Solvang is a picturesque little town located in the Santa Ynez Valley – about a 45-minute drive from Downtown Santa Barbara. This village is known as the Danish capital of the US, and is such a fun and unique place to check out. From delicious food and wine to gorgeous (and incredibly non-Californian) architecture to the beautiful natural scenery, there’s a ton to enjoy. If you’re interested in visiting, here’s my comprehensive guide to planning the perfect day trip to Solvang!
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Is Solvang Worth Visiting?
Absolutely! Solvang is 100% worth a visit, especially if you live in the Southern California or Central Coast area. While relatively small, it’s such an interesting spot unlike any other town in California. I’d highly recommend making your way to Solvang.
How Much Time Should You Spend in Solvang?
As far as actually exploring the town of Solvang goes, you only really need a day. It’s pretty small, and a day gives you more than enough time to get the full experience.
That said, there are so many great things to do and places to explore in the greater Santa Barbara County. If you’re planning on doing a full-on Solvang weekend getaway, I’ll share some additional things to do in the area towards the end of this guide.
When is the Best Time to Visit Solvang?
There truly isn’t a bad time to visit Solvang, but keep in mind that it does get pretty hot in the middle of the summer. While Solvang is near the coast, it’s still in a valley, so temperatures tend to reach the low to mid 90s during the day.
The summer is still a great time to visit (just bring your sunscreen!), but Solvang is especially nice in the fall, winter, and spring! It’s coastal California, so winter weather is still mild during the day – typically around the mid to high 60s. I most recently visited in April, and there were a ton of California poppies in bloom all around town. It was absolutely gorgeous!
What to Bring to Solvang, CA
- Sunscreen – It gets quite warm and sunny in Solvang, so be sure to bring plenty of sunscreen! My go-to body sunscreen is the Supergoop! Play SPF 50, and I absolutely love the EltaMD UV Clear SPF 46 for my face.
- Sunglasses – The WearMe Pro Sunglasses have been my favorite for a few years now – super affordable, sturdy, and flattering!
- Backpack – If you’re looking for a small backpack that’s perfect for day trips, I highly recommend the AOTIAN Mini Nylon Backpack. It’s the perfect size for carrying some snacks, sunscreen, a small water bottle, and your wallet.
- Hat – For some extra sun protection, bring along a hat! In the OstrichLand photo below, I’m wearing the Brixton Women’s Joanna Hat (size small), which I highly recommend if you’re looking for a wide-brimmed hat. It’s held up super well over the last few years, and is my go-to hat in the summer!
The Best Things to do in Solvang, California
Here’s my complete guide to all of the activities and sights that you won’t want to miss when visiting the Danish capital of the US. Luckily, all of these activities can easily be done during a day trip to Solvang. Just be sure to get out early to make the most of your visit!
Hang Out with Ostriches and Emus at OstrichLand USA
This is a spot that you absolutely won’t want to miss. OstrichLand USA (which is just about a 5-minute drive from the center of Solvang) is home to over 100 ostriches and emus. If you’re visiting during the summer, you might even have a chance to see the baby ostriches!
Adult tickets cost $7, and you can reserve them in advance online (although this isn’t necessary). You can also purchase a feed bowl for $1 to actually feed the ostriches and emus. This is 100% worth it. Check out my reel about OstrichLand for a closer look!
Explore the Town of Solvang
After exploring OstrichLand, head into the downtown area of Solvang. In addition to eating and drinking (more on that below), there are a ton of cool spots you won’t want to miss:
- Check Out the Solvang Windmill: While there are four windmills throughout the downtown area, Solvang Windmill (also known as the Paaske Windmill) is the most iconic. It was built in 1963, and was inspired by a mill near Copenhagen.
- Admire the Architecture: Walking around Solvang and just taking in the views is an activity in itself! The town isn’t huge, so take your time strolling the streets, stopping in any shops that interest you, and simply enjoying the European-inspired architecture.
- Visit the Hans Christian Andersen Museum: This free museum is super small, but worth a visit! It features a few exhibits about author Hans Christian Andersen, and is located on the top floor of The Book Loft.
- Walk the Grounds at Old Mission Santa Ines: This Spanish mission dates back to 1804, and is located on the edge of town, within walking distance of the windmill. You can do a self-guided tour of the interior (which costs $8 for adults and $5 for children), but I prefer to just walk the grounds and enjoy the view of the mission from the outside (which is free).
- Visit the Elverhøj Museum of History and Art: Elverhøj is another great museum in town worth a visit. It’s located in the former residence of a Solvang family, and is dedicated to educating visitors about the Danish-American experience and Danish culture in general. There is no charge for admission, but there is a suggested donation of $5.
Eating & Drinking in Solvang
You can’t leave Solvang without enjoying some amazing food and drinks. Much of the food in Solvang is, as you’d guess, Danish-inspired – but there’s a surprisingly large variety of eateries in this small town. Here are some of the top spots I recommend checking out when you visit:
- Get Caffeinated at Good Seed Coffee: This coffee shop has a variety of high-quality drinks, as well as pastries and small bites (including many vegan and gluten-free options). We really enjoyed the two superfood lattes we ordered: the Blue Moon and the Beetroot Lattes with oat milk.
- Grab Lunch at Copenhagen Sausage Garden: This casual outdoor garden is definitely one of my favorite spots in Solvang! Sausage options include (but are certainly not limited to!) bratwurst, currywurst, hot Italian, and veggie. Be sure to order a pretzel to share (or not), and some beer if you’re up for it.
- Drink Beer at Solvang Brewing Company: If you want to relax after a busy day of exploring the town, make your way to Solvang Brewing Company. Solvang Brewing offers a wide range of beer options, including IPAs, pale ales, saisons, and more.
- Indulge in Ebelskivers at Solvang Restaurant: An ebelskiver is a Danish treat that is essentially a round pancake ball (but ebelskiver is definitely a better name). If you want to try some, the place to go is Solvang Restaurant. They have a to-go window in front, so you don’t need to dine-in if you don’t want to.
- Enjoy Pastries at Birkholm’s Bakery & Cafe: You may already know that there are some excellent Danish bakeries in Solvang. In fact, there are five within five blocks! My favorite is Birkholm’s, which offers a huge selection of delicious pastries. It’s also vegan-friendly – more on that below.
For those that are looking for vegan food in Solvang, I’ve included some additional info on the best places to eat at the end of this guide!
Do a Wine Tasting at One of the Solvang Wineries
There are a ton of great wineries in Solvang and the greater Santa Ynez Valley area, but my favorite is Rusack Vineyards, which is just about a 10-minute drive from the center of town. A reservation is required, so be sure to check out the website to book your spot ASAP! Note: you’ll find a few more Santa Ynez Valley winery recommendations in the next section.
I highly recommend making the short drive out to Rusack. The rolling hills and natural beauty of the area is absolutely stunning – and the wine is really great, too! That said, if you prefer to stay in town, I’d suggest stopping by one (or more) of these tasting rooms: McClain Cellars, Casa Cassara Winery and Vineyard, or Alma Rosa Winery and Vineyards.
Additional Things to Do Near Solvang
If you’ll be spending a bit of extra time in the area, there’s definitely no shortage of things to do! Here’s how I suggest spending your time in the greater Solvang area.
Visit Santa Barbara
The drive from Solvang to Santa Barbara is only about 45-minutes long, so it’s definitely worth a day trip if you have the time! When visiting, be sure to walk through The Funk Zone, which is the city’s arts and culture district. You’ll find galleries and shops, as well as bars, restaurants, and wine tasting rooms.
I also suggest strolling down State Street – which is the main shopping and dining street in town – and making your way to the historic Santa Barbara County Courthouse. The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is also a gorgeous spot to explore! For more information, be sure to check out my guide on the perfect weekend getaway in Santa Barbara.
Go Wine Tasting in the Santa Ynez Valley
The Santa Ynez Valley (which includes the towns of Solvang, Santa Ynez, Los Olivos, Buellton, and Ballard) has over 120 wineries – so you have a lot to choose from! Here are some of my favorite wineries in the area that I recommend stopping by:
- Sunstone Winery (Santa Ynez): If you want to be transported to the French countryside, Sunstone is the place to go! It’s a popular spot, and while reservations are not required, I’d recommend making one. A tasting of 5 wines is currently $25.
- Roblar Winery and Vineyards (Santa Ynez): Roblar has a really lovely outdoor space, and the local vineyards produce a wide range of wines, including sauvignon blanc, sangiovese, syrah, merlot, and much more. Reservations can be made online, and tastings are currently $15 to $20.
- Andrew Murray Vineyards (Los Olivos): The oak tree-covered terrace at Andrew Murray Vineyards is the perfect spot to enjoy some wine tasting on a nice day! Reservations are highly recommended, and can be made online. A tasting is currently $20.
- Koehler Winery (Los Olivos): This laid-back winery has an expansive and very pretty outdoor space, where you’ll likely spot some emus (don’t worry, they’re on the other side of the fence)! Reservations are only needed for larger groups, and a tasting is currently $20.
Want an expert to guide you through the wine tasting experience? Consider booking a wine tour of the Santa Ynez Valley. Bonus: no need to worry about driving!
Get Outside and Hike
The Santa Ynez Valley and the greater Santa Barbara County is such a naturally beautiful place. It’s the perfect area to go for a hike! There are two trails near Solvang that I recommend checking out.
The first is Nojoqui Falls Trail, which is just under a mile long, and located about a 15-minute drive from the center of Solvang. This tree-covered out-and-back trail leads you to (you guessed it) beautiful falls. Keep in mind that the falls don’t always have water, so check the AllTrails reviews for the most up-to-date info! Even if the falls aren’t flowing, it’s a really nice area for a short and easy hike.
The second trail I recommend is the moderately-rated Tunnel View Loop Trail, which is just about a 20-minute drive from Solvang. This 4.7-mile loop trail takes you through the picturesque mountains, and offers beautiful views of the ocean.
Eating Vegan in Solvang
As I started planning this day trip, I was pretty confident I wouldn’t have much luck finding vegan food in Solvang. Thankfully, I was proven wrong! There are some great vegan-friendly spots in town, including places with more traditional Danish food (or at least as close to traditional as you can get with plant-based ingredients). You just need to know where to look!
Good Seed Coffee is a great option for drinks or light snacks, as they have non-dairy milk and a variety of vegan snacks and pastries.
For lunch, we enjoyed vegan sausages (and a side of beer) at Copenhagen Sausage Garden . They actually had two veggie sausages: smoked apple and Mexican chipotle. My boyfriend and I got one of each – both delicious, but the smoked apple was my favorite!
The bakery was one I was least confident in. However, we were actually able to find pastries at one of the five main authentic Danish bakeries! Birkholm’s Bakery & Cafe has two vegan options: the boats (which come in cherry and lemon) and the palm leaves. We ordered the cherry boat to share and it was super good! We were so happy to find a Solvang bakery with vegan options.
Additional Vegan Restaurants in Solvang
We actually stopped at the places mentioned above, but I came across a few other spots in the Solvang vegan food scene when doing my research. Here are some other spots to check out:
- Brekkies: Brekkies is an excellent option if you’re looking for a vegan-friendly breakfast or brunch spot. You can order the vegan Scramble Bowl with vegan chorizo, as well as an Almond Butter Toast and an Avocado Toast
- Succulent Cafe: This comfort food restaurant has one vegan option on the menu (a Beyond Burger), but sometimes that’s all you need! According to Yelp, it appears that the veggie sandwich may also be vegan, but I’d double check with the server.
- Cafe Dolce: This cafe has a few vegan sandwiches and burritos, and the coffee drinks can be made with non-dairy milk.
I hope you have an amazing time in Solvang! If you’re looking for more day trip-worthy destinations in California, be sure to check out my other posts. My Day Trips from Los Angeles Guide is a great place to start! Here are some other guides you’ll like:
Hannah says
I’ve been wanting to go to Solvang! And SLO and Santa Barbara. Love the little European charm with all the coffee shops and such. Would love to see those ostriches too! I have to share this post with my husband (we live in NorCal), and he doesn’t want to visit the SLO/Santa Barbara area because he thinks that if we’re going to drive that far, we might as well go to LA. And I’m like, we go to LA alot already!
Kyra | Sea to Sequoia says
Hope you’re able to convince him! I love LA (I live here, after all!), but it’s SO different than Solvang/SLO/SB – you’ll have a totally different experience!
Jill says
How have I never heard of Solvang before!? It looks so incredibly charming. And I love that there’s so many vegan options! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Lita says
Wow we were just in the area and we missed it! Thank you for sharing all of those fun recommendations, I would love to visit some Emus and Ostriches or grab a bite to eat.
Melinda says
Solvang looks charming! I get what you mean that it’s un-California. What a great day or weekens destination!
Valentina says
I have always wanted to visit California. Hopefully one day I will. There are so many lovely places, like this one.
So charming.
Thank you for your wonderful and very detailed article!
Aimee says
I really need to visit Solvang, its always appealed but I’ve never got the chance.
Leah says
Looks like a beautiful place to visit! Would definitely have to check out the wine tasting, although I think I would skip out the ostriches as they freak me out a bit 😂 Thanks for sharing.
Brittany says
Solvang looks like such a charming little town! My husband and I were going to stop there on a trip to Santa Barbara, but we ran out of time. I’ll definitely be back, so I’ll save this for when we finally get to visit. I’d love to go wine tasting and explore the European architecture. Thanks for sharing!
Megan says
I totally want to visit Solvang. I love being able to feel as if you are far away when you aren’t able to actually go far away! And my kids would love seeing the ostriches!
Coralie says
What an interesting place! I’d never heard of Solvang before, but it sounds lovely – and the perfect place to go wine tasting!
Bea Pinnegar says
Solvang looks like such a quaint, back-in-time town! Love your photos as well. The wine tasting definitely sounds super interesting – would love to pay this part of the world a visit sometime soon. Thanks for this guide!
Lasma says
I would love to visit Solvang and this guide covers it all! Great work, so thank you for putting this together 🙂
Kate says
Solvang looks so cute and charming! I would love to wander around, check out the windmill and go hiking in the area. This looks like a fantastic place to spend a day.
Sarah says
Not heard of Solvang, looks such a cute place, I’d be interested in the wine tasting, and hiking trails.
Jill says
Solvang looks so quaint and cute! I’ve never heard of it, but I think I would prefer this quieter getaway to one of the bigger cities in CA, thank you for sharing!
Denise says
Looks like Solvang has changed a lot since I’ve been there! Can’t wait to go back!