If you’re a wine enthusiast like I am or just curious about wine, Napa Valley is certainly a destination that you’ve either visited or is high up on your bucket list — and for good reason.
Napa Valley offers a unique blend of outdoor adventures, fine dining, and world-renowned wineries. This guide will take you through the must-see attractions and provide tips for the perfect Napa weekend.
Whether you’re a wine connoisseur or an adventurous spirit looking for an escape, this guide has it all. So pack your bags and get ready for a weekend of relaxation and exploration in the rolling hills of Northern California.
The Perfect Weekend Itinerary for Napa Valley
How To Get To Napa Valley
Napa Valley is located in the Bay Area in Northern California, and is a quick ride away from San Francisco and Oakland.
If you’re flying to Napa Valley, you have a few different options for airports. If you’re looking for more budget-friendly flights, you can fly into San Francisco International Airport (SFO) or Oakland International Airport (OAK). Oakland’s Airport is a bit closer to Napa, but it is around a 90-minute drive to Napa from either one of these airports, give or take some time for traffic.
You also have the option to fly into the smaller Sonoma County Airport, which offers nonstop flights from eleven destinations. This is going to be the closest airport to Napa Valley, but you might find that flight prices are higher than SFO or OAK.
How To Get Around Napa Valley
While rideshares like Uber and Lyft are available in Napa Valley, I always recommend renting a car to get around the Valley and/or hiring a driver for winery visits. While rideshare apps are easily accessible in Downtown Napa, they aren’t always the most reliable in wine country, as wineries sometimes have limited phone signal and wifi access.
One service that I’ve used in Napa and Sonoma in the past is Pure Luxury Transportation. They offer a smooth, sophisticated ride around wine country, and their staff is incredibly friendly and professional. As always, please be responsible — when wine tasting, either have a friend in your group volunteer as a designated driver or hire a car service!
Also: don’t sleep on Downtown Napa. If you don’t have a car, it’s not a problem in this part of the Valley. Here, you can walk to dozens of tasting rooms, restaurants, and shops and easily access rideshare apps.
Where To Stay In Napa Valley
If you’re looking for a place to stay in Napa in a great location, the Cambria Hotel Napa Valley is a fantastic option. It’s located just minutes away from Downtown Napa and is a great home base for the wine enthusiast.
The Cambria Hotel Napa Valley is very modern and feels even more luxurious than the price point. I loved the locally-inspired design of this property and was also impressed with the customer service here.
As far as amenities, this hotel has an on-site restaurant, grab-and-go meals available 24/7, a bar, a hot-tub, and a fantastic patio to lounge in with firepits. I could envision myself gathering a group of girlfriends to stay at this hotel for future Napa trips — I loved how many common area spaces there were to gather.
Napa: The Perfect Weekend Itinerary
If you only have a couple of days to spend in Napa Valley, here was our itinerary for the experience. Personally, I think that two wineries/day is perfect, and make sure to give yourself plenty of time during wine tastings (and some downtime to rest!)
Day 1:
11:00 a.m.—Visit Brasswood Cellars for a cave wine tasting followed by lunch in the bar + kitchen at 12:30 p.m.
2:00 p.m.—Head to Sequoia Grove Winery to enjoy a patio tasting experience on the historic 24-acre estate vineyard.
3:00 p.m.—Check into the Cambria Hotel Napa Valley.
7:00 p.m.—Walk around Downtown Napa, and enjoy dinner at Scala Osteria.
Day 2:
At Your Leisure: Grab breakfast at Mary Elizabeth’s (Cambria Napa Valley’s on-site restaurant serving locally-inspired bites, wine, and craft beer).
11:00 a.m.—Attend an immersive bottle blending boot camp at Judd’s Hill.
1:00 p.m.—Stop by Mother’s Tacos for lunch.
2:30 p.m.—After lunch, visit the Laird Family Estate for a wine tasting.
5:30 p.m.—Sit for dinner at Morimoto Asia.
7:00 p.m.—After dinner, head over to the Blue Note Napa for a show!
Day 3:
At Your Leisure: Enjoy breakfast at the nearby La Cheve Bakery and Brews at your leisure, check out, and head home.
Have you ever visited Napa Valley? Let me know in the comments, and check out more of my wine travel guides here!
Thank you to Cambria Hotels and Visit Napa Valley for hosting me on a media trip! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Photos by Tom McGovern
Ooh, this is a great itinerary!! I think I’m going to try to talk my husband into doing a mini Napa trip when we visit my family in the Bay Area for Thanksgiving. I’m so overdue for a Napa Valley visit (we usually do Sonoma instead because of where we have wine club memberships).