Planning a trip between two towns as different as Berkeley and Sebastopol takes a little more thought than a typical single-destination getaway, so here’s what we tell every guest before they arrive.
Getting here: Most guests fly into San Francisco International (SFO) or Oakland International (OAK), both about an hour from Berkeley and closer to ninety minutes from Sebastopol depending on traffic. If you’re visiting both of our locations, renting a car for the trip is the easiest way to go — the drive between Berkeley and Sebastopol takes about an hour and a half through some genuinely pretty stretches of the North Bay. If you’re only staying in Berkeley, BART makes a car optional; Sebastopol is more car-dependent, since it’s a small town built for driving between spots.
What to pack: The Bay Area’s microclimates catch a lot of visitors off guard. Berkeley can be foggy and 15 degrees cooler than inland areas even in summer, so bring layers no matter what season you’re visiting. Sebastopol runs warmer and drier in summer, cooler and rainier in winter. A light jacket, comfortable walking shoes, and a reusable water bottle cover you in either location.
Building your itinerary: If you have four or five days, we usually suggest splitting your time — two or three nights in Berkeley for museums, the UC campus, and the food scene along University and San Pablo Avenues, then the rest of your trip in Sebastopol for wine country, breweries, and slower mornings. Book the Sebastopol leg for later in your trip; it’s the better place to decompress before heading home.
A few practical notes: check-in and checkout times are on your booking confirmation, but we’re generally flexible if you let us know your flight schedule ahead of time. Both properties have full kitchens, so a grocery stop at Whole Foods in Sebastopol or one of Berkeley’s markets on day one is worth building into your plans.
Whichever way you split your trip, staying with us means a real home base rather than a hotel room — kitchens, laundry, and space to actually unpack. Browse our properties in both locations, or check availability to start building your itinerary.
