Ojai is a great place to visit, especially if you are in need of something grounding, rejuvenating and relaxing; I felt recharged after just one day here. I did Ojai -> Palm Springs + Joshua Tree over one weekend, but could see myself staying in Ojai for 2-3 days if I wanted a really relaxing stay.

ITINERARY

STAY: Capri Hotel (hotel review below)

DAY 1

• Breakfast at Bonnie Lu’s, which is a diner right in town.

• Walk around and explore the Ojai town (has a great farmers market if you are there on a Sunday).

• Hike: Shelf Road Trail

  • Would recommend this hike if you only have time for one. Gives a great view of Ojai and not too hard!

• Check-in to the Capri Hotel and relax by the pool.

• Drinks at Topa Topa, Ojai Vineyard and/or Tipple and Ramble - they are all walking distance so you could do some bar-hopping.

• Sunset at The Meditation Mount - would highly recommend this. Absolutely beautiful, and so serene and meditative. You can buy tickets there.

• Dinner at Ojai Rotie - rotie chicken with amazing sides and a cute outside area.

DAY 2

• Coffee & pastries at Beacon before heading out. They have an amazing selection of gluten-free (and non gluten-free) pastries, and there is a boutique attached which has a lot of cute stuff.

Things we wanted to do but didn’t have the time for:

• Eat

  • Lunch

    • Farmer and the Cook

    • Ojai Tortilla House

    • The Nest

  • Dinner

    • Nocciola - upscale Italian.

• Hikes

  • Ojai Meadows Preserve (1 mile) - a low key, 30-minute walk.

  • Last Chance Trail (11 miles) - if you’re in the mood for a long, beautiful hike, this is it!

HOTEL REVIEW

• Capri Hotel: renovated “retro” motel, with a nice pool, well-done interiors and great rooms. Feels very instagrammable. Would stay here again, especially if looking for a hotel that is not crazy pricey.

• Ojai Valley Inn: beautiful, 5-star hotel. If you can swing it, this would be great for a few very relaxing nights - the property is amazing, and you’d probably want to spend most of your time there.