Napa Valley Tours &
Things to Do
Discover the best Napa Valley and Sonoma tours and things to do in America’s premier wine country: sip your way through world-class wineries aboard a vintage wine trolley, ride the historic Napa Valley Wine Train, tour Sonoma by electric trike, and taste your way across the valleys on a small-group tour from San Francisco. Compare top-rated experiences and plan the perfect trip.
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Explore Napa Valley by interest
Whatever brings you to Napa Valley — world-class museums, the river, or a long lunch — start with the experiences travellers love most.
Top attractions in Napa Valley
The landmarks that define the city — and the tickets and tours that get you in, often skipping the line.
Wine Trolley
Vintage vine-hopping.
Napa Wineries
Small-group tastings.
Sonoma
Rustic wine country.
Both Valleys
Napa & Sonoma.
Wine Train
Dining on rails.
Wine Country
Rolling vineyards.
Trike Tours
Pedal the vines.
Napa Valley
America’s wine country.
Napa awayWine Trolley
Vintage vine-hopping.
Napa awayWinery Tour
Small-group tastings.
Wine country awaySonoma
Rustic wineries.
From SF awayNapa & Sonoma
Both valleys.
Napa awayWine Train
Dining on rails.
1 hr awayFrom SF
Easy day trip.
Know before you go
Short, straight answers to the questions every Napa Valley visitor asks before booking.
Harvest (Aug–Oct)
Crush season — buzzing, but book early.
Spring (Mar–May)
Green hills, mustard blooms and fewer crowds.
Summer (Jun–Aug)
Warm and sunny — peak visitor season.
For tastings
Any season delivers world-class wine.
Winter (Nov–Feb)
Quiet and cosy, with lower rates.
Best overall
September to October for the harvest buzz.
One day
A wine trolley and a winery tour.
Two days
Add Sonoma and the Wine Train.
Three+ days
Add hot-air ballooning and more wineries.
For wine
Small-group winery tours.
For a treat
The Napa Valley Wine Train.
From SF
An easy full-day trip.
By tour
Trolleys and minibus tours handle the driving.
By bike
Electric bikes and trikes suit the flat valley.
By Wine Train
The historic train links wineries with lunch.
From SF
Day tours include round-trip transport.
Where to stay
Stay in Napa, Yountville or St Helena.
US dollar
Napa uses the US dollar; cards are accepted everywhere.
Tastings
Book winery tastings ahead — many are by appointment.
Don’t drive
Join a tour so everyone can taste safely.
Wine Train
Reserve the Wine Train well in advance.
Harvest
Book far ahead for the busy crush season.
Sonoma
Combine Napa with laid-back Sonoma.
Combos
Some tours bundle several wineries with lunch.
Wine Train
Popular departures sell out — book ahead.
Wine trolleys
Small-group trolleys fill up — reserve early.
Winery tours
Appointment tastings fill up — book ahead.
SF day tours
Weekend tours sell out — reserve early.
Harvest season
August to October is busiest — book far ahead.
Bike tours
Small-group rides fill up — book ahead.
Wine trolley
From about $145 for a trolley tour.
Winery tour
Around $151 for a small-group winery tour.
Sonoma
About $175 for a Sonoma wine tour.
Wine Train
From $291 for the gourmet Wine Train.
From SF
Around $179 for a Napa and Sonoma day trip.
How to save
Join group trolley or minibus tours rather than private hire.
Napa Valley through the seasons
What's best, how busy it gets, and one booking tip for each time of year.
- Best for
- Cosy & quiet.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Value.
- Best for
- Green hills.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Great.
- Best for
- Sunny days.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Busy.
- Best for
- Crush season.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Best.