California is not only about big cities such as Los Angeles or San Francisco, it has so much more to offer. You can find there lots of hidden gems and regions, such as Conejo Valley. It’s a beautiful region with rolling green hills and picturesque views of the Santa Monica Mountains, located in the northwestern part of Greater Los Angeles County. It’s located only 20 minutes drive from Malibu and 40 minutes from Los Angeles.

Sunset Hills hike in Thousand Oaks, in Conejo Valley

Ever since I moved to San Francisco 5 years ago (Cheers to Karl the Fog!), I’ve been craving to visit Southern California and explore its beauty, while enjoying warm, sunny weather. When exploring Southern California destinations, I came across Conejo Valley. It is a perfect destination for hiking, horseback riding and discovering good restaurants. It is also great for a weekend getaway and escaping the busy city life.

Thousand Oaks and Agoura Hills are the two main cities of Conejo Valley. My fiancé and I recently spent 2 nights in Agoura Hills and it was so much fun! We drove to Conejo Valley from San Francisco, and it took us around 6 hours to get there. In this blog post, I put together my weekend itinerary, which covers where to stay, what to eat & drink, and what to see. I hope you enjoy this Ultimate Travel Guide to Conejo Valley.

*This blog post was created in the collaboration with Conejo Valley @visitconejovalley*

Where to stay in Conejo Valley?

There are plenty of hotel options in both Agoura Hills and Thousand Oaks. We stayed in Sheraton Agoura Hills, which was conveniently located 5 minutes drive from a shopping mall and restaurants. We often went to Sunrose California Eatery for breakfast or lunch, it was so delicious! You can read more about the dining options, at the end of this post. The room we stayed in had a great balcony that looked out over the beautiful hills. I really enjoyed staying in this hotel!

Here are the hotel that I recommend when staying in Conejo Valley:

Sheraton Agoura Hills

Courtyard by Marriott Thousand Oaks Agoura Hills

Hampton Inn & Suites Agoura Hills

What to do in Conejo Valley? The best places to explore

Conejo Valley offers many attractions and activities. From wineries and breweries, to unique gardens, parks and hiking trails, these are the highlights of our trip with some fun things to do:

Go Horseback Riding at Paramount Ranch with Malibu Riders

One of the most fun activities during our trip to Conejo Valley, was horseback riding! I’m a horse lover and I’ve been riding horses since I was 10. We went for a guided trail horse ride at Paramount Ranch, located around a 10 minutes drive from Agoura Hills. The scenery was beautiful, with lots of rolling hills, ancient oak trees and wildlife. The horses were super nice and friendly! Our ride took around 1,5 hour from start to finish. My favorite part was when we crossed the stream and the horses were splashing in the water, it was so much fun!

Visit the Gardens of the World in Thousand Oaks

I was very impressed by this unique botanical garden, conveniently located in the center of Thousand Oaks. It’s definitely worth going to, while you are in Conejo Valley. It’s a great place for a morning or afternoon walk. You can spend some time sitting on one of the benches or listening to the sounds of the flowing water. We visited this place in December, and we still enjoyed it a lot. It’s stunning anytime of the year. The roses were blooming and the lemon trees had lots of fruit!

Gardens of the World were established in 2001 and given to the city by the owners of a local travel agency. It’s home to many beautiful smaller gardens, such as the Japanese Garden, the French Garden, the Italian Garden, the Rose Garden, and the Mission Courtyard. My favorite was the Mission Courtyard, with colorful hand painted murals and olive & citrus trees. Entry to the gardens is free, and they are open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 9am-5pm.

Wine tasting at Cornell Wine Co.

There are over a dozen of wineries and breweries in Conejo Valley. If you’re looking to spend some time surrounded by the Santa Monica Mountains. Cornell Wine Co. is a great place to do so. It’s perfect not only for wine enthusiasts, but also for all the nature lovers who want to relax in beautiful scenery. Cornell Wine Co. is a tasting room that offers lots of wines made in the local mountains. You can also find there some pieces of art from the top artists in the area, and other crafty, unique treasures such as hats, pottery and jewelry.

We enjoyed a wine tasting in their outside patio, while admiring the beautiful scenery. Their wine flight contained four different, local wines (you can pick your own wines from their list for this experience).

Hike to Sunset Hills for sunset

Conejo Valley offers many picturesque hiking trails on top of the beautiful, rolling hills. We did an easy and short hike to Sunset Hills in Thousand Oaks. The view from the top is magical, especially at sunset. There is a free, small parking at the initial part of the trail. The hike is suitable for families with kids and people with dogs.

Where to eat in Conejo Valley?

When visiting Conejo Valley, we went to many good restaurants & cafes in Thousands Oaks and Agoura Hills. I found a ton of tasty places to eat. Here’s a list of my favorite places that I recommend:

Historia Bakery - Our favorite place for coffee and pastries was Historia Bakery in Thousand Oaks. It’s a very cute cafe with nice decorations and a charming feel. This place is a hidden gem in Conejo Valley! You need to check it out, especially if you’re a coffee lover.

Sunrose California Eatery - This beautifully decorated, recently opened restaurant in Agoura Hills, has plenty of breakfast & lunch options. It’s a relaxing place to eat and hang out, with a great atmosphere. The food was fresh and delicious, and the service was so friendly and accommodating. It was my favorite restaurant in Agoura Hills! I especially liked the avocado toast with smoked salmon, and the pancakes.

Tifa Chocolate & Gelato - This gelato shop and cafe has stores in both Thousand Oaks and Agoura Hills. Their products were so yummy! We also tried their espresso, which was delicious. These were truly one of the best ice-creams I’ve ever tasted. They offer a variety of traditional as well as unique flavors, my favorite one was Pistachio.

Fogo do Chao Brazilian Steakhouse - This Brazilian steakhouse was our favorite place for dinner in Conejo Valley. All the meats and food were great, especially „the Market” salad bar. The ambiance and service were amazing too. We will definitely go back there! The restaurant is situated in Thousand Oaks near a small lake, decorated with lights. It added something special to the atmosphere.

The Cliffdiver - When we first walked into this Mexican, laid-back restaurant with a tropical vibe in Thousand Oaks, I was so surprised by its interesting decor and delicious, good-looking food. This place has great energy and a fun vibe! My favorite dish was tuna tostadas.