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Are you a wine lover making a long-awaited trip to Napa Valley, California? After all, this warm, mountain-encircled valley is basically the mother of all U.S. wine regions. Since narrowing down wineries for your Napa Valley itinerary is half the battle, today I am sharing the best stops from my own amazing trips to help you on your way.
During our first February 2019 trip, my husband and I cozied up on heated patios and watched rainbows form over the vineyards. We recently returned for a fall visit, strolling past vines loaded with ripening grapes that were days away from harvest. However, this time we visited a maximum of two wineries a day and did a bit more hiking.
While these trips were very different, they felt equally romantic. The February Napa trip had sweater weather and Valentine’s Day ambiance, while our second trip exploring the mountains and seeing redwood trees was full of wonder and awe.
Below, I have created the perfect Napa Valley itinerary, whether you only want to taste wine or want to mix in some outdoorsy sightseeing. I will suggest two wineries per day, while giving an option for a third winery or potential hike. With that, let’s get into how to have an incredible weekend in Napa Valley, whether you have 2, 3, or even 4 days.
The Perfect Napa Valley Weekend Itinerary
Get ready for a wondrous weekend of winery hopping and drinking some of the best fermented grapes you’ve had in your life. You’ll start each day with a nice breakfast at a charming inn or hotel, which will be a good base before wine consumption.
This Napa Valley itinerary is relaxed, with no more than three winery visits a day (trust me, that’s more than enough!). You’ll end each evening eating at trendy restaurants featuring creative dishes made with high-end ingredients.
Napa Valley Itinerary: Day 1
Hit the ground running upon arrival in Napa Valley so you can maximize your full weekend itinerary, whether long or short. This can mean heading straight for wineries or stopping at one of the best places in California to see redwood trees.
If you prefer to prioritize wine tasting, plan to arrive into Napa Valley early since most wineries close anywhere between 4-6 pm.
Redwoods & Wineries
Would you like to see some redwood trees? If so, a stop at Muir Woods National Monument is easy to do on the way to Napa Valley from the airport.
Otherwise, it takes about an hour and a half to drive to Napa Valley from San Francisco International Airport (SFO), giving you time to schedule one or two wine tastings.
11:00am: Choose Between a Hike or Winery
Choose between option 1 or 2:
- See Redwood Trees at Muir Woods: The easiest and most popular way to add redwood tree sightings to your Napa itinerary is to stop at Muir Woods. Although this park is about an hour an a half from Napa Valley, it’s an easy stop on the drive from SFO. Be sure to reserve a parking spot in advance online ($9 per vehicle and $15 entry per person). While this lush park gets very crowded, it’s worth it to hike shady creek-side trails spanning from a half-mile to as long as 11 miles.
- Visit Silver Oak (Oakville): Kick your trip off at one of Napa’s most famous wineries with outstanding red wine. Silver Oak is a Cabernet Sauvignon paradise, with a grand tasting room surrounded by sprawling vineyards. Reservations required. Tastings of a selection of premium wines start at $60.
3:00pm: Biale (Napa)
Biale is one of my favorite Napa wineries for exceptional Zinfandel. As our visit was in February, I was initially surprised that this tasting was held outside on their patio, especially on a chilly rainy day. However, the built-in heaters and provided blankets did the trick in making us perfectly comfortable
Our off-season visit also meant that Biale wasn’t crowded at all, and our server actually sat with us and educated us about each wine. I really valued the personal touch, and the opportunity to learn more about Napa Valley wines. Meanwhile, the rain was stopping, and a rainbow formed over the vineyard in the background. What a dream!
As a personal aside – Biale holds a special place in my heart, as their Black Chicken Zinfandel has come to be synonymous with crazy, but fun holiday gatherings at my in-law’s.
Reservations required. Tastings starting at $50.
5:00pm: Domaine Carneros (Napa)
Cap off your first day of wine tastings with bubbly at Domaine Carneros, whose tastings are housed in a marvelous chateau. Ascending the long path and stairs through immaculate gardens for a grand hilltop entrance.
While the wines matched the elegance of the building, don’t feel like you have to wear a ballgown to come here. My husband and I visited just a few hours after our cross-country flight, and were wearing sweatshirts with jeans. No one judged us.
Reservations required. Tastings starting at $40.
Travel Savvy Tip
Be strategic about the order in which you do wine tastings. Each day, we started with the furthest one, and worked our way back towards where we were staying. You will be tired after hours of tastings, and it’ll be nice to be close to your hotel when you’re done.
Dinner in Napa
Keep your first night in Napa Valley casual. For a relaxed sit-down experience, visit Bounty Hunter Wine Bar & Smokin’ BBQ in Napa. Where else besides wine country will you find a smokehouse that is also a wine bar?
For even more cost effective dining that is also delicious, visit the Tacos Garcia food truck in Yountville. My chorizo burrito was filling and oozing with flavorful seasonings and sauces.
Napa Valley Itinerary: Day 2
Fuel up for day two of your Napa Valley itinerary, which features an array of awesome wines and stunning scenery.
Mountain Wine Tastings
11:00am: Cade Estate Winery (Angwin)
If Domaine Carneros has the most stunning building, Cade has the most breathtaking view. Perched high up in Howell Mountain above the fog line, on a clear day you can see over the valley for miles.
Admittedly, this is a splurge winery. However, Cade’s tasting is worth it for its wonderful selection red wines with a small cheese pairing, as well as a tour. Somehow, the beautiful wines hypnotized us into pulling out our credit card to purchase a bottle technically outside our budget.
Reservations required. Tastings starting at $100.
1:00pm: Choose Between a Hike or Winery
Choose between option 1 or 2:
- Hike in Bothe-Napa Valley State Park: If you missed Muir Woods, you can still see redwood trees at this state park conveniently located in Calistoga on the north end of Napa Valley. Hike the easy 3-mile Redwood Trail, which runs along a tranquil creek, or turn it into a more challenging 4.7-mile loop by adding the Coyote Peak Trail.
- Second Tasting on Howell Mountain: For an efficient wine tasting itinerary, stay on Howell Mountain to visit a second winery in this scenic appellation. To taste sophisticated cabernet sauvignon on the patio of an elegant estate run by Midwesterners, check out O’Shaughnessy Estate Winery. Alternatively, Summit Lake Vineyards is a family-run property where you can taste velvety Zinfandel as friendly dogs stop by for a pet.
4:00pm: Vincent Arroyo (Calistoga)
Please don’t overindulge today because you’ll want to save yourself for this tasting! This family run winery offers charm and a nice change of pace from more grandiose, large-scale operations.
The tasting we did at Vincent Arroyo is up there among the best wine tastings I have ever done in Napa (Travel + Leisure agrees). The vineyard-lined driveway to the barrel-filled barn housing the tasting was gorgeous during golden hour.
Once inside, we tasted so much wine that this is the first time I’ve ever had to dump any of my tastings! Expect to try (and love) an impressive variety of wines including Vincent Arroyo’s specialty: Petite Sirah. Also be ready to spend; we walked away with six bottles.
Reservations required. Tastings starting at $30.
Travel Savvy Tip
Remember: there is no need to jam-pack your day with more than two or three wineries. The tastings are meant to be slow, sit-down experiences, and normally take one to two hours each.
In addition, wine tastings can really add up monetarily, and it’s not necessary to go broke to get the full experience. You can only drink so much wine in one weekend anyhow – by the end of the day it all begins to taste the same.
Dine in Yountville
The French Laundry is the most famous restaurant in Napa Valley, with three Michelin stars. It’s also the most expensive, with a daily tasting menu costing $390 per person. A lot of people like to check it out at least once for the experience, but there are plenty of other awesome restaurants nearby to visit instead.
Alternatively, you could visit its more affordable sister restaurant Ad Hoc, which sits just a little ways down the street. Known for upscale takes on American comfort food served family-style, the four-course menu changes daily and features luxurious add-on options, like caviar. As we visited on a Sunday night, our menu featured delightful build-your-own ice cream sundaes.
My husband and I also had the best date night at Bottega, an lively, upscale Italian restaurant in Yountville. We both agree that our plates of fresh pasta were the best dishes of our entire February trip. Booking a reservation in advance is a necessity if you’d like to get a table.
Napa Valley Itinerary: Day 3
Final Wine Tastings
It’s your last day in Napa, and you’ve got one more full day of wine tastings to go. Drink your morning coffee and let’s get to it!
11:00am: Schramsberg Vineyards for Champagne and Wine Caves
A tour and champagne tasting at the Schramsberg caves is one of the most iconic things to do on any Napa Valley itinerary. You’ve likely seen Schramsberg champagne before since this winery distributes all over the country. However, a tasting offers the chance to try five different types of bubbly side by side for thoughtful comparison.
What sends a visit here over the edge is the chance to tour the wine caves and learn about how champagne is made. The caves date back to the 19th century and look like something out of Harry Potter. Indeed, the rows and rows of glass bottles reminded me of the Hall of Prophecy in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Also giving spooky vibes were the thick sheets of lichen covering the stone ceilings, which could easily be mistaken for monstrous spider webs.
Reservations required. Tastings starting at $85.
1:00pm: Choose Between a Hike or Winery
Choose between option 1 or 2:
- Explore the Petrified Forest: This is your chance to see trees that were preserved in a volcanic eruption over three million years ago! Located just 13 minutes from Schramsberg by car, it only takes about an hour to stroll The Petrified Forest’s two half mile loops. You’ll see evidence of an ancient lava flow and the redwood trees that were excavated from the ash.
- Taste wine at Duck Horn (Saint Helena): One of our favorite tastings from our initial trip to Napa Valley was at Duckhorn. Our most valuable takeaway was doing a side-by-side tasting of two Cabernets, with one made from grapes grown on the valley floor and the other made from grapes grown on Howell Mountain. This eye opening experience demonstrated how dramatically growing conditions affect the flavor profile of any given wine. Reservations required. Tastings starting at $60.
3:00pm: Grgich Hills Estate (Rutherford)
A visit to Grgrich is essential. It was this very winery that helped originally put Napa on the map by beating a French wine in the famed “Paris Tasting” of 1976.
That said, our experience at Grgich was more than a history lesson; it was also a reminder to refer back to a physical Napa Valley itinerary throughout the trip. This is also what inspired us to stick to two daily wine tastings on our next trip.
Basically, we lost track of time and missed our scheduled tour at Grgich. Thus, we had to settle for a counter tasting only. We still loved this winery and the moderate price point on the bottles, with rows of barrels giving oaky aromas that further engaged our senses.
Reservations required. Tastings starting at $75.
Napa Valley Sign
This photo spot is touristy, but essential. The Napa Valley sign is a short four minute drive down Highway 29 from Grgich Hills Estate. It’s a wonderful spot for a quick photo op, and looks especially stunning at sunset.
Dinner in Napa
Have one last elegant meal before leaving wine country. On our initial visit, we finished up at Torc in downtown Napa. This chic, yet dressed-down restaurant featured delectable menu items like pork belly and mushroom risotto.
On our subsequent visit, we felt a little more adventurous and let the students at the Culinary Institute of American cap off our trip. The Gatehouse Restaurant on the school’s campus features a coursed menu prepared by future student-chefs two years into their studies.
Dishes like crudo and seared pork loin are prepared with using fresh produce from the school’s garden. You can even add on wine pairings for an elevated experience.
Getting There
Unless you live close enough to road trip to Napa Valley, the majority of people will fly into San Francisco International Airport. From there, it is about an hour and a half drive to Napa Valley. You will likely drive over the Golden Gate Bridge en route, which is pretty cool!
The drive from the airport is easy and straightforward, although their will likely be some slow-downs going through San Francisco. It was the calm before our exciting winery adventures, which we enjoyed while listening to my California-themed playlist.
Only Have 2 Days in Napa Valley?
If you only have two days available for your Napa Valley itinerary, simply skip the first day of this schedule. Rather than exploring Muir Woods, focus on seeing the best of wine country by exploring estates in the valley and in the surrounding mountains.
Do You Have 4 or 5 Days for Your Napa Valley Itinerary?
If you have additional time to spend on your Napa Valley trip, here are some additional wineries and unique places to check out in the surrounding area.
- Venge Vineyards in Calistoga for delicious red wines made from grapes grown in volcanic ash.
- Mumm Napa in Rutherford to sip bubbly and peruse the adjacent art gallery
- M.S. Torun is the only winery in Napa that produces more olives than grapes. In fact, the owner, Sid, is the official olive oil provider for The French Laundry. Book a tasting here for an intimate, Mediterranean-feeling escape into the hills while Sid brings you fresh dishes produced on his property.
- Visit neighboring Sonoma to get acclimated to a new California wine region. We thoroughly enjoyed our tasting and tour at Repris, who paired our wines with an impressive cheese and charcuterie board.
- Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve gives you a similarly impressive redwood tree experience to Muir Woods, if not better. The difference is there are way less people around and entrance only costs $10 per vehicle.
- Point Reyes National Seashore is the perfect last stop of your trip if you don’t mind a trek on your last day. Windy roads lead you into a rural coastal paradise where you can walk scenic hiking trails or descend steep stairs down to the 1870 Point Reyes Light Station.
Where to Stay
Napa Valley is made up of various little towns along Highway 29 and the Silverado trail. Three of the most popular ones to stay in are as follows:
- Napa: We loved our stay at the charming Candlelight Inn in Napa – especially the breakfast that was included. Napa is a great base, with a downtown that boasts many lovely restaurants. However, being located further south, it is not the most convenient for reaching wineries on the north end of Napa Valley.
- Yountville: This town is a popular destination for its walkability and easy striking distance to nearby wineries. Yountville also has boasts of the most famous restaurants in Napa Valley, like the esteemed French Laundry. While hotels here run a bit pricey, Maison Fleurie offers affordability and charm right next to the highly touted Bouchon Bakery.
- Calistoga: Calistoga is unique from the other towns, with roads that become hilly and windy and great hiking and natural hot spring offerings nearby. This northern town is not so centrally located in the valley, but is near plenty of terrific wineries, like the gems of Howell Mountain. The Bergson is a cozy hotel, with perks like fireplaces in the rooms and easy walkability to downtown Calistoga. We personally adored the Trailside Inn for seclusion and comfort on a budget.
Choosing Wineries
I have suggested some amazing wineries above, but of course you can swap these out for your own tastes. However, if you’re like me, the real issue is narrowing down the best ones from a rather large array of choices. After all, Napa Valley has over 500 wineries with tasting rooms you could visit. Yikes!
To combat the overwhelm of our first trip, I first made a list of all the wineries that we were considering and organized them by price and location. I narrowed down to just one or two splurge wineries, and basically played with the list until I was within my desired budget. I tried to arrange our itinerary so that we visited a max of three wineries each day, starting with the farthest out and working our way back to our hotel.
Don’t worry too much about choosing the perfect spots. Almost all the wine in Napa is good and everything is so beautiful. As long as you don’t overdo it, It’s impossible to fail at this!
• • •
Now your itinerary is all set for a mesmerizing weekend in Napa Valley. This visit will be short, but it’s the perfect amount of time for doing some serious wine tasting. You definitely can’t lose by visiting any of the ones I mentioned above. After a blur of excitement, you’ll leave wondering when you can return to this magical wine region again.
Thank you! We followed a lot of your guidance on our Napa trip, and loved it!
Yay! That is so great to hear 🙂
This itinerary is fantastic!! How did you get around to the wineries? Are shuttles available, or ride-shares?
Thank you! We did a combination of driving ourselves and using Uber/Lyft (traditional taxis are available as well). Ride-sharing several times a day can get very pricey though, so it’s good to plan out tastings to minimize how often you need to use it. That said, if you’re able to split rides with others, that will definitely help keep costs down!
This is perfect! My best friend and I are planning a trip and this has a lot of fantastic tips.
Thank you!
This is so great to hear! Napa is such an awesome destination with more things to do than meet the eye.