I booked Malibu Wine Hike for my birthday weekend with my friend. We love hiking and who doesn't love wine in the middle of the afternoon? Our walking guide, Shane, was very knowledgeable about the animals on the property and the ranches 1,000 acre land that holds the vineyard, all the animals, avocado trees, and historic property landmarks. Our group had around 10 people and everyone was up for the extended 10 minute hike towards the end. As Shane says, "We earned our wine!" The hike included Stanley the giraffe feeding, and animal observing like baby alpacas, zebras and tons of horses, lasted about 90 minutes. You were free to pet the animals but you did "SIGN THE WAIVER... haha". Frequent stops were made to learn about the ranch's history, there were 2 bathroom breaks and tons of photo opportunity. After the hike you get shuttled to the outdoor wine tasting area about two minutes away from the property. There was live music, a food truck which was great because we were starving from the hike and plenty of opportunities to buy Saddle Ranch wine bottles if you're interested. The ambiance is amazing!
Tips:
-Wear comfy shoes
-Dress in layers. We visited in February so it was chilly in the morning but warmed up once the hike started
-Bring water. There's enough bathroom breaks throughout the hike.
-Don't forget your ID. They card you when you get to the wine tasting area.
-Don't forget to tip your guide ;)
Pros:
-They give you complimentary wristbands with Malibu Wine Hikes labeled on it. Cute souvenir and it doubled as a way to know what group you belonged to.
Cons:
-(Not really a con) If you have plans to go somewhere after the 2 hour tour let your guide know. We were visiting LA for 2 days and planned around the 90-120 minute advertised approximate time. We ended up leaving the property at 1:30 which was 3 hours after our booked time. Traffic wasn't too bad heading back to WeHo (took PCH for the scenic view) so it didn't stall us too much but if you have plans afterwards let them know.