How To Fly Directly Into The Santa Ynez Valley And Solvang

There is a misconception about the the convenience of getting to California’s wine countries. On a map they seem some distance from major cities and require a lot of driving, not exactly something one wants to be doing when they are visiting wineries and also, lately, craft breweries and distilleries.

However, that’s not really the case, and a case in point is the Santa Barbara Wine Country in Santa Ynez Valley. Yes its some 120+ miles north of Los Angeles but you can fly there via Santa Ynez Airport (Kunkle Field), which is just one mile from the central business district of Santa Ynez. One of the most popular destinations there is the Dutch town of Solvang, as well as the area serving as the location for the movie Sideways.

In fact, there are as many 20 daily non-stop arrivals from Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Oakland, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Francisco, and Seattle. Flight times range from about 45 minutes (Los Angeles) to three hours (Dallas) gate to gate. Among the things to do in Santa Ynez Valley are wine, craft beer and spirits tasting;  horseback riding, hiking and biking and fine dining.

SANTA YNEZ VALLEY NON-STOP FLIGHT SCHEDULE (AS OF 5/1/23)*

 

MARKET	MON	TUES	WED	THUR	FRI	SAT	SUN
Dallas	2x	3x	3x	2x	2x	2x	2x
Denver*	3x	3x	3x	3x	3x	3x	3x
Las Vegas*	3x	3x	3x	4x	3x	2x	3x
Los Angeles*	1x	1x	1x	1x	1x	1x	1x
Oakland	1x	1x	1x	1x	1x	1x	1x
Phoenix	3x	3x	3x	3x	3x	3x	3x
Portland	1x	1x	1x	1x	1x	1x	1x
Sacramento	1x	1x	1x	1x	1x	1x	1x
San Francisco	4x	3x	3x	3x	3x	4x	3x
Seattle	1x	1x	1x	1x	1x	1x	1x

 

*  Flight schedules, including arrival and departure times, are subject to change

*  Denver: Beginning Sept. 5, Southwest is increasing M-F service to Denver from 1 to 2 flights

*  Las Vegas: Service includes one flight per day (Thur & Sun) into Santa Maria (SMX)

*  Las Vegas: Beginning Aug. 15, Southwest is increasing service to Las Vegas on Sundays from 2 to 3 flights to Santa Barbara (SBA)

*  Los Angeles: In June and July, United is increasing service to LAX from 1 to 2 flights daily

Home to the majority of Santa Barbara County’s wineries, tasting rooms, and approximately 20,000 acres of vineyards, the Santa Ynez Valley was recently heralded as one of the world’s 23 Best Places to Go in 2023 by Conde Nast Traveler. The valley also won the World Class Wine Region designation in the 2022 Sunset Travel Awards, and earned three more additions to the MICHELIN Guide California, bringing the total number of Santa Ynez Valley restaurants that have gained MICHELIN recognition to five.

“There’s something magical and transformative about a trip to wine country, which is one step closer to reality thanks to flights that can have you relaxing and sipping wine in the middle of a Santa Ynez Valley vineyard in a matter of hours, any day of the week,” said Shelby Sim, President & CEO of Visit the Santa Ynez Valley.

“Our six distinctly charming communities may not be the secrets they once were, but convenient access from most major markets is something that many are still learning about, and travelers now have one less reason to put off a visit to the Santa Ynez Valley.”

There is another non-driving option to get to Solvang, by the way: Amtrak. While the train does not go into Solvang it does to downtown Santa Barbara and from there the Amtrak Thruway bus goes to downtown Solvang. It takes approximately one hour and there are three trips in each direction every day.

Hotels, detailed information and more can be found at VisitSYV.com.