Napa travel planning can be overwhelming. If you’re coming out here and you only have a few short days to see and experience as much as possible, it can be hard to narrow down the wineries you want to visit, the restaurants you want to eat at and how to organize all of these activities into a coherent itinerary that flows nicely.
I live within pretty short driving distance to Napa, so we’ll usually go over for one day of tasting, dinner and then home the next day. I organize those tasting days very simply. One long one in the morning, lunch, then two shorter tastings in the afternoon. I like to do a sparkling wine tasting at the end of the day.
But with multiple days to organize you can space things out nicely, include some non-wine activities and take your time to really enjoy your days in this beautiful corner of California.
Table of Contents
This itinerary covers four days, but includes travel time and can be adjusted down for a total of three days or extended out to 5 full days.
This is a framework only, hotels and wineries get sketched in based on interests and budget.
Here are four days in the Napa Valley.
Napa Travel Planning Day 1
Afternoon at a tasting room
Day one, welcome to the Napa Valley. If you’re coming in from around the country you probably aren’t arriving until the afternoon. If you’re driving in from southern California or Nevada, well, you’re still probably not arriving until the afternoon.
Keep today simple. Check in to your hotel and instead of trying to get out into a vineyard visit a tasting room near your hotel.
In the evening have a great dinner
If you are going to make reservations for an expensive dinner on this trip, today might be the day for it, since you won’t have been drinking wine for hours before sampling a tasting menu.
Napa Travel Planning Day 2
Morning coffee and pastries followed by a guided tasting tour
Day two and this is the day for a perfect Napa itinerary. Start your morning with coffee and pastries to get a good base of absorbent food in your stomach. Next, I highly recommend booking a tour through one of the great local tour guides. You will be driven to a curated selection of 2-4 wineries and the local tour companies have great taste and know everything. Let them lead you through a day of tasting and you won’t need to worry about driving.
Afternoon drinks and snacks by the hotel pool
After your tour head back to your hotel and spend the rest of the afternoon lounging by your hotel pool. Take a dip, have a snack, and cleanse your palate with a refreshing spritz.
Evening tasting room and dinner
In the evening visit a tasting room and have dinner. If you’re staying somewhere walkable, you may be able to do both of these things without needing to drive or park or call an Uber.
Napa Travel Planning Day 3
Morning hot air balloons or bike ride
Start day 3 a little differently with a non-wine activity. Get your feet off the ground on an early morning hot air balloon ride. If you’d rather sleep in a bit, take a ride on the Vine Trail, Napa Valley’s paved bike and pedestrian trail. Sections from Napa to Yountville, and St. Helena to Calistoga are open now. You can rent bikes, take a guided bike tour or borrow bikes from your hotel. Some guided tours include bike rental, guide and picnic lunch.
Afternoon winery tasting and sparkling tasting
In the afternoon, plan two tasting stops. Schedule the first one based on the type of wines you enjoy and finish your day with a flight of sparkling wines.
Evening dinner
This evening is your last chance for a great Napa Valley dinner. Try a french restaurant in Yountville or maybe head to Brasswood for their famous mozzarella.
Napa Travel Planning Day 4
Morning breakfast and mimosas if you’re still capable of drinking, followed by a spa treatment
Day 4 and this is the day that you are departing from the Napa Valley. If your flight isn’t until the afternoon, you have time to fit in a couple of last minute activities.
Have a delicious breakfast and if you are still capable of drinking wine, go ahead and treat yourself with mimosas. Pack your suitcase completely up, except for your airplane / drive home outfit, and then head to your hotel spa. Have a massage or facial or sit in a hot sauna. Soak up that last little bit of Napa pampering before heading back to your real life.
Napa Travel Planning Tips:
- Unfortunately, you can’t wing it on tasting reservations at most wineries, you’ll need to make reservations. Some wineries take walk-ins if they aren’t busy but it’s better to have at least some of your reservations in place before you arrive. Tasting rooms are generally easier to walk in to.
- Don’t rely on Uber once you get outside of the towns, many drivers won’t go out to the vineyards that are further afield, or they may drop you but they won’t come back to pick up. Within Napa you can easily Uber and if you are staying close to Calistoga, St. Helena, Yountville, you should be ok. But if you are planning to be out on the wine trails and everyone in your party wants to participate in tasting, hire a driver.
- Pick up some snacks for your hotel room at one of the grocery stores in Napa as you drive through or hit Oakville Grocery or Dean and Deluca to stock up on provisions.
Keep reading…
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