3 days in Napa Valley

Day by day

1. Day 1: Napa Valley Wine Train and Oxbow Public Market

   Napa Valley Wine Train, Oxbow Public Market and Downtown Napa tasting rooms, then Sunrise balloon ride in the evening.

   1. Breakfast

      Breakfast: Bakery pastries

   2. Morning

      Napa Valley Wine Train

      Restored early 20th-century Pullman cars run a roughly 58 km round trip between Napa and St Helena while passengers eat lunch or dinner, with some packages adding winery stops.

   3. Late morning

      Oxbow Public Market

      Go at lunchtime on a weekday to avoid queues, and pick up picnic supplies before heading up the valley.

   4. Lunch

      Lunch: Tasting menus

      Yountville, St Helena and downtown Napa; reservations at the best-known restaurants open weeks or months ahead.

   5. Afternoon

      Downtown Napa tasting rooms

      Dozens of tasting rooms cluster within a few walkable blocks of First Street, Main Street and the Napa River, from boutique producers to big-name labels.

   6. Café break

      Café break: Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

   7. Evening

      Sunrise balloon ride

      Float over the vineyards at dawn and land for a champagne toast.

2. Day 2: Hot-air balloon flight and Yountville village

   Hot-air balloon flight, Yountville village and Inglenook, then Terrace sparkling tasting in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Hot-air balloon flight

      Plan the flight early in your trip so it can be rescheduled if winds cancel it, and dress in layers for the chilly pre-dawn start.

   2. Late morning

      Yountville village

      A walkable village on Washington Street with destination restaurants, bakeries, galleries and tasting rooms.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Oysters

      Oyster bars in Oxbow Public Market and seafood restaurants in Napa.

   4. Afternoon

      Inglenook

      Book a tasting with a tour of the château and caves to understand the estate's long history.

   5. Café break

      Café break: Carneros sparkling wine and Chardonnay

   6. Evening

      Terrace sparkling tasting

      Sip sparkling wine on the terrace at Domaine Carneros overlooking the vineyards.

3. Day 3: Castello di Amorosa and Schramsberg Vineyards

   Castello di Amorosa, Schramsberg Vineyards and Old Faithful Geyser of California, then Calistoga spa day in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Castello di Amorosa

      A winery built as a medieval Tuscan-style castle, with towers, a drawbridge, a great hall with painted frescoes, barrel cellars and a torture chamber.

   2. Late morning

      Schramsberg Vineyards

      The cave tour with tasting is the reason to come; wear a light jacket, as the caves stay cool.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Tacos

      Taquerias and taco trucks in the city of Napa, St Helena and Calistoga.

   4. Afternoon

      Old Faithful Geyser of California

      A privately owned geyser just outside Calistoga that erupts regularly, sending a column of hot water into the air.

   5. Snack

      Snack: Olive oil

   6. Evening

      Calistoga spa day

      Book a couple's mud bath and mineral soak in Calistoga.

Before you go

• Napa Valley Wine Train: Popular departures, especially weekends and harvest season, sell out; book well ahead.
• Hot-air balloon flight: Book ahead and expect very early start times; flights depend on the weather.
• Castello di Amorosa: Tours and tastings are by reservation; weekends book up early.
• Inglenook: Tastings are by reservation.
• Schramsberg Vineyards: Tours are by reservation and often fill up well in advance.

If it rains

• Swap in Culinary Institute of America at Greystone (St Helena): Book a cooking demonstration or a meal at the campus restaurant to see inside the historic building.
• Swap in Calistoga mud baths and hot springs (Calistoga): Book a mid-afternoon treatment after a morning of tastings, and drink plenty of water; the hot mud and minerals are dehydrating.
• Swap in di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art (Carneros): Combine it with a tasting at Domaine Carneros nearby, and check the current exhibitions and opening days before you go.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, Downtown Napa keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Yountville ($$$$) suits couples, luxury and food lovers. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 18–25 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.5 hours in December to 14.8 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

More or fewer days

• One day in Napa Valley
• 2 days in Napa Valley

Questions travellers ask