Napa

Napa is a city in the state of California, located 50 miles north of San Francisco, at the southern end of scenic Napa Valley. == Get in == === By plane === San Francisco International Airport (SFO IATA), +1 650-821-8211. Oakland International Airport (OAK IATA), +1 510-563-3300. Sacramento International Airport (SMF IATA), +1 916-929-5411. 1 Napa County Airport (APC IATA), 2030 Airport Rd (just west of the intersection of Broadway St. and Lincoln Highway), ☏ +1 707-253-4300. No scheduled service. Useful for private planes. Air charter companies including Napa Jet Center and Air Charter Advisors offer direct flights with aircraft rentals ranging from economical single & twin engines props to luxury Gulfstream and business jets. Evans Airport Shuttle provides transportation from OAK and SFO. Check the schedules beforehand. === By car === From San Francisco: Highway 101 North over the Golden Gate Bridge (toll), to Highway 37; Highway 37 East towards Vallejo/Napa, to Highway 121; Highway 121 North towards Napa to Highway 29 North to Napa. From San Francisco or East Bay: Interstate 80 East Over Carquinez Bridge (toll), to Highway 37; Highway 37 East towards Vallejo/Napa, to Highway 121; Highway 121 North towards Napa to Highway 29 North to Napa. From Sacramento and points east: Interstate 80 West to Highway 12 West; Highway 12 West/Jamison Canyon Road toward Napa to Highway 29 North to Napa. === By bus === Evans Transportation operates scheduled shuttles ($29, 90 minutes) between San Francisco and Oakland airports and Vallejo and Napa hotels. Napa Valley Transit operates several buses, called the VINE from neighboring cities. === By boat === San Francisco Bay Ferry ($13 each way, 60 minutes) operates between San Francisco and Vallejo. From the Vallejo ferry terminal, you can take VINE Bus #10 to Napa. == Get around == === By bus === The Vine Public bus service with several routes in Napa County === By chauffeur === Elegant Wine Tours offers a $299 10-passenger limousine 6-hr wine tour plus tax, fuel, gratuity and license. Elegant Wine Tours specializes in providing boutique Napa and Sonoma limousine winery visits, custom Napa and Sonoma itineraries and off-the-beaten path wine tour destinations. Allure Wine Tours based in Napa provides personalized, chauffeured limo excursions throughout wine country. Every guest has the option to design their own trip or have Allure Wine Tour's staff create an itinerary to suit their tastes. Perata Luxury Tours is probably the best private tour service. The owner knows most of the owners of the local wineries personally. $65–75/hour, plus taxes and gratuity. 5-6 hour minimum. Platypus Wine Tours offers daily 6-hour tours of 4 wineries. 8-12 people per tour. $99 per person. Local pick up included. == See == Labyrinth at the Methodist Church, 625 Randolph St (at Fifth Street), ☏ +1 707 253-1411. M-F 11AM-2PM. Cool replica of the labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral. Walking the labyrinth is considered a sacred act. Donation. Quent Cordair Fine Art, 1301 First St, ☏ +1 707 255-2242, toll-free: +1-866-267-3247. 11AM - 5PM. The gallery features uplifting and inspirational paintings, sculptures and drawings of the contemporary Romantic Realism style. == Do == 1 Napa Valley Wine Train, 1275 McKinstry St, ☏ +1 707 253-2111, toll-free: +1-800-427-4124. Various types of train rides offered for the 36-mile round trip to St. Helena, with or without gourmet dinner. Buy the "flight" of wines at the tasting car. Make this institution part of your trip. Napa Valley Symphony, 860 Kaiser Rd, ☏ +1 707-226-6872. Performs classical and pops repertoire (guests have included Neil Sedaka, Wynona, Glenn Campbell and Johnny Mathis). Performances are at the Lincoln Theater of Yountville. 2 Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main St, ☏ +1 707-226-7372, fax: +1 707-226-5392. Not just opera. Festival Napa Valley. Large festival with music and food. (updated Dec 2018) Bottlerock, 575 3rd St. Major music festival held in May. (updated Sep 2023) === Hiking === Westwood Hills Park (Browns Valley Road and Laurel St), ☏ +1 707-257-9529. Nice views of the valley from this park's trails. Children's nature library. Skyline Wilderness Park (Skyline), 2201 Imola Ave, Napa, CA, ☏ +1 707 252-0481. Skyline Wilderness park offers hiking, biking & equestrian trails, camp sites & a native plant garden. 25 miles of multi-use fireroad and singletrack trails of various skill levels (beginner to advanced). Entrance fee for vehicles: $6.00 (no extra charge for bikes or horse trailers), Bike/Walk-In/Horseback Ride In: $3.00.USD$. (updated Feb 2022) === Horseback riding === Valley Brook Equestrian Center, 1132 El Centro Ave #1949, ☏ +1 707-888-1517. === Bike tours === Napa Valley Bike Tours, 6795 Washington St., Bldg. B (inside Washington Square Plaza), toll-free: +1-800-707-2453. Daily 8:30AM-5PM. Offering guided bike tours visiting local wineries, bike rentals and multi-day bicycling vacation packages. Also offering kayaking tours. === Balloon & helicopter rides === Napa Valley Balloons (north of Yountville). $215/person. === Golf === Napa Golf Course at Kennedy Park, 2295 Streblow Dr, ☏ +1 707-255-4333. Eighteen-hole, par 72 course. Chardonnay Golf Club, 2555 Jamieson Canyon Rd, toll-free: +1-800-788-0136. Hwy 12. Eighteen-hole Championship golf club. Par 72, 6,919 yards. Silverado Resort - North and South Courses, 1600 Atlas Peak Rd, ☏ +1 707-257-5586, toll-free: +1-800-362-4727. Two Robert Trent Jones, Jr. courses. Eagle Vines Golf Club, 580 South Kelly Rd, ☏ +1 707-257-4470. Eighteen hole, par 72, 7,283 yards. == Buy == Napa Premium Outlets (off Highway 29). == Eat == === Budget === Andie's, 1042 Freeway Dr, ☏ +1 707-259-1107. Near the Outlet Mall. Little hamburger stand that shares its location with a detail car wash. Appearances can be deceiving, though. It has the well-deserved reputation of having the best hamburgers in the Napa Valley. It can be very busy around lunchtime though, so it is recommended that you call in your order. === Mid-range === Angele, 540 Main St, ☏ +1-707-252-8115. Enjoy the fabulous French Country cuisine on their riverside patio in the heart of the Historic Hatt Mill & Market. Ristorante Allegria, 1026 1st St, ☏ +1 707-254-8006. Italian. $12–$20. Celadon, 500 Main St, ☏ +1 707-254-9690. $15–$25. Zuzu, 829 Main St, ☏ +1 707-224-8555. M-Th 11:30AM-10PM; F 11:30AM-midnight; Sa 4PM-midnight; Su 4PM-9PM. Popular place serves terribly tasty tapas. $10–30. Taqueria Las Palmas, 1730 Yajome St, ☏ +1 707-257-1514. Good all around Mexican food restaurant with a pleasant outdoor dining area. $5-15 per person.. Gott's Roadside, 644 First St, ☏ +1 707-224-6900. Burgers, sandwiches, seafood, salads, ice cream, and shakes. Mary's Pizza Shack, 3085 Jefferson St, ☏ +1 707-257-3300. Pizza and Italian food. Downtown Joes Restaurant & Microbrewery, 902 Main St, ☏ +1 707-258-2337. Downtown, overlooking the river. Lively atmosphere, good beer, excellent food, a bit pricey. The menu is very limited. Entrées tend to be $15-20. === Splurge === Bistro Don Giovanni, 4110 Howard Ln, ☏ +1 707-224-3300. Located on the outskirts of town, Bistro Don Giovanni is a restaurant with a rustic warm Italian ambiance located in the heart of the Napa Valley, serving fresh Italian and French style cuisine. FARM at The Carneros Inn, 4048 Sonoma Highway, ☏ +1 707-299-4890. A relaxing and elegant location, FARM offers both indoor seating, and an outdoor lounge, complete with fire pits and heaters. Extensive wine list with varying prices. It is open for dinner only. Reservations recommended for weekends. === Desserts === Sweetie Pies, 520 Main St, ☏ +1 707-257-8817. Cookie? == Drink == The Wineries of Napa Valley, 1285 Napa Town Center, ☏ +1 707-253-9450. Taste from a selection of 40 wineries, including some of the smaller family vineyards. === Wineries === Artesa Winery, 1345 Henry Rd, ☏ +1 707-224-1668. Built into the mountain, the caves are nice and cool. The Hess Collection, 4411 Redwood Rd, ☏ +1 707-255-1144. Daily 10AM-5PM. Enhanced by the art gallery and self-guided tour. Cabernet Sauvignon and chardonnays shine. Domaine Carneros, 1240 Duhig Rd, ☏ +1 707-257-0101 ext 108. Beautifully landscaped surroundings add to the tastings here. Champagnes, sparkling wines and pinot noir. == Sleep == Napa includes many bed and breakfasts, which include breakfast and more home-like, romantic atmospheres than regular hotels, but these establishments have strict cancellation policies and most require non-refundable deposits of 50-100% of the room cost at the time of booking and multiple-night stays on the weekends. === Budget === Napa Discovery Inn (Napa Hotel), 500 Silverado Trail (Downtown), ☏ +1 707-253-0892. Check-in: 11AM, check-out: 3PM. Individual cabin style rooms. $125. Napa Winery Inn, 1998 Trower Ave (Downtown), ☏ +1 707-257-7220. $160+. Napa Valley Hotel and Suites, 853 Coombs St (Downtown), ☏ +1 707-226-1871. Renovated rooms. $110–210. === Mid-range === 1801 First Napa Bed and Breakfast, toll-free: +1-800-518-0146. $295–425. Arbor Guest House, 1436 G St (Downtown). Jacuzzis and fireplaces in every room. $270. Carneros Inn, 4048 Sonoma Highway, toll-free: +1-888-400-9000. Carneros has 86 individual cottages, including 10 suites and three restaurants. Candlelight Inn, 1045 Easum Dr (on the bank of the Napa Creek), ☏ +1 707-257-3717. Away from the noise. This was the home of the Napa postmaster. Jacuzzis and fireplaces in every room. $310. Churchill Manor Bed and Breakfast, 485 Brown St, ☏ +707 253-7733, toll-free: +1-800-799-7733. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Victorian Bed and Breakfast Mansion set on a 1-acre estate. Breakfast, Wi-Fi & afternoon wine social included. $165 - $345. 1 Embassy Suites Napa Valley, 1075 California Blvd, ☏ +1 707-253-9540. Three-story Mediterranean-style full service hotel featuring a millpond and park-like atmosphere. Complimentary cooked to order breakfast and evening beverage reception. One indoor and outdoor swimming pool, complimentary passes to nearby health club, on-site spa services and sundeck. Meeting space for 10-200 people. Restaurant, Lounge and Business Center. $170–250. Hawthorn Inn & Suites, 314 Soscol Ave, ☏ +1 707-226-1878. A swimming pool, free Wi-Fi. Inn on First, 1938 First St, toll-free: +1-866-253-1331. Bed and Breakfast in downtown Napa. It has elegant rooms, a long list of amenities, food, scenery and hospitality. Jacuzzis and fireplaces in every room. No TVs in the house. $220–330. Marriott Napa Valley Hotel & Spa, 3425 Solano Ave (Just off Highway 29, 1.8 miles from downtown), ☏ +1 707-253-8600. Modern business hotel. $300–400. Meritage Resort and Spa, 875 Bordeaux Way (7 miles south of downtown, just off Highway 29 and Soscal Ferry Road), ☏ +1 707-251-1900. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: 11AM. Has spa in a wine cave, a private wedding chapel and meeting space. $185-465, Cheaper rates are for non-refundable advanced purchases. Napa Inn, 1137 Warren St (Downtown), toll-free: +1-800-435-1144. $180–270. Vino Bello Resort, 865 Bordeaux Way (7 miles south of downtown), ☏ +1 707-251-1900. Has 64 studio, one bedroom or two bedroom condominium-style suites. $178–410. White House Inn and Spa, 443 Brown St (On the river, at the edge of the downtown area), ☏ +1 707-254-9301. A luxury hotel with spacious suites, a private cottage, spa service, pool, hot tub, gourmet breakfast and wine tasting packages. Weddings, parties and reunions are available at the property. $340. === Splurge === Poetry Inn, 6380 Silverado Trl. Only 3 rooms available. $775–1400. Silverado Resort, 1600 Atlas Peak Rd, ☏ +1 707-257-0200, fax: +1 707-257-2867. == Go next == Napa Valley includes several other small similar towns including Sonoma and Vallejo. San Francisco is 90 minutes away.