San Francisco to Sonoma: Best Way to Get to Wine Country 2023
If you are planning a trip to wine country and wondering what is the best way to get from San Francisco to Sonoma, you have come to the right place!
When visiting San Francisco, you most likely will not have a car with you, but no worries, there are still many other ways to get to Sonoma County from the city.
And trust me, as someone who has lived in the Bay Area since 2017, Sonoma is worth a visit. I have been to Sonoma on so many different occasions. Honestly, more than I can even count! I am excited to share with you all of the tips that I have learned for the best ways to get from San Francisco to Sonoma.
In this guide, you will discover the 5 different ways to get from San Francisco to Sonoma, how to get from SFO to Sonoma, and many more helpful planning tips.
⏰ Don’t have time to read the whole article?
The Napa and Sonoma Wine Country Full-Day Tour is the best way to get from San Francisco to Sonoma.
You get to visit 3 wineries with a tour guide and the best part is, you don’t need to worry about a designated driver for the day!
⭐ Also, there are over 3,000 raving reviews, so you can’t go wrong.
San Francisco to Sonoma: 5 Different Ways
If you want to escape the city for the day, planning a trip from San Francisco to Sonoma is the perfect way to experience beautiful wine country. Indulge in wine tasting, farm-to-table dining, picturesque vineyards, and outdoor adventures.
Depending on where you are traveling to in Sonoma, it is located about 45 miles north of San Francisco. It is roughly an hour’s drive from the city to Sonoma.
There are five best ways to get from San Francisco to Sonoma, and depending on a couple of factors like your budget and time will help you decide the best option for you.
- Guided Wine Tour ⭐️ My recommendation
- Private Driver
- Car Rental
- Shared Car (Uber/Lyft)
- Public Transit (Bus, Ferry, or Train)
1. Wine Tour from San Francisco to Sonoma
Pros:
- Planning is done for you
- Convenient and stress free
- You will not need a designated driver
- A fast and direct way to get to Sonoma
- A knowledgeable tour guide will drive you to each winery
Cons:
- One of the pricier options
- Lack of flexibility in the schedule
In my opinion, booking a wine tour from San Francisco to Sonoma is the best and safest way to get to wine country.
A huge perk of a wine tour is, you will not need a designated driver for the day. Your driver and tour guide will pick you up from San Francisco and chauffer you to Sonoma and all of the wineries.
If you are planning a trip to Sonoma, you are going to want everyone to enjoy themselves and all of the wine tastings. And not have to stress about deciding who is going to be the DD.
A wine tour provides transportation between the wineries, so you don’t have to rely on Uber/Lyft. Also, they do all of the planning for you. So all you need to worry about is sitting back and relaxing in wine country with some delicious wine and the company of your friends.
Napa and Sonoma Wine Country Full-Day Tour from San Francisco
⭐️ RATING: 4.5 out of 5 Stars |⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 9 hours | ✅ BOOK NOW
What Makes This Tour Unique:
- Pickup in San Francisco
- Photo op of Golden Gate Bridge
- Great value for the price
- Wine tastings are included
- Visit 3 wineries in Sonoma & Napa
- Lunch in Sonoma Square Plaza or Yountville
- Tour guide & transportation included
The Napa and Sonoma Wine Country Full-Day Tour from San Francisco is a top tour because it packs in the best of wine country in one day trip.
You will get to visit 3 charming wineries, have lunch downtown (not included in the price), have transportation for the day to and from San Francisco to Sonoma and to the wineries, and have a knowledgeable tour guide along the way.
“Danny, our driver, was engaging and fun to listen to. Nice stop for photos at Golden Gate Bridge. Excellent choices for wine tastings and enjoyed the lunch stop in Sonoma. Thank you for a memorable trip!!” – Sandra B. (read more reviews)
Honestly, for everything you are getting with this tour, I don’t think you will find a better deal. Especially when the average price for a wine tasting in Sonoma is around $25-30, and Napa is even more.
✅ Check rates and availability for the Napa and Sonoma Wine Country Full-Day Tour from San Francisco here
2. Private Driver in Sonoma
Hiring a private driver to go wine tasting in Sonoma is a great way to enjoy the beautiful scenery and world-class wines without having to worry about driving.
With a private driver, you can sit back and relax as you are chauffeured from vineyard to vineyard, sampling some of the best wines in the region.
Whether you’re planning a romantic getaway or a fun-filled day with friends, a private driver is a convenient and safe option for exploring the Sonoma wine country.
Private Sonoma and Napa Wine Tour from San Francisco
⭐️ RATING: 4.5 out of 5 Stars |⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 8 hours | ✅ BOOK NOW
What Makes This Tour Unique:
- Private tour of up to 6 people
- Pick up from accommodations in San Francisco
- Photo op of the Golden Gate Bridge
- 5-stop wine tour in Napa and Sonoma
- Create a customized wine tour or choose wineries from a predetermined list
What I like the most about this tour is that you have total control of your wine tasting itinerary. You can either create your own itinerary or choose wineries from a predetermined list.
This is perfect if you already have a winery that you want to visit in mind, and they can help you plan the rest of the day around it.
“This was an excellent experience for us Kyle our driver was the absolute BEST!! So helpful!! Highly recommend this they helped us with picking the wineries and schedules! Great choice! Thank you for everything!” – Rebecca H. (read more reviews)
The Private Sonoma and Napa Wine Tour from San Francisco also offer you to visit up to 5 wineries in a day.
Pro Tip: I usually only recommend up to 3 wineries in a day, any more than that, and you will be rushing to each wine tasting reservation. I go into more detail on how many wineries you can visit in a day here.
✅ Check rates and availability for the Private Sonoma and Napa Wine Tour from San Francisco here
Hire a Designated Driver to Drive Your Car
Another great idea is to hire a designated driver to drive your car around Sonoma. WEDRIVE is a referral service that will connect you with a professional driver.
The driver will be your DD, and you will enjoy the freedom of being driven around in the comfort of your car. It is also cheaper to have someone drive your car instead of booking a luxury vehicle or wine tour.
3. Drive a Rental Car from San Francisco to Sonoma
Pros:
- The easiest and fastest way to get to Sonoma
- Flexible schedule
Cons:
- Need a designated driver
- If staying in San Francisco you won’t need a car
Renting a car and driving from San Francisco to Sonoma is the fastest way to get to wine country. Having your own car will give you the freedom and allow for flexibility in your schedule to wine taste and go wherever you want.
However, if you decide to drive you will also need a designated driver. And depending on who you are traveling with, it can be difficult on trying to decide who is going to sit out on the wine tastings.
If it is your first time in Sonoma and everyone wants to participate in wine tastings, I would recommend either hiring a private driver or booking a group tour instead. It is not worth the risk of drinking and driving.
Having a car with you when visiting northern California is great. You can explore and see so many more incredible nearby locations like Napa Valley, Monterey, and Half Moon Bay to name a few of my favorites.
But if you are staying in San Francisco, you will not need a car to get around. So just renting one for a day in Sonoma wouldn’t be the best or cheapest option.
I would only recommend renting a car if you plan on staying in Sonoma for longer than a day or two and plan on visiting other locations in northern California besides San Francisco and Sonoma. And of course, make sure to have a DD to go wine tasting.
If you do decide to rent a car, make sure to book in advance:
✅ Check rates and availability for a rental car here
4. Uber/Lyft from San Francisco to Sonoma
Pros:
- You don’t need a designated driver
- Direct route to Sonoma
Cons:
- Rates can fluctuate
- Unreliable
Uber and Lyft are dependable forms of transportation to get around in San Francisco. However, I would not recommend it for going to Sonoma from the city.
One reason is that prices fluctuate, and you may end up paying a fortune to get back from Sonoma. Prices for Ubers in San Francisco can get pretty pricey. There have been numerous times when we needed a ride back from SFO, and our ride cost $100 + to get home, and I live in Oakland.
Also, you will need to depend on Uber to get you around Sonoma as well. Most of the wineries in Sonoma are not within walking distance of each other. So you will have to reserve shared cars to get to your wine tastings.
Uber and Lyft can be unreliable. Unless you have your ride booked in advance, there is no guarantee you will find a driver who is willing to drive you out of the city to Sonoma. Many of the drivers do want to leave the city, and Sonoma is at least an hour’s drive from San Francisco not including traffic.
I think getting an Uber/Lyft to Sonoma from San Francisco could be done, but it would not be my first choice of transportation.
5. San Francisco to Sonoma by Public Transportation
The cheapest option to get to Sonoma from San Francisco would be by public transportation. Taking the bus, train, or ferry is the most budget friendly, but there are no direct routes to Sonoma from San Francisco. So taking public transit will require some planning and extra travel time.
🚌 Travel by Bus to Sonoma
Pros:
- Budget friendly
- You don’t need a designated driver
Cons:
- Not a direct route, need to take multiple buses or Uber/Lyft
- Extra travel time
Golden Gate Transit offers a bus line, Route 101, from San Francisco to different locations in Sonoma County, like Petaluma and Santa Rosa. A one-way trip from San Francisco to Sonoma County is $14.
Greyhound also operates a bus route from San Francisco to the Santa Rosa Transit Center. A one-way bus ticket is $19 and it’s a 2.5-hour trip.
However, where the bus drops you off in Santa Rosa is not exactly where the wineries are. You will still need to take a 20-40 minute Uber/Lyft to get to the main towns of Sonoma, like Healdsburg, Sebastopol, and Guerneville.
Or if you choose not to take a shared car, the other option is to ride the Sonoma County Transit bus to reach your final destination in Sonoma.
So you may save some money taking the bus, but you will still need to pay for a shared car or take an additional bus to get closer to the wineries. Taking the bus is not the most convenient or fastest way to get to Sonoma.
Where Do I Catch the San Francisco to Sonoma Bus From
You can catch the bus from San Francisco to Sonoma County either at the Sales Force Transit Center on Mission & Fremont or at San Francisco Civic Center at Golden Gate & Polk. For the Golden Gate Transit weekend bus schedule, you can go here.
Greyhound also picks up the Sales Force Transit Center. The address is:
425 Mission Street 206, 94105 San Francisco, CA
⛴️ Travel by Ferry + Train to Sonoma
Pros:
- Budget friendly
- Scenic route
- You don’t need a designated driver
Cons:
- Long travel time
- Not a direct route to Sonoma
SMART (Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit) offers a combo ticket to get you from San Francisco to Sonoma by Ferry and train. For a flat rate of $12, you can purchase a one-way combo ticket for the Larkspur ferry and train.
Catch the Golden Gate Ferry from the Ferry Building in San Francisco to Larkspur Ferry Terminal. It is a 30 minute ferry ride.
From Larkspur you can hop aboard the SMART Train to Sonoma County Airport which is about a 1 hour and 15-minute trip and then Uber/Lyft to your destination in Sonoma from there. You will need to purchase your combo ticket on the SMART etickets app.
🚉 Travel by Train + Bus to Sonoma
Pros:
- Budget friendly
- You don’t need a designated driver
Cons:
- Long travel time
- Not a direct route to Sonoma
Another option for public transportation from San Francisco to Sonoma is by train and bus. If you go this route, it is the longest journey from the city to wine country and has the most connections.
The closest Amtrak station to San Francisco is actually outside of the city in Emeryville. The best way to get there would be to take the bus from the Chase Center in San Francisco to the Amtrak station.
From there, you will take the train to Martinez and then you can connect to a bus to Healdsburg.
💰 Want to Save $$ Wine Tasting
The cost of wine tastings can easily add up when you visit multiple wineries in a weekend.
If you want to save money on wine tasting and use it elsewhere like towards accommodations, restaurants, and tours- Priority Wine Pass can cut your tasting fees in half! Literally.
They offer 2 for 1 tastings at participating wineries. So you would only need one pass per couple! It’s a pretty incredible deal!
* My readers get the Wine Pass at a discounted rate. Make sure to use the coupon code TTWT to get the best deal!
Want to learn more about the Priority Wine Pass? Priority Wine Pass Is it Worth It 2023: All You Need to Know
How to Get From SFO to Sonoma
Similar to traveling from the city, you can get to Sonoma from SFO by renting a car, public transit, or you can book a shuttle or private car service. Booking a shuttle or private transfer in advance is the most convenient option, especially if you have a lot of luggage with you.
Additionally, another way to from SFO to Sonoma is by the Groome Transportation (Sonoma County Airport Express). You can take the direct transfer from Oakland International Airport or San Francisco International Airport and makes four stops in Sonoma County: the Sonoma County Airport, Santa Rosa Fairgrounds, Doubletree Hotel in Rohnert Park, and the Petaluma Fairgrounds.
What is the Quickest Way to Get to Sonoma from San Francisco?
The quickest way to get to Sonoma from San Francisco is to drive, and that is either by renting a car or by booking a tour or private transfer.
Depending on the exact location in Sonoma you want to visit, the drive can take anywhere from 45 minutes to over an hour.
How Much is Uber from SFO to Sonoma?
According to Uber, the average price for a ride from SFO to Sonoma is $105 and the average travel time is 86 minutes.
Is Napa or Sonoma Closer to San Francisco?
Sonoma is closer to San Francisco, but not by much. Napa is approximately 50 miles from San Francisco and Sonoma is 45 miles from San Francisco. Both locations are about 1.5 to 2 hours from the city.
Are There Shuttles from SFO to Sonoma?
The Sonoma County Airport Express is a shuttle from SFO to Sonoma and makes four stops in Sonoma County: the Sonoma County Airport, Santa Rosa Fairgrounds, Doubletree Hotel in Rohnert Park, and the Petaluma Fairgrounds. Another option would be to book a private shuttle from SFO to Sonoma.
In Conclusion: Best Way To Get From San Francisco to Sonoma
Through my experience, I believe the best way from San Francisco to Sonoma is by guided wine tour. However, no matter which transportation option you choose, the journey from San Francisco to Sonoma is a beautiful one, and you will be rewarded with breathtaking views and excellent wine!
Thinking about visiting Napa Valley as well? You can find all of my Napa Guides here, such as First Time to Napa Valley: Ultimate Guide + Tips, Is There Uber in Napa: How to Get Around Napa Valley, How Many Days Do You Need in Napa Valley, and more.
