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Yakima Valley is a destination that should be on your next Washington State travel itinerary if you’re a wine or beer enthusiast! In the Yakima Valley, you’ll find over 90 wineries, along with over a dozen breweries, cideries and tap houses to get your taste of the Hop Country Craft Brew Trail.
Yakima is also a budding foodie destination with a notable farm-to-table eatery, a James Beard Award-winning tamale shop, and a distillery with an inventive menu of sharable bites – just to name a few. And because Yakima Valley is located a little over two hours away from Seattle, it makes for a perfect overnight or long weekend getaway!
I will admit that we’ve driven through this area before on our way to Walla Walla without a thought of putting a stop here on our itinerary. I had no idea how many wineries were in the area or that 75% of all U.S. hop crops are grown in the Yakima Valley! Just a quick exit off the highway will lead you to rolling hills filled with rows of vineyards, hops, and orchards.
Getting to Yakima
As I mentioned above, Yakima is just over a two-hour drive from Seattle. I highly recommend visiting Yakima in the summer months so you can take the Chinook Pass, which takes you through Mt. Rainier National Park. It is such a beautiful drive!
Here are some approximate drive times from surrounding major Pacific Northwest Cities:
- Drive from Seattle: Approx. 2 – 2.5 hours (depending on your route)
- Drive from Portland: Approx. 3 hours
- Drive from Boise: Approx. 5 hours 20 mins
If you fly into any of the major cities listed above on Alaska Airlines, keep in mind that they allow you to check a case of wine for free on your return flight home!
Where to Stay in Yakima
Hotels in Yakima
If you’re only in Yakima for a short visit, I recommend staying in the downtown area so you can be within walking distance to dinner and brewery options. We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn which was central to everything we wanted to visit.
The Hotel Maison right next door is also a great option and is another Hilton property. Both of these hotels are also convenient if you plan to take the Little Hopper Wine Tour Bus (more on that below) as they pick up at the Hilton Garden Inn for tours.
There are a few other hotels in the area but they are in less desirable neighborhoods (in my opinion) and not as close to the downtown restaurants.
Unique Stays in Yakima
If we visit this region again, I found some more unique spots instead of traditional hotels to consider staying at:
- Alexandria Nicole Vineyards Tiny Houses (stay on a vineyard property in the Prosser area!)
- Historic Waterfront House in Prosser
- Townhome in Prosser
- Cozy Rose Inn in Grandview (B&B)
Best Things to Do in Yakima
From outdoor adventures to wine tours and brewery crawls, there is plenty to do in Yakima Valley to keep you busy for a long weekend! Personally, I wanted to visit Yakima with a focus solely on food and wine – because that’s how I roll.
Only having 24 hours in the in the valley meant limited time, but I was sure to pack in as much as possible! I should have a disclaimer for anyone who travels with me – come hungry and bring the stretchy pants…
Go Wine Tasting
The number one thing I think anyone should do when visiting Yakima is to go wine tasting! As I mentioned at the outset of this post, there are over 90 wineries in Yakima Valley spread across five different AVAs.
Wineries are mainly clustered in these five areas: Yakima (including Union Gap/Wapato), Zillah, Prosser, Red Mountain, and Columbia Gorge. I think its a good idea to pick one area to focus on to reduce travel time between tastings.
Since we only had 24 hours here, we weren’t able to visit as many wineries as I would have liked. However, I did try a glass of local wine wherever I could! My favorite picks were:
- Rosé from Owen Roe (absolutely loved the laid back vibes at this winery)
- Sparkling Rosé from Treveri Cellars (I take issue with how their “lawn seating” is run so make sure you make a reservation for patio or indoor seating to get the best service)
- Viognier from Fortuity Cellars (tried at Crafted in Yakima)
- Rosé from Gilbert Cellars (tried at Cowiche Creek Brewing)
- Blanc Franc from Ellensburg Canyon Winery (tried at the local Farmers Market in Downtown)
yakima valley wine tours
If you want to winery hop without having to worry about a designated driver, check out the Little Hopper Bus! They offer different tours on select days of the week that take you to all the different wine regions in the valley.
Note that tours do not include tasting fees (but these are generally waived with bottle purchases). I am definitely signing us up for a tour next time we’re in the area!
Brewery Hop
When a place grows three-quarters of the country’s hops, you’ll be darn sure I’m adding breweries to the list of places to visit! I highly recommend both Cowiche Creek Brewing and Shorthead Brewing.
- Cowiche has a cool, scenic space in the hills just west of Yakima where they brew their own beers, serve local wine (try the Gilbert Cellars rose!), and make some tasty pub grub. They even have a sweet Labrador who wanders around for pets. I cannot resist a good brewery dog!
- Shorthead was located in walking distance to our hotel in Downtown Yakima, serving up both beers and ciders. They are relatively new so their menu isn’t as extensive but I’m sure they’ll be expanding soon!
Other breweries in the area on my wish list that we haven’t visited include: Bale Breaker, Single Hill Brewing, and 5th Line Brewing (among several others!).
Spirits & Snacks at The Distillarium
The Distillarium | 2305 Industry Ln, Yakima, WA 98901
This distillery is an absolute hidden gem in Yakima tucked away in an unassuming industrial area. It was hands down our favorite spot we visited in Yakima! We got two different flights of generously-poured spirits, along with some really delicious plates of shareables that ended up being a super hearty lunch.
We filled up on the Bourbon Board (one of the tastiest charcuterie boards I’ve had in a while), lobster puffs, and chicken and waffle sliders. The chicken and waffles take the top spot as my favorite bite of food we had during our entire time in Yakima!
I don’t know how they do it, but those waffles were perfection with a slightly crunchy sugary crust. When paired with the savory chicken and bacon and dunked in maple syrup, it was a flavor explosion. I now understand why chicken and waffle dishes work so well!
Break for Coffee or Tea
Whether its for breakfast or a break from wine tasting/brewery hopping, stop in at MAK Daddy for a coffee or tea break. They’ve got comfy couches for lounging and a list of unique drinks, like the Yukon Joe – a bourbon maple latte. They also serve local wine and beer here!
Enjoy a Farm-to-Table Dinner
Crafted Yakima | 22 N 1st St, Yakima, WA 98901
Crafted was high on my list for a special farm-to-table dinner experience in Yakima. Here, the ever-changing menu items are crafted with locally-sourced, seasonal ingredients. Dishes are served in a way that encourages sharing with your dining companions, though you can absolutely order your own entrees.
The restaurant does offer a chef’s menu where they choose seven courses for you if you are undecided. Some items are straight from the menu, some might have a little something special (according to our server at least).
Initially, I thought we would settle on this option but we did the math and it worked out better for our table of four to choose our own dishes to share. And when I say “we,” I mean my husband because I don’t math very well…
Since the menu changes regularly, it’s likely you won’t see any of my favorite items on your menu (except for the s’mores dessert), but here’s a rundown on my favorite dishes:
- Roasted Asparagus with bacon lardons, blistered tomatoes, garlic chive cashew pesto, cosmic crisp apples & feta
- Purple Sweet Potato with garlic confit, Calabrian Chile Greek yogurt, zhoug & za’atar (I thought this was the most flavorful dish overall, which was surprising given that I’m not a big sweet potato fan!)
- Salmon Crudo with garlic confit, Calabrian Chile Greek yogurt, zhoug & za’atar
- S’mores dessert with graham cracker ice cream and toasted marshmallows (complete with a smoky reveal from under a glass dome!)
Taste James Beard Award-Winning Tamales
Locations in West Yakima or Union Gap
Los Hernandez in Union Gap won a James Beard Award back in 2018 for their delicious tamales in the America’s Classics category. I’ll be perfectly honest when I say I didn’t know that award-winning food could be casual comfort food! I really need to brush up on my foodie education. Anyhow, the win gave them some notoriety and they were able to open a second location in West Yakima, which is the spot we visited.
I highly recommend visiting during asparagus season (roughly April through June) so you can try the seasonal asparagus tamale, which was delicious! The pork tamale was also very tasty and the rice and beans were just right. As someone currently living in California with unlimited access to delicious Mexican food, this is on par with the best of ’em.
Browse the Farmers Market
If you happen to be visiting Yakima on a Sunday, check out the farmers market located in the downtown area. There are local food vendors to have a hot meal, freshly-baked pies, bouquets of flowers, fresh local produce, and a variety of other small businesses selling their goods.
I was also able to do a wine tasting with Ellensburg Canyon Winery and ended up taking a bottle of their Blanc Franc to go, which was one of my favorite wines from our 24 hours in Yakima!
I hope you enjoyed this quick rundown on some of the best things to do in Yakima as a food, wine, and beer lover! We will definitely return to the Yakima area to explore more, especially when it comes to the wineries and breweries. There’s a lot of ground to cover there! I’d love to pair another overnight visit here with an extended weekend out in Walla Walla.
What do you think? Will you be putting Yakima on your Washington State travel itinerary in the near future?
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