Santa Ynez Valley Sideways Movie Wine Trail Driving Tour - Image 1
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Santa Ynez Valley Sideways Movie Wine Trail Driving Tour

TourTruth score 6.9 out of 10

Average

5 reviews · Rated on 1 provider · How we score

  • Santa Barbara
  • Updated November 2, 2026

Follow Sideways filming locations and five wine trails on a flexible, self-guided drive through California’s Santa Ynez Valley.

About this tour

Follow the story of Sideways through the sunlit vineyards and small towns of California’s Santa Ynez Valley. This 90-minute self-guided driving tour connects the film’s memorable locations with the region’s celebrated wine culture, giving you the freedom to explore at your own pace.

Set out from the River Course at Alisal and use GPS directions, audio, maps, and geodata to guide your journey. Along the way, discover five distinct wine trails, including Foxen Canyon and the Los Olivos Promenade. Pass places featured in the film, such as Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Café and the Firestone Vineyard barrel room, while learning about the “Sideways Effect” on Pinot Noir and Merlot. The route also introduces award-winning vineyards, sustainable and biodynamic winemaking, and local history stretching from Spanish missions to celebrity residents.

With offline access and lifetime tour access, you can take the drive on your schedule and revisit the stories whenever you like. Start your Santa Ynez Valley Sideways Movie Wine Trail Driving Tour and see the landscape behind the film for yourself.

Highlights

  • Trace iconic filming locations from Sideways
  • Explore five wine trails, including Foxen Canyon and Los Olivos Promenade
  • Learn how the film influenced Pinot Noir and Merlot
  • Pass award-winning vineyards and charming wine-country towns
  • Discover local history, from Spanish missions to celebrity residents

What's included

Included

  • Lifetime access to the English-language tour before and after your booking date
  • Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
  • Android and iOS app
  • Self-guided GPS tour with flexible pacing
  • Directions to the starting point and automatic tour start when you arrive

Not included

  • Smartphone and headphones
  • Personal expenses and admission fees not included during the tour
  • Food and drink
  • Transportation

Ratings on each provider

The ratings and review counts each booking site shows for this tour.

Important information

  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Total tour time includes walking the route and passing attractions
  • Start by the River Course at Alisal, at the corner of Juniper Drive and Alisal Road, beneath the California pepper tree
  • Install the mobile app and enter the code on your confirmation ticket before arrival
  • Detailed starting-point instructions are available after downloading the app

How this score is calculated

This score is based on one provider. Viator rates it 4.60 from 5 reviews. We place that rating among all Viator ratings and weight it by its review count. If the tour is found on another provider later, both ratings are combined.

How the score works and rating distribution in Santa Barbara
  • Each provider rating is turned into a percentile: the share of that provider's ratings it beats, weighted by review counts.
  • Listings on different providers are combined in proportion to their review counts.
  • Tours with few reviews are pulled toward the average until more reviews come in, so a handful of perfect reviews can't top the list.
  • The result is shown from 0 to 10: this tour scores 6.9.

Provider rating distribution in Santa Barbara

How many tours in Santa Barbara have a provider rating at or below each value. The dashed line is this tour.

  • GetYourGuide
  • Viator

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