Walla Walla, Washington. The place so nice they named it twice! Okay, there’s a chance whomever coined that phrase was referring to New York, but the same applies here. What’s not to love? Hundreds of wineries, seriously good food to pair with all of the wines + the opportunity to learn from experts in the field without any of the airs, graces or shocking price tags that can be ubiquitous with other wine regions.

For those unfamiliar, Walla Walla is a town in Eastern Washington, closely bordering Oregon, renowned for its wine making. Not to bore you with too much history + geography, but Walla Walla shares the same latitude as the famed French wine regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy making it the perfect place in the US to grow and produce some exquisite bold reds - primarily Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. Two of our favorites!!

Walla Walla is the perfect weekend road trip for Pacific Northwest locals or as a stop on a longer Pacific Northwest/West Coast tour for visitors! Our West Coast Road Trip Guide is available HERE.

For travel guides to other wine tasting destinations, check out our itineraries for Napa HERE, Calistoga HERE or Carmel HERE.

So, what are we waiting for!? Let’s get started planning your perfect vacation!!

WHEN TO VISIT

Hardly anyone thinks of wine tasting and imagines snow, but we now love it!! With a solid wine blanket, the temps don’t feel too cold and the landscape is just stunning!

Oddly enough, the majority of our visits to Walla Walla have been during the wintertime - our most recent trip in March 2020 (just before the world shut down) and the visit prior to that in February 2018. It snowed over both visits, which might sound terrible for a wine vacation, but was actually so magical + breath taking. I mean, what better setting to sip on a bold red than in front of a fireplace on a snowy day!? This also means that accommodation prices are reasonable, reservations are easy to come by + you get lots of time to chat with the winemakers themselves! If you can handle the colder temperatures, we actually think Feb/March could make for the perfect visit.

For a first time visit though, or if you don’t want to deal with snow, Spring + Fall would be our most recommended times to visit! Both will ensure pleasant + sunny days weather wise, but also coincide with exciting times in the wine production calendar. Fall being Harvest Season and Spring offering many Barrel Tasting events. If you do choose to travel over these seasons, expect accommodations to be significantly more expensive, restaurant reservations harder to come by + tasting rooms to be busier - meaning you might not get as much time to linger or to chat with the winemakers themselves.

We’d caution visiting during the peak of summer as temperatures can get super hot, as well as during the height of winter, especially if you plan to drive!

GETTING THERE

If you’re a Pacific Northwest local, Walla Walla is an easy drive from most major cities in the area! 4 hours from Seattle, 4 hours from Boise, 4 hours from Portland and just under 3 hours from Spokane.

If you’re able to score a good deal though, flying is definitely worth it to make the most of your weekend, especially if you don’t want to take time off of work! Walla Walla is just a 45 minute flight from Seattle and we scored our last trip for just $80 round trip on Alaska, about the same price as the gas would be to drive! If you’re worried about flying back with any wine that you purchase, you can check up to a case of wine free of charge from the Walla Walla Airport - love that!!

For non-PNW visitors, we’d recommend similar options. Fly into one of the major cities, rent a car + drive or fly into one of the major airports + connect to Walla Walla Airport.

For those planning to explore more of the Pacific Northwest, check out our guides to Seattle HERE and HERE and be sure to check out all of our PNW highlights on Instagram HERE.

WHERE TO STAY

We usually tend to let the destination dictate whether we opt for an Airbnb or for a hotel. I mean, in Paris, sipping coffee in a real French apartment, watching the lights of the city, makes Airbnb the natural first choice. Meanwhile, in Cabo, laying by the pool with access to food, drinks + all of the amenities makes a resort a no brainer. However, in Walla Walla, either option works well depending on the vibe of the trip or the group size!

Walla Walla is a fairly small town, so regardless of where you stay, you’ll be close to everything that you might want to see + experience. There are also countless options for transportation - Uber/Lyft, taxis, private drivers, etc. - so that you don’t have to worry about drinking + driving or finding a spot walking distance to everything.

Touring one of the guest suites at Abeja Inn and considering moving in! Not even a bath person and was ready to get into this one + relax!

Below are a few spots that we have been to + loved.

Marcus Whitman Hotel - This is where we stayed on our 2018 Walla Walla trip + absolutely loved it. Super old school, historic vibes + one of the tallest, most recognizable buildings in town. You know, easy to find when you’re wandering back after dinner + a day of wine tasting. It’s located right in the heart of “downtown” which minimizes Uber costs, as most of the tasting rooms + restaurants are located within walking distance. (HH Travel Tip: We always factor in the cost of transportation when selecting our hotel. It often works out better to select a hotel that might be slightly above our budget, if it means we’ll save money elsewhere!)
The Inn At Abeja - O.M.G. We could not be more in love with Abeja. While we haven’t actually stayed here, we have tasted at Abeja’s winery + had the opportunity to get a tour of a few guest suites after our tasting + it is to die for. Abeja is located outside of town, among the actual vineyards, so you would need to Uber to many of our favorite restaurants, cafes + shops, but it is truly such a relaxing + beautiful setting. It would be perfect for a romantic weekend getaway or for our next sister trip!!
Green Gables Inn - A quintessential bed + breakfast style of accommodations with a very Victorian vibe/influence. The Inn has both guest suites, as well as a guest house located on the property for groups. We stayed in the guest house during our March 2020 visit + absolutely loved it. Super charming home + location in a quiet neighborhood near Whitman University. We were still able to walk into town, but it took about 20 minutes each way which could be a deal breaker for some.

WHERE TO EAT

Another favorite tasting room - Seven Hills Winery. We always recommend a day of downtown tasting rooms and a day of tasting at the vineyards outside of town!

We usually combine eating + drinking together in our travel guides, but for a wine vacation, we obviously had to make these separate categories! Food is one of the best parts of any vacation, but when you’re visiting wine country, it’s even better!! When good wine is around, you need great food to pair it with and Walla Walla does not disappoint. We’ve had many good meals in town, but here are a few of our favorites!

Brasserie Four - A must visit!! We plan a meal at Brasserie Four on every single Walla Walla trip + probably always will. To die for frites, charcuterie boards, fromage plates, mussels, steak, literally all of our favorite food groups. We’d recommend making reservations in advance!
Passatempo Taverna - Not much pairs better with a bold red than hearty Italian food. Passatempo is known for their pastas + pizzas - most of which can be made gluten and dairy free, yay! While Walla Walla isn’t known for its nightlife, there’s definitely a more hip, vibrant vibe to this restaurant and it’s a fun place to pass an evening on your trip!
Walla Walla Bread Company - Even if your hotel offers a complimentary breakfast, we’d recommend still making a stop into Walla Walla Bread company for brunch to fuel up before a day of wine tasting. Everything is made in house by a husband + wife duo and you can truly taste the difference in quality. Beyond bread, obviously, they serve a plethora of pastries + sweet treats, as well as the standard brunch fare.
Maple Counter Cafe - If you only have time for one breakfast spot, definitely do Walla Walla Bread Company. However, if you have room in your schedule for a second, Maple Counter would be our next recommendation. The ambience is not our typical vibe. There’s something slightly cheesy about it + it’s definitely a family friendly spot, but a good value + meals made with quality, local ingredients.
Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen - Okay, we haven’t actually been to Saffron’s yet, but it’s been recommended to us by Walla Walla locals + visitors alike so many times that we would be remiss not to mention it. An award-winning spot with accolades from everything from Seattle Met to The New York Times.

WHERE TO DRINK

We saved the best for last! While we’ve tasted at countless spots in Walla Walla that were all amazing, we know you have limited time + are likely visiting for just a day or two, so are going to focus on our top favorites. However, you really can’t go wrong anywhere in town from our experience!

The Barn at Abeja where wine tastings are held. Our hands down favorite spot!

Kontos Cellars - Located in the heart of downtown Walla Walla (and a 30 second walk from one of our accommodation recs, The Marcus Whitman), Kontos is a longtime favorite spot. Lauren was a member of the wine club for several years + is planning to join again on her next visit to Walla Walla. Took a break to try some others for a few years, but honestly just love Kontos too much to stay away!! Be sure to ask your server about the history of Kontos - such a cool story!! We were lucky enough to hear it from the owner himself - one of the many perks of visiting during the offseason!
Abeja - We mentioned Abeja as an accommodation option, but it’s also a winery + we are so in love. It’s located outside of town + fun to experience a larger, more picturesque setting with grounds that you can walk around and explore vs. the smaller tasting rooms in town. Tastings are complimentary for guests of the inn. If you’re staying elsewhere, we’d definitely recommend making reservations in advance! Be sure to try the Beekeepers’ Blend + pick up a bottle (or twelve) to take home with you. It’s our personal fave.
Aluve Winery - Another spot located outside of town. The tasting room is small + intimate and it’s located on an actual vineyard which we just feel always adds to the experience! This was another spot where we had the chance to chat directly with the owner + winemaker himself. It was honestly so inspiring to hear his story - how the winery came to be, where it gets its name, all of that!
Figgins Winery - The experience at Figgins was above + beyond and probably the Walla Walla spot where we truly learned the most about wine. We had two super knowledgeable + patient hosts that not only gave us a tour of the property, but took us through a very informative and educational tasting experience. The attention to detail and service was incredible + we will definitely return.
L’Ecole No. 41 - You’ve probably seen L’Ecole wines all over your local Safeways, Krogers, Whole Foods, whatever your grocery store of choice is. While the more commercial wineries aren’t always the best quality or the most hands-on tasting experiences, it’s always fun, in our opinion, to visit one every now and then. The grounds + buildings can be pretty impressive and enjoyable to tour. It’s kind of fun to see a behind the scenes of the wine that you might drink more often at home. Plus, if anything, maybe it makes for a conversation starter at a party or dinner if someone pulls out a bottle + you can say that you’ve been! Of the more “commercial” spots in Walla Walla, L’Ecole would be our top rec.

Other Favorites: aMaurice Cellars, Walla Walla Vintners, Tranche Estate, Browne Family Vineyards, Mark Ryan Winery

We typically end with a “What To Do” section in our travel guides, but, if we’re being honest, we haven’t done much else besides eat, drink + sleep while in Walla Walla + would presume most of your wine tasting trips revolve around the same things! If you aren’t already, be sure to follow along with us on Instagram HERE where we have an additional mini-guide to Walla Walla, as well as a highlight saved with more recommendations that we did not include here.

As always, both our Delta + Chase Sapphire cards help to make all of our trips possible. If you’re interested in signing up for a Delta American Express card, click HERE for a sign up bonus. If you still don’t have a Chase Sapphire card and want to get in on the action, click HERE for a special sign up bonus!