California tour: the fabulous wines and geology of the coast
Embark on a captivating California tour through the central coast, where stunning landscapes, rich history, and exceptional wines intertwine.
Highlights
Hear from experts about the making of great wines and enjoy tastings at picturesque vineyards.
Discover the incredible geology of the Central California coast, including Morro Rock, and learn about the interplay between the rocks and the grapes (terroir and microclimates).
Visit Hearst Castle, La Purísima Mission and the Santa Barbara Courthouse while exploring the cultural heritage of California.
Experience beaches full of elephant seals, Santa Barbara’s renowned Botanical Gardens and other elements of California’s nature.
Stay in charming hotels and explore the centers of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara, two of California’s iconic cities.
Overview
Join local geologist Rick Behl and a host of other experts to explore what makes the Central California coast so special: the geology and the landscape, the vineyards and the wines, the heritage and the history, and the flora and the fauna. And, of course, the people: among them Native Americans, Spanish friars, European winemakers and Hollywood stars.
The region hosts a spectacular range of grapes, including Bordeaux, Rhone and Italian varietals. It benefits from a diverse “terroir” of soil types, terrain and microclimates. These result in a thriving wine culture, which we will explore via entertaining talks, vineyard visits and tastings.
The geology is equally compelling: the complex meeting of three tectonic plates (North America, Pacific, Farallon) has resulted in rugged mountain ranges, a chain of volcanoes, diverse rock types and, key to viticulture, a Mediterranean climate. We will come to appreciate how the landscape has been created.
The tour begins in SLO, as the in-the-know refer to San Luis Obispo. We will spend three days visiting local sights: seals and otters on the coast, sculpture gardens, impressive mansions and much more. We then move to Santa Barbara for four days including expansive vistas, beautifully preserved Missions, world-renowned botanic gardens and wonderful meals.
Join us for this incredible coastal journey. Just one run in 2025, so reserve your place soon!
- Start/ finish: The tour begins in San Luis Obispo, California, and ends in Santa Barbara, California.
- Activity level: Leisurely, with most walks of under 1 mile (1.6km) on generally easy terrain (see our definitions here).
- Transport: We will travel by small, comfortable, air-conditioned coach.
- Weather: Autumn temperatures range from a high of 75°F during the day to a low of 51°F at night (24 to 10°C).
- Accommodation: We will be lodging in centrally located boutique hotels in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara, with easy access to city centre walks. See details of the hotels in the Need to Know tab.
Where you will visit...
Welcome to California! Your adventure begins at SLO’s Hotel San Luis Obispo, a short ride from the SLO airport. You’ll meet your tour leader and manager in the late afternoon for a welcome drink, an overview of the journey ahead, an introduction to the geology and wine-growing regions of the California coast and dinner.
- Hotel: Hotel SLO, San Luis Obispo
- Introductory group dinner
Start your day with a scenic drive along the rocky coast to Piedras Blancas to see northern elephant seals, who return to the beaches in the Fall prior to the Winter and Spring breeding season (click here to see what they are up to right now!). We’ll then head for a tour of historic Hearst Castle, the lavish estate of publisher William Randolph Hearst and fabled destination for Hollywood stars of the Roaring Twenties and 1930s.
We return to SLO, stopping along the way to examine exotic rocks such as deep-sea pillow basalts and scaly serpentinite (California’s state rock), and a picnic lunch at Moonstone Beach, famous for its agates, jades and jasper.
Once back at the hotel, Maia Davis, an expert soil scientist, geologist and wine maker will explain the concept of “terroir” and how geology, soils, climate, and even culture influence the character and quality of wines, and how winemakers can either embrace these effects or use their methods to control the final taste. A guided tasting will enhance your ability to detect differences in terroir!
In the evening, you are free to explore downtown SLO’s vibrant Farmers Market (6-9.30pm) on streets near the hotel. An institution since the 1970s, the market features local farm stands, street food and live music.
- Hotel: Hotel SLO, San Luis Obispo
- Free evening to explore SLO and have dinner
We return to the coast to visit the quaint seaside town of Morro Bay and its imposing Morro Rock, the “Gibraltar of the Pacific”. For over 300 years, mariners used the 580’ high rock as a navigational aid. It is the westernmost of a chain of volcanic necks formed 23 million years ago.
Heading south, we will walk over ancient sand dunes to a fantastic clifftop overview of colorful fractured rocks and the Pacific Ocean at Montaña de Oro State Park. Our lunch will be a beach picnic in the adjacent Spooner’s Cove. The setting includes thin interbeds of porcelanite, shale and dolomite nodules.
In the afternoon, we will be given a guided tour of the Wine and Viticulture Center at the California Polytechnic State University by the Head of the program. Cal Poly is unique in offering a major where students progress from planning vineyards to growing grapes, winemaking, and ultimately marketing their product. You will learn about taste research, student education, the cutting-edge wine-making facilities and the future of wine in California.
For our final activity of the day, we take a short drive to Paso Robles for wine tasting and art appreciation at the Sculpterra Wine and Sculpture Garden. We will return to SLO for a light dinner.
- Hotel: Hotel SLO, San Luis Obispo
- Group dinner
Today will begin with a talk about the history of wine in the Central California coast from Libbie Agran, the founder of the Wine History Project of San Luis Obispo. Local viticulture began with the Spanish missions, but blossomed with the arrival of immigrants from Italy, Switzerland and France who found the Mediterranean climate perfect for growing grapes for exceptional wines.
We then head towards Santa Barbara and will make stops at attractions along the way: Pismo Beach to view migrating Monarch butterflies (if the timing is right), an abandoned mine to see an unusual geological feature (subterranean combustion and metamorphism of oil-saturated diatomite exposed in the quarry face), La Purísima Mission (“the crown jewel of California’s missions”, and an idyllic spot for a picnic lunch), and spectacularly deformed diatomite (the siliceous “chalk” of California).
The day’s final stop will be for a wine tasting at a vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills or Santa Ynez Valley. Our visit may include a vineyard tour, a talk on microclimates, terroir and varietals or on methods of winemaking: this is harvest season, so they will be busy!
- Hotel: Hotel Virginia, Santa Barbara
- Free evening to explore Santa Barbara
The morning will be free to get to know Santa Barbara: chill at the beach, explore Stearns Wharf, visit the famed Mission, or relax at a State Street coffee shop. We can provide lots of suggestions!
We will meet for lunch near the historic and beautiful Santa Barbara Courthouse, and then tour the Courthouse’s iconic Clock Tower and Mural Room.
A short drive will take us to Carpinteria shoreline, a popular recreational destination of bluffs, sand dunes, beaches and tide pools. “La Carpinteria” translates to “the carpentry shop”: it was named by Spanish explorer Gaspar de Portolá in 1769 because the Native American Chumash used tar from seeps to build sea-going canoes, attach arrowheads and waterproof baskets and houses. We’ll see how migration through fractured rock between two fault zones formed the seeps and asphalt lakes.
Upon returning to Santa Barbara, we will visit the Au Bon Climat tasting room to learn about and sample some local wines. You are then free to explore the Urban Wine Trail and other treats of the city.
- Hotel: Hotel Virginia, Santa Barbara
- Free evening to explore Santa Barbara
Today we will investigate the landscapes, geology and wine of the Santa Ynez Valley and San Rafael Mountains. Our first stop, Figueroa Mountain Lookout, offers expansive views of the Coast Ranges and the wineries of Zaca Creek and Foxen Canyon (we’ll be sure to visit at least one), and allows us to examine serpentinite (the state rock!) and gigantic, folded strata.
We will visit the charming, historic town of Los Olivos and then enjoy a picnic lunch with views of rolling hills. The route back on Highway 154, one of Santa Barbara’s scenic backroads, will provide superb views over Santa Barbara and the Channel Islands. We will drive through San Marcos Pass, the gateway from the Santa Ynez valley to the coast for thousands of years.
Back in Santa Barbara, we will explore the so-called Funk Zone, a former marine industrial section of town where artists have found creative freedom by carving out studio spaces. Wine tasting rooms, restaurants and art galleries abound.
- Hotel: Hotel Virginia, Santa Barbara
- Free evening for dinner
We will start the day with a guided tour of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Located in the foothills behind Santa Barbara, this jewel of a small museum focuses on the natural history of the region. It is also the home of the Dibblee Geological Foundation which preserves the legacy of Tom Wilson Dibblee, one of the most renowned explorers of California’s geologic landscape. During his career, he walked and mapped over 40,000 square miles of California, a feat that probably will never be equaled.
And on to the Santa Barbara Botanic Gardens, the nation’s first botanic garden dedicated solely to native plants. The stunning 78-acre collection highlights and preserves the remarkable diversity of California flora.
We will have some time to wander the streets of Montecito and find a light lunch, before taking a short bus ride to Arroyo Burro Beach County Park. There, during the course of a 1-mile stroll, we will pass spectacular examples of folds and faults in the rocks of the cliffs, dramatic asphalt deposits and sea mammal fossils; we might also spot a living whale breaching offshore.
We will round out the day with a final dinner at an iconic Santa Barbara restaurant to celebrate the week.
- Hotel: Hotel Virginia, Santa Barbara
- Final group dinner
Our tour ends after breakfast, and you will have the option to continue your exploration of the California coast or be transported to the Santa Barbara airport.
Double room for single occupancy is £750.
The tour begins in San Luis Obispo, California, and ends in Santa Barbara, California.
The activity level is rated as LEISURELY, requiring an average level of fitness (view our activity level definitions here). The tour will involve walking up to 2-3 miles each day, with individual walks generally less than 1 mile. Terrain is mostly on prepared paths but includes sandy beaches and will require good walking boots/shoes. One excursion requires walking down a staircase of some 240 steps: we can find you an alternate route down if this presents a challenge.
The tour has been designed to involve minimum walking with the dramatic views being available from close to the coach stops. If short walks are an issue, alternative arrangements can be made, so please let GeoCultura know in advance. To enjoy the full experience, a reasonable level of fitness is required – please call us to discuss this if you have any concerns.
Autumn temperatures range from a high of 75°F during the day to a low of 51°F at night (24 to 10°C). Rain or wind are always possible, so you should bring light waterproof clothing.
Transport will be by small, comfortable coach. The daily coach time is generally no longer than 2 hours, except for day 4 when the move from SLO to SB will require up to 3 hours in the coach (but no more than an hour at a time!).
The tour includes:
- The services of your tour expert, who will be with the group throughout the tour, providing pre-visit briefings, walking seminars and available to answer questions.
- A tour manager, who will attend to logistical matters, oversee the group’s health and safety and assist participants with their queries.
- All transportation costs from the start to the end of the tour, including the services of a professional coach driver.
- All accommodation costs for the nights stated, assuming double occupancy rooms. Single occupancy rooms are generally available for a surcharge. See Single Supplement above.
- All breakfasts, lunches and dinners, except for the four dinners marked “free evening”.
- Entry fees, local guide fees and activity fees, where arranged as part of the tour.
- All service charges and most gratuities.
The tour excludes:
- Travel insurance. Guests should carry their own health and travel insurance.
- Alcoholic drinks with meals are not included.
- Optional activities as described in the tour itinerary or extra activities that are not described in the itinerary.
- Personal expenditures, including bar bills, laundry bills, and the cost of meals on the four free evenings.
- Transportation to the start venue or from the end venue of the tour (air fares are not included).
- Passport and visa fees.
Our tour leaders are happy to provide suggestions for alternative activities for guests who prefer not to participate in certain tour walks, visits or dinners.
Nights 1-3: Hotel SLO, San Luis Obispo
This modern boutique hotel encapsulates the charm and quirkiness of San Luis Obispo and is within walking distance to restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques, and the mission.
Nights 4-7: Hotel Virginia, Santa Barbara
This recently renovated hotel with Spanish Colonial design influences provides the quintessential Santa Barbara experience. Minutes from State Street, the Urban Wine Trail, the Funk Zone and Stearns Wharf.
Note: If required for reasons beyond our control, GeoCultura reserves the right to substitute alternate accommodations of equal quality.
Deposit: A deposit of 10% of the tour price is due upon registration for a tour.
Final payment: Full payment is due 60 days before a tour begins, or upon registration if within the 60-day window.
Cancellation by guest: A guest may cancel a registration after securing a confirmed place on a tour for any reason. The following refund terms will apply:
- Greater than 60 days before tour begins: Any monies paid plus half of the deposit will be refunded
- 30 to 59 days before tour begins: 35% of tour price will be refunded
- 15 to 29 days before tour begins: 25% of tour price will be refunded
- Within 14 days of tour or during the tour: No monies will be refunded
Cancellation by GeoCultura: GeoCultura reserves the right to cancel any tour due to low enrollment, inability to run the tour or concerns about the safety, health or welfare of guests. If a tour is cancelled before it begins, all monies paid will be refunded (including any deposit).
Please refer to our Terms and Conditions page for additional details.
Your tour leader
Richard (Rick) Behl
Richard (Rick) Behl, leader for “California tour: the fabulous wines and geology of the coast“, is Professor Emeritus of Earth Science at the California State University Long Beach and resides in Long Beach.
He is a sedimentary geologist who has worked in paleoceanography, marine geology and tectonics. An avid explorer and traveller, Rick has visited and worked in every continent except Antarctica (yet) and participated on several legs of the Ocean Drilling Program. Rick is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America.
Rick is a near lifelong Californian and has led many dozens of field trips throughout California for professional groups and universities. Rick has lived up and down the California Coast, from San Diego to Santa Barbara to Santa Cruz, and knows many of the area’s ranchers, farmers, winemakers and vintners.
Meet Rick on the California fabulous wines and geology coast tour and visit our scheduled tours page for a full list of GeoCultura tours.
Hearst Castle, San Simeon, California
Elephant seals at Piedras Blancas
Sculpterra Sculpture Garden, Paso Robles
Montaña de Oro seashore
Santa Barbara at sunset
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