If you want to spend a long weekend sipping wine and exploring the beautiful countryside in California, look no further than Paso Robles (pronounced row-bulls). A charming Southern California town known for its rolling vineyards, hot springs and award winning wineries.
Where to Stay for a Weekend in Paso Robles
When in Paso Robles, make the most of your wine adventure by staying directly at a vineyard. We stayed at the Geneseo Inn at Cass Winery and we loved it. They turned shipping containers into a small, boutique hotel and it did not disappoint. Complete with gourmet breakfast delivered right to your room, daily afternoon happy hour, a beautifully lit courtyard with bonfire in the evenings, and some amazing sunrise/sunset views from your deck, the Geneseo Inn was such a wonderful and unique stay. The Geneseo Inn is also well located for exploring downtown Paso Robles and the nearby Paso wine country. (Geneseo Inn did NOT sponsor our stay, we just loved this spot).
Other Accommodations
Here are a few other places that would make a wonderful home base location during your stay in Paso Robles:
How to Get to Paso Robles
There are a few different ways to get to Paso Robles depending on where you will be arriving from.
By Car
If driving to Paso Robles from a the major California cities, drive times are as follows:
- From San Francisco: 3-3.5 hours
- From Los Angeles: 3.5-4 hours
- From Sacramento: 4-4.5 hours
- From Fresno: 2 hours
By Plane
Paso Robles does not have a commercial airport, but you can fly into nearby airports and drive:
- San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport (SBP) – 30-minute drive
- Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) – 2-hour drive
- San Jose International Airport (SJC) – 2.5-3 hour drive
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) – 4-hour drive
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO) – 3.5-hour drive
Planning Tips
Reservations
Most wineries and restaurants provide an opportunity to make reservations. I’d recommend making reservations in advance for anything you really want to do, to ensure they have space for you, especially during high season. Also, if you’re more of a go-with-the-flow type of human, note that some wineries will not accommodate walk-ins.
Getting Around for Wine Tours
Obviously, you’ll want to be careful with driving while you’re out on wine tours. Be responsible and don’t drink more than you can handle. Split tastings with others in your group to be able to taste more wine without having to drink as much.
Tip: If you don’t want to worry about driving, consider booking a private or semi-private tour to provide your transportation. Here are all your Paso Robles Tour Options. Otherwise, for an alternative tour experience, get tickets to the Paso Robles Wine Line hop on hop off bus.
Wine Clubs
Most wineries will offer a free wine tasting with wine club membership. The requirements for a wine club membership vary by vineyard but generally it’s a commitment to purchase so many of bottles of wine once or twice a year. For example, your wine tasting will cost $50 per person or if you sign up for their wine club the cost of your tasting fee will be waived. If you’re planning on buying bottles from a winery, this can be a great way to re-route the cost of tastings into bottles of wine but it can also add up quickly. Keep this in mind when budgeting for your trip to Paso Robles.
Day 1: Wine Tours
This itinerary assumes you’ll arrive in Paso Robles around lunch time and you have a car available for getting around.
Rental Car: Reserve your rental car here
Wine Tasting + Lunch | Halter Ranch
Book a cave tour, Land Rover tour or just stop for a wine tasting with lunch on the patio. Halter Ranch Estates has a wine experience for everyone to enjoy. They even have their own landing strip, ya know, if you want to drop by in your private jet.
Reservations: Be sure to book your favorite Halter Ranch experience ahead of time.
Wine Tasting | Law Estate Wines
Make your way (20 minute drive) to Law Estate Wines for a very exclusive, private tasting with your own guide to walk you through their current selection of wines.
Reservations: Reservations are REQUIRED for a visit to Law Estate Wines. Walk-ins cannot be accommodated so be sure to make a reservation well in advance. Note, they are closed Wednesdays.
Check into Accommodations
Stop by your accommodations to drop off your bags and relax while you get ready for dinner. If you’re staying at the Genesco Inn, grab some happy hour snacks and a latte from the lobby and wander through the vines.
Dinner | Les Petite Canailles
Head to Les Petit Canailles for an unforgettable dinner experience. Order the “Trust Us” six course tasting menu with wine pairings, sit back and enjoy all the flavors to come. You can also choose to order a la carte and let the sommelier help you choose a bottle of wine to share if that’s more your style.
Reservations: Making reservations at Les Petit Canailles are a must. Note they are closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Other Dinner Ideas
If Les Petite is not available or if just need some other inspiration, here are a few other stellar dinner options to consider:
Day 2: Wine Tastings + Hot Springs Spa
Breakfast
Geneseo Inn guests can enjoy breakfast on their patio with this beautiful sunrise view of the Cass Winery vineyard. Otherwise, head to Joe’s Place or Sunrise Cafe for breakfast on the town.
Wine Tasting | Adelaida
Start your tasting experience at Adelaida, a sustainably focused and organically run winery. Located in western Paso, their tasting room is a beautiful location surrounded by their walnut orchard.
Reservations: Make reservations in advance to ensure seating at Adelaida. Note they are closed Tuesdays.
Wine Tasting + Lunch | Nenow Family Wines or Parrish Family Vineyards
Stop at Nenow Family Wines or Parrish Family Vineyards for another wine tasting. Parrish Family Vineyards has a full menu (available Thursday-Monday) which makes it a better lunch stop if you’re visiting Thursday-Monday but we thoroughly enjoyed Nenow Family Wines as well.
Reservations: Reservations for Parrish Family Vineyards are available daily. Reservations for Nenow Family Wines are available Thursday-Monday. Both will try to accommodate walk-ins as available.
Hot Springs
Unwind at the River Oaks Hot Springs Spa. Schedule a sip and soak spa package to enjoy some Paso Robles wine while you soak in a mineral tub with a vineyard view.
Reservations: River Oaks does not have an online reservation system. However, you can view their services and packages available and call to make a reservation ahead of time.
Sensorio | Field of Lights
On Friday and Saturday nights, enjoy an evening at Sensorio in Paso Robles – an immersive art exhibit with 100,000 lights placed throughout the hills. It is known as the intersection between art, technology and nature and provides a one-of-a-kind outdoor exhibit.
Tickets: You can purchase tickets to Sensorio ahead of time. They have different ticket options depending on which exhibits you would like to see.
Dinner
Head to dinner at Thomas Hill Organics Wine Bar and Bistro, a farm-to-table restaurant serving a changing seasonal menu of organic food with wines from the central coast.
Reservations: Making a reservation for dinner at Thomas Hill Organics is recommended.
Other Dinner Ideas
Even more dinner inspiration, don’t say we didn’t give you options:
Day 3: Horseback Riding
Breakfast
Have breakfast at your hotel or stop at Brunch in downtown Paso for breakfast.
Horseback Riding
If you’re a fan of horseback riding, this is a great way to spend part of the day during your time in Paso Robles. Only a short drive away in Santa Margarita, you can schedule a 1-1.5 hour horseback ride with Central Coast Trail Rides through the Santa Margarita Ranch. This was such a fun experience with some amazing horseback views. A great way to break up all the wine.
Reservations: Be sure to make a reservation with Central Coast Trail Rides ahead of time.
Wine Tasting + Lunch | Ancient Peaks Winery or Niner Wine Estates
After your morning on horseback, head to Ancient Peaks Winery for lunch. This is located right in Santa Margarita very close to Central Coast Trailrides. They have an awesome lunch menu you can enjoy on the patio. Alternatively, if you’re continuing your time in Paso Robles you could also head back to have a fancier lunch at Niner Wine Estates.
Reservations: Ancient Peaks and Niner Wine Estates will accept walk-ins as available however, reservations are recommended – especially Thursday-Sunday.
Continue On
Head back to Paso Robles to experience a few more wineries, continue on to other adventures in Southern California or head home.
With More Time in Southern California
If you have more time to spend in the area, consider adding some other west coast California destinations to your itinerary:
- Big Sur: Drive Highway 1 and explore the Big Sur area. There are so many amazing stops this could fill many more days of time in Southern California.
- Carmel-by-the-Sea: A charming little town right on the coast. An adorable stop for a couple days of world-class golfing, enjoying the beach and exploring the downtown shops.
- Monterey: Spend a few hours on the water to experience some of California’s best whale watching through Monterey Bay Whale Watch.
- San Louis Obispo: Costal town with a mix of hiking, cultural attractions and awesome food and wine.
Other Wine Adventures
- Best Wineries in Tasmania: A Guide to Cool Climate Excellence
- Ultimate Porto Itinerary: How to Spend 3 Days in Portugal’s Hidden Gem
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