Overview
Occidental is a community of 1,100 people (2010) on the North Coast in the San Francisco Bay Area of California in Sonoma County.
Just to the south of Occidental is the village of Freestone (a total of 26 homes, widely scattered); attractions in Freestone are also listed below.
2 sights · 4 things to do · 9 places to eat · 2 bars & cafés · 3 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Occidental
Bamboo Sourcery Nursery & Gardens
A bamboo-exclusive specialty nursery with seven acres of demonstration gardens
Occidental Arts & Ecology Center
80 acres; the center is open for tours on the first and third Sunday of the month, April through October.
Grove of Old Trees
The Grove of Old Trees is a healthy, old-growth stand of Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) Accessible only via a narrow, two-lane rural road, the Grove is tucked away in a neighborhood on a road used by neighbors for …
Occidental Center For The Arts
Auditorium for the performing and visual arts
Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary
On a five-acre site adjacent to Salmon Creek, you'll find a traditional Japanese Tea Garden, a Zen Garden, private pagodas, a tree-shaded group picnic area, and the main buildings for cedar enzyme baths, massage and body…
Sonoma Canopy Tours
A very different way to see a redwood forest: two different courses, each taking 2½ hours, which include multiple zip lines, sky bridges, a majestic spiral staircase, and a rappel to the forest floor. Open year-round.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Mar–Nov. Summer highs reach about 86°F; winter lows dip to about 38°F. Wettest: Dec and Jan. (climate data from nearby Sonoma)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- STS Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport, Santa Rosa — 10 mi away. Directions
- CCR Buchanan Field, Concord — 56 mi away. Directions
- OAK Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport, Oakland — 62 mi away (major hub). Directions
Sonoma County Transit provides bus service to Occidental on its Route 28. Mendocino Transit Authority serves Freestone.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 2-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Bamboo Sourcery Nursery & Gardens, Grove of Old Trees
- Lunch Altamonte General Store
- Afternoon Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary
- Dinner Barley and Hops Tavern
- Evening Bohème Wines Cellar Door
Day 2
- Morning Occidental Arts & Ecology Center, Occidental Center For The Arts
- Lunch Bluegoat
- Afternoon Sonoma Canopy Tours
- Dinner El Mariachi Cafe
- Evening Jasper House tasting room
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Get in
Sonoma County Transit provides bus service to Occidental on its Route 28. Mendocino Transit Authority serves Freestone.
See
See Occidental Arts & Ecology Center
80 acres; the center is open for tours on the first and third Sunday of the month, April through October.
Do
Do Grove of Old Trees
The Grove of Old Trees is a healthy, old-growth stand of Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) Accessible only via a narrow, two-lane rural road, the Grove is tucked away in a neighborhood on a road used by neighbors for walking and biking. There are no bathrooms and no running water.
Do Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary
On a five-acre site adjacent to Salmon Creek, you'll find a traditional Japanese Tea Garden, a Zen Garden, private pagodas, a tree-shaded group picnic area, and the main buildings for cedar enzyme baths, massage and body treatments, formal classes, and individual meditation.
Buy
There are a two shops in Occidental worth checking out for vintage clothes and art: the Neon Raspberry Art House and the Cypress Gallery and Bazaar. The Altamonte General Store is primarily about eating and drinking, but they sell kitchenware, linens, cookbooks, ceramics, cookware, garden tools, and gifts.
Eat
Eat Altamonte General Store
Despite the "General Store" in its name, this is primarily a farm-to-table food establishment, with a bar, and plenty of space to hang out in, perhaps with one's laptop and a coffee. Breakfast options and soft serve ice cream are among the offerings.
Eat Barley and Hops Tavern
100% from scratch pub grub under $15 and more than 50 craft beers from around the world in a cozy Victorian home, nestled in downtown Occidental.
Eat Bluegoat (formerly Freestone Artisan Cheese)
A wide variety of artisanal cheese, plus wine for sale, plus art
Eat El Mariachi Cafe
An very casual Mexican restaurant that looks like it used to be a trailer home. First-rate food.
Eat Hazel
A relative newcomer to Occidental (it opened in 2015), must-orders include roasted chicken and blue cheese pizza. Friday is "pie day".
Eat Howard Station Cafe (Howard's)
A West County classic, owned by one of the three major Italian families of Occidental. Howard's is the best place for breakfast, with fresh juices, smoothies and specials. Try the corn-meal pancakes and watch the locals come in and out. On a sunny weekend morning don't be surprised to see large groups of cyclist eating before or after a long, hard ride on the ridge line.
Eat Negri’s Restaurant (Negri's Original Italian Restaurant; Negri’s Italian Dinner & Joe’s Bar)
Open since 1943, Negri's features stone fireplace and wood beams , and, on the walls, black-and-white photos of the restaurant’s past. Most menu items are made from scratch, and, in-season, include produce from their ranch, two miles away.
Eat Union Hotel Occidental
Italian.
Eat Wild Flour Bread
Brick-oven-baked sourdough breads, scones, and biscotti, and coffee drinks. It's almost always busy, but the line moves quickly (phone orders are not accepted). And if you have a few extra minutes, check out the beautiful garden just off the parking lot.
Drink
Drink Bohème Wines Cellar Door
Small-production pinot noirs and chardonnays, vineyard-designated; private tasting and vineyard tour by appointment
Drink Jasper House tasting room
A reserve tasting of wines from Black Kite Cellars' current release, from the Anderson Valley and Sonoma Coast AVAs, along with selected library wines. By appointment only.
Sleep
Nearby
Forestville
City / town · 10 listings · 6 mi away
Monte Rio
City / town · 3 listings · 6 mi away
Sebastopol
City / town · 26 listings · 7 mi away
Guerneville
City / town · 23 listings · 7 mi away
Bodega Bay
City / town · 24 listings · 8 mi away
Jenner
City / town · 7 listings · 10 mi away
Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve
Park · 10 mi away
Fulton
City / town · 2 listings · 11 mi away
My experience
Write about your trip here. Notes save automatically in this browser as you type; back them up from My journal.