Rainy day · Napa Valley · United States
5 things to do in Napa Valley when it rains
Indoor sights that make a wet day feel planned rather than lost.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Pictured: Domaine Carneros, Napa Valley · Photo: Fred Hsu on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Oxbow Public Market, Castello di Amorosa and Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. Together the 5 picks below take roughly 7–8 hours across 4 areas; all charge for entry. January is usually the wettest month, with about 10 rainy days.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 5
- Free entry
- 0
- Time to see them all
- 7–8 hours
- Areas
- Downtown Napa, Calistoga and St Helena
Plan a trip to Napa Valley
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Napa Valley on a rainy day
Market · Downtown Napa
1.Oxbow Public Market
Go at lunchtime on a weekday to avoid queues, and pick up picnic supplies before heading up the valley.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Shopping
Castle · Calistoga
2.Castello di Amorosa
Book a guided tour to see the lower cellars, which are not part of a basic tasting visit.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Photo spot
- Kids
Architecture · St Helena
3.Culinary Institute of America at Greystone
Book a cooking demonstration or a meal at the campus restaurant to see inside the historic building.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- Food
- Rainy day
- History
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Experience · Calistoga
4.Calistoga mud baths and hot springs
Book a mid-afternoon treatment after a morning of tastings, and drink plenty of water; the hot mud and minerals are dehydrating.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Couples
- Rainy day
Gallery · Carneros
5.di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art
Combine it with a tasting at Domaine Carneros nearby, and check the current exhibitions and opening days before you go.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Napa | Oxbow Public Market | 1–1.5 hours |
| Calistoga | Castello di Amorosa and Calistoga mud baths and hot springs | 2 hours + 1.5–2 hours |
| St Helena | Culinary Institute of America at Greystone | 1 hour |
| Carneros | di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art | 1.5 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 5, 2 low cost, 1 mid-priced, 2 expensive. Book ahead for Castello di Amorosa and Calistoga mud baths and hot springs. The longest visit is Castello di Amorosa; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Castello di Amorosa: Tours and tastings are by reservation; weekends book up early.
- Calistoga mud baths and hot springs: Spa treatments book up at weekends; reserve ahead.
How to fit them into 2 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Downtown Napa and Calistoga): Oxbow Public Market → Castello di Amorosa, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Calistoga, St Helena and Carneros): Calistoga mud baths and hot springs → Culinary Institute of America at Greystone → di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, at least 4 hours.
The wettest months
- January: highs of 14°C (57°F), about 10 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Cool and rainy, with the year's lowest prices and quiet tasting rooms.
- February: highs of 17°C (63°F), about 9 rainy days, quiet crowds. Mustard flowers paint the vineyards yellow, and winter rates still apply.
- December: highs of 14°C (57°F), about 9 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cool and rainy, with holiday lights in the towns and lower rates outside the holidays.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Downtown Napa — Riverfront tasting rooms, Oxbow Public Market and the valley's widest choice of hotels
- St Helena — Historic Main Street in the middle of the valley's most famous vineyards
- Calistoga — Laid-back hot-springs town at the top of the valley
- Carneros — Rolling, cool vineyards between Napa and Sonoma, known for sparkling wine
More of Napa Valley
All things to do in Napa Valley · Where to stay · When to go.
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Napa Valley?
Oxbow Public Market. A food hall on the Napa River with stalls for oysters, tacos, cheese, spices, coffee, bakeries and wine bars.