OT Travel Itinerary: Your Perfect Two-Day Trip To Ojai, California

The city of Ojai in Ventura County, California, is known for its boutique hotels, recreation opportunities, hiking trails and farmers' markets. Its culture heavily focuses on ecology, health, organic agriculture, spirituality, music and local art. The town and surrounding area is home to the Los Padres National Forest, whose backcountry areas are accessible from Highway 33, the major north-south highway through town. Matilija Creek is a spot to enjoy splashing under waterfalls and backpacking, while to the west, the Lake Casitas Recreation Area offers camping, picnicking, hiking, boating and fishing opportunities.

Here’s where you should go and what you should do during a two-day holiday in Ojai.

Day 1

Morning

Start your Ojai adventure with the Ojai Valley Trail, a 14-kilometre (nine-mile) trail that parallels Highway 33 from Foster Park on the outskirts of West Ventura to Fox Street. One side of the trail is paved for bicyclists, walkers, joggers and people exercising their pets, and a post-and-rail wood fence separates the paved path from a dirt bridle path for horseback riders. The section winds through wooded areas and riverbeds.

You can also check out the Valley View Preserve’s rugged foothills in the morning, which provides one of Ojai’s most scenic backdrops. Situated between the Los Padres National Forest and downtown Ojai, this preserve encompasses 195 acres of land and offers numerous hiking trails. The exposed southern slopes of the preserve are covered in chaparral, while pockets of ferns and lichen-covered rocks can be found in shaded wooded areas. A steep climb up John’s Fox Canyon and Luci’s Trails provides breathtaking views of the valley.

Afternoon

Next, visit the Ojai Valley Museum, which collects and exhibits art, artefacts, photographs, and paper ephemera relating to the history, art, and culture of the Ojai Valley. Housed in what was once a former Catholic Church, the museum informs visitors about how Native Americans were present in the Ojai Valley as early as 13,500 years ago; how Spanish Franciscans established 21 missions in Alta from 1769-1823; how the valley transformed into a healing retreat for wealthy families from the late 19^th century; and so on. You can also join a walking tour of historic Ojai that take places every Saturday morning at 10:30AM from November to June.

Follow this up with a visit to the Ojai Vineyard Tasting Room. With its lean, minimal-intervention wines that have a European sensibility, they are a product of different grapes and vineyard plots, resulting in award-winning wines like chardonnay, pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon. You can also consider the nearby Majestic Oak Vineyard, a family-owned operation with a cosy tasting room located below ground level.

Evening

Check out Bart’s Books, the world’s largest outdoor bookstore that has been serving the Ojai community since 1964. Bart’s hosts a collection of over 130,000 used and new books, ranging from rare out-of-print gems to well loved paperbacks. The staff—composed entirely of dedicated book lovers—can not only help you find a book but can also offer a recommendation for a new favourite.

Wrap up your first day with dinner at The Nest, with its Instagram-ready salads, sandwiches and cocktails. Or try longtime favourite Farmer and the Cook, which is beloved for its baked goods, smoothies and pizza. Rory’s Place—helmed by a pair of Ojai-native sisters, Rory and Maeve McAuliffe—showcases local bounty, resulting in a menu filled with oysters, salads and standouts such as grilled swordfish and heritage pork chops.

Day 2

Morning

For your final day, head to Ojai Olive Oil, a small family farm committed to making some of the world's finest olive oils. Cold-pressed, unfiltered and unadulterated, their oils are known for their near-zero acidity, high polyphenol content and exquisite taste. The organic farm has been in the Asquith family for generations, and many of the olive trees found here have been around for hundreds of years. The ranch offers free educational tours every Wednesday and Saturday, starting in the original grove and ending in the tasting room. Scheduling is a laidback affair, with no reservations necessary and no particular starting time.

Afternoon

In the afternoon, check out the Ojai Art Center (also known as the Ojai Center for the Arts), the longest continuously operating multi-disciplinary centre serving the arts in California. This non-profit institution offers a variety of classes and workshops for all ages, aiming to promote the arts within the community. It features an art gallery and a theatre for plays, which provide a cosy and inviting atmosphere. Visitors can enjoy local productions at the performing arts theatre and explore current exhibitions at the gallery space.

Next, visit Libbey Park, a beautiful green space that offers quiet places for relaxation, a playground for children, tennis courts, a community bandstand and the Libbey Bowl, the site of the Ojai Music Festival and many other events. The park operates eight dedicated outdoor hard surface tennis courts and is divided into two areas, Lower and Upper Libbey, containing four courts in each area. Libbey Park is also home to the Sound Arch, a unique interactive sculpture designed by Trimpin, a Seattle-based artist. The Sound Arch was dedicated in 2011 as a public art piece for the restored Libbey Bowl.

Evening

As the oldest restaurant and tavern in Ojai, the Deer Lodge has long served as a meeting place where weary adventurers from all walks of life come together to fill their bellies and lift their spirits. For your final evening, eat classic Californian cuisine, along with a wide selection of craft beers and spirits from up and down the West Coast here. There are vegetarian- and vegan-friendly options, as well as a large dog-friendly patio and a game room with a pool table and lounge area. With live music and smokey barbecue on the weekends, this is a place where you can dance with your friends well into the night.

How To Reach Ojai

Take a flight to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and drive the 141 kilometres to Ojai. You can also consider a VCTC Intercity bus that services the cities of Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, Santa Paula and Fillmore in Ventura County and to communities in neighbouring Los Angeles and Santa Barbara counties.