Napa Valley, located in the northern part of California’s wine country, is one of the world’s premier wine-growing regions. Known for it’s Mediterranean climate, rolling vineyards and renowned wineries. Napa offers visitors breathtaking scenery, incredible food and wine and memorable experiences. If you only have a day to spend in Napa, you’ll want to plan your time wisely to make the most of your visit. Here’s an ideal one-day Napa itinerary.
Getting There and Getting Around
Most visitors arriving for a day trip will be coming from San Francisco, which is about an hour’s drive from the southern part of Napa Valley. Renting a car is highly recommended, as Napa Valley encompasses over 400 wineries spread throughout 35 miles. Driving gives you the most flexibility to get around.
Arriving early is key, as many of Napa’s attractions get crowded during peak times. Leave San Francisco no later than 8am, earlier if possible, to avoid heavy traffic going over the Golden Gate Bridge. Once in Napa Valley, head north on Highway 29, the main road through wine country with plenty of signs directing you to wineries along the way.
Morning Winery Hopping
With over 400 wineries to consider visiting, planning which ones you want to see is important when you only have a day. Here are three stunning, highly-rated small to mid-size wineries that are relatively close together. Making them convenient to combine into a morning of wine tasting.
Viader Vineyards and Winery
Begin your day of wine tasting at Viader (“vee-ah-der”) Vineyards, located on the slopes of Howell Mountain north of the town of St. Helena. With gorgeous views over Napa Valley and limited production wines only available at the winery, you’ll feel like you’re in on a special secret.
The tasting fee is $50, credited towards any bottles you purchase. The 90-minute Vineyard Tasting experience includes a tour of their organically-farmed vineyards and small boutique winery, followed by a seated tasting of five current release estate wines. With appointments required due to high demand, be sure to book your tasting time in advance online.
Peju Province Winery
Next, head 10 minutes south on Highway 29 to Rutherford, where you’ll find Peju Province Winery, a family-owned sustainable winery open since 1983. Peju offers outdoor tastings, tours and seasonal special events in their beautiful gardens filled with flowers, fountains and sculptures.
Opt for the seated tasting on their outdoor patio overlooking the vineyards when weather permits. Their Signature Tasting is $30 per person for five estate wines or upgrade to the $70 Perfection Tasting. Which includes a plate of artisanal cheeses and charcuterie to enjoy with seven wines. Reservations are recommended.
Grgich Hills Estate
Complete your morning of wine tasting by continuing south five minutes on Highway 29 to Yountville, home of Grgich Hills Estate. A Napa icon, Grgich Hills is a must-visit winery committed to natural winemaking practices. Their 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay put California on the map for world-class wines.
Grgich has an elegant tasting room lined with bottles and awards. The $25 standard tasting includes five wines; for $50, upgrade to the seated Estate Tasting, which adds light bites paired with five wines. Outdoor tastings are also available when weather permits. No appointment needed, but confirm they’ll be open when you plan to visit.
Winery Activities and Tasting Tips
In addition to wine tasting rooms, most wineries also offer diverse activities and beautiful scenery worth exploring. Here are top winery activities to consider:
- Take a Vineyard Tour – Many wineries offer walking tours through the vines to see how grapes are grown. This provides beautiful scenic views and great photo opps amongst the vines.
- Have a Gourmet Meal – Mix up wine tasting with a long lunch or dinner at a vineyard restaurant. Meals come perfectly paired with the ideal local wines.
- Relax with Live Music – Larger wineries like V. Sattui and Castello di Amorosa offer live music series. Pack a picnic, buy a bottle and lounge for an afternoon.
- Try Blending Seminars – Blending seminars allow you to try mixing different grape varietals just like real winemakers. The best creations are bottled so you can take home your personal vintage.
- Check out Cave Tours – Many wineries like Del Dotto and Schramsburg have underground caves carved right into the mountains. It’s fun to wander through and taste wines down amongst the barrels.
When wine tasting, be sure to use dump buckets, take notes, drink water, share pours when possible and perhaps book a driver. Focus on quality over quantity to fully enjoy this wonderful region.
Lunch in Downtown Napa
After an entertaining morning discovering some of Napa’s famous wines, refuel over lunch in the walkable downtown Napa district. Main Street through downtown features restaurants, wine tasting rooms, galleries and shopping.
Hands down one of the area’s most beloved lunch spots is Gott’s Roadside, located in the Oxbow Public Market. Gott’s serves delicious burgers, fries and shakes made from high quality, fresh ingredients. Sit at one of their outdoor picnic tables or head upstairs to the mezzanine for a bird’s eye view over the market’s bustling first floor.
Another can’t miss Napa lunch destination is The Thomas Restaurant at the Napa River Inn. Request seating on their garden patio and enjoy wood-fired pizzas, salads or sandwiches paired with local wines or craft beers.
Wherever you dine, be sure to wander around downtown Napa after lunch, allowing time to poke your head into tasting rooms like Vista Collina or Charlie Palmer’s Harvest Inn, stroll through the Oxbow Public Market showcasing local purveyors and check out the lively riverfront district.
Afternoon Sightseeing
While Napa is best known for it’s vineyards and tasting rooms, there is beautiful countryside beyond the vines waiting to be explored. After refueling at lunch, spend your afternoon discovering some of Napa’s charming small towns or taking in sweeping valley views on a hike.
St. Helena
The quiet town of St. Helena has an understated elegance, dubbed “Rodeo Drive meets Main Street” thanks to it’s high-end boutiques and cafés next to old-time mom and pop shops. Bring your wallet, as St. Helena caters to those with discerning (and generally expensive) tastes.
Be sure to visit Gott’s Roadside for California classics like perfectly cooked burgers and thick, old-fashioned shakes. Then start window shopping your way along Main Street’s mix of boutiques, art galleries, wine stores, home décor shops and real estate offices dreaming about Tuscan-style estates among the vines.
For a sweet treat, stop by Woodhouse Chocolate where they handcraft fine chocolates on-site using organic ingredients. Pop into the historic St. Helena Public Library, which looks straight out of a movie set. And don’t miss strolling St. Helena’s Cemetery, where graves dating back to the late 1800s honor some of Napa’s early pioneers.
Di Rosa Preserve
Just north along the Silverado Trail, art lovers will appreciate a visit to di Rosa Preserve, housing the largest collection of Bay Area contemporary art in the world. Originally founded by politician Rene di Rosa to protect the natural beauty of the Carneros region while also promoting local art, the preserve today encompasses 217 scenic acres.
Guests can explore outdoor sculpture gardens with funky modern art installations scattered along the shores of two large lakes. Inside the protected galleries, view thousands of paintings, photographs, videos and mixed media works by notable 20th century Northern California artists. Grab a sandwich at the Gatehouse Café to picnic lakeside, taking in views of Napa vineyards set against the Mayacamas Mountains.
Robert Louis Stevenson State Park
If spectacular scenery is calling your name, head into the wooded hills above Napa Valley to hike Robert Louis Stevenson State Park. Located off Highway 29 north of Calistoga, the park contains eight miles of trails traversing evergreen forests and chaparral. For panoramic views, follow the relatively flat 2.2 mile long Table Rock Trail to the exposed rocky summit. Survey dizzying sights of Napa Valley below you, ringed by mountains. Return via the steeper 2.4 mile Mt. St. Helena Trail, which features a steep 800-foot descent, parts on loose rock steps, that takes you right back to the parking lot.
Build in plenty of time to pause for photographs, as the craggy hillsides dotted with oaks dripping in moss feel eerily magical. You’ll swear you’ve been transported to Stevenson’s Scottish isle. Keep kids and dogs on leashes near steep drop-offs at the overlooks. Remember your camera to document the day’s adventures amid the scenic backdrops.
Dinner and Sunset
After an action-packed day exploring Napa’s wine country sights, pull up a seat on the patio at Morimoto Napa as the sun begins it’s colorful descent over the vineyards. The famed Japanese chef Masaharu Morimoto, of Iron Chef fame, chose downtown Napa as the location for his first Northern California outpost.
Situated on the banks of the Napa River, Morimoto Napa features fresh sushi as you’d expect. But also wows palates with cooked Japanese dishes influenced by the seasons and local ingredients. Sip one of their signature sake cocktails like the Haiku (pear sake, St. Germain, honeysuckle) or the Rising Sun (Toki whiskey, Cointreau, yuzu juice, lemon juice).
Opt for the seven course Chef’s Premium Omakase Experience ($150 per person), leaving it to the chef’s discretion to create this special menu just for you. Or order à la carte favorites like Salmon Skin Crispy Rice, Seared Wagyu Beef Carpaccio and Japanese Mushroom Pizza. If the timing aligns, watch the sun set over the vineyards painting the evening skies in dazzling hues.
Final Words
Let your final moments on this Napa day trip be spent conversing over dinner on Morimoto’s patio, as a glowing orange moon rises and the earliest stars make their appearance in in the twilight sky. If you overindulged on wine during the day, let their expert bartenders refill your glass with delicate jasmine green tea. Wind down from the day’s adventures by sharing travel tales with your dining companions over flavourful bites of expertly crafted sushi before reluctantly heading home after a memorable jam-packed tour through Napa’s wine country.
As you drive away into the night, gazing at the receding lights of Napa Valley, start planning in your mind what wineries you still need to visit next time. With over 400 options, you’ll want to come back and explore this iconic wine region again. Even with just 24 hours to spend touring Napa, you’ve packed in beautiful scenery, delicious wine and food, interesting history and unforgettable moments enjoying the best that Napa Valley has to offer visitors in a single day.
FAQs
If you don’t have a car, your options are more limited, but taking a bus tour is a popular way to visit Napa. Multiple companies offer full-day wine tasting tours of Napa Valley from San Francisco, taking care of the transportation and winery visits.
Some top Napa wineries that are ideal for your first visit include Castello di Amorosa, a replica medieval stone castle with tours and tastings; V. Sattui for it’s beautiful grounds, deli for picnic supplies and large tasting room; and Sterling Vineyards. Which requires riding an aerial tram to reach their hilltop tasting room overlooking the valley.
The charming towns of St. Helena or Yountville both make for great home bases during your Napa visit. They have walkable downtown areas loaded with restaurants, shops and tasting rooms, as well as centrally located luxury hotels and bed and breakfast inns.
Pack comfortable shoes or boots suited for walking between wineries, as heels are not recommended. Bring layers to handle the unpredictability of Napa’s weather and temperatures that shift from inside to out. While wine country is casual, some wineries frown on shorts, baseball caps and flip flops so opt for smart casual attire.
Can’t miss dining options for lunch or dinner include Gott’s Roadside, The Thomas Restaurant at the Napa River Inn, Bouchon Bistro in Yountville by Thomas Keller and the Restaurant at Meadowood, also in Yountville, with 3 Michelin stars.
