vineyards just ahead. At Sterling, you’ll reach the Hilltop Tasting Room via gondola!
• Admission Ticket Free
Clos Pegase Winery & Tasting Room
If you decide to visit Clos Pegase, you might think you’ve stepped back into Ancient Rome! The founders hosted an architectural competition to decide the design of their winery. The winning plan called for high walls, grand columns, and elegant porticos. Basically, Clos Pegase gives you a mini Mediterranean vacation in the middle of Napa Valley!
• Admission Ticket Free
Castello di Amorosa
The winery’s founder, Dario Sattui, spent years traveling around Europe, sketching complicated blueprints of castles, monasteries, and palaces. When he moved back to California to start his own winery, he pulled out his old sketches and thought: Hm. This could be interesting…
• Admission Ticket Free
Charles Krug Winery
If you’d like to visit the site of Peter’s legendary punch, plus one of Napa Valley’s most acclaimed wineries, look for the sign for the Charles Krug Winery ahead on our left. Turn when you see it and follow the path to the estate.
• Admission Ticket Free
Merryvale Vineyards
Just ahead, in the heart of St. Helena, sits Merryvale Vineyards. One of the founding partners of this winery was Peter and Robert Mondavi’s father, Cesare. His sons first learned to make wine right here in St. Helena!
• Admission Ticket Free
Louis M. Martini Winery
Louis Martini didn’t just survive Prohibition… he actually got his start during Prohibition. Martini found a clever way to thrive in the wine world, despite the fact that most wine was, well, illegal! How did he do it? Well, he realized that sacramental wine was one of the few kinds still legal under Prohibition.
• Admission Ticket Free
V. Sattui Winery
The V. Sattui Winery is just ahead on our left. The crown jewel here is the marketplace, where you can shop for food and wine before heading out for a picnic on the 3-acre property.
• Admission Ticket Free
Grgich Hills Estate
If you’re itching for a glass of wine after all that Mondavi drama, look no further than Grgich Hills Estate ahead.
• Admission Ticket Free
Round Pond Estate
Pairing wine and food is an art, one that winemakers and sommeliers work on for years. A good pairing can unlock unexpected levels of flavor and complexity, while a bad match can leave you spitting out some fine wine!
• Admission Ticket Free
Frog’s Leap Winery
That’s just Frog’s Leap Winery coming up on our left! If you’re looking to sample a Sauvignon Blanc on our tour, this is the place to go! When Frog’s Leap released their first bottle in 1982, the New York Times trumpeted it as “A Prince of a Wine.”
• Admission Ticket Free
Silverado Trail
Today’s paved Silverado Trail traces the path of an important wagon route dating back to the mid-1800s. Travelers used this trail to travel from Calistoga all the way to the big city of San Francisco!
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Mumm Napa
Time to get bubbly! In about a half mile, we’ll see Mumm Napa Winery on our right. They specialize in sparkling wine. What makes a wine sparkle? Winemakers add carbon dioxide to red or white wines, giving them a pleasant fizz!
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Stags’ Leap Winery
The winery sits on a large estate that was once home to a resort, a stopover for Navy sailors, and a rooming home. According to winemaker Robert Brittan, some of these guests seemed to have overstayed their welcome…
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Napa River
For decades, local authorities mismanaged the Napa River. Pollution built up, and the river lost many of its native species. The loss of the river’s beavers proved especially disastrous. Scientists refer to beavers as a ‘keystone species.’ This means that beavers have an essential role in the surrounding ecosystem. Napa needs beavers!
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Trefethen Family Vineyards
Back in 1886, the Goodman brothers built this winery with a keen attention to gravity. On the top floor of the structure, the brothers crushed grapes. They then sent the grapes toppling through a chute to the second floor, where the fermentation process occurred.
• Admission Ticket Free
Cuvaison
You just might feel things start to cool down as we approach Cuvaison Winery. These winemakers operate one of the most acclaimed vineyards in the Los Carneros region of Napa… and compared to other areas in the valley, Los Carneros can get downright chilly!
• Admission Ticket Free
Highlight
Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
How to access: Once you book a tour, you’ll get a confirmation email with instructions. Follow the instructions right away: • Download the separate app • Enter the password • Download the tour • MUST DO while in strong wifi/cellular.
How to start the tour: Open Action’s separate audio tour guide app once onsite. • If there is just one tour, launch it. • If multiple tour versions exist, launch the one with your planned starting point and direction. • Go to the starting point. (Note: no one will meet you at the start. This tour is self-guided). • The audio will begin automatically at the starting point. If you face audio issues, visit the FAQ. • Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
Amazing Savings: why pay for an expensive, crowded, and limited bus tour — priced per person! — when you can have ONE amazing audio guide on your OWN phone for your WHOLE group?
Flexibility and Convenience: • Use the tour app anytime, on any day, and over multiple days. It’s perfect for tailoring your exploration and revisiting your favorite spots on future trips. • Start and pause the tour whenever you like, taking breaks and exploring side excursions at your own pace, free from the constraints of a group.
Comprehensive Tour Experience: • The app provides a full itinerary, travel tips, narrated audio stories, scripts, images, videos, and recommendations for additional activities. • Enjoy a private experience without the crowds, ideal for personalized stops and photo opportunities.
Ease of Use and Accessibility: • The app is hands-free and activates stories via GPS, offering support through call, chat, or email. • There is no need for a continuous cell or Wi-Fi connection as the GPS map works offline.
Memorable Keepsakes: • Utilize the app’s images to create a photo book or share on social media, ensuring you have high-quality, crowd-free memories from your trip.
Preparation: • After booking, download the app and the tour using a strong Wi-Fi connection. • Review the tour at home before your trip for a better experience.
Starting the Tour: • Open the app upon arrival at your destination. • Select the appropriate tour based on your starting point. • Head to the starting location; the audio will begin automatically. • Follow the suggested route and adhere to the speed limit for an optimal experience. • By following these instructions and taking advantage of the app’s features, users can enjoy a personalized, flexible, and in-depth exploration of their destination at their own pace and convenience.
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Include
Engaging storytelling: Uncover unique tales and thrilling history for a memorable journey!
Perfect narrator: nothing can beat listening to a great voice. Proven with tons of rave reviews!
Learn more: dive deeper into any story you enjoyed with extra stories.
Comprehensive route and stops: See it all, miss nothing, leave no stone unturned!
Offline maps: no signal, no problem! Works perfectly without cellular or wifi.
Hands-free: audio stories play on their own based on your location. Easy to use!
Go at your own pace: Start anytime, pause anywhere, enjoy breaks for snacks and photos freely!
Easy-to-use app: download Action’s Tour Guide App onto your phone
Exclude
Foods & Drinks
Max group – 4
