Overview
Ukiah is a city in the North Coast of California. Just as picturesque as its coastal brethren, Ukiah is in a valley surrounded by beautiful rolling hills or small mountains. It's a good base for exploring Mendocino County, and hosts a variety of small unusual shops and restaurants.
2 sights · 1 things to do · 4 places to eat · 7 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Ukiah
City of Ten Thousand Buddhas
The largest Buddhist temple in the Western Hemisphere with approximately 80 acres of developed land and over 400 acres of total space. Influenced by Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese architecture. Built into the campus of…
Grace Hudson Museum & Sun House
A museum built around the collection of early-20th-century painter Grace Hudson's portraits of native Californians, and the collections of her ethnologist husband, John W. Hudson. Contains rotating exhibitions focused on…
Vichy Springs Resort
Hot springs.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Jun–Oct. Summer highs reach about 66°F; winter lows dip to about 40°F. Wettest: Jan and Dec. (climate data from nearby Mendocino)
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 — 49 mi away. Directions
- SMF Sacramento International Airport, Sacramento — 92 mi away (major hub). Directions
Bus service is offered by Greyhound, Mendocino Transit Authority, and Lake Transit.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, Vichy Springs Resort
- Lunch The Alley Grill
- Afternoon Grace Hudson Museum & Sun House
- Dinner Super Taco
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
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
The Ukiah area is historically a source of lumber and wine grapes. It is the Mendocino County seat, and is the working center of the county.
Get in
By bus
Bus service is offered by Greyhound, Mendocino Transit Authority, and Lake Transit.
Get around
MTA routes 7, 9, and 20 provide bus service around Ukiah.
Ukiah already has several miles of the future Great Redwood Trail.
See
See City of Ten Thousand Buddhas
The largest Buddhist temple in the Western Hemisphere with approximately 80 acres of developed land and over 400 acres of total space. Influenced by Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese architecture. Built into the campus of the former Mendocino State Asylum for the Insane, after the closure of asylum during Reagan's deinstitutionalization campaign in the early 1970s. The Dharma Realm Buddhist Association bought the site in 1974, and has built their community there ever since. Hosts a vegan restaurant supplied by an on site organic farm, and schools from kindergarten to Dharma Realm Buddhist University. A must see.
See Grace Hudson Museum & Sun House
A museum built around the collection of early-20th-century painter Grace Hudson's portraits of native Californians, and the collections of her ethnologist husband, John W. Hudson. Contains rotating exhibitions focused on Native American issues. The Sun House, the former residence of the Hudsons, is also on the property, and is available to be toured with a docent.
Do
Eat
Drink
- Wineries
Sleep
- Mariposa Institute, 3801 Low Gap Rd, (707) 462-1016
Go next
To the south, Hopland is a small town of wineries and restaurants.
To the west, Philo and Boonville are the centers of the Anderson Valley, a major wine region with many tasting rooms. Redwood Valley, located just north of Ukiah, is also home to several vineyards.
To the north, the city of Willits is home to the "Skunk Train" which runs through the redwoods along the Noyo River between Willits and Fort Bragg. Willits also hosts "Roots of Motive Power, " a museum devoted to steam and diesel equipment used to log the north coast.
Nearby
Boonville
City / town · 18 listings · 13 mi away
Lakeport
City / town · 5 listings · 17 mi away
Willits
City / town · 39 listings · 20 mi away
Kelseyville
City / town · 3 listings · 23 mi away
Cloverdale
City / town · 12 listings · 26 mi away
Albion
City / town · 3 listings · 30 mi away
Point Arena
City / town · 5 listings · 31 mi away
Gualala
City / town · 5 listings · 32 mi away
My experience
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