8 Best Hotels Within Walking Distance of Historic Sonoma Sites
The 1823 Sonoma Mission (officially Mission San Francisco Solano) and related sites within the town of Sonoma's highly walkable downtown hark back to California’s era of Mexican rule. Luckily for both upscale and budget travelers, varied lodging options abound within walking distance. You could easily abandon your car for a day or two to explore Sonoma's attractions, taste wine, and sample first-rate Italian, Portuguese, and other cuisine.
Among the shops near the plaza are an update of the initial Williams-Sonoma store on its original 1956 site and the Vella Cheese Company, established in 1931. Beyond Vella an eminently walkable 2 miles (nearly all flat) is the legendary Buena Vista Winery. Started in 1857 less than a decade after California achieved statehood, Buena Vista is considered the birthplace of the state’s modern wine-making industry.
Below are our top downtown Sonoma hotel picks, some of them historic properties themselves.