Will I Like It?
Napa's growing buzz makes it a more attractive place to stop every year, and if you like to stay in bed and breakfast inns, it has plenty of them, in some beautiful old buildings.
There's a big project afoot on the Napa River to prevent floods that have devastated the town in the past, and until that's done, you may occasionally find a lot of noisy construction going on, but if you go now, you say you knew about it first.
Best Time to Go
Any time of year is nice in Napa, but summer can be way too crowded, and fall around harvest time is also busy.Getting There
Driving? Napa is 46 miles from San Francisco, 82 miles from San Jose, 59 miles from Sacramento, 190 miles from Reno, NV and 399 miles from downtown Los Angeles. From San Francisco, take U. S. Highway 101 north across the Golden Gate Bridge and exit at CA 37 East (exit 460A). Go north on CA 29.Flying? The nearest aiport is in San Francisco (SFO). Check airfares.
Where to Stay
Check our recommended hotels and nicest bed and breakfast inns in the town of Napa.5 Great Things to Do in Napa
- Take a Guided Tour: Let someone else do the driving and worry about the traffic. We highly recommend A Friend in Town tour company, owned by my friend Jesse Warr.
- Del Dotto Winery: One of our favorite Napa wineries, Del Dotto offers unique wine-tasting straight from the barrel, exploring the relationship between the wine and the wooden barrels it's aged in.
- Napa Mill and River Walk: The last remainder of Napa's former industrial center is now a hotel/dining/shopping complex, home to several nice restaurants and food shops.
- Downtown Napa Wine Tasting: You'll find several nice places in downtown Napa where you can sample the wares of many area wineries without having to run around. Try Bounty Hunter, where the food and atmosphere are as good as the wines they pour.
- Copia: The American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts may be of interest to you if you like food and wine, especially if you'd like to take a cooking class.
Best Time to Visit Napa
Napa is fun in any season, but it's quietest in late fall and winter.Napa Dining
Some of the most popular Napa dining spots include:- Bistro Don Giovanni: Italian food worth driving for
- Julia's Kitchen: The signature restaurant at Copia, named to honor Julia Childs
- Zuzu: A cozy, Spanish tapas bar
- Angele: Located in the Hatt Mill complex, with a French menu
- Celadon: also in the Hatt Mill, serving what they call "Global Comfort Food" and boasting an award-winning wine list
Don't miss
If you've got a taste for chocolate, don't leave Napa without stopping at the Dever Family's Vintage Sweet Shoppe, whose wine-filled chocolate truffles have been features on the Food Network.Annual Events You Should Know About
- January-February: Napa Valley Mustard Festival: You've gotta have something to do after the harvest is laid in and before the new vintages come out, so why not celebrate food?
- August: Music in the Vineyards, a Chamber Music Festival
- December: Holiday Candlelight Tour features some of the town's most beautiful private homes.
