Napa Valley, CABy ArrivLast checked
Plan a trip to Napa Valley
Thirty miles of valley floor with tasting rooms that now run mostly by appointment. Two is plenty. Book two a day and eat a long lunch between them, because three tastings before dinner is how people end up remembering none of it.
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Free to run, and you keep editing after. Add who's coming or a pace like “slow mornings” to shape the result.
Napa Valley at a glance
You want Napa Valley in 2 to 4 days, which is enough time to start with Oxbow Public Market and let the rest fall in around it. Pick between Downtown Napa, Yountville, and St. Helena for a base, and read the month notes before you book a flight. The three remaining stops fit in where they land. It all goes onto one map you can send to whoever is coming.
- How long
- 2–4 days
- When to go
- April to May, then September to October, with harvest running late August into October. Summer is hot and crowded. Winter is green, quiet, and cheaper, and if you ask me a rainy Tuesday in the valley with a fire going beats a hot Saturday in August.
- Getting around
- Distances are short, though tasting conflicts with driving. Hire a driver for the day, book a car service between appointments, or stay in Yountville and walk to everything.
What to build the plan around
- 1
Oxbow Public Market
A downtown Napa food hall, and the easiest lunch before you head up-valley.
- 2
Highway 29 and the Silverado Trail
The two roads that hold nearly every winery, though Silverado is the quieter and prettier drive.
- 3
Napa Valley Wine Train
Three hours of restored Pullman cars and a multi-course meal, which is the version where nobody has to drive.
- 4
Calistoga hot springs
Mineral pools and mud baths at the north end, which is the right way to spend an afternoon that involves no drinking at all.
Where to stay in Napa Valley
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- Downtown Napa
- Walkable restaurants and the lowest rates in the valley, so it fills first. Browse stays in Downtown Napa
- Yountville
- The best eating per square block in the country, and small enough to cover on foot once you are there. Browse stays in Yountville
- St. Helena
- Central to the up-valley wineries, and quiet at night once the tasting rooms close. Browse stays in St. Helena
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More itineraries to copy
Each one opens as a map with every stop already placed.
Napa Valley planning questions
- How many days do you need in Napa Valley?
- Most people take 2 to 4 days, and the extra one earns its keep if you dislike rushing. Two days fits four tastings without a rush. Four lets you add Sonoma and one day that has nothing to do with wine, which every trip here needs by about the third afternoon.
- What is the best time to visit Napa Valley?
- April to May, then September to October, with harvest running late August into October. Summer is hot and crowded. Winter is green, quiet, and cheaper, and if you ask me a rainy Tuesday in the valley with a fire going beats a hot Saturday in August.
- Where should I stay in Napa Valley?
- Three areas cover most trips in Napa Valley, since where you sleep decides how much of the day you spend in transit. Downtown Napa: Walkable restaurants and the lowest rates in the valley, so it fills first. Yountville: The best eating per square block in the country, and small enough to cover on foot once you are there. St. Helena: Central to the up-valley wineries, and quiet at night once the tasting rooms close. If you want one answer without weighing it up, book Downtown Napa and stop reading.
- How do you get around Napa Valley?
- Distances are short, though tasting conflicts with driving. Hire a driver for the day, book a car service between appointments, or stay in Yountville and walk to everything.
- What should I see first in Napa Valley?
- The first thing to slot in is Oxbow Public Market, because once you have given it a morning the rest arranges itself around that. A downtown Napa food hall, and the easiest lunch before you head up-valley. After that, Highway 29 and the Silverado Trail, then Napa Valley Wine Train, though the order between those two barely matters.
- Is there a free Napa Valley itinerary I can copy?
- Yes, and reading it costs nothing. Arriv has a Napa Valley itinerary with every stop mapped and a day-by-day order to follow, which is enough to plan from without touching it. Duplicate it into a trip of your own and the dates, the places, and the order are all yours to change.