Valle de Guadalupe has been a long-standing favorite destination of mine since arriving in California. Just about 2-hours away from San Diego, spending a weekend in Valle de Guadalupe offers an incredible wine & food scene, gorgeous views, and will cost you 1/4 of the cost of a Napa getaway – so it’s the perfect fix for a budget-friendly, wine-tasting excursion. But, that’s not to say you can’t get the luxury one envisions while escaping to wine heaven. Valle is packed with everything from high-end vineyards & restaurants, as well as local joints, sure to fit anyone’s budget.

After multiple trips to this region, I’ve put together the best way to spend 4-days in Valle de Guadalupe, including info on how to get there, how to get around once you make it, and of course, the best restaurants, wineries and places to see.

If you’re looking for a quick read on best wineries or restaurants in VDG, be sure to check out my other posts for more details – Valle de Guadalupe Travel Guide, The Best Wineries in VDG and My All-Time Favorite Restaurants in VDG.

What To Know Before

How To Get There

Drive From SoCal

As it’s an easy drive from San Diego, if you’re in SoCal, I’d recommend making the drive South past the border. The first time we made the trip, I was a little hesitant about the drive – it was my first time crossing the border with a vehicle, but I assure you the drive was simple, straight-forward, and also, absolutely breath-taking.

We chose to cross at the San Ysidro border, where we hit a bit of traffic as the line backs up to cross, but after that point, it’s a smooth drive along the coast on the 1 through Rosarito and towards Valle. You’re in for gorgeous views of the coast the rest of the way down, until you head inland in Esenenda. The 1 is a toll highway, so definitely keep some cash on hand to pay – they accept both dollars & pesos.

If you have the time, it’s worth stopping for some fish tacos in Rosarito – the area is known for some of the freshest seafood. Our personal favorite is Mariscos la Alegria, where you can get spectacular fish tacos for $1 a piece, plus a fresh margaritas & cold beer – time to start the vacation!

If you do drive, make sure to account for border traffic on the way back – it can take a longgggg time to cross the border on the way back into the US. Make sure to check the current boarder wait times before heading back, website HERE to check. Typically, it can take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours to cross – and we’ve heard horror stories about longer, though thankfully has yet to happen to us (bless). The best times to leave are later in the evening, and early morning – so keep that in mind.

Arrange For A Driver To Meet At The Border

It’s also possible to arrange a pick up from the Tijuana border, if you don’t want to drive. You can park you car at the border – there are a lot of lots in the area, but range from $20 on weekdays, upwards of $40 on weekends per day. You would then walk across the border, and meet you arranged driver. Even from Tijuana, you can hire a driver to scoop you up, and take you to the wineries throughout the day for about $150 for a 4-person sedan.

Fly Into The Tijuana Airport

If you’re coming from outside of California, you can fly into the Tijuana airport and either rent car from there or schedule transportation to pick you up from the airport.

Getting Around Valle

As we chose to drive down to Valle, we did decide to drive around a bit on our own to explore. If you’re planning to do a full day of wineries, I definitely suggest hiring a driver for the day. The process was super easy, and costs about $125 for the day – which includes 8-hours of having your own personal driver for the group. Options ranger from smaller sedans to larger vans and buses for groups. Since it was just four of us, we did chose the sedan, the cheaper of the options. Our driver was super friendly and even gave us some history facts of the region while we moved from winery to winery.

We always book through the same company on Viator, Guadalupe Valley Private Driver Tours. They’ve always supplied amazing drivers, and if your Spanish is a bit weak, you can also request English speaking drivers :). You can supply them with your hotel, and they’ll come pick you up directly from there, based on your agreed upon timing!

It is feasible to drive on your own, if you don’t plan on doing tastings at each winery, but the safest option is to have a DD or a driver. The main roads are all paved, but please be aware that some wineries are only accessible by dirt roads. We managed just fine in our Honda Civic, though – even on the less traveled dirt roads!

4-Day Itinerary In Valle

Day One: Settle In & Dinner

Pre-Dinner Drinks At Hotel

After unpacking and settling in to our hotel room at Ojo Azul Resort, we wanted to explore the onsite restaurant at the property before heading off to dinner in town. Luckily for us, the hotel had live music Friday & Saturday, so we were thrilled to grab a margarita on the rooftop of the restaurant, watch the band (which was an 80’s cover band for the win), and sip a margarita before we needed to dart off to our dinner reservation. Drinks were solid, the ambiance was the kicker here.

Another option is to squeeze in wine tasting before dinner!

Dinner At Deckman’s

Since this was the only activity we had planned for our first day, we decided to drive to Deckman’s, a highly-rated, sustainable restaurant in Valle, for our reservations at 7:30. Please make sure to get a reservation in advance!! A lot of these top restaurants in the area book up well in advance, so I definitely suggest making reservations 2-3 weeks out, if possible.

This dinner was absolute perfection. We arrived just prior to sunset, and were seated outside with a gorgeous view of the valley & vineyards. The property itself is wonderful. If you sit inside, you’re right next to Michelin star chef, Drew Deckman, and his grill – which is a magical experience to watch in itself.

All the fish and seafood are sourced from the Baja Peninsula (even the salt is local!) – it’s so extremely fresh and you can tell the difference. Everything was impeccable.

You can do the tasting menu, which is $1400 MX pp (~$68 USD), or order a-la-carte. We decided to go the a-la-carte route, but have hear the tasting menu is superb!! We ordered oysters and the fish crudo to start, along with two shots of Mezcal (starting off my boyfriend’s birthday with a celebratory shot, because why not?). And, for a region focused in wine, their liquor knowledge was top notch. The shots come out with orange slices topped with “sal de gusano” which is salt mixed with ground chiles and dried, ground larvae from the agave plants (sounds odd, but don’t knock it!). It’s the PERFECT chaser, and probably the best way to drink Mezcal.

For our mains, we split the quail and the short rib – both of which were delish, melt-in-your-mouth meals. And, the cute finca dog may even stop by your table to say hi – he does a lot of lounging around the area. Overall, an excellent meal with a lovely view, and a truly enjoying experience & great way to start off the trip.

Day Two: Full Day Of Wine Tastings

Breakfast At La Cocina de Dona Esthela

I am so bummed we didn’t get a chance to make it here – we constantly hear the most amazing things about this breakfast.  If you have the time, you should definitely try to make it here for an amazing, traditional Mexican breakfast.  We’ve heard the lines can get really long, but it’s worth it.  Top hits you should check out:  Birra Tatemada, Machaca con huevo, pancakes elote, and corn cakes. 

Vena Cava & Lunch At Troika Food Truck

After the rest of our group arrived and our driver picked us up for the day, we started our wine tour at Vena Cava – a very unique winery in Valle, built from reclaimed fishing boats, with a focus on natural wines.  Coming from LA, we were really excited to try out the natural wines, so chose the premium tasting at $20pp, which included a mix of natural and regular wines + a cheese board.

The tastings are held in their cellar, directly underneath the boat ceiling, at every hour starting at 11:00am.  We enjoyed the wine, nothing to blow us away, but overall we enjoyed the experience and hearing about the background of the place.  Definitely more of a unique experience, with a nice mellow vibe.

After the tasting, head outside to the Troika food truck for lunch – hosted underneath a canopy, which is necessary in the dessert heat.  The patio has a spectacular view of the vineyards, and we ordered a couple different tacos to split amongst us.  The octopus tostadas were a huge hit.

Wine Tasting At Finca La Carrodilla

Our next stop was this charming little gem, with a wine tasting on their rooftop terrace overlooking the vineyard.  The prices at Finca la Carrodilla are a little higher than elsewhere in the Valle, $23 US D for 3 tastings, but it’s worth it for their organic wines.  Every glass we tried, we loved, and even walked away with a couple of bottles.  Plus, their meat and cheese board was superb – I could have ordered two for myself. 

Dinner At Fauna

We headed to Fauna for an early dinner after a long day of wine tasting.  This place is a stunner.  From the moment you enter, you can tell it’s a special place.  You drive up and immediately spot the “dead” tree coming up out of a reflective pool, and descend down a dirt path into the entrance of their indoor/outdoor restaurant.  The ambiance radiates a warm, rustic feel with a bustling atmosphere of smiling, laughing patrons. 

There are some communal tables, but we waited out to be seated at one of the solo tables in the open-air for more of an intimate touch – we were celebrating a birthday and had some family with us for this, so worth waiting a few extra minutes.  

While we waited for the table to open up, we popped into the bar around the corner, which was another sight to see.  Highly recommend grabbing a drink in there while you wait – the vibe is incredible.  The entire place was filled with young, trendy people sipping their drinks in wide brimmed hats.  We will definitely be making it back here, maybe just to sit at the bar.

Once you get seated for dinner, you’re in for a treat.  We settled on the tasting menu, as we were celebrating my boyfriend’s birthday, and it was impeccable.  I’m honestly not quite sure what we consumed over the 8-courses – his family speaks Spanish so we had the waiter announce all the dishes in Spanish…meaning I only caught a few words here and there – but everything I tried was incredible. 

The tasting menu is set at a very reasonable price ($65 USD pp) for what you are served – just the right amount of food, presented in an exquisite fashion, plus 2 desserts.  It was a great mix of vegetables, seafood, and meat – all with incredible flavor (yes, even the broccoli).  We chose to order cocktails, after consuming way too much wine over the course of the day, and they did not disappoint.

This place is a MUST in Valle, and was our favorite dinner and experience of the weekend.  I couldn’t rave about it more.

End The Night At Casa Frida

If you haven’t had enough of drinking by the end of your day, head over to Casa Frida for a night out.  If you manage to get there early enough, before the place turns into a club, you can enjoy their live music in a more mellow atmosphere and take in the super hip vibe of the place, but at night, the place becomes a wild party.  

There’s a central area upstairs with a DJ, and a downstairs bar offering tons of drinks and craft beers.  This place is rowdy and fun, and open through the late hours of the night.  But, don’t be surprised to see guards securing the premises with huge guns strapped to them – coming from the US, this was a bit of a surprise, but did make the place feel safe.

Day 3: A Few More Wineries & Dinner/Sunset With A View

Wine Tasting At Monte Xanic

After a quick breakfast at the hotel, we went over to Monte Xanic, which we’ve heard rave reviews about. The views overlooking the pond are wonderful, and the wine was great, too. We did the standard tasting, which was 4 wines for $25 USD. Our server didn’t speak the best English, so we didn’t learn quite too much, but we enjoyed ourselves, the sun, and a nice little cheese plate.

Another Wine Tasting At Adobe Guadalupe

We had the most wonderful tasting at Adobe Guadalupe.  From the moment you arrive, the place feels like a warm Spanish cottage, with a beautiful garden filled with blossoming flowers.  When it’s time for your tasting, you will be taken down the garden path, over to the white church like adobe building, where the tasting is held in their cellar.  

Each wine we tasted was amazing, and our server spoke impeccable English and gave us the most in-depth and intriguing history lesson on the wines, the Valle, and the vineyard.  We spent a full hour chatting with her, and it was by far our favorite wine tasting of the trip.

After the tasting, stop by the food truck parked outside in the garden for delish Spanish tapas and an extra glass of wine, if you’re feeling it!  The tongue/potatoes/shrimp dish is the best thing on the menu – don’t let the tongue scare you away, it really is amazing.

Dinner & Sunset At Bar Bura / Cuatros Cuatros

Yes, this place is expensive, but yes, it is worth it.  It’s worth making a reservation in advance for their gold seating, right at the edge of the restaurant platform overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and you will not be disappointed.  

Once you arrive at Cuatros Cuatros, you have to check in to take the bus to the restaurant.  It is $5 per person, but you also get a beer to take with you on the drive.  

The food is so so, but the drinks are amazing, and you really are here for the atmosphere.  There’s no better way to end the day watching the sunset at this magical place.  And, the bathrooms in this place have an incredible view of the ocean – it’s just stunning from every angle.

Day Four: Relax & Head Back Home

In the morning, we woke up slightly hungover from the long weekend of wine tasting, and were craving tacos, so we decided to make a trip into town to find some. We ended up finding a little hole in the wall taco joint that served incredible birra, and may have cured our hangovers with an ungodly amount of these.

Then, we headed back to the hotel to pack up and hang by the pool, waiting out the long line to cross the border – it’s always a timing game coming back over, so definitely check the wait times!

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR OTHER DESTINATIONS TO EXPLORE IN MEXICO, CHECK OUT MY OTHER POSTS HERE!