Full-day Escape: Muir Redwoods Plus Napa & Sonoma Wineries Tour

Great combo of a gentle hike in the redwoods, then a napa wine tasting to top off the day. Just enough time in Salsalito to grab a bite in between experiences. Be sure to wear layers, even in October, the redwoods were chilly, then wine country was in the 80's.

The Muir Woods portion of the trip was wonderful! Unfortunately due to several events happening in and around SF, our bus to Napa was delayed and we were very rushed through our first Vineyard. In addition, our original tour was supposed to be to Sonoma and the Russian River Valley, and that was changed the day before the tour. Overall, I wouldn't do a big bus tour like this again. It felt like we were a herd and not customers. I would recommend spending a little more money on a semi private tour.

Felt like a personal tour as there were only four people for the day. Were able to buy lunch at the first vineyard to enjoy at the redwoods before walking it off and going on to the next tasting session. Great tour

Last minute cancellation. After getting a confirmation at 8:30am. I got a notification via Viator at 3:30pm that my tour was cancelled due to lack of participation. However a week prior I wanted to add two more people to this tour and it was not available. I can only conclude that they knew a week in advance that they would not be running this tour. I was offered a different tour via the notification on Viator. I asked for more information and got no response. I tried calling and left two messages before I finally got a call an hour later. At this point I had two options, take what they offered or nothing at all as it was too late to book an alternative. Turns out I was scheduled for two different tours. The morning tour took us to Muir Woods then left me in Sausalito where I was to wait on a different bus to pick us up for a winery tour. We were the only two people doing this and when the big bus arrived, the driver asked if we wanted to sit together, the bus was full and no one would move to accommodate us. He moved a cooler from a front row seat for us. Turns out that seat sat above an exhaust from the engine that blew extremely hot air on my legs. About 30 minutes later, when the bus was at a light, we asked for relief and he said there was nothing he could do. My nephew and I switched seats so he took the burning heat for next half hour to give me some relief. After the first stop, I told the driver I wouldn’t sit there again. Sitting elsewhere only forced someone else to take that spot, and we soon discovered the entire bus was uncomfortably hot, we didn’t have the burning exhaust directly on our legs but everyone on the bus complained of the heat. The driver said he was aware and sorry. I would caution anyone from taking a tour with Tower, as they clearly waited to the last minute to notify me of cancellation, forcing me to accept there offer or have nothing, then putting us on a bus that they knew was uncomfortable.

Transportation vehicle was very nice, clean. The tour was long enough with ample time to enjoy each of the wineries and the Redwoods! Of course, what made the tour even better was the driver, Grady!!! So pleasant and knowledgeable.

We booked this combo tour, but not enough other people did, so they canceled it. Issues like this come up, but it’s how a company handles it that make the difference. They put us on two 1/2 day tours, one for the redwoods and one for wine country. It worked out well. We even got to have lunch in Sausalito! Driver/guides were fun. Good tours.

Seeing the Redwoods was great but we only had half a hour there instead of one and half hours as advertised. There was only 4 people on the tour. The driver was a good driver but gave very little commentary and we found her difficult to understand. We visited 2 wineries in the Sonoma valley. One was great the other not so good atmosphere.

Slight whiplash from bus ride but our bus driver was amazing. 😜she was very knowledgeable and the tours were incredible.

The trip covered the promised three sites and delivered what was expected. The driver was excellent and told entertaining stories and facts about the route. The time spent at Armstrong was slightly shorter than promised (1.15 vs 1.30) but we still got to enjoy this a lot. It would have been helpful to receive a clearer itinerary before the trip started with the order of the stops. The trip ended slightly later than we were told which was fine but it did seem as if the operators should have factored in a bit more time in general. There were no traffic or other issues along the way so it seems that how the operator calculates the timing is slightly too tight. Probably better to factor in an extra hour in case people have made plans upon return. Overall, the trip was definitely worth it. Armstrong Reserve is beautiful and the tastings were very nice with generous samples. Good way to do both in one day.

“Had a fantastic tour to Armstrong Redwoods with Marcos from Towers Tours. Marcos was knowledgeable, friendly, and kept the day organized while still making it feel relaxed and enjoyable. The drive was smooth, the stops were well planned, and the redwoods were absolutely breathtaking. Marcos shared interesting local history and tips throughout the trip, which made the experience even better. Highly recommend this tour for anyone wanting to explore the beauty of the redwoods without the stress of planning everything yourself!”

Was very disappointed in the lack of communication. Got confirmation the day before and she. We arrived there was a change in tour. We were able to go to meiur woods and 2 wineries but not to the korbel or Russian river winery and that was really important to us. The staff at Madonna winery were amazing. The wine was mid. The staff at rivango was terrible and rude. The wine was not grow at but it was pretty.

Really enjoyed this tour. We visited three wineries and also had the chance to stop in Sonoma for lunch. Our guide, Steve, was very friendly and kind.

This is an excellent day trip. There were only 4 of us in the glass roofed minibus, which was good as there was no waiting around for stragglers. Our driver Coco was great, giving lots of information but also allowing the fabulous scenery to speak for itself. We start off going over the Golden Gate for a photo stop, then on to the Korbel Winery for a tour and tasting. They produce mostly sparkling wine, which was great. Its set in a fabulous location surrounded by redwoods. Next on to the Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve. We had about an hour to explore - the trees are breathtaking. Our final stop was lunch at the Russian River Vineyard, with wine tasting. We had an amazing day - this trip was incredible!

My mom and I ended up being the only ones to book this tour, so we were able to switch to the full day Napa only tour with no problems. And we got to visit an extra winery!

The first winery we visited was very good and the other two were nice. We had lunch at La Casa in Sonoma, which we highly recommend - very tasty and friendly staff. The driver, James, made some additional stops for pictures, which was very nice. But he also talked nonstop and I do mean nonstop! My ears hurt from his stream of consciousness talking and he would drift from thought to thought and came close to crossing into political and religious topics which didn’t bother us but did make some of our group touchy. There several hours of riding in the bus, so be forewarned. We were in a heat wave (yes, in March) and he would turn the air down so he could talk. Our group bonded over our frustration but he was nice so no one said anything. In addition, he started crossing railroad tracks and then changed his mind so we ended up inside the gate next to the tracks. It was stressful but he managed to get the shuttle bus close enough to the edge of the road to keep us from getting hit. Not sure about an overall recommendation-maybe the shorter tour with Muir Woods included would be more enjoyable. And not sure you can know who your driver is ahead of time. Good luck!

The day was rainy and our scheduled trip needed to be revised due to weather issues. The tour company was able to revise plans to ensure we experienced redwoods and vineyards. Despite the rain, Muir Woods was well worth the walk in the damp forest. The Vineyards; Madonna Estate and Back Stage were welcoming, informative and offered a variety of tasting options. A day well spent. The tour company was on time and delivered as expected.

Great tour - visited Korbel Winery, Armstrong Redwoods and Russian River Vineyards. Korbel tasting included a tour which had interesting history of Russian River Valley. They also have a shop/deli onsite to grab lunch (not included in price). Armstrong (in my opinion) is better than Muir - less crowded and more jurassic feel. And RRV has great wines. Overall a great tour and good value. Also our driver Patrick was fantastic - good knowledge, funny, but left us alone at the end of the day to rest on the way home.

We had a great tour guide! He made the ride to wine country fun and played great music. He walked us in to our reserved wine tours and set us up at each location. We felt taken care of.

It was a really fun and easy day and everyone involved was very welcoming. The redwoods are impressive and I definitely know more about the process of making champagne.

I made friends from around the world on this fun, little tour. We stopped at the Korbel Winery and tasted the most delicious California champagnes, which are not your typical grocery store variety. They also shared the rich history of the winery, dating back to the 1800s. We then hiked a little over 2 miles to see the oldest tree in the redwoods - the Colonel Anderson, which is over 1,400 years old - before visiting a delightful boutique winery, the Horse & Plow, for delicious Pinot Gris and charcuterie. It was simply lovely and I'd highly recommend it. No food is included, so grab some snacks to take along for the ride.

I booked this tour for a sister’s trip. We had such an amazing time! Debi was the absolute best! She was knowledgeable, kind, and has such a great sense of humor.

There were three stops! The tasting at Korbel was excellent. However, I wish we could have toured the cellar. I recommend eating at the delish deli. Amazing! The Armstrong redwoods was a great stop as well! The horse and plow a little disappointing. It was cool as they produce hard apple cider but the tasting was uneventful. I thought on the tour I would have gone to a vineyard with grapes and learned about the process and sampled from those harvested grapes but the tour was not that.

Debi is amazing... she makes you feel relaxed and is very knowledgeable about the sites and she points out other important things along the way. I travel mostly by myself and the didn't make me feel different which is nice. Be prepared to enjoy yourself and walk... I love to walk and walking among the redwoods was awesome.

Lester was a great guide! Excellent wine tasting and hiking thru the redwoods! Tour left on time but wish there would have been more time.

We signed up for this tour because the price was reasonable to be able to experience wineries and the redwoods and it didn’t disappoint. We got very lucky and see the only two people on the tour. Our guide told us it’s a fairly new tour. Well worth the money. They only thing I would suggest is giving more time at Korbel so we could have done the tour.

Our trip to the Napa Valley with #Big Bus Tours was one of the best tours we’ve ever done for the price. As an added bonus we were the only passengers on the tour. Our driver/guide, Grady made the whole day a pleasure; his commentary was very informative and we thoroughly enjoyed his dignified, humorous company. He managed the whole day perfectly as he drove us through SF to #Korbel Winery, Armstrong Woods and #Russian River Winery. We loved the whole day! Thanks, Grady!!

Great tour. Grady our guide was wonderful. Really enjoyed the Korbel tasting. Russian River Winery was nice.

Marco was my tour guide. He was great, very informative and helpful with everything. I saw the Armstrong red woods, follows with 2 wineries at Sonoma valley.

Absolutely fantastic trip!! Between Marco and Jim we felt we learned a huge amount about the Bay area as well as Muir Woods and Napa/Sonoma. I'd absolutely recommend this trip!

Marco made a Golden Gate photo stop for us! He was so accommodating, asking if we needed more or less time on the stops. First bus to Muir Woods had to leave without two passengers after waiting 7 minutes for them beyond time. Entire day was easily wheelchair accessible, as promised. Loved our last ng day!

We booked a full day Muir Woods/ Sausalito and Napa wine tasting through Tower Tours which is run by the Big Bus Company. Our morning driver was Patrick, and he made the morning fun and informative. 90 minutes in Muir was just enough time to walk the whole loop with stops for photos and visit the gift shop. Our driver for the afternoon was Marco. He made sure I had the chance to stop for a photo of the Golden Gate on our way back. Overall the trip was nice and relaxing.

Steve was amazing. Excellent time with a great guide. And the wine wasn’t bad either. Wink wink Madonna was the best vineyard.

Only 2 of us - the company proceeded with the tour and we really had a good time besides learning more of the wine making industry there. Our guide Patrick was a friendly and gregarious person - he made the journey fun as well as informative. The 3 winneries (Madonah, Sutter and Ruvango) were indeed very ideal places to visit - their hosts were friendly, helpful and so willing to share. And weather was fine with beautiful sceneries throughout the tour. Really a great trip.

Driver was very friendly and knowledgeable. Plus got us to our places safely!! Beautiful trip all around. We had a ton of fun and enjoyed all the scenery

Excellent tour, Muir woods exceeded my expectations and would recommend wholeheartedly. Wine tour proved enjoyable and seeing Napa Valley the home of some great wines was a bonus. Marco, who guided the wine tour proved to be excellent.

The toor guide Marco is so kind and thoughtful!!!! Wine experience was so knowlegeble and enjoyable!!!! I would definately recommend this trip to everyone.