I am flying into San Francisco late September and want to go to Sonoma. Does anyone have a sample itinerary? It is so overwhelming - also need nice hotel recommendations. Thanks in advance for your help.

Moved to US board and tagged for California

Can't make any sort of hotel recommendations without knowing your budget -- with the understanding that Sonoma hotel rates can be high to astronomical. Also September/early October is during harvest season so assuming there are no regional fires, rates are high and availability is limited.

How may days?

And are you talking about the town of Sonoma or the county? The county includes Healdsburg, Santa Rosa, and out to the coast to Bodega Bay. Redwoods. What are you looking to do? Just wine and food or some hiking and sightseeing on the coast?

If you can't find anything in Healdsburg, look around Windsor. If your dates are fixed, just lock something in now!!! There are a few chain hotels there, such as HI Express and Hampton Inn & Suites.

Websites like Expedia and Booking.com can be used for research, then you might be able to book direct for a better deal or cancel policy.

I assume this is for food and wine.

If you're on a budget, or even if you aren't, I can recommend the Sonoma Creek Inn where I've stayed several times. In Boyes Hot Springs in a nice neighborhood, near the Sonoma Mission Inn, a short drive into town. You can book on their website or check the usual booking sites' rates, too.

https://www.sonomacreekinn.com/

I love the town of Healdsburg. When I did a similar trip, we stayed in Santa Rosa. However, the hotel we stayed in burned to the ground in a fire a couple of years ago so won't be recommending that.
We went on wine tours so didn't have to drive.
We enjoyed a meal at the Girl and the Fig restaurant in Sonoma.

If you want to stay in Sonoma, you could explore the square and the restaurants shops around it and in the town. Tasting rooms are also nearby and out Hwy 12, towards Kenwood and Glen Ellen. I am not sure which wineries are open since the fires last fall. We have stayed at the Best Western Sonoma Valley Inn.

We really like Healdsburg too and go to wine club events at the Dry Creek Vineyard. We have stayed at Air bnbs, Hotel Healdsburg $$$, right on the square and very nice. We have also stayed at the Best Western Dry Creek Inn$$. I hate it for the price. A glorified Motel 6. I think it has been updated, so it may be better than it was. I get emails from Hotel Trio. It looks nice but we have never stayed there.

If you stay in Healdsburg, you can check out the shops, restaurants, and tasting rooms around the square and town. You can head out Dry Creek Road, Lambert Bridge Roads for more winery visits. Another fun day would be: get a packed lunch, head out Westside Road to visit a few wineries. Westside turns into River Road and visit Korbel for sparkling wine. Then visit the Armstrong Redwoods. These are old growth trees. It is supposed to reopen at the end of July.

https://www.pressdemocrat.com/articl...ost-fire-tree/